Janice M. Ellingwood Wharton

Janice Marie (Wimmer) Ellingwood Wharton, 87, of Fairmount, Indiana, passed away at Century Villa on March 21,2024. Janice was born on January 22, 1937, in Howard County. She was raised by her mother, Mary (Curless) Craig of Marion, and her grandparents, Glenn and Opal Curless, in Grant County, Indiana.

Janice graduated from Fairmount High School in 1955. She married her high school sweetheart, Jim Ellingwood, and raised their three children in Fairmount, Indiana. Years later, after Jim's passing, Janice married Bill Wharton, and they happily resided on Lake Tippecanoe in Leesburg until 2022 when Bill passed away. She and Bill were members of the Tippecanoe Lake Country Club.

She started her career at Ball Stores in Marion, Indiana, as an interior decorator. She decided to continue her education at Ball State University and obtained a Masters Degree in Education. She taught Home Economics at Marion High School for nearly 30 years. She researched, drew conceptual designs as well as patterns, and eventually made costumes for the Ball State University Opera in the 1960's. She was selected to judge clothing at the Indiana State Fair.

Janice was very creative and talented in the fine arts. Her expertise came from her drive for education and knowledge. She held herself to high standards in everything she did. Janice's hobbies included entertaining, tablescapes, fashion design, tailoring, sewing, interior decorating, gourmet cooking, and baking. She also enjoyed antiquing, gardening, traveling, boat rides on the lake, and watching her grandchildren play sports. Janice served as a 4-H leader and was involved with helping abused women in Lafayette. She was always very generous in sharing her many skills and talents with students, family, and friends.

Survivors include her siblings, sister, Jane (John) Carpenter, brother, Gene (Roberta, deceased) Wimmer, and half-sister, Sue (Ed) Wesco; children, Cindy (Ted) Bishop, Franklin, Brent (Elisabeth) Ellingwood, Fairmount, and Angie (Dennis) Sokol, Leesburg; nine grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren: Ashely (Ted) Davidson, Reid and Remy, Franklin, Ambry (Tony) Santillo, Boonton, NJ, Kathryn (David) Yates, Annie and Andrew, Indianapolis, Marcus (Sara) Ellingwood, Owen, Ypsilanti, MI, Maria (Alex) Crocker, Valerie, Indianapolis, Britney (Tom) Pollack, Connor, Henry, and Eliza, Saint Augustine, FL, Lindsay (Travis) Christman, Jace and Wren, Winona Lake, and Mackenzie Sokol, Purdue University.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, James R. Ellingwood and William Wharton; and granddaughter, Chelsey Sokol.

The family will receive visitors Monday, March 25, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Fairmount Chapel of Armes-Hunt Life Celebration Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 415 South Main Street, Fairmount, Indiana 46928. Immediately following the time of visitation, a funeral service to celebrate Janice's life will begin at 1:00 pm, with Pastor Ron Meyer officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be directed to the Fairmount Friends Church, 124 West 1st Street, Fairmount, Indiana 46928, or the Grant County Community Foundation James R. Ellingwood Scholarship Fund, 505 West 3rd Street, Marion, Indiana 46952. Online memories and condolences may be shared at www.armeshuntfuneralhome.com.