Maturity Journal 5.18

Maturity Journal 

FOR MATURE CITIZENS - OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE 


free 

Volume 1, Issue 5 May 2018 

On the Banks of the 

Ohio, Part 1 

by Peggy K. Newton 

High on a hill in Perry County stood a two-story 

farmhouse near a cliff overlooking the Ohio River some 

400 feet below. The house was, to put it kindly, weatherbeaten. 

And, except for barns and other outbuildings, it 

was very much alone in the center of farmland. No crops 

were to be seen, however, as it was the fourth day of 

February, a cold, cloudy day atop the barren hill. 

Karl entered the house through a front entrance and 

was startled by what he saw. He saw an ordinary farmhouse, 

perhaps more unkempt than most. He expected 

something fancier, something more modern and more 

becoming, more suitable to the person who lived here 

last. She had been in show business for 25 years and was 

considered something of a star performer in her field. 

She was the great Alice DeGarmo, the beautiful and 

glamorous aerialist. Here in her hometown — if Derby, 

Indiana, could be called a town — she was Alice Martin, 

daughter of William F. and Florence Cummings Martin. 

Both were now dead. And so was she. 

Karl Kae Knecht lived outside of the jurisdiction, 

65 miles west in Evansville, Indiana. He was a noted cartoonist 

for The Evansville Courier, but in actuality filled 

several shoes: as the newspaper’s first photographer in 

1917, and as entertainment editor and columnist. From 

his boyhood on, his favorite form of entertainment was 

the circus. It was rumored that Alice had performed 

Alice DeGarmo early in her career. 

for the Barnum and Bailey circus for 20 years, and Karl 

came to check out that rumor. Of secondary interest, or 

perhaps no interest at all to him, was another rumor that 

was floating around — that Alice had buried or hidden 

her fortune somewhere on the farm. 

Those who had known her since she returned home 

after the death of her father five years before said she 

kept to herself, lived like a hermit, and wore her father’s 

overalls and jackets around the farm. She was said to 

have a sharp tongue when provoked or angered. She was 

a short, tiny woman — an ideal size for the kind of act 

she did — and was considered attractive. After five years 

on the farm, she still kept her figure and looked forward 

to returning to the stage. Those who knew her from 

her show business world had only kind things to say 

about her. W.C. Alband of Fort Knox, Kentucky, who 

attended her funeral later, said, “She was generous to a 

fault, had a bright and happy disposition and was loved 

by her whole company.” 

INSIDE 

MJ Treasure Hunt Contest. ....... 5 

Hometown History. ................. 8 

Picturing Our Past. ................ 11 

Cooking Corner .................... 12 

Adopted in My Seventies. ....... 14 

Yesterdays Remembered. ....... 18 

Brain Games. ................. 20 & 21 

Just for Laughs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

Medical Matters. ................... 22 

A Stranger Drops In .............. 24 

Hometown History Contest. ... 24


Page 2 May 2018 

She was in bigtime vaudeville, 

meaning she performed in the larger 

towns and cities for the major 

vaudeville circuits such as Loew’s, 

Keith’s Orpheum, Western, and the 

Canadian circuits. Her agent and 

business manager, Robert Willson, 

in a news story datelined New York, 

said she had built a fine professional 

reputation as a solo performer. 

“Alice DeGarmo was well known to 

all old-timers. She was listed in the 

front rank of trapeze artists and long 

kept her girlish figure and youthful 

appearance. She had a spotless character, 

was economical, prudent, and 

saving, but generous in benevolence 

and kindly deeds, with never a cloud 

of scandal upon her high character 

and a reputation as a remarkable 

woman.” 

Karl stepped into a side room 

which evidently was used for storage, 

for it had several traveling trunks, 


8077 MARYWOOD DR., Newburgh, IN 47630 

Phone: Home Office (812) 858-1395 

E-MAIL: maturityjournal@gmail.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.” 

STAFF 

Publisher/Editor Ron Eaton 

Business Manager Suzy Eaton 

Editor-in-Chief (in memoriam) George Earle Eaton 

FEATURE WRITERS 

Jim Myers (in memoriam), Peggy Newton, 

Cora Seaman, Harold Morgan, Jancey Smith. 

CONTRIBUTING WRITER 

Barbara Brown Meyer 

EDITORIAL DEADLINE 

10th of prior month 

ADVERTISING DEADLINE 

15th of prior month 

The Maturity Journal assumes no other responsibility for 

unsolicited manuscripts or other materials submitted for review. 

Signed letters or columns are the options of the writers and do 

not necessarily represent those of the publisher. 

The Maturity Journal is published by the Times-Mail, Bedford, IN 

All Rights Reserved. 

some with destination labels. They 

were the type used by traveling performers, 

more or less portable wardrobe 

closets where costumes and 

other valuables were kept. He found 

one and opened it. 

The cold, dark and miserable 

southern Indiana winter drifted 

away. He found himself looking into 

her world of tinsel, color and glamour. 

Gowns, tights, and lingerie of 

fine lace and silk in bright colors 

with spangles and bangles, and dainty 

sandals; such feminine attire was 

a far cry from the farm clothes worn 

by the woman known hereabouts as 

Alice Martin. 

At the bottom of the trunk was 

“the fine strong cable and the trapeze 

bars on which she worked so many 

years to the delight and pleasure of 

her audiences,” Karl later wrote in 

The Evansville Courier. 

In a separate compartment 

he found dozens of photographs. 

Vaudevillians supplied their own 

photographs to be displayed in the 

lobbies of the theaters where they 

performed. George Burns, of Burns 

and Allen fame, knew more about 

vaudeville than just about anybody. 

In several of his memoirs he said that 

performers always knew if their act 

was a flop if they were handed their 

photos after the show. He claimed he 

was in one failing act after another 

(All area codes 812 unless noted otherwise) 

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for nearly 20 years, until he met 

Gracie Allen, who became his partner 

and later his wife. 

