Year in Review 2023

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January

Historic

Moren becomes all-time wins leader for IU women’s basketball

By Dylan Wallace The Jackson County Banner

The Indiana women’s basketball team went to Champaign, Illinois, on Thursday night and picked up a tough 83-72 road win over the No. 21-ranked Illini.

The victory gave the No. 6-ranked Hoosiers an overall record of 17-1, which is the program’s best record through 18 games to start a season since its inaugural season in 1971-72.

The win also was a historic one for head coach Teri Moren.

Moren, a Seymour native, is in her ninth year at the helm of the Hoosiers.

Thursday night was her 189th win at Indiana, which is now the program’s record for all-time wins. It bests the previous record of 188 set by Jim Izard in 12 seasons.

After the game, Moren was showered with bottles of

water from her players.

She said she wasn’t going to get sentimental, but she couldn’t help herself in the postgame speech to the team in the locker room.

“There’s a moment where you just take snapshots, right? These are one of those snapshots for me, and I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life,” Moren said to her team.

“I appreciate you guys so much. This is a hard place to win as you guys knew it was going to be, and I’ll remember this. This is a special group.”

Moren then thanked her entire coaching staff, especially assistant Rhet Wierzba, who has been with Moren the whole time at Indiana.

“It’s never just one person,” Moren said. “It’s always about the team.”

Mackenzie Holmes, the Hoosiers’ star senior forward who contributed 30

points and 10 rebounds in the victory on Thursday, had glowing remarks about her head coach after the game.

“When I was recruited at IU, she had a vision,” Holmes said. “She’s one of the most competitive people I know, and one thing about her is she hates to lose more than she loves to win.

I think that shows in her passion for the game. I’m super blessed to be coached by someone like her.”

Moren’s vision has come to fruition at Indiana, and it has been building and building over the last couple of years.

Moren has led the Hoosiers to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including back-to-back Sweet Sixteens and an Elite Eight appearance, along with seven-consecutive 20win seasons.

Indiana is primed for an eighth-straight 20-win season and yet another

berth into the NCAA Tournament, where the team has high expectations to advance.

The women’s team at Indiana has never been to a Final Four, and this team, perhaps the deepest team Moren has had in nine years, has real aspirations.

Thursday’s win was historic for Moren, but it also was an important win for her team to grab as they strive for a Big Ten championship this year.

“Overall, it was a great win for us and a great win for our program,” Moren said after the game. “We are happy to be getting out of here with a good, solid win.”

The team’s next two games are huge. No. 6 Indiana is at No. 14 Michigan on Monday night before returning to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for an anticipated matchup against No. 2 Ohio State on Thursday.

Pictured: Indiana University women’s basketball head coach Teri Moren celebrates with her team after becoming the all-time wins leader in program history with 189. Photo courtesy of Indiana Athletics

2

Year in Review

DECEMBER 30, 2023

f e b rua ry Ma rc h

Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service

Bob Stone of Brownstown surveys land on the Hoosier National Forest.

Surveying a career U.S. Forest Service employee recognized for 50 years of service

By Aubrey Woods The Jackson County Banner

When Bob Stone was growing up in Canton, Ohio, he already had an idea of what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

Little did the Brownstown man know the pursuit of that career with the U.S. Forest Service would take him to places all over the country — and world — and he would still be doing it a half-century later.

“My family always went camping, fishing and were outdoors,” said Stone, who recently was recognized for 50 years of federal government service.

“It spoke to me,” he said of a career with the Forest Service.

Stone said he recently jokingly told Marion Mason, a public affairs specialist with the Hoosier National Forest supervisor’s office in Bedford, that his career choice also came from watching “Lassie,” a 1960’s television series about a smart and fearless collie that performed heroic tasks for her human owners, including the last of which was a forest ranger in the wilderness.

“A little idea gets dropped in your head,” Stone said.

Stone graduated from high school in 1970 in the midst of the Vietnam War. “I had to find something to do, so I enlisted in the Navy, and by the grace of God, I wound up in the Seabees,” Stone said.

That led to three tours to Antarctica.

“I have been so blessed with the places I have been, the things I have seen,” he said.

“I’ve been so far south, the only way you could look was north. I was at the South Pole.”

The Seabees were sent to Antarctica by the National Science Foundation, a government agency with the mission

to advance the process of science. The Seabees’ job was to to construct buildings, roads and other infrastructure for agency on Stone the remote continent.

“When I look back, I was just a kid,” Stone said. “The training they gave me and the experience, that’s where I got my first taste of surveying, and things kind of developed from there. I also saw some guys diving down there and said, ‘I want to do that, too,’ so I volunteered and became a Navy diver.”

While he half expected to end up in Vietnam, he didn’t and doesn’t really know why.

“Just being watched over,” Stone said.

After four years in the Navy, Stone went to Hocking College in his native Ohio and completed an associate degree in forestry.

After a brief stint in private industry, Stone began working for the Forest Service as a seasonal forestry technician on the Wayne National Forest in southeastern Ohio on the Ironton Ranger District.

His first full-time Forest Service position came soon after, and he began his career path in surveying.

“I was in the right place at the right time.

They were creating a survey tech position, and I applied and I got it,” Stone said. “That’s when I got on permanently.”

He said the surveying experience he picked up while with the Navy and being a veteran helped him land the position.

By the late 1970s, the Wayne and Hoosier national forests were joined, and in 1979, Stone became a survey technician stationed in Bedford, which was the supervisor’s office

(SEE Career PAGE 3)

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Owen Township prepares for first Roots Festival

By Erika Malone The Jackson County Banner

Owen Township will host the inaugural Roots Festival to raise funds for the Clearspring Cemetery Association and Clearspring Baptist Church and raise awareness for the community’s local food pantry.

The event will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 29 at 3248 N. Broadway St., Norman.

With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other hardships, the sense of community pride and connection was lost for a time, especially in Owen Township, the festival chairwoman recently said.

“The Clearspring area, like much of America, was impacted by the methamphetamine crisis,” Amanda Cooper said. “As a result, the town has become run down and lost its sense of community pride.”

Cooper and other members of the Clearspring Cemetery Association in the past held an annual fundraiser on Memorial Day with the proceeds put toward tending the cemetery grounds.

“Many people are not aware that all cemeteries are not owned by the church but their neighbor,” Cooper said. “They often lead to despair because no one takes responsibility to take care of the property.”

The association formed a goal to raise funds to pay for mowing fees. It accomplished this goal by hosting a hog roast and selling T-shirts with cemetery humor, such as “We got you covered” and “We can dig it.”

The association also introduced a fairly new food pantry and held

a community day to raise awareness of this resource. Members decided to combine the two causes into one event to gain a larger audience.

Among different suggestions from the committee, the name Roots Festival came to mind by Tracy Hackman.

“With the Roots Festival, they want to rebuild the community and encourage pride of home ownership within the town, the idea being that we are encouraging the community to get back to their roots and reconnect with others,” Cooper said.

The association, composed of a combination of church members, cemetery board members and community members, started planning the festival in the fall of 2022. The committee consists of Pastor David Sawyers; Annette Sawyers, a member of the church; Susan Horton, the food pantry director; Stacy Cooper, the cemetery treasurer; Jim Cooper, the cemetery president; and Cooper as the event chairwoman.

Once the idea of starting a festival came together, the committee started searching for grants and other funding

to help them along.

The association recently was awarded an Owen-Carr Township Community Endowment grant from the Community Foundation of Jackson County and also received a small advertising grant from the Jackson County Visitor Center. Additionally, the committee has reached out to Rumpke to provide trash collection and portable restrooms.

“Our goal is to make the community aware of resources in the community represented in our booths,” Cooper said.

With funding received to start the event, the committee wanted to keep three goals in mind for this festival. By the end of it, the committee hopes to raise at least $3,000 or more, increase church attendance and increase awareness of the food pantry.

“With the spike in food prices, the pantry is more important than ever,” Cooper said. “Gas, utilities and rent are also rising, creating a need for food in families that have never experienced the need to use a pantry.”

The association hopes events such as the festival bring the

(SEE Roots PAGE 4)

Pictured clockwise from top: A view of Clearspring Baptist Church. // Anna Craig, left, and Susan Horton work together filling up the food pantry for those in Owen Township in need of food supplies. // Just down the street from Clearspring Baptist Church sits the old Owen Township School, established in 1923.

Photos courtesy of Clearspring Cemetery Association; Erika Malone | The Tribune

Year in Review

DECEMBER 30, 2023

3

A pri l

75

and thriving

Kovener’s Korner opens for the another season emalone@tribtown.com

The ice cream wasn’t the only thing chilly Saturday afternoon as people gathered for the opening of Kovener’s Korner ice cream store’s 75th year of serving the tasty treat from its location on Seymour’s near west side.

“It’s never too cold to get some ice cream,” longtime Seymour resident Shirley Runge said.

