Michael Eugene Fenters

Michael Eugene Fenters, 73, of Lafayette, passed away Wednesday morning, January 6 at 7:34 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette, IN. He had been ill for a few years and critically ill for the past month. He was born February 17, 1947 in Williamsport to the late Oran and Catheryn Walker Fenters. He was married November 29, 1975 to Cheryl Bearden Roller at Stidham Methodist Church. 

Left to mourn his loss are his wife, two daughters, Carol Roller Larson of Orlando, FL. and Stefani Fenters Roach of Mulvane, KS.; one son, Michael Oran Fenters, of West Point, IN.; two son-in-laws, Charles Larson of Montrose, CO. and David Roach of Mulvane, KS.; seven grandchildren, Lyndsay Larson, of Orlando, FL., Adam Larson of Commerce City, CO., Eian and Elias Roach of KS., and Paige, Arabella and Evelyn Fenters of West Point. Also surviving are siblings, Dennis (spouse – Rita) of Plainfield, IN., Mary Plummer (spouse – Larry) of Kewanna, IN. and Alan (spouse – Liz) of New Bremen, OH. and several nieces and nephews. A brother, Mark, predeceased him in 2006. 

Mike graduated from Williamsport High School and Indiana State University. He taught technology and shop classes at Peru High School, Lafayette Jefferson High School and retired from Benton Central High School. 

Mike’s favorite pastimes were fishing, mushrooming, antique cars, race cars, listening to 60’s music, watching reruns of 60’s TV shows, gardening and art. In his younger years he and a friend built a race car and raced it on local area tracks. He also owned his own gas station in Waynetown and did minor car repairs. He often worked with friends doing major overhauls on any type of vehicle. He loved to attend all kinds of car shows. He minored in art at college and was always drawing and painting. He thought about having a career in art but did not want to be a starving artist. He enjoyed outdoor painting scenes on any kind of saw blade and sold them to local flower shops and nurseries, as well as doing special requests from individuals. He also loved to paint animals and flowers on rocks and sell them. 

Mike thoroughly loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. He loved to work with them to help improve their sporting skills and attended as many sporting events as possible, open-houses at the school, Grandparent’s Day at the church, Spring Festivals at the school, teaching them how to ride a bicycle, draw and paint, and of course, how to fish. He was a great Papaw. 

Mike never knew a stranger. He always had a smile on his face and a pleasant word for everyone. He loved to tell jokes. They were always funny and everyone laughed no matter how many times they had been heard. He especially loved to tell his experiences of growing up on a 30 acre farm that his mother referred to as “Tobacco Road’. He has even written a book about his childhood memories which he called “Possum Holler Tales’. 

Mike will be remembered as a good husband, father, neighbor, friend, acquaintance and as a great Papaw.

Rest in peace, my dear husband. Your suffering and struggles are now over. You are in the hands of the Lord. 

Visitation and service will be Sunday, January 17 at Tippecanoe Memory Gardens Chapel of Faith in West Lafayette. Visitation will be at 1:00 P.M. and the service will be 2:00 P.M. 

Face masks are required. 

In Lieu of flowers, send Memorial contributions to the Almost Home Humane Society of Lafayette or SLHS Parkinson Fund(includes dementia research). To get gifts directed into the fund, checks should be made payable to: Purdue Research Foundation and in the note line: The SLHS Huber Parkinson Gift Fund. 

Checks can be mailed to PRF: 403 W. Wood Street West Lafayette, IN 47907

Also go through the online giving at giving.purdue.edu. Choose give now and under additional information, choose “additional comments” and enter the “SLHS Huber Parkinson Gift” in the notes.

To access the livestream, please visit Zoom.us and click ‘Join Meeting’. The number is 765-490-4234 with the password of ‘tmg2020’ 

Tippecanoe Funeral and Cremation services is assisting with the arrangements.