Joan M. Ostermeyer

Joan Melody Ostermeyer, the adored wife of Elmer Ostermeyer and the mother of John Douglas Ostermeyer, Kathryn Anne Burmon, David Alan Ostermeyer, and Lisa Jo Manke died on Wednesday evening in Carmel, Indiana. She was 96.

Born Mary Joan Melody in Streator, Illinois in 1927, Mrs. Ostermeyer was the middle daughter of Mita Martha Bailey and Joseph Melody, a baker. Mrs. Ostermeyer’s early years were difficult. She and her sisters, Jean and Jolene, survived on day-old bread during the Great Depression and Mrs. Ostermeyer contracted polio, which left her bed bound for two years. She read and, at her doctor’s suggestion, learned to swim. Both activities became passions. At Pontiac High School, she excelled as a student and competed as a diver.

On April 17, 1948, Mrs. Ostermeyer married Elmer Ostermeyer at the Log Chapel on the Notre Dame campus, where Mr. Ostermeyer was finishing his coursework (with considerable assistance from Mrs. Ostermeyer) after serving in World War II. The priest forgot to bring a bible. The bride wore yellow and felt lucky. She never lost that feeling.

The young couple’s first home was in Madison, Wisconsin, where Mr. Ostermeyer and his brother-in-law opened a Dad’s Root Beer bottling plant. Mrs. Ostermeyer's son John and her daughter Kathryn were born there.

Several years later, the Ostermeyers family relocated to Indianapolis. Mr. Ostermeyer took at American Red Ball, where he would eventually become President. Mrs. Ostermeyer had her second son, David, and opened the Cobweb Shoppe, an antique store on Ferguson Ave. in Broad Ripple. Her store was just one of many creative outlets. The center of a vibrant social scene, she designed countless living rooms for countless friends.

Along with those friends, Mrs. Ostermeyer formed the Mickey Mouse Club, a group of life-long friends that included Gilbert’s, Hiner’s, and Ruben’s. The Mickey Mouse Club traveled, made trouble, and found excuses to celebrate whenever possible. In addition, they spent over the years many vacations and adventures with Bill & Carolyn Wells, neighbors and friends that became much more. Luxes were also a close family with her over the years. She was particularly fond of Christmas, which presented her with the opportunity to ostentatiously decorate, St. Patrick’s Day, which invariably involved green beer, and Race Day. For years, she was a familiar face at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Then, at age 39, with two children out of high school, Mrs. Ostermeyer had her fourth, Lisa. She called it a pleasant surprise.

Later in life, the Ostermeyers built a home on Sanibel Island, Florida, where Mrs. Ostermeyer swam in the Gulf of Mexico, constructed intricate bouquets from shells she found on the beach, and spent time poolside with the Wells family, who built a house next door.

After the death of her beloved husband in 2000, Mrs. Ostermeyer decided to travel. She circled the world twice, stopping in Egypt, Tanzania, South Africa, India, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Peru, Brazil, and just about every country in Europe. She brought home patches and charms. They filled the drawers of her apartment in the Cypress Cove Assisted Living Facility in Fort Meyers until she moved back to Indianapolis, where she spent the final years of her life.

Mrs. Ostermeyer will be interred at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens in Fishers, Indiana alongside her husband she so loved, Fritzel, the last of her ever-attentive schnauzers, and Bill and Carolyn Wells, her neighbors for always. She is survived by her four children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

In Lieu of Flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the University of Notre Dame. Please direct your gift to The Joan and Elmer Ostermeyer Memorial Scholarship at The University of Notre Dame in memory of Joan Ostermeyer. Gifts may be made online at giving.nd.edu, by phone at 574-631-5150, or by mail: University of Notre Dame, Department of Development, 1100 Grace Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556. This fund is awarded to Work Study Students to cover financial obligations for a term in order to allow for study abroad.