Strong winds and cool temperatures throughout the day didn’t keep longtime customers such as Runge from stopping in to enjoy the start of what will be many treats in the months to come.

Kovener’s Korner began in 1949 when Bill and Lena Faye Kovener opened the small soft-serve ice cream shop at 712 W. Second St.

Career

Continued from Page 2 for both national forests.

He spent several years traveling back and forth between the Wayne and the Hoosier as the need for surveying arose.

In 1983, he moved into the position of civil engineering technician in Brownstown as part of the Brownstown Ranger District of the Hoosier National Forest.

In June 1984, Stone married, and he and his wife had a daughter the next year and moved to Brownstown. The couple wasn’t married for long, and his daughter, Molly, went off to live with her mother in Clinton County.

Molly grew up, married and had three kids and now lives in Ellettsville west of Bloomington.

“My car knows the way to Ellettsville,” Stone said.

In about 1995, Stone said he was moved back to Bedford at the time the Forest Service closed the Brownstown office.

By that point, he had become involved in the community in Brownstown and decided to stay put.

“I was on the fire department for 15 years,” Stone said. “I also became involved with football when Reed May came.”

Throughout his career, Stone focused on road construction and maintenance, providing access to the national forest for recreation and resource

The shop began its life as a three-pump Standard Oil gasoline station. With the relocation of what was then State Road 50 into a city street in the early 1930s, it was converted into a convenience store.

During this time, Bill and Lena were traveling the country before returning home to start one of Seymour’s very first drivein restaurants, which has now become a local favorite among residents.

Since the passing of the original owners, (Bill died in 2002, and Lena died in 2015), their sons, Rick and Gary Kovener, now own the small brick building with grandson Nick Kovener taking over as CEO in 2011.

“It’s nice that we have been able to carry on the tradition for 75 years now

management. Overseeing contractors on land surveys was another important part of his duties.

His primary job of late has been locating property boundaries and anything that has to do with those boundaries.

“Any issues on the Hoosier National Forest,” Stone said.

He said property owners often have issues with boundaries not lining up with where they think they should.

“People don’t believe that we are neutral in this,” Stone said. “The surveyor’s job is to put the deed on the ground.

Now sometimes in the course of that work, you find problems with deeds.

One overlaps another or it’s short or something else. Over the years, I’ve talked with so many landowners who tell me things like, ‘Grandpa said the corner was right here and this was the line,’ and a lot of times, Grandpa was right. But there are times when Grandpa was wrong.”

Stone said he just asks people with disputes to show him the proof.

“If you have any information, please share it with us because your family has been there a long time. You know where those stones are at,” he said. “That’s what we need to find.”

While Grandpa may have known where the stone was originally, he also might have moved it because of a dispute with a neighbor, Stone said.

(SEE thriving PAGE 5)

An interesting part of surveying is coming across some of the unique cornerstones laid by county surveyors back in the 1800s.

“Some of the neatest stones are right here in Jackson County,” Stone said. “The work that was put into marking a stone, some of them are almost like a work of art. Different county surveyors had different ways of marking the stone. Some put more effort into it than others. When we search for a stone that hasn’t been seen in a hundred years and we find it, that’s a great day.”

Stone said surveying is connected to history and genealogy, a couple of his favorite pastimes.

He only spends about one day out of three in the field. The remainder of the time involves paperwork and researching abstracts.

Stone said he has been in the recorder’s office in the courthouses of each of the nine counties that contain Hoosier National Forest land.

He also has been trained in assisting with the removal of hazardous materials associated with illegal dumping on the forest and has participated in fire suppression work in Indiana and traveled to the western United States to assist with wildfires.

“That’s the beauty of the forest service — the diversity of the things you can end up learning and doing,” Stone said.

Pictured from top: As the wind chill continued for most of the day, the store kept steady as people ordered their sweet treat to go on April 1 at Kovener’s Korner in Seymour. // Nick Kovener, left, and Meredith Kovener work together as Kovener’s Korner in Seymour opened for the 75th season of serving the community.

Stone counts being part of an incident-management team, following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, as a highlight of his long career.

Two days after 9/11, Stone headed to New York City, where he spent two weeks as a field observer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In this role, he collected information and interpreted building blueprints to assist the task force with searches.

“Myself and another fellow had told our dispatcher if they need help and they call, I’m ready,” Stone said. “And they did call. So two days afterwards, we’re driving to New York.”

He said he never spent much time reflecting about being at Ground Zero just two days after 9/11.

“We had a job to do.

You just went and did whatever job you were requested to do,” he said.

“What amazed me for the average person to be standing where we where looking out that window, it would have looked like chaos was happening down there, but it was so organized. That’s the beauty of America. When we see these disasters, like Turkey, it’s just looks crazy. People are everywhere. Here, we’re prepared — or least we used to be.”

He said his decision to head to Ground Zero to help was something that was easy, and he didn’t regret it.

“I guess I felt like I did in the Navy. This is helping my country,” he said.

Stone has no immediate plans to retire at this time and looks forward to contributing to the forest service with the knowledge and experience he has gained over his varied 50 years of service.

“I enjoy it, especially the last 10 or 12 years,” he said. “A lot of times, it’s the people you work with. I work with great people.”

He said it’s particularly gratifying when younger people seek his advice.

“That’s a great feeling,” Stone said.

Besides visiting Antarctica three times and 48 of the country’s 50 states (Alaska and North Dakota are the only ones he hasn’t visited), the Navy also sent Stone to the Virgin Islands and the Azores in the north Atlantic Ocean.

Stone said he has been to some fantastic places, and even his trips out west to fight fires took him to some places that a lot of times, the general public never gets to see.

“Because that’s where the fires are,” he said.

Stone’s milestone recently was celebrated with a service award given by Forest Supervisor Mike Chaveas, who stated it is rare to see a federal employee reach 50 years of service.

“Bob’s time includes time spent in the military as well as a long career with the Forest Service,” he said. “While half a century of service is impressive, what is even more commendable is the energy and commitment Bob still brings to the job every day and his passion for the work that he has shared with multiple generation s of employees he works with.”

1933 State Bank of Medora

IN-35153752

By Erika Malone | The Tribune

24 E. Main St, Medora 812-966-2601

4

Year in Review

DECEMBER 30, 2023

Ju n e MAy

Get t i n g

Aubrey Woods | The Tribune

The Burcham brothers, from left, Chad, Jeremy and John, recently found the 1969 Shelby GT 500 their dad, Wayne Burcham, sold in 1985 before they were born to buy a furnace for their Vallonia home. The classic car was displayed during the Driftwood Township Volunteer Fire Department’s Rumble at Fort Vallonia on June 3.

Artists pursue their dreams through the art of tattoos

By Erika Malone | The Tribune

school at Ohio State University with her tattoo apprenticeship with Nate Perry, former tattoo artist for Skeleton Crew in Columbus.

“We didn’t grow up with money, so it was my boost to get me up and going,” she said.

After achieving her bachelor’s degree in marketing and sales and a master’s degree in business management, Lucas took on many leadership positions over the years, including one at Rightway Fasteners Inc. in Columbus, but her dream was still to open her own tattoo studio someday.

Now at 37, with her dream becoming a reality, Lucas said she hopes to create something “Younique” for anyone who comes in her shop.

“For me, it’s about creating something nobody else has. I love creating custom pieces,” Lucas said.

“Whenever a client sees something, I helped create for them and they get excited about it, it brings me joy.”

She said before she started tattooing on people, she practiced on oranges and learned to draw with the vibration of a tattoo machine using an ink pen attached to the machine.

“Sometimes, I use stencils, but most of the time, I draw straight onto the skin because I have taught myself to draw with the vibration,” she said.

While Lucas has a passion for tattoos, she doesn’t have many on herself, except for her

(SEE Inked PAGE 7)

Pictured from top: Stacy Lucas is the owner of Youniquely You Tattoo at 104 E. Second St. in Seymour. She had her grand opening on April 22. // Olivia Whan has been a selftaught artist as soon as she could hold a pencil. She is now working as a tattoo artist at a new tattoo studio in Columbus called Bankai. Erika Malone | The Tribune; Submitted photo | Olivia Whan

Roots

Continued from Page 2 community together and make Clearspring a place where people want to live.

Stacy Cooper has lived in Clearspring for more than 20 years and

has slowly felt the town has improved not just by reputation but also community connection.

“You can’t necessarily see the change, but you can feel it. Peace of mind drastically improved,” she said. “We are at the beginning of reclaiming our community and

1974

IN-35153911

Vallonia brothers reclaim one of dad’s prized treasures

By Aubrey Woods | The Tribune awoods@aimmediaindiana.com

emalone@tribtown.com

Artists have always been able to express themselves in so many different ways, from poetry to painting, sculpture work to fashion, and yes, even tattoos.

