Mr. Marvin G. Geisler, age 72, of Vevay, Indiana, entered this life on October 8, 1952 in Madison, Indiana. He was the son of the late Alva and Doris Faye (Housefield) Geisler. He was raised in Madison, Indiana where he attended school. Marvin was inducted into the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged. Marvin was united in marriage on June 18, 2022 in Vevay, Indiana to Teresa Mae Olson. He was formerly employed for Muscatatuck State Developmental Training Center in Butlerville, Indiana. He was later employed in maintenance for the Ogle Haus in Vevay, Indiana for a few years. Marvin was a former housekeeper for Belterra Casino & Resort in Florence, Indiana, for five years. Marvin enjoyed attending yard sales, buying and selling, fishing, and hunting. Marvin passed away at 10:38 a.m., Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at his residence.
Marvin is survived by his wife, Teresa Mae (Olson) Geisler of Vevay, IN; his daughter, Kayla of Madison, IN; his step-son, Shawn Olson and his wife, Alicia of Florence, IN; his grandchildren, Jace, Calvin, and Austin Olson; his brothers, Albert Elvan Geisler and his wife, Barbara of Rexville, IN, and Bobby Geisler and his wife, Aggie of Rexville, IN; his sister-in-law, Debbie Geisler of Rexville, IN and his nieces, nephews, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Alva and Doris Faye (Housefield) Geisler; his brothers, George, Roy, and Bernard Geisler; his niece, Carolyn Geisler; and his nephews, Kenny Geisler, and Gene Wood.
Marvin’s wishes were to be cremated with no services being held at this time.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Charity of the Donor’s Choice. Cards are available at the funeral home or online at wwwhaskellandmorrison.com
Mr. John William “Jack” Spencer, age 88, of Columbus, Ohio, formerly of Switzerland County, Indiana. Jack was born on March 6, 1937, in Madison, Indiana, the son of the late Eugene Simpson and Mildred (Poston) Spencer. He was raised in Switzerland County and graduated in 1955 from Vevay High School. On June 2, 1957, he married his high school sweetheart, Edna Pearl Clark, at the Ruter Chapel United Methodist Church in Vevay. He went on to earn a four-year degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University, graduating in 1959.
After college, Jack was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a Second Lieutenant and began his military flight training at Craig Air Force Base in Selma, Alabama. On February 26, 1960, he soloed a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, a two-seat jet trainer used to transition pilots to high-performance jets. Coincidentally, his firstborn son, Nick Spencer, was born that very same day at Craig Air Force Base-the same base where Jack had just completed his solo flight.
Soon after, Jack was selected for helicopter test pilot training, an opportunity he credited to his close friend, General Chuck Yeager. Promoted to the rank of Captain, he completed his advanced flight training and was assigned to a U.S.-U.K. military test pilot exchange program. While stationed in England, Jack, Edna Pearl, and his family became close friends with fellow test pilot and future Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin. Aldrin, then a decorated Air Force pilot with a Doctorate of Science in Astronautics from MIT, would go on to become the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 11 and the second man to walk on the moon. Jack treasured this lifelong connection.
Following his military service, Jack transitioned to civilian aerospace and relocated to Clarence, New York, with his wife Edna Pearl and sons, where he served for five years as the chief test pilot for Bell Aerospace. In that role, he led test flight programs as the chief test pilot for some of the most advanced experimental aircraft of the era. These included the famous X-22A; the Bell Rocket Belt, a personal propulsion device for short-range flight; and the Bell Pogo, a two-person rocket-powered platform originally designed to explore potential lunar mobility. Jack was directly involved in flight testing these vehicles, contributing to the frontier of aviation and space technology.
Among the many historic moments from this period were several documented in rare photographs. One shows Chief Test Pilot Spencer seated in the cockpit of the X-22A alongside General Chuck Yeager and co-pilot Dick Carlin. Another captures him piloting the Bell Rocket Belt. He was also photographed in an orange flight suit in front of the X-22A, and beside a Shelby Mustang chase car, highlighting the dynamic nature of experimental flight testing. The May 24, 1965, issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology featured the X-22A on its cover, underscoring the program’s significance and Jack’s leadership in its development.
