Frederick Wolfarth, Jr.

Frederick Wolfarth Jr. was born March 14, 1929 in Plymouth, Indiana to Roscoe and Alma ‘Peg’ Wolfarth and grew up in the little northern Indiana town. He sometimes shared amazing tales about time spent with his grandfather and eccentric, jack-of-all-trades tinkerer Frederick Wilhelm Wolfarth.

After graduating from high school and considering his options, Fred signed up in the summer of 1950 for the 3rd shift at the main Studebaker auto plant in South Bend.  The following Fall, he enrolled in Indiana University and eventually graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business. He later received Certified Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) certification. His career in insurance included both a couple of years in Marietta, Ohio as the owner of a agency and later working as representative for various insurance companies. His most colorful client was without doubt insurance agent and eccentric baseball owner Charles O. Findley but he worked with all manner of agents without complaints.

While in Bloomington, and despite giving her a ride back home to Plymouth on his pre-war Harley Davidson motorcycle, Fred convinced Beverly Roush to marry him. It was a close marriage that produced twin brothers Stuart and Lawrence and daughter Amy and lasted nearly 72 years until Beverly's death in February 2022.

The insurance profession took his family throughout Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. Fred’s career in insurance led the young family to move from Bloomington, Indiana to South Bend; Whiting, Indiana; Whitehall, Ohio; and Marietta, Ohio, and eventually back to South Bend in the early 1960s. After the twin sons finished high school, Beverly, daughter Amy, and Fred had homes in Peoria, Illinois and Indianapolis.

Fred's interests were varied. They included clock and watch collecting, sports, and travel. For many years, he traveled with his wife Beverly and the Schumachers of Peoria, Illinois to regional and national clock and watch and quilting conventions. His extensive collection once exceed 100 clocks, many of which chimed nearly in unison and led to experimentation by his sons with sound blockers.
Among sports teams he rooted for were the Cubs, Indianapolis Colts and Pacers, and Indiana University basketball. An optimist about his teams, Fred turned down tickets at Wrigley Field for the 1945 World Series with the prediction, "They'll be in other World Series." Fortunately, he lived long enough to see the Cubs finally win the World Championship in 2016. Fred was an enthusiastic bridge player, studying the game in his spare hours.

Faith and mission were significant portions of his life, and Fred was always active as an adult in the church. In later life, he attended Castleton United Methodist Church. He enjoyed singing in church choirs and with musical ensembles. Fred was proud to be part of the Vintage People which shared their music at area churches and retirement communities. Fred was also well known for a unique birthday greeting song that he shared with parishioners, neighbors, family, and friends. When he was able, he loved serving as a church greeter and working at the annual church fish fry.

The two years after the death of his lifelong companion Beverly started out difficult. Eventually he discovered  Independent Village South in Fishers, Indiana and settled into life as an elderly single. He was known for handing out candies to residents and staff members. In the last months of his life, he discovered the joy of stationary biking.
At the age of 95 years, Fred received a certificate from the Indiana Senate  honoring that milestone. For most retirees, that would have been enough, but Fred was just starting to discover new interests and people when a sudden illness ended his life.

Fred is survived by son Lawrence of Etlan, Virginia; daughter Amy of Indianapolis; grandchildren Ross of Riverside, California; Meredith Caldwell of Pioneer, Ohio; and Emma Marshall of Lincoln, Nebraska; and great-grandchildren Zack, Erin, and Andrew Caldwell and Arcadia “Cady” Wolfarth.

A memorial service has been scheduled Saturday, May 11 at 2pm at Castleton United Methodist Church, 7101 N. Shadeland Ave., Indianapolis, 46250. It will be broadcast via Internet (https://castletonumc.org). Fred’s ashes will be interned at Westlawn Cemetery, Highway 4, North Liberty, Indiana, next to those of his wife Beverly and children.

Floral arrangements are appreciated at the memorial service, or contributions may be made to The Arc of Indiana that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (https://www.arcind.org); the Wheeler Mission, the highly regarded Indianapolis homeless shelter (https://wheelermission.org); or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.