Those such as Stacy Lucas and Olivia Whan have trained to manipulate ink to create artwork on the human body and now are seeing their dreams come to life not just on skin.

Lucas is the owner of Youniquely You Tattoo studio at 104 E. Second St., Seymour. She held a grand opening event April 22. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Lucas moved to Seymour when she was 14 and was introduced into the art of tattoos.

As someone with a pen or pencil always in her hand, Lucas developed a love for drawing and eventually was able to sell her artwork to a tattoo artist at Mystic Ink, another Seymour tattoo studio, to be used for flash pieces.

“He was putting my artwork on people, and I started seeing it,” she said. “That just really opened up my passion for tattooing.”

Lucas started tattooing at 17, and in no time, she was hooked.

By 19, she was able to put herself through

Shelby showcase

200 S. Chestnut St. Downtown Seymour 812-522-5523 larrisonsdiner.net Monday-Saturday 7am-2pm

trying to remove the stigma attached to Clearspring, changing the reputation we didn’t want to earn. Be proud to be from Clearspring.”

As far as other measures to improve the area of Clearspring, they also have reached out to Jackson County United Way to host a community cleanup and project on United Way’s Day of Caring.

The committee currently has Dirk and Natalie’s Treasures in attendance as a vendor and hope to bring in other local vendors that deal in antiques, crafts, soaps, candles and a hog roast.

They also are reaching out to various clubs and departments to host their own booth.

Six Scoops Ice Cream will be bringing its food truck to give out free scoops to the first 200 people who donate to the

VALLONIA — Anyone who enters a vehicle in a car show can tell you an interesting story about when they purchased it, how much time and money they have invested it and why it’s special to them.

Few stories can match the one three brothers from this small community of than less 400 people can tell you about one of their prized possessions.

“My dad bought this car back in 1974,” John Burcham said of the 1969 Shelby GT 500 purchased

by Wayne Burcham.

That car was on display with dozens of other cars and trucks Saturday at the Driftwood Township Volunteer Fire Department’s annual fundraiser, Rumble at Fort Vallonia.

John said his father found the car near West Lafayette on his way home from Purdue University one time and bought it.

Wayne married Mary Lou Koop in 1981, and they had three boys, John and twin brother, Jeremy, and their younger brother, Chad Burcham.

Wayne and Mary Lou owned the car until they sold it in August 1985, around the time she became pregnant with John and Jeremy. They were born in April 1986, and Chad came along in 1990, so the Shelby GT was long gone before any of the three were born.

“We just grew up listening to stories about it and getting to look at it in the photo album,” John said.

Jeremy said their dad told them the car was

sitting in the barn not making him any money, and he needed to buy a furnace, so he sold it.

John said an issue at that time was the upstairs of the house, where the Burchams grew up, was not heated very well. “(Wayne) said a glass of water sitting on a table upstairs would freeze,” Chad said.

After Wayne sold the Shelby to a guy in Poughkeepsie, New York, it was sold again to someone in Oklahoma before it made it to a car dealership in Texas. The dealership later sold it on eBay in December 1999 to someone in Massachusetts.

“We have all the paperwork from when it sold on eBay to the guy in Massachusetts (Rod Butcher),” Jeremy said.

There was the Y2K scare at the time, delaying completion of paperwork.

“He paid for the car in January, and got it delivered in January,” Jeremy said of Butcher, who told them he drove it about 200 miles, and it sat in the garage for the next two decades.

“That owner said he bought it for an investment and it didn’t really mean a whole lot to him.

He said he was retired and selling his house and he would sell it to us,” John said.

After his dad sold the Shelby in 1985, it had only been driven about 1,100 miles and now has about 56,000 miles on the odometer.

John said being able to purchase the car means a lot to the brothers after 20 years of searching off and on.

(SEE Showcase PAGE 8)

Erika Malone | The Tribune

The Clearspring Cemetery is just behind Clearspring Baptist Church at 3248 N. Broadway St. The Clearspring Cemetery Association tends to the grounds. food pantry.

And what is a festival without music, as well?

The association has three scheduled acts for the music stage with performances from classic rock artists Dakota Skiles and

Friends, country artist Dane Darlage and gospel artist Jerry Sawyers.

The association is still looking for vendors to be at the festival.

For those interested in having a booth, contact the Clearspring

Cemetery Association on their Facebook page, facebook.com/ clearspringcemetery.

For information on how to donate and hours of the food panty, contact Susan Horton at 812-528-0981.

Year in Review

DECEMBER 30, 2023

5

aUG UST J uLY

Zach Spicer | The Tribune

Ray Newkirk of Seymour earned a Combat Infantry Badge, a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal and certificate for his service in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Seymour centenarian Local veteran turns 100

By Zach Spicer | The Tribune zspicer@tribtown.com

Third annual event gives back to community, military

By Lori McDonald | The Tribune lorimcdonald@tribtown.com

MEDORA — Tim Gill, lead pastor of Medora Pentecostal Church, kept his promise for the third annual Medora Freedom Celebration to be held — rain or shine — on Saturday.

The event was originally planned for July 1, but the weather forecast pushed the celebration back a week.

On Saturday, there was both rain and sunshine for the event hosted by Medora Pentecostal Church with the help of local sponsors.

Faythe Gill, Tim’s wife, said the event has grown from the first one in 2021.

“The first year, we had 600 people attend, and last year, there was around 2,000,” she said. “This afternoon, the numbers are kind of low, but I think that will pick up when it’s time for the fireworks.”

Activities for the kids included a bouncy house, laser tag, an obstacle course, an inflatable slide and other activities.

“Our church does everything free of charge, and we give out food and drink concessions,” Faythe said.

“Our community is along the poverty line, so we don’t want anyone to come here and not be able to have a

good time, so we don’t for charge anything.”

She said the church was giving away a lot of prizes, such as grocery cards and gas cards. There also were a number of outside vendors and food trucks at the celebration, but those were not free.

Last year, first responders, firefighters and the police department were recognized and honored during the celebration. This year, a military tribute was planned.

“We are honoring our military, including active, reserves and veterans, and we started off at 2 p.m. today with the honor guard’s flag presentation and 21-gun salute,” Faythe said. “We appreciate our military so much.”

The ceremony was to begin at 5 p.m. and David Gill was going to ask all service members (active, reserve and veterans) to come to the stage, where each one would be asked to state their name, rank and time served, after which Pastor Gill and Teresa Wayman would present them with a small token of appreciation.

Shortly before 5 p.m., the rain started to pour, so the ceremony has been postponed to a later date.

There was a set of patriotic music performed and the MPC choir sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

Misty Quick, outreach specialist for the Wounded Warrior Project, was at the event to speak on behalf of the project.

Quick said her job is to educate those transitioning out of the service and into civilian life, to welcome them back to “this world” and let them know Wounded Warrior Project can help them through it.

“A lot of people think that wounded means something physical that people can see, but mental health is included in that,” Quick said. “The connection piece is usually the first step to getting them out of the house and back around their brothers, and even if they’ve signed up for events before, they might sign up, but at the last minute, they’re not so sure about it, and we help them through that.”

She said they get to know the warrior and their families as the organization provides services for up to five of their family support members so they don’t have to be related.

(SEE Freedom PAGE 9)

Pictured clockwise from top: The third annual Medora Freedom Celebration was held on July 8 at the Medora Town Park. // Olivia Bono, 6, is in the driver’s seat of a Pleasant Run Fire Department truck, along with her friend, Timothy Yokovitch. // Bland’s Wrecker Service had a truck at the Medora Freedom Celebration and hoisted a giant American flag. Lori McDonald | The Tribune

Thriving

Continued from Page 3 and see the impact the shop has made on the community,” he said.

Nick said over the 75 years, they have had a couple hundred employees and currently have 40 split between the shop and the fairly new ice cream truck.

“It’s funny to think about because back then, there would be only four to six people, and now, we have 40,” Kovener said.

Nick’s sister, Meredith, handles the marketing and advertising side of the business, and since the addition of the ice cream truck, she said they have been able to grow exponentially.

“With the ice cream truck, we have really

been able to branch our business out to the community,” she said.

“Some people have been in Seymour their whole lives and haven’t heard of Kovener’s, and the truck has helped with that.”

While the chocolate malt recipe put Kovener’s Korner on the map, the business has been heavily involved in the community throughout the years.

Over the years of operation, Kovener’s Korner has supported many clubs and organizations, including Seymour High School football, Girls Inc., the Jackson County Public Library and many others, through donations, sponsorships and events.

Seymour High School sophomore Brylee Ramsey has worked there the past two summers,

and she enjoys serving the community and being with her peers.

“It’s a really positive environment to work in, and getting to serve the community is an added bonus,” she said. “I love getting the chocolate malt. It’s really good, and it’s a big seller.”

The Koveners said they always like seeing where the past employees go after their time with them.

