Eunice L. (Ludwig) Fink

Eunice Lois Fink, nee Ludwig, was born March 15, 1928 in the Lutheran parsonage at Bloomington, NE, daughter of Rev. Paul and Thekla (Friedrich) Ludwig, the second oldest of twelve children. She was baptized in Redeemer Lutheran Church, Bloomington and confirmed in St. John’s, Oxford, NE by her father. She was a graduate of Marysville, KS High School, St. John's College, Winfield, KS and the University of Houston, TX, where she earned the Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1953. She taught at elementary schools in Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, and Texas. She was a substitute teacher in Decatur, Indiana. She founded the preschool at Zion Lutheran in 1975 and served as its director and one of the teachers until 1981.

Eunice’s primary work, though, was as a loving wife, mother, and homemaker. She was married to Walter W. Fink on October 17, 1954 by her father in Salem Lutheran Church, Navasota, TX. Walter died January 10, 2016 after 61 years of marriage. They were blessed with 5 sons. They began their family life on a farm in Kansas, and then moved to Decatur in 1964, where Walter worked with AAL (now Thrivent). They moved to Lutheran Life Villages in Fort Wayne in 2013, and Eunice moved to Centerville, OH in 2020, where she passed away peacefully on December 17, 2022, surrounded by family.

Eunice was a lifetime member of the Lutheran Church. She was active in all the parishes where she was a member, including Zion Decatur, and in Lutheran auxiliaries. She volunteered her time with the Youth Group, LWML, LLL, Altar Guild, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and Bible Class.

Survivors are sons Roland (Debbie), Edward (Friederike), Louis (Kelly), Eldon (Kathy) and daughter-in-law Jane (Chris Sherbahn); 10 grandsons: Daniel (Jade), John (Amy), Jared, Ben, Matt (Adria), Luke, Seth (Rachel), Victor, Max and Liam; 6 granddaughters: Ashley, Emily, Lauren (Ben Allen), Amanda, Olivia and Anna; 10 great grandchildren; brothers: Rev. Richard (Miriam) Ludwig, Dr. David (Kathy) Ludwig and Dr. Thomas (Deb) Ludwig; sisters: Thekla (Ted) Sebaugh, Elizabeth (Eric) Wiening and Charlotte (Ronald) LePere; many Ludwig family nieces and nephews; brother-in-law Erwin (Dianne) Fink, sister-in-law Olinda Fink; and 2 Fink nieces and 2 Fink nephews.

Eunice was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Walter, her son Nathan, her brothers Paul, Robert, Philip, John and Theodore Ludwig, and her sisters-in-law Edna, Kathleen, Evelyn and Margaret.

Preferred memorials to Lutheran Hour Ministries, lhm.org. Make checks to Lutheran Hour Ministries, but mail checks to the funeral home, which will handle donations for the family: Haggard – Hirschy & Zelt Funeral Home, 225 W. Adams St., Decatur, IN 46733.

Visitation will take place on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., at Haggard-Hirschy & Zelt Funeral Home, 225 W. Adams St., Decatur, IN.

A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 29, 2022, at Zion Lutheran Church, 1010 W. Monroe St, Decatur, IN, with visitation 1 hour prior to the service from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Pastor Zachary Oedewaldt will be officiating, and the funeral will be followed by a luncheon for those in attendance. The funeral will also be livestreamed through the Zion Lutheran Decatur YouTube Channel, https://ziondecatur.com/.

She then will be entombed in her crypt at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 29, 2022, in the mausoleum at Concordia Cemetery Gardens in Fort Wayne, IN.

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