Charles Oberlin, 92

Charles F.  Oberlin, 92 years, of Bryan, passed away peacefully Friday, June 19, 2015 at Community Health Professionals Inpatient Hospice, Defiance, Ohio.  Charles was born October 26, 1922 at home near Bryan, the son of the late Hiram Perry and Isola (Walters) Oberlin.  Charles married Donna Vee Shough on June 15, 1946 in Bryan, Ohio.  She preceded him in death on October 29, 2014.  After graduation from Bryan High School, Charles worked for the A & P Tea Company, and began farming on a family farm near where he was born.  The artesian wells of the family farm made it ideal for dressing and processing poultry.  He became known for his clean and professional processing services made possible for the free flowing water.  After marrying in 1946, the family business grew quickly.  The Oberlin Turkey Farm was a turkey breeding, hatching and dressing the whole bird packing business that produced thousands of pasture raised turkeys, long before it was fashionable for sustainable agriculture.  Oberlin Processing was a USDA approved poultry meat processing enterprise.  Together with his wife and sons, the business grew from  whole bird processing to pioneering the development and production of turkey and chicken patties that were widely distributed nationally.  Following a tragic fire in 1988 where the Bryan (Pulaski) processing plant was destroyed, he acquired a processing plant in Tiffin, Ohio where he continued production until his retirement in 2005.  After retirement he continued and was passionate about his lifetime hobby of raising sheep.  Charles was honored by achieving national recognition for breeding a new strain of bronze turkeys in the late 1950’s, some of which grew to more than 70 pounds.   He was a lifelong member of Wesley United Methodist Church, Bryan.

Surviving are eight children, Donald (Marsha) Oberlin of Antwerp, Deloy (Kate) Oberlin of Newton, North Carolina, Stanley (Mary) Oberlin of Bryan, Gary Ean St-Claire Oberlin (Natalie) of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, Jane Oberlin of Bryan, Neil (Bonnie) Oberlin of Stryker, Chris (Brenda) Oberlin of Bryan and Scott (Amy) Oberlin of Stryker; 15 grandchildren, Gabe Oberlin, Cory Oberlin, Matthew Oberlin Brandon Oberlin, Nicholas Oberlin, Kiera  St-Claire, Breanna (Steve) Oberlin-Leszkai, Travis (Angela) Oberlin, Wesley St-Claire, Brent Oberlin, Ryan Oberlin, Amanda Oberlin, Addison Oberlin, Grace Oberlin and Henry Oberlin; two great-grandchildren, Heather and Katie Oberlin; one brother, Walter Oberlin of Pulaski; one sister, Vivian Chesser of Toledo as well as numerous nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Donna Vee; two sons, Timothy and infant John Oberlin, two grandchildren, Benjamin Oberlin and Jessica Oberlin, and his brother, Perry Oberlin, Jr.

Visitation for Charles F. Oberlin will be held from 2:00 – 8:00 p.m. Thursday, June 25, 2015 at Oberlin-Turnbull Funeral Home, 206 North Lynn Street, Bryan.  Funeral services for Charles will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, June 26, 2015 at Wesley United Methodist Church, 903 Center Street, Bryan with Pastors Jeffrey Motter and Becky Schofield Motter officiating.  Interment will follow in Shiffler Cemetery, Bryan.  Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the service on Friday at the church.