BARGERSVILLE, IN.
Glenn Edwin Lemasters, 70, of Bargersville, IN, passed away Tuesday, December 13, 2022, in Franklin, IN. He was born September 28, 1952, in Shelbyville, IN, to Maurice Edwin Lemasters and Virginia “Ginnie” (Cuskaden) Lemasters.
He was a 1970 graduate of Waldron High School in Shelby County, IN, where he was a proud member of the basketball team. Later in his life, Glenn attended Purdue University’s School of Engineering and Technology, where he obtained his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology. He put his intelligence, insatiable curiosity, and analytical mind to work at many places over the years, like the Diamond Chain Company, but his two true loves were caving and his daughter, Allison Lemasters Black.
Friends of Glenn remember him for his great enthusiasm and passion for caving. His eyes sparkled when he told stories of his exciting (and sometimes dangerous) adventures. He was integral to the founding of the Indiana Karst Conservancy (IKC), a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and conservation of Indiana’s unique karst features (aka landscape features commonly referred to as caves). He was one of the first members with membership #3, joining at the organizational meeting in February 1986. Glenn also served as a director on the IKC Executive Board through 1992, volunteered at countless IKC workdays, and maintained his membership until the end of his life.
Glenn was driven to find and explore new caves, and he worked on many survey projects through the years, drafting over 20 cave maps. These included several multi-mile caves such as Charles Cave, Honeymoon Cave, and Breathing Hole. He especially loved Wyandotte Cave, and one of his greatest accomplishments was his involvement in the exploration of Easter Pit and its subsequent connection to Wyandotte Cave. He re-drafted Richard Powell’s Wyandotte map and nearly doubled the length with all of the extensions to bring Wyandotte to over 9.4 miles long. Cave conservation was very important to him, as were all aspects of caving.
The only thing Glenn loved more than caving was his daughter, Allison. He even retired from engineering early in his life to be a stay-at-home dad to her when she was in the fourth grade. He is well remembered for participating in many of her extracurricular activities over the years, especially as a “pit dad” for her high school marching band. Glenn used his engineering skills to build all kinds of cool props and contraptions for her shows (like a giant clarinet the size of a truck, or large air cannons to shoot balls and confetti out for a grand finale). He was the kind of dad you could always count on, who attended every concert and event, and who would make jokes to his daughter like, “I love you so much that if you ever went to jail, I would come visit you every day…well, every other day,” with a smile and a laugh.
Glenn would do anything for a friend and drop everything to be there for his daughter. Nature was his true home, as he found his peace and happiness through hiking, camping, caving, collecting rocks for his rock garden, and being in those places that “urban sprawl” hadn’t touched yet. Dementia took him too soon, and he will be missed deeply by many people.
Survivors include his daughter, Allison Lemasters Black, and her husband, Paul, currently stationed in Tacoma, WA, for Paul’s military service, a brother, Gregg Lemasters, and his wife, Nina, of Shelbyville, IN, and his devoted friend and caregiver, Renee Furrow, of Indianapolis, IN.
His parents preceded him in death.
Rev. Vey Kidney will conduct a celebration of life service on Sunday, December 18, 2022, at 4:00 PM at Swartz Family Community Mortuary and Memorial Center, 300 South U.S. 31 (Morton Street) in Franklin, IN. This will also be live-streamed at www.swartzmortuary.com. The family will receive friends from 3:00 PM on Sunday, December 18, 2022, until the service time at the mortuary. There will also be a reception afterward at the same location with light refreshments.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Indiana Karst Conservancy, P.O. Box 2401 Indianapolis, IN 46206 or at https://ikc.caves.org (scroll down to the yellow “Donate” button at the bottom of the home page).
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.swartzmortuary.com. For more information, please call 317-738-0202.
