Life Page A5 Surgical center receives Josh dogs
MONDAY November 11, 2013
Colts fall apart Page B1 Rams hang big loss on Indy
Weather Rain in the morning, rain-snow mix in the afternoon then turning to all snow. High of 46. Low of 23. Page A8
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GOOD MORNING Red Cross plans three blood drives The American Red Cross has scheduled three blood donation drives in DeKalb County this month: • Monday, Nov. 18, from 8-11:30 a.m. at Heimach Senior Center, 1800 E. Seventh St., Auburn; • Monday, Nov. 18, from 1:30-4 p.m. at Fitzone for Women, 281 Duesenberg Drive, Auburn; and • Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 1-5:30 p.m. at the American Legion post, 515 W. Fifth Ave., Garrett. People who are at least 17 years old (16 with parental permission in Indiana and Ohio), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Each donor should bring a Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive identification. To schedule an appointment to donate, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org for more information.
Many offices closed today for Veterans Day Many area government offices at the local and federal levels will be closed today for Veterans Day observances. The United States Post Office will not deliver mail today. Most county courthouses and some city hall offices are closed for the day. In addition, many banks are closed for the holiday, or have shortened hours. Most area libraries are also closed today. Special ceremonies are being held throughout the area for Veterans Day. Reprints of all KPC photos can be purchased online at kpcnews.com under Marketplace: Photo Reprints.
PRO FOOTBALL Check out the latest news on your favorite pro football team kpcnews.com Sports > Pro Football
Info • The Star 118 W. Ninth St. Auburn, IN 46706 Auburn: (260) 925-2611 Fax: (260) 925-2625 Classifieds: (toll free) (877) 791-7877 Circulation: (toll free) (800) 717-4679
PATRICK REDMOND
LaGrange County’s Jean Fremion-McKibben walks toward a Civil War veteran’s headstone in LaGrange’s Greenwood Cemetery that her one-woman organization, Veterans’ Headstone Project, helped replace after wind, rain and
So they don’t just fade away Woman works to preserve area soldiers’ headstones BY PATRICK REDMOND predmond@kpcmedia.com
LAGRANGE — The light drizzle barely slows Jean Fremion-McKibben as she walks among aging headstones in an older section of LaGrange’s Greenwood Cemetery. Once again, she’s looking at markers of LaGrange County veterans, making sure the men’s names and deeds don’t wash away with the weather. Fremion-McKibben started her one-woman Veterans’ Headstone Project two years ago, picking up on work already started by Jack Miller of LaGrange VFW Post 215 and Allen Connelly, the LaGrange County veterans service officer, men she calls her mentors.
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Special Candlelight Ceremony With Photo Presentation
The nonprofit organization has a mission to “find each and every veteran who’s buried in a LaGrange County grave and make sure their headstones aren’t fading away.” It’s Fremion-McKibben’s way of making sure every veteran buried in LaGrange County is “marked with dignity and honor.” LaGrange County is dotted with many small cemeteries, and many of the stones used to mark the graves of servicemen — men who fought in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812, and hundreds who fought in the Civil War — are dissolving and starting to fade away. As many of the headstones become illegible, those men’s SEE HEADSTONE, PAGE A8
NEIGHBORS LAGRANGE COUNTY
Video at kpcnews.com Jean FremionMcKibben talks more about her work with the Veterans’ Headstone Project in video online at kpcnews.com. Scan the QR code with your tablet or smartphone to see the interview along with several of the restored headstones.
SEE STORM, PAGE A8
Auburn artist’s work in statewide exhibition FISHERS — The Indiana Artists Club, the oldest juried artists’ organization in the state, will host its annual member exhibition beginning Saturday in the Art in Town Hall gallery at Fishers Town Hall. Artist Nancy Cupka of Auburn is participating in the exhibition. It will feature more than 70 pieces in a variety of media and styles, including pastels, oils, watercolors,
acrylics and more. Born in Indianapolis, Cupka took classes at The John Herron Art Institute. She said she was inspired by her father, Don Irvine, who worked Cupka in clay and wood carving. Cupka’s oil paintings have won
many awards and can be found in private and public collections throughout the United States. In a biographical summary, Cupka said the identifying mark of most her work is “color broken into such small dots or strokes that it tantalizes the eye of the viewer and causes the viewer’s eye to blend them into sometimes soft, sometimes brilliant unexpected color.”
She added that her subject matter is “usually pleasurable, serene, sparkling with color and hopefully inspiring.” She said a personal bout with cancer has taught her “to enjoy the simple beauty that God places around us daily.” Saying she does not always adhere to the rules, Cupka said her personal style fites into the SEE ARTIST, PAGE A8
Couple honored for helping veterans BY SUE CARPENTER scarpenter@kpcmedia.com
Index
snow left the stone illegible. Fremion-McKibben has replaced more than 30 aging headstones throughout the county and hopes to replace another 28.
TACLOBAN, Philippines (AP) — As many as 10,000 people are believed to have died in one Philippine city alone when one of the worst storms on record sent giant sea waves, washing away homes, schools and airport buildings, officials said Sunday. Ferocious winds ravaged several central islands, burying people under tons of debris and leaving corpses hanging from trees. Regional police chief Elmer Soria said he was briefed by Leyte provincial Gov. Dominic Petilla late Saturday and told there were about 10,000 deaths in the province, mostly by drowning and from collapsed buildings. The governor’s figure was based on reports from village officials in areas where Typhoon Haiyan slammed Friday. Tacloban city administrator Tecson Lim said that the death toll in the city alone “could go up to 10,000.” Tacloban is the Leyte provincial capital of 200,000 people and the biggest city on Leyte Island. On Samar Island, which is facing Tacloban, Leo Dacaynos of the provincial disaster office said Sunday that 300 people were confirmed dead in Basey town and another 2,000 are missing. He said that the storm surge caused sea waters to rise 20 feet when Typhoon Haiyan hit Friday, before crossing to Tacloban. There are still other towns on Samar that have not been reached,
GARRETT — Whenever the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans or American Legion Riders gather, you can be sure Mike and Peggy Miller of Garrett will be there. They also volunteer their time to help with the 40 & 8 organization, serve as Patriot Guard Riders and assist with Quiet Knight, a veterans assistance program. For their efforts, the couple received an award Saturday as Veterans Advocates of the Year in DeKalb County. Veterans service officer Brian Lamm presented the award at American Legion Post
178 in Garrett. Each year, nominations are taken from the various veterans groups in the county, then a vote is taken from a ballot of nominees, according to Lamm. Mike Miller is a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. He has always been involved in veterans’ causes, and his wife, Peggy, is at his side to help. Miller is working to earn funds through karaoke and other programs at the Garrett Legion post to help purchase a new van for the Disabled American Veterans. A maximum number of miles has been set for the vans, so replacing them is always an issue. SEE COUPLE, PAGE A8
SUE CARPENTER
Mike and Peggy Miller of Garrett receive an award Saturday as Veterans Advocates of the Year in DeKalb County. Veterans service officer Brian Lamm, right, presented the award at American Legion Post 178 in Garrett.
Pinnington-McComb Funeral & Cremation Services invites you to celebrate the memory of your loved one “Coping During the Holidays”
Sunday, November 17 • 4:00 p.m. Pinnington-McComb Funeral & Cremation Services
Refreshments
502 N. Main Street, Auburn, IN 46706 For Reservations and Photo Submission Call Alex at (260) 925-3918 or Apinnington@pinnington-mccomb.com