Donald Windham Oechsle

Donald Windham Oechsle, 102, fell asleep in death on June 11, 2020.

He was born on Sept. 15, 1917 to Adolph C. Oechsle and Bertha Ida (Wild) Oechsle, who preceded him in death, along with brother Ralph W. Oechsle and daughter Cherrie Diane.

He is survived by his wife Audrey (Freshour) Oechsle; sister Louise Alma (Oechsle) Miller; two daughters, Susan Deneen (Oechsle) Earles and her husband David and Patricia Ann (Oechsle) Taylor and her husband Arlis; four grandchildren, Zane Earles and wife Casey (Lawson), Dana (Earles) Black and husband Harry, Grant Earles and wife Lynsie (Innis) and Garrett Earles; three great-grandchildren, Addison Earles, Hayden Black and Brynley Black; and two nephews, David and Donald Miller.

Donald was born in Saginaw, Mich., and raised in Van Wert, Ohio. He attended the University of Alaska before serving in Europe in World War II.

He met and married Audrey in Meridian, Miss., on Aug. 15, 1952. Afterward, they moved to Indiana and he worked at the Indiana State Farm as the dairy manager for 20 years before retiring in 1988.

Don was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1973 and was a member of the Greencastle congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses until his death. He loved to talk to his neighbors about the Bible and his hope to live in paradise right here on Earth.

He loved his family, gardening and working with animals. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.