Monday, May 6, 2024

Peace Officers Memorial Day Decreed, Recognized Locally

Betty Parker attaches a flower to a wreath in honor of her uncle, Trooper Herb Smith, who was killed in the line of duty, December 1946. | photo by ANNA TUNGATE

The annual memorial service to recognize Shelby County Law Enforcement who died in the line of duty was held yesterday at the Fraternal Order of Police.

Officers recognized were Sheriff Albert W. McCorkle, Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, end of watch, October 10, 1880; Trooper Herbert W. Smith, Indiana State Police, end of watch, Dec. 5, 1946; Deputy Stacia S. Alyea, Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, end of watch, April 18, 1996; Trooper Andrew Winzenread, Indiana State Police, end of watch, April 25, 1997; First Sgt. Karl Kelley, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, end of watch, April 17, 1998; Trooper Jason Beal, Indiana State Police, end of watch, Jan. 15, 2000; and Sgt. Gary Henderson, Shelbyville Police Department, end of watch, Oct. 10, 2007. Also recognized was Shelby County Sheriff’s Department K-9, Bruno, who died in the line of duty, Nov. 26, 2014.

Judge David Riggins referenced T.S. Elliot’s “Wasteland” quote that “April is the cruelest month,” noting that three of the officers recognized died in April three consecutive years, 1996, 1997 and 1998. 

Riggins also referenced the perceived lack of respect and trust in law enforcement in some parts of the country. “I don’t think that’s here in Shelby County,” he said. “The jurors I see who come to my court have a profound respect for law enforcement, what they do and what they have to do.”

Shelbyville Mayor Scott Furgeson and Shelby County Commissioners issued proclamations for Peace Officers Memorial Day, and Lt. Bart Smith recognized Indiana officers who died in the line of duty last year.

The FOP also presented scholarships to a student from each county high school. Recipients were Mathew Carlton, Morristown; Leila Patrick, Shelbyville; Riley Engel, Southwestern; Alyssa Benson, Waldron; and Brooklyn Bailey, Triton Central.

The Southwestern school choir, directed by Angela Mickler, sang the national anthem and another song and David Finkel played “Taps.”

National Peace Officers Memorial Day was first recognized in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy. The local proclamations included an order to fly flags at half-staff yesterday.

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Shelby County History: Thrashing

from the files of David Craig

One hundred years ago plumes of black coal smoke dotted the horizon in Shelby County.

These black soot-filled clouds meant it was wheat thrashing time. A time of hot and strenuous labor in the wheat fields. An annual event that brought people in the farming community together.

The primitive grain farmers had no mechanical method of separating the grain from the wheat stalk. Many times these early farmers would use a flail to beat the grain from the stalk. Also, the wheat stalks were spread onto a stone floor, and oxen would walk over the stalks, separating the stalks and the grain.

Grain harvesting was changed forever by a Scottish inventor. In 1784 a Scotsman, Andrew Meikle, built the first threshing machine. Today's combines still follow Meikle's mechanical principles.

At first, actual horse power was used to operate Meikle's thrashing machines. When steam power was harnessed, it replaced the horse as the power source for the thrashing operation.

Not every farmer in Shelby County owned a steam engine. This led to the forming of “thrashing rings.” These rings would include maybe a half dozen to a dozen farms in the community around each steam engine.

Every year, the members of the “ring” would gather for a planning session. This was really a neighborhood party. The women would set a bountiful table of food. The children played games as their fathers organized the upcoming harvest. Many gallons of homemade ice cream were eaten at such gatherings.

Young and old were assigned jobs during a thrashing run. The women and girls would begin cooking breakfast at sunrise. Then a large thrashing dinner would have to be prepared. Many of the younger girls would churn butter. The children would dig fresh potatoes. The women would fry chicken and make mouthwatering pies. All of this baking and frying was done on wood or coal stoves during one of the hottest times of the year.