But Alice DeGarmo didn’t seem 

to have that problem. She was a success 

almost from the start, as Karl 

could see from a scrapbook of clippings 

that began in 1903. In January 

of that year she became part of a 

gymnast act called “The Kenyons,” 

starting at a vaudeville theater in 

Brooklyn, New York. A man would 

hold two long perch bars with a belt 

at his waist. Alice performed her trapeze 

feats on the supports between 

the two bars. 

While she was a star in her field, 

she was not a star headliner. The type 

of act Alice did was called a “dumb 

act.” In vaudeville terms, it meant no 

dialogue, no singing. Dumb acts were 

typically the first act on a vaudeville 

bill (as Alice’s nearly always was) or 

the last. They were not the headliners 

— headlining acts were usually 

the last act before intermission and 

the next-to-last act before closing. 

Headliners were usually the comedians 

or singers. Sophie Tucker, Al 

Jolson, even George Burns after he 

met Gracie, were all headline acts. 

In the days before air-conditioning, 

vaudeville theaters were closed 

in summer months. Performers 

often found jobs at outdoor venues 

such as amusement parks and fairs, 

Continued page 4 

Activities & Assistance 

Boonville Senior Citizens Center 

Phone – 897-4437 

Gibson Co. Council on Aging 

Phone – 385-8818 

Email – fry172@yahoo.com 

Posey Co. Senior Center 

Phone – 838-4656 

Web – poseycountycouncilonaging.com


May 2018 Page 3 

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which is exactly what The Kenyons 

did. When the fall season of their 

first year rolled around, the name 

of the act changed to “Kenyon and 

DeGarmo” and they played at the 

larger theaters in the East and later 

in Chicago and the Midwest. 

The scrapbook offered a fascinating 

look at a career and life on 

the road, showing photographs of 

Alice in stage costumes and in street 

clothes. Her image was reproduced 

in cartoons and caricatures as well. 

In 1908 Kenyon and DeGarmo 

broke up their act. Alice hired P.J. 

Keough, later known as Edwin 

Keough. That year they traveled as 

far west as San Francisco. Between 

1910 and 1920 they were on the 

Orpheum “time” (circuit), meaning 

they traveled to the theaters that 

were part of the official Orpheum 

vaudeville circuit. Alice performed 

in South America, Mexico, and 

Australia. One of the trunks was 

marked “Gran Circo Bell.” Karl surmised 

that it was possibly a circus she 

toured with in Latin America. 

Sometime around the mid-teens 

Alice changed her act. Part of her 

act involved spinning in the air with 

only her teeth holding her on the 

bar. Another woman was bringing 

serious competition, but in addition 

to her aerial work, she ended her act 

by removing her clothes. In the midteens 

vaudeville was strictly for families. 

Clothing at that time involved 

layers and layers. Stripping down to 

blouse and knickerbockers was considered 

shocking enough. 

To keep up with the competition, 

Alice also removed her clothing, 

one by one, but while she was 

spinning by her teeth, all the way 

down to blouse and knickers. Her 

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act became a sensation, but it was 

hard on her teeth. 

By 1920 she was solo and began 

to slow down. She was middle-aged 

and content to stay at home in New 

Jersey when she wasn’t on the road. 

She continued her vaudeville career 

throughout most of the 1920s, traveling 

across the U.S. and Canada, 

going into central and southern 

Illinois and even Terre Haute 

and Louisville, but apparently not 

Evansville. When she got news of 

her father’s death in 1928, she went 

home with the idea that she would 

settle his estate, sell the property, and 

return to New Jersey and touring. 

The Great Depression hit and 

vaudeville was dying. Alice made a 

few trips back to New Jersey and 

New York to visit with friends, 

promising she was working out to be 

ready for “next season.” “Next season” 

never came for Alice DeGarmo. 


When I stand before 

God at the end of my 

life, I would hope that 

I would not have a 

single bit of talent left 

and could say, 

“I used everything 

you gave me.”


Maturity 

Journal 

Hidden in the pages of this issue are three of the pirate swords like the one shown here. Find the three 

correct page numbers and you’re a potential winner! Just fill out the entry form below or put the page 

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Karl Kae Knecht closed the 

scrapbook and the world of luxury 

and fine hotels that she left to return 

to Indiana. Karl felt that the story 

was a shame because Alice DeGarmo 

nee Martin didn’t deserve to die the 

way she did. MJ 

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HOMETOWN HISTORY 

Tri-State History September, October & November 1945 

By Harold Morgan 

September 1945, week two: General MacArthur 

made a one-mile-long military parade thru Tokyo to 

show the U.S. strength; Japanese citizens stared in 

silence. British, French, Russian and American military 

gave a mighty parade thru Berlin to celebrate VJ Day. 

U.S. troops streamed into Tokyo in great numbers. 

The Spaghetti Bowl Restaurant at 218 NE Fourth 

Street burned; the restaurant gave a free dinner to any 

man or woman in uniform, regardless of race, throughout 

the war. Tojo shot himself near his heart but survived; 

he groaned “I want to die.” It was reported that 

P-47s had been used to drop two napalm (jellied gasoline) 

bombs per flight against Japan before the surrender 

of Japan. 

September 1945, week three: Due to high flood 

waters of March 1945, the Dixie Manor, Gatewood 

This Evansville-built P-47 is being launched from 

the deck of an aircraft carrier off the coast of 

Saipan Island in WWII. (Republic Aviation photo) 

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Gardens and Mill Terrace housing 

projects were scheduled to be demolished 

because of flood water damage. 

A 3.5-inch rain forced the Evansville 

airport to close its flight services, 

and Highway 57 was closed as well. 

Rumors said that Hitler was hiding 

in Japan; others said he was in 

Manchuria, China. 

September 1945, week four: The 

last P-47 was flown from Evansville 

to Kansas; it departed at 1:37 PM 

on September 26, 1945; it was 

Evansville’s 6,670th P-47. Republic 

Aviation closed operation on the 

same day. 30 P-47s at various stages 

of completion were given to regional 

schools and colleges, with the guns 

and radios removed from the gifted 

airplanes. 

