WARSAW — When she had to be stern, former Kosciusko County Republican Party Chairwoman and County Auditor Jean Northenor could be tough as nails.

But those who knew her knew the “force of nature” and “trailblazer” had a big heart and loved her community and the people in it.

On Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, Doris Jean Northenor, born Dec. 21, 1932, passed away peacefully at her home.

‘Good Government’

County Commissioner Sue Ann Mitchell said, “First and foremost, Jean was a true friend who called many times with encouragement and support. Jean was such a strong and highly accomplished woman that set the bar high for everyone involved in public service. She inspired and encouraged so many of us with her leadership by example.”

Mitchell said she always gives credit to Northenor, Avis Gunter and Al Rovenstine for her dedication to county government.

“Every time Jean made a presentation, she would emphasize that we needed to provide not just government but ‘Good Government.’ Even with her passing, Jean will continue to be an inspiration!” Mitchell stated.

Mike Ragan, Kosciusko County Republican Central Committee chairman, said he’s known who Northenor was since he was a kid, but had gotten to know her more over about the last 20 years after he got into county politics. He estimated that around 2006-07, he started getting closer to her.

“Because she was a former county chair, she encouraged me to run for chair,” Ragan said, when Randy Girod retired as the Republican Party’s chair.

“She loved Kosciusko County, she loved the community and the people in it,” he stated.
He said Northenor died at home where she had been receiving hospice care.

“She was a wonderful lady. I can’t say enough good words about her,” Ragan said.

Second District U.S. Congressman Rudy Yakym said, “Jean Northenor was a true pillar of Kosciusko County and a legend in Indiana Republican politics. Her decades of service, leadership and love for our community left an indelible mark on everyone who had the privilege to know her. Sallyann and I are keeping Jean’s family and friends in our prayers as we honor her remarkable life and legacy.”

State Sen. Ryan Mishler (R-Mishawaka) has known Jean Northenor for most of his life.

In a statement, he said, “I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jean Northenor. I’ve known Jean since I was a kid when she was still helping my dad as he served in the Indiana House of Representatives. She was one of the people who helped convince me to run for his seat when it opened up and guided me when I started serving our local community.

“Jean possessed leadership qualities we may never see again. She could really connect with people, and she loved and cared about her community and family. One thing I always appreciated about Jean was the notes of encouragement she would send me. While cleaning out my desk recently, I found a card from her that simply said, ‘Proud of you. Jean.’ These little notes often helped me through some of the tough times. Jean will be deeply missed by me and all those in our community who knew her,” he said.

Ashley McGinnis, president of the Kosciusko County Republican Women’s Club, said in a statement, “On behalf of the Kosciusko County Republican Women’s Club, we are deeply saddened by the passing of Jean Northenor. Jean was a remarkable woman – bold in her leadership, generous in her heart and steadfast in her love for this community.

“As a longtime leader of the Kosciusko County Republican Party, Jean led with both strength and compassion. She inspired others through her wisdom, her kindness and her ability to bring people together for a common purpose. Her influence extended far beyond politics — she was a true mentor who opened doors for countless women and men to grow, lead and serve.

“Jean’s philanthropy was as genuine as her spirit. She gave freely of her time, talents and resources to strengthen the very community she helped shape. Often described as the person everyone turned to for guidance, encouragement and practical help. Her legacy as a mentor will live on in those whom she encouraged, empowered, and uplifted.

“She invested in our people, our youth, our future — and challenged us all to do more, to give more, to serve more.

“While we mourn her passing, we celebrate the remarkable legacy she leaves behind — a legacy of service, integrity, mentorship and heart. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and we are forever grateful for the example she set for us all,” the statement concluded.

Former Northern District County Commissioner Brad Jackson said, “Jean was a force of nature. She was a very strong leader in the county and after that she was a very strong leader at Lake City Bank. But she still always had a lot of influence on the current elected officials.”

One of the things Jackson remembered about Northenor took place about 30 years ago. She took him aside and told him never to support another Republican in the primary election, though it was fine in the general election. It was just an unwritten rule, she said.
“She’ll be missed. Her mark on the community is an understatement,” Jackson said.

