Gordon L. Poe, of Niles
Jan. 4, 1931-Sept. 26, 2017
Niles Daily Star, Published 9:55 am Thursday, October 5, 2017
Mr. Gordon L. Poe, 86, of Niles, died at 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, at Saint Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, following an illness.
He was born on Jan. 4, 1931, in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, to Mr. Shelly Lue and Bertha (Lampson) Poe. He was graduated from the Charleston (Kentucky) High School, and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He was honorably discharged as a veteran of the Korean War, and came to Niles as an employee of the National-Standard Corporation for more than 30 years before retiring in 1982.
Gordon was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Niles. He was very active in Freemasonry, as a member of Saint Joseph Valley Lodge #4, F. & A.M., Niles Chapter #332, Order of the Eastern Star, Saint Joseph Valley Chapter #2, Royal Arch Masons, South Bend Commandery #13, Knights Templar, the Niles Shrine Club, and Orak Shrine in Michigan City, Indiana, holding offices in each organization, and volunteering to drive many children to the Shriners Hospital in Chicago.
He was also a member of the American Legion Post #26, Amvets Post 1978, and the Howard Township Conservation Club, where he enjoyed trapshooting. He had golfed on the area leagues, once winning the Niles City Tournament, and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He also participated in the activities of the Niles Senior Center, enjoyed dancing, and maintained feeding stations for the birds and wildlife in his backyard.
On Jan. 3, 1980, in South Bend, he married the former Katherine A. (Krueger) Elder, with whom he celebrated this year the 37th anniversary of their wedding.
Surviving family includes his wife, Katherine Poe; his son, Ted J. (Beki) Poe of Indianapolis; Kathy’s twins, David (Stacy) Elder of Elkhart, Indiana, and Doreen Bass of Evansville, Indiana; grandchildren, Elizabeth Ann Poe, Bryan Poe, Katie Elder, and LeRoy Bass III; Gordon’s siblings, Yvonne (R.G.) Johnson of Dawson Springs, Celia Trusler of Panama City, Florida, Lavenue Yeanoplos of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, David Poe of Cadiz, Kentucky, and Bobbie Dickeson of Niles; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and by his siblings, Melvin, Sanarah, Edna, and Naomi.
Mason Rites for Gordon Poe will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home in Niles, offered by the Saint Joseph Valley Lodge #4. Funeral services will follow with the Rev. Fran Lane-Lawrence of First Presbyterian Church officiating, and will conclude with the veteran’s flag presentation and taps by the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard. Committal services at Silverbrook Cemetery will be private, at a later date.
The family will receive relatives and friends at the funeral home beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday. Contributions in memory of Gordon may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children – Chicago, 2211 North Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60707; shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/donate.
halbritterfunerals.com