Wayne E. Bode, 82 of Kewanna, passed away at 6 a.m. on June 27, 2018, while on vacation in Rouen, France.

He was born Aug 24, 1935, in Joliet, Ill. He was the treasured son of Theodore and Lillian (Stuenkel) Bode. Growing up, he shared his childhood with two brothers, Kenny and Wesley. Mr. Bode graduated in 1953 from Crete-Monee High School, Crete, Ill. He later served in the United States Army from 1958 to 1960 as an assistant to General Arnold, Commander of the United States Fifth Army.

At the 1962 Will County Fair, he first met and began dating his future wife, Glenda. On Aug. 10, 1963, in Wilton Center, Ill., he married Glenda D. Schifler. They shared nearly 55 years of life’s adventures. They were blessed with four wonderful children, Lisa, Glen, Scot and Todd. The family tree continued to grow with the added blessing of four grandchildren.

Farming was not only his vocation, it was his lifelong passion. Wayne joined his father and older brother Kenny on their family farm in Monee, Ill. where they did custom corn shelling, raised crops and had a dairy herd. After he married, Hampshire hogs and beef cattle were added. In 1971, the family moved to Kewanna, where he and his brother Kenny continued to farm together, raising corn and soybeans. In later years, a son, Glen, joined the farming operation.

A devoted member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Mr. Bode served as trustee and congregation president. He was also an active member of Indiana Farm Bureau, serving as Fulton County president for four years, and as a state director for nine years. Wayne’s hobbies included woodworking, making small furniture items and most especially a custom cradle and rocking horse for his grandchildren.

He enjoyed traveling the world with his wife. Together, they were able to visit 25 countries and most of the states in the U.S. Most notably was to Ireland in 2013 to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Another was to Kyrgyzstan with Farm Bureau to assist local farmers in the development of farm advocacy groups.

Mr. Bode is survived by his wife, Glenda; a daughter: Lisa Bode, Charlotte, N.C.; three sons: Glen (Amy) Bode of Kewanna, Scot (Kristie) Bode of Batavia, Ill., and Todd Bode of Fort Myers, Fla; four grandchildren: Paige and Elena of Kewanna, and Joshua and Taylor of Batavia, Ill.; brother: Kenneth (Ann) Bode of Kewanna; and sister-in-law Susan Bode of Herscher, Ill., and several nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death are his parents and brother Wesley.

Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. on  Friday, July 20 at the Good Family Funeral Home, 1200 W. 18th St., Rochester. A celebration of the life of will be at St. John Lutheran Church, 404 Jefferson St., Rochester, IN on Saturday, July 21, 2018 at 11 a.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at the Rochester IOOF Cemetery. Memorials may be made in honor of Mr. Bode to the Northern Indiana Community Foundation, 227 East 9th St., PO Box 807 Rochester, IN 46975, to St. John Lutheran Church, 404 Jefferson St., Rochester, IN 46975, or to the charity of your choice. Online expressions of sympathy may be made to Wayne’s family at www.goodfamilyfh.com