Monday, August 4, 2025
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SHS Class of ’65 Reunites
Members of the Shelbyville High School Class of 1965 met for a 60-year reunion this weekend at the Knights of Columbus. In addition to several others, (lower left) Dr. Chris and Brenda Rehme were in full 60s attire. | photos by JACK BOYCE
Editor’s Note: In recognition of the Class of ’65, today’s edition features a “Within These Portals” column from the Feb. 11, 1965 edition of The Courier. Later this week, we will publish an article on “The Westside Guys,” who were members of the class.
Within These Portals: Feb. 11, 1965
You may have thought you saw Karen Marshall in the halls the other day with a new outfit on. This outfit looked almost identical to one she had worn before. These outfits, however, are both the same one; she just found out that she had been wearing the top backwards!
There have been many fads that have gone around such as white lipstick, short skirts and even hulu hoops. But the one that seems most prevalent at SHS these days is walking on crutches.
Jim Schooley has recently been letting his hair grow long. While in English class, he continuously seemed to be nodding his head as if he wanted his hair to flop. Finally, after watching for as long as he could, Mr. Kocher told Jim that the next time he came to class, he should either bring some bobby pins or a hair net.
Was there an alarm clock in the sixth hour study hall every day last semester which told the students it was 3 p.m.? No - it was just Mike Schonfield - burping.
When Wayne Poyz recently admitted in English class to being a loyal reader of Playboy, Mr. Coyner became aggravated. “Wayne,” he said, “reading trash like that is a complete waste of time. Besides, the last three issues haven't even been any good!”
Mr. McKinley has hung a voodoo doll above the blackboard in the chemistry lab. Under this doll appear the words, “Someone is watching you!” The chemistry students are baffled by its meaning. Does it propose a challenge for those in the classes, or does Mr. McKinley actually go so far as to cause physical pain by sticking pins in the doll when work is not completed? We wonder.
Dear Mr. Wicker - (If you are reading this column) - Jon Fox would like to have a knob put on his locker. There hasn't been a knob on Jon's locker since September, and Jon's fingernails seem to be getting ragged. Thank you.
Mrs. Webster asked her last hour literature class where they would go if they had only one day left on earth. Susan Mohr said "I’d go to the ocean." Manarda Payne said she'd choose the woods. Mike Chafee, brightening, declared that he would go to the same woods.
In Mrs. Ramey’s beginning typing class she asked the students to type names of relatives. She set a timer, and the students were to see who could get the most names typed in that time limit. When Denny Fox said he had 36, Mrs. Ramey, astounded, asked him to read his list. It read: Mom, Dad, Janet, 12 aunts, 12 uncles, ....”
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NOTEBOOK:
The first student day for Shelbyville Central Schools is Wednesday, August 6. It will not be an early release day.
HOOSIER NEWS: Democratic politician Beto O’Rourke expressed concern about the state of democracy at a Town Hall meeting in Indianapolis yesterday and suggested areas in which his party needs to improve. Coverage of the event is here. (Local Indy)
NATIONAL NEWS: Piracy sites, once the bane of the music industry, have largely become a bugbear of the streaming, film and television business. Global visits to music piracy sites totaled just 14 billion last year, only a third of the 42.4 billion visits logged in 2017. In the industry, this is mostly attributed to legal streaming from the likes of Spotify becoming cheap and reliable enough to make piracy unnecessary. There is one area of recent growth, though, namely stream ripper visits, or sites that allow a user to convert a YouTube video into an MP3. Those have seen a surge in interest lately — 8 billion visits last year, up from 5.1 billion in 2022. They now account for 57.8 percent of total music piracy-related web traffic, vastly higher than the 20 percent it was responsible for in 2017. (VIP+/Numlock)
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SHS Courier Archive Highlights
Nov. 22, 2002, Part II
The Courier asked students what they liked to do on weekends. Nick Romelfinger said he was likely to stay home. “Mostly because I’m tired from the week I had at school.” Some said they liked to go to local restaurants. Cagney’s was a big hit, especially after football or basketball games.
Girls basketball season was ramping up. “Even with the loss of Susan Kolls and Ashley Matney, the team still has several key components that will help lead the Bears to victory,” The Courier said. “Seniors Sam Himes, Allison Berger, Katie Douglas, Jessica Horner and Audra Blackford are just a few veterans returning who share one goal: success.” Juniors on the team were Katie Jackson, Haley Wise, Gretchen Haehl and Gwen Haehl.
