Audra Dawn Sheets

Audra “Dawn” Sheets

Dawn Sheets of Hendricks County was born May 12, 1926 and passed away after a brief illness from COVID-19 on April 16, 2020. She was born to Lawrence M. and Lola M. (Coffman) Steele in Bainbridge, Indiana. Dawn met her future husband, Ken, in seventh grade but he finally persuaded her to go on a date their junior year at Warren Central High School. Dawn excelled in journalism, academics, and Girl Scouts while in high school. After graduating in 1944, she took art classes at the Herron School of Art. Due to finances, Dawn left art school but her creativity remained with her throughout her life. When Ken came home on a week leave July 1945, they decided to marry. The wedding was quickly organized and they were married July 29, 1945 and Ken left soon after to prepare for the invasion of Japan.

When Ken returned home to work full-time and later attend college, Dawn supported the family through gardening, sewing, baking, raising their daughters and assisting Ken with his school work. Drawing upon her naturally creative and nurturing talents, Dawn initially took up work as a window dresser at Wm H. Blocks and as a kindergarten teacher. After attending the Chicago Floral Design School, Dawn began her long professional career as a floral designer on Indianapolis’s west side. Her artistic eye for floral designs continued with her throughout the rest of her life, from arranging all of her daughters’, friends’ and family’s wedding flowers to crafting sought-after floral arrangements for special occasions for friends and family.

After retiring, Ken and Dawn loved to take short trips roaming throughout the countryside, from Indiana to the British Isles, their favorite travel destination. Dawn also continued her artistic interests – once necessities when raising and supporting her family – by cultivating her beautiful garden, refinishing antiques, painting furniture and designing elegant quilts. As dementia set in, she continued to have ideas and a love for quilts and gardens.

Dawn was also a member of Fairfield Friends Meeting in Camby, IN. She was very active in church functions, small group discussions and social justice committees with Ken. Each summer she would plant and care for the geraniums planted at Meeting.

Dawn was devoted to Ken in their over 74 years of marriage. They raised four daughters together. Dawn was preceded in death by her parents, daughter, Deborah Sheets and the love of her life Ken, who died December 19, 2019.

She leaves daughters, Cathy (Dick) Hiatt, Bloomington IN; Dianne (Linn) Boyd, Fishers, IN; and Lori (Don) Arment, Summerfield, FL to honor her memory. Cherished memories for grandchildren Chris (Annie) Hiatt, Brooklyn, NY; Jeff (Dawn) Hiatt, Wenoah, NJ; Matt (Amanda) Feldman, Denver, CO; Mike (Lauren) Feldman, Indianapolis, IN; Nick Feldman, Denver CO; and Ian Boyd, New York, NY. Great grandchildren, Emma, Magnolia, Annie, Gunnar, Dean, Davis, Vella; loving sister, Jean (Chuck) Muller, Fishers, IN; and Diana (Daka) Protic-Tkalcic, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, exchange student who Ken and Dawn thought of as a special daughter.

Special thanks to her wonderful and caring friends at Fairfield Friends, Caring Call Connections for spending time and companionship with Dawn, Care Hospice staff for their empathy and comfort, Dr. Martin Farlow and staff who helped guide the family and treat Dawn for her dementia and Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star reporter, who wrote a wonderful story about Dawn. To read this story, please go to:

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2020/05/29/coronavirus-death-indiana-dawn-sheets-florist-baker-seamstress/5271779002/
Calling will be August 22, 2020 from 1:00 – 3:00pm at Flanner Buchanan Decatur Township, 5463 Kentucky Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46221.
The family will hold a private internment for Dawn and Ken at Fairfield Friends Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Fairfield Friends Meeting landscape or outreach committee.
Fairfield Friends Meeting
10441 E County Rd 700 S
Camby, IN 46113

Due to COVID-19, wearing masks have been mandated in the State of Indiana as well as a maximum capacity of a total 50 visitors during the calling hours as mandated in guidelines set in place for Marion County, Indiana. The family politely requests to maintain social distance at the calling.