“It’s kind of bittersweet to see some of our employees go follow their careers or go to college,” Meredith said. “It’s always nice to see who came back to Seymour listen to stories, as well.”

The Koveners said they have enjoyed the response from the community in seeing their excitement for the 75th anniversary.

“I’m now in my 13th year of working here and we have tripled our growth not just with the businesses but with our presence in the community. We are just so grateful,” Nick said.

Runge lives across the street from Kovener’s Korner and has been enjoying its frozen treats as far back as she can remember. A place of memories for her and her husband, who has since passed, she was enjoying a malt twist.

“I’ve been coming here all my life. It’s something my husband and I enjoyed,” she said. “I tell my friends when they come to get ice cream to sit on my front porch to enjoy it whether I am there or not.”

With the beginning of 75 years in operation,

the Koveners have some exciting plans for the summer to celebrate but said they would like to keep it a secret for now.

“Stay tuned for some fun things we have

(SEE Centenarian PAGE 8) planned for our 75th anniversary,” Nick said.

Kovener’s Korner opened Saturday and will serve frozen treats from 12:30 to 9:30 p.m. every day until Labor Day.

1989 Mike Mensendiek AU08900147 812-523-6664 812-271-1124 www.auctionsandrealestate.com

IN-35153826

c e l e b r at i o n

World War II veteran, Christian education teacher, outdoorsman, gardener, traveler, embroiderer and stamp collector.

Husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Rabel “Ray” Newkirk has had several titles in his lifetime. On Monday, he can add another one to the list: Centenarian.

Born Aug. 14, 1923, the Seymour man is turning 100.

“Oh, I don’t even think about it,” he said, laughing, about his thoughts on reaching the milestone.

“I have no complaints at all. I’ve always had pretty good health, that’s one thing, and if I needed help, I always had help.”

Being a longtime member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, attending Immanuel Lutheran School and working at Lutheran schools, Newkirk also credits “the good Lord” for living a long life.

“His Christian education meant a lot to him,” his wife of 68 years, Ruth Newkirk, 91, said.

She also credits her husband’s patience and being easy to take care of for his longevity.

“Some days, I feel good, and some days, I feel not so good. I tell you what, if I could walk better, I’d get along better. Now, I always have to depend on this,” Ray said, referring to the walker he has used since falling three times.

Each time, though, he has done what’s needed to rehabilitate, and he gets right back up and goes on.

“I was doing pretty well, and then one day, I fell there and I broke my hip and I was in the hospital for a while, and it just seems like from then on, I was kind of going downhill,” he said. “I couldn’t begin to hear well, and I couldn’t understand things. It took awhile for it to heal.”

Ray was raised in Seymour by his parents, Edward and Emma Borgman Newkirk, and had three sisters, Marguerite, Katherine and Ella May. He attended Immanuel Lutheran School before moving on to Shields High School, graduating with the Class of 1942.

“As a freshman, I worked at Union Hardware,” he said. “I missed a lot of activities for the high school because of that. Social activities, I still could do other things.”

After graduating, he worked at the Kasting house near Freeman Army Airfield, which was constructed as a military base during World War II. “It was affiliated with what was going on at the airport at the time, the military being there,” Ray said. “They called me a checker. The workers were mechanics. I took care of their equipment, and their workers would come to me ‘I need a saw,’ ‘I need this,’ ‘I need that,’ and I’d check them out and I’d mark that they took it out, and then if they returned it, then I marked it OK, but I made sure they returned it.”

The next year, he found himself helping the military in another way. He was drafted and joined the U.S. Army.

He started out at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh before going to Washington, California, Texas and Oregon.

“In the meantime, the Army had already gone into Normandy,” he said.

“I was transferred to Baltimore, and I got into England and was there not too long and I was put on a troop ship to cross the English Channel and I went into Normandy, but I didn’t go there for fighting at that time. The Army was so mixed up, they didn’t know what was going on, but some were off fighting.”

6

Year in Review

DECEMBER 30, 2023

Oc to ber S e p te mb er

Jordan Richart | For The Tribune

Dave Eggers with Knights of Columbus Council 1252 of Seymour holds up the prize Spaten Oktoberfest Beer boot before presenting it to women’s competition winner Stephanie Strothmann.

Holding her own

Seymour woman captures fourth Stein Hoist title

e d u c at i o n

By Jordan Richart

Local high school adds drone class

By Zach Spicer | The Tribune zspicer@tribtown.com

BROWNSTOWN — With administration pushing for more hands-on classes, Brownstown Central High School business teacher Luke Cobb received an email about a new class offering.

Principal Joe Sheffer and guidance counselor Derrick Koch asked if he would want to teach a drone class.

“I had a personal drone already, so I was fine flying it. I had never done it on this level,” Cobb said.

“I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that.

It sounds awesome, and it’s a good opportunity for the kids.’”

After a couple of Zoom meetings with SkyOp, the company that does the curriculum, he got a feel for the cost it would take to get the program started at BCHS. Then over the summer, he took drone training and instruction and passed the Federal Aviation Administration’s remote pilot certificate (Part 107) exam that’s required to be a commercial drone pilot for small unmanned aircraft systems.

He had to learn the FAA’s numerous laws and regulations, know all of the drone parts and terms, learn how to read aviation charts and practice flying a drone.

“That’s a big part of the 107 is being able to read air spaces and just

making sure you are abiding by the law because as you go outside, you’re in national air space, so it’s a big deal,” Cobb said.

During the first and second trimesters this school year, Cobb is teaching the drone class. Those 25 students are taking the same course their teacher did and will have an opportunity to take the Part 107.

“You can go fly with a drone outside recreationally if you’re just doing it for fun. It’s pretty easy, just a quick online certificate,” Cobb said. “To be able to fly outside for education and any commercial application, you have to have a 107 to do it.

Since I’m 107 certified, one of (his students) can be flying the drone as long as I am there. It allows us to go outside and to do some cool stuff because it’s a lot cooler outside than it is in the gym.”

He’s teaching 14 kids in the first trimester and will have 11 the second.

Most are juniors and seniors, but a couple of sophomores with either an interest in aviation, drones or STEM were picked for the class.

“We did trial by fire.

We immediately went and said, ‘Hey, here’s a drone.

This is a controller. Mess around with it,’” Cobb said of the start of the class.

“These are our indestructible drones. These things can take beatings. They’ve hit walls. They’ve hit the ground. They’ve flipped upside down. They can take anything.”

Once they got a feel for that, the students did simulations on the computer, where they tried flying different models of high-dollar drones.

“There are so many different types of drones that

(SEE Education PAGE 9)

Pictured from top: This drone shot shows the Brownstown Central High School campus. // Brownstown Central High School teacher Luke Cobb, right, prepares to let go of a drone for Isiaah Engle to fly. Subtted Photo | Bryce Peak; Zach Spicer | The Tribune

For The Tribune

Stephanie Strothmann first attended the Seymour Oktoberfest as a baby during its inaugural year in 1973.

Strothmann said her parents walked up to the festival, pushing their months-old baby in a stroller to see what the newest festival in Seymour was all about.

On Saturday, the 50-year-old Seymour woman, who’s notably as old as the festival itself, cemented herself into Seymour Oktoberfest lore with her fourth consecutive victory in the eighth annual Seymour Oktoberfest Stein Hoist in the biergarten.

If you do the math correctly, that means Strothmann has won half of the stein hoist competitions in the women’s category. This one was a little more special considering it was the 50th year and in front of the largest crowd of spectators to date.

Strothmann won with a time of 5:14, edging out a respectable performance by runner-up Jessica Busche. Sonya Collett rounded out the top three.

Strothmann held onto her stein for about 15 seconds after Busche put hers down, not realizing she had won.

“It’s such an honor to do this,” she said. “Four years ago, she came on as an alternate and ended up winning. I never have trained, but I do have a farm, so there’s a lot of buckets and feed bags.”

Michael Neace of North Vernon won the men’s division during his first time not only for participating in the stein hoist but for attending the festival.

“I love this festival already,” he said. “The energy out there was awesome.”

Neace won with a time of 4:10 time, defeating Matt Findley at 4:04 and Holden King at 4 minutes even. There were 12 competitors each for the men and women’s category.

“I really didn’t expect to win this,” he said. “I have never even been in this biergarten, but I will definitely be back.”

The rules require each participant to keep their arm fully extended out, holding the full stein.

Thumbs must be kept on the side of the hand, not on top of the handle.

The rules do not permit counter weight, either, so participants are disqualified if they put their free arm on their hip, side or the table.

The most important rule of all?

Don’t spill the beer.

Solomon Rust, a member of the Seymour Oktoberfest board, said the idea originated when members of the board attended the Oktoberfest festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, and saw a stein hoist competition.

“It became very obvious quickly that we needed to do this, too,” he said. “After a lot of heated discussion back-and-forth between the rest of the board, they decided to try it.”

