Lester N. Settlage

LESTER N. SETTLAGE, age 90,
of rural New Knoxville, died on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 3:15 A.M. at Vancrest of St. Marys after a brief illness. He was born at home on the family farm outside of St. Marys on December 5, 1935, the son of the late Noah F. and Selma L. (Wibbeler) Settlage. On December 11, 1954, he married Helen M. Piehl, and together they shared 71 ½ wonderful years side by side. Helen survives in New Knoxville, along with their children: Susan (Tim) Becher of New Knoxville, John J. (Laurie) Settlage of St. Marys, and Dean Settlage of Wapakoneta; his nine grandchildren: Noah (Nakina) Settlage, Rachel (Ben) Albert, Mallory Settlage-Harney, Jordan (Dana) Settlage, Maria (Jacob) Kaiser, Caleb (Dianne) Settlage, Jesse (Lucas) Leffel, Owen (Carley) Settlage, and Ellie (Jack Goecke) Settlage; and twenty-three great-grandchildren. Also left to cherish Lester's life are his sisters, Grace Roediger of New Bremen and Joyce (Allan) Smith of St. Marys. Along with his parents, Lester was preceded in death by his siblings and in-laws: Rev. Robert (Wanda) Settlage, Leah (Lester) Kruse, Marilee (Roger) Eversman, and Gene Roediger.

Lester was a graduate of New Knoxville High School and a very active member of New Knoxville Methodist Church. Over the years, he sang in the choir, served as a lay minister, taught Sunday school for more than 40 years, traveled to Romania on a mission trip, and participated in the Emmaus Community for many years. He was also a member of the Auglaize County Farm Bureau and the Ohio Forestry Association, and he served on the boards of directors for Production Credit and the Auglaize County Soil & Water Conservation District, where he was president for 12 years. Lester and Helen enjoyed traveling together to Germany and Denmark, being members of the Western square-dancing club, and, most of all, spending time with their family. Lester was truly a "jack of all trades"- a lifelong dairy farmer, registered Guernsey breeder, substitute school bus driver for New Knoxville Schools, and lay minister. His greatest passion, however, was working with his sawmill. As a certified tree feller, Lester knew trees well and took great pride in sawing logs into usable lumber. He loved seeing the finished product and was proud that his work became part of many local projects.

A memorial service celebrating Lester's life will be held on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 4:00 P.M. at New Knoxville Methodist Church, with Pastor Sherwin Parmar officiating. Inurnment will take place at Pilger Ruhe Cemetery near New Knoxville at a future date. Calling hours will be held at the church on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, from 12:00 noon until the time of the service. Casual dress in bright colors is encouraged, as this gathering is truly a celebration of Lester's life. In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family encourages memorial contributions in Lester's memory to Midwest Missions, Grand Lake Hospice, or a charity of the donor's choice. Gilberg-Hartwig Funeral Home of New Bremen is assisting the family during this time, and online condolences and memories may be shared with the family on the funeral home website at www.gilberghartwigfh.com.