Sunday, June 9, 2024
Armory Updates Celebrated
The Shelbyville Armory, 3556 North Michigan Road, near I-74, hosted a ribbon-cutting Friday (below) to celebrate recent renovations. The project included updating facilities and adding over 7,000 square feet to the structure. | photos by JACK BOYCE
DeBaun Reflects on Life at the Fairgrounds
Ronald DeBaun, 10, and his cousin, Janet (DeBaun), pose in 1956 with a winning horse Ron trained rode in this photo taken at the Kentucky Raceway. | SUBMITTED
interview by ANNA TUNGATE
Ronald DeBaun doesn’t actually live on the Shelby County Fairgrounds, but his adjoining property and long-time association with horse racing have fooled quite a few.
“This ain’t the fairgrounds,” DeBaun said this week from his home, which is technically on James Street but clearly visible from the northeast section of the fairgrounds. “But the track has been a big part of my life.”
DeBaun’s horse-racing roots go way back, at least to his great-grandfather and grandfather, who were in the horse racing business, with the family arriving in Shelby County in 1922.
His great-grandfather lived across the street from the present-day county fair offices. “He smoked a long green tobacco pipe. You could smell it from downtown,” DeBaun said with a chuckle.
Ron grew up nearby. His father, Charles J. DeBaun, built a house at the corner of then-Goodrich (now Poe St.) and LaBelle.
Ron’s uncle, Raymond DeBaun, and Charles trained and raced horses for a living. At that time, some of the fair barns were located along Glenn Ave. After a fire burned one down, the large barns were cut in half, put on skids and dragged across the center of the fairgrounds to be on the east side, where they remain. The red barn near the Hendricks cabin was once located on the Jester’s property.
The fairgrounds was the center of the world to Ron, who grew up near his cousins, Carolyn and Janet. He jogged his first horse when he was seven years old.
“I didn’t have time to get in trouble because I had all these chores to do,” he said.
Although Charles and Raymond raced their horses all over the country, they were based out of Shelbyville and took care of the local track.
“I drove a tractor when I was knee-high to a grasshopper,” Ron said.
The racing business came natural to him. He and his father and uncle once finished first, second and third in the same race, with Ron finishing third.
Ron eventually took over maintenance of the county fairgrounds track, remaining for some four decades while also building and rebuilding racetracks throughout the region.
He said he wouldn’t change his childhood or life for any other.
“People don’t realize how many kids grew up on this fairgrounds, with 4-H and showing all kinds of animals,” he said. “You couldn't beat the atmosphere, when you're around people that care about you. I've met a lot of great people here.”
GOING GREEN
Green shavings are a new feature in the 4-H youth pavilion at this year’s Shelby County Fair. Justin Parker, fair board member, said he remembers showing livestock in Louisville during his own youth 4-H days, largely because they had the same rare green shavings. | photo by ANNA TUNGATE
NOTEBOOK:
Shelbyville Mayor Scott Furgeson participated last week in a discussion of central Indiana mayors regarding improving the region. The Indy Chamber hosted 10 mayors at its State of the Region event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Business Journal reported. “Growing Shelbyville and connecting to greater regionalism starts with geographical connectivity, Furgeson said, which he said has been ‘unhealthy’ so far,” IBJ reported, noting that a major piece of the solution, Furgeson said, is focusing on the Interstate 74 corridor and shortening travel times. IndyGo’s current Purple Line construction will help boost such connectivity to Lawrence.
Shelby County residents are eligible to participate in temporary mural display to be installed at the Indianapolis International Airport. The Indy Arts Council invites visual artists to submit images of pre-existing two dimensional or digital artworks for consideration for reproduction as large-scale, temporary murals at IND. Artists will license the use of their artwork for this purpose, and the artworks will be photographed and the murals digitally printed on adhesive vinyl by third-party vendors and installed at no cost to the artist. Three murals will be produced and installed in early 2025. Details here.
