Ed Winkle

Charles Edward "Ed" Winkle, 65, of Martinsville, died peacefully at the Hospice Center of Cincinnati on Friday, April 3, 2015.

Ed was born on Dec. 19, 1949 to Lorena and the late Gerald Winkle from Sardinia.

He is survived by his wife, LuAnn, who he married on June 22, 2001. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Matthew (Rachel) Winkle, Mark (Anna) Winkle and Rebecca (William) Peters; his step-children, Shannon (Kevin) Abt, Eric (Stacy) Cleveland and Tara (Erik) Block; a sister, Linda (Fred) Vollborn and a brother, Jeffrey (Suzanne) Winkle; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Ed was the beloved grandfather of Madison and Brynn Abt, Corbin and Claire Winkle, Tyler and Ariana Cleveland, Liam, Caoilin, Finnegan and Deirdre Peters, Katherine Block and Emily Winkle. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Colleen Winkle.

Faith, family and farming were the hallmarks of Ed's life. He graduated from Eastern Brown High School and earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in agriculture from The Ohio State University.

Ed was an Agriculture Educator and FFA Advisor at Blanchester High School and Clermont Northeastern High School, and served as an OSU Extension Agent in Warren County during a career that spanned three decades.

He also served on the Board of Education for the Blanchester Local School District before retiring to his beloved farm in 2004.

Ed was known to hundreds of farmers around the world through his contributions to "New Ag Talk", a web-based discussion forum for agriculture professionals. He was a member of The Ohio State University LEAD Class V and was a delegate to the People to People Agriculture Ambassador Program to China in 1990. A certified crop consultant, he founded Hymark Consulting in 1994 and traveled extensively teaching no-till conservation practices, earning the National No-Tillage Innovator of the Year Award in 1999.

Ed loved ham radio, tractor pulling, camping and writing his blog, "Hymark Highspots". He and LuAnn traveled extensively and made lifelong friends during their many adventures.

Friends may call at the Tufts Schildmeyer Funeral Home, 120 W. Main St. in Blanchester, on Monday, April 6 from 3 to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Angela Merici Parish at St. Patrick's Chapel in Fayetteville on Tuesday, April 7 at 11 a.m. with the interment to follow at the St. Patrick's Cemetery on Anderson Road, Fayetteville.

Memorials may be made to the National FFA Foundation or to the state FFA Foundation of your choice.