Emmaline Marie (Crook) Middleton Vebert

Emmaline Marie (Crook) Vebert Middleton Vebert, age 101 of Fort Wayne, IN, passed away at 2:42 am on Sunday February 19, 2023, at Heritage Pointe of Fort Wayne.  Born on December 18, 1921, in Nashville, Indiana, she was the daughter of Lewis R. and Mable Marie (Duhamell) Crook, and granddaughter to Ross F. and Lucinda E. (Lantz) Crook and Howard and Lola M. (Waltz) Duhamell.  A sister Hellen joined the family in 1924.

After the death of Emmaline’s mother, her father married Ethel (Geeting) Snider.  Emmaline spent her childhood between Brown and Wells Counties.  She attended school at Gnaw Bone, Brown County; Banner, Wells County; and Rock Creek Township High School, Huntington County.

Emmaline married Julian Vebert on April 12, 1941, in Morgantown, IN.  To this union was born a daughter, Mable.  In Fort Wayne on November 6, 1948, she married Sylvester “Ves” Middleton.  Living in Huntington, the couple adopted a second daughter, Grace.  Eventually, the family settled property on High Lake, Noble County.  After Ves’ death, she moved to Columbia City, and on July 24, 1996, she married Adrian Vebert at his home in Markle.  Finally, she moved back to Fort Wayne in 2008.

Coming from a family of little means, she went to work at an early age housekeeping and providing live-in childcare.  Among her other jobs, she worked at Blue Bell, Columbia City; Luckey Hospital and Nursing Home, Wolf Lake; and Miller’s Merry Manor, Columbia City.  After retiring from Miller’s, Emmaline-always the caretaker-assisted families in the Columbia City area by affording them live-in, around the clock care for invalid spouses and parents for over thirty years.  Emmaline also was a telephone operator at DeMoney Grimes Funeral Home, Columbia City.

Helping her father with farmwork instilled in Emmaline an appreciation of fruits from the earth.  She knew how to grow and harvest almost any vegetable.  As a girl in Brown County, she loved eating persimmons plucked fresh from the November snow and as an adult loved a batch of fresh rhubarb.  She enjoyed having a glass of blackberry wine or a good bottle of beer, when she could get them.  In fair weather, she could be found working in her flower gardens.  She looked forward to the blooming of peonies and lilacs and could revive even the most forlorn African violet.

Survivors include her daughter Grace (Steve) Smith, Grandbury, TX;  grandchildren David (Nancy) Hall, Des Plaines, Ill., Bryan Hall, Omaha, NE, Shawn (Melody) Hall, Fort Wayne, Kathy (Stephen) Price, Hempstead, TX, Steve (April) Smith, Grandbury, TX, Stephanie (Jackie) Robertson, Fort Worth, TX, and Tammy Massey, Fort Worth, TX; many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; nieces Marilyn (Nick) Nicholson, Schwartz Creek, MI and Marcia (Art) Philip, Scottsdale, AZ; nephew Don (Melanie) Winer, Flint, MI; many grand nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Lewis and Mable Crook, stepmother Ethel Crook, first husband Sylvester Middleton, second husband Adrian Vebert, daughter Mable Gebert, and sister Hellen Winer.

Friends may call on Thursday February 23, 2023, from 3:00-7:00 pm at DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City.

Funeral services for Emmaline will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday February 24, 2023, at the funeral home with calling one hour prior.  Pastor Tim Graham will officiate.  The funeral service may also be watched live on Facebook beginning at 1:55 pm at DeMoney Grimes Live .

Burial will follow in Markle Cemetery, Markle.

Memorial contributions in memory of Emmaline may be made to Homebound Meals, Fort Wayne.

Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send family condolences or to sign the online guest register.