NATIONAL NEWS: A new study found that commutes of 50 miles or more applied to 8.9 percent of all commuters in the 2023-24 period, an increase from the 7.3 percent of commuters that did that kind of haul in the 2019-20 period. The percentage of commutes that were 35 miles or less still constitutes a majority, but the figure dipped a bit, a result that would make sense if a portion of commuters left municipal cores to move further away. (Wall Street Journal/Numlock)
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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 from the Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department.
2014: Jimmy John’s announced plans to open a sandwich shop in Shelbyville. The national chain had been founded in 1983 in Illinois by 19-year-old John Liautaud. Shelbyville Mayor Tom DeBaun welcomed the restaurant, which was under construction, as part of redeveloping a section of East State Road 44.
2004: The Shelby County Fair received a Blue Ribbon Fair Award from the United States Trotters Association.
1994: County highway crews cleaned up Country Road 500 N, which involved picking up about 200 tires along the roadway that had been dumped.
County officials also noted that more than 300 county mailboxes did not have addresses on them. Although the county had changed from rural route addressing to a 911 grid system two years’ prior, some people had continued to use the old addresses and refused to put the new addresses on their mailboxes, Postmaster Robert McGill said.
1984: The water in Joseph Fountain had been turned blue following sandblasting. Mayor Dan Theobald said it wasn’t his idea, but contractors had assured him that a blue fountain at night with lights would look nice. The Shelbyville News was unable to confirm who had actually dyed the fountain. “Is the Tidy Bowl man responsible for turning our fountain blue?” the paper asked.
The new carpet in the courthouse office which Commissioners had refused to pay for was covered by an anonymous donor. Cheryl Glaub, highway department secretary, and Prosecutor Jim Lisher had issued personal checks to cover the bill, but the checks were sent back with a note that someone had paid the tab.
1974: Ed Benore and Associates posted ads for home sale orders in the new Berwick Manor neighborhood.
Moral Township native Ted Thompson was named new principal at Triton Central High School, succeeding Jack Haycock, who had resigned due to health reasons. Thompson was a 1955 graduate of the former Moral Township High School. He was married to Catherine (Martinez) of New Mexico, and they had three daughters, Annette, Nancy and Suzan.
1964: Recent Shelbyville High School graduate Steve Mullen, 18, was named Rec Teen of the Month. He planned to attend Ball State and study physical education with a mathematics minor. Mullen was the president of the Junior Rec Board and had been a varsity athlete at SHS in basketball, track and cross country. He was also a member of the school choir, Glee Club and Show Group, the Honor Society, Hi-Y and S Club.
1954: The J.E. Evans Concrete Products Company, just off State Road 9 a mile north of Shelbyville, opened a new plant. They would produce sewer pipe and concrete culvert pipe.
Mrs. Charles Kremer, 224 S. Noble St., reported someone had stolen eight cabbage plants from her garden. She warned the plants had just been sprayed with a “deadly” insect poison that could make the thief violently ill.
1944: Plans were announced for a permanent Boy Scout camp to be built in a to-be-named Shelby County location. Those in charge of the initiative were Ed Koch, Don Wickizer, Dr. Charles Bowler, Harold Meloy, Glenn Plymate, Walter Hale, Russ Gross, W.F. Loper, Walter Myers, Judge Harold Barger and Roy Singer.
The birth rate in Shelby County had doubled the death rate in May, county officials announced.
1934: The 167 candidates on the county primary ballot in May had spent an average of $15 each on their campaigns. Nineteen candidates hadn’t spent anything. One candidate spent $218.
1924: Oscar Cutsinger, who lived and worked on a farm in western Shelby County, was shot and killed by his cousin, Elmer Pruitt, who lived on the Edinburg fairgrounds. Pruitt then fired three shots at himself, in an apparent suicide attempt, but he survived. The incident began when Cutsinger had reportedly found a stray heifer in the road and put it in his barn. Pruitt claimed Cutsinger had taken the heifer off his farm. “It was stated that the feeling in Edinburg and community against Pruitt is strong, and that violence might have been resorted to had Pruitt not been wounded,” The Republican said.
