MJ - November 2024 Issue by MaturityJournal

Maturity Journal

FOR MATURE CITIZENS - OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE

Volume 39 Issue 11

November 2024

Hometown History

Presented by the Vanderburgh County Historical Society

Manson Reichert, No Stranger to Controversy by Kelley M. Coures, author & former director Evansville Metro Dept.

Although several men who have served as Evansville’s mayor were interesting characters, none were as colorful as Republican Manson Reichert who was a surprise winner in 1942 and a surprise loser in 1947. He inherited a sand and gravel business from his father and married while young to his wife Mabel. Together they had one daughter, Maybelle, who was colorful in her own right. The gravel company was heavily involved in the paving of city streets during the 1920s and 1930s, and Reichert became involved in Republican politics after the 1920s Klan debacle drove the party out of power in 1929. Reichert was notable for employing many African American men in his company and also for owning a baseball team in the old Negro Leagues, which endeared him to Evansville’s Black community and voters. In 1935 during a wild GOP party convention at the

McCurdy Hotel Rose Room, Reichert was defeated as chairman by the owner of a taxicab company. Always playing hardball, Reichert announced he would start a competitor cab service undercutting his

rival by five cents a mile. While the Democrats maintained power both locally and nationally during the 1930s, a Republican wave began building in the early 1940s with the nomination of Elwood, Indiana native Wendell Willkie in 1940. Reichert entered the 1942 mayoral race against incumbent Democrat Bill Dress, seen as unbeatable for a third term. Republican fixer Ben Bartlett, a beer salesman who had been a collector of graft during the Klan administration of Herbert Males and had a slimy reputation with local voters, was one of only a handful of prognosticators who predicted Reichert would win. With many male voters in military service, a light turnout indeed resulted in the shocking win by Reichert. His inauguration was very memorable for the live elephants that appeared in his parade to city hall. A circus company, stranded in Evansville

INSIDE A Depression-Era Family Feud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Grandma’s Poems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Senior Moments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Good News!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Newburgh Remembered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Cooking Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Hometown History Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Picturing Our Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Brain Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 & 21 Just for Laughs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Windows to Our World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Good for a Giggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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Maturity Journal 8077 MARYWOOD DR., Newburgh, IN 47630 PHONE: Home Office (812) 858-1395 E-MAIL: maturityjournal@gmail.com WEB SITE: maturityjournal.com

The Maturity Journal is a monthly publication designed to inform and entertain mature citizens in Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties. The magazine was founded in 1986 by George Earle Eaton with the intention of serving (in his words) “those old enough to know they don’t have all the answers, and young enough to still be searching for them.”

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due to weather, was encamped at his summer farm property east of the city, and the circus operators were glad to let him use their animals. Reichert’s administration was tumultuous to say the least. The legislature passed a skip election bill that moved the next municipal elections up a year to 1947, giving Reichert an extra year in office. He and Ben Bartlett parted ways over the firing of Central High School’s basketball coach Glen Bretz and other matters, resulting in Reichert engineering the governor’s firing of Bartlett from the lucrative post of License Branch manager here. In an unprecedented event, Reichert and his brother-in-law Julius Ritter were arrested in April 1947 on charges of misappropriation of campaign funds. The charges were later dropped due to expiration of the statute of limitations. Dress de-

feated Reichert in November 1947 but died two years into his third term in 1949. But Evansville had not seen the most explosive Reichert event yet. On primary election day 1948, several precincts were reportedly scenes of vote buying and other illegal activity. In the early afternoon at one voting place a fist fight broke out between Reichert and Bartlett, with the current sheriff on one side and the sitting GOP congressman, Ed Mitchell, on the other. Reichert drew a pistol and threatened to shoot Bartlett, but Mitchell was able to deflect his arm and Bartlett landed a punch on the former mayor’s face. Reichert tumbled into Bellemeade Avenue while Ed Mitchell whisked Bartlett away in his auto. After this incident, Manson Reichert was finally defeated Continued page 4

