Ernest Thurman Earhart

Earnest Thurman Earhart Jr, aka "Pop" or "Grandpop", was the son of Mary Magdalene (James) Earhart and Earnest Thurman Earhart. Pop was born on Tuesday, October 21, 1947, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. On Sunday, August 2, 2020, at the age of 72, Pop passed away in Houston, Texas. His last hours were shared watching Indy 500 highlights with his newest friend and RN, Brent, and immediate family. He was a graduate of Ossian High School, in the class of 1966. He worked in seismograph exploration after graduating from United Electronics Institute, in Louisville, Kentucky, on August 9, 1968. Through his career in seismic exploration as a ‘Texas Doodlebuger’, building and construction and project management he built anything from roads and churches to houses, installed awnings on Red Lobster restaurants all over the United States with his son Phillip, and traveled every corner of the globe. Ernie was preceded in death by his parents, Mary Magdalene (James) Earhart and Earnest Thurman Earhart. He is survived by his wife, Barbara (Reimers) Earhart (married April 10th, 1999, Katy, Texas); sons, Phillip Wayne Earhart and Christopher Michael Earhart; grandchildren: Paula, Keirnan, Ainsley, Lyla, Camden, CJ and Danielle; stepsons, Beau Fredrichsen (Sarah (Mosley) Fredrichsen) and children Keller and Mae, of Spring, Texas; and Scott Ericksen, of Omaha, Nebraska; daughters-in-law: Danielle (Bonacci) Earhart, Hanh (Ha) Earhart and Melissa Chacon; sister, Judith Kaehr, of Ossian, Indiana; nephew, Daniel Kaehr (Suzy Cyrus) and daughter, Alyssa, of Ossian, Indiana; nephew, David (Mary) and children: Elaina, Elise and Elarie Kaehr, of Carmel, Indiana; former wife, Ruth (Schueler) (married September, 22, 1971, in Ossian, Indiana); cousins: Terry (Joyce) James and Terry Jr., of Los Angeles, California; Lance James, of Dayton, Ohio; and Deidere A. Lambert, of Phoenix, Arizona. Pop had many passions and ‘words of wisdom’. His passions included, boating, popcorn, racing, photography, underwater photography, traveling, road trips, family, history, science, scuba diving, playing cribbage, genealogy and storytelling. His story telling was second only to Paul Harvey and now he can tell Paul ‘the rest of the story’. You could NEVER have enough popcorn, and if you were a passenger on one of his many road trips, there were always pretzels and a stop for two bags of peanuts to mix with a RC Cola or Coca-cola. His passion for cribbage began with his career overseas and continues with his sons and grandsons. Notable ‘words of wisdom’: “Hey Google” “Never do today what you can put off to tomorrow” “I’ve never been wrong, except that one time… but I was mistaken” “Push, Pull, Click Click” - When something goes right. Visitation will be Saturday, August 8, 12:00PM-2:00PM, at Katy Funeral Home, 23350 Kingsland Boulevard, Katy, Texas 77494 - 281-395-7070. Funeral Services will begin at 2:00PM, in the East Chapel of Katy Funeral Home, Daniel Schramm officiating. Graveside Service will be at Oak Lawn Cemetery, Ossian, Indiana, on Thursday, August 13, 2020, at 11:00AM.