The Press-Dispatch
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A-4 Wednesday, July 2, 2014 The Press-Dispatch News briefs Pike County trash sites closing All Pike County trash sites will be closed to observe the July 4 hol- iday. Local photographer to show wildlife photos July 10 The Oakland City Columbia Township Public Library and the Friends of the Patoka River NWR will pres- ent "Photographing Bobcats and Other Lo- cal Wildlife" Thursday, July 10 at 6 p.m. in the library. Local photogra- pher Steve Gifford will show some of his pho- tographs from wildlife found at the Patoka Na- tional Wildlife Refuge. Along with other pho- tos, he will offer tips on how to photograph wildlife. Outside movie night at Cup Creek G.B. Church There will be an out- side movie night, Fri- day, July 11, starting at dark at the Cup Creek G.B. Church on Hwy. 257, just north of Hwy. 64. Fireworks to follow. Rain date, Saturday, July 12. Concessions will be available. Free- will donations accept- ed. For more informa- tion, contact Beth Go- eppner at 812-631-1815. Winslow Beautification Committee work day The Winslow Beau- tification Committee will have a work day at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 12 at The Gazebo. Volunteers in the ar- ea, churches, and orga- nizations are needed to help get it in good con- dition. The work day will involve putting up a fence, doing land- scaping, pulling weeds, painting the concrete and anything else that needs to be done. If pos- sible, bring paint roll- ers, rakes, shovels and any other equipment that could be used. For more information or to volunteer, call 812- 789 -2594 or 812-789 - 2532. Seeking contestants for Little Miss Sweet Corn Gamma Omega Chapter of Tri Kappa is seeking contestants for the Oakland City Little Miss Sweet Corn Con- test, August 1 at 7 p.m. in the Wood Memorial Cafetorium. Contestants must be the ages of five to sev- en at the time of the contest. A $40 sponsor fee is required. Contes- tants must perform a talent in addition to a short interview ques- tion. Number of en- trants is limited, so call early. Practices start in July. To register or for more information, con- tact Tammy Schroeder at 812-749 -3157. Check the mailing label on your Press-Dispatch Check your mailing label. If it is highlight- ed, your subscription has expired or will ex- pire very soon. A year's subscription is $27 for Pike and sur- rounding counties, $ 30 for Indiana subscrib- ers living outside the 475 zip codes and $47 for out-of-state sub- scribers. Press-Dispatch office closed on July 4 The Press-Dispatch office will be closed on Friday, July 4 in obser- vation of Independence Day. The office will re- open on Saturday, July 4 from 8 a.m. to noon. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sun. - Fri., 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday — Two LocaTions — We Now Have a Large Selection of Home- Grown Produce! for the season Now opeN Jasper Near Ben Franklin plaza washiNgtoN 405 state rd. 57 s. (Between Harned Ave. & Nat'l Hwy.) Sweet Corn has arrived! lowship, with Rev. Jim Gid- cumb officiating. Burial was in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Campbelltown. Harris Fu- neral Home in Petersburg was in charge of arrange- ments. noRma anDeRson Norma Anderson, 92, of Petersburg, died at 5:55 a.m. Saturday, June 28, 2014. She was born in Pe- tersburg, Dec. 1, 1921, to Newton and Mary Sher- man Wright. She married Charles Anderson, March 2, 1946, and he preceded her in death Sept. 28, 2006. Surviving are two daugh- ters, Joan Moffett, of Wash- ington, and Sara (Bob) Nelson, of Winslow; sev- en grandchildren; 11 great- grandchildren; and 14 great- great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Ju- ly 2, 2014, at Harris Funer- al Home in Petersburg with Rev. Jerry Blackwell offici- ating. Burial will be in the Arnold Cemetery. Visita- tion will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the funeral home. BoBBy e. willis Bobby E. Willis, 81, of Pe- tersburg, died at 8 p.m. Sat- urday, June 28, 2014, at his residence. He was born in Pike Coun- ty, Aug. 29, 1933, to Del- bert and Doris (Hill) Willis. He married Shelby Sharp, March 12, 1957, and she sur- vives. He retired from Indi- ana State Highway. Surviving besides his wife, Shelby, are two sons, Mark (Sherry) Willis, of Lit- tles, and Brent Willis, of Pe- tersburg; two daughters, Eu- genia (Eddie) Bennett and Kellie (Randy) Young, all of Georgia; a brother, Jer- ry Willis, of Petersburg; a sister, Judy Griffith, of Pe- tersburg; and eight grand- children. A granddaughter, Krys- tal Bennett, preceded him in death. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Thursday, July 3, 2014, at Harris Funeral Home. in Petersburg. Burial will be at Walnut Hills Cemetery in Petersburg. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Thursday. James RoBeRt whit ten James Whitten, of Pato- ka, died at 10 :55 a.m. June 22, 2014, at the VNA Charli- er Hospice Center in Evans- ville. He was born Oct. 11, 1936, in Princeton, to James Commadore and Authelia (Slinker) Whitten. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Dorothy Mae Newton and June Stocker; two half broth- ers, Wayne and Porter; one brother-in-law; and one sis- ter-in-law. He is survived by his wife, Peggy (Hoover) Whitten; two sons, Daniel ( Jenny), of Princeton, and James, AK A "Roar," of Owensville; a step- daughter, Stephanie (Chris) Gehlhausen, of Velpen; 10 grandchildren; 14 great- grandchildren; and a broth- er, Martin (Dorothy), of Jef- fersonville. He graduated from Princ- eton High School in 1955 and held the record in Hur- dles for 10 years in the 1950s. He was an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served four years in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard the USS Bennington, spent 12 years in the Indiana Na- tional Guard, served as Di- rector of Gibson County Civ- il Defense; 17 years in po- lice work including serving as a Gibson County Reserve Deputy, Deputy Town Mar- shal of Haubstadt, and Town Marshal, of Patoka. He retired from Hurst Manufacturing (Emerson) in 2001 after 20 years. A memorial graveside ser- vice was at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 27, 2014, at the Mt. Ol- ive Cemetery. Colvin