Sarah "Penny" Moore

With a journey that spanned times of war and times of peace, times of plenty and times of want, Sarah “Penny” Moore lived a life of purpose while holding her loved ones near. She worked hard, but she knew how to enjoy life, too, and everything was even better when experienced with the family and friends she loved. A loving wife and mother, Penny was filled with great joy to become a grandmother and great-grandmother later in life. With faith as a cornerstone in her life, she was a humble woman whose gracious and genuine spirit was a blessing to everyone she met. Deeply loved, Penny will be forever missed.

During the first half of the 1940s, the eyes of our nation were focused overseas as WWII raged on. Although we had been neutral, that all came to an end with the vicious attack on our naval base in Pearl Harbor left President Franklin D. Roosevelt with no choice but to declare war the very next day, March 8, 1941. And with that, countless young servicemen and women were sent overseas while those who remained stateside became all too familiar with rationing on common goods like coffee, rubber, paper, and sugar. It was just prior to America’s entrance into the war that Benjamin and Cora (Bolen) Combs were eagerly anticipating the birth of their new baby as January was drawing to a close in 1940. The big day finally arrived on February 1st when the baby girl they named Sarah drew her first breath in Garrett, Kentucky. She was one of 16 children her family as she was joined in the Combs clan by her eight sisters including Luvica “Vicie,” Peggy, Nora Mae, Anna Faye, Rose Ann, Nancy, Dorothy, and Grace, and her seven brothers, Cleocus, Spencer, Guilford, Enoch, Jerry, Leo, and Maurice.

In many ways, Penny experienced an upbringing that was fairly typical for the youth of her generation. As a young woman, she was eager for all that life had in store. In 1961, Penny moved to Ligonier, Indiana, and she remained in the area for the rest of her life. Not to be forgotten during this time was Penny’s blossoming romance with the man of her dreams. His name was Forest Moore, and with a desire to spend the rest of their lives together they were married on December 28, 1962. Together they were blessed with the birth of their son, Charles David. Penny treasured her roles as a wife and mother and savored every moment they spent together. Later in life, she was filled with unspeakable joy to become a grandmother when her grandson, Jeremie, was born. More recently, Penny was thrilled with the birth of her great-granddaughter, Stella.

In addition to spending time with her family, Penny kept busy in so many other ways. She was a factory worker, first working for Starcraft in Topeka. Later, Penny worked for Essex Wire in Ligonier and then finally for Westec in Ligonier. As her family and friends can attest, she was an avid Bingo player. Penny’s love for Bingo took her all around the area to play in tournaments. In fact, she even once traveled to North Carolina to play in a Bingo tournament! Around home she loved gardening, and beans were her favorite as she loved canning beans and stringing beans to hang to make shuckie beans. Penny took great joy in cooking for her loved ones, which was something they truly appreciated. When not playing Bingo, she enjoyed playing cards, too. Within her community, Penny was a member of the New Freedom Baptist Church in LaGrange. On May 18, 2016, she was deeply saddened with the death of her husband.

With unending love for her family, Sarah “Penny” Moore was such a gift to her loved ones. She was the sort of person who would do whatever she could for others, and her warm and approachable demeanor made her the sort of person everyone seemed to know. Penny was strong and hardworking with the ability to wholeheartedly apply herself to whatever task was at hand. Although the way before her wasn’t always easy, her unwavering faith was her constant companion. Penny will never be forgotten.

Sarah “Penny” Moore, died Saturday, September 23, 2017, at Miller’s Merry Manor in Syracuse, Indiana. Penny’s family includes her son, Charles David Ritchie of Ligonier; grandson, Jeremie and Desiree Ritchie, United State Army, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colorado; great-granddaughter, Stella Cruz Ritchie; sisters, Dorothy Combs and Grace Combs both of Rock Fork, Kentucky. Penny was preceded in death by her husband, Forest; six sisters, Luvica “Vicie” Moore, Peggy Combs, Nora Mae Ramey, Anna Faye Hoover, Rose Ann Combs, and Nancy Combs; and seven brothers, Cleocus, Spencer, Guilford, Enoch, Jerry, Leo, and Maurice Combs. Visitation will be held Sunday, October 1, 2017, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Hite Funeral Home in Kendallville. Visitation will also be held Monday, October 2, 2017, after 3:00 p.m. at New Freedom Baptist Church, 300 Sycamore Street, Lagrange, Indiana. Funeral services will take place on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at New Freedom Baptist Church with Pastor Wade Sturdivant officiating. Burial will follow at Orange Cemetery near Rome City. Share a memory or send a condolence at hitefuneralhome.com Arrangements entrusted to Hite Funeral Home of Kendallville.