FRANKLIN, INDIANA
Mary Ellen (Lucas) Bledsoe, 83, of Franklin, Indiana, passed away on Saturday, December 17, 2022.
On March 13, 1939 in Crothersville, Indiana, Mary Ellen Lucas was born to Roy and Mable. As the fifth child, she was sassy and full of life from the beginning. Her early years of working on the family farm and focusing on her studies (her mother was a teacher, after all) were illuminated in her adult life as she served as CFO for 25+ years at Mutual Savings Bank in Franklin, and more importantly, a devoted mother, grandmother, and wife.
Whether it was her scrumptious garden tomatoes or her grandchildren, whatever Mary Ellen nurtured always flourished. She had a unique and irreplaceable touch that made life, and everything in her world, magical. She could turn any fabric into a magnificent gown, a simple recipe into something that professional chefs would envy, and a blank canvas into a striking painting that could evoke emotion in the minds of anyone who viewed it. Mary Ellen painted the world around her with color – literally. No walls in her house were safe from a spur of the moment paint change. Likewise, she moved the furniture around at least once a month because she always had a new vision to bring to life. Most importantly, Mary Ellen knew that the secret to happiness was to embrace the mess – the paint that got on her clothes, the flour spread through the kitchen while baking cookies with her grandkids, or the mud that got on her feet as she walked barefoot and free through her garden. She looked at the mess, grinned, and laughed her contagious, singsong laugh – the sound of pure joy. She cherished those moments, and those she shared them with, every day.
When Mary Ellen arrived in Heaven, she was joyously greeted by her siblings who preceded her in death: Robert Lucas, Betty Woodard, Arthur Lucas, and William Lucas. She is survived by her husband, Leonard; loving daughters, Lisa (Dave) Calabro and Lynda (Tim) Thompson; three grandchildren, Drew (Alexandra) Calabro, Alex Calabro, and Mackenzie Thompson; her sister, Gene McMurray.
A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at 2:00pm at Jessen Funeral Home &Simple Cremation ~ Franklin Chapel with visitation from 12:00pm until the funeral hour. Mary Ellen will be laid to rest at Rocklane Cemetery in Greenwood, Indiana.
Arrangements entrusted to Jessen Funeral Home &Simple Cremation ~ Franklin Chapel. 197 E. Jefferson Street, Franklin, IN 46131. 317-346-6155. www.jessenfuneralhome.com
