Wayne Eugene Caldwell

Nov. 2, 1923 – Feb. 2, 2022

Wayne Eugene Caldwell, 98, of Fishers, passed away peacefully on Wed., Feb. 2, 2022, at the Prairie Lakes Health Campus.

Mr. Caldwell was born to Robin Vernon and Cora Helena Fischer Caldwell in Clay Center, Kansas on Nov. 2, 1923. He attended elementary schools in Longford and South Exeter District 42, Clay County, Kansas. He graduated from Clay County Community High school in 1941.

After graduation, Mr. Caldwell worked for two years at various jobs including work on a dairy farm, in the wheat harvest, in building, construction and with a paving company that laid cement for the runway at the Smokey Hill Army Base in Salina, Kansas.

In February, 1943, Mr. Caldwell was drafted into military service in the Army Air Corps. He completed his basic training at Clearwater, Fla., and then transferred to Kansas City, Missouri, to attend the Midland Radio School. Upon completion of school, he was assigned to the Army Air Force-Signal Corps on Flight 360S, 604th T.T.C. and transferred to Camp Murphy, Fla, to attend the Training Schools of Radar. He made Expert on the 1903 Rifle and on the .22 caliber Carbine. Training for Mr. Caldwell continued in Boca Raton, Florida, with the Airborne Radar School and with the LORAN Navigation system with specialties in the High and Low Altitude Altimeter-Navigation; the Mark II, Great Britain system; Homing and Rendezvous Flying and the American Long-Range Navigation (LORAN). Subsequently, he was transferred to Kearns Field, Utah, before departing for the Clark Air Base in the Philippine Islands where he was assigned to the Ken’s Men 43rd Bomb Group, 403rd Bomb Squadron, A.P.O 72. It was at the Clark Air Base on April 2, 1945, where Mr. Caldwell accepted the Lord as his personal Savior after struggling for three months with the loss of three friends in the crash of an A-20 plane that he was destined to be on, but seconds before the plane’s departure, he was assigned to another aircraft. He also was stationed in New Guinea, Luzon and the Western Pacific. Mr. Caldwell received an Honorable Discharge from the war in 1946 after serving as Sergeant and receiving the American Service Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with 1 Bronze Star, the World War II Victory Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

He married Joan Wiese, June 6, 1946.

After the war, Mr. Caldwell accepted the call to the ministry and then graduated from Miltonvale Wesleyan College, Miltonvale, Kansas, with a Bachelor Degree in Religion in 1949. In 1953, he graduated from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO, with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. In 1957 he graduated from Central Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master in Theology degree. Finally, in 1969, he graduated from the Iliff School of Theology with a Doctor of Theology degree in Theology, Church History and Philosophy. Dr. Caldwell was ordained, in 1950, by the Kansas Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church where he pastored churches from 1948-1968 in Kansas City and Butler, Missouri; Clay Center, Ottawa and Manhattan, Kansas; Englewood and Denver, Colorado. Dr. Caldwell was a Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Miltonvale Wesleyan College, Miltonvale, Kansas, 1968-1972; Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Marion College/Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana, 1972-1984; Adjunct Professor of Religion and Theology, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana, 1984-2008; and General Editor of The Wesleyan Church, Marion and Indianapolis, Indiana, 1984-1992. Dr. Caldwell has 16 Published Books and Articles with Unpublished Works, 1953-2008.

Survivors include his wife, Joan; two daughters, Joy Caldwell of Fishers, Indiana and Eunice Rickey (Brian) of Marion, Indiana; one son, Philip Caldwell (Jill) of Carmel, Indiana; four grandchildren, Kari (Jason) Wuertley of Marion, Jeffry (Amber) Rickey of Canton, Michigan, Desiree (Mark) Lambert of Carmel and Bethany (Jason) Lewis of Carmel; eight great-grandchildren, Lacey Lambert, Jackson Lambert, Hadley Lewis, Bennett Lewis, Shelby Hollingsworth, Aubri Hollingsworth, Isaac Rickey and Cohen Rickey; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors and friends.

He was predeceased by his parents; step-father; sister, Doris of Clay Center, Kansas; and brother, Elmo of Louisville, Kentucky. He was a faithful servant of the Lord with The Wesleyan Church and loved children, young people and students he taught. Dr. Caldwell loved to teach his college classes and was a perpetual student of learning and studying all of his life.

Funeral services are scheduled to be held on Fri., Feb. 18, 2022 at 10 a.m. at Trinity East Church, 11721 Olio Road, Fishers. Visitation is scheduled for prior to the service from 9 – 10 a.m.

Following the service, a graveside ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. in the Marion National Cemetery, Marion, Ind.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Needham-Storey-Wampner Funeral Service, Storey Chapel 400 E. Main St., Gas City, Ind., 46933.

Memorials may be made to the Caldwell-Wiese Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Indiana Wesleyan University, 4201 S. Washington Street, Marion, Ind., 46953. Memories may be shared at nswcares.com