The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1242000
B-8 Wednesday, April 29, 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, Dec. 22 and Dec. 26, 1944 While the Hughes fami- ly know nothing of the bru- tality of dictators, they do know about freedom and all too young to get into ac- tual combat, they are doing their fighting by buying War Bonds. When the war broke out, Howard Hughes, the oldest of the four Hughes children, was just 15. In his heart, there flamed immedi- ate desire to help his coun- try. But in the United States, boys of 15 can't enlist to fight. Then Howard heard the sto- ry of War Bonds and how the dollars they produced were just as important as fight- ing men in tanks or planes. Yes, that was it, he would buy War Bonds and keep on buying them until victory. But where was the money to come from? The Hughes farm was small and none too fertile and there wasn't much that a boy of his age could do to earn money. Then How- ard remembered the black- berries that grow wild over Pike County land. Why not enlist the aid of his sister and two brothers? Of course, they were just "little folk," but it was worth trying. And try they did, in spite of bri- ars, and chiggers and heat. Folks came and bought the berries, too, until 281 gallons had been picked and sold. Jessie, 8, and Doris, 9, each bought a $25 bond. Howard and his 12-year-old brother, Leonard, had enough money to buy $100 worth of bonds between them, with $ 8 left over for stamps. But that was just the start, for today How- ard has more than $500 in bonds and the money was all earned by picking berries and doing other odd jobs. W. Baker Barrett, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Barrett, of Winslow, is in a critical condition in the Methodist hospital in Indianapolis as a result of burns received from the accidental burning of a Santa Claus suit that he was wearing during a Christmas party. Mr. Barrett had been married only since Thanks- giving and his wife had ar- ranged the party with the intention of inviting a large number of their friends so they could all become bet- ter acquainted. Blood plas- ma has aided his condition to a great extent with physi- cians reporting that seven- teen pints have so far been injected into him. His par- ents are at his bedside. Births: To Cpl. and Mrs. Ermal Hael, of Otwell, a boy, Jackie Pearl, born Tuesday, at the Daviess County hospi- tal; To Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Wayman, of Campbelltown, twins, Bobby Ray and Eva Mae, born on Christmas day. Deaths: Nancy E. Cum- mings, 61, of Petersburg, died at her home on Locust St., at 1:30 o'clock Wednes- day afternoon; Mrs. Ger- trude Payne, 64, of Peters- burg, passed away in the Robert Long hospital in In- dianapolis, on Christmas morning at 8:00 o'clock; James A. Higgins, 71, of Pe- tersburg, passed away Fri- day afternoon. SIXTY YEARS AGO The Petersburg Press Thursday, March 24, 1960 Members of the Peters- burg Optimist Club have an- nounced that the wrestling match to be held in the Pe- tersburg High School gym will be held Thursday eve- ning, March 31. The cards call for Rip Hawk to meet Jim LaRock in the feature bout. Tickets are now on sale at the Petersburg Press office. Admission prices are $1 for adults and 50 cents for chil- dren. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. One hundred years ago, Pike County was just a lit- tle over 40 years old. There were few roads, most of the people lived in the northern section of the county and there were more acres stand- ing in timber than there were cleared for farming. It was under these conditions that Frank Bee was brought into the world on March 29, 1860, in a little community on the Patoka river called Winslow. As a young man, Frank mar- ried a young woman by the name of Mary Phelps, with whom he had four children, Charles, Anna, Mabel and William. While his chil- dren were still young, his first wife died. Some time later he married Lucy Poe, and they lived in Velpen for several years. At 96 years of age, Frank had outlived all of his family members, with the exception of his son, Charles. Last year on his 99th birthday, Frank re- ceived 105 cards. Again this year, a card shower will be given him and everyone who knows him may send a card. Since he has been a native of Winslow longer than any- one else, all you need on the address will be Frank Bee, Winslow, Indiana. