The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch From out of the past Sixty years ago The Petersburg Press Thursday, Nov. 19, 1953 Eighteen from Pike County are enrolled at Indiana University: Gary L. Wirey, Glezen; Oliver D. DeMotte, Otwell; Lowell Gladish, Charles Killion, James Krause, Robert O. Meadors, Arthur Miley, Jr., Florence Richardson, Ruth Richardson, and Charleen Steer, all of Petersburg; Vergil E. Schultz, Stendal; Doyle E. Bottom, Dixie Corne, Richard L. Farley, Sandra Inman, Richard McQueen, Ruth Thompson and Lenore Vinyard, all of Winslow. Rauch Motor Sales—1953 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-D, power glide, power steering, surf green, loaded with extras— $2095. Sunday guests of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Stevens were Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Stevens, of Littles; Mr. and Mrs. Oren Stevens and son, of No. 7 Road; Mr. and Mrs. John Carter, of near Bowman; Mr. and Mrs. Bullas Doughty, of Evansville. Event of the afternoon was drawing names for Christmas. Byrus Bement, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harley Bement, of Brenton Chapel community, arrived home Friday, after serving two years with the U.S. Army in Germany. Recent guests of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Barrett and Steve in Velpen community, were Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Meyers, of Richland; Mr. and Mrs. Veril McClure and Kerry, of Winslow; Charles Young, of Cato; Mrs. Jerry Kemp, of Dale; Mrs. C. W. Kemp, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Barrett, Mr. and Mrs. George Hayes, Mr. and Mrs. Armon Young. Birth: To Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Brooks, of Ashland, Ky., a daughter, Holly, Nov. 5. Marriage: Carolyn Preston and Elza Henson, Jr., of Glezen, Nov. 7. Deaths: May Meyer, 72, of near Winslow, died Nov. 7; Ethel Ingersoll, of Muncie, sister of Oma Hayes, of Petersburg, died Nov. 13 in a hospital at Indianapolis, suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage two weeks previous; Dora (Martin) Wilson, 77, of Monroe City, died Nov. 8; Pvt. John White, Jr., 22, of Petersburg, was killed in Korea, Nov. 3, while his regiment was engaged in combat—Graveside services at Walnut Hills Cemetery. Fifty-nine years ago The Pike County Dispatch Friday, Nov. 19, 1954 Mrs. Lucy Brenton has received word that her daughter-in-law, Mrs. James Brenton and son, James Byron, have arrived safely in Hawaii, where they have joined Lt. James Brenton, who is stationed there. Mr. and Mrs. John M. Dedman, Joe Allen and John David, of Winslow, and Phyllis Walls, of Jasper, visited Sunday with Mr. Dedman's nephew, Billy Tom Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Johnson, of near Terre Haute, who is in St. Anthony Hospital, suffering from a broken leg he suffered when his clothing became caught in a corn picker while help- ing to gather corn. Birth: To Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Bush, of Huntingburg, a son, Kenneth Eugene, Nov. 12. Marriages: Mary Corn, of Winslow, and Ronald Butler, of Spurgeon, Nov. 14; Sarah Ann Hurst, of Winslow, and Jerry W. Reese, of Oakland City, Nov. 13; Ina Cain, of Petersburg, and Robert C. Hilsmeyer, of Huntingburg, Nov. 7. Deaths: Freddie Eugene Gregory, nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. James Gregory, of near Union, was burned fatally at his home Saturday afternoon; Edward Woolsey, 74, of Petersburg, died Nov. 10; Richard Allen LaRue, seven months old, son of Edward and Lorene Morgan LaRue, of Oatsville, died Nov. 14; Henry Robling, 84, of near Petersburg, died Nov. 11; Levi McDade, 82, of Otwell, died Nov. 15; Jake Denman, 78, of Winslow, formerly of Otwell, died Nov. 17 at the home of his daughter, Mrs. John Chumbley in Winslow; Charley Redman, 78, of Athur, died Nov. 16, suffering from acute leukemia; Owen Phelps, 50, who owned and operated a radio shop in Winslow, died Nov. 17; Minnie Hinkle Welton, 82, native of Knox County, died Nov. 17 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Olive Smith near Glezen; Mr. and Mrs. Claude Grubb, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Brammer, and Edward Lee were called to Bradenton, Fla. Wednesday night due to the death of Frank Tyring, father of Mrs. Grubb and Mrs. Brammer; Elizabeth Grubb, 74, of Oakland City, died Nov. 13. Fifty years ago The Pike County Dispatch Thursday, Nov. 28, 1963 Ben Norris, who has been overseas for many months, returned home last week for a month's leave. His wife, Marjorie, accompanied by Rev. and Mrs. Loren Maxwell, and Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Kinman, met in Indianapolis at the airport, Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Royal Benjamin, Mrs. Irene Hisgen and Tommy Benjamin, attended a party given at Roberts Stadium by Whirpool Corp. at which "The Belles" of Indiana University entertained the guests. "The Belles." a well known and popular young women's chorus, gave an excellent performance. Gail Benjamin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Royal Benjamin and granddaughter of Mrs. Hisgen, is a member of "The Belles" and was among the 30 chosen to appear in the program. