Oscar R. and Lovina Wesson  

I, Lovina Emily Newman Wesson, born February 9, 1914, the first child of John and May Newman, in the house on the orignial Newman Homestead.

I started school in the one-room, eight grade Kaley School at the end of our lane, and went the the Culver-Union Township High School by bus for seventh grade and graduated from high school in 1932.

I praticipated in band, playing saxophone; orchastera, playing violin; an played four years on the girl's basketball team as a guard on a six member team on a court divided into three sections.

Graduating during the depression, I went to International Buisness College, Fort Wayne instead of teachers college. I graduated with a degree in gernal business in 1934 and have enjoyed bookeeping and typing.


I worked as a clerk in the Quality Grocery and for six years worked at the Bureau of Motor Vechiles in Indianapolis at a time when plates were sold at the state house and also in branches. In January and February, I sold plates; the rest of the time I was a "trouble shooter" where ever needed in the department.

While working in Indinapolis, I met Oscar R. Wesson. My father was president of the Indiana Holestein Associationn and I would have lunch with him when the Board of Directors met, and Oscar met with them because he was the fieldman. We were married November 9, 1940 near Greenwood.

Oscar was born January 22, 1914 in Columbia, Tennessee to Oscar and Una (Cluxton) Wesson. The family moved to Richmond in June 1923. A total of nine months were spent in Riley Hospital in Indianapolis when he had three surgeries which partially corrected damage from a nerve injury on the left foot.

When he was 13 both parents died and Oscar and a sister, Lillian, lived with an uncle, and he lived in three foster homes. He received a bookkeeping degree from business college and was a 1934 graduate of Morton High School.


He completed a dairy short course at Purdue, worked a the Earlham College dairy, a dairy farm at Cleveland, Ohio and tested for the Dairy Herd Improvement Assocation. He received a degree in dair manufacturing in 1942 from Purdue.

He worked at Kraft Dairy in Deacture making "Carter Spread", (a high melting butter) for the government; and managed the Bowman Dairy ice cream plant in Chicago.

He was an inseminator of dairy cattle while attending Michigan State College to receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in August 1947.

We moved to the Kaley house adjacent to the Newman Homestead southwest of Culver and established a large animal veteinary practice going into the four counties. In 1958 we built a home and small animal hospital on Lake Shore Drive in Culver and enlarged the practice. His special expertise was treating dairy cattle for ionfertility porblems during the 35 years in practice.

I managed the office and for six years handled the Newman artificial insemination office.

We are the parents of Charles Thomas,, who married Nedra James and Patricis Louise,who married James Reilly. Our grandchildren are Shawn and Kathyrn Wesson and Emily Reilly.

Oscar served on the Marshall County Health Board and was active in church and civic organizations.

I have been involved in church and comminity organizations and served in many offices. I recieved the Lions Club 1977 "Citizen of the Year" Award, and in 1985 I received the "Woman of the Year" award in the Indiana-Kentucky Conference at the General Synod of the United Church of Christ, - Lovina Wesson - - History of Marshall County Indiana Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 -, Taylor Publishing Co., 1986, Publication # 357 of 1422, Marshall County Historical Society pg. 452-3

Lovina Emily (Newman) Wesson  

Feb 9, 1914— Jan. 18, 2007 Culver — Lovina Emily (Newman) Wesson, 92, of Culver , Indiana died on January 18, 2007 at Miller's Merry Manor, Culver , Ind.

Born Feb 9, 1914 in Culver , IN the daughter of John and May Newman, she was a 1932 graduate of Culver High School and held a General Business Degree from International Business College of Ft. Wayne. She married Oscar Wesson on Nov 9, 1940.

