Michele D. Kernodle

Michele D. Kernodle of Indianapolis, Indiana, died October 8, 2016 after a battle with ALS at the age of 61.

Michele was born January 10, 1955 to Leland and Carlene Roller in Indianapolis.

In her free time she enjoyed reading, listening to her rock ‘n roll music, painting, and drawing.

She is survived by her husband of 42 years Charles Kernodle III; children Trisha Strole (Justin), Carly Gaines (Patrick), and Charles Kernodle IV (Jenny); father Leland Roller; grandchildren Johnathan and Gaige Kernodle, and Jordan and Maria Sims; great grandbaby JJ; mother-in-law Maria Kernodle; as well as 6 sisters, 1 brother, 1 sister-in-law, many nieces nephews, and friends; and her beloved German Shepherd Bella. She was preceded in death by her mother Carlene Roller; brother Stephen Roller; father-in-law Charles Kernodle Jr. and brothers-in-law James M. Kernodle and Randy Martin.

A Memorial Gathering will take place from 4:30-7:30 PM with a Celebration of Life Service following at 7:30 PM Thursday, October 13 at Flanner and Buchanan – Floral Park, 425 N. Holt Road, Indianapolis.

The family would like to share their eulogies from Michele's celebration of life service.

Eulogy From Chuck

I want to thank first, Michele’s dog, Bella. She has been by my side and continues to be there for me. Bella was very special to Michele and I can see why. She has been my rock through our loss of Michele.
I also want to thank everyone for coming today and providing your respects to Michele. Your loving support, conversation, laughs and hugs have kept us all strong through this time of grief with the loss of Michele.
I grew up across Washington Street from Michele. We even grew up on the same street, Banner Avenue. We knew who each other was starting in the early, early 1960’s. We knew of each other all through grade school, middle school and high school but we never really knew each other. As a matter of fact, we didn’t even like each other. I remember when I started at Bi-Rite grocery store in 1966, Michele would come in all of the time. Then in July 1973, after Michele graduated high school, we went on our first date to Tibbs Drive-In which was arranged by Melissa Parker and Buckwheat. From there, it was “game on”!! We were married on March 15th, 1974. Our first child was born in September of that same year. Our second child was born in October of 1976 and our third and final child arrived in February of 1978.
In 42 years of marriage, Michele and I had some bad times but we had many, many good times. I can look back on our lives together and smile. Michele had an amazing ability to make me furious but laugh all at the same time. She could always make me laugh. My life without Michele will never be the same and I will miss her dearly. I will think of Michele always in everything I do. She will never be forgotten.
Although the past 10 months have been the hardest months of my life, I would do it all again for My Michele.
So in closing and in honor of Michele’s love for music, I would like to quote the lyrics from The (legendary) Beatles.

Michelle, Ma Belle
These words that go together so well
My Michelle

I love you, I love you, I love you
That’s all I want to say
Until I find a way
I will say the only words I know you’ll understand