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for party chairman and faded into obscurity as the 1950s dawned. His son-in-law, Don Davis, developed the old farm property into one of the largest shopping centers at the time in Indiana, a property we know today as the Lawndale Shopping Center. Reichert died in 1978 at the age of 85. MJ

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A Depression-Era ‘Family Feud’ Part 3. Bruce’s Folly by Peggy K. Newton Friday, April 1, 1932. Albert Johnson was dead. Anywhere from 500 to 1000 people passed by his coffin at his home on West Maryland Street before the afternoon funeral service. After the service came the short drive to Locust Hill Cemetery. Edith, his widow, broke down as the coffin was lowered into the ground. She was having a rough day, and it wasn’t about to get easier. A few feet away stood Cora Claibourne, who watched the entire burial service in silence. She

and her husband George did not attend the funeral service, but both were still convinced that the man in the coffin was their son, Clifton Bruce. George had remained in the car with their daughter at the cemetery. With the last of the services over for the day, all parties went home. Edith’s sister took her back to Edith’s house. They may or may not have realized they were being followed by two police cars. They went inside. Edith had barely come through the front door when some-

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one knocked. Detectives Collison and Boyd, of the Evansville Police Department, came to escort Edith to downtown headquarters for questioning. Earlier in the day William O. Wilson, prosecutor for Posey County (where Albert Johnson’s body was found), and Posey County Sheriff Louis Holtzmeyer had delivered a warrant charging Clifton Bruce Claibourne with the murder of Albert Johnson. EPD was now working with Posey County on the murder case. Henry German had already told EPD that Edith Johnson had been “seeing” Bruce Claibourne, which was verified by his mother, Cora Claibourne who said Mrs. Johnson was calling Bruce “all the time.” Edith, however, denied the allegation. During the interrogation with EPD, she continued to deny that she was having an affair with Claibourne. She also didn’t know his whereabouts. She only knew him by sight; there was absolutely no relationship with him. She stuck to the story during the afternoon and the evening; even the night’s stay in a holding cell at the police station didn’t budge her. The police theorized that Bruce Claibourne killed Johnson so Johnson’s widow could collect his insurance, which had a double-indemnity clause. Evansville police continued to check out every red-haired man they made contact with to determine if he was the “Chicago gangster” who stayed with the Continued page 8 November 2024

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Claibournes for two weeks. If they found the right person, perhaps he could tell them where Bruce Claibourne was. Somehow the police were in possession of a letter written by a man named Ersley McGregor, 28, in which he instructed his wife to clean a suit of his and remove the “red spots.” They located McGregor in Louisville, where Officer Lester Brown went to bring back McGregor for questioning. Police Chief Ira Wiltshire questioned McGregor, who had the requisite red hair but was too young to be the person they were looking for; Henry German said the Chicago gangster was at least 50. The red spots referred to in the letter turned out to be mercurochrome, not blood. Two months passed. EPD received information that Bruce Claibourne may have been arrested in Mattoon, Illinois, based on descriptions of his injured fingers and a tattoo removed from his right arm, where Claibourne had a tattoo. The man called himself Joe Reynolds and was being held as a suspect in a series of railroad station robberies in Indiana and Illinois.

EPD detective Stanley Duncan, Posey County Sheriff Louis Holtzmeyer, and Henry German rushed to Mattoon. The man was not Claibourne. On October 4, 1932 Bruce Claibourne’s father, George H. Claibourne, was apparently struck by a passenger L. & N. train on Decker Road near Barker Avenue at 8:30 p.m. He was taken to a nearby grocery store and lost consciousness from blood loss. He was quickly taken to Deaconess Hospital where his mangled left arm was amputated just below the elbow. And matters stood there for the next two years. Bruce Claibourne was missing and no one seemed to know where he was. On Monday, October 22, 1934, Mrs. Rufus E. Edwards signed a statement in jail in Thayer, Arkansas revealing the following: She and her husband were in Evansville in 1932 looking for work when they were approached by a man who called himself Clifton Bruce Bryant but was believed to be Clifton Bruce Claibourne. He offered money to Rufus Edwards to kill Albert Johnson.

