The Indiana Publisher

January IP 2021

Hoosier State Press Association - The Indiana Publisher

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Page 2 January 2021 Joseph Victor Green of Borden, Indiana passed away Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020 from compli- cations from cancer. A life- long resident of Borden, Joe was born on Feb. 3, 1955, the third child to Robert and Wanda (Roerk) Green. He was a graduate of Borden High School and the Indiana University School of Business. After graduating college, Joe began working with his father at Green Banner Publications where he met his future wife, Jill Ann (Burnett) Green. He ran the family company for 42 years, growing the busi- ness from two to six independent weekly newspapers. He believed in helping people become the best versions of themselves, support- ing his employees, and always believed in the power of second chances. Green was the third gen- eration to run the company. Joe was a member of the Martinsburg Church of Christ and the Borden Lions Club and gave back to both the Borden and Pekin communities whenever the opportunity was present. He loved spending time with his friends and family, visiting Gatlinburg, and telling stories. So many stories. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Jill; daughter Leslie Victoria; son Roerk Joseph (Max Kurtz); and grandson Morgan Joseph. He is also survived by his brother Jim (Carol Godfrey); sister Sue (Green) Johnson; and many loving nieces and nephews. Due to the pandemic, private funeral services were arranged by Hughes-Taylor Funeral Home Donations to Miles for Myeloma through IU Health can be made in Joe's honor.. Joseph Green, former owner, publisher of Green Banner Publishing dies at 65 Green HSPA Foundation Board Members Nancy Grossman, Leader Publishing Gillian Kelk, Sullivan Daily Times Brenda McLane, Hometown Media Group Mark Miller,e News-Banner (Bluon) Greg Perrotto, Kankakee Valley Publishing Kathy Tretter, Ferdinand News and Spencer County Leader (Rockport) HSPA Board Members Bill Connelly, LaGrange Publishing Co. Bud Hunt, AIM Media Indiana Curt Kovener, e Crothersville Times Robert Shegog, Indianapolis Recorder Scott Stanford, Fort Wayne Newspapers Chris White, e Times Media Co. HSPA Board of Directors HSPA Officers President: Beverly Joyce, CNHI Vice President: Larry Hensley, e Hoosier Times HSPA Foundation Board of Directors HSPA Foundation Officers President: Bill Hackney, e La Porte County Herald-Dispatch (Michigan City) and e Rochester Sentinel Vice President/Secretary: Robyn McCloskey, CNHI HSPA Staff Steve Key, executive director, general counsel skey@hspa.com (317) 624-4427 Pamela Lego, advertising director plego@hspa.com (812) 350-7711 Shawn Goldsby, statewide advertising manager sgoldsby@hspa.com (317) 803-4 772 Ruth Witmer, communications specialist news@hspa.com (317) 624-4430 Mark Wilson Evansville Courier & Press EVANSVILLE — Carol Wersich, one of Evansville's first female news reporters, passed away Monday, Jan. 11, at St. Vincent Hospital. Colleagues remembered Wersich, 80, for her encyclopedic knowledge of Evansville and quiet, easy-going personality that contrasted with her love of sports cars and dedication to journalism. "There are few, if any, news- paper jobs she didn't cover, although she was primarily a business writer," said Charlene Tolbert, who worked with Wersich for many years. Tolbert, a former assistant managing editor at the Courier & Press, said she learned much from Wersich. "She was always knowledge- able about the city," Tolbert said, pointing out that she never had a conversation with Wersich where she didn't learn some new fact about the city. "She was a real afi- cionado of automobiles. She often owned two or three at once." While it was Wersich's unas- suming personality people often noticed first, journalism colleagues appreci- ated Wersich's reporting skills and resources too. "She was quiet, humble and very nice, but she was a good reporter. She was a true profes- sional," said Vince Vawter, a former editor and publisher of the Courier & Press. Wersich's newspaper career started shortly after graduat- ing from Central High School when she joined the staff of the Evansville Press, the city's afternoon daily paper. Her first job was writing the weather, said Tom Tuley, a longtime Evansville journalist who started with Wersich at the Press at the same time. Tuley, who retired as editor and president of the Evansville Courier, said that when he became editor of that paper he asked Wersich to be the paper's Community Services Director and connection to the community. He recalled how Wersich would quietly slip away from events before he could recognize her for putting them together. Wersich then worked for many years as a business reporter at the Evansville Courier and then the Courier & Press. "She was such a lovely person and very talented. She never liked to be the center of attention," said Paul McAuliffe, a former editor and director of interactive strate- gies at the Courier & Press. "When she came into the busi- ness, there weren't very many women working in newspapers," he said. "She was a trailblazer in that respect." McAuliffe said Wersich was always happy to share her knowl- edge and community contacts with suggestions to help reporters develop stories. "She knew a lot of people and had a lot of resources," said Roger McBain, a former Courier & Press features writer. He said Wersich could often surprise him with her up-to-date opinions in conversation. "There was more to her than what there appeared. She was a really interesting, enigmatic per- son," he said. Wersich 'Trailblazing' Evansville Courier & Press newspaper reporter Carol Wersich dies at 80

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