Inez was a dear, sweet lady as was her husband Carl a dear man. I knew both of them a
good many years. Two years ago, our son bought the home that Inez grew up in. It was
built in 1854. Inez came out to the house and my 10 year old granddaughter taped her as
she described her life growing up in the home. She could recite dates and names as if she
were reading them from a book.
Pat W. Ball
From Richmond, Indiana "Pal-Item"
April 15, 2006: Inezetta O. Stiver
CENTERVILLE, Ind. -- Inezetta Orel Eliason Stiver, age 90, of Centerville, died
Friday, April 14, 2006, at Reid Hospital. She was born March 26, 1916, northeast of
Centerville in Center Township to Wood E. and Pearl M. Davis Eliason.
Inezetta was a graduate of Centerville High School and of Indiana Business College,
majoring in complete commerce, where she taught accounting for eight terms. She was a
retired public accountant and member of the National Society of Public Accountants and the
Indiana Society of Public Accountants. She worked in public service on the Centerville
Town Council.
Inezetta published "Family History" and was listed in Indiana Lives,
Indiana Author, Who's Who in the World and Who's Who International Women.
She was a member of Centerville Christian Church since October 1926, where she had
been active as clerk for over 30 years and had served as deaconess, Bible school teacher,
organist and choir director.
Inezetta was known as the "Centerville Historian and Genealogist." She was
a life and charter member of Historic Centerville Inc., life member of Indiana Pioneers,
and member of Promote Centerville Inc., the Centerville Women's Cemetery Association
Board as treasurer, Indiana Historical Society, Wayne County Genealogy Society, Iowa
Genealogy Society, Illinois Genealogy Society, Ohio Genealogy Society and Ohio Genealogy
Chapters in Montgomery County and Brown County, Maryland Historical and Genealogical
Society, and New England Genealogy Society.
She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary of Hunt Trouse Post 287,
National Old Trails Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Colonial Dames of
the Seventeenth Century, Daughters of the American Colonists, and Studebaker Family
Association.
She received the Rodefeld Award from the Wayne County Foundation. The town
celebrated her 90th birthday on April 1st with a reception at the Mansion House.
Survivors include her sister, Doris Eliason Godfrey and husband Edwin of
Centerville; brother-in-law, Orville Hoos; nephews, Robert Hoos and his children, Zack and
wife Kinsey, and Candice and grandchild, Wyatt, Thomas Godfrey and George Hoos; niece,
Carol Tripp; first cousin, Donald D. Eliason; special cousins, Doug and Jeanie Eliason and
their children, Brian, Dustin, Katelyn and Andrew; and special friends, Pete and Mary Ann
Bailey.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl R. Stiver, to whom she was married
Nov. 24, 1940, in Centerville, and who died Jan. 15, 1992; her parents; and sister,
Woodice Eliason Hoos.
Funeral service for Inezetta Orel Eliason Stiver will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April
18, 2006, at Centerville Christian Church, 111 N. Morton Ave., Centerville, with Pastor
Stephen Abernathy officiating. Burial will be in Crown Hill Cemetery. Friends may call
from 4-8 p.m. Monday, April 17, at the church.
Mills Funeral Home, 405 E. Main St., Centerville, is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to Historic Centerville Inc., P.O. Box 73,
Centerville, IN 47330, or the Centerville Women's Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 141,
Centerville, IN 47330.
April 15, 2006:
By Rebecca Helmes Staff writer. CENTERVILLE, Ind. -- Centerville lost one of its most
publicly active citizens on Friday.. Local historian and town councilwoman Inezetta Orel
Eliason Stiver, 90, died at Reid Hospital. She suffered a heart attack early April 7 and
never recovered.. Stiver spent her life giving to her family, friends and community. She
was known by many as Centerville's sweetheart. The town flew its flags at half-staff
on Friday in honor of her.
Centerville Clerk-treasurer Janice Roberts said one of the things people will miss most
about Stiver was her recall of almost a century of local history.
She was interested in genealogy and could talk at length about almost any Centerville
family -- including who married whom, when they moved to town, where their farms were,
where they were buried, and more.
"That will be such a loss of knowledge," Roberts said.
Centerville Town Councilwoman Kate Johnson-Keep moved to Centerville five years ago and
said she learned more from Stiver about the area than from anyone else.
Stiver was always known as a hard-working woman who didn't shy away from many tasks.
Roberts said Stiver was even known to dig a grave or two.
"If nobody could do it, she'd get on a backhoe and dig that grave herself,"
Roberts said. "(There's) Not a whole lot she hasn't done."
"She considered that cemetery (Crown Hill Cemetery) hers," Johnson-Keep said.
Stiver's last act of community-minded kindness happened just before her heart attack
in the early morning hours of April 7.
During an electrical storm that morning, she apparently walked across the street from her
home to Centerville Christian Church -- her place of worship since 1926 -- to make sure it
was not damaged. An alarm had gone off in the church, and Stiver was the first person on
the list for the alarm company to call.
"It's been her habit for a long number of years to keep check on the
building," Centerville Christian Church Rev. Jon Hudnall said earlier this week.
"She was doing what she really felt to be a part of her responsibilities."
Local law enforcement and fire officials found her collapsed near the sanctuary when they
stopped by to check on the church alarm. They took her to the hospital where she spent the
past week.
Besides looking out for Centerville Christian Church and Crown Hill Cemetery, she looked
after the Mansion House .
Besides caring for buildings, she took care of her family, too.
Stiver looked after her live-in nephew and visited her sister and brother-in-law two and
three times a day to cook and clean for them.
"They're going to miss her even more," Roberts said about Stiver's
relatives.
She always helped organize family reunions, and this summer Stiver had been looking
forward to attending the family's 100th consecutive annual reunion.
"She does things for people, not for praise," Roberts said. "When you care
about someone, it shows."
Sally Apple, who works at Centerville Christian Church, said Stiver will be missed.
"It's just heartbreaking for everyone here," Apple said. "It's part
of your heritage around here to see her smiling face every Sunday morning."