A week after a deadly explosion on the Southeast side of Indianapolis damaged nearly three dozen homes and displaced more than 200 people, a community prepares to say goodbye to the two killed in the blast.
The funeral for Ball State alumna Jennifer Longworth, 36, and her husband John “Dion” Longworth, 34, is at 10 a.m. Monday at St.Barnabas Catholic Church in Indianapolis.
Authorities are still unsure of what caused the explosion and are focusing on the possibility of natural gas.
Jennifer was a 1998 graduate of Ball State and a member of Sigma Kappa sorority. She received a degree in elementary education and went on to teach second grade at Southwest Elementary School in Greenwood.
Ball State freshman Allison Renner, an elementary and special education major, joined efforts to comfort those affected by the deaths.
Last year, Renner hosted a “Teddy Bear Toss” during halftime at a basketball game at New Castle High School.
She had spectators throw stuffed animals onto the court, collecting more than 900 toys to distribute throughout New Castle.
Renner, who had never met the second grade teacher, saw the coverage on the news and felt inspired to help, so on Thursday, she gave the last 21 teddy bears to the students in Jennifer’s class.
“I just feel like when kids go through something like that, they might want something to talk to and share their feelings,” she said.
Jennifer began teaching in Greenwood in the fall of 1999 after spending time as an assistant at the school.
Beth Guilfoy, principal of Southwest Elementary, knew Jennifer for three and a half years.
Not only was she able to know Jennifer as a colleague, but Guilfoy’s son also was a student in Jennifer’s second-grade class last year.
“She was one of those people that was here late in the evening, always,” Guilfoy said. “She did whatever she needed to do to make sure her students had what they needed.”
Jennifer began serving on the school’s Parent Teacher Organization board as a teacher representative last year, despite not having any children of her own.
“Jennifer really believed in making our school better,” Guilfoy said. “That was her mission, and she was really good at it.”
Once Jennifer’s colleagues were told of her death, they began discussing how they would tell Jennifer’s “children” — the 21 second-graders expecting Mrs. Longworth bright and early Monday morning.
The administration called the family of each student Sunday night and informed them that Jennifer had been killed in the blast, allowing parents to decide how best to break the news to their child.
Described as a soft-spoken, hardworking educator who loved the Indianapolis Colts and her dog, Pepper, Jennifer’s colleagues are working to memorialize her spirit.
During the morning of Nov. 12, the entire school held a memorial for Jennifer.
Colleagues released blue and white Colts-colored balloons, then silently filed back into the building, Jennifer’s second-graders leading the way.
The Southwest PTO has established an award in honor of Jennifer and her husband, which will be given to a high school senior planning to continue his or her education.
The Dion and Jennifer Longworth Memorial Award will be awarded to past students of Jennifer for the next 10 years.
Once those students are cycled through, the award will then be available to any high school senior who meets the standard of excellence expected from Jennifer.
Donna Jones, president of Southwest PTO, knew Jennifer for seven years. Her son, just like Guilfoy’s, was also a former student.
Jones said telling her son was difficult, as expected, but the way Jennifer and her husband passed made telling him all the more complicated.
“Kids are interesting because you never know how they are processing things,” she said. “He prayed and said, ‘Dear God, please help me not miss Mrs. Longworth so much, and please take good care of her up in heaven.’ It was heartbreaking.”
Students walked into class Monday morning with their work laid out on their desk, just like any other Monday. Jennifer was organized down to the last detail, with lessons planned through Thanksgiving.
“She spent weekends; she spent evenings. She went above and beyond to make sure her kids worked to the fullest of their potential and got the most out of her classroom experience,” Jones said.
Outside of the classroom, Jennifer still kept her children in mind, knitting hats and scarves for her students each year as Christmas presents.
“She probably had hats and scarves in her home Saturday night that she had been working on,” Jones said. “There’s no doubt in my mind.”
A kind disciplinarian, Jennifer expected her students to perform at the best of their abilities, and she knew how to get them to do so.
“They knew what was expected of them and she commanded their respect,” Jones said. “But she did it in such a way that they loved her dearly and were happy to comply.”
