Constance J. "Connie" Moody

Constance J. "Connie" Moody, age 87 of Batesville, Indiana, passed away Thursday, April 3, 2025, at Arbor Grove Nursing Home. Born in New Alsace, IN. She is the daughter of Ambrose L. Gauck and Janette Gauck, née Daugherty. She married Herbert Moody on Aug 3rd, 1956, at the Saint Louis Rectory. Connie worked as a lifeguard in High School, and as an adult at Romweber’s, sewing the materials for high-end furniture and later for Hillenbrand Industries. As a young girl, Connie was a little bit mischievous. She would tell us stories about living in Cincinnati. While there, she and her sisters like to walk on top of the retaining walls for the Ohio river. These walls could be 40 feet high, and it was very dangerous. They got into a lot of trouble when their mother found out. She and her friends also like to hide in the rafters of the park and lie in wait in the dark for young couples. They would drop down from the rafters onto a table, yell, scare the couples and run away. Luckily, they were never caught. She also loved to drive her 1948 Ford. Connie loved to travel. As a young girl, she and her family traveled by car to the state capitals of all 48 contiguous states well before the interstate system was completed. Connie and Herb continued that love of travel with their children, taking them as far as California, Florida, Texas and Maine, stopping to see all the major attractions along the way. As grandparents, they took their grandchildren on trips to South Dakota, Dodge City, and Disney World. Later, they frequently visit family in Arizona and Kansas City. They both enjoyed this immensely. As a mom, Connie was the person who was always in their corner. Connie was a working mother her whole life, but her dedication to her children was always visible. When something needed to be done, she was the one you could count on, from reupholstering a car's interior to teaching her grandson how to repair a wall. She always said watching her grandchildren enjoy or experience something and seeing that smile on their face was her greatest joy in life. Connie had a real passion for basketball. She loved going to local games and cheering the local team on. She was a diehard I.U. men's basketball fan but also liked Purdue basketball. She loved watching women's college basketball. She was a huge fan of Purdue and the Notre Dame women's teams. She watched games whenever she could and was glued to the television whenever the NCAA Women's tournament was on. She was thrilled when Purdue went to the NCAA Final Four with one of our own, Cindy Lamping from Batesville playing on the team. Connie loved all animals, but she particularly loved dogs. She had Pomeranians, Dobermans, German Shepherds, Yorkies and mixed breeds and loved them all. Many surpassed their breed's normal life expectancy due to the wonderful care she took with them. She rode horses in her youth as well. After retirement, Connie learned woodworking to make woodworking crafts. She made professional quality cornhole boards, some of which were used as prizes for the fortune 500 company Tyco. She made witches that looked like they flew face first into poles, Christmas decorations, and many other crafts. She had an extreme attention for detail and could be seen sanding and repainting until the final product was perfect. She echoed her father’s mantra that a job worth doing is worth doing right. Connie never let age stop her. She started embracing technology at 70 years old by learning to use the internet, email, and the joy of online buying. Although passwords always seemed an issue, she could always count on her grandchildren, especially Jessica, Justin or nephew Johnnie, to come through with tech support. She also took oil painting lessons after 70 and created many beautiful paintings that she gave to her grandchildren. Connie is survived by her son and daughter in law Rory and Brenda Moody of Fairland, daughter and son in law Vanessa and Randy Ellis of Batesville and son and daughter in law Robin and Denise Moody of Kokomo, Indiana: grandchildren are Sara and Lyndsey Moody, Jessica Sturgill, Meagan Brookbank, Joseph Perry, Megan Perry, James Perry, Justin Moody and Elizabeth Moody: great grandchildren Mackenzie and Mathew Sturgill, Jalen and Hunter Brookbank, Braidyn, Landon and Mason Back, Jackson, Luci and Ezra Perry, Emma Haymaker, and Nathan Moody, Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Herb, along with sisters Georgia Land, Joy Hankins, Sonja Gauck and brother Jonathan Gauck. Visitation is Wednesday, April 9th, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 12:30 p.m., at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Morris, Indiana, with Fr. Stan Pondo officiating. The burial will be at St. Louis Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Ripley County Humane Society or to Arbor Grove Village Nursing Home.

Constance J. "Connie" Moody

December 5, 1937 - April 3, 2025