R
PAGE A4
Scary long-ago afternoon
D M B C P
Madeleine, I usually don’t veer off into this type of subject to write about. However, besides telling a story, I thought it might serve as a course of action in our perilous times, despite that it happened almost forty years ago. My daughter-inlaw, Sheri, called me a few days ago to tell me that Todd said there was a show on that I should watch. It was on the Investigation Discovery Channel, and called “Dead of Winter.” When I tuned in, a scary afternoon came back to my memory. Todd used to see Dr. Schmitt, an orthodontist on Lincoln Avenue. After getting his braces tightened, he always wanted to go and eat before the pressure pain started. His favorite place was the old Ponderosa on Morgan Avenue near Oak Hill Road. That is where we went on January 14, 1980. I remember remarking that no-
body else was there. When we came out, I immediately noticed that there was only one other car in the deserted parking lot besides mine. I thought this was oddly strange, because it was parked right beside my car. I got my keys into my hand and told Todd to quickly get in and lock his door. As I was getting in, I stole a glance at the occupants of the old car beside us. It was a weird bluish green color and the driver had long stringy hair. There was someone else in the car. I quickly drove away. When we watched the evening news, we heard the tragic story of the Patrick Gillian family being all murdered. It happened in the general area off Oak Hill. I wondered if this could have anything to do with the scary guy I had seen. I tried to call the Evansville Police, but they never talked to me. Evidently, they received so many calls, many of them fell through the cracks. After the murderer was caught, and his picture was on television, I was sure that we, indeed, had a quick encounter with Donald Ray Wallace. If I hadn’t gotten out of that parking
O
Reverend Gordon Mann Reverend Gordon A. Mann, 59, of Evansville died on Feb. 28, 2019, after a courageous battle with leukemia. Father Gordon Mann was a vibrant, faithful priest with a gentle heart filled with the love of Jesus. He served the people of the Diocese of Evansville faithfully for nearly 27 years. At the time of his death, Fr. Gordon was serving as associate pastor of Saint Philip Parish in Posey County and Corpus Christi Parish in Evansville. He was born in Evansville on May 30, 1959, to Carl W. Mann, Sr. and the late Dolores (Therrien) Mann. He grew up as a member of Christ the King Parish in Evansville. He attended the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois. Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger ordained Father Mann to the priesthood on June 6, 1992. His priestly assignments included associate pastor, Saint Joseph Parish, Jasper, 1992; associate pastor, Saint Simon Parish, Washington, 1994; administrator, Saint Mary Parish, Washington, 1995; pastor Saint Martin I Parish, Chrisney, 1995; moderator, Saint Nicholas
Parish, Santa Claus, 1995; Pastor, Saint Wendel Parish, Saint Wendel, 2000; pastor, Saint Mary and Saint Simon Parishes, Washington, 2004; pastor, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Washington, 2008; health leave, 2010; return to pastoral ministry as pastor, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Washington, 2011; Pastor, Saints Mary and John Parish, Evansville, 2016; health leave, 2017; return to pastoral ministry as associate pastor, Saint Philip Parish, Posey County, and Corpus Christi Parish, Evansville, 2018. He also served as chaplain for the Indiana State Police. Father Gordon is survived by his father, Carl W. Mann, Sr.; sisters, Melanie (Brad) Holmes of Fort Branch, Ind., Michelle (David) Tenbarge of Evansville and Susanne (David) Walters of North Port, Fla., and brothers, Carl W. (Merlene) Mann, II of Newburgh, Kimberly (Dianne) Mann of Worcester, Mass., and Miles (Andrea) Mann of Evansville. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. There was a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 4,
11 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, and a son-inlaw, Dan Koch and his wife, Linda. Harold was preceded in death by his first wife, Ruth (Bockelman)Schroeder and daughter, Deleah Rose Koch, both in 2006, a daughter-inlaw, Vicki (Stierley) Schroeder in 2011, his sister, Gertrude Lewis, his brother, Raymond Schroeder and two sisters-inlaw, Mildred Peckenpaugh and Lennita Schroeder. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 AM Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at Zion Lippe United Church of Christ, 9000 E. Copperline Road, Mt. Vernon, IN. Rev. Jeff Long officiating, where the Vanderburgh County Retired Veterans Memorial Club will conduct military rites. Entombment will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family from 3:00 until 8:00 PM Tuesday at Pierre Funeral Home, 2601 W. Franklin St.
