Luana M. Himelick

Luana M. Himelick, age 91, of Connersville, Indiana, and Naples, Florida, passed away June 23, 2015. Luana was born February 21, 1924, in Greencastle, Indiana, the daughter of William Frost Murphy and Mary Fell Murphy, of Connersville, Indiana, when both of her parents were students at DePauw University. She was the granddaughter of Hyatt Lincoln Frost. She grew up in the Frost family home and farm on Harrisburg Road, in Connersville, which is still in the family. She was married June 19, 1947 to John Harvey Himelick of Connersville, an attorney, who predeceased her in 1982. She is survived by their three children and their spouses, Ralph William Himelick and Vivien Himelick, John Harvey Himelick II and Cathy Himelick, of Connersville, In, and Carolyn Sue Nutty and David J. Nutty, of Portland, Maine; three grandchildren, Shea Caldwell, Eric Himelick, and Heather Himelick, and two great-grandsons, Paxton and Peyton Caldwell. Luana had the unusual gift of being talented in both art and music, and she continued these interests throughout her life. She studied cello, piano, and voice in grade school and high school, and took cello lessons at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, taking the bus by herself to Cincinnati. Her mother, Mary Murphy, often told the story that they wondered whether Luana should study music or art, and the high school music director told her to study music, because “she would always have her art,” advice that proved true, since she continued to paint every day until the end of her life. Luana graduated with an Associate degree in Music from Stephens College, in Columbia, Missouri in 1943, and then received a scholarship at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, from which she graduated with a Bachelors of Music in 1945. At Northwestern, she studied cello with Dudley Powers, the first cellist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. After graduation, she taught cello, piano, and voice at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois from 1945-47. In 1946, she was accepted at the Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, Mass., where she was first cellist. The conductor was the young Leonard Bernstein, and her cello instructor was the virtuoso Gregor Piatogorsky, who told her he liked her “smaltzy” technique. Following her marriage, she returned to Connersville, raised her family, and was active in local organizations, including Tri Kappa, the Daughters of the American Colonists, and A.D.O.U., where she and her mother, accompanying her on piano, gave numerous programs and concerts. Her children all studied music, and she also gave private cello, piano, and voice lessons. She returned to painting, and completed a correspondence course from the Famous Artists’ School. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, she exhibited her watercolors at the Whitewater Valley Arts Association, of which she was a long time member and supporter, the Richmond Art Association, the H. Lieber Gallery, Indianapolis, the Hoosier Salon, Indianapolis, and the Naples, FL Art Association. Her paintings of Connersville, Fairfield, and other Indiana scenes, European settings, Florida scenes, and flowers grace the homes of her many friends and acquaintances across the country. Every year she painted several hundred greeting cards and Christmas cards that she sent to a long list of grateful recipients. She and John traveled widely and frequently in Europe, and after his death, she enjoyed the adventure of a painting holiday in England, the highlight of which was a stay in a castle. She returned each year to Naples, FL, which became her residency in her last years. Classical music continued to enrich her life and she was an avid listener to the Metropolitan Opera weekly broadcasts. In Naples, she enjoyed the arts and cultural events, the Gulf view and sunsets from her apartment, and she continued to paint every day. A public memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 19, 2015 at the Shrine of Memories Mausoleum, Connersville, IN, followed by entombment. The family will receive friends from 1:30 p.m. until the time of service. Memorial contributions may be made to Whitewater Valley Arts Association, PO Box 206, Connersville, IN 47331 or to WNPS Classical South Florida 330 SW 2nd St Suite 3207 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33302. Showalter Blackwell Long Funeral Home, Myers Chapel, Connersville, is assisting with the local arrangements.