Julia A. Decker
Julia Ann Decker, 76, of Star City, passed away on Saturday, March 29, at Northwest Health Porter Hospital in Valparaiso. She was surrounded by her sister, brother-in-law and close friends after an unexpected battle from pneumonia and lingering health issues. She was born in Ft. Wayne on Jan. 2, 1949 to the late Wayne and Marjorie Boze Decker. Julia graduated from Lincoln High School in 1967, in Willis, Michigan.
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Julia went to nursing school at Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1972. She then moved close to home (in Ann Arbor) to work at the University of Michigan Hospital Respiratory ICU. She moved to Detroit and worked in the Cass St Corridor working with TB patients. She received the “Spirit of Detroit” Award in August 1976 for her dedicated service to the people she served there. She later packed up and moved across country, pulling a small U-Haul to Pasadena, California where she worked at LA Vina Hospital in charge of the respiratory unit. While there, she found her love of pregnant mothers and babies and stayed in that field of nursing the rest of her career, gaining several awards and recognitions. She worked in OB not only in California but South Carolina and North Carolina, before settling down in Indiana. Her career had come full circle as she came home to aid and help her mother who had started having health issues.
Here, she worked at Logansport Memorial as head of the OB and childbirth education. Julia finally retired working in OB at Pulaski Memorial Hospital. During her career she was certified as a doula, lamaz instructor, as well as a certificated lactation consultant and teacher. Julia also worked at Winamac Public Library and volunteered for the Warrior Up Program. Julia especially loved Christmas, Easter and mostly spring and fall. She loved cooking, trying new recipes (as extensive cookbook collection testifies too), and going out to eat with friends and family. One of her best memories was a cruise for her 50th birthday with sister, Chris, as well as going to Italy with her niece and her family. A few years ago, she did a memorial park trip out west and saw several national parks with dear friends, Sharon and Deb.
Julia loved Jesus and attending church membership wherever she lived. It was a central and pivotal part of her life and she acknowledged she was growing more and more in the Lord, the older she got.
Julia is survived by sister and brother-in-law: Christine and William (Decker-Zerger) Zelmer, Battle Creek, Michigan; niece Laurie and William Moore, of Woodland, Alabama; nephew Shawn and Margie (Bailey) Zelmer, of Chesterfield, Michigan; and other great-nephew and nieces: Jacob and Marissa Zelmer, Nicolai and Shawnah Grabill and Kendra and Kyra Zelmer.
She was proceeded in death by parents: Wayne and Marjorie Decker; brothers: Robert Decker and Randall Decker; as well as great-grandparents and several aunts and uncles.
Visitation will be for one hour prior to Celebration of Life.
A celebration of life will be held Friday, April 25, at 6:30 p.m. at the Heartland Church of Winamac.
Memorial contributions may be made to the funeral home to assist with final expenses.
Online tributes may be offered at www.frainmortuary.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Frain Mortuary in Winamac.
(Pulaski County Journal — April 9, 2025)