Additional photographs from this era include Chief Test Pilot Spencer standing with astronaut Major General Joe Henry Engle, overlooking a lunar landing site. Engle, a fellow test pilot, flew the supersonic X-15 rocket plane and later commanded multiple Space Shuttle missions. Jack was also photographed being fitted for a NASA flight suit, signifying his inclusion in the broader spaceflight community. In 1968, in Wheatfield, New York, he was pictured with Vice President Hubert Humphrey, astronaut Neil Armstrong, and Bell Aerospace President Bill Geise-capturing a moment shared with some of the most iconic figures in American aerospace history.
On February 26, 1976-sixteen years to the day after his own T-33 solo-Jack’s son Nick soloed a Varga 2150A Kachina from the John Glenn International Airport (CMH), on his 16th birthday. Jack had served as Nick’s flight instructor, personally training him for that milestone. The Kachina, tail number N 76 WL, was owned by Jack’s company, Wing Leasing Inc., where he served as part-owner and chief flight instructor. The tail number held personal symbolism: “76” commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and “WL” stood for Wing Leasing. The aircraft’s red, white, and blue paint scheme reflected the spirit of the Bicentennial.
Wing Leasing, Inc. operated out of John Glenn International Airport, the same field where Nick completed his solo flight. The airport is named in honor of John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, who made history in 1962 aboard the Mercury-Atlas 6 spacecraft. With Ohio recognized as the Birthplace of Aviation, and the symbolism of Glenn’s legacy tied to that location, Jack saw special meaning in that day. Father and son, both soloing on the same date, sixteen years apart, in a Bicentennial aircraft owned by the family business-these were not coincidences, but threads in a legacy Jack deeply cherished.
After his distinguished aviation career, Jack shifted his focus to business and served for over three decades as the CEO of Mulch Manufacturing, Inc. Under his leadership, the company became the largest mulch manufacturer and distributor in the United States. In 1990, he was named a finalist for the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Ernst & Young, Inc. Magazine, and Merrill Lynch. A photograph of the award plaque still commemorates this recognition. Jack’s leadership, innovation, and vision-so evident in the cockpit-found continued expression in his business success.
John William “Jack” Spencer lived a life defined by courage, precision, patriotism, and legacy. He stood at the center of some of the most important technological advances of the 20th century and shaped the industries he touched with relentless dedication. From the test flight hangars of Bell Aerospace to the executive offices of Mulch Manufacturing, his life was one of excellence.
Jack passed away at 4:51 a.m., Monday, March 31, 2025, at the Mount Carmel East Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Jack is survived by his sons, Nick Spencer of Westerville, OH, and Ralph Spencer of Jacksonville, FL; his grandchildren, Tyler Spencer and Christie Spencer; and his brother, Raymond Spencer and his wife, Cheryl of MI.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene Simpson and Mildred (Poston) Spencer, died December 17, 1968, and his wife, Edna Pearl (Clark) Spencer, died August 31, 2024.
