Sunday, May 12, 2024
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, FROM THE ADDISON TIMES
photo, taken at Mathias Landscaping on East Hendricks St. by JACK BOYCE
FAMILY BREAKFAST
Drew and Savannah Parsley and their daughters enjoy breakfast at Linne’s Bakery yesterday. | photo by JACK BOYCE
NOTEBOOK:
Local manufacturing executive Bill Kent released the second printing of his book Actions Leading You to Success, which includes 12 chapters of ideas for professional and personal success. “Inside this book, I give the reader the opportunity to learn from all areas of Human Resource responsibility and accountability, while maintaining integrity, belief system and self-preservation,” Kent said in a statement. Kent has co-authored a white paper for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce on the success of the PK USA wellness program and authored a white paper on human resources as a strategic partner. Chapter information and purchase details here...
NATIONAL NEWS: It’s going to take more than $10/month to join a gym once Planet Fitness raises the price of a basic membership for new members to $15 per month this summer. The $10 amount, which has held steady for 26 years, was considered a sweet spot where people were happy to sign up and wouldn’t bother to cancel once they gave up on their fitness goals. But after posting weaker-than-expected Q1 results, the gym chain decided it’s time to change, even though execs acknowledged that customers are looking to save rather than spend. (Morning Brew)
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Mother’s Day Reflection: Elizabeth McNeely
Elizabeth McNeely, Stella Wray, M. Stafford and Frances Van Pelt pose as flappers in their younger years. | submitted
Much has been written over the decades about Carl “Mac” McNeely, the long-time Admiral Corporation general manager, Civic Center namesake and visionary proponent of purchasing the west side land on which three Shelbyville schools are now located. Less has been documented about his wife, Elizabeth (Orebaugh) McNeely, an academic and musician who played an understandably crucial role in raising their two sons, J. Lee and Mark.
Elizabeth’s parents, Oscar and Mary Orebaugh, ensured she attended the University of Cincinnati to study music. She was known for her ability to play classical compositions and for being the organist at two churches.
“She would play at (First United) Methodist Church and then walk half a block down to do the next service at (First) Christian Church,” Mark McNeely said.
Elizabeth and Carl dated for seven years, finally marrying in 1937.
In one early incident, Elizabeth was on the way back from washing clothes at her parents’ house when she encountered a wrecked truck and whiskey bottles strewn across the area. “She dumped out all of the clothes and gathered the whiskey bottles,” Mark said. “I think they partied for a year.”
Carl, an Army company commander, was later stationed in Mississippi.
“Mom was fearless,” Mark McNeely said. “She would take Lee, who was only a baby, and drive down there by herself.”
The family eventually settled in a house at Miller St. and Washington St. that remains with a wrought iron fence. It had been the boys’ grandparents’ farmhouse, once at the edge of town and surrounded by farmland. By the time Lee and Mark were growing up, the neighborhood was built out, with several nearby boys becoming lifelong friends, some known as the West Side Guys.
Mark told how his brother had several friends who would ride to school together. Their mothers each took a day to cook a meal for them. Mrs. McNeely was assigned Friday. Her strength was not cooking.
“She didn’t eat meat, and she was the worst cook,” Mark said, laughing. “She would make spaghetti and put beans in it.”
Carl, however, did not share her affinity for vegetarianism. “Dad was just a meat and potatoes guy,” Mark said.
Elizabeth was known to walk everywhere: to church, to work, all around town. While in college, Mark won a vehicle and, upon visiting at Thanksgiving, gifted it to his mother.
“I came home at Christmas, and said, ‘Mom, where’s the car?’ She said, ‘Oh, I sold it.’”
She was happy to take a plane though, traveling to “Red” China, Hong Kong and other places. She was planning a trip to Australia when she fell and broke her neck, leading to her death in 1989.
Despite living in a different age and her marriage to a military man, Elizabeth stood out for her strong-willed personality, Mark said.
“She never liked authority, and she didn’t take no for an answer.”
This Day in Shelby County History
2014: Moral Township Volunteer Fire Department and Morristown Volunteer Fire Department received automated external defibrillators (AEDs), CPR mannequins and first-aid videos thanks to grants from the Indiana Homeland Security Foundation. Moral Township Fire Chief Aaron Lathrop said the department’s previous CPR mannequins were over 12 years old.
