Saturday, June 10, 2023

Law Office Hosts Open House, Building Dedication

Attorney Tyler E. Brant gives Shelby County Deputy Prosecutor Ed Zych a tour of his office at yesterday's official grand opening of the DePrez, Johnson, Brant & Eads, P.A., office, comprised of partners John C. DePrez IV, Curt Johnson, Brant and Andrew Eads, and also including attorneys R. Keegan Sullivan and Brady Quackenbush. Yesterday's festivities also included dedication of the office, 416 S. Harrison St., as the Brown Law Building, honoring the late Phillip W. Brown and his father, Warren Brown (see photos below on display in the office).

Brant's office is the former office of Phillip Brown, who passed away in 2014, a long-time local attorney who received Sagamore of the Wabash awards from Governors Evan Bayh and Robert Orr and numerous other accolades. The green inset wall was originally a window before a building expansion, Brant said. Portraits on the wall include John Adams (center) and Thurgood Marshall (right). | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS

Taste of Shelby County Draws a Crowd

Photos below by Kristiaan Rawlings

The early returns looked good for last night's Taste of Shelby County event, with children crowded around the petting zoo on the north side of Public Square, all ages checking out the car show on the south end, and music and food in between.

Below, Mike Piersall shows off his 2014 Ford Mustang, which has a 5.0 Coyote engine. Piersall said it was the first time he has taken the car to a show, which he found out about on Facebook. Sky, the dog, seems a little leery of Wile E. Coyote in the driver's seat.

Below, Curtis Drake stands next to his 2015 Chevrolet Camaro. Drake, who lives in the Morristown area, is a member of the Poor Boys Car Club.

NOTEBOOK

• STATE NEWS: The Indiana State Board of Education approved new academic standards on Wednesday that significantly trim what teachers are required to teach their K-12 students. The board says the more concise standards will give teachers more flexibility in the classroom to teach math, English and language arts, science and computer science, and social studies. The new standards are 33 percent more concise than the previous standards. Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said the board’s goal was to reduce the standards by 25 percent. The board is also working to refine standards for health, PE, and fine arts; STEM; early learning; and alternate standards. It will update guidance resources for educators and host professional development throughout the summer and early fall. (Indiana Public Media)

This Day in Shelby County History

2018: Bryce Asher, the son of Brian and Lori Asher, was named valedictorian at Shelbyville High School.

2013: Waldron Elementary students honored outgoing principal Gina Pleak with a song they had written. Pleak was leaving Waldron after seven years in the position.

2008: Recent Shelbyville High School graduate Jeff Brentin earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Brentin, a member of Boy Scout Troop 223, chartered through First Baptist Church, had joined the scouts during first grade at Loper Elementary. Brentin told journalist LuAnne Mason that his SHS football teammates Andrew Lux, John Werbe and Adam Gaudin, all Eagle Scouts, had encouraged him to achieve the honor.

2003: The upcoming Shelby County Fair Queen contest would feature 11 contestants: Cassie Cole, Amanda Combs, Andrea Douglas, Danielle Guess, Lezlie Lemmons, Andrea Lerentz, Amanda Olnick, Lynne Schertz, Courtney Sullivan, Megan Suits and Stephanie Zike.

1998: Applebee's announced plans to build a restaurant on East State Road 44 near I-74.

Layton and Edythe (York) McColley celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They were the parents of Kay Hatton, Jay McColley, Linda Cord, Lou Ann Blake and Beth Thomas.

1993: Winners at St. Joseph School's Annual Awards Day included Emily Gahimer, Trent Meltzer and Tony Schoentrup, straight A's all year; Beth Browning, Board of Education award; and Elaine Bogemann, Beth Browning, Nisha Ciarletta, John Ciciura, Lucas Cole, Nathan Graves, Derek Harrold, Danielle McQueen, Anita Nigh, Amanda O'Connor and Melanie Wiley, Presidential Academic Fitness awards.

1988: Major winners from Triton Central High School's sports awards program were Kevin Lusk, Don Walker, Sam McAtee, Gregg Yancy, Greg May, Kristy Lawson, Tobi Cox, Laurie Able, Cassandra Fitzgerald, Liz Vannoy, Anne Havely, Todd Norwalt, Gerry Wichman, Aaron Hodge, Greg Pitman, Brent Warnecke, Robb Judah and Steve Barger.

Pat Owens resigned as director of the parks department to accept a job in Ohio.

1983: Carl and Martha Linder, Flat Rock, were honored at a surprise dinner at the home of Mrs. Linder's mother, Etta Slusher, in celebration of the couple's 40th anniversary. Hosts for the occasion were their children, Greg Linder, Jeff Linder, Eric Linder, Mimi Conover and Carol Stohry. Carl Linder had retired from Standard Oil.

1978: "Local shoppers got a jolt at the checkout line in one of Shelbyville's supermarkets recently," The Shelbyville News reported. "Their purchases were put in grocery bags that bore the name of a rival supermarket here!" The clerk told newspaper staff they had run out of bags and had to ask a competitor for help.