As an example of her wide-ranging influence, Jackson recalled that back during the Covid pandemic, the state was trying to shut Polywood in Syracuse down. Jackson called Northenor, she called then-Gov. Eric Holcomb and “the problem was solved. She had way more influence than anybody probably realizes. She had Eric’s ear. When she called, he listened.”

State Rep. Craig Snow (R-Winona Lake) said, “I’m very sad to hear about the passing of Jean Northenor. She did great things for Kosciusko County and inspired countless Hoosiers with her leadership. I know she will be missed by all. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and close friends.”

County Administrator Marsha McSherry has known Northenor for around 45 years.

“My first recollection of Jean Northenor was probably when I was old enough to vote. Of course, my dad was a precinct committeeman way back when, and he managed the fish fries for the Republican Party, so I started going to help with that,” she recalled. “Probably around ’79, ’80, right in there, was when I really got to know Jean Northenor. I worked for Jean at the Republican headquarters when it was located over here on top of the old Bodkin building upstairs. They wanted somebody to work at headquarters certain days, so I worked for Jean and she allowed me to bring my young son, so Jason was introduced to politics at a very young age.”

One of McSherry’s early memorable experiences was getting to meet Dan Quayle when Northenor brought him in.

She agreed “absolutely” that Northenor was a trailblazer.

“Jean Northenor was a friend and mentor to many, not just locally but across the state. She was a friend and mentor to me for most of my adult life. A champion for women in politics and a trailblazer. Many have ‘dipped their toes’ into the political pool with encouragement and guidance over the years from Jean. She will be sadly missed,” McSherry said.
She said her thoughts are with Northenor’s family.

Jean was married in 1961 to James “Jim” W. Northenor, who died at age 83 on April 15, 2021. She was also preceded in death by her son, Rick Reed. Surviving are a son, Steve (and Barb) Reed, Warsaw; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Northenor co-founded Kosciusko Leadership Academy (KLA), was a donor to The Magical Meadows, a former county auditor, served on the Indiana Supreme Court Selection Committee, was a four-time Sagamore of the Wabash recipient and served on the first Hoosier Lottery Commission. She helped establish the Republican Party’s Man and Woman of the Year awards, later becoming a recipient of the award herself. She was included in the 2001 edition of “Indiana’s Trailblazing Women” book.

Friends and family may visit from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at Redpath Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw. A private family funeral service will take place with burial at Harrison Center Cemetery, Atwood.

Online condolences may be sent through the funeral home’s website at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com.

Lake City Bank

“Jean was just an exceptional woman,” said Lake City Bank (LCB) Chairman and CEO David Findlay. “She was truly a trailblazer for women in Indiana, no doubt about it.”

Northenor came to work at LCB on Dec. 31, 1983. She worked there for 17 years, retiring in late 2000. At the end of her career, Findlay said she was an executive vice president overseeing business development and marketing.

“That title really understates the role she played at the bank. When Doug Grant hired her in 1983, she was a very prominent Kosciusko County resident through her engagement in politics. So, Jean, even though her title was business development and marketing officer, she really touched every area of the bank. She was in charge of branch development, along with Doug Grant, so when we were building new branches in that 17-year period, she was at the forefront working with the architects and the contractors to build our branches, so she literally had an impact and an imprint on every one of those branches,” Findlay stated.
Northenor oversaw the human resource department, as well, throughout most of her career.

“If you think about back to 1983, having a woman come into the bank in a role as visible and as high profile as what she did, she was a true trailblazer, not only for women in banking in Indiana, but women in business and government in Indiana,” he said.
Northenor also was a gatekeeper for the Indiana Republican Party and had a strong influence not only for what went on in Kosciusko County, but also the Statehouse and the governor’s office, he said.

Findlay also pointed out that Northenor was also really good at crossing the aisle in the political world.

“She had really strong relationships with Democratic governors and Democratic legislators, as well, and I learned that after I came here in 2000. Even though she retired soon after my arrival, she still stayed very involved at the state level and local level in politics and had such a positive impact,” he said.

For LCB, Findlay said you can’t understate the value Northenor brought to the bank as a really strong leader, regardless of her gender.

“She was just a great leader by example for everybody at the bank,” he stated.

KLA

KLA had its first graduation class in 1982. According to Northenor in a previous interview, when she was the county auditor and Republican Party chair, she and Matt Dalton found themselves attending numerous community processes. She asked him at one point if there was anyone else in the community who could attend, and that got Dalton to thinking. He called Ball State University.

