Frederick E. "Fred" Hibst , age 90 and a lifelong Elwood resident, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 28, 2020 at Ascension - St. Vincent Hospital in Anderson after a long, fulfilling life.  He was born September 1, 1930 in Elwood, the son of Francis and Ruby (Long) Hibst.  Fred was a 1948 graduate of Elwood High School, and later served his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean War where he was stationed in Germany.  He retired in 1991 from Airfoil Textron (formerly Ex-Cello) in Elwood where he worked as a purchasing manager for 35 years.  Fred married Geraldine "Geri" Ringer on September 19, 1997, and they shared 23 years of marriage together.  He was a devoted member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Elwood where he served many years as a lector, server, and head sacristan.  He was also a longtime board member and sexton at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Elwood.  Fred truly loved volunteering and working at his church.  Fred was known as an avid motorcycle rider for many years and enjoyed riding with Geri on his Honda Goldwing.  He was a member of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) as well as the National Rifle Association.  In his free time, he enjoyed building miniatures, reading, and simply spending time with his family.  He was truly the patriarch of his family as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.  He will be greatly missed.

Fred's family legacy includes his wife, Geri Hibst of Elwood; son, Frederick "Tim" Hibst of Elwood; daughter, Rebecca Sue Lantz of Fort Wayne; brother, David (wife Geraldine) Hibst of North Carolina; 2 sisters, Theresa (husband Henry) Beekley of New York and Judy (husband Sann) Froula of Tennessee; 7 grandchildren, Christopher, Kristi, Chad, Andy, Kacie, Kirsten, and Jon; 11 great-grandchildren; a great-great grandchild and another expected in 2020; mother-in-law, Laura Ringer of Georgia; brother-in-law, Lee (wife Dione) Ringer of Georgia; and numerous nieces and nephews.  Fred was preceded in death by his parents; son, James Michael Hibst; grandson, Kyle Hibst; brother, Phillip Hibst; and 3 sisters, Patricia Vollenhals, Sue Belden, and Mary Lamberjack.

A funeral mass will be conducted at 11:00 am on Friday, October 2, 2020 at St. Joseph Church in Elwood with Father Dennis Goth officiating.  Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery in Elwood where military honors will be conducted by the U.S. Army and the Tipton American Legion honor guard.  Visitation for family and friends will be held from 4 to 7 pm on Thursday, October 1, 2020 at Copher-Fesler-May Funeral Home and will include a Rosary prayer service at 6:30 pm.  Memorial contributions are suggested to the St. Joseph Catholic Church building fund through the funeral home.  Online condolences and memories may be shared at copherfeslermay.com.