Wanda L. Beeching

Wanda Louise (Grable) Pettigrew Beeching, 93, of Columbia City, Ind., passed away Wednesday, April 5, 2017 at Sycamore Village, Fort Wayne. Born July 15, 1923 in Thorncreek Township, she was the daughter of Heber G. and Nina L. (Konkle) Grable.

She was raised in Whitley County and attended Churubusco High School. Following her first marriage to Alverl Pettigrew, she resided in Union Township until moving in November of 1971 to Wilmington Township in DeKalb County. On March 26, 1977, she married Frederick Beeching. She was a homemaker, wife, mother, and she assisted her husband Alverl in the management and operation of their dairy farm. While living in DeKalb County she worked as a Ward Clerk on the medical floor at DeKalb Memorial Hospital. Wanda had volunteered at the Whitley County Memorial Hospital starting in 1989 and was on their Board of Volunteers. She was a member of the Dunfee Missionary Church, Columbia City Business and Professional Womens Club, Whitley County Democrat Ladies Club, Womens Missionary Society of Dunfee, Red Hat Society, and the Woodland Senior Center in Columbia City.

Survivors include her sons, Jim (Jenny) Pettigrew, of Columbia City, Dennis (Linda) Pettigrew, of Butler and Steve Pettigrew, of Huntington; daughter, Vicki (Brian) Golembiewski, of Porter; step-daughters, Marlyn (Tom) Pleiman, of Arizona and Jana (Dave) Thompson, of Ohio; step-sons, Don (Dottie) Beeching, of Michigan, Robert (Robin) Beeching, of Illinois, brothers, Gerald (Carolyn) Grable, of Columbia City and Vernon Grable, of South Bend; sister, Peggy Hostetler, of Plymouth; 28 grandchildren; 40 great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; first husband; second husband; daughters, Linda Pettigrew and Joan Linnemeier; grandson, Nic McCoy; and brothers, Phil Grable and Heber Bud Grable, Jr.

Visitation is 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Monday, April 10, 2017 at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services are 10 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home with Pastors Dennis Rowe and Jerry Blanchard officiating. Burial will follow at Greenhill Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be given in her memory to Heartland Hospice. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send family condolences or sign the guest register book.