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Larry W. Owen

Larry W. Owen, 70, of Bluffton, IN, and having ties to Huntington, IN, died Tuesday, March 21, 2017, at Bluffton Regional Medical Center.

Mr. Owen graduated from Albion Jefferson High School in 1964 and earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Purdue University in 1969. He served in the United States Army Engineering Corps. He had been employed as City of Huntington assistant engineer, Adams County highway engineer and Wells County highway engineer, where he retired. He owned Setser, Owen & Associates, a private land surveying and engineering firm, and consulted for Miller Land Surveying, in Monroe, and Bertsch-Frank & Associates, in Fort Wayne.

He was a member of Park United Brethren Church, Wells County Gideons, John Purdue Club, Purdue Alumni Association, American Legion Post 111, Vietnam Veterans Association, RIPEA and National Rifle Association. He wrote a book about the Kingsland train wreck of 1910.

He was born Sept. 27, 1946, in Wolf Lake to Clarence and Virginia Deutsch Owen. He married Diane M. Betz on June 21, 1974, at Park United Brethren Church, and she survives.

Additional survivors include two daughters, Sarah Owen, of Washington, DC, and Julie (Duane) Modlin, of Bluffton; a son, Mark (Rachel) Owen, of Bluffton; a sister, Luana Walker, of Albion; a sister-in-law, Judy Owen, of Albion; and three grandchildren, Sophie Modlin, Emma Modlin and Judah Owen.

Calling is Friday, March 24, 2016, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home, in Bluffton. A service will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2017, at 10:30 a.m., with calling one hour prior to the service, at Park United Brethren Church, in Bluffton. Rev. John Cole and Rev. Duane Modlin will officiate. Burial will be at Six Mile Cemetery.

Memorial gifts may be made to Wells County Gideons Camp, Family Life Care, Forgotten Children Worldwide or Park United Brethren Church.

Online condolences may be made at www.thomarich.com.