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Nelson and Sally Jo, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Soderling, and Mrs. Eunice Wood and Danny were supper guests of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Chumbley, Gary and Darlene in Owensboro, Ky. last Thursday. That night the group attended revival services at Owensboro G.B. Church, where Rev. O. B. Clark, pastor of Winslow G.B. Church, was the evangelist. Hazel Robling, Elizabeth Hollon, Shirley Schmett, Mary Martha Curtis and Carolyn Edrington also attended. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Alan Nelson, of Winslow, a daughter, Cheryl Kay, Nov. 21; to Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Nelson, of Indianapolis, a son, Brian Scott, Nov. 19. Deaths: Elsie Hollon, 76, of Winslow, died Nov. 25, suffering from liver cancer; Carl Bayer, 64, of Ft. Branch, died Nov. 20 while changing a tire on his car near Haysville; Ethel Bryant Hender, 77, former resident of Winslow, died Nov. 13 at her home in East St. Louis, Ill.; Jennie Chappell, 90, native of Oakland City, died at 2 p.m. Nov. 23 at the home of her son, Harold, in Crane; Stephen B. Bottoms, 71, of Petersburg, died Nov. 24 at Veterans Hospital in Louisville, Ky.; Nora L. Harper, 83, of Algiers, died Nov. 24 at her home; Sarah S. Henke, 80, of Stendal, died Nov. 25; Ada B. Lemmon, 84, cofounder of Lemmon Greenhouse, of Petersburg, died Nov. 23 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Alice L. Bonewitz in West Lafayette. Twenty-five years ago The Press-Dispatch Thursday, Nov. 17, 1988 Andy Nelson, of Petersburg, has been accepted by CERES Agricultural Fraternity at Purdue University. Nelson exhibited scholarship, leadership and enthusiasm in classes and campus activities to be eligible for this honor. Nearly a half century after the incident, Dennis Tyring, of Enos Corners, received a medal denoting his status as a Prisoner of War of the Japanese. Tyring, a gunner on a B-29, was shot down over Toyko during an American air raid in May, 1945. The irony of the situation is that he did not have to serve in the WWII armed forces, but chose to do so and enlisted at the age of 33. His plane was shot down on his 36th birthday. DeWayne Spaw, of Spurgeon, was the guest soloist at the presentation of "Showboat Showcase" by the "Sweet Adelines" recently at Vanderburgh Auditorium in Evansville. He sang "Ole Man River" portraying a worker on the Mississippi River. Spaw is a former graduate of Pike Central High School and is presently the singer with "The Works" in Evansville. Birth: To Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Tracer, of Decatur, Ill., a son, Travis Nicholas, Nov. 2. Deaths: James D. Kraft, 20, of Winslow, died Nov. 11 while driving—an autopsy has been performed; Thomas Harper, 77, of Indianapolis, died Nov. 8 at Fountainview Nursing Home; Aubrey Smith, 64, of Laguna Beach, Calif., died Nov. 11, suffering from cancer; Philip Kinnaman, 63, of Somerville, died Nov. 10; Lawrence Shane, 82, of Brooklyn, father of Robert Shane, of Petersburg, died Nov. 9; William Julian, 72, of Oakland City, died Nov. 11; Stanley Alexander, 80, formerly of Owensboro, Ky., died Nov. 13. WHS Cross Country 1973 Wednesday, December 25, 2013 C-7 1990 Pike Central Cross County Members of the Pike Central 1990 Cross Country include front row: Christine Adams, Beth Hatt, Michelle Mason, Jared Gladish and Chris Teague. Row two: Jerry Blackwell, Chris Bailey, David Hammock, Doug Norrick and Danny Rogers. Back row: Jim Gregory, Dean Fredrick, Jason Russell, Craig Shoobridge and Coach Mike Whitten. Pike County Historical Society Gleanings from the Christmas past By Sandy McBeth An example of Christmas past in Indiana can be found in the book, A History of Indiana from Its Exploration to 1850, by Logan Esary. "Christmas was the supreme holiday of the children... apples, sweet-cake, home-made candy, such simple toys as could easily be contrived, together with warm gloves or stockings, knit by the mother, were common gifts. The poor were remembered with substantial gifts of things to eat and wear. The young folks often arranged for a sleigh ride if there was snow. Except among the Quakers, Santa Claus was a universal visitor on Christmas Eve. The Christmas dinner was the principal attraction for the married folks." Christmas trees were in almost every home by the end of the 1800's, though they were still mostly decorated with edibles such as fruits, nuts and candies and home-made ornaments, but by 1860 glass ornaments made in Germany were slowly becoming available. Purchased ornaments were treasured possessions passed down through the family. Trees with lights and fancy ornaments were a luxury reserved for the wealthy, or for the community as seen in this news article in the Democrat on December 18, 1884: "There will be a Christmas tree at the Gray Church, Pike county, Ind., Thursday night, December 25, 1884. The proceeds will go for the benefit of the church. Admittance fee 10cts. For all persons over 12 years of age, children under 12 years free. Everybody is invited to place presents on the tree and to be present." Music was a source of joy and happiness for the early pioneers. Singing and dancing was found at every Winslow High School 1973 Varsity Cross County