Tuesday, July 8, 2025
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS
SKY CELEBRATION
Fireworks were on display throughout the holiday weekend. This photo was taken from Clearwick Park. | photo by JACK BOYCE
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: FULL CANOPY REAL ESTATE
NOTEBOOK:
In light of state funding cuts, county officials are looking to increase chip sealing on roads in lieu of paving. “Our property tax structure has changed, and road funding structure has changed fairly substantially with recent legislative impacts from the state of Indiana,” Commissioner Jason Abel said, “so one of the things that the three of us (commissioners) have asked (the highway department) to look towards is to do more with less.” A mile of paved road costs approximately $70,000 (or closer to $125,000 for a contractor) compared to $20,000 for chip sealing and surfacing, county officials said. The county is reviewing a new method of chip sealing. “The technology has changed to where you don’t have to place as much aggregate stone on top of the road that you’re intending to resurface,” Abel said. “We feel like we’ve got a good foundation (on roads) within the county. Now we are trying to look at options that maintain and preserve, and chip sealing does a very good job, provided you do it before a ton of damage and wear and tear has been done on a road.” County Highway Superintendent Ben Taylor said the lifespan of chip sealing is five to seven years. “It does not improve (the road), but it preserves it in a better state than it is…,” he said.
County Commissioners meetings will be downloaded and posted on YouTube moving forward. Zoom will still be utilized for live viewing.
Shelby County Commissioners thanked Waldron Will for organizing another successful Waldron Freedom Fest over the weekend. “What an awesome representation of grassroots commitment to celebrate small town communities,” Commissioner Jason Abel said.
INDOT chip seal work is scheduled to begin today and last approximately five days on U.S. 52 between Morristown and Rushville. Daily road closures are planned from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Access will be maintained for local traffic only. After a curing period, crews will return to fog seal the new driving surface and apply pavement markings.
The fourth annual Dep Ewing Memorial Golf Outing is set for August 2, with registration at noon and the shotgun start at 1 p.m., at Blue Bear Golf Course. Proceeds will benefit Forest Hill Cemetery. Sponsorships are available: $100 for a hole sponsor and $400 for an outing sponsor. The foursome cost is $400, which includes dinner. Contact Debbie Ewing, 317-604-9321, or Nate Wells, 317-364-2815, for information.
HOOSIER NEWS: There are approximately 11,000 trees representing 135 tree species inside the gates of Crown Hill Cemetery and Arboretum. (IndyStar)
NATIONAL NEWS: Heart attacks are becoming rarer and more survivable than they had been in years past. The proportion of all deaths attributable to heart attacks declined by 90 percent from 1970 to 2022, a period over which heart disease fell from causing 41 percent of adult deaths to just 24 percent. When hospitalized for a heart attack in 1970, a man over 65 had just a 60 percent chance of leaving the hospital alive; today, that’s about 90 percent. This is thanks to some broader societal shifts — for instance, the massive decline in smoking and the popularity and availability of statins to manage cholesterol — as well as the adoption of CPR and development of portable defibrillators. (Vox/Numlock)
The Addison Times is pleased to offer free milestone announcements. Forms are available here: Engagement Announcement, Wedding Announcement and Anniversary Announcement.
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SHS Courier Archive Highlights
January 21, 1953, Part II
Several SHS graduates were working in the banking or finance industry in Shelbyville, including Gene and Betty Shadley and Jack McClain at Farmer’s National; Bob Leming, Betty Oldham and Mrs. Ray Breedlove at Shelby National. Betty Hitchcock and Phyllis Merritt at Lane Finance; Richard Land and Earl Mings at Pacific Finance and Loan Company; and Helen Rosenfeld at First Federal Savings and Loan.
A column called, “The World Would Come to an End When” had the following entries: Nancy Taylor kept her locker clean; Jane Ann Breedlove got up early just once; Carol Carr washed her dad’s car for him; Jim Stone, just once, got nervous; ‘Amo’ was not the first word Latin students learned; and Janet Stine bought her own chewing gum.
Big Dave Kelley, the 1952 Paul Cross Award winner, was playing for North Carolina State.
