The Press-Dispatch
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C-8 Wednesday, Februar y 5, 2020 The Press-Dispatch HISTORY Submit history photos: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO The Petersburg Press Friday and Tuesday, Sept. 29 and Oct. 3, 1944 Floyd Burkhardt, living on rural route 4, out of this city, was found not guilty of violating the state mo- tor law in the Vanderburgh County Court one day last week. The Sunday's Cou- rier gave the story as fol- lows: "Immunity of the in- struments of the United States from state control in the performance of their duties" yesterday came in handy in the case of Floyd E. Burkhardt, rural route 4, Petersburg, charged in city court with violation of the state motor law. Two state police officers, Wil- liam Cornett and Howard Lytton, testified that Bur- khardt drove a U.S. Navy truck for the shipyard af- ter both his operator's li- cense and his chauffeur's license were revoked. His auto plates were also re- voked, all for a period of three months. Paul Wever, attorney for the defendant, cited an official opinion from James A. Emmert, In- diana attorney general, to the effect that an employee of the federal government does not need a state oper- ator's license to drive a fed- erally owned vehicle in the course of his employment. He based his ruling on a su- preme court decision for a postal employee arrested for not having a state oper- ator's license. Judge James G. Crenshaw found Bur- khardt not guilty. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Robert Benjamin at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ray- mond Benjamin, near Win- slow, a girl, Judy Ann. Marriages: Veneeda Mae Julian and Sgt. Ben- jamin Runyan were unit- ed in marriage Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at the home of Rev. Hugo Harmeyer in Oakland City; Juvernia Boger and Will H. Grubb were married Tuesday af- ternoon at the Christian parsonage, with Rev. Pruitt officiating. Deaths: Jennie Wood- all, 63, of Petersburg, died at her home at 9;15 o'clock Saturday evening. SIXTY YEARS AGO The Petersburg Press Thursday, December 31, 1959 Mrs. Dorothy Houchins, manager of the Pike Coun- ty license branch, has an- nounced that 1960 automo- bile license plates will go on sale Saturday, January 2. The plates for 1960 will have white lettering on a blue background. "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Doug- las was playing at the Ohio Theater in Oakland City. "Journey to the Cen- ter of the Earth," starring Pat Boone and James Ma- so was playing at the Astra Theater. Gregory Peck and Deborah Kerr were star- ring in "Beloved Infidel," and James Stewart and Ve- ra Miles were starring in "The FBI Story," both play- ing at the Lincoln Theater. At Voyle's IGA, milk was selling for $ .89 for three 1/2 gallons, orange juice was selling three for $ .49, Dole canned pineapple was selling for $ .33 per can and bacon was selling for $ .39 per lb. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Norrick, of Winslow, a son, born Christmas Day in the Daviess County Hos- pital; To Mr. and Mrs. Don- ald R. Buck, of Oakland City, a son, Robert Kent, born Wednesday, Decem- ber 23 at Deaconess Hos- pital in Evansville; To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Leighty, of Petersburg, a daughter, born Tuesday, December 29; To Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hayes, of Petersburg, a daughter, Kimberly Kay, born Saturday in the Da - viess County Hospital. Marriages: Sharon Burns became the bride of Michael Nixon Satur- day evening, December 26 in the Winslow Methodist Church. Deaths: Capitola Rice, 90, of Petersburg, died at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday at her home; Clarence T. Hollon, 81, of Winslow, died at 8:10 a.m. Thursday, December 24 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes; My- na Marie Myers, 79, of Al- ford, died at the Daviess County Hospital in Wash- ington at 8 a.m. Sunday. FIFTY YEARS AGO The Press-Dispatch Thursday, January 15, 1970 A four-room home and its contents on Nichols Ave., 20 feet north of Sun- set Motel on Highway 57, on the south edge of Pe- tersburg, was destroyed by fire Friday night at 11:02. The home, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Larry Weisman, was owned by Mrs. Weis- man's mother, Mrs. Hazel Mickler Simpson, who al- so owned part of the fur- niture in the home. The loss was estimated at over $10,000 and was partial- ly covered by insurance. The Weismans were not at home at the time of the fire. Their water pipes in the house were frozen and they had gone to the home of Mr. Weisman's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Linus Weis- man, in Otwell, to spend the night. Earlier in the evening, heating equip- ment has been used in the home in an effort to thaw out the pipes. It is thought the fire originated form this equipment. The fire was reported to the Pe- tersburg Fire Department by George Isom, of the Pizzerina Parlor near the Weisman home. Willard Kelshaw, Petersburg Fire Chief, reported that the en- tire back of the house was ablaze when the fire truck arrived. The intense heat caused an explosion, which blew out the windows and a door. This caused a draft causing the fire to spread rapidly throughout the house. A few pieces of fur- niture were carried out, but were badly damaged from the intensity of the blaze inside the house. Mr. and Mrs. Weisman are staying in the home of his parents until they can find a trailer to put on the lot where the house burned. Ethel Briggs was in- jured Saturday at noon as she was returning to work at Snyders. As she was ap- proaching the Patoka Riv- er Bridge, Roger Young started to pull out from Winslow Auto Sales. He failed to see Mrs. Briggs. Her auto, a 1965 Ford hit the Young car and then hit the river bridge. Dam- age to the Ford amount- ed to $ 950 and was said to be a total loss. Roger was driving a 1969 GTO and damage to it amounted to around $ 850. Mrs. Briggs was taken to the Washing- ton Hospital, where she was treated and released. Young was charged with failure to yield right of way. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hall, of Win- slow, a son, Richard Alan, born December 26 at Da- viess County Hospital; To Mr. and Mrs. Mick Hei- ple, of Petersburg, Mon- day, January 12 in Daviess County Hospital, a daugh- ter; To Mr. and Mrs. Dan- ny Young, of Oakland City, a daughter, Candy Renee, Monday, January 5 at Gib- son General Hospital; To Mr. and Mrs. Dale Krieg, of Oakland City, a son, Rob- ert Dale, Wednesday, Janu- ary 7 at Wirth Hospital; To Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Bart- ley, of Oakland City, a son, John Frank II, Wednesday, January 7 at Gibson Gen- eral Hospital; To Mr. and Mrs. Buddy Lee, of Oak- land City, a daughter, Jen- nifer Sue, Saturday, Jan- uary 3 at Gibson General Hospital. Deaths: Thomas Cor- ten, 90, of Rumbletown, died Sunday, January 11 at 11:30 a.m. in his home; Ottis W. McConnell, 70, of Oakland City, died Fri- day in St. Mary's Hospi- tal; Bessie M. Jenkins, 76, of Petersburg, died in Da- viess County hospital at 1 a.m. Saturday, January 10 ; Fannie Reynolds, 78, of Oakland City, died Satur- day, January 10 at Welborn Hospital; Hattie White, 76, of Petersburg, died at 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, January 7 at the Daviess County Hos- pital; Susie F. Byrd, 82, of Hazleton, died at her home on Tuesday at 4:15 a.m.; Maude E. Kammerer, 84, of Winslow, died Saturday, January 10 in the Holiday Home in Petersburg. TWENTY- FIVE YEARS The Press-Dispatch Thursday, December 29, 1994 Fire destroyed a house trailer Tuesday afternoon in Petersburg. James Aus- tin, 14, of 15th St., Peters- burg, said he was walk- ing down the street to his grandmothers and saw smoke coming from the trailer. He said he and his younger brother ran to his grandmother's and she called the fire depart- ment. Shawn and Venus Daily lived in the trailer, which was owned by San- dy Brittain, of Otwell. It is located at 15th and Syc- amore streets. Peters- burg firemen responded and extinguished it with- in about 15 minutes of ar- rival. Smoke was billowing from the trailer when fire- men arrived but no flames were visible. Petersburg Fire Chief Phil Taylor said the trailer was still pretty much a total loss. He said there was no electricity to the trailer and the fire starting in the living room. "The kerosene heater is suspected, but that's not for sure," said Taylor. He said the kerosene heater would be consistent with the burn pattern found in the living room, where the fire started and where a kerosene heater was found. Venus and her daughters were in Illinois visiting rel- atives and Shawn had left at about noon, according to Taylor. Deaths: Jerry Corn, 63, of Winslow, died Monday, Dec. 26 at 12:09 p.m. at Me- morial Hospital in Jasper; Donald Leon Bryant, 71, of Winslow, died Sunday, Dec. 25 at his residence at 4 a.m.; Olive Rumble, 87, of Winslow, died Monday, Dec. 26 at 8:50 a.m. at Pe- tersburg Healthcare Cen- ter; Patricia E. Bennett, 57, of Oakland City, died Sun- day, Dec. 25 at 2:30 a.m. at the home of her daughter; Mary E. Grubb, 83, of Pe- tersburg, died at 10 :12 a.m. Monday, Dec. 26 at Daviess County Hospital. 1951 Petersburg High School senior class Pictured is the 1951 Petersburg High School senior class. Top row (l to r): Geraldine Whitney, Frederica Willis, Laverne Selby, Phyllis Robling, Ruth Weisheit, Richard Spradlin, Winifred Cockerham, Norma Jerrell, Carol Haury, Mary Tevebaugh and Johanne Hubbell. Row two: Shirley Evans, Carolyn Tray- lor, Helen Miley, Robert Meadors (Historian), Paul Steward (Presedint), Mary Lou Evans (Treasurer)Doris Ann Dyer (Secretary), Carice Masters, Pariscilla Vance and Rowenna Gaines. Row three: Barbara Risley, Norma Barnes, Frances Wilkins, Jane Craig, Joe Robinson, Pansy Robinson, Danny Coleman, Rovert Jerrell, Mary Lou Davis, Hazel Mallory and Olive Mae Biggs. Row four: Richard Pearson, Bill Shafer, Ralph Gray, Danny Catt, Bill Minehart, Jim Naylor, Neil Deffendoll, Ted Black, Shirley Sturgeon, Kenny Gladish and Richard Catt. Bottom row: Leland Barley, Byron Brenton, Robert Chamberlain, Charles Burns, Sam Hornbrook, Jim Bright, Jack Hollon, Luther Hale, Terry Hudson, James King and Robert Willes. Submitted photo Wednesday, Feb. 5 • Beckwith convicted of killing Medgar Evers (1994) • Hank Aaron is born (1934) Thursday, Feb. 6 • Elizabeth becomes queen (1952) • Ronald Reagan is born (1911) Friday, Feb. 7 • Beatles arrive in New York (1964) • The Great Baltimore Fire begins (1904) Saturday, Feb. 8 • Mary Queen of Scots beheaded (1587) • First execution by lethal gas (1924) Sunday, Feb. 9 • Daylight Saving Time instituted (1942) • William Henry Harrison is born (1773) Monday, Feb. 10 • The French and Indian War ends (1763) • Mormons begin exodus to Utah (1846) Tuesday, Feb. 11 • Nelson Mandela released from prison (1990) • Underdog Buster Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson (1990) Source: History.com