Mrs. Deloris Caroline (Penn) Bovard, age 88, of Rising Sun, Indiana, entered this life on October 21st, 1936. Born in Milan, Indiana, she was the loving daughter, and only child, of the late Ernest Eugene and Mary Elizabeth (Ake) Penn. She was raised in Cass Union and attended Rising Sun High School. Deloris was united in marriage to Robert “Bobby” Bovard on February 27th, 1954, in Cass Union, Indiana. This union was blessed with six children: Stephen, Direnda, Ernest, Venita, Lynn, and Mark. For most of their married life, the couple resided at a farm on Red Hog Pike, near East Enterprise, Indiana. Together, they raised dairy cattle, tobacco, corn, various other animals, and a large garden. Deloris worked very hard raising six children, taking care of her home, gardening, canning, and cooking for farm hands. Deloris also worked outside of the home, starting at a very young age. She worked as a waitress at Ideal Restaurant and Stewart’s Restaurant in Rising Sun. From there, she went to US Shoe in Vevay, Indiana to work with her mother for a short time until she married and started her family. After spending several years at home raising her children, she went back to work at the Plastic Molding Factory in East Enterprise, and then Randall Textron in Vevay until the factory shut down. She, Bobby, and the kids, also lived in Mesa, AZ for a year where Deloris was employed as a waitress at Googie’s Restaurant and the local country club. Deloris was a true caregiver, always putting others’ needs before her own. Those characteristics led her to a job at the nursing home, where she worked as a CNA both in Vevay and Rising Sun. She also worked for Advantage doing in-home health care, where she took care of over 300 clients. She was a well-respected and sought after employee who loved serving others. Deloris was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother who very much enjoyed spending time with all her family. She was our connection to each other, and the glue who held everyone together. Deloris loved to travel with family and friends, and had been to 49/50 states, all except Washington. She also traveled internationally to Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Canada, and Israel. Deloris was raised with a strong Christian background that she made sure to pass on to her children. She became a member of the Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church in Cass Union, IN at a young age, but attended several other churches throughout her life, including Mt. Sterling Baptist church, where she attended until her death. She was baptized into Christ on May 20th, 1951 at the age of 14, and later baptized again on October 30th, 1978, in the Jordan River in Israel. Deloris left this world and went home to be with her Lord and Savior at age 88, at 3:38 p.m., Thursday, May 15th, 2025 at Hospice Care of St. Elizabeth in Edgewood, Kentucky surrounded by her loving family.
Deloris will be forever missed by her loving children, Stephen Bovard of Rising Sun, Direnda Ray (Mickey) of Rising Sun, Ernest Bovard (Suzi) of East Enterprise, Venita Thomas (Anthony) of Patriot, Lynn Nutley (Keith) of Madison, and Mark Bovard (Bob) of Rising Sun; her grandchildren, Mickie Lynn Furnish (Michael), Donald Bovard (Jenny), Emy Jo Duke (Brandon), Terri Sarver (Derik), Christopher Bovard, Justin Thomas, Jessica Gibbs, Ashley Field (Scott), Cain Nutley, and Jade Nutley; her great-grandchildren, Noah Hughes (Katie), Kirsten Furnish, Aiden Furnish, Olivia Potraffke (Bryce), Nya Bovard, Meghan Bovard, Jacob Bovard, Alli McClellan, Briar Duke, Andrew Sarver, Ava Field, Lillian Gibbs, Landon Gibbs, Easton Thomas, and Mason Thomas and her great-great-grandchildren, Maylee and Amelia June Hughes and her several nieces, nephews and other relatives.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert (Bobby) Bovard, died January 22, 1994; her parents, Ernest Eugene Penn, died January 30, 1983, and Mary Elizabeth (Ake) Penn, died July 1, 1971; her daughter-in-law, Debbie (Works) Bovard, died September 24, 2021; her brother-in-law, Nathan Bovard, died October 24, 2016; and her sister-in-law, Barbara (Bovard) Armand, died February 29, 2008.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street, Vevay, Indiana 47043.
Funeral Services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 21, 2025, by Pastor Mike Sawalich, at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street, Vevay, Indiana 47043.
Internment will follow at the Rising Sun New Cemetery, Rising Sun, Indiana.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Mount Sterling Baptist Church, Aberdeen Community Church, or The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile Jr. Foundation Hospice Center c/o St. Elizabeth Foundation. Cards are available at the funeral home or online at www.haskellandmorrison.com