Robert ‘Bob’ Earl White

August 20, 1927-February 1, 2019

Robert “Bob” Earl White, 91, of Carthage passed away Friday, Feb. 1, 2019, at Hancock Regional Hospital. He was born August 20, 1927, in Rush County, Ind., the son of John R. and Mary (Brunson) White.

A lifetime farmer, he lived his whole life on the same farm where he was born. Bob was a graduate of Carthage High School, in 1945. He attended Purdue University’s Animal Science Winter course in 1948. Bob was a member of the United States Army, serving during the Korean Conflict.

He was a former member of Charlottesville Friends Church and attended Greenfield Friends Church. He was the State 4-H Achievement and 4-H Alumni winner. He was a member of Rush County Rural Youth, state president in 1952, chair of the Rush County Extension Advisory Board and chair of the Rush County Soil and Water Conservation Board.

He served as First Assistant of the Indiana State Fair 4-H Beef and Sheep departments from 1948-52 and 1955-64, and was a member of the board of directors of the State Fair from 1964-72 and served as president of board in 1971. He served on the Charles A. Beard Board of Trustees for 17 years; on the board of directors of the Rush County REMC from 1976; and has served as secretary, vice president, president and vice chair of Rush/Shelby Energy since its creation in 1999, until retiring in 2013.

He served on the Indiana Statewide Board and received a Certified Director’s Award from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Assoc. He received the Sagamore of the Wabash from former Gov. Frank O’Bannon as a result of his service. Bob was a Gold Member of the Lewisville Masonic Lodge 382, a member of Scottish Rite, Indianapolis Valley and a lifetime member of American Legion Post #150 in Rushville.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Barbara Faye (Meal) White; children Melinda (JB) Vogel, Mark (Diana) White, Michael (Vanda) White and Melissa (Richard) Higgs; grandchildren Gregory Vogel, Douglas (Jessica) Vogel, Emily Higgs, Allison Higgs, David Higgs, Anna White and Ruby White; and was awaiting the birth of his first great-grandson.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 9 at Hinsey-Brown Funeral Service, Knightstown Chapel with Pastors Rick Schoeff, J. Stanley Banker and Rex Jones officiating. Burial will follow in Walnut Ridge Cemetery in Carthage, Ind. Visitation will be from 3-7 p.m. Feb. 8 at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be sent to RCCF for the Rush County Ag Fund, 117 N. Main St., Rushville, IN 46173. You may express condolences or share a memory of Bob at www.hinsey-brown.com