Mrs. Edwards said both Rufus and Bruce killed Albert Johnson as part of an insurance scheme and then bolted to Calico Rock, Arkansas where they met up with Mrs. Edwards’ son-in-law Will Ross. According to Mrs. Edwards, her husband Rufus, Will, and Bruce Claibourne left to kill some wild hogs. They were armed with rifles and Will or Rufus carried a shovel. She heard a gunshot a while later. When only Will and Rufus returned, she asked about Bruce. They told her that Claibourne had decided to go to a nearby town to catch a freight train to Oklahoma. Her persistent questioning finally wore Rufus down and he confessed that he and Ross shot Claibourne and buried him “in an old field” near Calico Rock. Around the same time that Bruce was murdered, Edith Johnson Thurman (who had remarried) received a threatening letter that left her completely baffled. “Mrs. Edith Johnson, 1322 West Maryland street. I will be in Chi when you get this. Mrs. Johnson, I just want you to know that I heard about your giving a faint description of me to the cops.

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Claibourne case seemed to be resolved. Well, sort of. George and Cora Claibourne were still sticking to their notion of who was buried at Locust Hill in Evansville and who was buried at Calico Rock, Arkansas. In a letter written by George Claibourne to Sgt. Nathan Massie, a Missouri state highway patrolman, Claibourne wrote, “If someone was murdered by Edwards on the farm at Calico Rock, Ark., it was Albert Johnson and not Clifton Bruce Claibourne.” And presumably both George and Cora went to their own graves believing that was the way it was. MJ (Next, a change of pace: The music of our lives, starting with songs of the holidays.)

Ira Wiltshire, on the Evansville police force since 1900, was Chief of Police at the time of the Albert Johnson/Bruce Claibourne murders. (Photo from author's collection)

“Woman, I am d--- glad you don’t know my name. I know you, though, and if you ain’t careful I’ll get you and your d--- kids. If he had stood pat and stuck for us and by the oath he took it would not have happened. We always get the ones that squeals. “He turned yellow. He knowed too much. We had to do it. He always have to get them. If you value your life keep your trap shut about this.” Mrs. Thurman, the mother of four children by her first husband, Albert Johnson, was at a loss to explain the letter or why it was sent to her. She immediately gave the letter to Police Chief Ira Wiltshire. She told a reporter for The Evansville Journal that she had stayed in Evansville so she wouldn’t be accused of running away. “I intend to justify the faith that my children have in me. When this is all cleared up and I am proved entirely innocent, then I intend to move to another city and start life over again.” But she never left Evansville and lived out the remainder of her life here, dying in 1958. She did, however, tell the Journal reporter that she was glad Albert Johnson’s killers had been arrested or, in Bruce’s case, killed. “If that man helped kill my husband, I’m glad he’s been killed too.” As 1934 drew to a close, the Albert Johnson/Bruce November 2024

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Grandma's Poems Time

by Mary Mayer 85-year-old Mary Mayer is a wife, mother, grandma, great grandma, and recently a great, great grandma

Time seems so fickle And it occurs to me When I want it to hurry, It’s as slow as can be.

Now I’ve grown old And time now at last Seems to move around me Much too fast.

When my young heart was set On a special date, Time crept painfully slow As I had to wait.

The blame, I decided, Is not fickle time. It’s only the latest State of my mind. MJ

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Do You Feel Old? Do you feel old? A few years ago, a large number of seniors were asked that question by the Pew Polling people. Only 35% of those over the age of 75 said they feel old. I’m almost 80, so how I answer the question might depend on the day I am asked and who I am with. I feel the oldest around young ones, like my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Sometimes the generational gap can feel more like a generational chasm. You know what I mean! Here’s a trick I use to bridge that generational gap: I tell them a true story I experienced when I was their age. Sometimes, a story like that can magically make a lasting connection that helps the young grow up and the old feel young. MJ

Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward. (Hillary Clinton) November 2024

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GREAT NEWS!!!!

Over the years, the MJ has been blessed with talented writers like Jim Myers, Ed Cole and many others in the early years. We're also lucky with our current crew from Peggy Newton and Jancey Smith to the EV Historical Society and Newburgh Museum staff.

