Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Jan 18, 2023

Last fall’s annual print edition for Founding Members featured 24 photos - one of each hour of the day taken over a period of a few weeks - representing life in Addison Township. Above, PK U.S.A. employee Christian Simmons works the overnight shift. Simmons, who has been with the company two years, started in the Jeep Axle area. PK Vice President Bill Kent met me at the door and provided a tour of the facility, which rumbles overnight with the sounds of machinery punctuated by the beeping of forklifts in reverse. I apologized to Kent for the late hour of my visit. He waived my comment off. “I’m glad to come out here,” Kent, 71, said. “I got to stay busy.” | by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS

Runnebohm Construction Leaders Reflects on History, Legacy of Giving

by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS

“Solutions. Not Surprises.” That approach has propelled Runnebohm Construction 55 years as of this month, and a recent donation ensures the entire community will benefit from the legacies of Nick and Judy (Nicholas and Julia) Runnebohm and the company for decades to come.

The Julia and Nicholas Runnebohm Early Learning Center, made possible through a community collaboration led by a personal contribution from the Runnebohm family and Runnebohm Construction, is slated for groundbreaking this spring at the Intelliplex.

It’s not the first time the Runnebohm name has been associated with starting from the ground-up. Nick Runnebohm, a third-generation contractor, started the company Jan. 25, 1968, with one pickup truck operating out of one-half of a corn crib building on the family farm, located next to active railroad tracks on CR 375 East.

“It was a pretty minimal start, that’s for sure,” Mike Runnebohm, Nick and Judy’s son who now serves as company president, said. “I remember getting ready for school, eating breakfast and waiting on the school bus while the few employees pulled into the drive to go park behind the barn.”

Although far from an adult back then, Mike was an early part-time employee. When asked for a description of his initial job responsibilities, he chuckled.

“Part of what I did probably wouldn’t be legal today because I was out on construction sites picking up trash and doing gopher work when I was quite a bit younger than today’s OSHA rules allow,” Runnebohm said.

Years later, and after a four-year tour in the Marine Corps, Runnebohm officially joined the company in 1985, around the same time as his sister, Kathy Johnson. Nick and Judy’s other two children are Cindy Whitten and Susie Brown.

Chris King, who holds an ownership stake in Runnebohm Construction, said the founding family’s emphasis on the Shelby County community - where the majority of employees still reside - has been central to the company’s success.

“They don’t want any fanfare, but what has really impressed me is Mike’s commitment and Nick and Judy’s commitment to the community, and how much they instilled that in everybody involved here,” King said in an interview at the corporate conference room last week. “You look at the longevity of these employees - even how many graduated from Waldron - these are people who grew up with a strong work ethic.”

The crew also has actual construction competence.

“One of the things that sets us apart from a lot of other contractors is the skillsets our crews have. We self-perform quite a bit of work,” King said.

A shop with multiple mechanic bays at the back of the company’s headquarters on East Rampart Road houses equipment necessary for building foundations, putting up steel structures and installing roofs, a contrast to the “paper contractors” who don’t perform physical work.

Runnebohm has spearheaded countless area projects, such as work for Knauf, Ryobi Die Casting, PK USA, Bunge and the Intelliplex, including the MedWorks building under construction. Much of the crew is currently working in Spiceland on yet another project for Draper, Inc.

“Repeat business has been a real cornerstone for us,” Mike Runnebohm said. “I’ve always felt that if you work hard, do your job right, people will want to work with you again.”

That commitment to excellence in business extends to education, harkening back to Judy Runnebohm’s constant advocacy for residents of the former Shelby County Youth Center, a residential facility for children unable to live at home.

“My mom cared so much about those kids. Many were born into tough circumstances,” Mike Runnebohm said.

It’s only fitting Judy’s name be included on the incoming Early Learning Center building, located on land donated by MHP next to the YMCA and which will eventually serve 200 children up to three years of age. The Center will feature a nationally standardized curriculum and evidence-based programming. Other donors for the project include Horseshoe Indianapolis, Knauf Insulation, Ryobi Die Casting USA, Major Health Partners, Early Learning Indiana and the Wortman Family Foundation at the Blue River Community Foundation.

“A place like this will help better prepare kids and help them get out of tough situations,” Mike Runnebohm said. “The best way to do that naturally is to work your way out, but you can’t ask young people to do it on their own. We can, however, give them an opportunity to get it done.”

Runnebohm should know. After all, the company he heads has been “getting it done” 55 years.

