Spencerville;  Max R. McMichael, 89, of rural Spencerville, passed away at 10 PM Tuesday, December 15, 2020 in the Logan Acres Care Center in Bellefontaine, Ohio.

He was born November 17, 1931 near Monticello in Van Wert County to the late Forrest and Norma (Parrott) McMichael. On May 27, 1950 he married Vonda Jane Whetstone, who died September 19, 2010. They had celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2010.

Max graduated from Spencerville High School in 1947. He was the first to earn the FFA State Farmer Degree in Spencerville, and never missed an FFA banquet after that. He belonged to the FFA Alumni and Ohio Farmers Union.

He was a lifelong grain farmer and dairy farmer for many of those years. He was a  Vermeer Bailer dealer for 35 years and also a Rem Vac dealer in our area. In his early years he worked at the former BLH Locomotive Works in Lima. In later years, he and Vonda owned and operated the Spencer House Inn restaurant for 10 years with their family.

He was a long time member of Spencerville Grange #2424. He served on the Spencerville School Board and as a director for the Federal Land Bank. He was one of the charter board members who built the Spencer Township Park and was an "Honorable Grandpa" of the Hillbilly Truck Pulls in Spencerville.

Surviving are his children; Sue (Billie) Ford of Crofton, KY,  Maxine McMichael,  Roger (Deb) McMichael and Wayne (Pat) McMichael, all of Spencerville, Gary McMichael of Jacksonville,  FL., and Allen (Sally) McMichael of Spencerville; grandchildren; Todd (Stacy) Ford and Cameron (Chris) Ford, both of Spencerville; Dereck (Heather) Ford of Crofton, KY.,  Kelly (Jeremy) Voice,  Shawn (Brooke) McMichael and Zachary (Danielle)  McMichael, all of Spencerville, Lindsay (Pat) Langhals of Columbus Grove, Tyler McMichael of Charlotte, N.C., Scott (Margaret) McMichael, Jay (Jennifer) McMichael, Ryan (Stephanie) McMichael, Grant (Kristin) McMichael, Troy (Jenny) McMichael, Ashley (Jonathon) Meyer, Anthony (Alisha) McMichael, Trenton (Sierra) McMichael, all of Spencerville;  his beloved great grandchildren; Peyton, Grayson and Carly Ford,  Bryson, Yavonne, Mary Kate, Sam and Sutton Ford;  Kirsten, Braxton, Lauren, Addison Lee, Maddox, Quinn, Lenyx, Jillian, Samantha, Cole, Brelyn, Savannah, Delia, Vera and Max McMichael, Kaylie, Kendryl, Kynzie, and Sheldon Meyer: Austin, Bella, Hunter, Lydia, Avalynn, Jaycie, Nora, Barrett and Elliott McMichael and his in-laws, Gene (Janet) Whetstone, Neita (Gene) Border, Danelda (Jim) Roberts and Bill Morris, and 3 nephews that Max and Vonda helped to raise, Larry (Sharon) Seibert and Robert (Nancy) McMichael and David (Cindy) McMichael.

Max was preceded in death by his brothers, Paul and Ted McMichael and sister Martha Morris and brother-in-law Eddie Whetstone.

Private family Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Monday in the Thomas E. Bayliff Funeral Home in Spencerville with Pastor Andrew J. Atkins officiating. Burial will follow in the Kossuth Cemetery.

The service will be live streamed at https://www.facebook.com/baylifffuneral/