The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/217854
A-2 Wednesday, November 27, 2013 The Press-Dispatch H Holiday events scheduled Continued from page 1 through Sunday. Christmas parades are Saturday, December 7 The annual Christmas parades in Winslow and Petersburg will be Saturday, December 7. The Winslow parade is set for 10 a.m. It will proceed from Union St. north on Main St. to the Little League park. Line up is at 9 a.m. near the Winslow Fire Department. Following the parade, Santa will be at the Winslow Fire Department to talk with children. The Mouse House where children can select and purchase inexpensive gifts for their family will be open in the Winslow Nazarene Fellowship Hall. Helpers will be there to help children select and wrap the presents from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is hosted by the Beautification Committee. They are also taking donations to build a gazebo in memory of Buck Ashby. They have already raised $3,600 for the project, with Marie Boyd and Carol Sue Sutton in their elf costumes. H Missing special elf suit Continued from page 1 Sutton said she can remember when the person to whom she loaned the elf costume came to Pike County Development's office, where she has worked for more than 30 years, to pick it up. "I had it laying across the seats up there and I remember somebody came in, they threw it over their shoulder and they were going to have so much fun with it, and out the door they went, and put it in their car," Sutton said. "I can't think what kind of car it was," Sutton added. "I can't think if she was blonde-headed, black-headed ... it was somebody I knew, somebody that I really trusted with it." It took two years, however, for Sutton to realize that her special elf costume had not been returned. "When 2010 rolled around, I didn't look for it because, the day of the parade, I had two weddings – one in Augusta and one in Boonville," Sutton said. "There wasn't any way I could go to two weddings and be in the parade, and none of the other sorority girls – they never ever wanted to wear elf suits – wanted to use it, so I didn't even look for it." "So it was 2011 before I actually went to where I keep things like that and it wasn't there," Sutton continued. "And then it hit me: I'd loaned it to somebody. And whoever it was, didn't bring it back." Sutton said that she and co-worker Mary Thomas, who was present when the person who borrowed the elf costume picked it up in 2009, have wracked their brains, trying to remember some detail that might jog their or someone else's memory. "Mary and I have thought about this over and over and over," Sutton said. "But I'm just a blank." Last year, Sutton inserted a plea for help to find the missing elf costume in the Christmas cards she sent out. "I probably send more than 200 Christmas cards," Sutton said. "Whether they were somebody in Wyoming or Pennsylvania, I still put it in there, just thinking maybe somebody would say, 'Oh my daughter-in-law! We got family pictures of her one Christmas. My daughter-inlaw was dressed up as an elf.' Just kind of jog somebody's memory." Sutton, who also placed an advertisement in The Press-Dispatch last year, said she has received several responses, but, as of yet, to no avail. "I had a few responses, maybe half a dozen, and they were telling me of Susan Sutton, who worked down at the JayC store, that she would dress up as an elf," Sutton said. "Well, that's one of the Walmart suits. Susan never had this suit – and she's my cousin." "I just keep thinking that somebody is going to remember something," Sutton said. "Like having it at a church program or a family Christmas gathering or, you know, pictures with Santa." Sutton has left no stone unturned in her search for the missing elf costume. "A friend of mine said, 'I know somebody you can talk to ... a psychic,' so I called her," Sutton said. "I'd never done anything like that before, I never believed in anything like that, really. But she said she thinks it's in a cedar chest ... and that, eventually, I would get it back. But she couldn't say when. So I don't know." Sutton also took the advice of another friend who encouraged her to pray to St. Anthony, the patron saint for lost things. "I felt guilty about praying to St. Anthony for an elf suit, but I have tried that, because it does mean so much to me," Sutton said. Last year, Sutton made a sign requesting the return of the missing elf costume and held it while riding with Santa during the Christmas parade. "I just rode in the sleigh with Santa and held that sign up, because it just wasn't the same, not in my elf suit, not with the bells ringing and everything," Sutton said. "It's not the same." Each of the last two years, Sutton has worn an elf costume purchased from Walmart. "I haven't decided what I'm going to do this Christmas parade," Sutton said. "I'll be there and I'll probably have on a Walmart suit, but I probably will ride instead of walk." "Not having any close family or little kids, I could never really get into Christmas until you started down Main Street and see all those kids," Sutton continued, her voice choking with emotion. "And even though Ole Country Woodshop Sat. Nov. 