Rust said the first year was so successful that it has been integrated each year and expanded to offer a women’s competition, as well.

Women compete by holding half of a liter stein of Spaten Oktoberfest beer, while the men have to hold a full liter.

The winner gets a

(SEE Title PAGE 9)

Nov embe r

Jackson-Washington a hidden gem

By Lew Freedman lfreedman@tribtown.com

BROWNSTOWN — A lone fisherman gave wristflick casts into Knob Lake, standing on shore against a backdrop of big-league trees whose leaves were changing color while bass and bluegill eluded him.

Nearby, a couple sat on a bench watching the gradually dimming sun.

Up a hill, a few vehicles were parked in week day camping spaces. In another direction, a handful of hikers strode on a trail.

In every direction inside Jackson-Washington State Forest’s 18,000 acres, a riot of color announced the changing of the seasons from summer to autumn, leaves shifting from green to yellow,

orange and red. All of it proclaimed serenity with nature.

On this day, the state’s Department of Natural Resources’ forestry division was hosting an open house to show off the outdoor opportunities on the property. But it was only a mini-viewing, since on any other given day, a virtual decathlon of outdoor activity could take place.

There was likely to be canoeing, hunting, horseback riding, picnicking, runners working out on the roads and trails, kids cavorting on a playground, and even more fishing, also on Cypress Pond and other bodies of water. And don’t forget the archery range or Skyline Drive, where people can drive along to appreciate the fall foliage.

Over a few-day period in

late October, DNR hosted such open houses around the state, essentially as a showcase and reminder to Hoosiers.

“It’s just there are a lot of people who don’t know about places like this,” said Josh Kush, the Jackson-Washington property manager. “I think if a lot of people knew more about these areas, they would realize what they had.”

Basically, the forests are people’s parks, Indiana citizen-owned, preserving nature and the outdoors for use. There is not even an admission fee at JacksonWashington required to tour the park.

Trails are well-marked and hikes near headquarters

(SEE Gem PAGE 10)

Submitted photo

An angler fishes Knob Lake.

Year in Review

DECEMBER 30, 2023

7

Decembe r

of the

pa s t,

hope for the future Trinity United Methodist Church celebrates 100 years

By Zach Spicer | The Tribune zspicer@tribtown.com

The opening of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church in 1923 was celebrated over a span of four days.

It started on Dec. 1 with a meeting of the official board and the bishop.

The next day, there were five services, including Sunday school, a dedication service, an afternoon service where all of the Seymour churches and surrounding neighborhood were invited, a meeting of the Epworth League in the evening and an evening service that was “altogether musical” and drew about 1,000 people.

On Dec. 3, a service was held in the evening. Then on Dec. 4, a concluding ceremony was conducted with a banquet.

Now, 100 years later, another celebration is planned, but it’s just going to be done in one day.

Now called Trinity United Methodist Church, a centennial celebration is set to begin at 10 a.m. Dec. 3 with guest speaker Doug Heiman, followed by a pitch-in meal at noon. Heiman’s great-grandfather was one of the original members of the church.

The afternoon rededication service will begin at 2 p.m. and feature former church pastor Mike Seaney giving a devotional message and the Rev. Daniel Christensen with The Tabernacle at Sandy Creek and owner of Christensen Family Funeral Home delivering a message.

Music will include songs played or sung at the service held 100 years ago, and special recognition will be given to descendants of the 265 members who were listed in the original dedication booklet. Also, members of a choir revived by

Toniann Harris will sing three songs, and Georgiann Coons will play the organ.

Current and former members and pastors, ministers and congregations from other Seymour churches and the public are invited.

“The things that were deeply treasured and honored 100 years ago in any church, any denomination anywhere in our nation are different than what they are now, so it is important to hold onto that history but still move forward,” said Angel Armstrong, who has been pastor of the church since July 2020.

“The way we worship, the way we love and pray for one another, the way we minister to the community has not changed,” she said. “We might have different forums, but who we are has not changed. This is a very prayerful community.”

Armstrong and church

historian Vicki Otto have organized Sunday’s celebration. Both services will feature a slideshow of the treasured moments and members of the past, and a video montage during the second service will include older and newer members expressing favorite memories and their hope for the future of the church.

“Honoring our ancestors who had the foresight to do this,” Otto said of the importance of celebrating the 100th anniversary. “Every member who has had a hand in keeping it going, it it just phenomenal to me to think about that.”

Armstrong said it’s about celebrating the history and the forefathers, who put their blood, sweat and tears into the building, and carrying

(SEE memories PAGE 10)

Pictured from left: German Methodist Episcopal Church of Seymour was at Bruce and Poplar streets in Seymour. The Rev. William A. Schruff, also in the picture, was minister from 1912 to 1917. // Trinity United Methodist Church has been at 333 S. Chestnut St., Seymour, since 1923. Submitted photo; Zach Spicer | The Tribune

Inked

Continued from Page 4 first tattoo on her ankle.

That was completed by her niece, Kyra Klossner, when she was only 5 and another one on her lower back done by Perry.

Lucas said she loves that tattoos can be placed anywhere, but with working in the corporate world, appearance is still a factor.

“Being in the corporate world, having tattoos is still something that can affect business deals, clientele and other factors depending on the kind of business,” she said.

“It has stopped me from being able to express art on myself, but with this business, I hope to slowly transition out of the corporate world.”

Lucas said there are still people who classify those with tattoos as rebels or delinquents, but she has seen a change in organizations and businesses being open-minded to tattoos.

Another problem that Lucas mentioned is people not being able to afford the tattoos they want. She said with her business, she wants to help those get the tattoos they want and when they can afford it.

“Say someone wants a

Submitted photos

Pictured from left: This Hanya mask tattoo was completed by Olivia Whan at her home studio in Brownstown. // Christina Carr’s Ninja Turtles tattoo was completed at Stacy Lucas’ shop Youniquely You Tattoo studio at 104 E. Second St., Seymour. memorial piece, but they don’t have the money to afford the whole thing. I start with 50% down and help get them started.

Then we work together as they can afford it,” she said. “This allows for someone to be able to get the art they want and not miss out on something just because they can’t afford it.”

Lucas said she didn’t start her business for the money but for the passion of creating something new for her clients to enjoy on their body.

“As a tattoo artist, you never really know everything. You can never stop learning,” she said.

“There are so many genres, techniques and styles that it’s impossible

for someone to know it all. I am constantly learning and want to be the best for the people that come in here.”

Lucas hopes to be all female operated with the help of her family, Stephanie and Kiersten Anderson, as well as her niece, who will start an apprenticeship when she turns 17.

“All of this wouldn’t be possible without the support of my family and my fiancé, Josh Conrad,” she said.

In June, Lucas hopes to have the studio open from noon to midnight Monday through Saturday and offer a “get what you get” gumball machine filled with tattoo designs for $50.

Whan was gifted with

the talent of drawing ever since she could pick up a pencil.

The 20-year-old moved around some as a child, spending time in Nebraska, before moving to southern Indiana when she was in fifth grade.

Whan then went to live with her mother, Natalie, in Brownstown when she was in eighth grade.

Her mother kept Whan’s first childhood drawing on a piece of cardboard along with other mementos.

Whan then started going to a few art classes but was not able to express her full creativity in a classroom setting.

She said it wasn’t until she saw the show “Ink Master” that she discovered the wide variety of art on people’s skin and how that could allow her creativity to thrive.

Whan said her mother already saw the potential artist in her and decided to give her a tattoo machine for her 12th birthday. She first started tattooing on fake skins and fruit as well as teaching herself from watching other artists work.

Whan remembered when she first knew tattooing was something she could do as a career when she was 14 at a summer camp.

“My friend wanted me

to draw something on her with a Sharpie, and then another person wanted a drawing, as well,” she said. “Then all of a sudden, I had a line out the door with people wanting Sharpie tattoos. Even the counselors were wanting them.”

Whan knew then tattooing was something she could do and find pride in when one of the counselors who received a Sharpie tattoo later asked Whan to tattoo her.

“I like the permanence of tattoos, which not a lot of people like, but it shows growth and I get to see steps in my life through art,” she said. “It’s like time stamps and a way to express yourself.”

Currently, Whan is working with black and grey as well as traditional tattoos, but she also enjoys neo-traditional tattoos involving cartoons, anime and dark horror art. However, as an artist, she is open to many different genres and styles.

The first tattoo Whan tried was a small heart on her ankle, which she then added on to by drawing a blade that went through it.

Whan said it’s hard to pick a favorite tattoo out of the 29 on her body, but she loves the many cat tattoos and a recent piece by fellow artist Slater Adams.

Whan will be joining

Adams and another artist, Travis Harrison, also known as “Chappie,” at a new tattoo studio in Columbus called Bankai at 2428 Beam Road.

