Southern Indiana Living SeptOct 2012

Freshen up your home this Fall •the Destination • new albany bicentennial • hayswooD theatre 

Living 

Te BEST of Southern Indiana 

September/October 2012 

S outhern I ndIana 

Don’t miss our 

biggest issue yet! 

NEW! in this issue: 

A Walk in 

the Garden 

Meet the woman who 

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Once Upon A Farm 

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SOUTHERN INDIANA 

Living 

in THIS issue 

September/October 2012 

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2012 

VOL. 5, ISSUE 5 

Features 

On the Cover 

Once upon a farm • 34 

PUBLISHER | Karen Hanger 

karen@silivingmag.com 

EDITOR IN CHIEF & 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR | 

Abby Laub 

abby@silivingmag.com 

A blessing of cancer • 14 

Treasures and simple 

pleasures • 18 

Living the sweet life • 21 

18 

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING | Sandy Payne 

sandy@silivingmag.com, 502.322.7703 

SALES REPRESENTATIVE | Kimberly Hanger 

kimberly@silivingmag.com 

DISTRIBUTION | Jim Hamilton, Chase Scott, Dana Scott, 

Summer Whelan 

CONTRIBUTORS | Sam Bowles, Jason Byerly, Lee Cable, 

Sara Combs, Bob Hill, Michelle Hockman, Kathy Melvin, 

Elise Walter, Randy West, Laci Tucker 

Nothing chilly about it • 22 

Making a splash at Great 

Wolf Lodge • 28 

Things look bright at White Cloud Window • 39 

Acting out and selling tickets • 42 

Regulars 

A walk in the garden with Bob Hill • 7 

Top 10 easy home improvements • 8 

Flashback • 48 

Everyday Adventures • 50 

Contact SIL 

P.O. Box 145 

Marengo, IN 47140 

812.989.8871 

karen@silivingmag.com 

SUBSCRIPTIONS | $25/year, Mail to: Southern Indiana 

Living, P.O. Box 145, Marengo, IN 47140 

SUBMISSIONS | Do you have a story idea or photo opportunity? 

E-mail abby@silivingmag.com for our submission guidelines. 

Not all will be accepted. 

SNAPSHOTS | We invite you to submit a photo of yourself 

reading Southern Indiana Living in an interesting place. E-mail 

color photographs to abby@silivingmag.com. Include names, location 

and your phone number. 

ADVERTISING | Take advantage of prime advertising space. 

Call us at 812-989-8871 or e-mail ads@silivingmag.com. 

Southern Indiana Living is published bimonthly by SIL Publishing Co. 

LLC, P.O. Box 145, Marengo, Ind. 47140. Any views expressed in any advertisement, 

signed letter, article, or photograph are those of the author 

and do not necessarily re¾ect the position of Southern Indiana Living 

or its parent company. Copyright © 2012 SIL Publishing Co. LLC. No 

part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written 

permission from SIL Publishing Co. LLC. 

September/October 2012 • 4

BOUNCE BACK. 

Michelle actively teaches others to reach their personal fitness 

goals. When a serious back injury threatened to keep her 

from training, she turned to the world-renowned experts at 

Norton Leatherman Spine Center. They helped her get back in 

the gym – and back to what matters. If you suffer from a serious 

neck or back injury, call the experts at Norton Leatherman 

Spine Center. 

FOr MOrE INFOrMATION, 

CALL (888) 4-U-NORTON Or 

vISIT NORTONLeaTheRmaN.cOm. 

MIChELLE dENhAM 

pATIENT 

Restoring lives. 

silivingmag.com • 5

For nearly a year, I had the privilege of 

serving as the Editor of this Àne publication, 

and what a joy it has been. My 

academic pursuits are now taking me 

across the river and back into the classroom, 

and I’ve realized I simply would not be able 

to give the magazine the time or attention it 

needs from an editor. 

Fortunately, I will still be close enough that 

I can continue to contribute, as I am able, and 

I know the magazine will be in wonderful 

hands with our Publisher Karen Hanger and 

Creative Director Abby Laub sharing the editorial 

roles and responsibilities. 

I believe Southern Indiana is an incredibly 

special place, and I think we as residents are 

blessed to have a publication devoted to sharing 

the personal stories of the people that 

make it so wonderful. I look forward to continuing 

to share in those stories in the years 

to come. 

All the best, 

Sam C Bowles 

TIRES 

WHEELS 

BRAKES 

SHOCKS, ALIGNMENTS 

812-347-3134 

1529 Hwy. 64 NW 1-800-847-0770 

Ramsey, IN 47166 Fax: 812-347-2166 

www.vanwinkleservice.com 

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Victorian mansion nestled in tree lined Mansion Row 

Historic District. Approx 6000 sq ft, 7BR’s, 8BA’s 

(5 have marble Jacuzzi tubs). Award-winning 

mansion on the National Historic Register. 

