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Columbia City, Indiana

James Eppelmann Obituary

COLUMBIA CITY - James Allen Eppelmann, 56, of Columbia City, died unexpectedly of natural causes at his residence on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022.

Born on March 6, 1966, in Defiance, Ohio, Jim was a son of Nikolai and Carol (Kuhn) Eppelmann. He began school in Continental, Ohio, and the family then moved to Columbia City, where he graduated from Columbia City Joint High School in 1984.

He worked for Silgan Plastics in Ligonier for 20 years.

Jim tragically lost his wife, Penny, and their four children, Christopher, David, Shane and Jamie, in a motor vehicle accident on Oct. 14, 2002. His mother, Carol, also precedes him in death.

Surviving are his two sons, James and Lucas Eppelmann; his father and stepmother, Nikolai and Sharron Eppelmann of Defiance, Ohio; siblings, Nikolai "Tom" (Dot) Eppelmann of Warsaw, Theresa (William) Fruit of Parker City, Michelle (Jon) Studebaker of Larwill; and several stepsiblings and adopted siblings.

The funeral service is at noon Thursday, Dec. 29, at Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City. The interment is at the Sparta Cemetery in Kimmell. Visitation is 10 a.m. until the service Thursday at the funeral home.

Memorials are to final expenses in care of Smith & Sons Funeral Home.

Condolences may be sent to www.smithandsonsfuneralhome.com.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by KPCNews on Dec. 24, 2022.

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Kathy Geisler

January 8, 2023

Oh I am so sorry to see this news. I always enjoyed running into Jim whether in school or public. We would talk for an hr or more in the stores just catching up we would swap twin stories and laugh. He was a good soul. See you on the other side Jim!

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