Rev. Mary Jane Modlin
2 MIN. READ
Rev. Mary Jane Modlin, age 92, of New Castle, Indiana, a member of Foursquare Gospel Church, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, September 24, 2021, at Stonebrooke Rehabilitation Center in New Castle. She was born May 9, 1929, in New Castle, a daughter of Fannie Winslow Fears.
Mary Jane attended school at New Castle High School, a graduate in 1947. She was employed at the Ft. Benjamin Harrison Finance Center in Indianapolis, before moving to Richmond, Indiana, in the late 1960s. There she was employed as an administrative assistant for Head Start, and was briefly employed at the Belden Corporation as a clerk for Social Security. Later she was an investigator for the Wayne Township Trustee’s Office; an outreach worker for the Interlocal Community Action Program in Eaton, Ohio, and the Purdue Extension in Richmond, Indiana. Eventually returning to New Castle, she was a caregiver for Cardinal Services; foster grandparent program coordinator for the Interlocal Community Action Program (ICAP), Purdue Extension in New Castle; pastor at Barnes United Methodist Church in Indianapolis; a childcare worker and transportation coordinator at Bennett House back in New Castle; and most recently, a foster grandparent for the ICAP Foster Grandparent Program.
As mentioned above, in addition to being a graduate of New Castle High School, she attended classes at Purdue University, Anderson University (Ind.), I.U. East, IVY Tech, Springfield College, Dayton University, and the University of Indianapolis for Ministry pertaining to her role as a pastor, graduating in 2007. She received her initial license to pastor with the United Methodist Church in 1993, later earning a Certificate of Merit from the Indiana Area Alternative School to become licensed as a local pastor and beginning her college education. Churches she pastored were Barnes United Methodist Church in Indianapolis; Christ United Methodist Church in New Castle; Metamora United Methodist Church in Metamora; Ogden United Methodist Church in Ogden; and New Life United Methodist Church in Connersville, her last charge. Most recently at Foursquare Gospel Church, Mary Jane was a member since 2005 under Rev. Jim Becker, and served as a volunteer visiting the sick in hospitals, nursing homes, and private homes, sending cards and offering communion. She also served there as a D.I.V.E. program volunteer (Discovering Important Values for Eternity) for the youth in the church.
Mary Jane was preceded in passing by her parents; son, Robert Sheppard and an infant son Bobby Ballard; husbands; and her sister, Nancy Thompson.
She is survived by a grandson, Ryan Sheppard; two great-grandsons; six nieces, Inez Fox, Terri Thompson, Yvonne Thompson, Deborah (Mike) Edmunds, Rebecca Modlin, and Pamela Modlin; nephew, Dr. Charles (Sheryl) Modlin Jr; six great-nephews, Kyle and Eric Fox, Brandon Johnson, Denzel Buchanon, Sean Edmunds, and Charles Modlin III; four great-nieces, Jeniece Taylor, Sarah, Hannah, and Meredith Modlin; several cousins and special friends, Rev. Carol Wiley, Rev. Jim Becker, Larry and Cindy Rivers, Lori and Brent Vincent, Vanessa Razor, Ruth and Blake Hurst, Kevin Polivic of ICAP, Ricky Cottman, and others from Foursquare Gospel Church.
Anderson University educates students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 18 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult, graduate, and online programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized for excellence in business, computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, music, nursing, psychology, and teacher education programs. Established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God, the university remains committed to its Christ-centered mission.