Reporter Adam James asked people to name those who had positively impacted their lives. Mr. Bill Murphy talked about his high school math teacher, Mr. Ed Huber, and his mother, who was a Latin teacher. Murphy had been part of the first class at Connersville that took calculus. Mrs. Virginia Davis credited her student teaching supervisor for convincing her to enter the field. “When I began teaching at SHS, Mrs. Mary Agler and Mrs. Joan Kelley, former teachers at SHS, both had great influences on me,” she said. She had started at SHS in 1973. Bryce New, a junior, talked about role models Matt Holbrook and Steve Browning, both SHS graduates.
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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 by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials.
2005: The Shelby County Drainage Board allotted $440,000 to solve drainage issues in Flat Rock. The question was how much to spend studying the program before fixing it. Some estimates included up to $100,000 to study drainage challenges in the southern part of the county.
1995: Lou Noe, general manager of VTI, told City Council that the company located on S. Meridian St. was working to control dust. He said VTI had hired Dustmasters, an Indianapolis company, to spray the lot. He also said a larger loading area would soon be added between the dirt lot and McKinley Street.
1985: Elizabeth Kay Suits, 14 months, was the grand champion baby at the Shelby County Fair.
1975: Three Shelbyville teens, ages 13 and 14, were arrested and charged with riding cycles without operator’s licenses. They were given dates to appear in juvenile court.
1965: Local schools would open Sept. 2, officials announced. Compton Dairy had been awarded the milk program contract. The school board also approved student assignments for the year. Beechbrook Addition children would attend Marion School instead of Addison. Rolling Ridge students would attend Coulston instead of Major. Wellington Heights students would attend Addison instead of Coulston.
1955: The upcoming fireworks display to be held at the fairgrounds was reported to be the largest in county history. The show would include 100 “aerial bombs” exploding simultaneously during the grand finale. “Altogether 235 aerial bombs will be employed, including portrayal of modern atomic warfare,” The Shelbyville News reported. “A flying saucer, atomic cannon and other jet age implements will be represented in the fireworks.”
1945: Bill Breck won a singles tennis tournament at Morrison Park, beating Louie Bower in the championship. Morris Bruner, Kenneth Ford, Wayne Hubler, Bob Patterson, Norman Morris and Dale Myers were all finalists.
1935: With the on-going heat wave, the Daniel DePrez ice plant was delivering 90,000 pounds of ice daily to Shelbyville residents and 60,000 pounds of ice in the county. The Republican said he appreciated visiting the ice room, which was 26 degrees, for the story. “The water from which the ice is frozen is pumped from a depth of 110 feet and is immediately run through a triple distiller.” It took 48 hours to freeze a 300-pound block of ice, a far cry from 1878, when DePrez had cut tons of ice from Blue River and stored it in a building for summer use.
1925: Crews laid 1,200 square feet of concrete on the north side of the Goodman Department store. The new basement under the entire sidewalk afforded ample floor space for the incoming grocery department.
1915: Heavy rains in southern Shelby County had halted farm work. “Threshing crews which were at work in the townships were given a day’s vacation,” The Republican said. “Persons living in the path of the storm stated today that the water fell in sheets, and that it was impossible to see for any distance because of the intense blackness of the night.” The home of Orlando Medsker, one mile north of Geneva, was struck by lightning, shocking him and his wife.
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OBITUARIES
Earl Taylor Jr., 90, of Flat Rock, died Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Miller’s Merry Manor in Hope. Born Oct. 11, 1934, in Shelby County, he was the son of Earl R. Taylor and Mabel (Wilson) Taylor. He married Brenda Kay (Cottrell) Taylor on Sept. 1, 1962, and she preceded him in death on Sept. 17, 2019. Survivors include three children: Bill Taylor (Laura) of Shelbyville; Cindy Lee Isaac Drake (Larry) of Shelbyville; and Cora Sue Bowman (Greg) of Greensburg; eight grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; his spouse; a brother, William "Bob" Taylor; and a sister, Martha M. Ledford.
Mr. Taylor was a lifelong resident of the area and attended Waldron High School. He worked at Knauf Fiber Glass for more than 20 years, GE/Wellman’s for 10 years, and was a truck driver for Shelby Bottle Gas for several years. He was a member of Geneva United Methodist Church, where he served as a trustee, and was a U.S. Army Reserve veteran.
Earl loved buying and selling antiques. He enjoyed attending flea markets, playing cards, dancing, woodworking and spending time with his good neighborhood friend, Lucas.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Road, with the Rev. Darrin Isaac officiating. Burial will be in Lewis Creek Baptist Cemetery. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, at the funeral home. Graveside military rites will be conducted by the American Legion. Memorial contributions may be made to Our Hospice of South Central Indiana, in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.