NOTEBOOK:

The Shelbyville Central Board of School Trustees is accepting letters of interest from those interested in fulfilling the term of board member John C. DePrez IV, who is resigning to become the corporation’s attorney. The school board member term expires Dec. 31, 2024. Qualified applicants must: Be at least 21 years old; Reside in Marion Township, Shelby County, Indiana; Not be an employee of Shelbyville Central Schools; Not have committed various crimes under I.C. 3-8-1-5; Anyone interested in applying for the position on the school board should send a letter of interest and any other desired documents to Shelbyville Central Schools at 1121 E. State Road 44 in Shelbyville. All submissions of interest, directed to school board president Curt Johnson, must be received by 3 p.m. on Jan. 23. Qualified applicants will be interviewed by the school board on Jan. 25.
Sheriff Louie Koch told county commissioners yesterday he was obtaining bids for repainting the upstairs of the Shelby County Jail. Koch said the current lower jail population - 107 as of yesterday and has been in the 140 range - would make it easier to move inmates around during the process.
HOOSIER NEWS: Prominent national conservative organization Club for Growth hopes to keep two-term Indiana Gov. and former Purdue University President Mitch Daniels out of a new race for U.S. Senate with a blistering new TV advertisement. Daniels is considering a run to replace Sen. Mike Braun, who is giving up the seat to run for governor. He hasn’t publicly announced a decision yet, but some conservative groups don’t want to see him return as a candidate. “His brand of Republicanism is out of date,” said David McIntosh, president of Club for Growth Action. “Hoosiers need new leadership to tackle the problems that Mitch and other moderates created over 50 years.” The move comes after a Bellwether Research poll in December found that Daniels easily leads a hypothetical Senate field with 32% and the nearest competitor being U.S. Rep. Jim Banks at 10%. Longtime Daniels adviser and friend Mark Lubbers reacted swiftly to the ad, saying “If anything, this McIntosh ad will make his running more likely. It’s personal. It’s a gross distortion. And it insults Indiana, whose reputation soared higher under Gov. Daniels than ever before. (Indiana Capital Chronicle)

This Week in Shelby County" works by George L. Stubbs Sr. are owned by the Shelby County Historical Society (Grover Center) and used with permission.

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.

20 YEARS AGO: 2003
Unemployment in Shelby County had jumped nearly one percent, the sixth-highest percentage increase of any county in the state. Two hundred more people had been without jobs in Shelby County compared to the previous year.

30 YEARS AGO: 1993
Bruce W. Wright, 77, died. Born in 1915, he was the son of Robert and Goldie (Wilson) Wright. In 1948, he married Charlotte Abbott. Mr. Wright was a lifelong resident of Shelbyville, In 1938, he founded Bruce Wright Oil Co., which did business as Bonded Oil Co. He was also the former owner of Shannon Corp. He was a U.S. Coast Guard veteran of World War II, and a member of the Shelbyville Elks Lodge, the Eagles and the Moose Lodge. He was a member of the First Christian Church. Survivors included his wife and sisters, Mary Jane Mings and Virginia Branson.

40 YEARS AGO: 1983
J. Kenneth Self, 51, executive director of the J. Kenneth Self Boys Club, died. He had been in failing health since May. He had been local director since 1955. He previously was assistant director of the Rushville Boys Club. He had been scheduled to receive a 30-year award in April. Self was a member of the West Street United Methodist Church. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War.

50 YEARS AGO: 1973
Patricia Baker was named postmaster at St. Paul.

60 YEARS AGO: 1963
Thirty percent of all members of the Indiana Legislature were members of the Methodist church, The Shelbyville News reported.

70 YEARS AGO: 1953
Hollis Milleson, 91, Shelbyville native and noted Indiana artist, died in Westport. Milleson, whose paintings had been exhibited in numerous cities throughout the nation, had been born in Shelbyville in 1861. He was a charter member of the Shelby County Art Association and of the Indiana Artists Club. He had married Efffie Haymond, who died in 1943.

Although several schools had secured small televisions, crowded conditions wouldn’t allow all students to see the set satisfactorily, so W.F. Loper said those with TVs at home could be dismissed from 10 a.m. to noon to witness the presidential inauguration.

80 YEARS AGO: 1943
B.G. Keeney, chairman of the surgical dressing department of the local Red Cross, issued an urgent plea to wrap surgical dressings. The quota for the month was 22,500 cotton dressings and 30,000 sponge gauzes. There was seating space for 45 workers at the Inlow Clinic for the project.

90 YEARS AGO: 1933
A Morristown man was charged with stabbing his brother-in-law on Christmas night.

100 YEARS AGO: 1923
A man who routinely ran naked through county cornfields was apprehended by an Edinburg man near Sugar Creek. The man, who was given clothes, was deemed “mentally deranged,” the paper said.

Claude F. Fix and Son, Rufus, bought the Charles Wiley and Son furniture store in St. Paul. Wiley had been located there for 12 years, but was in poor health.

