Leslie Joe Pranger

CORUNNA — Leslie Joe Pranger, 78, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, May 20, 2021. 

He was born Oct. 5, 1942, to Leslie John and Awilda Virginia (Urbine) Pranger.

Joe, as he was known to all, was passionate in his love for God.  Everyone that knew him for more than 30 seconds found this to be true. He was intentional and unashamed about sharing the love of Jesus Christ to everyone he met regardless of whether they had the time to listen or not.

Right next to his passion for God, was his passion for family. For Joe, love of God and family were inseparable missions that drove him every day of his life.

He married the love of his life, Anne Lucille Eversman on Sept. 26, 1964.  He always said, “family is the legacy you leave behind when you’re gone”. He lived his life making sure his “legacy” was strong, productive, confident in life and devoted in relationship with God.

Joe was accomplished at many things throughout his life. At heart he was a farmer and was most relaxed on a tractor or out in the barn tinkering on equipment. In addition, he was a businessman who started, developed and ran several successful businesses, an inventor who held multiple patents, and an avid outdoorsman hunting bear, elk, white tail deer, mule deer and turkey.  He loved the Rocky Mountains, hunting and whitewater rafting the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho over 20 times. He spent countless hours in his bass boat, fishing for bass and bluegill.

Joe served in the U.S. Marine Corps and spent more than eight years in the Fort Wayne Diving Club, exploring caves and working with Search and Rescue.

Surviving are his wife, Anne Lucille (Eversman) Pranger; six children and their spouses, Robin Anne (Pranger) and James Lee Clifford, Christopher John and Kristina Lynn (Kaiser) Pranger, Shelly Lynn (Pranger) Diehm, Nicholas Joe and Linda Kay (Roose) Pranger, Gabriel Jay and Mindelle Marie (Lewis) Pranger and Bethany Jean (Pranger) and Chad Freeman Days; 40 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; four siblings and their spouses, Shirley Ann (Pranger) Dirig, Patricia Louise (Pranger) and Larry Noel Parker, Michael Jay and Jennifer Lee (Combs) Pranger, and John Barry and Pamela Marie (Miller) Pranger; two brothers-in-law, Eugene Carl Baker and Bernard Paul Stier; and more than 150 nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Joe was preceded in death by a sister, Bonnie Lee (Pranger) Baker; two brothers-in-law, Eugene Carl Baker and Earl Stanly Eversman; two sisters-in-law, Rose Ann (Wade) Eversman and Susan Jean (Eversman) Stier; a son-in-law, Roger Allen Diehm; a granddaughter, Gracie Mae Pranger; and a great-grandson, Maximus Wesley Warstler.

Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at New Hope Christian Center, 900 S. Wayne St., Waterloo, with visitation from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday prior to the service at the church. The Rev. Ralph Diehl will officiate. To view the service online, please visit https://vimeo.com/event/88335.

Burial will take place in Fairfield Cemetery in rural Corunna.

Visitation also will be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at the church.

Memorials may be directed to New and Living Way Inc., P.O. Box 5244, Kendallville, Indiana 46755.