Ben H. Flanary, 78, of rural Grabill, Indiana, and formerly of Hicksville, Ohio, passed on Thursday, October 1, 2026. He was born on February 23, 1948, in Tacoma, Virginia, a son of the late Arvel and Maxie Flanary. Ben worked as a truck driver for International Harvester, later Navistar as well as a welder. In his free time, he enjoyed all aspects of beekeeping and music, especially playing his guitar. He will be remembered as a man who greatly loved his family. Surviving family include his daughters, Penny (Tony) Barraco, Karen Mullins, and Tena Pruitt; grandchildren, Andrew McCloskey, Kasey Hacker, Vincent Barraco, Lindsay McBride, Karlee Harris, and Jared Harris; sister, Judy Sluss; brother, Sidney Flanary; and a host of additional family. Besides his parents, he was preceded in passing by his grandson, Logan Harris; sister, Lena Frye; and brothers, Clint Flanary and Dan Foust. A visitation will be from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Friday, October 9, 2026, at Hockemeyer Funeral Home, 17629 State Road 37, Harlan. A funeral service celebrating Ben's life will be 10:00 am on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at the funeral home, with visitation one hour prior. His finally resting place will be at Scipio Cemetery, Harlan. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at the funeral home or online at https://www.stjude.org/. Condolences and memories can be left online at www.hockemeyerfuneralhome.com
