Monday, March 3, 2025
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Courier: A Review of 2005 Retirees
Editor’s note: This time of year, school faculty and staff retirees begin submitting their letters of intent. Twenty years ago, four long-time Shelbyville High School teachers announced their upcoming retirements. Below are 2005 Courier articles on two of them, with the other two to be highlighted in an upcoming edition.
Dennis Hearne
by Melanie Poehner
This May, Shelbyville High School will say goodbye to a familiar face in the social studies department. Mr. Dennis Hearne will be retiring at the end of this school year. Since 1973, Mr.
Hearne has been an integral part of SHS. He has been a guidance counselor, a dean of students, the athletic director, and most importantly, a social studies teacher. He has taught U.S. government, economics, AP macroeconomics, world civilization, current problems, psychology, sociology, and physical geography.
Mr. Hearne attended Columbus High School, now known as Columbus North. He had always had an interest in history and by the time he reached high school, he thought he could have a future in teaching it. He had three or four teachers who helped influence him in becoming a teacher. His father also influenced his love of history by taking him to U.S. battlefields.
After attending University of Evansville, Mr. Hearne took graduate courses in psychology and sociology at Purdue University, and he obtained his administrator's license at Indiana University. He has a master's degree and is licensed to teach in every area of social studies.
The biggest change Mr. Hearne has noticed while teaching is "the large gap in general knowledge in some students compared to others. Those with access to computers come to school with better general knowledge than others, which makes it harder to teach."
Mr. Hearne regrets being a little more aggressive earlier in his teaching career and having too high expectations of his students. "I can be a difficult person to get along with when I don't get exactly what I want."
Mr. Hearne says that he will miss his colleagues and the daily interactions with both students and teachers. "The thing I will miss the most is the epiphany students have when they finally understand something," Mr. Hearne declares, "You can see it in their eyes." He says that he will not miss the grading. "I hate thinking that someone can fully assess what someone else has learned or knows. Grading doesn't indicate what you learn."
After retirement, Mr. Hearne plans on spoiling and spending time with his granddaughter. He has home obligations and investments to take care of.
For the past 32 years, Mr. Dennis Hearne has been through seven principals, four different job descriptions, and thousands of Shelbyville High School students.
Jerry Rice
by Krista Kelsay
It's hard to believe that after 33 years of teaching Spanish, Mr. Jerry Rice is retiring. What kept him teaching so long? Mr. Rice loves Spanish and he loves teaching, but also commented that he hated babysitting. "If I have to correct or scold a student, I consider that babysitting."
Mr. Rice started his first Spanish lesson in 1964. He decided to go into Spanish for two reasons: He really liked Spanish, and a university professor he had met more or less encouraged him to teach.
In 1977, Mr. Rice started teaching here at SHS. When he first went into his classroom during the summer, there were no desks. He went to the principal and told him there were no desks. They both walked around the school looking for desks because he didn't want to wait for an order of them to come in. They couldn't find any, so they went to the basement where past and present teachers have stored things. In a corner in the back, they found 36 desks covered in dust and dirt. Mr. Rice took them outside with a hose and washed them off, and when he was done, they were like brand new.
Later, The Indianapolis Star came and took a picture of the classroom. In the paper, they wrote a column saying that all former students should come back and sign the desks. One by one, they came back. The oldest to graduate was from 1980, and also former graduates came from as far as Japan and Columbia. One day, a girl called from a foreign country and told Mr. Rice she was coming. She arrived in Miami, Florida and drove from there all the way to Shelbyville to sign the desk.
Throughout his years at SHS, Mr. Rice not only taught Spanish II, III, and IV, but also taught English as a foreign language to some Hispanics. Iraqis, Saudi Arabians, and Egyptians are others he has instructed in English.
Mr. Rice believes every Spanish student should have listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural skills to really know and understand Spanish. One particular thing he teaches to every student each day is the history of Mexico (the history of Spain in third year).
"I've been teaching it for so long, that I have it all memorized, but I have to make sure that the new third and fourth year students understand it and like it since it's all brand new to them," said Mr. Rice.
Mr. Rice also said that students should leave his class knowing how to work hard; the more a student works hard, the less it seems like hard work. Students should also leave with the knowledge of Spanish and respect for being a member of his class. Next year's third and fourth year Spanish teacher will be Mrs. Tammy Witte, who is now a first and second year Spanish teacher.
After Mr. Rice retires, he has several options: Sign a contract with Decatur, Hancock, Rush, and Shelby counties to be a court interpreter or teach at a university that has already contacted him.
One of the most special things to Mr. Rice is seeing the fourth year students and what they
Have accomplished since they have been through the most.
"Many of my former students go on to become Spanish teachers. And I'm still in close contact with them, and sometimes I have dinner with a few of them," said Mr. Rice. He also commented that he's done many goofy things, but that's just a part of being a teacher. "There are a lot of bright, hard-working students here. They're as good as they come," said Mr. Rice.
Next year, Spanish class won't be the same without Mr. Rice, but students will always remember him and the way he taught.