INCIDENTS

A vehicle sideswiped a parked vehicle in the 100 block of W. Pennsylvania St. The wheel of the driver’s vehicle broke. The driver said she had been crying over her ex-boyfriend, and thus couldn’t see well.
A vehicle struck a pedestrian near a drop-off door at the casino. The driver of the vehicle said he sneezed, causing his car to go forward, and in doing so, hit the pedestrian. The pedestrian complained of pain to her knee and hip, but refused medical attention, saying she would transport herself to the hospital.
A vehicle on East State Road 44 drifted off the roadway and struck a street sign, then crossed all four lanes of traffic and went through the Eastside Express Car Wash lot and into the Hubler Chevrolet lot, where it struck a parked vehicle. The driver was conscious but appeared to be suffering from a medical condition.
A driver reported a deer struck the side of her vehicle on North State Road 9, just south of Rampart Road.
Thefts were reported in the 6200 block of W 800 N, Fountaintown; and 1500 block of S 500 W, 700 block of Shelby’s Crest, 900 block of S. Miller Ave., 1200 block of Beverly St., 300 block of 2nd St. and 1500 block of W. Hendricks St., Shelbyville.
Residential entry was reported in the 2000 block of N 350 W, Shelbyville.
Battery was reported in the 100 block of W. McKay Road, Shelbyville.
JAIL BOOK-INS: Colter L. Banks, 40, operating a vehicle while intoxicated; Trayvond N. Dejones, 28, probation violation; Jory M. Fisher, 27, unlawful possession of firearm and paraphernalia, dealing marijuana; Shawn M. Leming, 46, operating a vehicle while intoxicated; Luke M. Runnebohm, 38, operating a vehicle while intoxicted - endangerment; Kimberly J. Chaney, 40, theft (2 counts), hold for another jurisdiction, criminal trespass; Amber L. Collins, 31, failure to appear; Lance Davidson Jr., 29, possession of synthetic drug, leaving the scene of an accident; OVWI, probation hold; Patrick R. Hunt, 35, possession of meth and marijuana; Ryan A. Dellapena, 32, probation violation; Jarrod W. Fair, 37, casino gambling violations; Nichole L. Schoolcraft, 28, possession of narcotic drug, hypodermic needle; Ron C. Stewart, 52, HTV; Gregory J. Kincade, 36, intimidation with a deadly weapon; Arie N. Bottorff, 27, OVWI; Christopher C. Byrne, 27, HTV.

OBITUARIES

Phyllis Lutes, 90, of Shelbyville, passed away Jan. 17, 2023 at her residence. Services are pending at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home.

Gloria D. (Moss) McIver-Smith, 86 of Hernando, Florida gained her wings January 6, 2023. Born August 8, 1936, in Scottsville, Kentucky, she was the daughter of Willie Moss and Murtle Swindle-Moss. Survivors include her husband, Norman J. Smith, a son, James (Pinky) McIver, a daughter, Anita (Luisa) Cabrera and grandchildren, Jason (Jenny) McIver, Jamie (Shane) Tobin, Wesley McIver, Jena (Terrell) Hall, Adam McIver, Cassie Messer, Andy McIver, Josh Tucker, Bryan Phillips, Travis Cabrera, Danielle and Amber Cabrera, John Luke and Rachel Cabrera, as well as 15 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren and daughters-in-law. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, her late husband Donald O. McIver, her sons, David and Jeff McIver, daughter Debbie Johnson, grandson Greg McIver, and daughter-in-law Debbie McIver.

Mrs. Smith spent much of her life residing in Fairland, Indiana, as well as Kentucky, until she and her husband, Norman, and retired to Hernando, Florida. Gloria had worked at Marion County Nursing Home as well as home health care.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Rd., with burial at London Cemetery. Friends may call on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. until the time of the service. Rev. David Humphrey will officiate. Online condolences can be made at glennegeorgeandson.com.

Richard E. Marsh, 60, of Indianapolis, passed away Friday January 6, 2023 at his residence. He was born March 11, 1962 in Shelbyville, IN to Earl Richard Marsh and Sandra Carew.

He had his own business, R & M Tree Trimming. Richard loved to ride his Harley and loved his dogs.

He spent 35 years with Denise Murray and she survives. Richard is also survived by his brothers and sisters, Susie Wooldridge, Bryon Marsh, Douglas Gribbons, Gwendolyn Gribbons, Jonathan Gribbons, Shawnadee Gribbons, and Dixie Marsh. He is preceded in death by his son, Justin D. Murray, and his mother.

Burial will be at Miller Cemetery. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks, Stuart Parks, and Darin Schutt are honored to serve Richard's family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.

The Addison Times

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