2004: The Southwestern Lady Spartans won the second Shelby County Girls Tennis Tournament at Southwestern. Members of the team were Natalia Shammas, Casey Isley, Stephanie Hamilton, Lindsey Cochran, Kerri Meador, Amanda Denton, Whitney Simpson and Tasha Johnson. Basem Shammas was coach.
1994: Loper Elementary Principal Denny Ramsey climbed a 90-foot Shelbyville Fire Department truck ladder after students earned more than 25,000 Accelerated Reader points for the year. The school’s 587 students watched from below.
Behind the pitching of Matt Lemasters and timely RBI singles from Chad Streeval and Brandon Cooper, Triton Central won the Shelby County baseball tournament with a win over Waldron.
1984: The Minnesota Twins decided to stay in Minnesota after an Indianapolis group that included businessman Bart Kaufman, a native of Shelbyville, attempted to purchase the team and move it to Indiana. Kaufman, the son of Nate and Hortense Kaufman, had been part of an offer that included paying over $30 million.
A Shelbyville policeman’s offer to drive a man home turned into the man being arrested. Officer Jim Stephens offered to drive a man to his W. Jackson St. home after noticing the intoxicated man walking near McClain St. The man accepted Stephens’ offer, but as soon as he was dropped off at his residence, he started shouting expletives at the officer. A fight ensured, and the man was arrested.
1974: Nan Lawrence was crowned Shelbyville High School prom queen. Junior Class President Kelly Hindman handled crowning duties. The queen’s escort was Terry Junken. One of the members of the court was Ann Lawrence, the queen’s twin sister. She was escorted by Bob Joseph. Shara Lummis, escorted by Tom Oldham, was also on the court.
1964: More than 100 neighbors came to the aid of the Virgil Kroening family, plowing approximately 200 acres in Moral Township in a little over three hours. Mr. Kroening had been killed in a truck-train collision in Sugar Creek Township. His eldest son, John, would operate the farm after his graduation from high school. The event had been organized by neighbors Charles Bennett and Tom Linville. The farmers’ wives prepared a noon pitch-in meal.
Shelby County’s veterans groups announced plans to install four more cemetery flag poles on Memorial Day. Earl Spurlin, chairman of the committee, said the poles would be installed in Pleasant Grove Cemetery, St. Vincent Catholic Cemetery, Marion Cemetery and Blue River Chapel Cemetery. The group had installed 27 poles over the previous four years.
1954: City Council discusssed the state’s inaction on the city’s request for the state to install automatic traffic signals at the intersection of Colescott and Miller. The state had taken traffic counts but never moved forward with approving the lights.
1944: The Daniel DePrez Mfg. Co. put out a desperate call for workers, saying they would accept those who wanted to work in addition to their other full-time employment. They were one of many companies in town experiencing a worker shortage during the war.
1934: Several downtown stores announced they would stay open until 10 p.m. on Saturday nights. “With corn planting and the harvest season ahead, it will be difficult for most farmers and their families to have their shopping completed by 9:30 p.m.,” The Republican said.
Richard Hill, 11, Major School, won a new violin after being named most outstanding violinist at the school. Margaret DePrez received honorable mention. The award would be given to a different school each year. Major was No. 1 school, so a student at No. 2 school, Booker T. Washington, would receive a violin in 1935, organizer Eden Thurston said.
1924: Shelbyville High School seniors began two weeks of festivities while the other students finished out their term. Activities included hosting a school play and holding a picnic.
Floyd Wagoner, a clerk at Stephan Shoe Store, went to the basement of the store just before closing. When he tried to exit, he realized a fellow employee had inadvertently locked him in. Wagoner banged on the door for some time before someone contacted Will Stephan, who unlocked the door.
1914: Joe Ayers, son of Gertrude Ayers of West Frnaklin St., was commissioned for several major auto races. His car, a French Reo Bling Planche, was undergoing an overhauling at the Peerless auto plant. The car’s previous owner, Bruce Brown, had died in a racing accident.
OBITUARIES
None today