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NOTEBOOK:
The Shelbyville Common Council meets at 6 p.m. tonight at City Hall. Several ordinances are up for second readings following their approval at the last meeting.
Today marks the 25th anniversary of Carl “Jelly” Brown’s passing. The Shelbyville High School alumnus died March 3, 1990, in New York City. Brown, 66, a New York City antique dealer with shops in Harlem and Staten Island, was one of the few Black students in the 1940s to play high school basketball.
HOOSIER NEWS: Ball State University’s baseball stadium has been named Shebek Stadium, in honor of Mike Shebeck, a standout pitcher for the Cardinals in the 1980s. Shebeck, who was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles but chose a business career, and his wife, Katie, are funding a $5 million clubhouse add-on. (Indiana University’s baseball stadium, Bart Kaufman Field, is named in honor of the Shelbyville native and IU alumnus.) (Indiana Public Radio)
NATIONAL NEWS: According to Netflix, 15,663 titles got at least 100,000 views in the last six months of last year, only 29 percent of which hit 1 million views or more. The top 1 percent of titles accounted for 22.32 billion hours of viewing (which was 24 percent of the total viewing minutes) from just 156 titles alone. All told: the top 10 percent of titles were responsible for 68 percent of all viewing, good for 64.16 billion hours. (Hollywood Reporter/Numlock)
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SHS Courier Archive Highlights
Oct. 17 & 18, 2013
National Honor Society sponsor Robin Sowder gave students the bad news about the group’s haunted house. “Because of last year’s big epidemic with the histoplasmosis virus, it couldn’t be repeated,” The Courier said. The virus apparently broke out following interactions at the haunted house, and the corporation put a stop to the event. “After NHS students created a haunted house in an old barn last year, many started experiencing symptoms of histoplasmosis - including fatigue, chest pain and coughing. The virus can be caused from inhaling dried bird droppings.”
The band was hosting a haunted house at The Strand Theatre. Justine Wagner would be part of the “welcoming party” when visitors walked in. Junior Mitch Creed was helping compose music for the event.
The Courier’s Samantha Scheibler asked teachers about past goals. When he was a kid, Mr. Vince Bradburn had wanted to be a professional baseball player. He then considered cartography because he loved maps. Mrs. Jan Hearne had once dreamed about becoming the first female player on the New York Yankees baseball team. Mr. Jacob Shively had never thought seriously about any career except teaching. “You have the opportunity to influence a lot of people on a daily basis,” he said.
Students were torn between Pandora and the new iTunes Radio app. Junior Max Lewis preferred iTunes. He said he liked the “Buy Now” feature.
MySpace had begun a “comeback” campaign to compete with Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr. Sophomore Jennah Foltz asked, “What’s MySpace?” Abey Bass said, “I wouldn’t get a MySpace even if it became popular again.”
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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: Caryl Robbins, one of the first Meals on Wheels organizers in Shelbyville nearly 30 years before, and her brother Bill and daughter Julie donated a 2005 Ford Freestyle vehicle to the cause. Meals on Wheels had delivered nearly 12,000 meals in Shelbyville in 2004. (Editor’s note: Caryl was instrumental in creating additional social impact in Shelby County beyond her work with Meals on Wheels. In 1997, she established a charitable remainder trust, naming the Blue River Community Foundation as the beneficiary to endow a fund she had recently created at the Foundation in honor of her late husband, Bueford Robbins, and her father, William F. Loper. Upon Mrs. Robbins’ passing in 2011, the Foundation placed the gift into the Bueford and Caryl Loper Robbins Fund. Since the fund started providing grants in 2014, the Bueford and Caryl Loper Robbins Fund has provided over $29,000 for innovative elementary education projects within Shelbyville Central Schools as well as prevention programs and projects for handicap children in Shelby County.)
First-place winners in the Shelby County Reads contest were Wesley Fleming, Bailey Burnett, Alexandra Lubbe and Claire Williamson.
1995: Stacy Huntsman and Dustin Hartman were queen and king of the Waldron High School Sweetheart Dance. The court was made up of Shawn Bennett, Neil Wisker, Jamie Oliver, Amanda Oliver, Travis Huntsman, Zach Linder, April Kuhn, Christi Laughlin, Ben Jones, Justin Burris, Sarah Fralich, Nicole Adams, Nick Hartman, Ryan Haehl, Jennifer Grinstead and Alisha Jackman.
Suellen K. Reed, Indiana superintendent of public instruction, held a public forum at Breck Auditorium. Reed had taught world and Latin American history in 1970-71 at SHS.
1985: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) officials announced they were extending their investigation into the causes of Shelby National Bank’s failure. The officials said they were working on “new leads.”
1975: Sharon Sillanpa, 10, received the state Salvation Army Commissioner’s Sunbeam with Star Award. Sharon was the first Shelbyville girl to receive the award. Her parents, Capt. and Mrs. Tom Sillanpa, were officers of the local Salvation Army.
