Constance Kaye "Connie Von Gunten" Gilliom

Constance Kaye “Connie” (Von Gunten) Gilliom, age 87, passed away peacefully on March 14, 2026, at The Waters of Tipton. Born on April 18, 1938, in Berne, Indiana, to Fred and Rosella (Heare) Von Gunten, Connie graduated from Berne French High School in 1956. On June 29, 1957, she married the love of her life and best friend, Robert “Bob” Gilliom.

A devoted stay-at-home mother, Connie was deeply involved in Girl Scouts, leading troops and organizing scouting programs for Adams Central Schools. She and Bob lived in Berne until 1985, when they moved to Paoli, Indiana. Members of the First Mennonite Church of Berne and later the Paoli Mennonite Fellowship, Connie worked as a van driver for First Chance Industries and as a teacher’s aide at Throop Elementary. In 2023 she moved to Tipton to be near her daughter Tammi.

Connie found joy in a wide range of creative pursuits. She loved knitting and crocheting, often teaching others these skills, and enjoyed crafts, drawing, origami, and reading. An avid bird watcher, she once raised three orphaned owls in the 1970s. She had a lifelong love of animals and cared for many cats over the years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, in May 2015, her biological mother Rosella, her father Fred and stepmother Edna (Berkey) Von Gunten, her in-laws Henry and Lucille (Amstutz) Gilliom, her brother-in-law John Eaton, sister-in-law Marilyn Gilliom, niece Anne (Gilliom) Andrus, and many beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins. Connie is survived by her daughters Wendi Bauman and Tammi (Rod) Hofstetter, grandchildren Chad (Paula) Hofstetter, Jama (Richey) Hoover, Ashlie (Brian) Rotter, Josh (Ranshitha) Hofstetter, and granddaughter-by-choice Patsy Heinz, ten great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren, her sister Sally Eaton, sister-in-law Sandy (Ken) Reinhard, brother-in-law David Gilliom, and many nieces and nephews. In keeping with her wishes, her body was cremated and the family held a private memorial.