DeKalb County Coroner's Office

01/02/2026

Thank you for all you do! 💜

As we say goodbye to 2025 and hello to 2026, it has been our honor and privilege to serve 146 families who experienced pregnancy loss in Northeast Indiana this year. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your story. We remember. 💜

12/31/2025

🎉🎈🐱HAPPY NEW YEAR!🐱🎈🎉

DON’T DO DUMB THINGS

Margie and her feline friends Captain James T. Cat, Nabisco, Snickers and Scrambles McSuperstuff are planning to stay in this NYE.

What are your plans? Are you heading out on the town in hopes of showcasing your karaoke skills with your one person rendition of Islands in the Stream? Are you staying in with friends, playing games that may, or may not (but they probably will) involve alcohol consumption? Or are you bar hopping with plans to display your stellar dance moves?

What will we be doing tonight? We’ll be home, in bed early, watching classic Dateline episodes and hoping beyond hope that we won’t receive a call from our friends at Dispatch saying that you or someone you love need us.

Please celebrate responsibly. Don’t operate a vehicle while under the influence. Don’t overdue it with the Mad Dog 20/20 and Purple Passion (if those are still a thing, we’re old).

Don’t do dumb things that could result in your demise and/or the demise of others. YOU ARE IMPORTANT! Now go out there and make Kenny and Dolly (and Capt. James T. Cat) proud and dance like you’ve never danced before. And please, someone send us video.🕺💃🏻

12/30/2025

🩷WELCOME DEPUTY CORONER MEGAN🩷

Megan, on the left, is our newest teammate and we sure feel lucky to have her!

Megan sailed through Medicolegal Death Investigation training and subsequent externship. She continues to volunteer as a deputy coroner with another county and is also employed by the Northeast Indiana Forensic Center.

I had the opportunity to shadow Megan on a recent call. She was professional, thorough and kind beyond measure. My heart felt so full and so proud seeing her work.

Megan’s background is in art and science and as such, she said she could have never imagined having a badge. Not only does she have a badge now, she also has a pink badge holder, proving that with hardwork, determination, the sincere desire to help others and to do the right thing, anything is possible.

Welcome to our little family, Megan. You are AMAZING and will be such an asset to our team and to the community!

Jennie

“We rise by lifting others.” -Robert Ingersoll

12/25/2025

12/23/2025

♥️🎄I was listening to a John Lennon song, Happy Christmas, and the opening lyrics, "So this is Christmas, and what have you done?" immediately made me think of my DeKalb County Coroner's Office teammates.

What have they done? The answer to that is so much more than I can ever summarize here. They have done things most people could never imagine doing. They have done things that will stick with them forever, but that few will ever know about.

They've been awakened by calls in the night, asked to respond to the unknown. They've knocked on doors and conveyed the worst kind of news. They've faced the most horrific situations. They've given up time with their own families to help others.

They've gone above and beyond with every single case they've worked. They've helped clean up scenes, packed items for families who could not return to their homes, cared for family pets, hand delivered personal items to next of kin states away, anonymously donated funds and other items to grieving families in need, sat with and consoled children who'd lost a loved one.

They've supported their teammates and other emergency responders. They've supported me.

They've done these things and so much more. I see them and I want you to see them, too. I am so proud of the selfless, often thankless, work that they do.

When I think of Christmas blessings, I think of my teammates.

I am honored to work beside the best group of people.

Merry Christmas!

Jennie ♥️🎄

12/02/2025

🎄♥️WE WILL NOT FORGET ♥️🎄

Last year our office began a new tradition, the addition of a community memorial Christmas tree to honor those we’ve loved and lost. The tree was donated by Home Depot and the paper angels were made by school children.

We started with one ornament; an ornament we placed as a memorial to those we’ve had the honor to serve over the years. Additional ornaments, all meaningful, were placed by many others last season.

The tree is up again for the season at the Annex (215 E 9th St, Auburn). Please come by and place an ornament. If you don’t have an ornament, you may write a name and message on a paper angel. We’ve added an angel of our own to this year’s tree as a memorial to those we’ve served over 2025.

Please help us fill the tree with ornaments and fond memories.

♥️”Christmas is big enough to hold merry and bright and still wish you were here.”
-Unknown♥️

11/27/2025

🧡🤎WE SEE YOU🤎🧡

11/25/2025

🍁🦃With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank an exceptional group of people-my teammates.

I wish I could share a group photo but we are truly never all in the same room together. We all have other jobs, some have multiple other roles.

Despite this, we are all in frequent communication. We lift each other up; we reach out to offer support and friendship.

We all have very different personalities and different work styles, but at the core, and in my opinion most importantly, we all just want to do the right thing, even when it’s hard. And truth be told, this job is hard.

Thank you to THE BEST team around! Mike, Tyler, Rodney, Peggy, Dave, Brett, Megan and Dr. Souder, you are such blessings to me and to the entire community.

Thank you for the selfless work that you do. To quote Rodney, “It’s teamwork, my friend!”

Love you all, friends!
Jennie🦃🍁

11/17/2025

🌸🌺WELCOME MEGAN! 🌺🌸

Meet Megan! Deputy Coroner Megan is the newest addition to our team and we feel so lucky to have her!

Megan is a certified Medicolegal Death Investigator. She serves as a deputy in Allen County as well and works part time at the Northeast Indiana Forensic Center.

Megan loves to spend time with her family, is an avid and accomplished photographer, enjoys kayaking, reading, all things science and collecting rocks, too.

Megan volunteers at her church and has a sincere desire to help others and to make the world a better place.

Our team, our community, is beyond blessed to have Megan! Welcome, Megan!

“Become the bright light for others, when their world becomes dark.” -A.D. Williams

11/15/2025

☎️THANK YOU DAVE! ☎️

Would you ever want a job in which you’re called at all hours of the day and night, expected to immediately drop what you’re doing, rain sleet, snow or shine, holidays and weekends, to respond? Probably not, yet that’s what Dave has been doing for our department for the last 8 years, having served at Chief Transport Tech for the past 3. Dave helped our department for years even prior, and has spent his life in the service of others in the funeral industry.

Dave is not only dependable when called, he goes above and beyond making sure our transport vehicle is spotless and organized so as to ensure those in our care are treated with dignity and respect.

And sometimes Dave just shows up with a giant Diet Coke and a cookie when we need it most.

Thank you for your service , Dave! We appreciate you beyond measure.

11/12/2025

💚 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY PEGGY!💚

This November marks Deputy Coroner Peggy’s third year of official service with our department, but even prior she volunteered her time with us whenever she could.

Peggy not only serves as a deputy coroner in DeKalb County, she serves in Steuben as well, is an Ashley firefighter and EMT, works a full time job and cares for her family.

Peggy is tiny but mighty; she has a huge heart and is always ready and willing to lend a helping hand. She is selfless and kind beyond measure.

We are so blessed to have Peggy as part of our team. The world is a much better place with Peggy in it.

Thank you, Peggy, for all you do!

11/11/2025

🇺🇸THANK YOU VETERANS!🇺🇸