- Date Of Birth: July 28, 1919
- Date Of Death: August 6, 2015
- State: Indiana
Elizabeth Caster Backe, former elementary schoolteacher and lifelong resident of Montgomery County, died Aug. 6, 2015, at the age of 96.
From one of the founding farm families of Indiana and Montgomery County, she was born July 28, 1919, at Shannondale, to Jesse and Ione Tribbett Caster. Raised on her family’s Shannondale farm, she attended Shannondale Elementary School and graduated from Crawfordsville High School in 1937. She graduated from the University of Michigan as a speech and communications major in 1941, serving as her senior class treasurer and later co-founding the Tom Harmon Memorial Scholarship there.
A mother of seven children, she returned to school at Indiana State to complete her teaching certification in 1965 and became a popular local elementary school teacher known as Mrs. McCarthy. She spent more than 20 years teaching at area schools including six years at St. Bernard’s, 14 years at New Market Elementary and five subsequent years as a substitute teacher. She continued tutoring special needs students well into her 80s. Her public service contributions and community work were wide ranging over her lifetime and brought her some of her greatest joy. She was a member and former board member of the Montgomery County Historical Society for over 50 years, serving as secretary, vice president and president. An active member of the Gamma Xi chapter of Psi Iota Xi sorority since 1951, she held every officer position including president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.
She served as geranium committee chairwoman and was their top annual fundraiser for their local speech and hearing clinic. She was a member of St. Bernard’s parish for nearly 75 years and received their Certificate of Merit in 1999. She directed the Elizabeth Ministry for many years, visiting new parish mothers and babies at home for welcoming and counseling. For more than 30 years she was a volunteer and local parish coordinator for their Meals on Wheels efforts. She was a longstanding active member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Byron Cox Post in Crawfordsville, serving as president from 1955-56. She was a volunteer and fundraiser for the local March of Dimes Mothers March, a tour guide/leader at Lane Place and a Chairwoman of the Candlelight Christmas Tour of Homes, a walk through historical homes in Crawfordsville.
Elizabeth was the recipient of many awards for her volunteerism in her lifetime. She received the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash award from Governor Kernan in 2004 for her many civic and community contributions. She was awarded the Montgomery County Historical Society Special Service Award in 1999 and the Montgomery County Citizen of the Year, an award given annually by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. She was named Psi Ote of the Year, a national award given by the Psi Iota Xi sorority, in 2001.She enjoyed traveling with her husband Don and visited many destinations: South Dakota and Mount Rushmore, New Orleans, Boston, Washington, D.C. and countless local road trips. She was also a proud supporter of the Michigan Wolverines and a devoted Michigan football fan. She steadfastly supported the Chicago Cubs and spent many an hour watching her beloved “Cubbies” as they often struggled through their season.
She was predeceased in 2011 by her beloved husband of 25 years, Donald F. Backe; her brother, Abraham; and sisters, Carolyn Spurgeon and Martha Jean Hoaglin; her former husband, James L. McCarthy; and an infant daughter Rosemary.
She is survived by seven children, James L. McCarthy III of Normal, Ill., Ruth Adams de Torrijos of Worcester, Mass., Charles R. McCarthy of Crawfordsville, William F. McCarthy of Arlington, Va., Richard M. McCarthy of Crawfordsville, Martin K. McCarthy of Chicago and Brian C. McCarthy of Cleveland, Ohio. She also is survived by eight step-children, Mary Therese Dalton, Ruth Mores, Tom Backe, Paul Backe, Joan Backe-Kuhl, Jim and Betsy Backe, John Backe and Helen Backe; 24 grandchildren and step-grandchildren and 22 great-and step-great grandchildren; countless friends; devoted neighbors; and hundreds of her former students.
