The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, December 23, 2015 C-7 HISTORY Submit history photos: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Written at Clay Center, Kansas, July 4, 1925 Transcribed by Sandy McBeth I had a homestead where Brenner now lives and had a house on it near where the Brenner residence now is, and in a few weeks your mother and I moved in, stay- ing until the following Feb- ruary when I sold my land, and we went to St. Joseph, Missouri, to live. Here I at- tended Bryant's Business College, and afterwards kept books and clerked for Mr. Hallo who had a clothing store. He had a branch store, to which I was sent next year as manager at Lincoln, Ne- braska. Here we lived until the next year, when we went to Muscatine County, where I lived on a farm several years; afterwards remov- ing to Adams County in southwestern Iowa where I farmed one year, coming back to Clay Center in 1881. Your mother did not come with me in July of that year, but was at her parents in Io- wa, where Roy was born Au- gust 19th. When he was six weeks old she came to Clay Center with Laura and Roy. Since then Clay Center has been my home, and in 1883 I was elected County Clerk, holding that office three terms. In 1881 I became Deputy County Treasurer under James Sterling, hold- ing that position until I be- came County Clerk. A fter- wards in November, 1890, I was admitted by the District Court to practice law. Twice in succession I was elected County Attorney, and five times Probate Judge, hold- ing that latter office ten years, and in all have served in public offices a longer pe- riod than other citizens in Clay County, but I do not re- cord these facts with much pride, and if I could begin over again after serving two terms as County Clerk, I would not take any office in the gift of the people, and I consider every year spent in such positions as so much of my life wasted, which if faithfully spent in develop- ing what ever talents I pos- sessed would have given me a much richer career and a larger recompense. As it is, I feel that I have lived my life to no great pur- pose, at least so far as serv- ing out a useful career. I have perhaps noted many things here of no particular importance to any of you, and I hardly know where to draw the line in narrating the episodes of my life. Your mother is entitled to be represented here far more than I am, for to her you and I are far more in - debted for our domestic plea- sures and happiness and for which no adequate compen- sation has ever been made to her except that which has been given by our high re- gard for her. Nothing has given me more pleasure than to know that her boys and girls have always been interested in their mother's welfare and that to serve her gave them pleasure. Your mother came from Pennsylvania, October 30th, 1852. Her parents, John and Elizabeth Addleman, were plain, common sense peo- ple, greatly interested in re- ligious matters. Their lives were largely spent in toil and self denial, in caring for their home, although in ma- ny ways not without quite a recompense, both in their children and in securing a fair competence. Your grandmother Addle- man died in the eighties, and being a strong healthy wom- an one would have thought that she would live to a ripe old age, and if she had not contracted typhoid fever no doubt would have lived ma- ny years. Your Grandfather Addle- man was never a very rug- ged man, and ordinarily one would have supposed that he would have not outlived your grandmother, but he lived a number of years af- ter her death, dying in the nineties, and both of them are buried in the cemetery book of High Prairie Cha- pel where your mother and I were married. Of course each of you knows all about your moth- er's brothers and sisters, and I need not set down here anything concerning them. Your Grandfather Addle- man moved from Pa. to Mus- catine County, Iowa, I think, in 1867 when your mother was nearly fourteen years old. When sixteen years old she taught a summer school at Fairview School House, near my home, and there I had a casual acquaintance with her, and I saw her at the Sunday School, and I men- tally passed my opinion up- on her, not realizing inside of four years she would en- ter my life for the remain- der of it. My father's parents were Thomas J. and Judith An- thony, both born in Virgin- ia – the date of their birth I do not know. Both came of Quaker stock, and Grand- mother in particular ob- served very faithfully the tenets of the church; always used the grave language in conversation and letter writ- ing. She was a fine looking woman, possessed a fair ed- ucation, and wrote a good hand, and I wished now that I had some of the letters I read which she sent to my father. Although I saw my grandfather several times, but when very young, I have no personal recollec - tion of him, but grandmoth- er I knew quite well, having stayed with her sometime when eight years of old. There were seven children in all, one dying when quite young; the others lived to be old – and I guess some of you knew my aunts and Un- cle Thomas – but they are dead now. There was Aunt Mary Branson, Aunt Ovilla Croxen, Aunt Alma Satterth- waite; also Aunt Judith An- thony, an epileptic who nev- er married, and lost her life by falling into the spring at Satterthwaites when she had a fit. My other aunts all lived in Muscatine County, and reared large families. Thomas J. Anthony died there three or four years ago on Muscatine Island, being last surviving member of the family. My father was born on the 11th day of October, 1823, in Clinton County, Ohio, and afterwards his father re- moved to Muncie, Indiana, and practiced law there un- til he removed to a farm in Muscatine, Iowa, where both he and grandmoth- er spent the remainder of their lives, and were buried in a county cemetery, two or three miles east of Moscow, on the main line of the Rock Island Railway, and about three miles from Grandfa- ther's farm. Father attended a Quak- er School in Clinton County, Ohio, where he was born, af- ter the family moved to Mun- cie; also a Quaker Acade- my at Richmond, Indiana, where there was a large Quaker settlement, and here the Friends, or Quak- ers, held their yearly meet- ings, and which Grandfather and Grandmother annually attended. My father studied law at Muncie, and when he was 18 years old he was ad- mitted to the Bar by the Su- preme Court of Indiana. To practice his profession, but of course his youth inter- fered with getting immedi- ate practice, and while wait- ing for clients he clerked in a store, and also was deputy Registrar of Deeds. My father was unusually strong and muscular, and there were many log roll- ings; it being a timbered country. The farms had to be cleared and the logs burned, and many of the farm ele- ment prided themselves up- on their strength, and they also liked to fight, as by fa- ther soon discovered that the fact that he could boost logs with the best of them or if necessary to knock down and drag out, could do that, soon made him friends and brought him legal business. My father was in politics a Whig, and Southern Indiana was always democratic, yet the Whigs put father up as a candidate for District Attor- ney and he was elected. Files of the past Pike County Historical Society W.P. Anthony letter written to his children (part 2) Spurgeon High School graduates – 1949 Front row: Betty (Crooks) Cross and Ruth(Theiring)Pollard. Middle row: Wilma (Tatum) Fraker, Marion (Evans) Bourland, Levaun (Lance) Luff, Paul Gene Davis, Tom Owens, Marceil (Coleman) Riley, Doris Dougan, Mary (Ro- throck) Goings and Doris(Willis)Stigall. Back row: Jerry Holder, Joretta (Os- kins), Jack Hurst, Carol June Fowler, Victor Thomas, Alice Fiester, Byron Brammer, Helen (Spradley) Calloway, Edward Channell, Ida Ellen(Conner) McCarthy and Max Parke. Contributed by Don Parke. SIXTY YEARS AGO The Petersburg Press Friday, Nov. 11, 1955 Lucille Erwin, of Francis- co; Linda and Nancy Erwin, of Washington; Mr. and Mrs. Roscoe Erwin, of near Peters- burg, recently drove to Dan- ville, Ill. where they spent the day with Mr. and Mrs. Bill Er- win. VISITORS IN VEECK HOME Master Sgt. and Mrs. My- ron E. McIlwain are visiting her mother, Mrs. Bon Veeck after spending three years in Germany. They will later move to Pittsburgh, Pa. where he will be stationed. Sunday guests of Mrs. Bon Veeck and M/Sgt. and Mrs. Myron E. McIlwain were Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Ward, Linda and Sadonia, of Mt. Vernon, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Har- ris, Mrs. John Chambers and daughters, Brenda and Gin- ger and Mrs. Lloyd Powell, of Bicknell. Mrs. Elizabeth Miley, of Pike County, was in Kokomo over the weekend visiting her daughters, Mrs. Mary Bray and Mrs. Jean Woods. John Gilliland, who has been employed by an oil com- pany in Saudia Arabia, plans to start home the first of De- cember. Enroute he will visit the Holy Land. Mr. and Mrs. S. Ewan Hed- den, of Dahlgreen, Va. were recent visitors of Mr. and Mrs. Gettis Nance in Pike County. Mrs. Hedden is the former Dorothy Burdette, daughter of the late Prof. James Bur- dette. Mrs. Gettis Nance and Mrs. M. W. Clark returned this week from a tour of Colo- nial, Va., Maryland and Wash- ington, D.C. While in Virgin- ia they were guests of Gettis Nance, Jr. and family in Dahl- green, Va. ROUND UP SUNDAY AT GOSPEL CENTER "Round Up" Sunday at the Gospel Bible School last week in Petersburg was a huge suc- cess. Two hundred twenty nine were in attendance. Deaths: Lynn Ziegler, 56, of Petersburg, died Nov. 4; Mrs. Maud Thomas, 78, of Washington, sister of Emma Arnold, of Otwell, died Nov. 2. FIFTY-NINE YEARS