Jean Davis

Flossie Jeanette (Jean) Davis of Plainfield passed away on October 25, 2026. She was born in Miletus, West Virginia to Bernard and Elanore Belle Bailey (nee Cox). Family documents tell us that the Cox and Bailey families immigrated from Gloucester and York, England, to the British colony of Virginia in the 1600's. Flossie Jean was a Daughter of the American Revolution though not active in the organization. The West Virginia that she was born into was not the John Denver "Country Roads" West Virginia, but a hard scrabble West Virginia in the depths of the Great Depression. Times were tough with extreme poverty. Flossie Jean’s mother died when she was 12. She was then raised by her Grandma Queen Cox and Aunt Pauline (Cox) Goodman in a house without running water or electricity in the Appalachian Mountains. As children, Flossie Jean and her sister Madonna Jean would collect coal from alongside the road and wood from the forest to fuel their potbelly stove in the sitting room and cast-iron stove in the kitchen. The bathtub was in the kitchen. Water would be drawn by the handpump behind the house and heated on the stove.

The above photo is Flossie Jean's High School Graduation picture. In this era there were no SATs or college admission essays. After high school Flossie Jean simply started taking classes at the University of West Virginia. Soon she earned her undergraduate degree in education.

Flossie Jean and husband Kermit met as councillors at a summer camp in the State of Maine and were married in Liberty, Indiana in 1955.

Kermit's dream was to be a high school football coach, so they moved to Brookville, Ohio where his coaching career began. In Brookville (1959 to 1969) Flossie Jean was an elementary and high school teacher while raising two children Kelley and Kyle Davis. In 1970 the family moved to Plainfield, Indiana to begin Kermit's 17-year career as Head Varsity Coach of the Fighting Quakers. (Yes, fighting Quakers do exist on the gridiron.) Flossie Jean initially taught Art at Mars Hill Grade School in Marion County before joining Brownsburg High School where she taught Art and Home Economics. While teaching full-time, Flossie Jean received her master’s degree from Butler University.

Flossie Jean attended every Plainfield Red Pride game, every season, both home and away. In the late 80's an unfortunate misunderstanding took place. The Greencastle Athletic Director telephoned Charles Muston, the Plainfield Athletic Director to complain that the Plainfield football coaches' wives were verbally and excessively complaining from the stands about the referees. Flossie Jean and an unnamed assistant coach's wife denied any and all knowledge of the above and they promised never to do it again.

Plainfield is where Flossie Jean truly became artist, teacher, businesswoman and frequent world traveler, visiting over 40 countries. She loved cooking, knitting and sewing. Kermit's students still tell stories of him bragging to his class about his sports jacket made by Flossie Jean. She loved painting well into later life.

Flossie Jean and Kermit founded and ran the International Sports Exchange, which for 20 years arranged international sporting events and tours for high schools and universities. They eventually worked with the U.S. State Department organizing coaching clinics, both to and from Africa, Mexico, and other countries.

During retirement Flossie Jean became very active in Plainfield Plus, which actively promoted Plainfield as a wonderful community to live and grow in. She was a driving force behind the development of Plainfield’s Friendship Gardens on South Center Street.

Flossie Jean is preceded in death by her husband Kermit. She is survived by her only sister Madonna Jean Nissan, by her sons Kelley Davis and Kyle Davis, and by her grandson U.S. Army Captain Alexander Davis and granddaughter Rachel Davis.

Flossie Jean will be buried next to Kermit at Arlington National Cemetery, where a graveside funeral will be held. The exact date is yet to be determined.