Visit Barbshaw.com or text/call 

Barbara Shaw, RE/MAX Advantage at 

812.972.1505 

“Supporting our 

Community Since 1954” 

812-738-2249 

1991 Hwy. 337 NW, Corydon, IN 47112 


A Walk in the Garden 

with Bob Hill 

Southern Indiana gardeners who 

have endured this summer’s heat 

and drought – and are now perhaps 

looking over their shoulders 

for the advancing plague of locusts – can 

Ànd solace in one shrub in their autumn 

gardens that always lives up to its name, 

the beautyberry. 

Not surprisingly the beautyberry’s 

Latin name is Callicarpa, from the Greek 

“kallos” for beautiful and “carpa” for 

fruit. Along with that beauty it’s easily 

planted from containers, needs only average 

soil, can take full sun to light shade 

and oers great, arching clusters of stunning 

metallic-purple berries that will 

stop Àrst-time viewers in their tracks. 

In fact, here at Hidden Hill Nursery 

that’s exactly the way it’s used; as a show 

stopper; a What-is-THAT? plant. Planted 

in groups in the shrub border, or to be 

seen as you round a corner wondering 

what might come next, the eect is even 

stronger. 

Good gardens should reward the owners 

– and the guests. If beautyberries 

planted near the deciduous hollies (Ilex 

verticillata) such as “Winter Red” with 

its stunning red fruit in late fall, the combination 

might even allow you to forget 

– at least temporarily – the July-August 

water bills. 

The key to making all that work is to 

think about that parade of fall color when 

planning the garden in March and April. 

It takes a little training. The beautyberry 

is quiet then; you’d never buy one in a 

nursery or online unless you knew what 

promises it would keep that fall. 

The beautyberry does o er some small 

pinkish-white Áowers in early summer, 

but it’s mostly mute, even nondescript 

as the other shrubs kick in; roses, viburnums, 

spirea and hydrangeas. So don’t 

plant it near the front door; just pick the 

best spot in the yard where it can be enjoyed 

later. Then, just when you need 

late-summer color the spectacular purple 

fruit appears. 

The beautyberry is also user friendly. 

It blooms on new wood making the 

pruning very easy; just cut it back in the 

spring. If you want your shrubs to reach 

their full, arching six-foot potential keep 

the pruners away for a year or two – but 

eventually it will need to be trimmed, 

shaped or, yes, taken down to knee level 

for a total rejuvenation. 

We all sort of need that anyway. 

The shrub does require well-drained 

soil. Beyond that it’s carefree; very few 

diseases or insects will bother it. When 

the berries fade in late fall after about a 

month of glory, just trim them o or cut 

back the plant. 

There are four di erent species of 

beautyberry o ering di erent shades of 

purple, or clustered in di erent ways. 

There are even white ones, although I’ve 

never found them as interesting or attractive. 

The American beautyberry (Callicarpa 

americana) – a native – is loose, open and 

has bright purple berries, but is borderline 

hardy here. The more colorful species 

are the Asian cultivars; japonica from 

Japan and dichotoma and bodinieri from 

China. My favorites are of the dichotoma 

species. 

Of those, look for the “Early Amethyst” 

Photo courtesy Lady Bird 

Johnson WildÀower Center, 

Joseph A. Marcus 

Beautyberries: 

Perfect name for a perfect plant 

which produces a smaller purple berry a 

little earlier, and the “Issai,” my favorite, 

which o ers hundreds of those metallicpurple 

berries on mounded shrubs. 

A newer cultivar, “Duet,” has variegated 

foliage with white berries – which 

does make the plant more interesting 

during its formative stages – and may be 

able to sing for its supper. 

The bodinieri cultivar “Profusion” is 

even more erect, up to 10 feet in height, 

with glossy bluish fruit that will gather 

in clumps along the stems rather than in 

long, graceful purple pearls. 

If you want a nice mix – and some 

more enduring color – mix in some Early 

Amethyst with the other cultivars. 

Then you can go pay your water bills. 

Bob Hill owns 

Hidden Hill 

Nursery and can 

be reached at 

farmerbob@ 

hiddenhillnursery. 

com. 


Top 10: 

Easy, InExpEnsIvE HomE ImprovEmEnT projEcTs 

Story // Elise Walter 

If your kitchen hasn’t been updated in years, try replacing the cabinet hardware. Go a step 

1 further by upgrading your faucet and outdated lighting. 

In the bathroom, install a new toilet seat. Also consider putting down new vinyl Áooring – 

2 sometimes you can even apply it right over the old Áoor. Finally, a new shower curtain, bath 

mats, and towels can make the room feel new for very little money. 

A fresh coat of paint is a great way to freshen up any room. If you might try to sell your 

3 house soon, consider choosing a neutral color that will appeal to buyers. 

