Friday, October 25, 2024
BEARS BEST
Shelbyville High School recently recognized Bears Best for the character trait of Effort. Front (L to R): Madison Barnes, Allison Tepox-Sanchez, Julie Garrison and Macey Robbins; Back: Alex Lucas, Cole Schene, Edith Wainscott and Megan Childres. Not Pictured: Aiden Smith, Julian Eads, Teagen Pelo and Abdiel Lopez.
Local Boys & Girls Clubs Recognized
Joe Harlan, Boys & Girls Clubs of Shelby County Board Chair; Jim Clark, CEO & President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America; and Scott Spahr, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Shelby County, hold an award recognizing the local organization for creating a safe, supportive environment. The presentation was made yesterday at a conference in Milwaukee, Wis. | submitted
Boys and Girls Clubs of Shelby County were recognized at a conference in Milwaukee, Wis., yesterday for completing the Operation Impact program, a comprehensive initiative designed to enhance the safety and well-being of youth. Operation Impact focuses on creating safe, supportive environments that empower children to thrive.
The Shelbyville club and Shelby County organization also received an outstanding score in the 2024 BGCA safety assessment, and subsequently received a $10,000 stipend to help with additional safety measures.
“This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to ensuring that every child feels secure and valued in our spaces,” Scott Spahr, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Shelby County, said. “Together, we’re building a brighter future for our community's children, prioritizing their safety and growth every step of the way.”
HALLOWEEN READY…
A home at the corner of West Broadway and South Miller St. is once again in the holiday spirit. | photo by JOHN WALKER
Shelbyville Fraternities, Part II: Tribe of Ben-Hur
by GEORGE YOUNG
Part Two - Tribe Ben-Hur Lodge #77
This is the second installment of Shelbyville Fraternal groups at the turn of the 20th century. This lodge has its roots in the literary world. Tribe Ben-Hur was one of many fraternal lodges in Shelbyville, Ind., in 1902. Shelbyville fraternal organizations thrived during that Golden Age of Fraternalism when 40 percent of the adult male population held membership in at least one fraternal order.
Like many towns then, Shelbyville was a hub for these influential groups—home to lodges such as the Modern Woodmen of America, Knights of Pythias, Elks, Odd Fellows, and the Grand Army of the Republic. Far more than mere social clubs, these organizations served as crucial support systems, offering camaraderie, financial aid, and a sense of belonging to their members in a rapidly changing world.
Published in 1902, Picturesque Shelbyville was a comprehensive representation of Shelbyville, Indiana’s Official, Business, and Social Relations. Mr. Charles H. Tindall, a major force behind this souvenir publication, included many Secret, Fraternal, and Beneficiary societies. One of the most extensive sections of this book showcased over 20 such groups, a testament to Tindall's dedication to preserving the history of these organizations.
The Tribe of Ben-Hur was a fraternal organization based on Lew Wallace's novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, published November 12, 1880. It was considered "the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century." Although Wallace never belonged to this fraternal benefit organization, he gave it his blessing in the early 1890s and was close friends with many of its founding members. The organization was founded by David Gerrad and others in 1894 in Crawfordsville, Ind., where Wallace lived.
Gerrad’s vision for the Tribe of Ben-Hur was establishing a fraternal insurance society where members would look after each other’s welfare. The organization used Wallace’s novel as its foundation, adopting themes and imagery from the story to shape its secret rituals and organizational structure. This literary connection gave the group a sense of identity and capitalized on the novel's popularity, which was well-known for its strong moral and Christian themes. They developed the secret rituals and elaborate hierarchy Formation on January 9, 1894, at Crawfordsville, Ind., where Lew Wallace lived, along with 400 members.
The Tribe was unusual in its day, as it allowed both men and women to join and, within two years, had grown to 5,000 members in a dozen states. The Tribe worked on a graded assessment program whereby people who joined the Order between the ages of 18 and 23 were insured for a maximum of $3,000, and people who joined the Order between the ages of 54 and 65 had a maximum of $500. There were decreasing age grades between these two. All of this was paid out on a $1 monthly due for a whole certificate. In 1930, Tribe Ben-Hur became the Ben-Hur Life Association. The founders adopted secret rituals and an elaborate hierarchy modeled on the heroic and moral elements of the story, which centered on themes of justice, redemption, and Christian brotherhood.
In the 1980s, after 90 years of service, the organization's fundamental nature changed as it became known as USA Life Insurance Company of Indiana. In 1988, this group's rituals, offices, obligations, and fraternal nature inspired by Lew Wallace’s book quietly slipped into history.