2019 at Saint Philip Catholic Church, Bishop Joseph Siegel officiating. Entombment will follow in Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery. Friends visited with the family from 2 until 6 p.m. on Sunday at Saint Philip Catholic Church, 3500 South Saint Philip Road, Mount Vernon, Ind., where there was a memorial service conducted by the church at 6 p.m. Friends also visited with the family from 9 a.m. until service time on Monday at Saint Philip Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society or to the Diocese of Evansville for vocations to the priesthood and for the education of seminarians. Condolences may be made online at www.pierrefuneralhome.com.
Evansville, IN and Wednesday from 10:00 AM until service time at Zion Lippe United Church of Christ. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society of Posey County or God’s Storehouse at St. Peters UCC Food Pantry at Wadesville, IN. The family would like to thank all the Hospice staff and caregivers for their care of Harold and the Schroeder family. Condolences may be left online at www.pierrefuneralhome.com.
Charles Brown, Sr. Charles Marvin “Brownie” Brown, Sr., 84, of Evansville and formerly of Mount Vernon, Ind., passed away March 2, 2019 at The Pointe at Solarbron. He was born February 26, 1935 in Mount Vernon, Ind., to the late Lloyd and Jewell (Chandler) Brown. Charles was a lifelong member of Mount Vernon Baptist Church. He has been a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 181, since 1959. Charles worked in construction and as a crane operator from 1953 until his retirement in 2008. He erected the steel in many buildings around the Tri-State including Deaconess and Welborn Hospitals, Mead Johnson, USI, UE and GE. He was preceded in death by his wife of 45 years, Judy Brown; sister, Faye Cole and brother-in-law, Ansel Cole. He is survived by his daughters, Debra Lynn
(Steve) Weinzapfel and Kimberly Kay (Mike) Hines; sons, Charles M. (Margery) Brown, Jr, and Michael Wayne (Lynn Scaccia) Brown; step-daughters, Jayne (Terry) Graves, Julie (Paul) Casaletto, Denise Byrd and Lisa Wu; step-son, Wayne (Makaila) Blackburn; brother, Ray (Betty) Brown; grandchildren, Amanda Thompson, Jason Thompson, Amy (Paul) Kilgore, Brent (Erin) Weinzapfel, Krystina (Kyle) McPherson, Eva Wright, Matthew Wright, Jody (Robby) Mattingly, Kristina (Steve) Hite, Daniel Hines and Katelyn Hines; step-grandchildren, Whitney (David) Russ, Mallory (Jake) Fowler, Megan (Hunter) McKeown, Molly Graves, Nicholas (Jackie) Casaletto, Maria (Shane) Smith, Brittney Byrd, Brenna Wu and Brandon Wu; 19 great-grandchildren; and 11 step-great-grandchildren. Funeral service will be
lot when I did, he might have tried to hold us up and ask for money. I am sure that there was a second person in the car; perhaps his girlfriend. Many things on the show were not quite accurate. I am pretty sure the car shown was not the one he actually drove, and scenes of Evansville did not look right. This event stayed with me for a long time. This was a very isolated crime in 1980, and sadly, murders are much more common now. Let alone the mother and father, I thought many times about the children who never had a chance to live out their lives. It may have been a long time ago, but I remember the main details. To this day, I try to pay attention to what is going on around me in parking lots. I am always cautioning my daughter to do this in her work lot. I was recently approached by a suspicious woman outside WalMart. Too long of a story to tell, but it was an obvious ploy to get money. Another friend told of being followed to her vehicle in the same parking lot. Don has been approached for money more than once.
I hope that all of my family and friends keep a watchful eye out, because it is not the same world my generation took for granted. One place that I am very careful is my own property, especially coming home at night. I always drive in a little circle, flashing my lights to illuminate the side yard, even though we have a dusk to dawn light. Madeleine, as you know, I always caution you before you leave on a trip. I also got alarm key chains for many family members as a stocking stuffer. My grandparents gave food to every hobo who came to the door. Since we lived very close to the railroad tracks, there were several who knocked. Again, it was a vastly different time, just after the Depression ended and WWII had caused many men to come home to hard times. Sadly, many Americans do not feel safe anymore, for various reasons. Fear fuels bigotry and hate, which makes it all worse. I knew that Donald Wallace was someone to fear in 1980 the minute I saw him, but it isn’t that easy to figure out now.
