Ethel M. Vanneste

Nobody else held us so tight
Or made us feel so right
No one’s eyes shined so bright with love
As our mother, who is now high above

Ethel Mae “Meg” Vanneste, 98, of Tipton passed away on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at IU Health Tipton Hospital.

She was born August 20, 1923 in Urbana, Ohio to James and Elsie (Hunnicutt) Sidders.  She had one brother, Keith Sidders who passed away in 2001.  Her first marriage was to John M Donley and together they had six children; Pat, Tom, John, Chris, Janis and Lisa.  Her second marriage was to Joseph T. Vanneste and they had five children; Mary, Cathy, Judy, Lizzie and Lucy.

She was a loving mother and grandmother who dedicated her life to her family and her faith.  She raised 11 children and was loved by her 71 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She was a devout Catholic, active in St John’s church in Tipton and a member of the bible study club.  She will be remembered for her kindness, understanding, and her great wit.

She is preceded in death by her husbands John Donley (1977), Joseph Vanneste (1986); son Thomas Donley (1999); daughters Janis Donley (2019) and Lisa Hill-Cline (2022), and three grandsons.

She is survived by her children Patricia Tragesser-Howell, John Donley, Christine Campbell, Mary Brougher, Catherine McLane, Judith Vanneste, Elizabeth Lind, Lucia Nelson, 28 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.

A funeral mass for Meg will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 5 at the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center, 1440 West Division Road, Tipton with Rev. Dennis Goth presiding.  Burial will follow in St. John’s Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday at Young-Nichols Funeral Home with a Rosary Service starting at 4:00.

Memorial contributions in Meg’s memory may be made to the building fund at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 335 Mill Street, Tipton, Indiana, 46072 or online at https://osvhub.com/stjohnstipton/funds.