Rich Applas had fallen asleep while driving friends home from Indianapolis and drove into a river. Rich and Tom Boyle escaped injury, but Virginia Hites and Susie Smith were less fortunate. Susie was hospitalized briefly and needed stitches. Virginia underwent treatment for a blood clot in her left leg as a result of the accident.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: MAJOR HEALTH PARTNERS
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: Blake Everhart, of Waldron, won grand champion open and other awards at the Indiana Junior Hereford Preview Show, hosted in Jasper County.
1995: Seth Taylor, 14, captured a gold medal in mixed doubles at the Amateur Athletic Racquetball Association Junior Olympic national tournament, while his brothers, Adam Taylor, 13, and Dain Taylor, 11, both made quarterfinals in their respective singles brackets at the tourney, hosted in Anaheim, Calif.
1985: An Elizabeth Street woman was charged with driving while intoxicated after leading police on a chase. She avoided a two-car roadblock by driving over a curb, hit a police car and eventually landed in Forest Hill Cemetery, where she got stuck on a pile of logs and cement blocks. Police had to break a window to remove her from the Lincoln Continental she was driving.
1975: A third baseball diamond in Morristown was added to the Little League park. George Phares, Morristown youth baseball director, said the new facility allowed games to begin a little later.
1965: The Shelbyville school board approved naming the Shelbyville High School auditorium in honor of J.W.O. Breck. Planned construction also included adding classrooms, a pool, a gymnasium, expanded shop facilities and a new cafeteria.
1955: Shelbyville’s alleys and garbage cans were sprayed with 2,500 gallons of malathion in an effort to “abate the nuisance of flying insects here for some time,” The Shelbyville News reported. The compound was guaranteed not to harm flowers and bushes.
1945: The Morristown softball team defeated Cortelyou in a 16-inning battle at Kennedy Park. Marvin Wood pitched for Morristown, and his brother Wayne Wood was the catcher. Morristown’s win made both teams tied atop the Strand League standings.
1935: Everett Frazee, proprietor of a filling station and lunch room at the northeast corner of Washington and Vine, reported his establishment had been robbed overnight. Beer, cigars and cigarettes were the items missing.
1925: John Coers, 61, shoe cobbler in Morristown who could not hear or speak, was fined $1 and costs (an additional $15.95) and given a suspended sentence for shooting his neighbor’s chickens, climbing the fence and taking the birds. “He was given a light fine because of his affliction,” The Republican said. Coers’ son acted as interpreter.
1915: The Christian Scientist Church on S. Tompkins St. was nearly complete. The first service would be held at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The members had been meeting in the d’Heur block of East Broadway for several years.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
Oneda Fay (Tyra) Anderson, 90, of Rush Co., passed away Sunday, July 6, 2025, at MHP. She was born Jan. 5, 1935, in Wolfe Co., Ky., to Arthur Tyra and Ada (Wood) Tyra.
She was a member of the Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Church. Oneda was an avid scripture reader and believed in the power of prayer. One of her favorite pastimes was quilting and knitting.
The family would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to all staff and friends at McKay Manor for all the great memories.
She married Murrell L. Anderson on September 3, 1960, and he preceded her in death on January 4, 2015. She is survived by her sons, Arthur (wife, Debbie) Anderson and Al (wife, Tomecko) Anderson; grandchildren, Nicole, Natalie, Kevin, Brent Erika and Codi; six great-grandchildren; and her sister, Martha Davies. She is preceded in death by her husband and her parents.
Visitation will be Friday, July 11, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Murphy-Parks Funeral Service, 703 S. Harrison Street, Shelbyville, Ind., 46176. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. at the funeral home with Pastor George Mitchell officiating. Burial will be in Van Pelt Cemetery. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve Oneda’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.
