Edward H. Kratochvill

Edward “Ed” Howard Kratochvill, 83, of Indianapolis, Indiana, died July 13, 2023. Although he lived in Indiana at the time of his passing, his heart still beats in the rich, silvery soil of his childhood home in rural Alabama.

Ed was a grounded and ambitious man, the son and grandson of farmers; he was a first-generation college graduate. He worked for 30-plus years for a single company — Employers Insurance Company of Wausau.

He loved his family, fishing, specifically for bass – large-mouth and stripers – and savoring his wife’s home-cooked meals except when a roadside diner serving red-eye gravy beckoned.

Ed came of age during the 1950s; he knew by heart the lyrics of the entire Elvis song catalog and loved the old country greats — George Jones, Merle Haggard, Willie, Waylon, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Little Jimmy Dickens. He had a soft spot for Tanya Tucker, and her melancholy hit Delta Dawn.

His legacy of a steadfast work ethic and an intense love of family and friends is being honored in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He collected memories, displaying images and memorabilia on bulletin boards in his man cave before digital photo frames were a trend.

Navigating a life marred by more than an ample share of tragedy, Ed marched forward with an unyielding predisposition toward stoicism and the promise of better days. Triumph over tragedy is not a cliche when reflecting on this good man’s life.

He found joy in sharing simple pleasures with his grandchildren — fishing, of course, but also chocolate milk and donuts. He could sniff out a good barbecue joint by gauging the condition of the pick-up trucks in a gravel parking lot.

He was married to his beloved wife and caretaker, Laura, for 38 years.

He raised two girls, Lane and Lyn, from his first marriage and then helped to raise, with abundant love, Laura’s son and daughter, Sam and Jessie.

His parents, Simon Nicholas Kratochvill and Mildred Laura (Kratochvill) Adams, preceded him in death.

Ed is survived by his wife, Laura Kratochvill of Indianapolis, Indiana; brother Jimmy Kratochvill of Pendleton, Indiana; daughters E. Lane (Bill) Gresham of Clarkesville, Georgia; Lyn (Dickie) Ward of Alamo, Tennessee; Jessie (Heath Hurst) Bishop of Indianapolis, Indiana; son Sam (Michelle) Bishop of Denver, Colorado; grandchildren Robert Wesley McGullion, Meagan (Hunter) Pigue, John Nicholas McGullion, Jd (Annakate) Ward, Joseph Gresham, Jackson (Sarah) Gresham, Perry Gresham, Carson (Katelyn) Ward, Bella Bishop, Parker and Hollis Hurst; great-grandson Casen Pigue.

Services are in the care of Flanner Buchanan Funeral and Cremation, Carmel. A funeral mass will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 28, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 15176 Blessed Mother Blvd., Fishers, Indiana. A brief eulogy will precede the mass. A celebration of life reception will be held at the Britton Falls Villa, 16458 Del Webb Pkwy., Fishers, Indiana, immediately following. Interment of cremains will take place in Cullman, Alabama, at a later date.

In place of flowers, donations to Alzheimer’s Association or St John Vianney Catholic Church of Fishers are encouraged to honor the life of Edward Howard Kratochvill.