Lovina is survived by son: Charles Thomas (Nedra) of Goshen; daughter: Patricia Louise Reilly (James) of Deltona, Fla., grandson Shawn Wesson (Kathy) of Goshen, two granddaughters: Kathryn Wasson (Harold) of Middlebury and Emily St.Clair (Jason) of Deltona, Fla., three great granddaughters: Megan, Ashley, and Cheyenne Wesson, one great grandson: Patrick Reilly, one sister Helen Samuelson of Plymouth, one brother, Herbert Newman of Culver , as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by three brothers: Charles, Jesse, and Allen Newman.
She and her husband returned to Culver in 1947 to open a veterinary practice. She worked as business manager and veterinary assistant until their retirement in 1982.

Actively involved in the work of her church on the local, district, and conference level, she was a member of Grace United Church of Christ in Culver . She served as church secretary for over 35 years, was a member of the women's guild and served in many capacities in the church. In 1995 she was honored by Grace Church for her many years of service.

She planned lay retreats for the Northwest Association and served in leadership positions for the Northwest Association Women. She was the first elected president of the Women's Board of the Indiana Kentucky Conference of the United Church of Christ and served on the board until the late 1990's.

In 1985 she was honored at the General Synod of the United Church of Christ having been selected as one of the Lay Women of the Year.

She was the first site director for the Culver Nutrition Site and served as director until the site became full time.

She was a charter member of the Parkview Hospital Auxiliary (later St. Joseph Regional Medical Center of Marshall County). She served as first vice president and twice as president before becoming treasurer in 1979. She served in that position until 1999. The local unit met at her home for 43 years. In 1999 she was honored as Marshall Co. Hospital Auxiliary Volunteer of the year. In 2004, she was honored as Auxilian of the Year for Indiana's Midwest Region.

She was a member of Culver Lions Club and was among the first group of women to become full members of the group. She was honored by the Lions as Citizen of the Year in 1977, and received the Good Neighbor Award from the Eagles Auxiliary in 1988.

The family requests "Lovina Stories" from those who knew her to be preserved for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They can be recorded or written at the visitation or the funeral.

Visitation with the family will be on Mon, Jan 22, 2007 from 5:00 - 9:00PM EST at the Bonine-Odom Funeral Home, Culver , and from 11:00AM - 12:00PM Tues Jan 23 at the Grace United Church of Christ, Culver where Rev. Robin Keating and Rev. James Reilly will then officiate funeral services at 12:00PM Tuesday. The Culver Lions Club will conduct a Lions memorial service at that time.

Memorials may be sent to Grace United Church of Christ, Culver , or to the Lovina Wesson Memorial Fund with the Indiana Kentucky Conference of the United Church of Christ, 1100 West 42nd Street, #350, Indianapolis, IN 46208

Condolences may be sent through the obituary page of www. bonineodom. com.

Pilot news - 22 Jan 2007
Culver Citizen - 25 Jan 2007

Patrica Wesson

DELTONA, Fla. — Patricia L. (Wesson) Reilly, Deltona, Fla., age 69, died Saturday Jan. 11, 2014. Mrs. Reilly had taught 33 years for Indianapolis Public Schools, and Bloomfield Public Schools as well as Decatur Township Public Schools. Most of her teaching career was spent in the middle school teaching language arts.

She is survived by her husband Jim, her daughter Emily St. Clair both of eltona, Fla. as well as a brother Tom Wesson of Goshen, his wife Nedra and their son Shawn and wife Kathy Wesson, and Buzz and Kathryn Wasson, three great-nephews (grandsons) William, Bradford and Stephen Reilly of Indianapolis.

Mrs. Reilly was very active in the Indiana Kentucky Conference of the United Church of Christ as well as The Florida Conference.

Her interest in theater and children allowed her to combine both passions into writing and directing plays. As well she loved constructive sewing, music, reading and writing.

A celebration of life was held for Mrs. Reilly at Deltona United Church of Christ at Providence and Tivoli at 11 a.m. Saturday Jan. 18.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Crossroads Theater at Indiana State University, in Terre Haute or the Lovina Wesson Scholarship Fund of the Indiana Kentucky Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Arrangements entrusted to Deltona Memorial Funeral Home, Orange City, Fla.