Mina Arlene Teagarden

Mina Arlene Teagarden 86, of Speedway, went to her Lord on September 28, 2009. She was born July 7, 1923 in Tecumseh, KS. She was a farm girl and went to a one room country school for the first eight grades. She attended Highland Park HS in Topeka, KS where she graduated as Salutatorian in 1941. She attended Kansas State University, majoring in Art and was honored as having one of the highest grade point totals for Freshmen.

At K-State, she met Howard Teagarden and they were married April 3, 1943, Howard's 20th birthday. Shortly after their marriage, Howard was called to active duty in the army and for the next 3 ½ years they lived in 7 different states, from Southern Florida to Northern Maine. They moved to Illinois and to Indiana in 1950. Following the birth of her first son in 1947, Mina devoted her life to making a home, caring for her family and serving her church and many other organizations. She was a loving, caring wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend. She was a Cub Scout Den Mother, taught in the Speedway weekday Religious Education program and served her church as Sunday School teacher and Superintendent, kitchen supervisor, Vacation Bible School teacher and was the first female Trustee of Speedway United Methodist Church. She worked at 13 United Methodist Church mission construction projects in the Rio Grande Valley and many projects with the Indianapolis Methodist Board of Missions.

Mina was a "crafty" person, skilled at wood carving and other woodwork, ceramic sculpture and many varieties of needlework. She learned to sew on a Singer treadle machine that her grandmother had bought in 1898 and became a highly skilled seamstress. For many years she operated a small woodworking business making country art figures, small toys and ornaments. Mina raised a German Shepherd dog that she gave to the Leader Dog School, a project supported by the Lions Clubs. After training, he was matched with a lady from Denmark and went there with her. Mina is survived by Howard, her husband of 66 years, two sons, John Sr. and Peter, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Information taken from the Indianapolis Star, October 29, 2009.