The Shemwell Family

James John Zellers Obituary and Family History Published in the Rochester(IN) News-Sentinel, Friday, May 4, 1945 James J. ZELLERS, 71, father of County Commissioner Murlen Zellers, passed away at a South Bend nursing home late Thursday of complications which followed a hold-up attack by thugs a year ago. At that time when he was robbed by unknown assailants, he was beaten about the head, and as a result was never able to give a coherent account of the attack. His condition since had been more or less critical. Born near Kewanna in 1874, he was the son of Henry and Margaret (BARRETT) ZELLERS. His life, until about 20 years ago, when he moved to South Bend, had been spent almost entirely in Fulton county where he engaged in farming and business as a hardware merchant in Kewanna and later as a druggist in Rochester, where for some time he operated a drug store where the New York Candy Kitchen now stands. He was a member of the Kewanna Baptist church and of the Gleaners Lodge. For the past several years he has been employed as a millwright in South Bend. The deceased was twice married, first to Norma FULLER, who preceded him in death, and later to Candace BARNETT, who, with four sons, Murlen [ZELLERS] and Arthur [ZELLERS] of Kewanna, Byron [ZELLERS] of Logansport and Ralph [ZELLERS] of South Bend; three daughters, Mrs. Margaret DUDAC, Mrs. George JOHNSON and Miss Elizabeth ZELLERS of South Bend; one step-son, Earl FAHLER, and a brother, D. H. ZELLERS of South Bend; a sister, Mrs. Clara COSGROVE of Culver; 20 grandchildren, four of whom are in the armed service, and five great-grandchildren, survive. The remains will be brought to the Harrison funeral home in Kewanna on Sunday where final rites will be held at 2:30 o'clock in the afternoon. Interment will be made at the Kewanna IOOF cemetery. In the meantime the body will lie at the residence, 113 East Dayton street, South Bend. SOURCE: http://www.fulco.lib.in.us/Genealogy/Tombaugh/Obituaries/Html/1945.htm