We are always constantly looking for new talent, and soon two new writers will be joining us. The first will be Kris Shefveland, a professor of History at USI. Kris loves our local culture and history, and she wants your input, as well. Her first story will feature the world of local barbecue, and she would like your feedback. Please email or mail us your thoughts and memories of your favorite places with details about the food, atmosphere, people, etc. We are anxious to hear your opinions and we thank you in advance. Please mail your ideas to Maturity Journal 8077 Marywood Dr., Newburgh IN 47630 or email them to kmshefvela@usi.edu or maturityjournal@gmail.com.

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Newburgh Remembered Presented By

Letters Home

“I Shall Not Come Home” - Part 4 of 4 by Ryan Rokicki

James W. Morrow and the 32nd Iowa returned to Memphis from Louisiana only to be thrust into another campaign, this time against the Confederate forces of Lt. General Nathan Bedford Forrest. The regiment was present during the Battle of Tupelo, Mississippi on July 14-15, 1864. By the end of that month, the 32nd was back in Memphis and James had a new assignment as a harness maker. July the 27th 1864 Memphis Tennsee Dier wife. transferred hast to Rite you a fue lines to in form you of my situwayson. Transferred am well and harty and hop thes fue lines may find you and my hould BaBs well. Transferred am Detald to go with the tranes as harness maker. It is a good situwayson for me. Transferred turned over my gunn to the captan this evinig and transferred will leve my company in the morning… transferred will send you a lot of my clothing that transferred have on hand that transferred transferred need transferred will express them to you… transferred will have to express the Box to ivinville (Evansville.) There is no express offis eney closter. You can send Down for it By som wagon that is going most eney time... Tell gorgy that his ax is in the Box… Mar transferred will com home as soon as trans-

ferred can. transferred want to see you and my Boys mity Bad. transferred will Rite a gan in a fue days and transferred want you to Rite often. It is a Bout Tenn oclock at night and transferred must lay down all of the Boys is a sleep But me. Give my love to all transferred wold Rite to them all But you no how Bad transferred hate to Rite. So good night my deare transferred wish transferred cold sleep with you to night But it cant Be so… good By mar. James W Morrow July the 31th 1864 Memphis Tennsee Deare wife i Rite you a gan to to let you no that i am well and harty and hop though fue line may find you and my seet litle BaBs enjoying the sam like Blesing. We starte in the morning on an nuther Raide. i think for the purpus of oping the Rail Road to Corinth. i dont no how long we will Be gon. i am detald with the suply train as harness maker. so you need not Be uneasy a Bout me. i have no fighting to do and have a horse to Ride. i have Bin with the train five days. i have Bin working all day to day Sunday as it is. But when we get on a march i wont have iney thing to do But Rid a long. mar i want to see you mity Bad But i dont see much chance now. But Be sure if we can get stoped only a month i intend to see you and my litle

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Boys. We are going Back to lagrange and i think we will likley stay there som time… i have not much now to Rite you. i will send you a [piece] of [an] old ReBle partners coat. he was Killed at the tuplo Batle i also have a gold stare that cam off of his coat. But i am afriad to send it in a leter for fere of loosing it. But i will keep it. mar we have not Drawn eny pay yett. But i think we will Before long But if we dont draw till next month i think i can send you a hurndred dolars But if i can gett iny Befor that time i will send it to you. the Boys in my compeny ows me a Bout twenty five dolars… mar dont let my litle Babs for gett me. mar Rite often to me. i am all alone in my tent to night. it is ten oclock i must ly down upon my Bench to sleep. so good night my Diare. Jas W Morrow The regiment spent the remainder of 1864 actively campaigning against a Rebel invasion in Missouri and in helping to repulse a Confederate attack on Nashville, TN in December. By January, 1865, James and the 32nd were in northern Mississippi waiting for their next call to service. The regiment received its pay and James took the opportunity to write to Susan and send her some much needed money.

my Deare Wife, i have more love for you than i do for my government But you no that i have long cherist my country and have intended for a long time to serve it mar i shall not come home till i come onerBLe. Bless your sole i will live th[r]ough this war we will meet again By the will of god. No more now. Jas. W. Morrow

The Civil War finally came to a close in the spring of 1865 and the 32nd Iowa was mustered out of service and most of the regiment’s soldiers returned home. However, life in the Army would continue for James and other recruits who had not yet served their full terms of enlistment. Transferred to a new regiment and overcome with illness, James’s only concern was his family’s comfort and being able to see them again.

