Patricia A Ditzler

Patricia Ditzler (96) of rural Rosedale, Indiana passed away in her sleep on Saturday, February 8, 2025. She was surrounded by loving children and under the kind care of the staff at Clinton Gardens.

Patricia was born on May 25, 1928 in Muncie, Indiana to Earl Fisher and Vesta Smith Fisher. She was raised by doting grandparents in Warren, Indiana. She graduated from Warren High School and then took a job there as administrative assistant. She married Gale Ditzler on November 11, 1949.While starting a family, she supported Gale as he and his brother opened and operated Ditzler Dairy. 

In 1959, she moved with her husband and three children (Steven, Mauri and Beth) to Nappanee Indiana where two more children (Paula and John) were born. The years she spent raising five children in that rural community, surrounded by Amish farms and families, were among the most enjoyable of her life. 

In 1966, the family moved to Rosedale, Indiana where she and her husband established Ditzler Orchard. She enjoyed meeting neighbors and making friends in her role as orchard manager until retiring in 2000. She continued to live on the orchard, watching the trees bloom and the apples grow until, at age 96, she moved in to Clinton Gardens for a brief stay at the end of her life.

Patricia’s faith was central to her life. She was known for her empathy, humility, and quiet compassion. A scholar by nature, she spent much time in personal study and devotion and prayer for her community. She is remembered by many as a Sunday School teacher at Lyford Bible Church in the 1970’s. She was a gifted leader of home Bible studies, a role she continued even after turning 96.

She delighted in the lives and careers and adventures of her five children, twelve grandchildren, and fifteen great grandchildren. From the stories of this extended family, she was able to imagine living around the world and pursuing a wide range of careers. 

Patricia was preceded in death by her devoted husband Gale, a sister, Mary Lou Fisher, and a son, John. She is survived by two sons --- Steven (Paquita) of Goshen, Indiana and Mauri (Judi) of Rosedale --- and two daughters --- Margaret Beth Hazen (Russell) of Plymouth, Michigan and Paula Steven (Lee) of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Services will be at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, February 18 at Giovanini Funeral Home in Clinton followed by burial at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. Family will receive visitors from noon until time of service.

Online condolences can be made at www.giovaninifuneralhome.com