Republic Aviation gave about 

$40,000 worth of tools to the 

University of Kentucky and Purdue 

University along with seven area high 

schools, which included Mechanics 

Arts in Evansville. (Evansville could 

have had a free P-47, but the city was 

simply war-weary and declined. 

Several sets of P-47 wings were 

given away. Emperor Hirohito visited 

with General MacArthur; he 

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him a kiss since 

I was a little 

boy. 

rode in his car to the MacArthur 

office. Evansville adopted the St. 

Louis, Missouri smoke abatement 

ordinance. Mechanic Arts school 

was given a set of F4U Corsair wings 

from the Briggs Indiana plant on 

Columbia Street. 

October 1945, week one: Nine 

aviation transport firms asked for 

flight routes through Evansville. The 

Carver Community Center opened 

at Lincoln and Morton Avenues. It 

was revealed that the (very lethal) 

VT Proximity Fuse had been developed 

in Evansville with Faultless 

Caster as the lead developer. (The 

proximity fuse was described as the 

most lethal military artillery device 

during WWII.) 

The 38th Cyclone Division 

arrived at the Camp Atterbury 

Separation Center near Columbus, 

Indiana for discharge. Mechanic 

Arts School received its P-47 airplane 

body, but the carrier truck 

would not fit thru the doors; the 

truck returned to reload the P-47 

onto a narrower truck. Evansville 

Container and Inland Container 

merged the two businesses into one 

container business. 

October 1945, week two: The 

P-47 that was given to Evansville 

College was taken to the former 

Modification Center building at the 

Evansville airport. (No later action 

with that P-47 airplane was found 

in the Courier or Press.) A bus-auto 

crash killed a family of eight near 

Dixon, Kentucky. 10 Evansvillebuilt 

LSTs were lost during WWII; 

they were numbers 158, 167, 179, 

493, 496, 499, 531, 563, 577 and 

808. 

America declared that it would 

not share A-bomb secrets with any 

nation. Kentucky Dam was dedicated 

with President Truman as the 

Alzheimer’s Support 

The Memory Café is a monthly 

social group providing a safe, comfortable 

environment where people 

with memory loss and their care 

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others traveling the same journey. 

Registration required. Donations 

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The Memory Café takes place the 

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For location information and to 

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May 2018 Page 9



speaker. Nazi war crimes trials began in Nuremberg, 

Germany. Jackie Robertson signed to play baseball with 

the Montreal Royals. The leftover “junk” P-47s brought 

$125 each at Trockman’s Junk Yard. 37 U.S. Army divisions 

were disbanded. Mechanics Arts school now had 

a P-47 body and wings in its aviation shop. Evansville 

citizens were asked to support smoke abatement rules, 

but it would take several years for significant smoke (and 

noise) improvements. 

October 1945, week three: It was revealed that 

the Japanese army was given approval to eat (only) 

white men’s flesh. It was revealed that locally built VT 

Proximity fuses helped to shoot down 79% of crashed 

German “buzz-bombs.” The first postwar Servel refrigerators 

were being shipped for domestic sales. Most 

U.S. wartime food rationing was ended; this included 

hundreds of tons meat and butter. B-29s dropped vast 

amounts of food by parachute into isolated areas on 

Okinawa. 

The Army Air Force considered using the Republic 

Aviation building for a reserve unit. Hundreds of tons of 

phosphorus, napalm and other fire-starter materials were 

These wrecked P-47 Thunderbolts were scrapped 

in an Evansville scrapyard, and the scrapped P-47 

bodies were sold at $125 each. The sales took place 

in the late summer and fall of 1945. (Evansville 

Courier photo) 

being burned on the Chrysler power storage plant (now 

the 4-H Center). Mead Johnson’s “Amigen” was titled a 

wonder product because it provided a means for comatose 

patients to live thru transfusions. (This was a won- 

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derful new life-saving medical procedure at the time.) 

October 1945, week four: The Evansville shipyard 

reported that it had built 205 ships: 171 LST/APBs, 18 

DYFs, 13 YFs and 3 all steel LCVPs. Evansville’s first 

new car, a gray Ford two-door, arrived on October 28 

to the Snow and Wheaton dealer on Riverside Drive. 

(It was not for sale until more cars arrived during the 

following week, but a large number of people came for a 

look-see.) Large crowds came to the Evansville riverfront 

on Navy Day to tour LST-56 and a PT boat. 

Evansville’s shortage of consumer goods was said 

to be as bad or worse than during the war years. 

Evansville College began construction of its Science 

and Engineering building. An airplane pilot died in a 

Rockport air crash; the pilot thought the city lights were 

the Evansville airport. 

November 1945, week one: General Eisenhower 

told that areas in Germany were in dangerous unrest and 

Picturing Our Past 

by Pat Sides, 

Archivist at Willard Library 

Evans Café 

When Henry 

and Ann Evans 

opened the doors 

to their new restaurant 

before 

dawn on October 

23, 1943, the juke 

box was blasting 

the hit song “Pistol 

Packin’ Mama,” as 

workers from the Evansville shipyard filed in to grab 

an early breakfast. Evans Café was one of the city’s 

most popular dining venues for decades, advertising 

itself as “Evansville’s Leading Family Restaurant” 

and attracting loyal customers from a 50-mile radius. 

Located at 1010 South Kentucky Avenue, the restaurant 

soon developed a reputation for home-style 

cooking, which was served at affordable prices. Evans 

Café originally had only 28 seats, but eventually seating 

capacity exceeded 200. After 1984, the café closed 

and re-opened several times under new owners. MJ 

“just one step” from an organized resistance to begin. 

British intelligence officers believed that Hitler shot 

himself while his mistress took poison in their bunker in 

Berlin. A redesigned P-47 flew with a 2,500 hp Chrysler 

water cooled engine above the Evansville airport; it was 

built in the Modification Center building. Evansville 

began a rat killing drive. 

