Richard E. “Gene” Cushman, Sr., 87, of Uniondale passed away on Wednesday, March 21, 2018. He was born on September 7, 1930 in Kingman, Indiana, a son of the late Alva and Eva (Baker) Cushman. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, serving in the Heavy Mortar Co., 17th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the “Buffalo” Regiment. He later worked as a cable splicer for Henkles & McCoy and Harris-McBurney Company and later running his own business, Cushman Contracting. He was a member at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Uniondale, American Legion Post 111, Indiana Volunteer Firefighters Association, and served on the Uniondale fire department and town council for 28 years where he was very involved in creating the Veterans Park. One of his other great joys was finally restoring his 1957 Ford which he originally bought in 1966. Surviving family include his wife of 62 years, Carolyn “Ann” Cushman; children, Rich (Brenda) Cushman, Carrie (Dana) Reed; grandchildren, Jessica (Zach) Sell, Blake (fiancée, Samantha) Reed; siblings, Nelda Byers, David (Ella) Cushman, and Dale (Carol) Cushman. Besides his parents, he was preceded in passing by his grandson, D.J. Reed. Funeral service will be 4:00 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2018 at Elzey-Patterson-Rodak Funeral Home, 120 West Mill St., Ossian with visitation beginning at 1:00 pm. Inurnment will be at Horeb Cemetery, Uniondale at a later date. Memorials may be left to the American Heart Association, Wounded Warriors, or Honor Flight, Northeast Indiana.
