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October 2019 THE BEACON Page 9B
DILLSBORO
By
Rebecca
Davies
Community
Correspondent
dillsboro@goBEACONnews.com
We have a guest columnist
this month! A little bit about the
writer… I am Lorene Westmeier.
I was born in Friendship
then moved to Farmers Retreat,
where I grew up on a farm. I
now live in Dillsboro. I came a
long way, didn’t I?
Traveling down the “Scenic
Highway”- State Road 62,
about four miles southwest of
Dillsboro is the small village
of Farmers Retreat. One of
the early settlers was Major
James A. McGuire who was
born in Ireland in 1785 and
later purchased land from
the U.S. government in 1815
Balloon release for Claire.
MOORES HILL
By
Barbara
Wetzler
Community
Correspondent
mooreshill@goBEACONnews.com
We welcome Ms. Wetzler
as ths new Moores Hill correspondent
and look forward
to her stories about all of the
happenings in Moores Hill.
Todd Russell was nominated
to the unofficial “Moores
Hill Hall of Fame” by Ericka
Honeycutt Barnes on
the Moores Hill’s Facebook
group page. “Todd is always
one of the first to jump up
when someone needs help.”
Over one hundred twenty
people “liked” the post.
O
ur
on Laughery Creek. There
were quite a few businesses
located here during the years
of 1849-1990 as well as a post
office, four churches, and five
schools. Residents of Dillsboro
shopped in Farmers Retreat,
and residents of Farmers
Retreat shopped and banked
in Dillsboro and still do.
The village is now a rather
quiet place with a preschool,
St. Johns Church and an historic
one-room schoolhouse.
The church was built in
1867, and the one-room
school was built in 1888, both
are still listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
The one-room school was
closed in 1950 when a new
elementary school was built.
It was completely restored
and is now open for tours.
Students attending there were
a big part of the working of
the school. The boys helped
carry in wood and coal for the
Residents came together to
support a young woman with a
huge surprise homecoming on
July 4. A community-wide celebration
of Kevin and Glenda
Thomasson’s granddaughter
Claire’s seventeenth birthday
started when Kevin invited
neighbors to enjoy fireworks.
Claire was given a brief overnight
release from Children’s
Hospital to go home on her
birthday. Lynn Russell Allen,
Angie Calhoun, Misty Russell,
and Dee Russell were
among those who sent out a
community-wide call for cards
and lined streets in Moores
Hill with green balloons,
Claire’s favorite color. Claire
was escorted through town by
Moores Hill Fire and EMS.
Later, a giant balloon release
and those big fireworks were
enjoyed by the community.
Carla Fehr also invited
neighbors to enjoy fireworks
at her house.
Lanny Dell was welcomed
back to work with many
wishes for continued healing
after surgery.
Kudos to JC Chapman,
who went out of his way to
pick up mattresses that had
been dumped along County
Line Road. He picked them
up and properly disposed of
them. Yet another example
that servant leadership is alive
in Moores Hill.
The Moores Hill Old Fashioned
Carnival was indeed
the Greatest Show! Thank
you to Tamila Wismann and
family, Lynn Allen, and all
Communities
St. John’s Lutheran School
in Farmers Retreat. (Photo
by Rebecca Davies)
potbelly stove. The girls carried
in drinking water for the
crock fountain. There were
also sweeping and other jobs.
Present-day fourth-graders
from surrounding communities
take field trips there as a
part of their Indiana History
studies. For their visits, they
play ‘old fashioned’ games
on the lawn and learn about
life in the 1800’s. The school
is open Sunday afternoons
Sept.-Oct. 2-4 P.M. Tours are
free! Call 812-432-5401 for
more information.
the sponsors and volunteers
for organizing, staffing, and
offering free events. Such a
celebration!
Tamila Wismann offered
Moores Hill t-shirts with a
Bobcat in the design. The
shirts were sold to raise operating
funds toward the carnival.
There is much hometown
pride in Moores Hill.
The people of Moores Hill
come together enthusiastically
as organizers, volunteers, and
sponsors. We come together
in groups or individuals to
help our neighbors, rescue
lost pets, and provide free
community events for everyone
to enjoy.
GREENDALE
By
Gloria
Carter
Community
Correspondent
greendale@goBEACONnews.com
Wow! It is hard to believe
that school has been in session
for over a month. The pool
is empty of water the playgrounds
are empty of the children.
Fall is just days away,
and I am ready.
Has anyone noticed the
wood carving in the back of
the Greendale Cabin? The
remaining fourteen-foot
stump of one of the trees that
was partially cut down has
been turned into a sculpture
of a pileated woodpecker.
Brian Christman, a native
of Switzerland County, is the
artist who has turned the stump
into a wood sculpture with his
chainsaw. A veteran of the US
Air Force, Mr. Christman was
a mechanic and also practiced
as a nurse for twenty-five years
with the Veterans Administration.
He discovered wood
carving on the internet and
pawned his base amp in for a
A sculpture of a pileated
woodpecker created by artist
Brian Christman.
chainsaw. One of his carvings
can take as little as thirty to
forty-five minutes, or up to two
weeks. Mr. Christman loves
nature and started out carving
driftwood retrieved from the
Ohio River. He and his wife
Penny travel between Ohio,
Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia,
Tennessee, Florida, and North
Carolina. Take a few minutes
and walk behind the cabin and
see the woodpecker carving.
He has quite a talent.
Enjoy the cooler days and
nights with fall approaching
because we sure do deserve
the cooler weather.
Happy Oct. 8 Birthday to my
daughter Debbie Seymour.
FALL FESTIVAL
Oct. 6, 2019 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Chicken Dinner – Hayride to the Pumpkin Patch
Kids Games – Crafts – Bake Sale
Silent Auction – Basket Raffle-Painted Pumpkins
I-74 to St. Leon Exit. Go North on S.R. #1 and
follow signs to 11001 Bossert Rd.; Brookville, IN 47012
Previously Klemme’s Corner United Church of Christ
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