Later, Dalton called a group together for lunch. That group included Northenor, Doug Grant, Ben Knott, Bob Boley and BSU professor Joe Rawlings.

The purpose of the lunch meeting was to hear from Rawlings about leadership academies. The group talked extensively about them. The leadership academies they heard about were mostly associated with chambers of commerce and city or town-based.

Northenor wasn’t interested in just a Warsaw leadership academy. She was a county person. And, while she had nothing against chambers, she didn’t want the leadership academy to be associated with the chamber. The others expressed they felt the same way Northenor did.

Rawlings told them he’d send a moderator for the KLA to get it going. Professor Peter Murk was with KLA for its first three years, all on Ball State’s dime.

“Ball State was pushing leadership academies to get younger people involved. This was a way to get them involved, and it worked,” Northenor said in the interview.

Grant served as KLA’s first president, and Northenor was curriculum president. The original curriculum included programs on law enforcement, county government, religious organizations, agriculture, area planning and education.

KLA now has the Jean Northenor Award it presents each year to a deserving white paper project. The initial Northenor Award funds were donated by Dalton to the Kosciusko County Community Foundation to establish the annual Northenor Award as an honor to Northenor’s work in making KLA a success. KLA celebrated 40 years in 2021 with a 40 for 40 campaign and raised over $40,000. Half of that was contributed to the Northenor Fund and half was retained for operating funds and providing mini-grants for white paper teams.

KLA adviser and interim President Nate Conley said Northenor had been involved and participated in the Northenor Award panel to review the white paper up until just a couple of years ago.

“She stayed involved, even after founding it and retiring and everything. She stayed involved and supported it financially, and being involved with the white paper panel and stuff, too,” he stated.

The two big things Northenor brought to KLA since its founding, Conley continued, was she wanted KLA to be countywide and not Warsaw-centric.

“She stressed that and we continue to stress that to this day, that we have meetings and classes throughout the county because we want to make a countywide impact,” he said. “And then she, from the get-go, was always encouraging of women to get involved, too, because back when it was founded, there were just a lot of men in leadership roles so from day one she was just encouraging of women to get involved.”

Conley said KLA will find a way to honor Northenor and Dr. Jeffrey Fawcett this year. Fawcett, the KLA president for numerous years, died in June.

Suzie Light, who has served on the KLA Board of Trustees, said, “Jean was an amazing woman. So many things in our community exist because Jean Northenor said they need to be. When Kosciusko Leadership Academy was founded, she said women need to be at the table and it needs to be a countywide organization. Forty years later, it still is that way.”
Northenor said Ivy Tech was needed in the community back in the 1960s, Light said, and it needed to stay in the community so the Kosciusko Ivy Tech campus exists because Northenor had the drive to make it happen.

“I will miss my dear friend and mentor,” Light said. “She loved her family. She was a woman of deep faith. She loved her country and her community. She had a big heart.”

The Magical Meadows

The Magical Meadows offered the following statement on the passing of Northenor: “It is with great mixed emotions that we acknowledge the loss of our dear friend Jean Northenor. While we are filled with sadness that we will no longer be graced by her quick wit, profound wisdom and sincere generosity, we take comfort knowing that she is with our Lord in Heaven – hearing those precious words ‘well done good and faithful servant.’

“Jean and her late husband Jim’s relationship with The Magical Meadows started in 2021 when we were blessed to grant their bucket list wish of riding horses again. Since then, Jean and her family have remained steadfast supporters and believers in the transformational mission of The Magical Meadows. Some of their most notable contributions include funding the construction of our hay barn in 2021, and most recently, a $100,000 donation toward our Growing with Heart Capital Campaign and Expansion Project. More than her financial support, we will miss her guidance, advocacy and genuine friendship.”
“It is said that in life a person has three to five people who are really a true friend. Jean Northenor was that to me,” said Carl Adams, Magical Meadows Board chair. “Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.’ Her silence is already being felt. My friend is now experiencing those things we often spoke about.”

Magical Meadows remains “dedicated to keeping Jean’s legacy alive for generations to come. In the meantime, we ask that the community join us in wrapping Jean’s family and friends in love, compassion, and prayer during this time of loss,” the statement concludes.