include (l to r): Richard Williams, Douglas Burns, Mike Brewster, Larry Barr, Gary Elliott, Steve English, Ronnie Bailey and Randy Bailey. gathering. Christmas was no exception. The songs "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," "See Amid the Winter's Snow," "There Came A Little Child to Earth" and "We Three Kings of Orient Are" were all composed before the Civil War. During those early days Christmas was a time for families to gather, an interlude to the long winter season. Churches were far and few between with the circuit riders coming through every few weeks. Families and neighbors held their own bible and prayer meetings in individual homes gathered around the fireplace. Community wide holiday activities such as "oyster suppers" and dances were common during this time period. Individuals held gatherings for their friends during the holidays also, many had themes such as masquerade party held at the "residence of Alex Moore" with twenty couples present on December 17, 1884. Visiting between relatives for the holidays became easier due to the extensive use of passenger trains. In 1884 the holiday rate on the Evansville and Terre Haute Railroad was two cents per mile if the ticket was purchased on December 24th or 25th with the return trip on December 26th . Advertisements from local businesses for the holidays included: A display of dainty dolls, the girls will like, at Sisson & Co.; Silk, moreen and mercerlized petticoats for Xmas, at P. C. Hammond's; See what is on the 10c counter at Kime's; A deep cut in the price of ladies' tailor made dress skirts at Max Blitzer's. Sarah Brown DeBra wrote of the holidays during the 1870's in her book, "Sweet memories of Old Indianie." Their tree was a little pine tree from the woods near the house, covered with bittersweet, cranberry and popcorn strings, little dolls, candles and pieces of colored string. Their stocking had a silver dime, a big red apple and a popcorn ball inside on Christmas morning from Santa. During the Civil War many men found themselves away from their families for the first time. Several were gone for the full three years of service without seeing home. The hardship to their families during the war was enormous due to lack of monetary income and primary farm management and labor. (The average pay for service during the was $13 a month). Then to be away from home during the holidays which was for many families the only time they gathered except for funerals. An excerpt from the diary of F. M. Griswold who served during the Civil War with the 93rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry tells first hand the views of many men during that time. We need your historical photos! Give us a call–354-8500 or email news@pressdispatch.net "At 12 ½ o'clock a.m. of December 25, 1863, I was relieved from post and was next to being frozen. After night set in the air became very sharp and piercing, and the wind blew up the side of the mountain in anything but a comfortable manner. Our picket reserve was stationed nearly a hundred yards from my post near the trunk of a fallen tree, which had been set on fire by the boys to keep warm and cook by. The wind blew directly up the mountain and along the tree so we did not get much good from the fire (except the smoke). I was too cold to sleep, so I sat by the fire and wrote in my journal. All of the boys were fast asleep except myself and the sanctity of the day and hour made my thoughts run on those whom I loved at home, naturally bringing to mind the difference in our situations and the many changes that had taken place since I last spent Christmas with them. The year before, we were laying in Camp near Nashville, Tenn., having just drawn our shelter tents preparatory to moving on Murfreesboro. The year before that I was at home with all of my loved ones; what a change and then. Now hundreds of miles away, poorly clad and fed, cold on a picket. While at home, doubtless, the folks were seated around the fire talking of me and wondering as to my welfare. I would have given almost anything to have been at home that night, and had not sleep stolen me away despite the cold, I fear that I might have gone on fancying all night. At 6 ½ a.m. we were relieved by the 6 Indiana and reached Camp at 7 ½. I traded my stock of sugar for 3 quarts of flour meal things and made a breakfast of them. We had a miserable cold rain during the p.m. and our shanty leaked so that it was no protection for us." In a letter to his mother from Jesse Bryant, musician for Co. H, 80th Ind Inf from Pike County dated on December 24, 1862, "Tomorrow brings Christmas once more and glad would I be to be at home on that notable day...I do not know how long we will be here but we are ordered to have two days Rations in Haversacks ready to march it may be that we will not have the pleasure of passing the day here." At that time his company was camped at Camp Gilbert, Columbia, Kentucky, getting ready to start their pursuit of Morgan's Raiders. Their second Christmas away from home was spent camped at Blaines Cross Road, Tennessee. Four days after Christmas they were involved in the Battle at Mossy Creek. The third Christmas was spent near Nashville, Tennessee in the aftermath of the two-day Battle of Nashville.