Gloria Eileen Gardner

Gloria Eileen Gardner, 78, passed away on March 15, 2019 in Indianapolis. She was born in Hettinger County, North Dakota on April 12, 1940 to Arthur & Mary Wolf. Eileen was preceded in death by her parents, brother Marvin Wolf, brother-in-law David Ericsson Sr., daughter Gloria J. Wathen Benson, and companion Ed Riley. She is survived by her brother Roger (Phyllis) Wolf Sr., sister Elizabeth Ericsson, son-in-law Gerald Benson Jr., grand-daughters Rachel (Benjamin) Fuhr & Holly (Zachary) Dudek, and great-grandchildren Amelia & Parks Dudek.

Eileen led an incredibly rich life and her pursuit of novel places, people, and experiences allowed for some amazing stories. In addition to a long career as a Correctional Lieutenant at the Indiana Girls’ School, Eileen worked as an interstate truck driver (so that she could travel the country on the company dime), as a security officer with FedEx, and as a landlord for the various rental properties that she owned throughout Indianapolis. She also owned a sprint car for about 2 years in central Indiana – though, sadly, their team never won a race.

Eileen enjoyed reading, gardening, sewing, and especially embroidery. The ‘day-of-the-week’ dish towels and quilts that she crafted are treasured by her granddaughters. Her cooking was in high demand after every Easter and Christmas, when she would take the leftover ham and make fleischkuekle – a type of meat pie that was popular among the Russian-German immigrant families in North Dakota. Eileen was known for her passion and skill in personal finance, which was recognized by her neighbors when they elected her to Treasurer of their Homeowners Association. She was also a long-time member of the Ben Davis Christian Church.

Eileen’s feisty personality and ability to turn lemons into lemonade made her a perfect candidate for Eskenazi Health’s media campaign, as a spokesperson for the Orthopedic program. She was featured in advertisements on TV, in print/online publications, on the side of busses, and on several billboards throughout Indianapolis – including the one near her local Meijer which resulted in other shoppers recognizing her and helping with her groceries. She was and always will be a star.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, March 27^th at 5pm at the Flanner-Buchanan – Speedway with the Service at 6pm. Memorial donations can be made to the Indiana Humane Society.