AGO The Pike County Dispatch Friday, Nov. 16, 1956 SPURGEON BUSINESS DISTRICT HIT HARD WITH FIRE Fire spread through three business places in Spurgeon shortly before 7 p.m. Monday and destroyed one building, heavily damaged a cafe and caused heavy smoke damage to the post office and a gro- cery store. Destroyed was Tatum's Grocery, which was housed in one half of the Julian build- ing, Roy's Cafe, next door to the grocery store suffered heavy damage from fire, smoke and water and may be listed at a total loss. Julian's Dry Goods store and grocery suffered most of its damage from smoke and water. This store is located on the south side of the Tatum Grocery. Several hundred people, in- cluding hundreds from neigh- boring communities, watched the fire. PETERSBURG GYMNASIUM DEDICATION Petersburg Indians, play- ing their first game in the new gymnasium, defeated the Spurgeon Cardinals 62- 31 Friday night. More than 2,500 fans watched the game and dedication ceremony, but the gymnasium was not filled. It has a seating capaci- ty of 3,500. L. V. Phillips, com- missioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, was a guest speaker during the dedication. Lowell Carl- isle, president of the holding corporation which financed the new more than a quarter of a million dollar structure, presented the new addition to Marion R. Klipsch, president of Petersburg Board of Edu- cation. Mrs. Denver Curtis, Mr. and Mrs. Claud Beadles and Marilyn, of Winslow, were weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Belcher and family in Chillicothe, Ohio. Mrs. Etta Ambrose, of Ar- thur; daughter, Patricia Nor- rick and grandson, Billy Bright, of Philadelphia, Pa. were Tuesday guests of Mr. and Mrs. William Bright in Terre Haute. Mrs. Bertha Ingram, Mrs. John Ingram, Barry Ingram and Beverly, of Evansville; Mrs. and Mrs. Alfred McCoy, Mr. and Mrs. Delmas Tyring and family, Arlene Rich, Edith Perry, Alva Johnson, T. J. Ro- by and Obie McAllister were recent visitors of Mrs. Bertha Willis and James McAllister. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Hazleton, of Peters- burg, a son, Nov. 10 ; to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Miller, of Glezen, a daughter, Nov. 12; to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bryon, of Oakland City, a daughter, Sheryl Ellen, Nov. 2; to Mr. and Mrs. Nathan C. Hanson, of Chico, Calif., a son, Nov 11; to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Robling, of Winslow, a son, Nov. 3; to Mr. and Mrs. Rob- ert Comer, a daughter, Nov. 5 in a base hospital at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippine Islands; to Mr. and Mrs. Rich- ard Ray Wheatley, of Peters- burg, Va., a daughter, Kathryn Jo, Oct. 12. Marriage: Linda Lou Bea- dles and Larry E. Shipp, Nov. 11. Deaths: John R. Rogers, 82, of Winslow, died Saturday following a paralytic stroke he suffered a few hours earlier; Albert Brewster, 73, south of Winslow, died Saturday at his home suffering from a heart ailment; Ruth Grable Collins, 54, former Petersburg resi- dent, died Monday in Jackson, Mich.; Lula Bell Miley, 66, of Petersburg, died at the family residence Thursday – for ma- ny years she was confined to a wheelchair; William E. Bar- rowman, 84, of Huntingburg, formerly of Winslow, died Nov. 8; Michael (Mickey) Corne, 18, formerly of Winslow, was killed in a car accident Satur- day near Murray, Ky.; Charles J. Hempfling, of Miami, Fla., brother of S. A. Hempfling, of Petersburg, died Monday at his home following a fatal heart attack; George Gilham, 90, of Petersburg, former res- ident of Iva community, died Monday; James Way, 79, life- long resident of Pike County, died Friday. FIFTY YEARS AGO The Pike County Dispatch Thursday, Nov. 25, 1965 CHILD TRAPPED IN BURNING HOUSE; RESCUED THROUGH OUTSIDE WINDOW An eight-year-old boy came near losing his life in a late Sunday night fire which de- stroyed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Levi Wiscaver and six children, one half block west of Main Street, property of Mrs. Elizabeth Hollon. Mr. Wiscaver was awak- ened at 11:45 p.m. from a cracking and popping noise to find the living room ceiling all ablaze where fire had broken through from the attic. He awakened his family and all were accounted for except one son, Donald, who shared a bedroom with his broth- er, Dennis. Dennis made it out, but Donald could not be found. Mr. Wiscaver took a flashlight and went into the boys' room but the fire drove him out. He ran around to the window where two young men were breaking the glass where Donald was breaking it from within. They helped pull him through the window. Donald was burned about the face, his left ear was the most seriously burned. His right arm and hand were cut and burned. Several stitch- es were required to close the wounds. On Monday morning mon- ey was collected and the