Mr. Harold E. Demaree , age 102, of Madison, Indiana entered this life on May 28, 1913 in Jefferson County, Indiana near Brooksburg. He was the loving son of Virgil Gilbert and Clara R. Fagg Demaree. He was born on a small farm near Brooksburg on Indian-Kentuck Creek. He began school at the age of seven because he had to walk to a one room school on Molly's Run and later to Dry Fork School. He learned to farm from his dad at a very young age with horses and mules. His sister, Edith walked to school with him everyday during his seventh and eighth grade school years as she was his teacher. During his ninth grade school year he attended Madison High School, living with his grandmother in Brooksburg in order to catch the bus to Madison. He then transferred to tenth grade at Central High School on Ryker's Ridge and walked and ran to school most days which was a three mile trip in the morning and afternoon. In 1930 he graduated from Central High School on Ryker's Ridge. Harold then enrolled at Hanover College and received his teacher's certificate. His first teaching assignment was teaching at a one room school in Smyrna Township. On October 26, 1938 he was united in marriage to Bernice Hart in Vevay, Indiana by Rev. Harry V. Smith. Harold then worked as an attendance officer for Jefferson County Schools for one year and then for two years at the Central School. At that point in his life he stopped teaching and began farming full time for the next ten years in Craig Township in Switzerland County. Craig and Jefferson Township Trustees formed a building corporation to construct a new elementary school for both townships in Vevay, Indiana. Harold was elected president of the building corporation. The Superintendent then convinced Harold to teach again by going to Indianapolis and securing a life license for him, due to the fact that his teaching license had lapsed for non use for ten years. So Harold was back in the class room for twenty more years, teaching at Jefferson-Craig Elementary School in Vevay and serving as Principal at the Florence School in Florence, Indiana. Harold and Bernice lived on their farm near Moorefield for 40 years near Bernice's parents to help care for them. After retiring from farming and teaching, they moved to Madison for a short period of time finally settling near the community of Pleasant, purchasing a piece of property from Bernice's nephew. Harold remained in that home until the age of 99 when his health began to fail and moved to Madison to be near his family residing at the Jewel House. Prior to him becoming a resident at the Jewel House, Harold walked six miles a day and drove his car to the Ruter Chapel United Methodist Church in Vevay, to his doctor's appointments and cooked his own meals daily and cared for his own property. Harold was a faithful member of the Ruter Chapel United Methodist Church, the Indiana State Teacher's Association, the Retired Teacher's of both Switzerland and Jefferson Counties, and the Farm Bureau. Harold loved to reminisce about the old days with anyone willing to listen. His favorite expression was, "I never will forget it", and he never did! Having no children of his own, he delighted in attending social events of former students and their children and grandchildren. His memory was so keen with genealogy of family and students, he will be greatly missed as a resource for his knowledge. After the death of his beloved wife Bernice, he enjoyed many years of fellowship and travel with his dear niece, Gerry Riley and her family. Harold died on Sunday, February 21, 2016, at 9:10 a.m. at the Jewell House in Madison, Indiana.

Harold will be missed by his caring great nieces, Carol J. Riley Poling and her husband, Jim of Madison, Indiana, Norma Riley Sutherland and her husband, Everett of Hanover, Indiana; numerous other great nieces, great nephews, great great nieces, great great nephews, great great great nieces, great great great nephew and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, Virgil Gilbert Demaree, died May 15, 1974, his mother, Clara R. Fagg Demaree, November 12, 1967, his beloved wife of nearly 50 years, Bernice Hart Demaree, died April 28, 1988, his sister, Edith Demaree Shadday, died July 13, 1987, his niece, Geraldine Roberta "Gerry" Riley, died September 29, 2013, his nephews, Gerald E. Shadday, died August 18, 1969, and Louis E. Shadday, died December 17, 2007.

Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, February 27, 2016, at 2:00 p.m., by Rev. Bob Cannon at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street in Vevay, Indiana.

Interment will follow in the Vevay Cemetery in Vevay, Indiana.

Friends may call Friday from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at the Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, 325 Demaree Drive in Madison, Indiana and Saturday from 12:00 Noon until the time of service at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street in Vevay, Indiana.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Ruter Chapel United Methodist Church or the Bernice Hart Demaree Scholarship Fund. Cards are available at both funeral homes.

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