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Tom Hudson, of Petersburg, a son, Jeffery Scott, was born Thursday morning, at the Daviess County Hospi- tal; To Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Dixon, of Winslow, a daugh- ter, Tanya Yvonne, was born Wednesday, March 16, in the Daviess County Hospital. Deaths: Stella Christmas, 84, of Petersburg, died Sun- day evening, at her daugh- ter's home; Rose Etta Smith, 73, of the Alford Community, died at the family residence, at 1 a.m., Wednesday. FIFTY YEARS AGO The Press-Dispatch Thursday, April 9, 1970 Master Sergeant Ray R. Stillwell, brother of Roy C. Stillwell, Route 2, Velpen, has been decorated with the U.S. Air Force Airman's Medal for heroism at the vol- untary risk of life. Sergeant Stillwell also received the Bronze Star Medal for mer- itorious service in Vietnam. Sergeant Stillwell now is as- signed as an air transporta- tion supervisor with an aer- ial port squadron at Dover AFB, Delaware, where he received decorations. The squadron is a part of the Military Airlift Command which provides global airlift for U.S. military forces. The home of Mr. and Mrs. John Fulcher, Route 5, Pe- tersburg, near Knights Cha- pel Church, was complete- ly destroyed by fire Mon- day morning. No one was home at the time and Bob Deffendoll noticed smoke coming out of the windows as he was passing. The in- tense heat burst the win- dows and with the strong wind, it soon burnt to the ground. The Fulchers have five daughters, all in school. The only thing they had left were the clothes they were wearing. Anyone wishing to donate clothing in sizes 5, 6, 7 and 8 or 10 in girls' sizes and for Mrs. Fulcher, about size 12, it would be appreci- ated. Things may be taken to the home of Mrs. Fulcher's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wil- bur Pride, South 7th Street in Petersburg. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. James Eckert, of Peters- burg, a daughter, Kay Ann, March 30, in the Daviess County Hospital; To Mr. and Mrs. Bill Robinson, of Evans- ville, a son, Eric Jason, Fri- day, April 3, at the St. Mary's hospital.; Marriages: Carolyn Jean and R. Thomas Moore were married Saturday, April 4, at the East 49th Street Christain Church in Indi- anapolis; Darlene J. Hayes and Robert C. Mottern were married March 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the Twin Oaks Wes- leyan Church in Petersburg. Deaths: Herman Wira, 60, of Winslow, died Wednes- day morning, in St. Joesph's hospital in Huntingburg; Mrs. Sarah Ella Thompson, 88, of Glezen, died Monday, April 6, at 10 :30 a.m. in the Holiday Home in Petersburg. TWENTY- FIVE YEARS The Press-Dispatch Thursday, March 23, 1995 June 2, 1990, is a day that many Petersburg residents will not soon forget. The larg- est outbreak of tornadoes to ever strike Indiana occurred that day. Thirty-seven torna- does ripped across 31 coun- ties wreaking destruction and havoc upon the people of Indiana. In Pike County, the toll was much more cost- ly and deadly, as eight peo- ple lost their lives and more than 175 homes were de- stroyed when a tornado cut a four-block swath through Petersburg. In the past five years, the people of Peters- burg have gone through the arduous task of rebuild- ing the city and putting the horror of that Saturday eve- ning behind them. It is not something easily forgotten. According to the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Indianapolis, be- tween 1962 and 1991, Indi- ana ranked fifth in the Unit- ed States in the number of tornadoes per unit area and second in the nation in the number of tornado deaths per unit area. In order to maintain a high level of awareness to the dangers of tornadoes and severe thun- derstorms, Governor Ev- an Bayh proclaimed March 12-18 as Severe Weather Awareness Week. As part of the special week, the NWS, State Emergency Manage- ment Agency, Indiana State Police, Department of Ed- ucation and amateur radio community worked in con- junction to stage a statewide tornado drill on Wednesday, March 15. A former Winslow woman was killed Wednesday night in a head-on collision on Highway 64 near the Pike- Gibson county line. Accord- ing to Indiana State Police, Anita Decker, 38, of Francis- co, died after her 1993 Mer- cury slammed head-on into a 1993 Mack truck. She was driving east on Highway 64, about 2.5 miles east of Oak- land City, when she crossed the centerline in front of an oncoming semi-truck driv- en by Daniel Schultz, 42, of Elberfeld. Decker died of in- ternal injuries. Schultz was treated at the scene for cuts and scrapes. The accident was investigated by Indiana State Police, who were as- sisted by Pike County Sher- iff Department, South Pato- ka and Columbia Township Fire departments. Births: To Mike and Brenda Riley, of Oakland City, at the Mayo Clinic's Methodist Hospital in Roch- ester, on March 2, a son, Ev- an Micheal Riley. Marriages: Holly Imo- gene Young and Kirby Dale Quiggins, both of Peters- burg, were married, Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. at Glezen Revival Center. Deaths: Bobby Burns, 65, of Monroe City, died Saturday, March 18 at 11:20 a.m. at her residence; Lo- la Gertie Walker Yates, 69, of Vincennes, died Sunday, March 19 at 6:40 a.m. at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes. 1913 Petersburg High School grad paved the way for midwifery Article contributed Catherine Lory was born in Petersburg to William Tobias and Nellie Chappell Lory. Her early childhood years were lived in Alas- ka, where her family moved in order for her father to participate