November 1945, week two: The new Burkhardt 

and Vogel schools were dedicated in Evansville. An 

Evansville Courier article revealed that 74 P-47D models 

that were all Evansville-built were loaded on two small 

“escort” aircraft carriers and moved to Saipan Island in 

June, 1944 for combat flights. Everything worked well 

and the P-47s were successful in the island fighting. 

50,000 Evansville people watched as retired veterans 

and active service men and women marched on Main 

Street. MJ


The 

Cooking 

Corner 

By Jancey 

Smith 

Colonial Food 

Visit janceys.blogspot.com 

The hubby actually scored a weekend off recently, 

so instead of letting him melt in the recliner to the 

History Channel, I dragged him away on a road trip to 

go visit our neighbor up north, Vincennes, to experience 

the annual Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous. (It will 

be held this month on May 26 & 27.) It’s an historic 

reenactment commemorating when George Rogers 

Clark and company took on the British leader Henry 

Hamilton in an American frontier victory. With almost 

everything looking like colonial times, (well, except the 

porta potties), it was like stepping back into history. 

Not only were men, women and children wearing 

frontier-type clothes, but there were painted indians 

and soldiers in old-fashioned military garb. How hot 

could all that be? It made us appreciate modern styles 

and air conditioning. 

As we walked through the “French Commons,” as 

it’s called, we saw stands that were set up offering merchandise 

and foods from the colonial time period. There 

were demonstrations like juggling and soap making, 

which was different. Apparently, lye soap is good for 

poison ivy/oak outbreaks. There were many knives and 

types of weapons along with crafty things like quilting, 

candles, embroidery and yarn spinning. There was even 

colonial period entertainment, like minstrels singing 

and using a mandolin that reminded me of old Celtic 

songs. 

Of course what caught my attention was the food. 

All the food sold was by fundraising organizations, 

like the Boy Scouts, Kiwanis and church groups, not 

commercial vendors. There were some dishes that I 

just hadn’t realized how long they’d been a part of 

our heritage, like bread pudding, strawberry shortcake, 

chicken and dumplings and ham and beans. The food 

was supposed to be in the colonial theme, so we saw 

ears of corn roasted over smoldering coals and strips of 

bacon were draped over an iron pole and cooked over a 

pit of charcoal and wood. People walked around eating 

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• JFK Presidential Library is the feature of the Boston Trip, Aug. 

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• Join us for a trip to Vincennes to see the Red Skelton 

Museum and lunch at the Dogwood Café......................$110 

• Coming up: The Jasper Dinner Train and The Bissell Mansion 

Theatre featuring their version of “The Addams Family”. 

Page 12 May 2018


giant turkey legs that looked like a small smoked club. 

I’m guessing wild turkeys have been plentiful for a while. 

Raspberry iced tea was also a beverage option, which isn’t 

a flavor pairing that I’d normally put together. But then 

raspberries always remind me of my grandma’s house 

and picking the bushes behind the hen house. 

After making a complete circle around the options, 

we landed back where we started at the sausage stand. 

We decided to try a Frenchwurst. Over the years I’ve 

heard of various wursts — knack, brat and kielbasa — 

but never a Frenchwurst. They are a special combination 

of ground pork, onions and spices made for this event. 

We made a mess with the mustard and piled onions on 

top for a moist tender hand-held meal served with plenty 

of napkins. We were quite good with this new twist on a 

brat. 

There was a new twist (or maybe old) on a dessert 

that we found that was called stick pie. It literally is a 

pie crust made on a stick and then filled. The dough was 

formed around the end of 5-foot-long poles that were 

cooked and then filled with your choice of cherry, peach 

or lemon. It’s topped off with some whipped cream and 

you almost have a colonial “Twinkie.” 

By the time we’d made our circle back, I’m sorry to 

say that one of the dishes I wanted to try had sold out. 

That was Crik Fried Potatoes. How can potatoes, onions 

and peppers surrounded by bacon not be good? This dish 

is an old camp-food classic. All the goodies are layered 

between bacon and cooked in foil over a fire. That’s a 

serious tasty mess! 

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Pie on a Stick 

Recipe of the Month 

Creek Potatoes 

Here’s one from the days of Girl Scouts around the 

campfire. 

Ingredients: 

11 sm. red potatoes, unpeeled 

2-3 med. onions, sliced 

red and/or green bell peppers, sliced 

9 slices bacon 

Preparation (for indoor cooking): 

Use 9”x13” pan. Lay 3 slices of bacon on bottom. 

Thinly slice unpeeled potatoes and lay over bacon. Lay 

sliced onions on potatoes. Salt and pepper as desired. 

Repeat layers two more times. Cover with aluminum foil 

and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 6 to 8 people. 

(for outdoor cooking) 

Tear a section of aluminum foil into a large square. 

Put a layer of bacon on bottom of foil. Cover with cubed 

potatoes, onions and bell peppers. Top with another 

layer of bacon. Wrap in foil and cook on grill 1 hour 

or until tender. (For over campfire, less time, but until 

tender.) MJ 

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May 2018 Page 13


I Was Adopted in 

My Seventies! 

by Jerry Lawrence 

I was looking for a painter and a seamstress…and 

found two new families! 

After several recent visits to the hospital I began to 

realize I needed help in various household chores, so I 

once again turned to the Carriage Hill Homeowners 

Association for assistance. I had previously found a 

capable painter in Scott, but now I needed someone to 

hem up some drapes for my family room and master 

bedroom. 

I received several responses and contacted a couple of 

them. The first person I called sounded like a nice lady, 

but she wanted me to do the measurements and take the 

drapes to her home. Not seeing myself capable of doing 

that, I called a second lady, Linda. She was happy to do 

those things, so I made arrangements for her to come by. 

When she arrived, I was surprised to see she brought 

her fifteen-year-old daughter Ravin with her. At first, I 

thought that was for her “protection”, but later realized 

she took Ravin with her most every place she went. Ravin 

is home schooled. I can assure you without a doubt that 

this was an excellent decision on Linda’s part! I have 

never met a finer, smarter, nicer and funnier teenager 

than this young lady. On her second visit to my home 

Ravin, out of the clear blue sky, told me she thought I 

was “neat!” I asked her why she thought that and she 

replied “Because you’re 74 and you act so young!” 

