On the bright, sunny morning of August 28, 2023, Joe Rund, 94, of Romney, Indiana, passed away while holding the hand of his wife of nearly 72 years, Lorraine Cerny Rund.

Joe was many things to many people. In his farming career, he helped countless others to adopt practices to conserve soil and water, earning Master Farmer, Master Farm Conservationist, and River Keeper recognitions along the way. In his later years, he became a 27-year fixture at the Indiana State Fair’s Pioneer Village, where thousands of fairgoers learned about old-time farming through his work in the livestock barn.

He was the sum of seeming contradictions – a country boy who listened to classical music (along with many other genres) and was proud of his collection of ‘holy’ t-shirts, bib overalls, and cargo pants that he sported through various stages of his life. He was a man who read voraciously – subscribing to intellectual magazines (The Economist, The Atlantic) and who just a few weeks ago read Barbara Kingsolver’s masterful “Demon Copperhead” in one sitting. (He finally went to bed at 4 am).

Joe believed that reading could teach a person to do nearly everything, including paddling a canoe. On an early date with Lor, he was the only man in their group who had never been in a canoe, but confidently stated that he had it covered as they boarded their craft in Sugar Creek; after all, he had read how to do it. His compatriots laughed, but as so often happened, Joe laughed last- everyone except him had tipped their canoes by the end of the day.

A highlight for Joe was a visit (with friends RA and Dan DeSutter) to Wendell Berry, a renowned author and poet he had long admired. Joe was concerned that Berry ‘wouldn’t want to talk to someone like him,’ but held Berry entranced for hours with his stories of farm life and much more.

All that reading – along with a razor-sharp intellect – made Joe a natural educator. He was well-known for his seemingly endless lectures, especially while driving, on everything from the practices of agrarian denizens of neighboring states to the complex geology of the west, including the detailed explanations (Car Lecture #243) on the Kaibab limestone visible far below the surface of the Grand Canyon, but far above the surface at Bryce and Zion National Parks in Utah. He was equally well-versed (or at least sounded like he was) on wildlife, trees, grasses, the paint used for highway markings, the relative merits of flex-ear hybrids, drainage ditches, soil types and how they were formed, and which pie was best (his standard conclusion: ‘whichever one Lor has just made’)

His love for pie was only exceeded by love for ‘gilding the lily’ – eating pie with ice cream and/or whipped cream, for example, and somehow always running out of one component before the others were consumed, necessitating a ‘re-balancing,’ not to be confused with seconds.

Joe’s embrace of a good educational lecture extended to areas that were well beyond his lived experience. He was a stout supporter of the “7 pass” vacuuming technique, an expert on how to load a dishwasher, and various other household tasks whose acquaintance he did not fully make until much later in life.

Outside the home, he was above all, a sweeping enthusiast who never hesitated to direct anyone with a broom, particularly his children.

Joe was an ardent supporter of the ‘underdog’ – casting one of only two votes in his precinct for Jesse Jackson in the 1984 Democratic primary (Lorraine was the other).

A life-long Catholic, he preferred to act on his faith rather than preach it and contributed considerable time and resources to St Thomas Aquinas in West Lafayette and its mission in Beaudin, Haiti.

Perhaps most of all, Joe was a social being. Charismatic and garrulous, he was never more in his element than at a party or gathering of any sort, including those that involved cole slaw in a swimming pool.

Joe leaves behind his wife Lorraine, son Patrick (Sharron Kennedy) daughters Michele, Lisa and Karen, and son Brian. He was preceded in death by his son David Michael Rund and grandsons Joseph Kennedy Rund and Jacob Taylor Rund. His grandchildren include John Reeve (St. John, IN), Willie Reeve (Mesa, AZ), Josie Reeve (Lafayette IN) Laura Giovanelli (Kelly Bennett) Winston Salem, NC; Kimberly Rose Champion (Andrew) Oakland, CA), Lisa Giovanelli (Robert Thurstone) Bellaire, MI; Daniel Wendt (Jesyka Burks-Wiley) Miami FL; Brian Wendt (Brianna Wendt) Salinas, CA; Linnea Giovanelli (Charlotte, NC), David Rund (Seattle, WA), Erik Rund (Raleigh, NC) and Emily Rund (Raleigh, NC). Great-grandchildren: Beatrice Bennet and Oliver Thurstone, Mitch Pettijohn, Willie Reeve, Jude Luckenbach

Great-great grandchild: Liliana Pettijohn

A Celebration of Life will be held at Joe’s beloved farm at 2916 W 1200 S, Romney IN starting at 6 pm on September 2. All who knew and/or appreciated Joe are welcome, however there is no swimming pool.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to World Central Kitchen.