in the "Klondike Alaska Gold Rush." ALASKA GOLD MINE CAMP A fter her father arrived and settled in- to the Klondike gold mining camp, he sent for his wife, Nellie, and daughter. In 1899, spunky Nellie Lory and her four-year-old daughter, Catherine, embarked on this gold mining adventure by traveling on a steam engine train from Indiana to Seattle, Was., steam ship to Juneau, Alaska, a rickety nar- row-gauge railroad to the end of the line and walked 12 miles into the Klondike, Alaska gold mine camp. Precocious Catherine was the only child in camp and was the delight and joy of the miners. She brightened everyone's day by picking wild flower bouquets for the min- ers during the summers. These gold miners built Catherine her own child-size dog sled for her use dur- ing the harsh winters. Nellie served as the camp cook. Sixty years later, a friend wrote that her childhood Alaskan experience pre- pared Catherine for her future life of new adventures. GRADUATED FROM PHS IN 1913 A fter two years of gold mining adven- tures in Alaska, the family returned to Petersburg, where Catherine began her schooling and graduated from PHS in 1913. ONE OF THE FIRST AMERICAN NURSES TO SERVE IN EUROPE DURING WORLD WAR I A fter graduation at age 17, she entered Battle Creek Hospital Training School for Nurses in Battle Creek, Mich., which was then the nation's oldest and largest school for nurses. Following graduation in 1917, Catherine was immediately commissioned as a Red Cross nurse and began serving in military hospitals. The United States had just en- tered World War I and Catherine enlisted in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, where she was one of the first American nurses to be sent overseas in W WI. She served first in England and then near the battle lines in Rouen, France, as a surgical nurse. Following the World War I Armistice, she remained in France as an exchange surgical nurse. In 1920, she married Horace Menefee Meyer in Indianapolis and they moved to Chicago, where she was engaged in public health nursing. Mr. Mey- er deserted his young family, leaving Cath- erine to support their two young children. She raised her children, with helping hands from her parents, while con- tinuing her nursing career, also concurrent- ly earning an additional degree from the In- diana University School of Nursing. JOINS 'NURSES ON HORSEBACK' IN APPALACHIA Later in her nursing career, Catherine joined Frontier Nursing Services (FNS), known as "Nurses on Horseback." The nurses had to learn to ride horses in order to trav- el into the remote Appala- chian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. A book "Nurses on Horseback" describes the adventures of these pi- oneer nurses. These nurses provid- ed both nursing and pedi- atric care in the Appala- chian region to extremely poor families who lived in the remote Kentucky Appa- lachian Mountains. These nurses' efforts were instru- mental in reducing the high infant and maternal mortal- ity rates in Appalachia. Catherine worked with Mary Brecken- ridge, who was the founder of FNS. Breck- inridge was also the nation's foremost pio- neer in the development of American mid- wifery and founded the first school in Amer- ica that trained and certified midwives. It was during Catherine's service with FNS that she became trained and highly skilled in midwife nursing – skills that she used and taught the remainder of her life. INDIANA'S FIRST LICENSED MIDWIFE NURSE Upon her return to Indiana from FNS, Catherine was granted an Indiana license as a Certified Midwife–the first such li- cense granted in the State of Indiana. From 1940 to 1956, she served as the Pub- lic Health Nurse in Nashville, Ind., while al- so teaching midwife nursing. During World War II, she was often the only trained med- ical professional in Brown County. In 1950, she was selected as Indiana's outstanding woman in the field of health and welfare. During her Nashville years, she attend- ed the local Nashville Christian Church. CATHERINE SERVES IN THE AFRICA BUSH COUNTRY In 1956, Catherine was asked by the U.S. Catherine Lory served as a Red Cross nurse in WWI in Europe in 1918. Catherine Lory, pictured left, taught midwifery and child care to native women in rural villages in the bush country of Liberia in 1960. Source: www.history.com • Photo source: britannica.com Wednesday, April 29 • W WII monument opens in Washington, D.C. (2004) • Nixon announces release of White House Watergate tapes (1974) Thursday, April 30 • Adolf Hitler commits suicide (1945) • First federal prison for women opens (1927) Friday, May 1 • Empire State Building dedicated (1931) • Ford factory workers get 40 -hour week (1926) Saturday, May 2 • GM buys Chevrolet (1918) • Osama bin Laden killed by U.S. Forces (2011) Sunday, May 3 • Niccolo Machiavelli born (1469) • MADD founder's daughter killed by a drunk driver (1980) Monday, May 4 • Rhode Island declares independence (1776) • A riot breaks out in Haymarket Square (1886) See MIDWIFE page 10