Wow, Ravin sure knows how to win a guy’s 

heart! Watch out, guys! 

I have always felt younger than my chronological age, 

“a child for life if you will.” I believe this is a result of not 

truly having a happy childhood and because I seemed to 

not be willing to get old, at least not in my heart. Oddly, 

as a youngster and even in my teens, I always seemed 

more comfortable in the company of older people than 

most kids my age would feel. I believe it was partly 

because not being happy in my younger years I was intent 

on “becoming an adult” as soon as possible. 

But, as my physical age caught up with my mind, 

the “Benjamin Button” aura kicked in and “Peter Pan” 

emerged in an effort to reclaim the childhood lost. My 

circle of friends became younger as I observed those my 

Nic admiring his masterpiece 

age seemed to slow down, resigned to allow their bodies 

to become less agile. I, on the other hand, kept physically 

active and joined the Chicago Health Club which 

had some 20 locations in and around the city. No matter 

where in Cook County you lived there was a CHC 

nearby. I usually went a couple times a week. 

I also became interested in jogging and cycling. Living 

close to the lakefront provided me a perfect environment 

for both activities. Mind you, my goal was never to 

become an Arnold Schwarzenegger; I merely wanted to 

keep in shape and retain my stamina. I rode my bike at 

least 40 miles a week and jogged no less than ten. During 

the decades I ran and cycled along the shore of Lake 

Michigan I soon became among the oldest of those on 

the track. 

After I retired, I returned to Evansville, leaving 

behind my lovely lakefront condo and the many social 

and cultural opportunities there. I re-met Dee, a high 

school friend, and we married in 1907. We enjoyed what 

we both considered to be the best decade of our lives, 

quite an achievement when you’re in your seventies! Six 

years later Dee’s health began to wane, and for four years 

I became her loyal and dedicated caregiver. “In sickness 

and in health” became our lifestyle! While I was in good 

health during her four years of misery, after she passed 

I realized I had physically become less the man I always 

had been. I had a hip replaced and broke my back. I was 

in and out of the hospital several times and soon realized 

I was no longer capable of taking care of myself. When 

I found myself once again in the hospital, Linda, Ravin 

and Linda’s son JJ visited me. (You might remember JJ 

Page 14 May 2018



assisted me in preparing a recent article on religion and 

racism.) 

After leaving the hospital I asked Linda if she 

could handle some additional housework I was no 

longer able to do. To my surprise and delight she 

agreed! As my strength continued to fade, without my 

asking, both Linda and Scott began to handle even more 

chores. Scott does the outside work and Linda does the 

inside. Without even trying I found not ONE but TWO 

“caregivers” to help me in the final years of my life, and 

their families joined in with the work! I do not even have 

to ask for help in certain matters, they just do it! 

Both Linda and Scott live within a couple miles 

(about five minutes away) and visit me multiple times 

a week! I’ve been a guest in their homes several times 

and even was invited to Linda’s for a fine Thanksgiving 

meal! Scott and his wife Delana enjoy pizza, which they 

treat me to when I visit them. Both of my new families 

often bring delicious food to me each week! Linda has 

become my personal “Uber,” driving me to doctor’s 

appointments and anywhere else I need to go. Sometimes 

Me with two very sweet young ladies, Linda and Ravin 

she comes by four or five times a week! 

Scott recently drove me to visit my brother Larry at 

Solarbron, a West side assisted living facility. Scott took 

me instead of Linda because while making these arrangements 

I learned Larry had been one of Scott’s teachers 

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at Central High School! Isn’t it a 

small world? When we arrived at 

Larry’s apartment, out of habit, Scott 

addressed him as “Sir!” Soon they 

were “Larry and Scott!” 

Once a student, always a student. 

Because of my three rambunctious 

puppies, I had limited physical 

therapy opportunities at home, so 

I decided to buy a three-wheel bike 

(OK, a trike) to give me a chance to 

strengthen my legs as I ride around 

my neighborhood. Linda’s hilarious 

husband Nic even assembled it for 

me! The trike, light grey in color, 

has been dubbed “Silver”, and I’m 

frequently heard belting out “Hi Yo 

My brother, Larry Lawrence 

Silver, Away” as I peddle around my 

neighborhood. Witnesses have been 

heard to ask “Who is that old fool?” 

To that Ravin replies “He’s not 

so old!” 

I’m giving myself a one-month 

goal of being on my feet again sans 

my cane! 

I must say, if and when you need 

a caregiver in your life, I hope you 

find someone who truly CARES for 

you personally, as these blessed folks 

do for me! They are my cheering section 

in my quest to walk once again! 

And, if you’re lucky, as am I, you 

might also find yourself “adopted” 

into a new family… or two! MJ 

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the 1920s. 

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Page 16 May 2018



By Glenn A. Deig, Certified Elder Law Attorney 

by the National Elder Law Foundation 

Vanderburgh County Veterans Service 

Office – A free local service 

available to veterans 

Approximately 13,000 veterans are living in Vanderburgh 

County. Many of these veterans do not know that 

a free, local, and responsive office staffed with caring, 

knowledgeable, and experienced people in an office in the 

Old Courthouse in downtown Evansville, Indiana. The 

staff is available to field their issues or questions that they 

may have related to their military service. Services are 

not limited to those serving during war-time. 

The Vanderburgh County Veterans Service Office offers 

a full range of services to Vanderburgh Co. veterans 

including: 

• Assisting veterans and their dependents in filing 

claims for VA benefits at Federal and State levels; 

• Assisting veterans with applications for military 

discharges, VA medical care, home loan certificates, and 

education benefits; 

• Coordinating and conducting annual Memorial Day 

and Veterans Day programs; and 

• Assistance with property tax exemptions, DAV, 

Purple Heart, and POW license plate applications, and 

reduced fees for hunting and fishing license. 

The office takes walk-ins and inquries by telephone as 

well. 