Michelle, Ma Belle
My Michelle

Eulogy From Trisha

I am, as Dad would say, the “gabby” one but I will try to keep this as short as possible.
Mom was compassionate in all things and she loved her family very much. My Dad, my sister, my brother, her grandchildren and great grandchild were her world. She loved her 6 sisters and 2 brothers deeply and no one could ever replace them in her heart. She cherished her Mom and Daddy.
Mom never met a stranger and would talk your head off about books, movies and especially music. Mom was argumentative and would stand her ground. She was no push-over.
Mom was a thinker and loved history. She collected a huge variety of music, books, roosters and movies. She loved to read…especially Stephen King. She loved a good book and loved poetry; Robert Frost in particular. Mom loved to draw and paint but stuck mainly to abstract drawing and painting scenery. She loved her sports and going fishing with Dad. She loved going to the casino and playing cards. She loved musicals including dumb ones like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Mom loved to tell stories. She could make up stories right off the top of her head and could make you feel like you were right there in the story.
Mom love kids…ALL kids. To her precious grandchildren and great grandchild she was known as Nana. To most everyone else, she was a second Mom. She even felt like a second mom to her 2 youngest sisters. She adopted all of the kids around us and all of our friends. She would tell stories to all of the kids, read books to them, sing to them, and try to educate them on everything there was to know about music.
Although I didn’t acquire her artistic abilities, her ability to sing or her intellect, Mom blessed me with her passion for reading. Guess who my favorite author is……yep, you guessed it…Stephen King. He would release a new book and me and Mom would read it. Then we would call or see each other and talk about the book for hours.
Mom also blessed me with her knowledge and passion for good music. Her favorite radio station used to be Q95 but changed to 104.5. This is now my favorite radio station. You just can’t listen to it without thinking of Mom.
We put a play list together for Mom’s services as I am sure you have heard today. We tried to pick the best song from the best of the best of the best artists. I don’t think Flanner and Buchanan ever had such a long play list and I hope they don’t mind the music. This list was extremely difficult to compile. Mom was pretty open about what she wanted played when she passed but Stairway To Heaven was the primary one that she wanted. If we played all of the music that she so dearly loved, we would have to have a 6 month, 10 hours a day memorial service. If we wrote a list of all of the songs that she loved, the list would stretch from here to eternity. I know that she would have loved the collection we chose for her memorial.
Mom will be sincerely missed. Reading Stephen King, watching The Wizard of Oz or scary movies, listening to the radio and pretty much doing anything will never be the same. I know she’s looking out for me and singing with the angels. It’s exceptionally difficult to think of all of the things that I will miss out on but it’s a good feeling to know that she suffers no longer and that God has Mom wrapped in his arms. She is watching over me and keeping me safe.
I feel as if I could write a novel about my Mom that would make Stephen King’s novel, The Stand, look like a short story. So to quit boring you all, I will let this novel conclude. In closing, instead of music lyrics, I chose another one of Mom’s passions…poetry. I chose a poem that Mom knew by heart. Unfortunately it is way too long to recite it as a whole so I selected a key part of the poem. I chose The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Nameless here for evermore.

Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

Eulogy From Carly

I am not much of a talker and do not want to take up too much time from anybody. So I kept what I need to say to mom short and sweet. I will talk to her all the time through my prayers, my heart, and my thoughts.
Mom – this is not goodbye, for your soul, your spirit, and your light forever goes on. It is within your husband, children, grandchildren, great grandchild, and everyone else’s life that you have touched. So this is only until we meet again in the eternal life.
In my closing and in honor of another passion of my Mom’s, poetry, I chose a poem by an unknown author but I am sure that mom will love it. It’s titled Broken Chain.
We little knew that morning that God was going to call your name. In life we loved you dearly, in death we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone; for part of us went with you, the day God called you home.
You left us peaceful memories, your love is still our guide; and though we cannot see you, you are always at our side.
Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same; but as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again.

Eulogy From Charles

I will always remember my Mom as argumentative and competitive, especially when it came to football. It seemed like no matter what game we were watching together, we were always rooting for opposing teams. So, needless to say, our games were always quite interesting.
I was blessed with inheriting Mom’s passion for music. We could talk about music and talent shows for hours on end. We would have contests on who thought the winner of the talent shows were going to be for the season. Competing with Mom was always fun.
I was also blessed with Mom’s passion for sports and movies. I don’t think there was a sport out there that Mom didn’t know something about. We would watch football and basketball together. We did both like the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan era so we didn’t compete much there. With movies, we would always talk about the latest movie out and if we had seen it yet and if we were going to see it.
One of the bests times that I can remember with Mom was when I got ran over by a riding lawn mower when I was 4 years old. While I was in the hospital and even after I came home, Mom and I would sing Too Daze Gone by Billy Squire to help me cope. Mom truly did have a good singing voice and she loved to sing. Although she did get mad at me for singing when she had to come and get me from school when they sent me home for singing songs that my Papaw taught me.
I could talk about Mom for hours on end but time is of the essence. Although Mom and I didn’t always see eye to eye, I know one day it will all be made clear. We did agree that there is eternal life after death and I know that I will see Mom again someday. I Love You, Mom.
In closing and in honor of my Mom’s passion for music, I would like to quote the lyrics of a song by Steve Wariner.

Cause there’s holes in the floor of Heaven,
And her tears are pouring down.
That’s how you know she’s watching,
Wishing she could be here now.