Whan said creativity, open-mindedness and determination are what make a good artist, something she hopes to strive for in her career.

“You really want your own work to get out there instead of something that’s pasted,” she said.

Whan hopes to see the artform of tattoos become more accepted in corporate and business environments, as a person’s appearance does not define the person’s character.

“I know a lot of people who are just as business professional that are covered in tattoos, and they are some of the kindest people I have met,” she said.

Whan said the support of her mother and her friends throughout the years as she has grown her skills has been instrumental in landing her dream career.

“I couldn’t see myself doing anything else,” she said.

As these artists continue to pursue their dreams in artistic expression, it goes to show that even humans can be the canvas.

8

Year in Review

DECEMBER 30, 2023

Pictured from left: Ray and Ruth Newkirk have enjoyed traveling over the years. Here, they are shown at Denali Park in Alaska. // Seymour native Ray Newkirk was a Lutheran school teacher for 36 years, including 32 at St. John’s Lutheran School in Rogers City, Michigan. Submitted photos

centenarian

Continued from Page 5

They wound up picking him to carry something similar to a radio on his back, and he had a guy with him carrying the battery.

“I had to report how we were doing — how we were fighting and how the enemy was attacking us, to the right or to the left or whatever,” Ray said. “Later on, not too long, they improved that. You didn’t have to carry that thing. I didn’t have to have a battery carrier.”

Ray served through 1945, which is when the war ended.

He was in the 359th Infantry for four campaigns in the EuropeanAfrican-Middle Eastern Theater of Operations.

“Well, I guess it means a lot.

It’s my country. I think everything turned out pretty well. I have no complaints at all,” he said of his service.

“The Lord was with him,” Ruth said.

Ray earned a Combat Infantry Badge, a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal and certificate.

“I was not injured badly, but the fella by me, I understand, was killed,” he said. “They took me to a place where they can take care of you, and they told me the fella next to me had been killed by an artillery shell. I got a little bit in the back and was

Submitted photo

World War II veteran Ray Newkirk of Seymour had one of his sons, Kurt Newkirk, escort him on an Indy Honor Flight on Oct. 31, 2015. kept for about three days, and then they put me back in.”

After the Army, Ray received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois.

“The government helped pay the fee,” he said. “I first got my bachelor’s degree, and then I still had a little bit left from the government, so I used

that up. Later on, after I had taught a few years, I went back to college and I got my master’s degree.”

He taught at a Lutheran school in Aurora for four years.

While attending a teachers conference in Evansville, he met Ruth Pottschmidt. The Brownstown native was helping a teacher at the Lutheran school in her hometown at the time.

“I went with a lady from Sauers, and we wouldn’t live in motels. They were in homes, and so the lady had put a rose on me the next morning to go to the conference,” Ruth said. “We had a little break, and here he was in the hallway and came over and he said, ‘Oh, what a beautiful rose you have on today.’

I said, ‘Yes, the lady I stayed with pinned it on me.’ I thought, ‘Well, what was that all about?’”

Ray said it was love at first sight.

“Yeah, just like that,” he said, smiling.

Shortly after, Ruth received a letter in the mail from Ray about Aurora coming to Brownstown to play a basketball game, and he said he would like to pick her up and take her to the game.

“Well, in the meantime, my friend Virginia Lucas and I, we had season tickets, and I said, ‘Oh, Virginia, what am I going to do? I’m having a date. A man is coming to pick me up and taking me to this Aurora game.’

Showcase

Continued from Page 4

His brothers credit him with doing a lot of the research to find the car.

That search started with him talking to guys at car shows.

“They were willing to help,” he said.

John said he eventually tracked down some names and then went to the Lost Muscle Car Facebook page.

“John had all the right leads pointing to the whereabouts of the Shelby,” Jeremy said. “He couldn’t make the final connection with the guy who actually owned it because we didn’t have any phone number or address. He had found him on Facebook but couldn’t get ahold of him.”

The administrator of the page made the final connection and put John in touch with Butcher.

Mary Lou knew something was up the day the three brothers decided to head to Burlington, Massachusetts, to get the car.

“We all told her we were leaving town, and she started asking questions,” John said. “She kind of had a notion something was up, but we didn’t tell her until we were at about Brownstown and already on the road.”

Chad said Mary Lou knew she wasn’t stopping them from going.

“She just told us to be careful,” John said.

The 2,200-mile road trip required about 32 hours of driving to bring the Shelby home.

The brothers made that trip about a month ago to purchase the car and bring it back. Since that time, they’ve cleaned and repaired the fuel

Aubrey Woods | The Tribune

The Burcham brothers, Chad, Jeremy and John, recently found the 1969 Shelby GT 500 their dad, Wayne Burcham, sold in 1985 to buy a furnace for their Vallonia home. The classic car, found in Burlington, Massachusetts, was displayed during the Driftwood Township Volunteer Fire Department’s Rumble at Fort Vallonia on June 3. system, changed the oil, removed the gas and added clean fuel since, it hadn’t been run in more than 11 years.

“The previous owner had it 20-some years and he never even changed the oil because he only drove it 200 miles,” Jeremy said.

The car is not the original color, and it doesn’t have the original engine in it since Wayne blew that one during a trip to the store at nearby Millport in northern Washington County.

“He was pretty hard on the things. He was going down there to get a pop and he blew it up,” Jeremy said.

“That was the most expensive bottle of pop he ever bought in his life,” Chad said with a laugh.

After blowing the engine, Wayne had to get on the CB radio — it was back in the ‘70s — and holler at one of the

neighbors to haul him in, Chad said.

They pulled the car to Wayne’s shop and replaced the engine, and had it hopped pretty well performance-wise, he said.

“He took the neighbor for a ride and it had so much power, it broke the input shaft on the transmission,” Chad said. “The neighbor was actually driving it.”

They took it back to the shop and started repairing it, dropping the transmission, putting a shaft back in it and had it going a few hours, he said.

Later that night, Wayne drove by the neighbor’s house sideways with headlights shining in his windows to let him know he had it fixed.

Wayne, who died June 13, 2019, knew his sons were trying to find the vehicle.

“He kind of thought it was like looking for a needle in a haystack,”

She said, ‘Here, take this ticket,’” Ruth said.

“My first date was free,” Ray said, laughing.

After that, Ray and Ruth dated for a while. Then Ray took a call to St. John’s Lutheran School in Rogers City, Michigan.

“It was way out there. I had never been away from home, and so he had to move,” Ruth said.

“We didn’t have telephones yet.

Well, we had telephones, but they cost. We had letters.”

In April 1954, Ray and Ruth became engaged, and on July 24, 1955, they got married at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Brownstown. Ruth then moved to Michigan to be with her husband, who taught at the Lutheran school there for 32 years.

She became a library clerk in the public school system.

While there, Ray enjoyed the outdoors, especially deer hunting season. Ruth said the schools would close on Nov. 15 so everyone could go deer hunting. Ray got his first deer in 1957.

“I got several bucks,” Ray said, smiling of his time in Michigan.

The couple also did a lot of hiking and camping, and they enjoyed traveling during the summertime when school was closed. They also learned to polka and play the card game, spitzer.

“Winters were long. Snow

Jeremy said.

Wayne also wasn’t real big on staying up on technology because he didn’t care to do it, which made finding and bringing the Shelby home important to the brothers, Jeremy said.

“He knew John was looking for it pretty heavy, but I don’t know if he ever thought it was possible to find,” Jeremy said.

Jeremy said he also felt like bringing the Shelby home wasn’t going to be easy.

And what would Wayne think if he was still alive?

“I think he would be grinning ear to ear,” John said of the Shelby making its way back to Vallonia.

Wayne and Mary Lou also owned a 1967 Shelby GT 350, and John was able to track that vehicle down, as well, but the owner wasn’t interested in selling it.

“I actually found that one before Dad passed, and I was able to show him an updated picture,” John said. “It’s in really good hands. The guy has owned it for more than 30 years. Dad was grinning that day from ear to ear when I showed him that picture.”

One of the Burchams’ favorite stories about the Shelby is well-known to many of those who knew Wayne.

“He was known for laying a $100 bill on the passenger-side dashboard,” John said. “He would tell the person riding with them if they could grab it, they could have it.”

The car, however, has so much power on takeoff that it is impossible to grab the bill.

Another story about their dad and the Shelby involves a visit from a father and son who were

could come around the later part of November and stay until April, so no more sitting around,” Ruth said. “We bought crosscountry skis. The woods would be a quiet and peaceful place.”

In the warm months, they had a garden full of flowers, peach trees, cherry trees and more.

Both of their sons, Kurt and Karl, were born in Michigan.

Ray retired in 1987 and Ruth retired in 1992, and they moved to Seymour in 1993.

“I always thought we’d come back to Jackson County,” Ruth said.

Ray’s love of flowers continued, and Ruth said he had their home full of them.