Phone: 812-435-5239 Hours: Mon-Fri. 8:00-4:30 

The local office is staffed by the following knowledgeable 

and caring individuals to assist those who have 

served the country in the armed services: 

Paul Dupont Tami Cassidy-Fehn Tonya Phipps 

Service Officer Assistant Service Officer Secretary 

If you have a concern or issue, feel free to walk-in or 

call this office. Below is the address and contact information 

for Tami Cassidy-Fehn: 

Tami Cassidy-Fehn 

Asst. Service Officer 

201 NW 4th St. Suite 303 


(812) 435-5239 

tfehn@vanderburghgov.org


Yesterdays Remembered 

CAT ON A HOT SHED ROOF 

During World War II, my 

mother spent a lot of time away 

from home caring for my grandmother 

who was ill. That meant that 

my sister and I were left alone in the 

country during the day. My sister 

was six years older than I was, so it 

stands to reason that she should have 

been “in charge.” Some of you know 

that not many people were ever “in 

charge” of me. I was very active and 

ingenious. I could think of things to 

do faster than my sister could keep 

me out of them. Her punishment 

for my misdeeds was always that she 

would tell my mother of my misbehavior. 

That threat did not frighten 

me very much because I could 

always “cloud up” like I was going to 

cry and my mother would blame my 

sister for my behavior. I knew that 

this was the routine procedure, and 

I played my parents like a well-tuned 

fiddle. Remember, I was their baby, 

and they had me spoiled rotten. 

Finding things to do in the summer 

was always a big adventure for 

us. We had very few amenities with 

which to occupy our time except 

those that we could conjure up 

ourselves. We had neighbors who 

would visit us and play in the yard, 

but I always was looking for more 

adventures than just playing baseball 

or climbing trees. 

We always had pets to play 

with, and most often they were just 

stray cats that blessed us with a lit- 

by Cora Alyce Seaman, 

the author of several 

novels. 

ter of kittens 

nearly every 

spring. When the old cat would 

bless us with a new litter of kittens, 

Mother would always insist that 

we not play with them until their 

eyes were opened. But if we found 

where the old cat had given birth 

to them, we would try to sneak one 

away to play with it. As soon as we 

would return the kitten to the lair, 

the old mother cat would move 

them again and the search was on 

to find their new abode. 

When the kittens were big 

enough for us to really enjoy playing, 

we would dress them in doll 

clothes and pretend they were 

our babies. We had an old cardboard 

box that we had made into 

a doll bed, and with a lead rope on 

the front, we pulled those kitten 

“dolls” around the yard as if we had 

the finest doll buggy ever made. 

One afternoon when I was feeling 

a bit mischievous, I decided to 

climb onto the old shed roof and put 

one of the kittens up there. The poor 

little thing began to cry in its loudest 

If you don’t know where 

you’re going, any road 

will take you there. 

(Lewis Carroll, Alice in 

Wonderland) 

Page 18 May 2018


kitten voice. My sister decided she 

could rescue it by climbing up on the 

shed roof and bringing it down. 

The shed had been an old smokehouse 

where we had previously 

smoked hams after we butchered. 

However, we had not butchered for 

several years. On the outside of the 

shed a makeshift ladder had been 

nailed to the side of the building by 

using pieces of 2-by-4s. This ladder 

worked fine for me because I was just 

a little squirt. The nails had made the 

ladder secure for me, but it was just 

not strong enough for anyone bigger 

than I. My sister pulled herself up 

to the top piece using it as a step to 

reach the roof of the shed and the 

stranded kitten. She managed to rescue 

the kitten and had cradled it in 

her arm as she attempted to get back 

to the ground. Suddenly, one of the 

makeshift ladder pieces broke in two 

and exposed the old rusty nails that 

had been securing it to the shed. As 

my sister fell, she was trying to cling 

to the side of the shed and the kitten 

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at the same time. The nails dug into 

her shin bone, leaving a large deposit 

of her flesh on those nails. She landed 

on her feet and glanced down to see 

blood streaming down her leg, but 

she was tough and refused to cry. 

Meanwhile, I ran inside to the 

“clean rag” box and found something 

to wrap around the wound. At that 

time in our lives, we did not have 

such things as antibiotics to combat 

the spread of germs or infection. My 

father always had a stock “medicine” 

that he used for every cure. His formula 

was to pour a little turpentine 

on the wound and wrap it in a clean 

rag. I knew where the turpentine was 

kept, and I ran for the ‘cure’. 

After doctoring her cut, we headed 

for the chairs under the shade tree 

and contemplated our story that we 

knew would have to be told to our 

mother when she got home. This was 

one time when the story needed to 

be a really good one. I had to confess 

to putting the kitten on the roof, but 

I didn’t think I was responsible for 

my sister’s injury. 

When Mother got home and 

listened to the stories we each told, 

she was convinced that neither one 

of us was telling the truth. I am sure 

she never understood how such an 

injury could have occurred because 

the wound was pretty bad. Daddy, 

on the other hand, praised our quick 

thinking and the efficient use of 

his ‘cure’. My sister still bears the 

scar of our escapade, and she bore 

it to her dying day. In fact, we both 

have many scars from our various 

Yesterdays Remembered. MJ 

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May 2018 Page 19



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. 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. 

Solution on page 27 

The Village at 

Hamilton Pointe 

a continuum of care community 

independent living 

rehabilitation Skilled nursing 

assisted living 

memory care 

Unused letters spell: 

3800 Eli Place | Newburgh, IN 47630 

www.hamiltonpointehealthandrehab.com 

1(812) 858-5300



J us t fo r La u g h s 

Pot Pourri 

Do you ever wonder if illiterate people get the full effect of 

alphabet soup? 

Grandpa was caught unprepared for the cold winter and 

complained to his grandson that he hadn’t been able to sleep. 

“Did your teeth chatter, gramps,” the boy asked. 

“I don’t know,” he replied. “We don’t sleep together.” 

