Concepcion "Connie" Simmons

Concepcion (Connie) Simmons, age 96, of Bloomington, died on December 18, 2018 at the Brown County Health and Living Community in Nashville, IN. She was born November 11, 1922 in Mexico City, Mexico to Alfonso Rojas and Maria de la Concepcion Gracia Medrano de Rojas. Connie met Merle E. Simmons, Emeritus Professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University, in Mexico City in 1941 when Merle was doing graduate work. For six years they maintained a long-distance relationship, only seeing each other in the summers in Mexico. Then Connie came to the U.S. in 1947 where she worked at Eli Lilly in Indianapolis as a bilingual secretary. Merle and Connie were married on September 6, 1948 and were married for 59 years until Merle’s death in 2008. Other than a short period when she lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan while Merle was completing his doctorate, Connie spent the rest of her life in Bloomington as a devoted wife and mother who was active in the IU Faculty Wives Club and a Spanish conversation circle, called “La Mesa”, that met weekly at the Tudor Room. She loved to travel with her family and lived in Europe, Mexico and South America as her husband’s work as an academic allowed her to live in Europe, Mexico, and South America. She was an active member of both St. Charles Borromeo Church and St. Paul Catholic Center. Connie lived in Bloomington for over 60 years, loved Indiana, I.U. and was a self-proclaimed Hoosier and proud U.S. citizen. It was fitting that she lived the last few years or her life and died in Brown County, one of her favorite places to spend a Sunday afternoon. Her daughters would like to thank the staff at the Brown County Health and Living Community for the wonderful care and attention they provided to their mother since she moved there in January 2013. Survivors include daughter Martha (“Marta”) Simmons Wright and husband Leo Wright of Cincinnati, OH; daughter Mary Alice (“Maria”) Hamilton and husband Jason Hamilton of Bloomington; granddaughters Andrea and Emily Hunt, Raquel Davis, and Alejandra and Isabel Hamilton; and grandson Antonio Hamilton. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews in Mexico. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her sister, Maria de los Angeles Millan Rojas. A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at 10:00AM on Saturday, December 22 at St. Paul Catholic Center, 1413 E. 17th St. with Father Patrick Hyde, O.P. officiating. A one-hour visitation will be held at 9:00am prior to the service. Burial will be at Clear Creek Cemetery following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Paul Catholic Center 1413 E. 17th Street or the Merle E. Simmons Fellowship P370004881, in care of the Indiana University Foundation either at P.O. Box 6460, Indianapolis, IN 46240 or at give.iu.edu. Allen Funeral Home and Crematory 4155 South Old State Road 37 is handling the arrangements and online condolences, photos and memories may be shared with family and friends at www.allencares.com.

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Concepcion "Connie" Simmons

November 11, 1922 - December 18, 2018