Lewis R. Thorbahn Obituary (1925

On February 2, 2013, Lewis R. Thorbahn of Vickery, went home peacefully to his heavenly Father at the Willlows in Bellevue. He was born on October 18, 1925 to Fred and Elsie (Hoffman) Thorbahn in Carroll township, Ottawa County. He attended Carroll Township Elementary and Oak Harbor High School. On November 20, 1948, he married Janet Elaine Brockman at St. John's Lutheran Church, Fremont. Farming was his lifetime passion. During World War II, he was asked to help farm his father's farm in Ottawa County. Following the war he moved to Vickery to help his uncle, Rollin Buhrow, farm. In 1954 they formed a partnership, Buhrow and Thorbahn Dairy Farm. They continued their farming operation together in Townsend and Riley townships, later including Lewis' sons. In 1960, their new dairy facility was one of the most modern and state of the art and their dairy herd one of the largest for Sandusky County and Ohio. Their high producing herd of Registered Holstein cattle became well known, with cattle selling to many breeders in Ohio, across the U.S. and many foreign countries. He was active in numerous farm organizations; director on Northwestern Cooperative Sales Assoc., delegate to Milk Marketing, Inc.; member of the Ohio Farmers Union; Sandusky County Farm Bureau; the Maumee Valley Holstein Club; the Ohio Holstein Assoc; and a lifetime member of Holstein Assoc., USA His church was very important to him. He was a charter member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Vickery, where he was a Church Council member and President; served on the property committee and building committee; ushered and enjoyed playing dartball with the league. An avid card player, he enjoyed his weekly games at the Riley Country Club. For the past twenty + years he and Janet spent their winters in Fort Meyers, Fla with all their "Snowbird" friends. A devoted family man , he followed closely his sons, granddaughters and numerous nieces and nephews high school activities and sports. He loved going to the county fair and was always in the bleachers watching his family and extended family exhibiting their prized Holsteins and other livestock projects at the Sandusky and Ottawa County fairs. He is survived by his wife; sons: Tom (Linda); Lewis II; Fred (Sandi) all of Vickery and Dave (Nancy) of Plain City. Granddaughters, Stacey (Jeremy) Knapp, Vickery; Sarah (Tyler) McKinnon, Norwalk; Kayleah Thorbahn, Bellevue; Ashley Thorbahn, Columbus; and Jenna and Kelsey Thorbahn, Plain City. Also surviving are his brother, Richard (Ellen) Oak Harbor; sisters, Ella Mae Burmeister; Marian (John) Henry and Donna Lou Fizer ,all from Oak Harbor; Helen Miller, Lindsey and sisters-in-law, Mona Thorbahn and Ann Thorbahn, Oak Harbor; Charlotte Brockman, Fredricksburg, Va plus numerous nieces and nephews. Lewis was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Marvin and Willard and in laws Wilbur and Martha Brockman,and brothers-in-law, Dale Burmeister; Larry Fizer; Donald Miller and Charles Brockman,along with his niece and goddaughter, Rebecca Thorbahn. Visitation will be on Wed., Feb. 6, 2013 from 1:00 -4:30PM and 6-8:00 PM at the Mitchell-Auxter Funeral Home, 218 South Main ST., Clyde, Ohio. The funeral will be on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 at 1:30 PM at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Vickery with Rev. David Klappenbach officiating. Burial will be in Parkhurst Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Good Shepherd Building Fund or Heartland Hospice. Visitation Date: 02/06/2013 Visitation time: 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM -8:00 PM Visitation Location: Mitchell-Auxter Funeral Home - 218 South Main Street, Clyde Service Date: 02/07/2013 Service Time: 1:30 PM Service Location: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - 1320 Co. Rd. 268, Vickery, Ohio