Sept 10th 1865 Montgomry alaBama Dear Wiffe i am hapy To Be aBl to Rite to you To let you no that i am still in the land of the living. i am in the horspitle and have Bin for Six weeks

i was very low with the fever though i am now nerley well. one month a go the Recruts in the 32 iowa was transfured to the eighth 8 iowa and the Thirty Second 32 gon home. Though we expect To starte home a Bout the middle of the month. Mar i think very sure that we will Be home in one month. i now i will if thay will pay me off thay ow me a Bout Three hunred dolars and as soon as i can gett it i intend To come home. Mar if i had of trid i cold have got a sick furlow But i want my money first and i don’t Beleave thay will pay till we are musturd out and the governor of this state says he wont need us after the 12th of this month and that is day after To morrow So Be of good chear mar. my Ridgement is at Tuscegyd a Bout forty miles from here it left here eighteen days a go Tom was well and harty then We look for it Back here the last of this week to Be musturd out of sirvis i am very uneasey a Bout home mar for i have not [heard] from you since the first of July i don’t know what is the Reason unless you don’t Rite i want To see you and my sweet little Boys mity Bad. Tell little gorge that par ha[s]ent for got them and to to Be a goof Boy and par will Bring him something. give my love To all inqiring frends. Direct your leters to the 8th iowa montgomory alaBama may God Bless you and BaByes Jas. W. Morrow

Jan 24th, 1865 Dear Wiffe it is with pleser i seat my self to Rite you a fue lines informing you that i an well and harty. mar i intend seeing you Be fore long i want you to Do the Best you can. We have Bin pade off heare and i send forty Dollars By Cap Benson to you my Dear Wife all i Desir is that you and my litle Boys Do not sufer. If i shold Be spard i will come hom. Oh November 2024

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Maturity Journal

Although James had hoped his term of enlistment would soon be complete, the Army had other plans for him. He was assigned to the Quartermaster’s Department of the Freedman’s Bureau, a new government agency tasked with providing assistance to the formerly enslaved population of the South. Still, James is ever hopeful that he will soon be mustered out of service. Montgomery ala Dec 24th 1865 Quartermasters department. Bureau of freedmens Diar Susan i take the present operchuenty To Rite you a fue lines. i have Bin here a Bout too weeks. But i have not Bin very well i Resived your leter of the 19th of last month Before i left union springs and answerd it i was mity glad to here from you and my sweet little Boys. oh if i cold onley see you it wold Be more sadisfactson To me than eney Thing els. But i cant tell when i will see you But i live in hops. i don’t think that wee will Be Kept in the sirvis very long. But long or short if thay will pay me all thay ow me i am coming hom eney how. if i don’t gett To stay But a little while i understand that wee will gett our pay the first of januwary. and if i cant com then i will express you

the money. Tell little gorge that par has Not for got him. nor never will forgett my little famley But it is mity hard for a soldier to do just as he likes or i cold com home. But i have served now Too years and i must com out onerBley or not at all… i have nothing new to Rite. i see the presidents mesige to congress Recomends the Reducson of all the garisonin the south But whether my Ridgement will Be one of the lucky ones or not i cant tell But i hope so mar i am very comfortBley situated here i have a good Room to my self and a negro Boy to Bring my wood and water and a good Bed all furnished By the quartermaster The officers in this department is very clever and sosirBle. This is the saBath day and it has Bin Raining all last night and To day. This is a considerable sitey and through the week[l]y days it is crowded with wagons and peeple from morning till night and thay are very sasey so no more at present. give my Respect to all inqiring frends. May god protect you Mar. i remain yours [for] ever Jas. W. Morrow Sadly, this is the last letter in the collection. James’s admission that he has “not Bin very well” foretold yet another bout of severe illness. This time, however, James did not recover and he died on January 2,1866, having never experienced the reunion with his beloved Susan and precious little sons for which he yearned for so long. MJ

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The grave of James W. Morrow in Marietta National Cemetery, Marietta, Georgia.