The story of Tribe Ben-Hur is a testament to how literature can inspire not just individuals but entire organizations, shaping their values, missions, and even their social functions. It highlights a unique moment in American history when books could serve as the foundation for communities that offered social connection and material support.
NOTEBOOK:
NATIONAL NEWS: The play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child hit the road in America last month, kicking off in Chicago ahead of a national tour. That touring production cut 40 minutes from the run time of the Broadway edition, but the current version on Broadway has already been cut down substantially from the initial run time. When it launched in London in 2016 and then New York in 2019, the run time of this play was 5 hours and 15 minutes, spread over two nights. In 2021, the New York show cut that down to 3 hours and 30 minutes, and the 40 minutes that got cut are actually being applied to Broadway, too: Starting November 12, the New York show will be cut down to 2 hours and 50 minutes, to match the successful touring run. (Attractions/Numlock)
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SHS Courier Archive Highlights:
Oct. 24, 1957, Part I
Student Council was installed before the SHS student body in Paul Cross Gym. Officers were George Stubbs, president; Richard Wetnight, vice president; Barbara Parker, recording secretary; Marcia Bausback, corresponding secretary; Bill Reimann, treasurer; and Linda Ash, parliamentarian. Other elected members were Martha Davis, Peggy Landis, Pat McCain, Steve Mohler, Steve Ricke, Elaine Beabout, John Brant, Sue Dennison, Marty Kuhn, Hal Rohm, Jewell Smith, Jim Graham and Barbara Weaver. Members by virtue of their office were Richard Carron, senior class president; Paul Allen DePrez, junior class president; Doug Lackey, sophomore class president; and Bonnie Miller, Squib editor.
Bill Baker would be spinning the discs for the Rec Halloween party. Baker was a DJ with WIBC.
Junior girls selling candy in the school basement were Anna Bowers, Rose Ann Knoebel, Rose Linville, Ann Brackman, Sharon Browning, Elaine Beabout, Norma Williams, Glenna Smith and Marjorie Jefferies.
Mrs. Comstock asked Lowell Amos how to correct the sentence, “He laid on the couch and slept soundly.” Lowell replied, “I changed ‘couch’ to ‘davenport.’”
Julie Jo Gaines, SHS senior, won a 4-H achievement trip with her electric project. She had traveled to New York City and Washington, D.C. “Radio City Music Hall was one of the most interesting places we were in,” Julie said. She also visited the United Nations buildings and toured several government buildings in D.C., as well as had lunch with the Indiana congressmen.
This Day in Shelby County History
News around Shelbyville and the surrounding area as reported on or about this date in history. Selections are curated from the Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department.
2014: Editor’s note: Due to a microfilm processing error, the 2014 section for the next couple of weeks will serve to memorialize a local individual who passed away that year.) Patsy Wischmeyer, 83, died Aug. 1. She had graduated from Fairland High School in 1948 and was employed as a teacher’s aide at Shelbyville Central Schools and First Christian Church Preschool for 25 years. She was a member of First Christian Church and had been a Cub Scout Den Mother in Fairland for several years. She married John Wischmeyer in 1948, and he had preceded her in death in 2009.
2004: Fairland Christian Church, 109 S. Mulberry St., celebrated its 114th anniversary with a Founders’ Day program. Two evangelists had founded the church in 1890 in a small brick schoolhouse. The original building had temporary seats made by George Markland and was heated by a stove. Light came from several coal-oil lamps, and the pulpit was constructed from a dry-goods box. An organ and a supply of songbooks were furnished by another evangelist.
1994: Bob Bell, Shelbyville, won $16,000 on the “Hoosier Millionaire” show.
1984: A newspaper photo showed Willandra Macklin, 8, hugging cross guard Tom Flick at Colescott and Harrison streets. Flick, 74, had been guarding youngsters from Pearson Elementary at the intersection for 18 years. He regularly got hugs from his little friends. “Wonderful kids,” Flick said, “ain’t a bad one in the whole bunch.”
1974: A System 80 reading aid machine was installed at Loper Elementary. The unit projected pictures and words to help slow readers improve their skills, and also pronounced words through an earphone attachment.
Major Hospital purchased a TV camera, monitor screen and videotape recorder system for the X-ray machine, allowing for an image amplifier picture for easier reading by doctors.
1964: Tons of concrete chunks and dirt removed during the re-paving of E. Mechanic St. were dumped along the Blue River levee where the river paralleled Old Franklin Road. The project would help prevent future flooding.