Birthdays March 5 - Ryan Anderson, Hank Burns, Jodi Wilson, Carolina Zampini, Lola Mae Healy, Fiona Kissinger, Mary Lou Hancock March 6 - Jared S. Turney, Carol Ann McIntire, Jackie Sue Burnett, Samuel Grimes, Volker Korger, Brian Laws, Jeff Hofman, Phil Williams, Matt Mills, Camryn Lansdell, Suzanne Williams, Carrie Dabrowski March 7 - John Lang, Patrick Seibert, Kyle Hon, Kenny Kuebler, Jim Kimmel, Elizabeth Reis March 8 - Ed Paris, Casey Trela, Asher Storms, Alicia Barrickman-Riley, Trent
Creek, Teresa Biggs March 9 - Anne Louise Tepool, Ellen Wade, Bill Shelby, Polly Certain, Jeff Hempfling March 10 - Cassandra Ambrose, Beverly Fussner, Michael Burns, Evan Wasson, Jeff Williams, Jim Montgomery, Beverly Hardy March 11 - Sabrina Parnell, Dalton Crocker, Alyssa Guerrero, Nancy Peerman If you have a name to be included, please send to: Posey County News, P.O. Box 397, New Harmony, IN 47631, or email: news@ poseycountynews.com
Armada Hartmann
Harold Schroeder Harold H. Schroeder, age 93, passed away Saturday, March 2, 2019 at his home surrounded by his family. Harold was born on February 23, 1926 in Evansville to the late Albert and Mathilda Jung Schroeder. Harold owned Schroeder Brick and Stone, and was a retired Mason and homebuilder. He was a member of Zion Lippe United Church of Christ, VFW post #6576 at Wadesville and the American Legion in Mt. Vernon, IN. He was a veteran of the U. S. Army and served in the Korean War. Harold is survived by his wife of 11 years, Anna (Droege) two daughters, Sandra Kay (Ron) Willett and Darlene (Carl) Bosse, three sons, Terry Ray, (Mary Jane) Richard H. (Anna) and Orvel A. (Kim) Schroeder. Also surviving is one brother, David E. Schroeder, a brotherin-law, Jerry Peckenpaugh, sister-in-law, Jean Schroeder,
MARCH 5, 2019
Armada Hartmann, 97 of Mount Vernon, passed away Thursday February 27, 2019 at West River Nursing. She was born October 29, 1921 at Springfield, Ind., the daughter of Thomas Jacob and Anna Jane (Upton) Clark. She married Harold Hartmann and he preceded her in death in 1981. Armada was a homemaker and a member of the Immanuel Church of Christ. She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews. She
was preceded in death by her brothers, Walter, Ewell, Berl and Lawrence and half brother, Elmer; sisters, Juanita Dills and Florence Clark; half sisters, Gladys, Reba and Mary. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday March 5, 2019 at the Stendeback Family Funeral Home at 1330 East Fourth Street, Mount Vernon with burial in Immanuel Church of Christ Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until time of
services. Online condolences may be left at stendebackfamilyfuneralhome.com.