1973: Shelbyville Business and Professional Women's Club held a 46th anniversary celebration at the Chicken & Steak Inn. Bette Lux was president. Mabel Monfort was the only living charter member of the club.

1968: The Bronze Star and Purple Heart were awarded posthumously to Sgt. Michael DeBusk of Shelbyville for action in Vietnam. It was accepted by his daughter, Lynn DeBusk, 3. Sgt. DeBusk had been killed in action. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William DeBusk, 537 W. Franklin St.

1963: Three Shelbyville men graduated from college: Roy Graham and Carl Richardson graduated from Franklin College and Jerry Henson graduated from Ball State.

1958: Street banners were hung denoting that downtown stores would begin staying open late on Friday nights instead of Saturday nights.

The new Shelbyville High School building at the northwest corner of Columbus and McKay roads was under construction.

1953: Civic leader Charles Ewing, 75, died. He had been a member of the first high school graduation class of Fairland and graduated from Marion College. He taught in county schools until 1915, then entered the funeral business as a partner with the late D.B. Wilson. He later formed a partnership with Harry Oldham. After Oldham died, he formed a partnership with son, Richard Ewing.

1948: Seventeen Shelby County residents received degrees from Indiana University. They were Paul Grecian, history; James Jessup, business; Harold Bryant, chemistry; Amelia Clayton, business; Wilfred Dickmann, business; Carol Drevo, music; John Flaitz, business; Walter Harrison Jr., business; Robert Hayes, business; Charles Monfort, business; Hosea Meyer, zoology; Loretta Ricke, business; George Tolen II, law; William Warder, law; Beverly Ann Wisker, journalism; Charles Worland, government; and Virginia Fogarty, business.

1943: Eight babies were born at Major Hospital over the weekend. The new arrivals included twin girls Marilyn Lou and Carolyn Sue Jones, a baby son born to Mr. and Mrs. Lauren Harrold, Patricia May Branum, a boy born to Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Daffron, a boy born to Mr. and Mrs. John Crane, a boy born to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Taylor and a girl born to Mr. and Mrs. James Copeland.

1938: Mr. and Mrs. A.R. Pile, 246 W. Locust St., celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

1933: Police Officer William Fiscus accidentally discharged a gun multiple times inside the police station while attempting to unload it. The office in City Hall "looked as if it might have been the scene of a bloody gun battle of some sort," The Republican said. A filing cabinet was marred by three bullet holes, a chunk of the terrazzo flooring had been shot out, plaster on the north wall had been shot, and there was blood on the floor from Fiscus's thumb. The officer had been unloading a gun he had been carrying in an attempted pursuit of a bandit who had held up a filling station. The damage was likely caused by just a few ricochetting bullets, officials said.

1928: Police Chief John Thompson warned local dog owners to "keep the animals up or muzzled" and threatened to make arrests for "harboring a vicious animal." Several children had recently been attacked by dogs, including newspaper boys bitten on West Locust Street and Blanchard Street. Also, a four-year-old boy had been "bitten through the hip" in Walkerville, Thompson said.

1923: Shelby County cherries appeared at the local farmers market for the first time in the season, but few sold due to the price of 30 cents per small box. "Cherry-hungry market patrons inquired the price, laughed heartily, and left the marketmen wondering why the laughed," The Republican said.

OBITUARIES

Charles Wilbur Hockersmith, 75, of Morristown, passed away Thursday, June 8, 2023, at Hancock Regional Hospital in Greenfield. He was born August 14, 1947, in Milan, the son of Herschel Hockersmith and Helen (Sandifer) Hockersmith Gregory. Charles is survived by his children, Michael Hockersmith and wife, Melissa, Stephen Hockersmith and wife, Jennifer, Kathryn Charbeneau and husband, Dean, Jeffrey Hockersmith and wife, Julie, Jodi Bullard and fiancé, Kenny Stader, Carl Nickel, David Nickel, and Diane Bennett and husband, David; sister, Dorothy Ward of Shelbyville; 21 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Charles was preceded in death by his sisters, Nancy Hockersmith and Edith Mullens; and three grandchildren.

In 1966, Charles graduated from Morristown High School.  He received a Technical Certificate from Ivy Tech College, where he studied television repair. He loved to spend time with his family. Charles was a U.S. Air Force veteran, serving as a Sargent during the Vietnam War. He worked as a machinist, on the rod assembly line, and then later in engine testing for Navistar, retiring with 37 years of service. Charles was an avid gardener and enjoyed supplying his neighbors and friends with fresh vegetables. He was known to be very helpful and devoted to his neighbors. He also enjoyed going fishing and camping, watching NASCAR, woodworking, and he also collected model cars.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to Noon, Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Frazier Chapel, 124 E. North St. in Morristown. Funeral services will be at Noon on Wednesday, at the funeral home. Interment will be at Asbury Cemetery in Morristown. Memorial contributions may be made to the Morristown Chapter of FFA, 223 S. Patterson St., Morristown, Indiana 46161. Online condolences may be shared with Charles’ family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.

Mark Stepen Leffler passed away May 13, 2023 at his home in Alachua, Florida. Services are pending at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home.