Funer- al Home in Princeton was in charge of arrangements. Obituaries Continued from page 3 By Ed Cahill For as long as he can re- member, Pike Central High School physical education instructor Billy Hewig has always wanted to be a teach- er. "I just had two great role models," said Hewig, whose father, Bill Sr., and mother, Pat, are both retired teach- ers. "They reached kids in different ways, but such deep ways, that it's always been inspiring. My parents have always been inspiring to me. So I've been very lucky." In fact, teaching may very well be in Hewig's DNA. "I'm a seventh genera- tion teacher," noted Hewig, who also serves as head coach for the school's wres- tling team and is an assis- tant football coach. "It's just kind of something I think our family does." During his six-year teach- ing career, however, Hewig has, himself, become a role model, not only for stu- dents, but for co-workers as well, according to PCHS choral and drama director Vance Hays, who nominat- ed Hewig for the 2014 Sec- ondary Teacher of the Year Award he received during the Pike County School Corporation's annual awards banquet in late May. "I know, because I am one of those teachers," Hays wrote in his nomina- tion letter to the selection committee. "His work ethic and mor- al code are not just ideas that he preaches to his stu- dents," Hays's letter con- tinues. "They are how he lives and conducts his life, and the students definitely know the difference. I have yet to meet a student or fac- ulty member that does not respect and admire him. His expectations of his stu- dents are extremely high, but he doesn't ask anything of them that he isn't willing to give himself. "I'm sure if this man wanted to go into a differ- ent field, he could make much more money than he does in a public school," Hays wrote. "It is our good fortune that he has chosen to teach at Pike Central. He is a man of principles, compassion, good sports- manship and a true love for teaching." Hays' letter recounted an incident that occurred before Hays had even met Hewig. "The student had been kidded by some other stu- dents about being in choir," Hays wrote. "This boy told me that immediately (Hewig) spoke up and told him that he thought it was great that he was in choir and that he had been in choir himself when he was in school and had, in fact, sung in the all-city choir. He told the boy 'Real men sing.' "The young man he de- fended became a multi- sport varsity athlete, and an excellent singer and per- former," Hays' letter contin- ued. "This teacher definite- ly knows the importance of students participating in not only things that make them strong, disciplined and good athletes, but also in things that make their minds grow and touch their hearts and their souls. This is my definition of a master teacher. "In my 42 years in this profession, I have not met a teacher more worthy of be- ing designated Teacher of the Year than Pike Central's PE teacher, and Weightlift- ing and Wrestling coach and, more important, role model and mentor to count- less students, Billy Hewig," Hays' letter concluded. Hewig, who had been in- vited—along with his fa- ther—to attend the ban- quet by senior wrestler Nick Baker, said that his nomination for Secondary Teacher of the Year was a total surprise. "Nick came up and asked me to be there, to be pres- ent for an award he was go- ing to receive, and then he asked if my dad, who is al- so an assistant wrestling coach for me, could be there," Hewig said. "I found out it was all a ruse by Mr. Hays and (PCHS athletic director Kyle) Runyan and Nick to surprise me. "I was completely blown away," Hewig added. "The whole time I was just sit- ting there thinking how lucky I am. To have a teach- er who's as recognized and well thought of as Mr. Hays to nominate me just meant an incredible amount." Hewig graduated from Evansville Reitz High School in 2001, then played football at Western Ken- tucky University, where he helped the Hilltoppers win the NCA A Division I- A A national championship in 2002. Hewig, who redshirted his senior season and was a team captain in 2005, received the Al Almond Award, which is given to the player who displays the same devotion to charac- ter, loyalty, ability and love of fellow man exhibited by Almond, longtime coach at Western's University High School. After spending a year as a student-assistant coach, Hewig graduated from WKU and landed his first— and, thus far, only—teach- ing position as an elective physical education instruc- tor at Pike Central High School. "I was actually sitting in my student-teaching room, looking on the computer, and just started looking at jobs in Indiana and found it," Hewig recalled. "It was the only job I applied for, and I got it. And I haven't looked back since." Hewig said he ap- proached his first teach- ing position with a certain amount of trepidation. "When they're trying to prepare you, you hear bad stuff, because they're try- ing to prepare you for what school's going to be like," Hewig said. "Coming into Pike Central, the kids were very respectful. I was ready for kids to talk back all the time. Well, that didn't hap- pen. "It's very positive; it's up- beat with the kids," Hewig added. "I think that was the biggest surprise. I was ready for a battle, and I walk in and everything's just fine. I've not had a sour ex- perience." Hewig said that confi- dence, developed through years of being the son of two teachers and knowing what kind of a teacher he wanted to become, helped the transition from student to teacher. "Dad always had a great way of reaching kids, no matter where they were in their life," Hewig said. "I feel like I've always tried to do the same thing. It doesn't matter if they're in trouble all the time. In my class, if they come in and they do the right thing, that's how they're treated. Dad was Pike Central high school wrestling coach Billy hewig (left) and senior Dal- ton miller (right) glance at the scoreboard during a break in the action in miller's match against indianapolis Ben Davis junior norman oglesby dur- ing the quarterfinals of the semi-state wrestling tournament at evansville's Ford Center in February. Ed Cahill photo Secondary Teacher of the Year a role model for students, coworkers Continued on page 6