Ivan Blaine Emily papers

Rev. Ivan Blaine Emily, 85, retired Elder of the Indiana Conference, passed away on May 4, 2012, at Select Specialty Hospital in Beech Grove, following a brief illness. Born February 11, 1927, he was the son of Ivan Cortez and Virginia F. (Hisey) Emily in Harrison County, Indiana. He answered the call to preach in 1948 and began attending Indiana University in 1949 and graduated in 1953. He entered Candler School of Theology at Emory University and graduated in 1955. Rev. Emily returned to Indiana to join the (then) Indiana Methodist Conference, where he was accepted as a probationary member (Deacon) in 1955. He was ordained as an Elder in 1957. Rev. Emily was known for his wonderful sense of humor. Family and friends were often on the receiving end of his gentle teasing. He liked a good laugh at a funny story, especially if it was at the expense of someone else's dignity, but he was never malicious about it. He was a member of the Optimist Club in Evansville and Rockport He was a member of the IU Varsity Club. He assisted with the Spencer County Ministerial Society in establishing a released time religious education course. He wrote a curriculum for that course which he self-published. He was a fan of the Chicago Cubs and Bears, and IU basketball, while harboring a natural inclination to not root for Purdue. Survivors include his wife, Rosemary Sheley Emily, whom he married in 1986; daughter, Myra Anne (Emily) Lowe, and her husband Robert; stepsons, John Blaine Sheley, and his wife Judy, and Daniel Lee Sheley; three step grandchildren; two step great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held May 10, 2012, at Gill Chapel. Revs. Marvin Cheek and David Blystone officiated. Burial followed in Bethel South United Methodist Church Cemetery in Washington, Indiana.