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Alberta Jo White
Alberta Jo White, 89, of Crawfordsville passed away peacefully on September 4, 2025. She was born July 31, 1936, to Gordon and Mary (Miller) Crowder. She lived on the family farm from the time she was in the second grade. She graduated from Waynetown High School in 1954.
While waitressing at The Log Cabin Inn, she served a cup of coffee to David White. As he left a fifty-cent tip for a five-cent cup of coffee, he told his friend that she was the one he would marry. They were indeed married on August 20, 1954. And it was a marriage that lasted over 71 years.
Alberta Jo started her career as a typesetter for the Crawfordsville Journal Review. She then transitioned to become a writer for the newspaper covering concerts, school activities, local events, rodeos and much more. She eventually became a columnist writing a weekly feature called, “Come On Along”. She and David would travel somewhere fun and then share it with her loyal readers, so they felt they had experienced it with them. The highlight of her career was covering the making of the movie “Hoosiers”. Her interviews with Gene Hackman and other cast members were special in so many ways. She won numerous awards throughout her newspaper career.
Alberta Jo was a devoted and active member of the Trinity United Methodist Church for more than 60 rewarding years, sharing the fellowship of many. She also guided, inspired and influenced many youths through her service as a Sunday School teacher. Her relationship with many of those young individuals continued throughout her life.
Alberta Jo loved to sing, listen to music and play her piano. Her ‘green thumb’ produced many spectacular flower gardens; in which she even maintained her grandmother’s rosebush for many decades. Over the years, she won numerous ribbons from the local 4H Fair for her floral arrangements. Jo had a special adoration and affection for Annalee Dolls, and her collection was well into the hundreds. Her favorite color was Lime Green and that was very apparent from her clothing selections, her eyeglasses and many of her home decorations. She and her husband were the proud owners of three Pug dogs over the years. Duke, Pepper and Trey provided her with many years of joy. She never missed sending family and friends cards for special occasions and her cursive penmanship was second to none. She enjoyed every Pacer, Fever, and Purdue game she watched with her husband. They loved vacationing and shelling on Sanibel Island. She always said the ocean seemed to wash away their cares and revived their spirits.
She will forever be remembered for her kind, caring heart.
She is survived by her loving husband David, and daughters Brenda (Greg) Nethery of Cicero, IN, and Susan (Mark) Ring of Newark, OH. She also leaves behind sisters Marilou Harris, Jeanie (Jerry) Addler, and brother Bob (Carol) Crowder. In addition, sister-in-law Carole Stout and brother-in-law Don White, along with numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
She was predeceased by her parents Gordon and Mary Crowder and sister Susie Harvey. In addition, sister-in-law Sue White and brothers-in-law Russell Harris, David Stout and Lawrence Harvey.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, September 10th at Burkhart Funeral Home, 201 West Wabash Avenue, Crawfordsville. Visitation will be from 10:00 until noon. Services, led by Pastor Daryl Gilbert will begin at noon, immediately followed by burial at the Waynetown Masonic Cemetery.
The family requests memorial contributions in her honor made to the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research under the ‘G/B Nethery 79 Cancer Research Endowment’. Donations are also encouraged for the Crawfordsville Meals on Wheels program.
