Fern M. McDonald

Fern Mulford McDonald Fern Mulford McDonald went to be with the LORD October 10, 2015 at University Hospital, Indianapolis, at the age of 89 after a long term illness. She was born April 14, 1926 in West Orange, NJ, the youngest daughter of Alfred Clark Mulford and Anna Caroline Vorwerck Mulford. She married Gerald F. McDonald on December 24, 1949 in West Orange, NJ. Following their marriage they moved to Indianapolis, IN where her husband completed his degree at Purdue Univ. They were long time residents of Indianapolis where they lived 38 years in the home the two of them built together on N. Mitchner Ave. Fern was a homemaker and also worked 14 years for the Warren Township School System as a lunch lady where she met many women who became some of her closest friends and they had many memorable and enjoyable times together. She and her husband traveled extensively in the U.S. with their two children in their travel trailer and vacationed yearly in NJ and in FL where they had a vacation home built near the east coast. In 1994 they moved to Port St. Lucie, FL full time where they lived for 16 years in the Savannah Club before returning to Indianapolis in 2010. They then resided five years at the Hearth at Windermere and she also resided a short time at Prairie Lakes Health Care. She received care from loving and caring individuals at both residences. In her latter years her faith in the LORD grew strongly. She loved to listen to Bible reading which helped her recall the Bible stories she had read over her lifetime. She remembered and devoutly sang most every hymn even in advanced stages of Alzheimer's. Fern had a great sense of humor, a quick wit, and lived life with zest. She was always on the go and loved to entertain. She was very gifted and creative and is noted for creating miniature doll houses and miniature furniture winning many awards for her work. In her earlier years she was a church volunteer and was a lifetime enthusiast for home decorating, cooking, sewing, needlepoint, oil painting, and ceramics. She was a 'people person' and loved to give home-made gifts to her siblings, friends, nieces and nephews all of whom she loved and enjoyed. Fern is preceded in death by her parents and six siblings and is survived by her husband of 65 years, Gerald "Jerry", and sister Audrey Dwyer of FL. Also surviving are her daughter Judy (Steve) of Indianapolis and son Dean (Donna) of Indianapolis. So much joy in her life came from attending programs and school events for her five grandchildren and cherishing time spent with them: Brandy Crawford, Kelly Brown (Allen), Tyler Robinson, April McDonald, and Austin McDonald, three great-grandchildren: Colby Crawford, Eden Brown, and Eli Brown, and a host of nieces and nephews. A modest home-made wooden plaque from her childhood with a picture of JESUS holding a small child hung over her bed growing up. She asked many years ago for these words to be her 'funeral words'. "HE LOVETH ALWAYS, FAILETH NEVER; SO REST ON HIM--TODAY--FOREVER." She is resting with her SAVIOR now and will be forever with HIM. Trust JESUS and pursue HIM for HE is her answer and HE can be yours. Memorial gifts may be given to purchase Bibles for children in honor of Fern. Checks may be made out to her son, Dean, earmarked in the corner with Bibles for children. She was a long time bible reader and these will be given to underprivileged school children in inner city Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. Arrangements under the direction of Feeney-Hornak Keystone Mortuary, Indianapolis, IN.