Fern Bernice Hodson McLean

Fern Bernice Hodson McLean

September 22, 1912, Baptized April 26, 1926, Died December 5, 2015. Fern Bernice Hodson was born to Elmer and Pearl Hodson, Anderson, Indiana, September 22, 1912. Her sisters were Beatrice, Catherine, and Dorothy. The family enjoyed the many gifts of farm life, raising chickens and pigs, milking cows, plowing with horses. The summers were filled with the abundance of garden and orchard.  Church was the center of the family's religious and social life. It would be the church that would be the important expression of Fern's life.

Fern was the first of the three daughters to leave home and seek an education that would equip her to be a bookkeeper and secretary in the years to come. Fern married William Stegall McLean on November 6, 1937, the brother to the Sam McLean who was the minister to her home church, Bethany Church.

Their married life moved them to ministries in the Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) in Pittsburgh, Pa., Thorntown, In. where their first son, James was born;  Elsberry, Mo. where their second son Douglas was born; Dawson Springs, Ky.; Bakersfield, Ca.; Delphi, In.; Dunnsville, Va.; Pembroke, Va. It was in Pembroke where Bill died, causing Fern to move with her two sons to Indianapolis, In., in 1957. It was there in 1957, Fern became a staff member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Missionary Society, General Offices in Indianapolis.  Fern worked at the Missions Building until her retirement in 1977.

During her years in Indianapolis Fern was active in so many things that gave her excitement and education. She danced at the Indianapolis Senior Citizen's Center, enjoyed the Indianapolis Symphony annual concerts, traveling throughout the States and Europe, winning awards in bowling, and most of all enjoying the accomplishments of her two sons and their growing family.

Fern is the mother of James and Doug. Fern is the grandmother to Michael McLean, to Kim Johnson, Sheila Hall, Andrew McLean. She is the great grandmother to Magie Cron, James Cron, Kirsten Hall, Tucker Hall, Tate McLean, Drew McLean, Reed McLean, step grandmother to Baker and Coffman Johnson.

When Fern moved to Indianapolis, she joined the Downey Avenue Christian Church. It was this church family that was so important to Fern's life while she began a new life, new work, and to assist her two sons to grow. It was this church family that was so important to Fern's life from her arriving in Indianapolis, where her son, James, became a "Timothy" in ministry, all the way to her years living in her home on Downey Avenue.

Thanks to God for this Fern McLean - person of faith, mother to sons, grandmother to children, great grandmother to little ones - who, in the grace of God, will grow and witness to the hope of life!  So be it.  Amen. Services were held on Monday, December 7, 2015 at Shirley Brothers Irving Hill Chapel. Graveside services will be today, Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Maple Grove Cemetery, Russellville, KY. www.shirleybrothers.com