Mr. Simpson sat reading in his chair when his wife walked in 

and asked, “Don’t you think I look younger without a bra?” 

“You really do, sweetie,” he answered. “It draws all the wrinkles 

out of your face.” 

“Grandma, can you remember your first kiss?” 

“Son, I can’t even remember my last one.” 

Would somebody please explain to me those signs that say, “No 

animals allowed except for seeing eye dogs?” 

Have you noticed? Anyone driving faster than you is an idiot, 

and anyone driving slower than you is a moron. 

My license plate says PMS. Nobody cuts me off. 

What has 175 legs and 5 teeth? The front row at a Willie 

Nelson concert. 

The difference between ‘involved’ and ‘committed’? If you have 

bacon and eggs for breakfast, the chicken was involved, but the 

pig was committed. 

How many Harvard grads does it take to screw in a light bulb? 

Just one. He grabs the bulb and waits for the world to revolve 

around him. 

A graduate with a science degree asks, “Why does it work?” 

The graduate with an engineering degree asks, “How does it 

work?” 

The graduate with an accounting degree asks, “How much will 

it cost?” 

The graduate with a liberal arts degree asks, “Would you like 

fries with that?”

Approximately 60,000 

Americans are diagnosed with 

Parkinson’s Disease each year, and it 

has been proven that exercise can be 

a powerful tool against the disease. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Parkinson’s Disease - Part 2: With Awareness There Is Hope 

by Lynn R. Penland, Ph.D. 

Certified Delay the Disease Instructor, 

Certified Parkinson Wellness Recovery Instructor 

Below is an interview with Scott, a 

local man who attends three different 

PD exercise classes each week: 

Q: When did you decide to 

start attending Parkinson’s-specific 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

exercise classes? 

A: I was diagnosed with PD in 

October 2014, and I started regularly 

attending Parkinson’s-specific 

exercise classes in July 2017 

Q: Do you feel your Delay the 

Disease classes have helped you, and 

if so, how? 

A: I feel that the classes have 

made many contributions to my 

health and my fight against PD. I 

am more toned and flexible and have 

lost weight. I’m more aware of my 

cognitive and balance limits. When 

my joints and limbs are sore or 

tight, I now have the appropriate 

stretching exercises that can assist 

throughout the day. My daily outlook 

is more positive as the classes 

helped my endurance to fight the 

PD changes. I’m also more aware of 

my breathing techniques during cardio 

and relaxation. The other huge 

bonus is the social circle of PD classmates, 

friends and instructors that 

we chat with and learn from. We are 

all “snowflakes” with different issues, 

so there is much to be aware of, no 

matter what PD stage you are at. 

Q: What would be your advice 

to a person newly diagnosed with 

PD? 

A: Plug in. Join a local PD group 

and find PD exercise classes. Learn as 

much as you can about PD using 

library books, PD websites, local 

and national PD support groups like 

the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and 

Neurological Centers of Excellence 

in larger cities like Indianapolis, 

Nashville, Louisville or St Louis. 

Create a PD profile and track 

your physical and mental changwww.GoldenLivingCenters.com 

 

Page 22 May 2018


es so that you can provide your 

Neurologist or Movement Disorder 

Specialist with the best picture of 

what is happening to you in order 

to determine which prescriptions 

might work best to alleviate specific 

symptoms of PD. 

Q: As a person with Parkinson’s 

disease, how do you maintain your 

positive attitude? 

A: Knowledge, like maximizing 

my physical health via exercise, 

quality nutrition/diet and timing 

proteins to let my medicine absorb 

better. I am as active as possible and 

am willing to change and try new 

options and push myself. 

Q: In Parkinson’s disease circles, 

people talk about the importance 

of “living well today.” What is your 

favorite way to “live well today?” 

A: Ask myself what can I do 

today and go do it — and keep on 

moving! I am personally thankful 

every day for having such a wonderful 

spouse. 

Q: What advice would you give 

caregivers or family members as to 

the best ways to help a loved one 

with Parkinson’s disease “live well”? 

A: Time. Create a memory or 

moment by sharing a conversation, 

a story, a joke, an “old school” tale, 

an outdoor activity, a picture, a 

walk, a smile or a meal. If/when the 

caregiver’s burden starts to be too 

much, reach out for help to family, 

friends, social services and/or PD 

groups. Ask for a break and reset 

yourself whenever the opportunity 

arises. 

In Evansville, people with 

Parkinson’s disease have many 

Parkinson’s-specific exercise programs 

from which to choose. There 

are exercise classes at Deaconess 

CrossPointe, St. Vincent Wellness 


Center, the Southwest Regional 

Council on Aging, Deaconess 

HealthSouth Rehabilitation 

Hospital, and the YMCA. The 

schedule and description for YMCA 

Rock Steady Boxing for Parkinson’s 

is available on the web at www. 

ymcaswin.org. The schedule and 

description for the other classes is 

listed below. 

Delay the Disease – Classic* 

Mondays 1:30-2:30 p.m. 

Deaconess Cross Pointe 

and Thursdays 3:00-4:00 p.m. 

St. Vincent Wellness Center 

Requires prescreening prior 

to registration. (812) 297-8658. 

Delay the Disease – Chair Based 

Wednesdays 12:30-1:30 p.m. 

Southwestern Indiana Regional 

Council on Aging 

Open to all persons with Parkinson’s 

disease (812) 492-7435 

Delay the Disease – 

Balance and Stretch 

Tuesdays 1:00-2:00 p.m. 

St. Vincent Wellness Center 

Requires prescreening prior to 

registration. (812) 297-8658 

Parkinson’s Disease Exercise 

HealthSouth Deaconess 

Rehabilitation Hospital 

Open to all persons with Parkinson’s 

disease (812) 437-6181 

Requires prescreening prior to 

registration. (812) 297-8658 

The cost of Delay the Disease 

is $95 for a 12-week session. The 

cost of the classes at HealthSouth 

is $30 per month. However, scholarships 

are available for all classes 

listed above. Those with financial 

need can request a scholarship at 

registration. Scholarship requests are 

confidential. Caretakers are welcome 

to participate in the exercise classes 

at no cost. 