The thrashing outfit consisted of a steam engine, a separator, water wagon, bundle hauling wagons, and a binder. Some of the older children would serve as “water boy.”

The water boy would ride a mule or horse around the harvesting operation with a water jug. The men would drink from the same jug.

Besides the engineer, there were men to feed bundles into the separator. A man would control the blower on the separator, forming straw stacks. Other men would haul the bundles from the wheat field to the separator.

The first step in the harvesting operation was cutting the wheat. The binder would cut the wheat and form it into sheaves. Men would follow, tying several sheaves together into a wheat shock.

Bundle wagons would haul the shocks from the field to the separator. Several men would use pitchforks to feed the bundles into the separator.

The wagons of wheat were then hauled to the granary. Scuppers would unload the wheat into the grain bin.

When all of the wheat had been harvested the members of the ring would meet to settle up. At the settling up, meeting the women once again served a large meal. The children played games. The evening ended with homemade ice cream.

Bringing in the wheat harvest before combines was very labor intensive. But it brought neighbors together and bonded the community.

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NOTEBOOK:

• NATIONAL NEWS: A study published in Chronobiology International analyzed more than 25,000 NBA games across 21 consecutive seasons and found that teams based in Pacific Time had a significantly higher win percentage when traveling to play a team in ET, rather than vice versa. When PT teams played at home against an ET team, they won 63.5% of the time. However, when an ET team played at home against a PT team, the win percentage dropped to 55%. The researchers concluded that players whose internal body clocks are synchronized with or behind the local time perform worse than athletes whose internal clocks are synched ahead of local time. (Morning Brew)

• The Addison Times publishes essential news and historical content to build our Shelby County community, and is free thanks to the generosity of supporters. Those who donate a minimum of $5 a month (or $60 one-time) receive an exclusive quarterly Addison Times magazine as an appreciation gift.

• Want the daily edition read to you? Struggling with your email provider filtering out your local news? The Addison Times Substack app will solve those challenges!

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This Day in Shelby County History

2014: Brad Landwerlen won the Republican primary for prosecutor. Dennis Parks won a five-way race in the Republican primary for Sheriff. Democrats did not field candidates for either spot.

2004: Tyler Orem and Molly Nash were crowned king and queen at Shelbyville High School’s prom.

1994: Gov. Evan Bayh appointed Shelbyville High School junior Mariah Romines to the Indiana Commission on Community Service, a program that gave participants money for college in return for community service work.

The suspended tile ceiling in First Insurance Services, 101 N. Harrison St., collapsed, cutting off electrical power to the office. About half of the ceiling fell, taking fluorescent light fixtures with it. Agent Steve McDaniel said the loss was covered. “Our insurance is good whether it’s on our property or yours,” he told The Shelbyville News.

1984: Several locals were among approximately 100,000 who went to the official opening of the Hoosier Dome. The $80 million facility contained 96,000 square feet and 61,000 seats. Giant fans circulated air to keep the fabric roof inflated.

1974: Roselyn Bakery had a sale: nine yeast donuts for 89 cents.

Dr. Jim Kent and Brad Moore tied for lowest scores in the Admiral Golf Tournament played at the Elks Blue River Country Club. R.A. Longstreet and Ken Cortelyou finished right behind them. Other top scores were by Fred Gardner, Bob Fuller, Gene Lusk, Bob Marshall, Bill Scott, Joe Michalec, Harry Murphy, Joe Risley and George Frost.

1964: Wray Orem, 54, was named new principal of Thomas A. Hendricks School, succeeding veteran H.B. Kysar, who had announced his retirement. Orem first taught at Rushville for five years, then taught in Shelbyville for four years, and then served 18 years as principal of the city’s Colescott, later Pearson, school. For the previous six years, he had taught freshman science at the junior high school.

