Betty Mae Poe, Susanna Jeanette (Hite) Slaughter, Ruth Mildred Luecke
Betty Mae Poe
Betty Mae Poe, 87, Kokomo, passed away at 7:57 p.m. Thursday, March 13, 2025, at Brickyard Healthcare, Kokomo. She was born March 4, 1938, in Kokomo to William Lewis and Nellie May (Bone) Rayl. On July 2, 1956, she married Otis Vernon Poe, who preceded her in death on February 15, 1990.
Betty was a 1956 Kokomo High School graduate and worked at Chism’s Ceramics for 18 years. Betty was truly artistic. She enjoyed ceramics, painting China, and working puzzle books. Faith was important to Betty and was a past member of Morning Star and Northview churches.
She is survived by her children Christopher (Carrie) Poe and Tammy (Bobby) Steele, grandson Michael Swope, great-grandchildren Niyah Swope and Skyla Swope, and sisters Maryellen Jones and Karen Sue (Dan) Adams.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and granddaughter Rachel Swope.
A memorial service celebrating Betty’s life will be at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at Shirley & Stout Funeral Home & Crematory, 1315 West Lincoln Road. Friends may visit with the family from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Community Foundation Art Scholarship. Messages of condolence may be left at www.shirleyandstout.com.
Susanna Jeanette (Hite) Slaughter
Susanna Jeanette (Hite) Slaughter, beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully at her home in Galveston, Indiana, on Friday, March 14. She was born on March 5, 1947, in Kokomo, Indiana, to Lewis and Esther Hite.
Susanna was the loving mother to Erin (Slaughter) Bennett and the late Lori Slaughter.
She began her career at Delco Electronics. She then earned a degree in elementary education from Indiana University Kokomo and spent many decades as a substitute teacher for Lewis Cass and Maconaquah Schools.
Susanna shared her father’s love of gardening and looked forward each year to planning, planting, and maintaining an amazing garden. She found much joy in sharing all she could grow with her family and friends.
A gifted seamstress, she created countless dresses, outfits, costumes, pillows, and curtains, generously sharing her talent with those around her.
Susanna was a tremendous cook. She looked forward to any opportunity to prepare a large meal for her family. Thanksgiving and Christmas were particularly special occasions, as she showered her loved ones with an array of homemade cookies and treats.
Susanna was an amazing grandmother. There were no greater recipients of her love than her three grandsons Eli, Milan, and Beck Bennett. She took full advantage of every opportunity to spend time with them, spending countless hours sharing and teaching them her many talents.
Visitation will be Thursday, March 20, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Murray-Weaver Funeral Home in Galveston. The family will hold a private burial.
Contributions in her memory may be made to Galveston Public Library.
Ruth Mildred Luecke
Ruth Mildred Luecke, 85, of Kokomo, Indiana, passed away March 15, 2025. She was born on February 3, 1940, in Owosso, Michigan, the daughter of Earl Howard and Mildred Pearl (Elkins) Langdon. She married Woodrow Luecke on May 26, 1962, in Detroit, Michigan.
Ruth put herself through college selling Avon and earned an Associate's degree from Ivy Tech in accounting. She later worked at Bucheri, McCarty, and Metz, Hynd’s Drugs, and CSL to put her kids through college. She enjoyed sewing, puzzles, and watching her grandchildren grow. She also enjoyed reading, traveling, and was a big Disney fan.
She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law.
Left to cherish her memory are her children Deborah (Kyle) Street and Evelyn (David) Baird, grandchildren Zachary (Sara) Baird, Emily Baird, and Heather Street, sister-in-law Sue Langdon, brother-in-law Delbert Luecke, many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, husband of 54 years Woody Luecke, and brothers David and Daniel Langdon.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ruth's name to Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, or Toys for Tots.
Visitation will take place from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer. Funeral services will begin at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, March 22, 2025, at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, 705 E. Southway Blvd., Kokomo, IN 46902. Inurnment will take place at Marion National Cemetery at a later date. Share a memory with the family at www.ellersmortuary.com.