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. est BLACK SATURDAY SALES CHRISTMAS TREES .................. 25% OFF CANDLES .................................... 25% OFF ORNAMENTS .............................. 25% OFF PARK DESIGN CURTAINS......... 35% OFF ANTIQUES................................... 10% OFF 743 S. St. Rd. 61 • Winslow (812) 789-8421 UNLESS MARKED FIRM CLOSED FRIDAY they kind of look past you, as an elf, but they see Santa, and you hand them that candy, then it clicks in and it starts to be Christmas." "Yeah, I'm tearing up," she added. "But that's how much it really means to me." Sutton said she would especially like the return of her elf costume so that she can wear it for her boyfriend's granddaughter, McKenzie, who was born in April. "So there's a little one coming along," Sutton said. "I would like to kick in and start using it now for my people where I've used it for others down through the years." Sutton said that she doesn't care who has the elf costume or why it has not been returned. In fact, she's even suggested if somebody has it and wants to return it anonymously, that they take it or have it delivered to the Pike County Sheriff's Department or Petersburg City Hall. "Sometimes I think, well, maybe somebody's afraid that I'll be mad," Sutton said. "I'm not going to be mad. I just want it back. I mean, I'd like to know, but I could live without it if I got the suit back." "But you'd think somebody, if they had it, would maybe be using it," Sutton said. "And it's got to be somebody that I knew, and that's what bugs me. Because I wouldn't have loaned it to anybody that I didn't know." Sutton is hoping that people will take a few extra moments when they start decorating for the holidays to see if they may have her elf costume. "With McKenzie coming along and going to be growing up, I'd like to use it and be 'Santa's Special Elf' again," Sutton said. "I don't want to put anybody on the spot. I'm sure it's an honest thing, and that it's hanging in somebody's closet - or in somebody's cedar chest." Anyone with information about Sutton's missing elf costume can contact her by calling (812) 354-6169 or (812) 354-8893. a goal of raising $7,000. Petersburg parade moved to 3 p.m. The Petersburg Christmas parade has been moved to a 3 p.m. starting time. The Hadi Shriners are planning on participating in the parade with numerous units. Line up for the parade will be on Walnut St. beginning at 2 p.m. The parade will proceed south on Main St. from Highway 61. Prizes for the parade units best displaying the spirit of Christmas will be awarded in the amounts of $100, $50 and $25 by the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, and Petersburg Business and Professionals Association. Breakfast with Santa in Petersburg, Otwell Children will be able to talk to Santa while eating donuts and drinking juice on Saturday, December 7. The Petersburg event will be at the VFW and is sponsored by the Petersburg Delts. Otwell's Breakfast with Santa will be in the cafete- ria at the Community Center from 9 to 11 a.m. At the same time, the vendor fair will be taking place in the gym. Salvation Army bell ringing The Salvation Army will begin their bell ringing campaign. It is their largest fundraiser of the year. They will begin ringing on Friday following Thanksgiving and continue ringing each Friday and Saturday until Christmas. Of each dollar raised in Pike and Gibson counties, 89 cents goes directly to programs and or services. If you would like to consider being a bell ringer, check out the bell ringer video at www.saprinceton.org and contact John Burns at 3543433 or Cal Biddle at 3548069. Burns schedules volunteers for the Dollar General store while Biddle organizes the volunteers ringing at Shopko. Volunteers are needed for November 29 and 30, December 6 and 7, 13 and 14, 20 and 21. H 100th anniversary Continued from page 1 County by 1812. Finis' father passed away in 1839. His older brothers, John and Josiah, died in 1845 and 1852. They left Finis as the head of the family. He lived on the 360-acre family homestead with his mother and three sisters for many years, outliving all but the youngest girl, Sophia. Many stories have been written concerning this family. One explains the lack of descendants and revolves around the youngest daughter, She was supposedly engaged to one of the young men in the Campbell family, which was another wealthy pioneer family in Pike County. Her fiance died of an illness while she was visiting someone in Daviess County. Because of the lack of fast, reliable communication, she was not aware of his death until after he had been buried. She became so upset over his death she drew up a pact which Finis and both sisters, Jemima and Mariah signed, pledging none of them would ever marry. The pact decreed that if any of them married, he or