Connie Mason Connie Sue Mason, 81, of Poseyville, Ind. born to Marion and L. Bernice (Hardin) Ellis on March 23, 1937 in Winslow, Ind., passed away Friday, March 1, 2019, at her home in Poseyville, Ind. She graduated from Otwell High School in 1955 and was a member of the Stewartsville United Methodist Church, Hadi Motor Belles, Dancers and Pageantry Isis Temple 41 and was Past Queen of the Daughters of the Nile. She was co-owner of Gibson of Evansville, Fashion Exteriors and the Yukon Inn. Surviving are her daughter: Christy (Greg) Foster of Poseyville, Ind.; step brothers: Norman (Carolyn) Ellis of Anaheim, California, Emanuel Lee (Sheri Lynn)
Ellis of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Ralph (Marticia) Ellis of Petersburg, Ind.; step sister: Reba Jane (Glenn) Stuffel of Petersburg, Ind., and a grandson: Kyle G. Foster of Poseyville, Ind. Preceding her in death were her parents and husband: Earl Dale Mason. Funeral services were held at 7 p.m. CST, Monday, March 4, 2019 at the Werry Funeral Home in Poseyville, Ind., with Graveside services 10 a.m. CST, Tuesday, March 5, 2019 in Walnut Hills Cemetery in Petersburg, Indiana. Visitation was 3-7 p.m. CST, Monday, March 4, 2019 at the funeral home with a Daughters of the Nile memorial service at 5:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, me-
morial contributions may be made to: Daughters of the Nile Foundation, 6705 Mesa Drive, Austin, Texas 78731-2817 or Stewartsville United Methodist Church, 10600 Pumpkin Run Road, Poseyville, IN 47633. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the family online at: www.werryfuneralhomes.com
Margaret Gunnels Margaret (Mattingly) Gunnels 89 of Mount Vernon, passed away Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at her home with family by her side. She was born November 27, 1929 to Wilson and Mary Ann (Nelson) Mattingly in Morganfield, Ky. She married Dallas Gunnels on September 3, 1980 and he preceded her in death in 2006. Margaret had worked as a clerk for a Lawyer’s office as well as a cook for various restaurants and Posey County Jail. Margaret was a member of the Moose Lodge and Eagles. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as her many friends. She also enjoyed gardening, playing slots, cracking jokes,
and crafts. Margaret is survived by her Sons; John M. Reynolds and Roger L. Reynolds, 17 Grandchildren, 58 GreatGrandchildren, four GreatGreat Grandchildren, Sister; Janice Cain, Son-in-Law; David Voyles She is preceded in death by her Husband; Dallas Gunnels, Sons; William F. Reynolds, Robert D. Reynolds, Daughter; Mary K. Voyles, Grandchildren; Angel Spinks, Roland L. Reynolds, Tammy S. Madglin, Brother; Arthur Mattingly, Wilson Bill Mattingly, Sylvester Mattingly, J.D. Mattingly, Henry Mattingly, Sisters; Mary A Russel, Lorene Utley, Lillian Hawkins, Great Grandchild; Roger Reynolds, Daughter-
in-Law; Teresa Reynolds. Funeral services were held at the Stendeback Family Funeral Home in Mount Vernon on Saturday, March 3, 2019 at 1 p.m. visitation from 10 a.m. until time of service. Burial was at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Online condolences may be left at stendebackfamilyfuneralhome.com
Stefan Simpson
held at 11:30 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at Mount Vernon Baptist Church, 1717 Main Street, Mount Vernon, Ind., with Rev. Matt Watson and Rev. Curt Mort officiating and burial to follow in Bellefontaine Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10 until 11:30 a.m. service time on Tuesday at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to Mount Vernon Baptist Church. Condolences may be made online at www.schneiderfuneralhome.com.
Mr. Stefan Ryan Simpson, age 36, of Rockvale, Tenn., died Wednesday, February 27, 2019. He was a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and a son of the late Ricky Nelson Simpson, Sr. and Barbara Suzanne Marshall Simpson. Stefan was a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. He worked at Kroger as a Assistant Drug GM Manager in the pharmacy. Stefan was an avid fan of wrestling and loved to watch the WWE. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and a nephew. Stefan is survived by
his wife, Jessica Simpson of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; daughter, Shyanne Carr of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; son, Hunter Padgett of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; brother, Rev. Rick (Brooke) Simpson, II of Mount Vernon, Ind.; sisters, Barbara Heath of Bells, Tenn., and Winter (Mark) Jones of Alabama; aunt, Justine (George) Bain of Rockvale, Tenn., and Brenda Ellis of Christiana Community in Rutherford County, Tenn.; several nieces and nephews. Visitation with the family was held on Monday, March 4, 2019 from 4 until 8 p.m. at Lawrence Funeral Home. Funeral services will be con-
ducted at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 from the Chapel of Lawrence Funeral Home with Rev. Rick Simpson, II officiating. Interment will follow at Cothran Cemetery in the Rover Community of Bedford County, Tenn.