FREETOWN
It was a sad moment when Mickey Joel Ayers passed away early in the morning of October 9, 2020, at his home in Brown County after a 5- month battle from aggressive cancer. He gave the fight his all, but lost the battle in the end with his wife and his two grandchildren by his side. He was 83 years old.
Mickey had been in the Schneck Hospice Home Care program for approximately two weeks and received excellent care from their nurses and his family at home.
He was born October 2, 1937, in a tiny log home in Story, Indiana, the son of Donald and Lenore Wilkerson Ayers, both deceased, and lived in and around the Story community for almost his entire life. He tied with his favorite uncle, Oscar Ayers, as the two longest-living Ayers men of their generation having both lived 83 years.
Mickey greatly enjoyed mushroom hunting with his two sons, fishing in lake Michigan, planting and tending a huge garden each year, with a lot of the produce being enjoyed by his neighbors.
Mickey loved to tinker with mechanical things, and could repair almost anything that had a moving part. He did not know how to even turn on a computer much less how to use one, but he could take a car apart and fix anything that went wrong and it would continue to work for years. A vehicle 30 years old was putty in his hands. Every person in his neighborhood relied on him to fix almost anything including welding anything that needed it and he never charged a penny for his work.
On March 6, 1960, he eloped with his sweetheart, Helen Day Ayers, and they celebrated 60 years of marriage this year. They both decided after their first date they would marry and never looked back or doubted their decision. This union was blessed with two sons, Lonnie and Douglas. He and Helen operated the M.J. Ayers Water Well Drilling Company of Brown County for about 45 years before his retirement. He was a member of the American Legion Post 89.
Mickey’s father served in Okinawa during World War II and his son, Lonnie was serving in the US Air force, perhaps this convinced Mickey to also serve his county by joining the Indiana National Guard. He served for 23 years and earned several citations for excellence. His son Lonnie served for 14 years.
Mickey leaves a legacy of love with his wife of over 60 years, Helen, his sons Lonnie Dale Ayers of Madrid Spain and Douglas Ayers of Tokyo, Japan, and his two grandchildren, now adults Victor and Mercedes Ayers of Miami, Florida, and a special first cousin, Byron Ayers and his wife Shannan of Story, Indiana, two sister in – laws Anna Ruth Mikel of Norman, IN and Sylvia Ziegler of Providence, KY, and a brother in -law, Kenneth Day and his wife Carol of Tyler, TX, many closely-held nieces and nephews, and his many friends and neighbors throughout the Story Community.
A Graveside Service will be conducted Rev. Paul Harden at the Valley Home Old Regular Baptist Cemetery on Tuesday October 13, 2020 at 1:00 pm. A final salute will be conducted at the cemetery with full military honors presented by the American Legion Post 89, VFW Post 1925, Disabed Veterans 47, and the Korean and Vietnam Veterans of Jackson County.
Memorials may be written in Mickey’s name to the Valley Home Old Regular Baptist Cemetery.
Mickey’s final write up was authored by his loving wife, Helen.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Zabel Funeral Home of Brownstown.