November 2024

Maturity Journal

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Maturity Journal

The Cooking Corner By Jancey Smith Holidays Made Easy Visit janceys.blogspot.com

Well, the holidays are upon us. It’s time to decide what dishes to make for the annual feast of family and friends. Whether you’re hosting or taking a side to a potluck, it’s time to plan and prepare. So start making those shopping lists. There are some dishes that are traditional at my house because certain family members appreciate them so much. Grandpa always goes for the cranberry salad, my boys are all about the green beans and potatoes, and sausage balls are a must have. We always have some form of the traditional bird, although we’ve leaned towards smoking it more often lately. There are only a few times a year that I make cornbread sausage stuffing, and this is one of them. However, when it comes to the other side dishes,

I tend to play with variations. I’ve added bacon and cheese to the mashed potatoes just for fun. Sometimes I substitute “seasoned hash browns” for the regular ones in my hash brown casserole. Watch for spice adjustments. There was a time I slipped in spicy brown mustard for the regular in deviled eggs. That sure was a twist. Living in Indiana, it’s obvious that sweet corn is a thing. Many Hoosiers love corn on the cob and expect it in cornbread, hush puppies, soups and dips. At our house, corn is also a holiday staple. One of my crew’s favorite dishes is scalloped corn. It’s an old recipe that I modified from a “Double Day” cookbook that I got in college. Now, that’s been a hot minute. Our youngest daughter also serves corn at Thanksgiving, but she found an easier way to make it. She does creamed corn in a slow cooker. After you line the pan and dump the ingredients in, you are free to attend to other tasks and clean up is so easy. Smart! I’m so proud of her for carrying on the cooking tradition and expanding her taste buds. She was the pickiest of eaters (the ketchup queen) and thankfully acquired offspring with her same picky taste buds. Payback is every parent’s right. But through the years, she’s learned to cook and annually host family gatherings while feeding the pickiest of eaters. Here’s her easy version of creamed corn so that you, too, can have easy and happy holidays ahead.

SLOW COOKER CREAMED CORN Ingredients: 1 lb. frozen corn 6 oz. cream cheese, cubed ½ cup milk 1 – ½ tsp. sugar ½ tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper ½ tsp vanilla Directions: Spread corn over bottom of slow cooker. Top with cream cheese cubes. Mix remaining ingredients together, pour over corn and cream cheese. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours until creamy. Stir well before serving. Serves 5-6. Recipe easily doubled or tripled. MJ Page 16

Favelas of Brazil. The boundary between wealth and poverty. November 2024

Maturity Journal

November 2024

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Maturity Journal

Hometown History Contest Presented by Vickie Fields, Special Collections Librarian, Willard Library

Picturing Our Past by Hannah Thomason, Archivist at Willard Library

Study the photo to the right, answer the question relating to the photo, and you’re a potential winner! It’s that easy! Entries may be made by sending a note or card to the address below. Please include your address and telephone number. You can also enter online at: www.maturityjournal.com/contests. Entries must be received no later than the 17th of the month to be eligible, and only one entry per person will be allowed. The winner will receive a $25 gift card from Liberty Federal Credit Union. Send your Hometown History Contest entries to: Maturity Journal 8077 Marywood Dr., Newburgh, IN 47630 SPONSORED BY:

Congratulations to Doris Hayhurst of Evansville who correctly identified Mary Harris Jones (Mother Jones) in our October issue. Doris has won a $25 Master Card from Liberty Federal Credit Union.

