Larry Schmeltz

BLOOMINGDALE- Larry Schmeltz, 61 of Bloomingdale died 8:15 pm Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at his residence. He was the owner of Schmeltz Taxidermy. He was born March 30, 1948 in Argos, IN to the late Orville Schmeltz and Margaret Finney Schmeltz. Survivors include his wife of forty years, Linda Mae Snyder Schmeltz, whom he married January 25, 1969. Other survivors include three sons, Josh Schmeltz and his wife Nicky of Bloomingdale, Wesley Schmeltz and his wife Lindsay of Tangier, Jeffrey Schmeltz of Linden; three daughters, Benny Schmeltz-Myers of Bloomingdale, Andrea Schmeltz-Surber and her husband Jason of Marshall, Natalie Schmeltz-Ruark and her husband Josh of Waveland; two brothers, Tony Schmeltz of Ephraim, WI, Jerry Schmeltz of Walkerton, IN; one sister, Sondra Tuzynski of Garvin, MN; eight grandchildren, Britney, Mitchell, Macey and Lindsey Crum, Tayler Crowder, Logan, Jordan and Morgan Schmeltz and one great-grandchild, Baya Crum. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rockville. He was a member of ROTC and served in the Army Reserves for four years. He was a 1966 graduate of Walkerton High School, a 1970 Purdue graduate where he studied Wildlife Biology and attended graduate school at Indiana State University during 1970 thru 1972 and studied Mammology. He was an active member in Feast of the Hunter's Moon in Lafayette and was a fur and ginseng buyer. For thirty-five years he has set up shop under the tent in Rockville during the Covered Bridge Festival and for ten years in Billie Creek Village. He was an avid hunter, bird watcher and enjoyed wildlife. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 am Monday, January 11, 2010 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 201 E. Ohio St. Rockville with Father Joseph L. Villa officiating. Burial will follow services in Rush Creek Cemetery in Tangier, IN. Visitation will be from 2:00 to 6:00 pm on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at Gooch Funeral Home, 112 W. Howard Street, Rockville.