1954: Garnet O. Krebs and 12-year-old John Schlick, pilot and passenger in a small plane, escaped injury when their airplane crashed from tree-top level in Nashville, Ind. Krebs was a Shelbyville mechanic who lived at 534 W. Franklin St., and Schlick lived at 265 W. South St.
1944: The Soldiers Gift Fund was replenished thanks to the generosity of several local donors, including Pleas Greenlee, Hi-Y, Hannah Smith, Dr. J.J. Stewart, Helen Kolkmeier, Myrtle Bellman, Dr. O.L. Adams and the Friendly Circle Club.
1934: With George Young’s long-running tenure as postmaster coming to a close, there were several applicants for the position: Fred Deitzer, local coal dealer; Ralph McKenney, manager of a local monument company; Ralph Coleman, hardware clerk and former commander of the American Legion Post in Shelbyville; Harry Ulrich, real estate dealer; John Gray, truckman; May Hack, wife of Charles Hack, former county and district Democratic chairman; Mamie Jones, daughter of Lee Jones; and Pearle Hungerford, father-in-law of Fred Jones, chairman of the Shelby County Democrat Committee.
1924: Local Democrats sponsored a speech by Charles Sumner Williams, a Black pastor from Indianapolis, held at the local courthouse.
A newspaper ad from the local Colored Coolidge Club noted that the Club was endorsing Republican candidates. “We cannot afford to support the Democratic party because their majority lies in the southern states,” the ad said.
1914: A national suffragist speaker from New York spoke at Shelbyville City Hall. She argued, as summarized by The Republican, that “Men have taken the industries which were formerly woman’s sphere out of the home. Such works as spinning, weaving, sewing, baking and preserving, all have been taken out of the home and into the factories.” She added, “Eight million women have followed those industries. Yet these women did not cease to be women, but continued to make and keep homes. The arguments against the educated woman and the laboring woman were found to be empty.”
OBITUARIES
Martha Ledford, 87, of Shelbyville, passed away Wednesday October 23, 2024, at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. She was born March 22, 1937 in Shelby County to Earl Taylor and Mable (Wilson) Taylor.
Martha proudly received her G.E.D. at the age 40. She then earned her degree from University of Florida as a certified Dietary manager. In 1992, she received an award from Indiana Health Care for outstanding achievement in dietary management. She worked at Heritage House and Manor for 24 years. She also worked at Walker House and Waldron Heath, as well as Walmart. She was a member of American Legion for over 20 years. Martha enjoyed playing games, bingo and traveling new places. Most of all, she enjoyed helping “Red” grow tomatoes, tending to her flowers, and walking her little dog, Scooter.
She married Shirley “Red” Ledford on September 21, 1957, and he preceded her in death on May 23, 2018. Her family was her pride and joy and she is survived by her sons, Bruce (wife, Mary) Ledford of Indianapolis and Bryan Ledford of Bloomfield; her grandchildren, John Ledford, Michelle (husband, Adam) Woodall, Crystal (husband, Nate) Harless, Lauren Demaree and Ellie Demaree; her great-grandchildren, Konner Ledford, Carson Woodall, Carly Lynn Woodall and Ryleigh Mcginnis; her brother, Earl Taylor. Jr. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, “Red”; her son Kenneth Ledford and her brother, Robert Taylor.
A graveside service will be Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 11 a.m. at Lewis Creek Baptist Cemetery (Wilsons Corner) in Shelby County, with Pastor Jose Rivera officiating. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve Martha’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.
Kelly Eugene Meredith, 70, of Indianapolis, formerly of Shelby County, passed away Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis. He was born August 24, 1954, in Shelbyville, the son of Robert E. Meredith and Sharon Lee (Vanscoy) Ragin. Kelly is survived by his brothers, Kevin “Buzz” Meredith and wife, Mary, of Indianapolis, Kyle Meredith and wife, Lori, of Manilla, Kris Meredith and wife, Suzanne, of Shelbyville, and Kurtis Meredith and wife, Sherry, of Greenwood; sister, Kimberly Ellison of Shirley; best friend and brother, Gary Hall and wife, Melissa, of Shelbyville; and friends Kenny, Don and Gilbert. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Kelly attended Shelbyville High School. He was a veteran of the US Army, serving for three years, 1973 to 1976. Kelly also served in the Nation Guard for six years. Kelly was a member of the Shepherd Community Center Church.
Private family services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Inurnment will be at Moscow Cemetery in Rush County. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shelby County-Shelbyville Animal Shelter, 705 Hale Road, Shelbyville, Indiana 46176. Online condolences may be shared with Kelly’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.