"FAIR AND WARMER TO TRAIL RECORD NOVEMBER SNOW" graced the front page of the Evansville Courier on the morning of November 5, 1936. The day before, Evansville area residents woke in the morning to find six inches of snow had fallen! Evansville's local U.S. Weather Bureau office reported it was a new record for November. Page four featured this image of the snowfall at the St. Joseph Ave entrance to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel L. Orr's Mt. Auburn Road home, Orrwood. MJ

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The old Greyhound station downtown is an iconic piece of Evansville architecture. It has been featured on postcards and is one of very few buildings left which were built in that style. The building is a very early example of William Strudwick Arrasmith’s work. This design so impressed the management at Greyhound that they eventually hired him to design nearly fifty of their bus stations. The building became vacant in 2007, when Greyhound moved their busses to the new METS station. While there was some talk of tearing it down to build a stadium, the old building was spared, underwent major renovation, including asbestos removal, and is now the home of our local BRU Burger. But before any of this happened, there was supposed to be something else built in that spot. The foundation was laid, but the money ran out before it was built. The foundation was oddly shaped, likely making the site unappealing to other businesses, but it was this unusually shaped foundation which led Arrasmith to design the station the way he did. Question: What was the name of the business that was originally planned for the site? MJ

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November 2024

Maturity Journal

By Glenn A. Deig, Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation

Funeral planning is a sensitive and often overlooked aspect of life. It can be very difficult to consider and plan for our eventual mortality. In Indiana, as in many states, residents have the right to information regarding funeral prices. This transparency is crucial for making informed decisions about end-of-life arrangements. Clients routinely ask during consultations regarding the process of preplanning and pre-paying for a funeral. Understanding Your Rights Indiana and Federal law mandates that funeral homes provide a general price list upon request. This list should include the cost of various funeral services, such as embalming, cremation, and casket selection. Additionally, consumers have the right to know about any additional fees, such as those for transportation or memorial services. The Benefits of Preplanning Preplanning your funeral offers several advantages. Firstly, it allows you to make decisions while you are still mentally and physically capable, ensuring that your wishes are conducted. Secondly, preplanning can alleviate the emotional burden on your loved ones during a challenging time. By having arrangements in place, your family will be able to focus on grieving rather than making complex decisions. Choosing a Funeral Home When selecting a funeral home, it is essential to do your research. Ask for references from friends, family, or

November 2024

Preplanning Funerals

community members. Additionally, consider the funeral home's reputation, services offered, and overall atmosphere. Preplanning Tips * Gather Information: Request a general price list from several funeral homes to compare costs and services. * Consider Your Preferences: Think about your desired type of service, whether it is a traditional funeral, cremation, or something else. * Choose a Reputable Provider: Select a funeral home that is licensed and has a positive reputation. * Review the Contract: Carefully read and understand the terms of any preplanning agreement. By understanding your rights and taking the time to preplan your funeral, you can make informed decisions and ensure that your final wishes are honored. Remember, knowledge is power, and when it comes to funeral planning, being informed can provide peace of mind for both you and your loved ones. Funeral planning is an important step to consider when looking at your estate planning and your wishes. Also, to touch on the asset protection side of prepaid funerals, these monies expended or assigned to a funeral home for a person going into assisted living or a nursing home are allowable spend-down protection of a client’s life-time savings.

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Maturity Journal

SEARCH PARTY by Ron Eaton

In this letter grid you will find thirty words of at least 5 letters each. The words can be found by searching horizontally, vertically, or diagonally in any direction. The thirty words can be divided into six groups of five related words. (Ex: planets, baseball teams, U.S. states) After you have found the thirty words, the unused letters, when read from left to right (top to bottom), will spell out five words of a seventh related group. IF YOU NEED SOME HELP, turn the next page upside down to reveal the 6 categories for this Word Search.

____________________: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ ____________________: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ ____________________: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ ____________________: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ ____________________: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________

Solution on page 23

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____________________: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ REMAINING LETTERS: _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________

November 2024

Maturity Journal

10 X 10

Fill in the 10X10 rectangle on the left by completing each 10-letter word from the stockpile on the right. Each 2-letter block will be used only once. Good luck!

Good Luck!

by Ron Eaton

2. 3.

4. 5.

FS OV

IO VE

RY TI

IL FI

10.

US RA

RE RI

6. 7.

TE TI

Search Party Hints

Turn this upside down if you want help solving the Search Party. You will find the 6 categories for this puzzle to the right.

