Submitted by: Dan Rich
South bend Tribune 7/7/2006
Donald Dean Schlarb, 73, of Dragoon Trail, Mishawaka, passed away on Wednesday, July 5, in Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis, as the result of a farming accident in southern Indiana, doing what he loved. Don was born on May 8, 1933, in Wyatt, IN, to Herman H. and Grace (Keyser) Schlarb. He was preceded in death by his parents, and by two brothers, Bill and Keith.
On January 3, 1953, in St. Joseph Catholic Church, he married the love of his life, Delores “Dee” Beutter. Surviving Don are his loving, devoted wife, Dee; two daughters, Peggy (Robert) Thornton and Jeanne (Jeff) Beers; a son, Phil (Jody) Schlarb, all of Mishawaka; five grandchildren, Hailey Thornton, Jared and Julia Beers, and Morgan and Amanda Schlarb; two sisters, Mary (Dan) Ruffner of Zeeland, MI, and Dorothy Helyer of Anaheim, CA; and a sister-in-law, Nored Schlarb of Wyatt, IN.
Don was a lifelong farmer by trade and stuck with it for the sheer love of farming. He was the founder of Hilltop Farms and Hilltop Trucking. He was a veteran of the United States Army, serving his country during the Korean Conflict. He was a member of Farm Bureau, the Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce, a member of VFW Post 360, a former founder of the Wyatt Merchants Association, and a member of the Mishawaka Pilots Club.
Don always enjoyed playing cards in his spare time. He was always joking around with everyone; he had the biggest sense of humor of anyone around. He was a very kind, caring and giving man. Don would give you the shirt off of his own back if he thought you needed it more then he did.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, July 9, in the Hahn Funeral Home, 505 W. 8th Street, Mishawaka, from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held in the funeral home on Monday, July 10, at 11:00 a.m., with Rev. Dave Porterfield officiating. Burial will follow at St. John's Cemetery in Wyatt, IN.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wyatt Merchants Association or to the Mishawaka Pilots Club.