Eugene "Pete" Price (9-10-23) service 9-14-23

Eugene “Pete” Price, 88, of North Liberty, Indiana, passed away at his home on Sunday, Sept. 10, surrounded by his family and wife of 66 years. Pete was born, May 14, 1935, in Waterloo, Alabama, the son of William “Will” Franklin and Mary Ellen (Sharp) Price.

He was proud of his southern heritage along Bumpus Creek in Lauderdale County, Alabama. Pete later moved to Mishawaka, Indiana in 1953 at the age of 18 to find work. He rode a city bus to Dodge Manufacturing each day and that’s where he met the love of his life, Nancy Marie Talbott, who took the same bus to Mishawaka High School. They dated four years and married on June 29, 1957. Over the next several years they lived in Fort Knox, Kentucky, where Pete served his country in the U.S. Army; Mishawaka, Indiana; and Savannah, Tennessee. In 1969, Pete built their home in North Liberty, Indiana, where he and Nancy spent the rest of their lives together raising a family.

Pete held many different jobs until he started his own business, Price Metals. He had the gift of turning someone else’s junk into treasure. He was an extremely talented bluegrass musician playing several instruments “by ear.” He never read music; he could just listen to a song and then play it himself. He had the best tenor voice. Pete was the “Barrier Brother’s” first fiddle player in the mid 1950’s. He and the Barriers were the first ones to bring Bluegrass music to northern Indiana; they secured a radio show on WJVA in South Bend, Indiana, and Pete played with them for about 3-4 years until Uncle Sam called him away. Later he was a member of “The Country Valley Singers,” “The Gospel Mountaineers” and “The Bluegrass Drifters.” He spent many weekends “playing music.”

Pete found joy in spending time with family and friends. He loved just talking around the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. He thoroughly enjoyed a good fish fry. He treasured all the gatherings with a house full. Being from a large family with six siblings, he loved the many trips to the south to visit his kinfolk in Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas. Decoration Day, each June, became a cherished tradition that will carry on for generations to come. Most people know that Pete loved his vegetable and flower gardens. He was blessed with a green thumb often over-wintering so many plants that you could barely get through his hot house door as well as starting seedlings every winter. His gardens were beautiful and his harvests were always plentiful. He once said “he could hoe in the garden and forget about everything else.” He could absolutely hoe like nobody’s business.

Pete was a faithful servant of Christ and glorified God in all that he did. He attended the First Baptist Church of North Liberty where he cherished his church family. What most people will remember above all is that Pete had a kind heart and would do anything for anyone. He was a hard worker, a loving husband, a devoted father, and a friend. He was a good man to all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Nancy Price; and three children, Diane (Mark) Ripley of Bradenton, Florida; Ron (Kim) Price of North Liberty, Indiana; and Jennifer (Mak) Knowles of Arcadia, Indiana. He was “Pa” to seven grandchildren, Brandon Briones, Andy (Tiffany) Price, Kelli (Brett) Wagner, Heather Ripley, Ryan (Natalie) Price, Emma Knowles, and Price Knowles; and five great-grandchildren, Raina, Logan, Lucas, Olivia and Maverick.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Will and Mary Ellen Price; five sisters, Louella Smith, Lillian Williams, Lizzie Hinton, Jewell Mitchell and Betty Smith; one brother, Elzie Price; and one grandson, Brandon Briones.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, Sept. 14, at First Baptist Church of North Liberty, Indiana, with Wayne Joyner officiating. A graveside service with military honors will be at Westlawn Cemetery in North Liberty, Indiana. In lieu of flowers please make memorial contributions to the First Baptist Church of North Liberty. Online condolences to the family may be sent via the Palmer Funeral Homes website at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com