Emory E. Hobbs, 97, formerly of Shelbyville, passed away Friday, June 20, 2025 at Wellbrook of Westfield. Born March 31, 1928 in Shelbyville, he was the son of George Y. Hobbs and Pearl (Luse) Hobbs. He married Margaret V. (Wilkins) in 1948, and she passed away in 1979. He also married Willia “Billie” (Beavers) on November 25, 1994, and she passed on August 19, 2011. Survivors include a son, Emory R. "Rick" Hobbs (Vicki) of Noblesville; two grandchildren, Aaron Hobbs (Michele) of Noblesville, Amber L. Walker (Danny) of Avon; and three great-grandchildren, Elijah Walker, Emma Hobbs, and Joshua Walker. He was preceded in death by his parents; two spouses; a son, Randal E. Hobbs; brothers, George W. Hobbs and Richard G. Hobbs; and half-brother Carl J. King.
Mr. Hobbs had lived in this area for 66 years, and graduated from Boggstown High School in 1946. He had been a barber for 25 years, and a custodian for Shelbyville Central Schools for 15 years, retiring in 1995. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Shelbyville Masonic Lodge #28, Eastern Star- Naamah Chapter #23, Scottish Rite of Indianapolis, Murat Shrine Temple of Indianapolis, Shelby County Shrine Club, and Moose Lodge #17 of Indianapolis. Emory enjoyed dancing and music, playing guitar, golfing, and karaoke, and was especially proud of his family and his great-grandchildren.
Private funeral services will be held at a later date. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to the charity of choice in memory of Emory Hobbs. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.
John E. Hamilton, 84, of Indianapolis, passed away on Sunday, July 6, 2025, at the Rosewalk at Lutherwoods Assisted Living in Indianapolis. He was born December 30, 1940, in Johnson County, the son of Henry W.W. and Opal Marie (Routier) Hamilton. In 1968, John married Marcine L. Wilson, and she preceded him in death on February 25, 2024. John is survived by his son, Christopher Hamilton and wife, Dawn, of Arcadia, Florida; step-daughters, Brenda Duckwall of Georgia, and Patricia Johnson of Ohio; brothers, Robert Hamilton of Cumberland, and David Hamilton and wife, Kathy, of Brownsburg; sister-in-law, Jean Hamilton; granddaughters, Brooke Hamilton, Chelsea Duckwall and Ellen White; three great-granddaughters; and several nieces and nephews. He was also preceded in death by his parents; sister, Janet Hodge; and brother, Ralph Hamilton.
In 1958, John graduated from Triton Central High School. He was a US Army veteran, serving during the Vietnam Era, in 1965-1966. John was a member of the former New Life United Methodist Church. He retired in 1992, after over 25 years of service, from Detroit Diesel Turbine. John was a member of the United Automobile Workers local. He enjoyed tending to his garden, and watching golf and auto racing.
Graveside services will be held at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, July 10, 2025, at London Cemetery, 7474 N. London Road, Fairland, Ind., 46126. Family and friends may gather one-half hour prior. Military graveside services conducted by the local military committee. Rev. Richard Brendan will officiate the service. Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 90, Memphis, Tenn., 38101-9929 or Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten, Island, NY, 10306. Online condolences may be shared with John’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.
Carol (Sue) Miller, 82, of Shelbyville, passed away Sunday, July 6, 2025, at her residence. She was born July 27, 1943 in Shelbyville, Ind., to Robert Eckstein and Mary (Johnson) Eckstein.
She worked at Knauf Fiberglass and retired in 2005. Sue enjoyed crafting. Being on the beach was always her favorite time, but spending time with her family was most important to her.
She married James L. Miller on July 2, 1962, and he preceded her in death on September 1, 2021. She is survived by her sons, James E. Miller (partner, Jennifer George) and Randall L. (wife, Nicole) Miller; her grandchildren, Kimberly Carlier Marisi, Alex Miller, James L. Miller, II, Michelle Miller and Addyson Miller; four great-grandchildren; her cousin, Sharon; and her cat, Annie. She was preceded in death by her brother, Mike Eckstein.
Visitation will be Wednesday, July 9, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Murphy-Parks Funeral Service, 703 S. Harrison Street, Shelbyville, Ind., 46176. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve Carol’s family. Memorial contributions may be given to Shelbyville Animal Shelter, 705 Hale Rd., Shelbyville, Ind., 46176. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.