1914: City Council refused to donate the middle of Public Square to the federal government to allow a new post office to be built there. The City Attorney had determined the council should get the consent of all Public Square merchants, which was not going to happen.
Dr. John Lucas, one of the city’s most experienced physicians, died. Lucas had practiced in Shelbyville since 1988.
OBITUARIES
Michelle J. Jones, 51, of Shelbyville passed away Thursday, June 6, 2024 at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. She was born March 18, 1973 in Stuttgart, Germany to William Crousore and Nancy (Kuhn) Crousore.
Michelle graduated from Rushville High School in 1992. She was a lifelong homemaker. Her grandkids were her pride and joy. She loved all the times spent making memories with them and the rest of her family. She had a love for country music and enjoyed going to concerts with her loved ones. She also enjoyed spending time with her cat, Monster.
Michelle is survived by her father William (wife, Anna) Crousore; her daughters, Katie McGillem (Dylon Richardson), and Sarah Hornaday (Donna Hankins); her grandchildren, Nevaeh, Ayva, Deklyn, Ameila, Mya, Elijah, and Natalee; her sisters, Danielle Brown, Amy (husband, Jerren) Spurlin, and Angie (husband, David) Fredricks; her nieces and nephews, Tyler (Jordan), Trevor (wife, Emily), Hanah (husband, Riley) Bailey, Bubby, Krista (Aaron), and Leanna (husband, John) Blaine, and several great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother, and significant other, Joe Adams.
Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at Murphy-Parks Funeral Services, 703 S. Harrison St., Shelbyville, IN. Funeral services will follow at 6 p.m. at the funeral home with Perry Cook officiating. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks, Stuart Parks, and Darin Schutt are honored to serve Michelle’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.
Henry Albrecht, 62, of Morristown, joined his mother in heaven having passed away at his home on June 6, 2024. He was born on August 2, 1961, at Scott’s Air Force Base in California, to the late Henry Albrecht, Sr., and Darlene (Bogue) (Albrecht) Nebel. Darlene married Gary Nebel and they raised him to be the great person he was. He married Rhonda (Davis) Albrecht in October 1990. She survives.
He worked for the Town of Morristown as Town Marshal for 33 years. He loved his job and the Morristown Community. He was always there to help. He also worked for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department prior to that for six years, giving him a total of 39 years in law enforcement. He was also a member of the Morristown Volunteer Fire Department for 44 years.
In 1980, he graduated from Morristown High School. Henry was a member of the Morristown Masonic Lodge/Sugar Creek Lodge for 27 ½ years, and pre-1840 reenactment groups Blue River Longrifle Club and the Tomahawks. He loved to fish, hunt, and shoot his muzzleloaders, gardening, and playing with his dog, Shadow. But most of all, he loved being with his family. He was a wonderful husband and father. In addition to his wife, Rhonda, he is survived by his son, Gary Christopher Albrecht of Morristown, and daughter, Kaitlyn Nicole Albrecht; dad, Gary Nebel of Morristown; siblings, Judy (David) Fisher of Fishers, Deborah Nelson of Manilla, Ronald (Laura) Albrecht of Gwynneville, and Donald (Sandy) Albrecht of Greenfield. He also has several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins who will miss him.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m., Friday, June 14, 2024, and from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, June 15, 2024, at the Morristown High School gymnasium, 223 S. Patterson St. in Morristown. The Masonic service will be held at 7:45 pm on Friday. Funeral services will be at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, June 15, 2024, at the gymnasium, with the Revs. Jim Coyle and Jerry Holdman officiating. Interment will be at Asbury Cemetery in Morristown. Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 124 E. North St., in Morristown. Memorial contributions may be made in Henry’s memory to the Morristown Fire Department, 422 W. Main St., Morristown, Indiana 46161 or the Friendship NMLRA Youth Range (NMLRA), P.O. Box 67, Friendship, Indiana 47021. Online condolences may be shared with Henry’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.