Interment will be held in the Vevay Cemetery, Vevay, Indiana.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Charity of the Donor’s Choice. Cards are available at the funeral home or online at www.haskellandmorrison.com
Meredith Ann Luhrs, age 87, of Switzerland County, Indiana, beloved artist, teacher, and community leader, passed away at 1:13 p.m., Friday, March 28, 2025 at Swiss Villa Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Vevay, Indiana. Born on October 21, 1937 in East Orange, New Jersey, Meredith was the daughter of Henry and Elsie Mary (Richardson) Luhrs. She grew up in Matawan, New Jersey, and graduated from Arts High School in Newark in 1955. She completed college at Cooper Union in New York City. Her passion for art led her to a career in teaching and sculpting, influencing many students and fellow artists throughout her life. Meredith married Floyd Arnold in 1958 in New Jersey and this union was blessed with five children. In the 1970’s, she and Floyd operated Arnold Associates, manufacturing interior curtains to outfit the power boats and sailing yachts built by the Luhrs boat building companies. She studied pottery at Monmouth College in New Jersey and then in the late 1970’s her interest shifted to sculpture, where she began working under the tutelage of Hungarian-born sculptor Geza DeVegh. In 1981, Meredith moved to Vienna, Austria and was able to sit as an auditor with the Sculpture class of Wander Bertoni at the Hochschule für angewandte Kunst in Vienna. During that year the class had a stone carving symposium at the open air sculpture park in Lindabrunn, Austria. Her interest in bronze casting and in stone carving was set, and Bertoni encouraged her to continue her work in the international sculpture town in Tuscany, Pietrasanta, nestled between the sea and the mountains with sheer white faces of the famous Carrara marble quarries of Massa. She resided in Northfield, Massachusetts for two years and was later united in marriage to Michael Wertheim and they moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where Meredith was a member of the Michigan Gem and Mineral Society and loved a brisk swim in chilly water of Lake Superior. A dedicated educator, Meredith taught art in Newark, New Jersey. In 1998 Meredith moved to Switzerland County, where her daughter had settled. She taught art at the Switzerland County High School for two years. Her teenage students had entries which not only won individually, but collectively, like a championship basketball team, dominating the state prizes – she was so proud of them. Just over twenty years ago, inspired by the First Fridays in Philadelphia, Meredith started the First Friday gallery hop from the Luhrs Studio Gallery on the top floor of the I.O.O.F. building on Main Street in Vevay, Indiana. Creaky knees be damned, people would make the three story climb and arrive out of breath to view a solo show in the foyer, or the group show in the vast main gallery space. Her whimsical rack card, perhaps inspired by Marc Chagall, featured a woman floating at an angle above a zig-zag line which represented the stairs — the wishful thinking slogan declared, “Art Lifts You Up”. In 2008, she opened Click Gallery on Ferry Street in Vevay, Indiana, and was the driving force behind the founding of the Community Art Center of Switzerland County, which offered the street level visibility and accessibility she yearned for. The town’s art scene blossomed. In 2005, she established “First Friday” in Vevay, an event that continues to celebrate every month with the featured artist of the month at the Community Art Center, special music in the Opera Park, games, shopping, as well as dining. Meredith was a member of the Concord Community Church in Patriot, Indiana. After Meredith’s health started declining, she became a resident at Swiss Villa Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Vevay, Indiana, where years earlier she had led the “Creative Hour,” bringing expression, color, and joy to the residents. Meredith was a valued member of the Switzerland County community, where she shared her talent as a professional artist and mentor. She had a unique gift for encouraging artists to share their creativity with others anywhere she went in life. Through her dedication, many found the confidence to showcase their work at the Community Art Center in Vevay. Her artistic talent will live on forever in the hearts of the Switzerland County community she so dearly loved, a lasting testament to her creativity and passion.
Meredith is survived by her children, Matthew Arnold and his wife René Creasey of Urbanna, VA, Jennifer Delgado and her husband, Miguel of Manasquan, NJ, and Sarah Thompson and her husband, John of Florence, IN; her 11-grandchildren; her 12-great-grandchildren; her brother, John Luhrs of St. Augustine, FL; her sisters, Linda Donohoe of Danville, PA, and Debbie Luhrs of Newport, RI, and her several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father, Henry Luhrs, died May 9, 1979; her mother, Elsie Mary (Richardson) Luhrs, died June 27, 1984; her infant sons, Stephen Arnold, died in 1965 and Benjamin Arnold, died in 1971; her brother, Warren Luhrs; her sister-in-law, Eleanor Luhrs, and her brother-in-law, Redge Donohoe.
Meredith’s wishes were to be cremated and her cremains to be interred in the Old Tennent Churchyard Cemetery in Manalapan, New Jersey.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Smile Train, P.O. Box 96231, Washington, DC. 20090-6231. Cards are available at the funeral home or online at www.haskellandmorrison.com
“Color Is Your Birthright”
–Meredith Luhrs