Richard “Dick” Dean Longenberger, 86, was born Dec. 15, 1936, in rural Adams County, Ind. to Ernest and Pearl (Frauhiger) Longenberger, and passed away Thursday morning, Sept. 21, 2023, in Bluffton.
Dick was the seventh, and youngest, child of Ernest and Pearl, and grew up on the family farm in Adams County. Dick graduated from Adams Central High School in 1954. Dick married Judith M. Nussbaum in 1958. Judy passed away in 1991, and Dick married Joyce (Roberts) Sills in 1993. Dick enjoyed tractor pulls, restoring antique tractors, wintering in Florida for many years, and spending time with his grandchildren and 6 great-grandsons.
In addition to his parents and his first wife, Judy, Dick was pre-deceased by three sisters and their husbands, Lucille (Robert) Bucher, Helen (Marvin) Redding, and Betty (Arthur) Bertsch; two brothers and their wives, Harry (Devona) Longenberger, and Roger (Marilyn) Longenberger; and one brother-in-law and his wife, Wayne (Judie) Nussbaum.
Dick is survived by his wife, Joyce; one brother, William (Betty) Longenberger; one brother-in-law, Gregg (Judy) Nussbaum; as well as his three children with Judy, Thomas (Becky) Longenberger of Bluffton; Sheryl (Tim) Gerber of Firestone, Colo., and Linda (Tom) Bushee of Bluffton. Dick is also survived by two grandchildren and six great-grandsons, Caleb (Jill) Longenberger and their sons Sam, Ben and Sawyer Longenberger, all of Zionsville; and Lydia (Alex) Hebbert and their sons Griffin, Cooper and Wyatt Hebbert, all of Mead, Colo. Dick is also survived by three stepchildren, Jean (Gary) Halcomb, Jan (Mike) Webb, and Travis (Leah) Sills; 12 step-grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and 15 step-great-grandchildren.
Services will take place at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, at the Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home in Bluffton. Burial will follow at Six Mile Cemetery in Bluffton.
Visitation will take place from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, at the funeral home and for one hour prior to the service.
Preferred memorials are to the Friends Who Care Cancer Relief Foundation.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Lemler family of Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home in Bluffton. Friends can send online condolences to the family at www.thomarich.com.