Precision dancers in the Shelbyville High School May Festival were Carol Riemenschneider, Linda Watson, Peggy Dean, Lyndel Metz, Karen Duckworth, Jean Metz, Anita Junken, Libby Coulston, Janie Gaines, Vickie Livingston, Cheryl Wickliff, Beverly Hatten, Shirley Bradley, Peggy Denney, Jenni Sleeth, Judy Mullins, Bonnie Schneider and Linda Sprout. Those in the majorettes were Michele Dellenkamp, Karen Duckworth, Dottie Owens, Janie Gaines, Libby Coulston, Dianna Ewick and Nisha Thomas. Those in a musical comedy at May Fest were Dottie Owens, Jim Schooley, Jean Hare, Greg Hall, Jerry Reber, John Kehl, Beccy Hendrickson, Ricky Cline, Jere Gilles and Jerry McMichael.

1954: The Federal Communications Commission gave final approval for the sale of Taylorsville Telephone Company and three exchanges of the Hope Independent Telephone Company, including the one in Flat Rock, to Indiana Bell Telephone Company. Bell had contended that service to Flat Rock and other areas was poor, and upgrades were needed expediently.

1944: The Office of Defense Transportation authorized railroads to operate special trains to Chicago for the Republican and Democrat conventions. The trains would run through Shelbyville.

First Lt. Frederick Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Smith, 523 Montgomery St., was forced down in a B-24 in enemy waters near Italy. Lt. Smith was the pilot of a 10-man crew bomber and had been on numerous missions. After enemy fire riddled the plane, he was forced to “set down” at sea. Four members of the crew were lost, but Smith and the others were picked up by the British after three hours of tossing on the water. Lt. Smith was sent to an Army Air Force rest camp on an island. It was his second time being in major enemy fire. On a previous raid, three of his four motors were shot out, but Smith had succeeding in returning to base.

1934: Thelma Baker and Ann Walker were placed in charge of Vacation Bible School, which would be hosted by city churches.

Hiram Muir, 86, a Civil War veteran, died. Muir had been in the Union Army all four years of the war. He was survived by Della Muir, his daughter who was a teacher at Major School, and Charles Muir of New Mexico. His wife, Susan, had died 24 years prior. Only three Civil War veterans remained in Shelby County.

1924: President Calvin Coolidge was the overwhelming choice of Shelby County Republicans, handily defeating Hiram Johnson, Senator of California. George Nigh defeated three other candidates for Sheriff.

1914: Miles Huffman, of near Fairland, was injured while spraying a carbide solution into his chicken house. Dr. Wells said Huffman would likely lose his eye sight in at least one eye.

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OBITUARIES

Lawrence W. “Larry” Taylor, 91, of Waldron, passed away Saturday, May 4, 2024, at his home. He was born February 10, 1933, in Danby, Rutland County, Vermont, the son of Robert P. and Bessie (Corey) Taylor.  On December 27, 1955, he married his wife of 68 years, Martha Bartlett, and she survives.

In addition to Martha, Larry is survived by his children, India Owens and husband, Jeff, of Fairland, Lanny Taylor and wife, Kathy, of Fountaintown, and Amy Taylor Teats and husband, Rick, of Liverpool, Pennsylvania; sister, Rosemary Frederick of Tinmouth, Vermont; six grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Ethan C. Taylor; grandson, Zachary E. Taylor; sister, Phyliss Greene; and brothers, Austin Taylor and Paul Taylor.

Larry was a member of the Geneva United Methodist Church.

He was a U.S. Army veteran.

Larry retired in 1994, from Ford Motor Company, as a rack and pinion balancer, with over 30 years of service.

He was a 17-year member of the Waldron Volunteer Fire Department, where he was chief for two years. Larry also served as president of the Waldron Conservancy District. Larry volunteered at Bear Paw Quilt Guild in Shelbyville by pinning quilts and supporting the guild by inventions that made their work easier, and volunteered at MHP as part of that work.

Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m., Wednesday, at the funeral home, with Robert Greene officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 1261 W. 86^th St., Indianapolis, Indiana, 46260. Online condolences may be shared with Larry’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhome.com.