Ethel Mae Fall

Ethel Mae Fall, age 100, passed away on July 20, 2025, at Colonial Oaks Health and Rehab, Marion, Indiana. Born in Mishawaka, Indiana, she was the first child of Ralph and Hazel (Dawalt) Swank. The family later settled in Fulton County, Indiana, where they became prominent farmers.

Growing up, Ethel Mae kept busy with farm chores and 4-H Club activities. She became an excellent seamstress, designing and making many of her own clothes, and in later years, she enjoyed sewing outfits for her growing children. She graduated from Fulton High School with the class of 1943. She went on to graduate from Tobias Beauty College in South Bend, Indiana, and subsequently owned and operated her own beauty shop in Peru, Indiana.

Ethel Mae first met her husband, Jim, when she was in the fourth grade of school. They became engaged during the summer of 1942, and Jim soon left to serve in the Army Air Corps during WWII. Following the war, they were wed on June 28, 1945, and later that year Jim enrolled in I.U. School of Dentistry. After his graduation in June of 1950, Ethel Mae and Dr. Jim settled in Marion, Indiana, where he opened his dental office.

Always capable and energetic, Ethel Mae served as office manager for Jim's dental practice for the entirety of his career. After their children were no longer at home and the position of receptionist came open, Ethel Mae stepped in, and she remained Jim's receptionist until his retirement in 2001. They were a team in every sense of the word.

An avid newspaper reader, Ethel Mae was always interested in current events, whether it be local happenings or national and international news. She was active in her community, from PTA meetings when her children were young, through 50 years of service as treasurer of the Grant County Society for Crippled Children and Adults, then as a board member for the Fall-Meyer Center for Visually and Hearing Impaired.

Ethel Mae and Jim traveled, meeting people and experiencing new places. They visited nearly every state, often attending reunions associated with Jim's military service. On the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII, they toured Europe, visiting sites of significance to former POWs, of whom Jim was one. A few years later, they returned to Europe, this time cruising the Mediterranean. They vacationed in Hawaii, observing its natural beauty as well as the legacy of Pearl Harbor. They went on an Alaskan cruise and enjoyed it so much they revisited Alaska a few years later, bringing their children and grandchildren with them.

Ethel Mae always had a friendly interest in others and enjoyed good conversation. Through the years, she gained a wealth of friends and acquaintances, whom she greatly appreciated. She treasured her friends and kept them for life. But the force that drove her was caring for her family. She and her dear husband, Jim, were blessed with three children. As the years passed, they welcomed grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom she adored. She was very proud of her family.

On June 14th of this year, family and friends gathered to celebrate Ethel Mae on her 100th birthday. She was honored with 100 white and pink roses, one to commemorate each year of her life. She was an extraordinary lady and will be profoundly missed.

Ethel Mae is survived by her three children: Jo Ellen Stephens, Marion; James Mark Fall (Elaine), Woodstock, GA; and Janet Lee Fall, Marion. Also surviving are grandchildren: Gina Nicolle Nix (Brian), Acworth, GA; John Mark Fall (Kate), Tampa, FL; and James Robert Fall (Brianne), Roswell, GA. Ethel Mae has six great-grandchildren: Nicole Laine Miller (Luke), Savannah Leigh Pullen, Landon James Fall, Alexander James Fall, Jackson Wyatt Fall, and Cooper Brooks Fall, and a great-great-granddaughter, Eloise Mae Miller.

Ethel Mae was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 78 years, Dr. James L. Fall, and a sister, Jean Boldry, of Fulton, Indiana.

The family will receive visitors from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at Needham-Storey-Wampner Funeral & Cremation Service, North Chapel, 1341 N. Baldwin Ave., Marion, IN.

Immediately following visitation, a funeral service to celebrate Ethel Mae's life will begin at 1:00 pm. Burial will be at Greenlawn Cemetery in Mexico, Indiana.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one's choice.

Memories may be shared online at www.nswcares.com.