Mr. Dale Charles Simon, age 77, of near Fairview, Indiana, entered this life on May 10, 1948 in Batesville, Indiana. He was the loving son of Arthur Joseph Simon, Sr. and Eva Adeline (Tunny) Simon. Dale was raised on the family farm in Ripley County, Indiana, where he learned the values of hard work, stewardship, and dedication that would guide him throughout his life. He graduated from Jac-Cen-Del High School with the class of 1966 and went on to further his education at Purdue University, where he earned a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Education in 1976. Dale began his teaching career in 1970 at Switzerland County High School, where he served until 1975. He then taught at Madison Consolidated High School for six years before returning to Switzerland County, the community he proudly called home. During his years in education, Dale also served as an FFA advisor for both school corporations, mentoring countless students and fostering a lifelong appreciation for agriculture. In 1981, Dale purchased his 79-acre farm on Highway 250 near Fairview, Indiana, later expanding his farming operation with the purchase of the Pavy 100-acre farm. Alongside his beloved wife, Mary Ann, Dale sold seed, farmed corn, soybeans, wheat, and tobacco, and raised beef cattle and hogs. Although he retired from teaching in 1996, Dale remained actively involved in farming until his health began to decline. While teaching in Switzerland County, Dale met the love of his wife, Mary Ann Emge, an English teacher from Lafayette. The two were united in marriage on August 10, 1974, at St. Mary Cathedral in Lafayette, Indiana
Their nearly 39 year union was blessed with three children and a shared devotion to family, faith, and farming. Dale was deeply committed to agricultural conservation and service. He served for 10 years on the Switzerland County Soil and Water Conservation District Board and worked as an extension agent for the Purdue Extension Office in Switzerland County for two years following his retirement. His dedication earned him numerous honors, including the Conservation Farmer of the Year Award in 1992, the Silver Star Award in 2014 for his lifetime commitment to agriculture, and recognition for his years of service on the Board of Directors of Laughery Valley AG Co-Op, Inc. in 2000. Dale and Mary Ann were also recipients of the Outstanding Service Award from the Indiana FFA Association and the National FFA Organization, along with an Honorary State Farmer Award. Dale was a member of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Organization and a devoted Catholic. He was a member of the Most Sorrowful Mother of God Catholic Church in Vevay and also attended St. John’s Catholic Church in Osgood and St. Mary’s of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Aurora, Indiana. On January 24, 2015, Dale was united in marriage to Bonnie Lou Carmack Beach at St. Mary’s of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Dale and Bonnie shared 10 years of marriage together until her passing. Dale will be remembered for his unwavering faith, his dedication to agriculture and education, and his deep love for his family and community. His life’s work and legacy will continue to live on through those he taught, mentored, and loved. Dale passed away at 2:07 a.m., Saturday, January 10, 2026, at the Silver Oaks Health Campus in Columbus, Indiana.
Dale will be lovingly remembered by his daughters, Elizabeth Newman and her husband, Dan of Columbus, IN, and Gina Orlando and her husband, Rob of Dayton, OH; his grandchildren, Julia Orlando, Adeline Newman, Matthew Orlando, Benjamin Newman, and Avery Orlando; his step-daughter, Angie Haskell and her husband, Eddie of Bennington, IN and their families; his sisters, Linda Wissel and her husband, Tim of Greensburg, IN, and Rita Bedel and her husband, Jim of Westport, IN; his sisters-in-law, Dolores Simon of Osgood, IN, Patty Simon of Osgood, IN, Rose Marie Dolick of Reynolds, IN, and Katie Emge of Delphi, IN; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Joseph Simon, Sr., died September 30, 1975; his mother, Eva Adeline (Tunny) Simon, died May 24, 1983; his wife, Mary Ann (Emge) Simon, died March 18, 2013; his wife, Bonnie Lou (Carmack) Beach Simon, died January 26, 2025; his son, Eric Dale Simon, died October 7, 2022; his brothers, Donald John Simon, died June 7, 2007, Arthur Joseph Simon, Jr., died February 7, 2017, Charles E. Simon, died December 5, 2020, and Eugene H. Simon, died May 1, 2022; his infant sister, Rita Ann Simon, died April 15, 1936; his sisters, Ameila Ann (Simon) Wolter, died July 17, 2022, and Mary C. (Simon) Gilland, died October 8, 2022; his sisters-in-law, Ola Vae (Roark) Simon, died August 18, 2005, Shirley Ann (Farrand) Emge, died, August 6, 2011, and Lucille C. (Schwering) Simon, died January 31, 2020; and his brothers-in-law, James Gregory Emge, died March 4, 1947, Joseph Edward Emge, died April 20, 2007, Donald W. Gilland, died October 11, 2013, William Vincent “Bill” Dolick, died September 20, 2018, and Louis Richard Wolter, died April 21, 2024.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Friday, January 16, 2026, at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street, Vevay, Indiana 47043.
The Rosary will be prayed at 6:30 p.m., Friday, January 16, 2026, at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street, Vevay, Indiana 47043.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 17, 2026, by Father Bill Turner, at the St. John’s Catholic Church, 331 South Buckeye Street, Osgood, Indiana 47037.
Interment will follow in the St. John’s Catholic Cemetery in Osgood, Indiana.
Memorial contributions may be made to Most Sorrowful Mother of God Catholic Church or St. John’s Catholic Church. Cards are available at the funeral home or online at www.haskellandmorrison.com