she would forfeit his or her share of the family fortune. None of the four ever married and when Sophia, the last surviving Hornady, died, the closest living relatives were second and third cousins. David, the patriarch of the family, was a minister of the Regular Baptist Church. He preached first at Highbanks, then later in Petersburg. The Hornady Baptist Church was named in his honor. Only one of his children ever joined the church, but they continued to contribute to the church throughout their lifetimes. When the Hornady Baptist Church was rebuilt in 1900 it was largely financed by the remaining child, Sophia. One thousand dollars was left to the Baptist Church in Finis Hornady's will. It was "to be used by said church in keeping its house of worship in repair, furnishing carpets, light and fuel..." TASTE of CHRISTMAS The large cast-iron dog sitting atop the hill in Section H of the Walnut Hills Cemetery marks the family plot of the Hornady family. Many believe the dog was made in tribute to a favorite family pet. Ten thousand dollars was left to Pike Lodge No. 121, F.&A.M. "...which is to be loaned by said lodge as the trustees thereof may deem best and the interest arising there from to be applied in keeping my lot in Walnut Hills Cemetery, near Petersburg, in good repair and that the same be kept as it has been kept by me in my lifetime, and the balance of said interest to be used by said lodge to help the unfortunate and needy brothers of said lodge..." Finis Hornady also left $10,000 to Pacific Lodge No. 173, IOOF of Petersburg, Indiana "for the use of Walnut Hills Cemetery, belonging to said lodge.." The money was for improvements to the "roadways and alleys of said cemetery..." In the fifth item of his will, Finis left the "home farm" to the city of Petersburg "to have and hold the same forever, to be held and used and controlled as a public park and known and designated as Hornady's Park, and that the same be kept up as such by said town. And I also give and bequeath to said town of Petersburg, Indiana, the sum of $1,000 for the purpose of improving said park and keeping it in good order. It is my will that none of the forest trees therein shall be cut down and no part of the farm rented to any person for any purpose, but as near as it can be done the same shall be kept in the conditions that I kept it in my lifetime. "The blue grass sod in said park shall never be plowed and destroyed. In order of the provision in my will, it is my request that the Board of Trustees of said town shall appoint three competent park commissioners, who shall have the management and control of said park, under the supervision of said board and that said park commissioners make a report in writing to said board on the first Monday of May and that no intoxicating liquors shall ever be sold and no games of chance shall ever be allowed upon said premises." The will also provided for the remainder of the estate, after all claims and bequeaths, to be used by Pike County for "the maintenance and education of the orphans and destitute children under 16 years of age" of Pike County. The fund was to be established under the name of Hornady Fund. The conditions of the will where executed after the death of Sophia Hornady on November 23, 1913 at the age of 91. She had lived alone at the home farm since the death of Finis 14 years earlier. When the city acquired the 56 and two-thirds acre farm, it was overgrown with vegetation. Many of the citizens helped in clearing the property. The site included the residence, lake, wooded area and part of the sugar maple farm. The residence was used for community get-togethers and parties until it burned down when the caretaker's children were burning leaves near the house. The Scout Cabin was built at the park and used by the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as well as other groups for many years. Contrary to popular belief, the logs used to build the cabin didn't come from the Old White Oak Springs Fort, but from the old Johnson home formerly located in Logan Township. In the early 1940s, the Pike County Fair and 4H exhibits were moved to the park. In 1952, the 4-H community raised money through a "Buy-a-Block" fund drive to build the present 4-H building which was built on the site of the Hornady family home. Now Serving Hunt Brothers Pizza & Wings at The Village Inn Dec. 2, 2013 • 6:00 p.m. $10 per person Bring a friend and enjoy a fun evening! • Decorations • Holiday Foods • Dessert Wonderland • Soups • Sandwiches • Drinks Plus baked goods, gifts, floral arrangements and other items available for purchase. Village Inn 354-9259 • 242 South Hwy. 57, Petersburg l Speciar! o fe Addgs! Largef12" 99 win Pizza PLUS... ch Large 12" Pizza $ 9 ea Double order of Win (Boneless or Bone-in gs , Southern or Spicy) st, PLUS... Choose your cru FREE choose up to 10 toppings! Additional Pizzas $8.99 ea. only EBT APPROVED 1499 $ WINSLOW MARKET Place 305 North Main, Winslow • 789-5282 Mon-Thurs: 7am-9pm, Fri, Sat: 7am-10pm, Sun: 8am-8pm