He also picked up another skill: Crewel embroidery. Learning from his wife, he made several quilt tops and pictures.

Only two remain in their home: One of an eagle and the other of hollyhock.

“I gave a lot of them away,” Ray said.

One highlight for Ray was going on an Indy Honor Flight with Kurt on Oct. 31, 2015. That gives veterans an opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., for a day to visit their war memorial and other sites.

“It was a good little experience for me,” Ray said.

Along with their two children, the Newkirks have three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

looking to buy it when Wayne put it up for sale.

“They were actually driving a Shelby that day and stopped in to look at it,” John said. “The father stayed there in the barn lot, and Dad took the son for a drive.”

Before the son’s ride, the father and son were kind of nitpicking on Wayne’s Shelby, Chad said.

“They had a clean-looking Shelby. Dad’s wasn’t a show car,” he said.

“It was built,” John said. “Dad took the boy for a ride he would never forget. He went about 3 miles down the road to his farm shop, and he came out perpendicular in the road. He said, ‘Now, for example, you get in a tight parking lot, and you need to get your car turned around but there’s too much going on, you just turn the wheel and hit the gas.’”

The car did an immediate 180, and Wayne drove it right back out where he had entered out on the road.

“Dad took him for a ride on the highway, too, and the boy got so nervous when they got back out, he immediately jumped out and said, ‘Come on, Dad. It’s too much of a car for me,’” John said.

John said his dad was a self-taught mechanic and was wild in his younger years, having an addiction to cars, dating Mary Lou and being known for making anything run.

“He had a deep, genuine heart for friendships and helping people,” he said. “He would help people and give the shirt off his back to do it.”

John said they got their love of cars from their father, who also

owned a 1969 Ford Talladega, a 1970 Ford Mustang Mach I, a 1967 Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback he built for Mary Lou, a 1969 Chevrolet Nova and a 1970 Ford Torino Cobra Jet, which he also bought for Mary Lou. “Just growing up and looking at those photo albums and hearing Dad talk and also listening to the stories people in the community and neighbors tell about Dad just makes you crack up,” he said.

The local fire department also has been an important part of their life.

“Dad was an avid supporter of Driftwood Volunteer Fire Department,” John said. “We would always gather as a family here to eat fish at the fire station on Fort Vallonia Days.”

The Rumble was a good way to reintroduce the Shelby to the community, and plenty of people stopped by to talk about it during the car show.

Chad said he and his brothers have brought cars to the Rumble each year.

“It’s kind of neat to be out here,” he said. “It’s pretty neat to be on the fire department and live in this small town.”

John said the fire department is very active in the community.

“We have a lot of members,” he said.

Money raised from the Rumble helps with operating expenses. The department also is building a much-needed station on Main Street.

“We’ve run out of room,” Chad said.

“We’re a small-town department, but we have good performance, and that’s the key here,” John said.

Year in Review

DECEMBER 30, 2023

9

Lori McDonald | The Tribune

Two girls have fun on the inflatable slide at the Medora Freedom Celebration on July 8. They are Jules Hirsch, left, and Georgia Brewer. The girls were there with Cole Brewer, Georgia’s dad.

Pictured clockwise from top left: Participants in the women’s Stein Hoist are pictured during the Seymour Oktoberfest in the biergarten Oct. 7. // Solomon Rust, a member of the Seymour Oktoberfest board, talks with the crowd prior to the Stein Hoist. // A stein full of Spaten Oktoberfest beer. // Seymour Mayor Matt Nicholson ceremoniously taps the keg of Spaten Oktoberfest ahead of the Seymour Oktoberfest Stein Hoist.

Freedom

Continued from Page 5

Jordan Richart | For The Tribune

Title

Continued from Page 6 large Spaten boot, and each participant receives a bag of goodies.

Rust said the event really draws a crowd that is engaged in the competition, shouting, cheering and lining up multiple rows deep to take it all in.

“I like how it gets everyone involved,” he said. “A festival isn’t a festival if the people aren’t involved because it’s all about the people, and that’s what we’re here for.”

Rust, who has participated before, said the challenge is that people think because they work out or have muscle,

they have an advantage.

“If you go to the gym, it doesn’t count,” he laughed.

“To do a stein hoist, you must have strong German muscles that are used in practical everyday life.”

Rust said a spray insulator won one year.

“He was the skinniest, smallest guy in the contest, and he knocked them out of the park,” he said.

Randy and Lisa McCoy were standing in the front row to take in the action and entertainment of the contest.

Randy said it was the second time he has attended the event, and he enjoys seeing it.

“I’m impressed with how people can do this,” he said,

laughing when he added he would never compete. “I don’t have the desire for that.”

Lisa, on the other hand, has her sights on the prize next year.

“It just seems like something fun to do,” she said. “It seems challenging.”

Lizz Patterson also was with a group of friends in the front row to view the contest.

“I really just hope I don’t get splashed,” she laughed.

“I can’t wait to see the arms shaking.”

Patterson said her husband, J.T., has participated in the past, and said she would consider being in the contest.

“We practiced all summer once, but then he got up there

and used the wrong arm,” she laughed.

Strothmann said the event is a hard one to win, and she loves hearing the crowd get into the moment.

“My arm is shaking right now,” she said following the event. “I think every one of them is difficult, and at first, you get out there and think it’s not a big deal, but then it gets harder as you just try to keep your concentration.”

She said she is considering retiring from competing in the stein hoist after winning it during the festival’s 50th year.

“I said if I won at the 50th, I might just retire from it,” she said. “It’s such a fun tradition.”

“For example, if a service member comes down with posttraumatic stress disorder and their spouse doesn’t know this new person, it can get really messy, and it’s hard for both of them,” Quick said. “So we don’t work with just the warrior. We also work with their family, and all of our services are free.”

She said even if a warrior doesn’t want to sign up, the family-support members can.

“I am a family-support member, and my dad was in the U.S. Marines, and my uncle, who I was very close to, served in World War II, Vietnam and Korea,” Quick said. “My uncle passed away 10 years ago, and I was there when he died.”

She said her uncle loved serving, and his wife loved being a military wife.

“They lived in Hawaii and Japan, and I’m going to visit Japan in December,” Quick said.

“I have pictures of them from where they lived near the emperor’s palace, and I’m going to try to find some of those places where they were.”

According to woundedwarriorproject.org, the project direct programs in mental health, career counseling and long-term rehabilitative care, along with their advocacy efforts, have improved the lives of millions of warriors and their families.

To cap off the Medora Freedom Celebration that evening, Straight Shooters Fireworks provided free fireworks at the Medora Town Park.

Education

Continued from Page 6

you can fly, so they are getting a feel for that, just more flight time,” Cobb said.

Next, the students earned their recreational flying license, called a TRUST certificate.

“If they had a drone at home, they went and got a drone, they borrowed a drone, they could fly recreationally anywhere in the United States,” Cobb said. “I made sure to get that one done. I had several kids who have drones already just as a toy, and they are like, ‘Hey, I can use this thing now.’”

Now, they have an option of taking the commercial exam.

Cobb said that has to be done at an exam facility with the closest ones being in Louisville, Madison and Greenwood.

“The FAA takes it pretty seriously. You have to go to a full-exam facility to take it,” he said. “I know I’ve already had three kids say they were going to take it. When we’re not flying, we cover those materials, the SkyOp curriculum. They have all of the exam questions. They have all of the air spaces. We look at the sectional charts.”

Cobb said his students have been flying drones in the school’s auxiliary gymnasium, gymnasium and auditorium on multiple occasions so far this trimester, and they also spent time outside the school one day taking drone photos and videos.

Some of the photos recently were shared on the school’s Facebook page.

The flying time has allowed the students to see drones are more than toys, Cobb said.

“They’ve realized the opportunities that lie within drone flying, and several of them find it really enjoyable,” he said. “It’s kind of like playing a game. You’ve got a little controller. You’re watching your

Submitted photo | Isiaah Engle; Zach Spicer | The Tribune

Clockwise from top: This drone shot shows the Brownstown Central High School gymnasium. // Brownstown Central High School teacher Luke Cobb, right, assists Claire Schepman as she prepares to control a drone. // Brownstown Central High School students Colton Whittymore, left, and Bryce Peak. center, control drones as Cobb looks on. screen. You’re watching your drone. You’re flying around. We have a lot of aviation kids who want to be pilots, so it’s kind of helping them realize, ‘Hey, this is something that I’d like to do.’”

Senior Isiaah Engle said of the elective options for this trimester, the drone class seemed the most fun, and he’s glad he was chosen to be part of it.

“I’ve gotten a lot better at it,” he said of flying drones.

“I’ve learned more what drones are used for than what I did.

Then how to just fly it a lot better.”

Classmate Bryce Peak said he used to fly drones just for fun. Now, he’s getting certified

and could actually make money by doing it.

