Carrlis Edwin 'Ed' Camden

Carrlis Edwin "Ed" Camden was born August 19, 1926 in Freedom, Owen County, Indiana to Roy Ray Camden, and Monnie Myrtle Kay Camden. He had an older brother, Eugene Leroy Camden. His first name, Carrlis was from a circuit rider Baptist minister. His primary and secondary education was at Freedom. He played second base on the high school baseball team, started in basketball, and played the coronet in the school band. The school nickname was the "Aces". His parents were farmers. He went to the church that his great grandfather and great grandmother started. He was saved and baptized in a nearby creek of the New Hope Baptist Church, New Hope, Indiana. World War 2 started while he was in high school. He graduated early and joined the US Navy. He always said, "There were no Japanese at the Navy Great Lakes Training Center in Chicago in WW 2." He tried to become a Navy pilot but his lack of depth perception caused him to become a signalman. He was assigned to a new Attack Transport ship, the Sitka in 1944. He performed troop landings in the Pacific. He went through the Panama Canal, Pearl Harbor, Guam, Philippines, Japan, China, and Haiphong Harbor in French Indochina. He traveled the whole Pacific until May 1946 when he brought troops home to San Diego, and got discharged. Once he was discharged he decided to go to Indiana University on the GI bill. He lived 20 miles from Bloomington so it was easy for him to get to school. He went to the School of Education at Indiana University. He became a History teacher and Physical Education major. He coached basketball, baseball, track and physical education. His basketball-coaching professor was Branch McCracken. One of his most interesting classes was "Methods of Play" who was taught by a very elderly professor who loved to play musical chairs and was faster than his students. In 1949 he met a friend ("Chick" Duda, who later became his bother-in-law) who introduced him to my mother, Mary Lou Riggins of Marco, Indiana. Chick's wife was my mother's sister (Barbara). He dated Mary Lou until they were married in Elnora, Indiana, February 19, 1949. Chick and Barbara Duda were witnesses at the wedding. He graduated in 1949 at Indiana University with his degree in Education. His first job was history teacher and coach at Corydon, Kentucky. His basketball team had decent players for a school of 200-300 students. In his first year he went to the Kentucky semi-state level at the basketball tournament. His old saying about coaching was "you win you move, you lose you move." He left Corydon in efforts to make more money than what he made working summers for the Power Company. When you teach for small schools in those times you work many summer jobs. He was a power lineman, a welder, and an Austin Packing Human Resources Personnel Manager. Mary and he had one child, John David Camden in 1950 in Linton, Indiana. He took teaching and coaching positions in Marco, Indiana, and Vallonia, Indiana. He understood that coaching may have not been his calling, so he went back to school and to get his Master's degree in Education and Principal's license. He got his Principal's license in 1953. He then took a job in Union City, Randolph County, Indiana, and Wayne Township Schools. After a few years there, in 1958 he moved to a principal's job at Cadiz Elementary/ High School, Cadiz, Henry County, Indiana. His favorite job was for Mary and him to chaperone seniors on their senior trips to New York City and Washington DC and Gettysburg. This was a history teachers dream. He loved his students at this school. In 1961 he moved to the Indianapolis area, so he could be closer to his and Mary's parents. He took the job of Principal at Westfield Washington Elementary and High School, Westfield, Indiana. He completed his Superintendent's license. In 1963 he became the first superintendent of schools for Westfield. In 1965 he left Westfield and went to work for the MSD Wayne Township Schools, Marion County, Indiana. He worked for Harmon Baldwin, Sidney Spencer, and Bud Bowes. He taught superintendent's license classes for Butler University during that time at night. Dr. Spencer and he were good friends. After 20 plus years at Wayne, he retired. He traveled for a while then decided to go back to work. He was called by then, Governor Bayh to come to work for him but he declined. Pearson Miller had started a consulting firm for schools to help them. It was called Educational Services. He joined David Anderson, Jerry Moore, and Pete Rump. He worked in the business management area for many school districts in Indiana. He did budgets, bonds, insurance, purchasing, and construction, and he listened to people and made many lifelong friends. David Anderson who was a city boy and Ed who was a country boy were on the road one day. Ed told David, "Look at those Poland China chickens". David believed him and told Pearson and Jerry about it and they all had a good laugh. David always would call Ed and ask if he had any Poland China chickens. When he was about 73, the road got hard and Ed retired to be with Mary. He had a heart attack in 2006 while visiting John in Florida and had open-heart surgery. He and Mary lived a quiet life enjoying John and his wife Beverly, their two grandsons, Johnny and his wife, Sherry, Matthew and great granddaughter, Lindsey and great grandson, David. In 2008, Mary passed away. He loved her so for the 51 years, they were together. Dad was a member of the Bridgeport Masonic Lodge, Indiana Association of School Business Officials, Retired Wayne Twp. employees, and Ben Davis Christian Church. At Ben Davis Christian Church he met a good friend, and Pastor, Jerry Williams. Jerry brought him as "a friend to church", one Sunday. The last five years his health had failed due to weak heart. On May 16, 2013, he passed into Heaven to be with Mary. You are invited to go to the Guest Book page to pass along your personal message or tell a story. Sincerely, -Your friends at Flanner and Buchanan