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Rev. Jerry Flueckiger

Rev. Jerry Flueckiger, 81, of Berne, IN, and having family in Huntington, IN, died Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, at Swiss Village in Berne.

Rev. Flueckiger was a member of First Mennonite Church in Berne, serving in many capacities as youth minister, Christian educator, interim pastor and the care and visitation pastor. He also was a Sunday school teacher, served on the church board and sang in the church choir and men’s chorus. He was also a past director of the Swiss Heritage Society and volunteered at Adams Memorial Hospital.

He was elected to the Berne City Council for one term, served on the South Adams School Board for eight years and was a current board member of the Adams County Council on Aging for 21 years.  He was a baseball coach for the Minor Leagues Little League and Pony League and also coached basketball, football and wrestling.  He also managed the Berne Community Pool for three years and sang with the Edelweiss Singers.  

He graduated in June 1960 from Lakeland University with a Bachelors of Arts. From there, he received his Master’s of Education from Saint Francis College and his Masters of Theology in 1963 from United Theological Seminary. He served as a pastor for more than 55 years in St. Peter United Church of Christ in Van Wert, St. Paul United Church of Christ in Van Wert County, OH, St. John United Church of Christ in Vera Cruz,  St. Luke United Church of Christ in Decatur, Cross United Church of Christ and First Mennonite Churches in Berne. He was also a teacher for Van Wert, South Adams, and Bluffton–Harrison schools. He also coached sports at South Adams and Bluffton – Harrison schools.

He was born April 26, 1938, in Decatur to John Flueckiger and Ella Gerber Scare. He married Bonnie Cook on Aug. 27, 1960, and she survives.

Additional survivors are two sons, Mark (Kim) Flueckiger, of Huntington, and David (Debbie) Flueckiger, of Fort Wayne; three brothers, Charles (Connie) Lane, of Bryant; Elmer Scare, of rural Geneva; Phil (Teresa) Scare, of Waterloo, SC; a sister, Elmyra Wolfe, of Decatur; six grandchildren, Erica Kirchner, Kelcey Zaugg, Joy Miller, Calvin Flueckiger, Tyler Flueckiger and Taylor Flueckiger; and nine great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, Beth Maag.

Calling is Friday, Oct. 11, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Mennonite Church Family Life Center. A funeral service will be held Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. at First Mennonite Church in Berne with Rev. Jeff Linthicum and Rev. Jim Schwartz officiating. Calling will also be held for two hours prior to the service. Burial will follow in M.R.E. Cemetery.

Memorials are to the Swiss Village Samaritan Fund or First Mennonite Assistance Fund.

Zwick & Jahn Funeral Homes –Yager-Kirchhofer Chapel in Berne was in charge of arrangements.