Cynthia Myra Oare Dewes was born Oct. 30, 1932, in Minneapolis, Minn., the only child of Arthur Henry Oare and Pearl Marion Keller Oare.
She was the apple of her parents’ eye and spent her childhood in Wayzata and Minneapolis. In 1954 she graduated cum laude in English from the University of Minnesota and married Edward Henry Dewes II on Sept. 11 of that same year.
Cynthia has a long history of service to her community, having served on the Indiana Board of Special Education Appeals for 25 years and for 30 years was a freelance writer, columnist and staff member of The Criterion newspaper for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
She was an active member of St. Monica Parish in Indianapolis and later at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Greencastle. She was also a den mother to her sons and a member of the Community Service Extension Homemakers Club in Bainbridge.
Cynthia died on Sept. 12, 2023, of COVID and other complications at close to 91 years of age. Cynthia believed in living life to the full and was grateful for her long and joyous one. “It´s a wonderful life“ was how she liked to put it.
Cynthia was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Ed, who passed away in 2020, as well as two sons, Peter David (Sandee Schlosser) Dewes and Andrew Paul Dewes.
Cynthia is survived by four children, William (Dianne), Katherine (Johannes), James (Rita) and John (Susan); and by daughters-in-law Sandee Schlosser and Janice Dewes. She has 14 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren (plus one deceased) to date, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 22 at Bittles & Hurt Funeral Home in Greencastle. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23 at St. Paul’s Church in Greencastle, followed by a celebration of life. Burial next to Ed and their sons will take place at Washington Park Memorial Cemetery in Indianapolis.
Contributions may be made in honor of Cynthia’s life. Please visit the Bittles & Hurt website to leave condolences and for donation information at www.BittlesandHurt.com.