“A couple months ago, my brother-in-law threw it out there that they have spraying drones now for farm and ag, so he wanted me to try to get into it because he thought I would be good at it,” he said.

“I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve got this drone class coming up. I can get certified.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, you should take it.’”

Through flying and using the simulator in class, Peak said he has learned a lot.

“It has been pretty fun,” he said. “It has definitely taught me a lot about drones in general and the laws and all that type of stuff.”

Senior Cody Burnside said he has used a drone on his family’s farm to check crops, and now taking the class at school, he realizes he could make a career of that or have it as a side job.

“I’m learning to control it better, not as choppy,” he said. “There’s a lot out there that they use them for. It’s enjoyable.”

Junior Jayda Clodfelder said she’s glad to have a unique class offering at school. Before that, she had never flown a drone.

“I think it’s fun, and it’s a different thing for the students to do and get more hands-on experience,” she said.

Later on this trimester, Cobb said he hopes to get the students out of the classroom to do work for people who use drones.

That includes surveyors, real estate agents, farmers, utility workers and military personnel.

“I’m hoping to be able to get kids to see there’s a business here — drone pilots get paid extremely well — that they can get paid a lot,” he said. “Depending on the drone, you can get a lot of applications. There are some cool abilities and pictures to take, and I think the kids are getting pumped for it.”

10

Year in Review

DECEMBER 30, 2023

Gem

Continued from Page 6 may be a mile or so or even 50 miles. Although there is no precise way to measure user numbers, Kush said many people who live nearby in Jackson County give themselves a break from their schedule at the end of the day.

“There is a lot of activity after work,” Kush said.

Brad Schneck, a Seymour High graduate who is now assistant director of the state forestry property section, was pretty much on tour during the open-house stretch, dropping in at different forest areas. The forestry system encompasses 160,000 acres in Indiana, he said, including “recreation in all forms.”

Five people turned out for the JacksonWashington open house, but as many as 50 elsewhere, with a wide range in between. Kush set out cheese and crackers, bite-sized Halloween candy, and soft drinks for his customers.

Pictures, maps and descriptions of what Jackson-Washington has accomplished on its projects in terms of rehabbing and improving older facilities over the last year were on display. One thing that may surprise visitors is that many areas have development that dates to the 1930s with work done by the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps.

A visitor will see small notifications at various places with letters of credit “CCC” carved on brown wood signs. A large sign, familiar to youngsters and those of a certain age, greets arrivals to the forest off Route 250. It features Smokey

Submitted photos

Pictured clockwise from top left: Bailey McIntire led a DNR hike in the woods for visitors at the Jackson-Washington Forest in Brownstown. // Widespread colorful leaves are on display throughout Jackson-Washington’s 18,000 acres. // Bright foliage lights up the landscape in late October at Jackson-Washington State Forest. the Bear, thesa icon of firefighting prevention.

Actually, friendly Smokey is due for refurbishment, Kush said.

Julie Kieffer of Brownstown is a regular hiker at Jackson-Washington and did have her hiking shoes on for the open house. Kieffer said she has spent a lifetime in this forest, going back to days when she attended a girl scout camp there.

She said more of her neighbors in Jackson County should take advantage of the forest’s offerings.

“They just don’t utilize it,” Kieffer said.

It was sunny, the temperature in the 70s, and the leaves were bursting

out all over like a spilled crayon box.

“Oh, this is perfect,” Kieffer said.

Kathy Medren was somewhat of a flip-side visitor to Kieffer’s regularity. She works for the DNR at Atterbury but wasn’t working on this day. She wanted to check out a new forest during the open house days.

“I’ve never been to this forest,” Medren said.

One might say Steven Stewart of Ellettsville wears his allegiance to trees on his sleeve. Or actually, since he was dressed in a T-shirt with the words “Forest Defender” on the front, his chest.

Stewart was a

first-time drop-in at Jackson-Washington, as well. On a group hike, it was apparent he knew his trees, readily identifying species soaring upward and also plants that he called out as invasive.

No one contradicted his statements, so he seemed to know what he was talking about.

A member of an organization called the Indiana Forest Alliance, he said the group has been lobbying Congress for passage of legislation that would expand and further protect Indiana’s Charles C. Dream Wilderness

Area, affecting land in Seymour, Indianapolis, Columbus, Bloomington and Bedford.

“I just love being in the woods,” said Stewart, 50, who said even as a baby he was carried into the backcountry by family members. “You can just get out in the woods and be with nature.”

Jackson-Washington forester Bailey McIntire gave visitors a taste of that nature on a roughly mile-long hike through the forest near headquarters. He identified numerous kinds of trees, but what was inescapable

once the handful of hikers embarked on a trail, taking only a few steps, was how far removed all evidence of traffic, businesses or any other sign of modern hubbub.

“There’s always something to do in the state-forest system,” Schneck said.

The idea of behind the open house, conveyed

by Schneck, Kush and McIntire, is for those who came to JacksonWashington State Forest and absorbed the nature, to go home and tell their friends and family that very thing.

for weddings, meetings, reunions and parties, bringing in income for the church to put toward bills and maintenance.

“The building is constantly in use,” Armstrong said.

Trinity also conducts community outreach through a food pantry and a clothing center that are open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and

Thursdays and a community meal from 5 to 7 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month.

“When I interviewed with the staff pastor parish, that was their main goal was they wanted this church to become visible outside of the walls,” Armstrong said.

“They wanted to serve the community, and they have. They really have. I believe the future of the church universal is going out into the community.”

Attendance hovers around 30 to 50 people, and Armstrong said they are dedicated within and beyond the church walls.

“In 1923 and in 1973, this building was packed.

You couldn’t find a seat in here. It is treasured memories for everyone,” she said. “We’re not going to bring that back, but we are still being Christ’s hands and feet.

We are moving outside of the building to take Jesus to the people. We have some very dedicated people. God has really blessed us. God keeps showing ‘I’m not done with you yet.’”

Otto has attended the church for a long time, and her husband Steve’s grandfather was one of the original members.

“It’s the tradition.

That is still our draw here,” she said. “It’s still the fact that this is part of our family, of our tradition, of our ancestors, and it’s a very friendly church. It’s a caring, family church that cares about each other.”

Armstrong said Trinity is a very loving, family-oriented, prayerful congregation.

“I have people all the time come to me everywhere I go, ‘For such a small church, you guys do a lot for our community,’” she said. “For our average attendance being 35, 45, 50, somewhere in there, we really do do an awful lot in the community.”

Memories

Continued from Page 7 forward the hopes for continued ministry in the community.

“It’s difficult for any church to bridge that gap from going from one generation to another generation because things change,” she said.

“But (it’s) trying to hold on to the history and some of the traditions while becoming a bit more modern and contemporary and becoming visible outside the walls.”

The church actually is older than 100. Its roots trace back to 1867 when it was known as German Methodist Episcopal Church of Seymour and located at Bruce and Poplar streets.

That building was renovated in 1884 and 1890, before the congregation decided it needed a new name and a new building.

A Jan. 19, 1918, Tribune article states the name was changed to Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church because Sunday school and evening services were being conducted in English and the new name appealed as a proper name for a Christian church.

The preliminary steps for the building of a new church were taken in the early summer of 1920, and the deed for property at 333 S. Chestnut St. was signed April 11, 1921.

Work, however, was delayed many times on account of various causes, such as war prices, strikes and shortage of labor.

Groundbreaking was May 24, 1922, with an estimated 200 to 300 people attending.

The cost of the new building was $100,000, which Otto said is the equivalent to $1.765 million today.

“They had raised all of it except $11,000,” she

Submitted photo

Pictured clockwise from top: The groundbreaking for Trinity United Methodist Church in Seymour took place May 24, 1922. // The pipes for the organ at Trinity United Methodist Church are thought to be from the original church building, which was German Methodist Episcopal Church of Seymour at Bruce and Poplar streets that was built in 1867. // Women stand ready to serve dinner in the basement at Trinity United Methodist Church. said. “How did the ancestors come up with the fact they were going to spend that much money on this church? How did they build this church?

How did they move the stained glass windows in? We’ve got huge bells upstairs. How did they put those in?”

A couple of years later, an organ from the original church was moved in, too. Otto said there are only two in the United States like it. Plus, the building

has a pulley system for the chandeliers in the sanctuary.

“It’s kind of like, ‘How did they do all of this at the time they did it and what was the process?’” she said.

While the exterior of the building hasn’t changed much, there have been a lot of changes on the interior.

A large, open assembly room with a balcony to get to classrooms was enclosed, the entrance on the south side is taller

and a rear entrance was added to be handicap-accessible. The upstairs now has several classrooms, including a large Sunday school room for adults and a children’s church area.

The building also is rented by a Hispanic congregation, a Guatemalan church, a train club and a Girl Scout troop and can be rented