If you or someone you know 

is affected by Parkinson’s disease, 

there are many resources available 

to you. Start exercising immediately 

or add another exercise opportunity 

to your regular schedule. Visit the 

Parkinson’s Awareness and Support 

Association of the Tri-State website 

at www.pasats.org or call (812) 

297-8658 if you would like more 

information about activities of the 

support group. Get to know the 

other people involved in the local 

Parkinson’s community, and find 

new and better ways to “live well 

today”! MJ 

Man is not old until his 

regrets take the place 

of his dreams. 

(Yiddish proverb)



A Stranger ‘Drops In’ 

by Earl Pfettscher 

It was a cold winter day at 

Skylane Airport on the north side of 

Evansville in the late 1950s. A group 

of us were sitting in the old ’Quonset 

hut’ office with the oil heater working 

to capacity. Like every ’hanger 

flying’ session, everyone made their 

individual contribution in an effort 

to solve the world’s problems. 

When a stranger drove up the 

driveway, the typical comments 

were made, “I wonder who that is; 

he’s a young fellow; he’s got a ‘101st 

Airborne’ sticker on his car ‒ maybe 

he’s military.” The latter was correct. 

When the fellow came in, we all 

greeted him in the typical Skylane 

friendly fashion. He explained that 

he was from Ft. Campbell and was a 

skydiver. He was wondering if anyone 

would be willing to take him 

up for a couple of jumps. Being a 

young kid of 18 with a fresh commercial 

pilot’s license, I jumped at 

the chance. The only problem, I 

explained, is that we only had a J-3 

(Piper Cub) airplane. He said he’d 

never jumped out of a ‘two-seater’, 

but would like to see the plane. 

We walked out into the cold 

and he climbed into the back of the 

J-3. He said, “It’ll be tight with my 

Hometown History Contest 

backpack and front reserve, but heck 

(word substituted), let’s do it.” 

Using a ’soft-field’ takeoff due 

to the snow, with the 65 ‘horse’ 

Continental engine roaring, it was 

a cold climb to 3,500 feet. But, like 

anyone who has experienced cold 

weather flying, the air was smooth 

as silk. We circled over Skylane and 

he dropped a streamer to check for 

wind drift. 

I opened both doors of the J-3 

and froze even more, since J-3’s had 

heaters that would today seemingly 

double as air conditioners in the 

winter time. He climbed out on the 

step, held on to the wing strut and 

said, “I’m ready” and jumped. 

It was a beautiful sight watching 

him in a spread eagle position looking 

downward with his drag or pilot 

chute trailing and the snow-covered 


Presented by Lyn Martin, 

Special Collections Librarian, Willard Library 

Study the photo below, answer the question relating to the photo, and you’re a potential winner! It’s that easy! We will draw a winner 

from all correct responses and announce the winner in the next issue. Entries may be made by sending a note or card to the address 

below. You may send your entry separately or along with your Treasure Hunt entry form (page 5). Please include your address and 

telephone number. Entries must be received no later than the 20th of the month to be eligible, and only one entry per person will be 

allowed. The winner will receive a Meal for Two at Carousel Restaurant. Send your Hometown History Contest entries to: Maturity 

Journal, 8077 Marywood Dr., Newburgh, IN 47630 

Lawndale Shopping Center’s 

grand opening took place on 

October 21, 1957. Some of the 

original stores included H.A. 

Woods Drugstore, Wesselman’s 

Grocery Store, Klein’s Hair Fashions 

and Kresge’s. One of the 

main department stores was the Evansville Store, which leased space 

inside its store to two other stores. One was Kruckemeyer and Cohn, 

jewelers, and the other a stationer’s store which opened in downtown 

Evansville in 1866. It started out selling books but expanded to carry 

high quality paper products and later to offer photo finishing. Although 

it has relocated and now carries office supplies and equipment, the 

name remains the same, which is _____ and _____. 

SPONSORED BY: 

Carousel Restaurant 

Congratulations to Pat Wittenbraker 

of Newburgh who correctly identified 

The Evansville Story in our April 

issue. Pat has won a $20 gift card from 

Carousel Restaurant.


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ground in the background. It was a 

great sigh of relief when he popped 

his main chute and landed by the ‘X’ 

that we had carved into the snow. 

J-3’s were designed to fly ‘solo’ 

from the rear seat. Landing the J-3 

in the snow, with only the front seat 

occupied, was a pretty good challenge 

with the center of gravity so 

far forward. However, with the ‘balloon’ 

tires and plenty of power, the 

soft field landing went off without 

a hitch. 

The soldier repacked his chute 

by the gas pump and asked if we 

could go again. Only those of us who 

witnessed the event had a concern 

about the snow that was packed in 

along with his chute and the possibility 

of it freezing the fabric together. 

But he wasn’t worried. We made 

a total of three trips that day. 

Every winter day that I go back 

to or drive near Skylane, I think 

about that cold day that provided all 

of us ‘hanger-flyers’ with our excitement 

for the day when a ‘stranger 

dropped in’. 

At 78 years of age, I have hundreds 

of memories of Skylane, from 

soloing in an L-2 Taylorcraft at age 

sixteen as a junior at Reitz High 

School, to our ‘bombing’ contests 

with bags of flour, to soloing Bruce 

Epmeier on his 16th birthday when 

I was a flight instructor, to flying 

with my son-in-law, John Hahn. 

This story describes one of those 

great ‘Skylane memories’ from the 

past. 

(Earl Pfettscher is a former 

commercial pilot, flight instructor, 

Evansville teacher, Warrick County 

principal and retired Indiana school 

superintendent. After living in 

Newburgh for 46 years, he (Reitz- 

1957) and his wife, Darlene (Mater 

Dei-1958), moved ‘back home’ to the 

west side of Evansville in November, 

2016. They have two daughters, Jill 

Pfettscher Hahn, Rebecca Pfettscher 

Bailey, and six grandchildren. MJ 

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