John Bradley Whetstone, 65, Silver Lake, died at 11:27 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, at his residence.

He was born on May 13, 1954 in Rochester, to James “Jim” M. Whetstone and Helen G. (Kinney) Whetstone. He graduated in 1972 from Mentone High School. He has lived in Silver Lake for 22 years moving there from North Webster. He married Debbie Sue Kissinger on Nov. 23, 1973, in Warsaw, and was blessed with ten children. She died on Nov. 17, 2009.

His occupation was woodworking. He built and refinished furniture and then went on to establish Whetstone Woodenware making wood utensils and kitchenware with his storefront in Silver Lake, for 31 years. 

On Dec. 10, 2011, he married Deborah Genot in Warsaw, and was blessed with a new wife with love and companionship.  He was a member of Water of Life Church in Silver Lake.

At the age of 17, Jesus called John to “Come follow Him”. Throughout these years, he would always add, “I have no regrets.”  His testimony to all that he would meet along the way was that “God is Faithful!” He is leaving with us his example of “Loving others as Christ has loved us.”

Surviving John is his wife Deborah Whetstone and ten children: Samuel (Jennifer) Whetstone of Wabash; Josiah Whetstone (Brandi Collins) of Portland; Jeremiah Whetstone (Lindsey Glisson) of Chehalis, Wash.; Hannah (Jesse) Bubb of Mentone; Rebekah (Dan) Hazelrigg of Fort Wayne; Jonathan Whetstone of Warsaw; Benjamin Whetstone (Ashley Prater) of Warsaw; Jacob Whetstone of Mentone; Nathan Whetstone (Ashlee Marshall) of Muncie; Rachel Whetstone (Chandler Strickler) of Pierceton; his mother: Helen Whetstone of Mentone; two sisters: Cindy Spitler of Mentone; Peg (Jake) Stutzman of Harrisonburg, Va.; five grandchildren: Erin, Jamie, Jaron, Kristina, Liam; four step-children:  Matthew (Candy) Genot; Jessica (Shaun) Young; Remy Genot; Rebekah (Dustin) Collins; 15 step-grandchildren:  Lexi, Caleb, Caiden, Kingston, Kenzington, Kohlton, Aurora, Micaela, Kaitlyn, Zakary, Soren, Chase, Arielle, Kalyssa, Luke; many nieces and nephews.

Preceding John Whetstone in death:  his father Jim Whetstone and Debbie Whetstone.

Graveside services for the family will be Monday, Sept. 23, at the Lakeview Cemetery in Silver Lake.

There will be a celebration of John Whetstone’s life from 2-5 p.m., Oct. 19, 2019, at the Mentone United Methodist Church in Mentone, Indiana.

If you would like to donate to a worthy cause of John’s in his memory, you may do so through “Behold Israel” which can be found on the Internet.

Online condolences may be sent to earllovefuneralhome.com

The staff of Earl-Love Funeral Home considers it a privilege and an honor to care for the family and friends of John B. Whetstone.