SHS graduates of 1974 who were known by their classmates as the “jeep gang” got together at Linda Frank’s home to honor bride-elect Barbara Bruning, who was getting married to Douglas Manning on April 4. Those in attendance were Connie Walton, Jane Agler, Ellie Pfaff, Cristi Orem and Terry Plymate, in addition to mothers of the prospective bridal couple, Mrs. Del Coryea and Mrs. Bill Manning, and Miss Bruning’s grandmother, Irene Dawson.
1965: City Council approved the purchase of 40 acres of land adjacent to the Shelbyville Airport and a residential property at 134 W. Franklin St. adjacent to the hospital. Both lots would likely be used for expansion.
Morristown High School Forum leaders discussed “Why Vietnam?” Those participating were Role Cole, Carol Beckley, Jim Dux, Pat Sutton, Carl Guffin and sponsor Neal Hagen.
1955: Justice of Peace John Banawitz fined James Perry, 21, for “racing” with another car on State Road 44. Perry said he was only “trying to stop” the other car.
1945: The local draft board announced they were “tightening down” on exemptions for the draft and would require additional paperwork for those making requests.
1935: James Emmert, Circuit Court Judge, won the Em-Roe marksmanship trophy at a range in Indianapolis.
1925: The state legislature increased the minimum fine for public intoxication from $1 to $40.
Many locals tuned in to WLW radio to hear Anna Kaufman, who was attending Cincinnati College of Music, perform.
1915: Local men put to work on the Street Department were differentiated from employees by the requirement to wear a white cap. “This is not the first attempt to put this measure into effect in Shelbyville,” The Republican reported. “Many years ago such as order was issued and in a day or two a fellow was brought up on the public square and given a pick and shovel and told to go to work. To his ankle was locked a ball and chain. The season was midsummer and the day was blazing hot. The man was an utter stranger to work. He refused to hit a lick. The officer retired to a shade tree, leaving the culprit in the center of the square. Along about noon Joseph Levinson, a clothier who had a store at the Pitman corner, carried the man a chair. In a short time, another man took him an umbrella, and then he was served by a third person with a glass of lemonade. This was going some for the idler and he was in great glee. But at noon the officer refused to return him to jail for his dinner - no work, no food. At evening time, the man promised to leave town if liberated. He was given five minutes to reach the bridge on North Harrison Street, and he covered the space in half the time.” The program was tried again a few years later, with men going outside the jail to crack stone to be placed on city streets. “If they had been working by the perch they would have starved to death, but work they did and whatever they accomplished was better than have them loafing inside the jail.” The new plan added a rule that those not working only received bread and water at meal times.
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OBITUARIES
Geraldine Oliver, 93, of Shelbyville, Indiana, previously of Crittenden County, Kentucky, passed away on February 28, 2025 at the Willows of Shelbyville where she relocated to spend the last six years with her daughter.
Geraldine was born on August 29, 1931, in Crittenden County to her late parents, Milton and Katie Riley. Throughout her life, Geraldine Oliver embraced a diverse range of vocations, serving her community as a substitute mail courier, factory worker, restaurant cook, and farmer. Renowned for her exquisite cooking and her penchant for baking delectable pies, Geraldine’s hands tended not only to the duties of her varied careers but also to the soil of her expansive garden. The fruits of her labor were preserved in jars through the loving process of canning, capturing the essence of each season's bounty.
A devout Christian, Geraldine’s faith attended several churches, from Caldwell Springs Baptist Church and First Baptist Church in Fredonia to Emmanuel Baptist Church in Marion, Ky. Her spiritual journey eventually led her to become a cherished member of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Ind.
Geraldine is survived by her daughter, Lori (Scott) Tyson of Shelbyville, Ind.; son, Michael (Gay) Oliver of Richmond, Ky.; five grandchildren, Ashley (Zach) Haney of Destin, Fla., Katie (Bryan) Batic of Camby, Ind., Karen (Greg) Vaughn of Paducah, Ky., Darrah Crawford, Zak Oliver of Fredonia, Ky.; thirteen grandchildren, Oliver Haney, Tilley Haney, Maisy Haney, Bettie Haney, Caroline Batic, Graham Batic, Alec Gamblin, Bryson Gamblin, Alex Oliver, Laynee Delgado, Greyson Crawford, Levin Crawford, Aden Crawford; two great-great-grandchildren, Stella Gamblin and Wyatt Gamblin. In addition to her parents, Geraldine was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Ogden Oliver; son, Steve Oliver; three sisters, Dot Marshall, Opal Hunt, Clemma Wilson; three brothers, Myron Riley, Owen Riley, Glendall Riley; granddaughter, Morgan Tyson.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at Morgan’s Funeral Home in Princeton, Ky. with Bro. Aaron Brown officiating. Burial will follow in Rowland Cemetery in Caldwell County, Ky. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. until service time on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at Morgan's Funeral Home. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Geraldine's memory to St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn., 38105-9959 (www.stjude.org) or Oneida Baptist Institute, 11 Mulberry Street, Oneida, Ky., 40972 (www.oneidaschool.org). You may light a candle or leave a message for the family at www.morgansfuneralhome.com.