Solution on page 23

Native Americans Itty-Bitty Cheeses World Leaders

Watercraft Birds

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Maturity Journal

MJ Terrif ic

Chocolate is God’s way of telling us he likes us a little bit chubby. It’s probably my age that tricks people into thinking I’m an adult.

C O N T E S T

Out of all of the perfect scores, Kevin Williams of Evansville was selected as our October winner. Kevin has won 2 Buffets & 2 Drinks to

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October Questions CINEMA CO-STARS Who played Jenny to Tom Hanks' Forrest Gump? (A) Michelle Pfeiffer (B) Meg Ryan (C) Debra Winger (D) Robin Wright WWII What cartoon character with a long nose was drawn all over the world to tell everyone he "was here"? (A) Wesley (B) Mandrake (C) Kilroy (D) Boomer HOW MANY? Colonel Sanders' famous recipé contained how many herbs & spices? (A) 11 (B) 13 (C) 16 (D) 19

Things to Ponder Submitted by Judy Stock, MJ reader The devil whispered to me, “I’m coming for you.” I whispered back, “Bring pizza.” Having plans sounds like a good idea until you have to put on clothes and leave the house. It’s weird being the same age as old people. When I was a kid I wanted to be older… this is not what I expected.

Marriage Counselor: Your wife says you never buy her flowers. Is that true? Him: To be honest, I never knew she sold flowers. Never sing in the shower! Singing leads to dancing, dancing leads to slipping, and slipping leads to paramedics seeing you naked. So remember…Don’t sing! I see people about my age mountain climbing; I feel good getting my leg through my underwear without losing my balance. We can all agree that in 2015 not a single person got the answer correct to, “Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?”

PRESENTED BY

Willard Public Library & USI

THE ANIMAL WORLD A gibbon is a species of which of these? (A) mammal (B) reptile (C) bird (D) fish THE BIG BANG THEORY What exclamation did Sheldon use to emphasize his point? (A) Boo-Yah (B) Gadzoinks (C) Bazinga (D) Hamana Hamana

November Categories: Emmy Winners Flags Birds In the News What a Doll!

Enter online at maturityjournal.com/contests Page 22

Crowd at Bull Island Music Festival (Photo courtesy USI Archives) November 2024

Maturity Journal

Search Party Answers

Search Party Solution

Watercraft: BARGE, SLOOP, LIFEBOAT, GONDOLA, BATTLESHIP Birds: CRANE, PARROT, CANARY, NUTHATCH, PARAKEET Native Americans: APACHE, NAVAJO, BLACKFOOT, CHEYENNE, COMANCHE Cheeses: SWISS, CHEDDAR, GOUDA, COLBY, PARMESAN Itty-Bitty: PETITE, MINUTE, MINIATURE, MINISCULE, MICROSCOPIC World Leaders: LENION, HITLER, THATCHER, BONAPARTE, CHURCHILL Remaining Letters Spell: (Tests) APTITUDE, INTELLIGENCE, SCREEN, DRIVING, WRITTEN

10X10 ANSWERS: 1. LITERATURE, 2. TAMBOURINE, 3. EUCALYPTUS, 4. MASQUERADE, 5. FISTICUFFS, 6. UNDERCOVER, 7. DICTIONARY, 8, REVELATION, 9, VASCILLATE, 10. DEFINITION

Good for a Giggle

(Submitted by Judith Stockk, MJ reader)

The new CEO decides it's time to rid the company of slackers. On a tour of the facilities, he notices a guy leaning against a wall. The room was full of workers. Seeing a chance to show he meant business, he says to the guy, "How much money do you make a week"? A little surprised, the young man says, "I make $400. Why? The CEO says, "Wait right here." He

walks back to his office and comes back in two minutes. He hands the guy $1,600 in cash and says, "Here's four-week’s pay. Now get out and don't come back!" Feeling like a boss now, the CEO looks around and asks, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goofball's job was around here?" From across the room, a voice says, "Pizza delivery guy from Domino's."

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November 2024

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Maturity Journal

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November 2024