house of John Leighty, on the south side, was rented for them. Larry Willis, a student at Evansville College, spent the weekend with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wardell Willis. Sun- day visitor in the home was the Willis' granddaughter, Amanda Stephens. Mrs. Bessie Adams, of Seat- tle, Wash. arrived Monday for an extended visit with her sis- ter, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Craig in Otwell and other relatives. Mr. and Mrs. Bob Aydelott and Vicki, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Nelson and Connie attended the ballgame in Boonville, Friday night. A fter the game they visited in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Nelson, Jr. and family. Sunday visitors of Mrs. Ma- rie Caldemeyer, Pauline and Mark were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Corn, Larry, Mike and Bon- nie, of Wheatland; Mr. and Mrs. Paul Caldemeyer, Cin- dy and Pam, of Oakland City; Mr. and Mrs. John Caldemey- er and Carolyn, of Arthur. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shoultz, of near Spurgeon, a daughter, Dori- na Ilene, recently; to Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Kirkpatrick, of Hammond, a son, Nov. 11; to Mr. and Mrs. John Fred- rick Helsey, of Oakland City, a son, Jeffery Thomas, Nov. 18; to Mr. and Mrs. Roger O. Gray, of Velpen, a son, Nov. 22; to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Rid- dle, of Winslow, a daughter, Tresa Jane, Nov. 19. Deaths: Rev. Claud J. Hayes, 68, of Oakland City, former pastor of Otwell Meth- odist Church from Jan. 1947 to June 1962, died Tuesday fol- lowing a heart attack; Rachael Roe Thanos, 73, of Winslow, died Nov. 15 suffering from a stroke; B. H. "Harry" Carl- isle, died Nov. 21, following a heart attack; Infant Bradley J. Wirey, son of Monte Jake and Joan Tevault Wirey, was still- born Nov. 22; Maud McDow- ell, 76, of Somerville, mother of Mrs. Deloris Catt, of Peters- burg, died Friday at her home; Nancy (Hedges) Quiggins, 75, of Oakland City, died Fri- day; Ella May Gibson, wife of Rev. William Gibson, of New- burgh, died Thursday, suf- fering from leukemia – Rev. Gibson was a former pastor at Winslow G.B. Church and was director with Mrs. Gib- son's help at Camp Brosend. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO The Press-Dispatch Thursday, Nov. 22, 1990 STEPHANIE COX IN HOMECOMING COURT AT VU Stephanie Cox, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Cox, of Pe- tersburg, was one of five final- ists for the Vincennes Univer- sity Homecoming Queen dur- ing festivities over the week- end on the VU campus. She is a graduate of Pike Central High School where she was cheerleader captain, class secretary, softball cap- tain and recipient of the Most School Spirit Award. At VU she is a medical/le- gal secretary major. She is al- so a member of the cheerlead- ing squad at the college. Recent visitors of Roxie Hedges in Littles communi- ty were Julie Hedges, Don- na Jenkins, Louise Burns, La- na Manning and Chelsea, Ju- dy White, Myrna Jenkins, Me- gan and Matthew Jenkins. Willard and Laura Mae Hays, of Ayrshire, spent five days in Newburgh with their grandson, Andy, while his par- ents, Larry and Diana (Hays) Dick, were away on a busi- ness trip. Andy is in the fifth grade at Newburgh Elementa- ry School. Recent visitors of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Miley in Bow- man were Pastor and Mrs. Paul Newton, of Arcola, Ill.; Annita Newton and Jamie Stepcoe, of Greenville College in Greenville, Ill.; Pastor and Mrs. Jeffrey Newton, Lance and Bryce, of Mattoon, Ill.; Pastor Carl Lamoreaux, Char- lie Hayes, Ruby Blaize, Con- nie Graham, Bill Holman, Da- vid L. Miley, Sheila and Bry- an Miley. Tara McAllister, a senior at Pike Central, received the out- standing student award at the annual Pike County Chamber of Commerce banquet on Nov. 1. She is the granddaughter of Norma McAllister. Births: To Don and Patty Ingle, of New Albany, a daugh- ter, Jenny Dawn Irene, Nov. 8; to Randy and Becky Wed- ding, of Spurgeon, a daughter, Elizabeth Lineave, Nov. 11; to Dr. and Mrs. Brian Arnold, of Leesburg, Va., a son, Logan Taylor, Nov. 3. Marriage: Sonja Mattingly, sister of Mary Alice Ashby, of Winslow, and Doyan Riley, of Washington, Oct. 2 in Las Ve- gas, Nev. Deaths: Andrew Thomas, 32, of Petersburg, died Nov. 14; Myrtle B. Jones, 92, of Pe- tersburg, died Nov. 14; Lu- ther Cockerham, 81, of De- troit, Mich., formerly of Knox and Pike County, died Nov. 17; Nordeka McQueen, 72, of Oakland City, died Nov. 7; Car- ol Ann Rothrock, six-months- old daughter of Mark and Janet (Shehand) Rothrock, of Danville, died Nov. 8; Flo (Craig) LeMaster, formerly of Pike County, died Nov. 16 at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Oscar L. Tyring, 93, of Lynnville, broth- er of Emma Ross, of Winslow, died Nov. 15.