Paint your front door an eye-catching color and consider adding new hardware. To create 

4 an even friendlier entrance, assemble some containers Àlled with Áowers, vines, grasses, 

and so on. Some garden centers even sell containers that are already planted if you’d rather not 

design your own. 

Outside, give attention to your landscape by trimming shrubs and edging beds 

5 

For inside or outside deep cleaning, rent a carpet cleaner or a power washer. Sometimes a 

6 good scrubbing reveals that your home looks better than you thought. While you’re at it, 

wash the windows, too. 

Add charm to your home with decorative molding or trim. Home improvement stores sell 

7 kits that are easy to use and can add visual interest to a room. 

Get rid of clutter by throwing away, donating, or saving items and coming up with solutions 

8 for the messiest areas of the house (junk drawer, entryway, kitchen table, and so on.). You 

might even rediscover a great item you forgot about! 

Rearrange furniture in the living or family room or move an item from one room to another. 

9 This is a quick way to make a room feel di erent and new without spending money. 

Incorporate new accessories like pillows, mirrors, art, and lamps. Or consider replacing 

10 your window treatments. Several retail stores o er beautiful decorating accessories at 

very reasonable prices. 



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S 

theS 

Behind 

torie 

tones 

Historic Fairview Cemetery tour to showcase New Albany’s history. 

Te Second Annual “STORIES BEHIND THE STONES” Historic Fairview 

Cemetery Tour. New Albany’s upcoming Bicentennial Celebration in 2013 

is an opportunity for people to learn frst-hand about New Albany’s notables 

and ordinary citizens in its early days. Te Bicentennial Commission’s 

Living History Committee will portray citizens and recreate stories from 

New Albany’s past. Tis is an entertaining and educational walk through 

Fairview Cemetery on Sept. 21 and 22. Te one-hour tours will begin every 

15 minutes between 6 and 9 p.m. To purchase tickets, please call Patty 

Hughes at 812-945-7601. 

Fairview Cemetery was established in the early 1840’s and was frst called 

the Northern Burial Grounds. Today, Fairview Cemetery is 65 plus acres 

and contains over 30,000 grave sites. Many of New Albany’s frst families 

are buried in Fairview Cemetery. 

Come aboard to join City of New Albany 

Bicentennial Commission and 

New Albany Mayor Jef Gahan 

in celebrating the release of 

“New Albany, Indiana: 

By the River’s Edge” 

Tursday, October 4, 2012 

Te Grand 

138 E. Market Street, New Albany 

Social Hour – 6:00 pm 

Dinner-7:00 pm 

Program and Entertainment– 8:00 pm 

Featuring a book review by special guest, 

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Robin Hood 

and Esteemed history author James A. Crutchfeld. 

Honorable J. Terrence Cody, Emcee 

Tere are only 200 copies of this limited edition, leather-bound, artist 

signed, full color volume commemorating the 200th anniversary of 

the founding of New Albany, Indiana in 1813. It is available at a cost of 

$200 and includes two admissions to the special release celebration on 

Tursday, October 4. 

For further information, contact Rosalie Dowell at grdowell@insightbb. 

com or 812-949-1049 or Connie Sipes at clsipes@insightbb.com or 

812-948-2319.

snapshots 

Earlier in the year, Corporal 

Richard Gething (British Army), 

pictured above, read a copy 

of Southern Indiana Living in 

Rahim-Kaley in Helmand Province, 

Southern Afghanistan. 

Ben Merk (left) and Richard 

Gething at Disney in 1992. 

Gething, 28, is a resident of Great Britian and has 

been a long-term friend of Ben Merk of Corydon, 

Ind. They first met at Disneyworld, Florida in 

1992 and their parents have kept in touch ever since. 

Richard joined the British Army in 2002, and is currently 

stationed in Paderborn, Germany. From October 

2011 to April 2012 his unit was deployed in Afghanistan, 

and among other supplies and gifts mailed from home 

was Southern Indiana Living (which had been sent over 

from Corydon by Mark Peyron.) 

Richard’s parents, Dianna and David, have visited in 

Corydon on four separate occasions during the last 12 

years, staying with their good friends Mark and Deborah, 

who are Ben’s parents. • 

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Southern Indiana heads to Europe 

Far Left: Jim and Vivian 

Taylor, of Marengo, 

recently enjoyed SILM on 

a trip to Germany. The 

Taylors are pictured in 

Kornweistheim, Germany, 

with Southern Indiana 

Living. The Taylors just 

celebrated their 25th wedding 

anniversary! 

Left: Marcia and Steve 

Latimer of Corydon and 

Cindy and Jim Kanning 

of New Albany stopped 

along a mountain road in 

Norway in August to read 

their favorite magazine! 

To submit your snapshots, e-mail 

abby@silivingmag.com. 

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The next thing I know I’m 

standing down there with a purple 

survivor shirt and a balloon and thinking, 

‘Thank you, God, that I’m here.’ 

Story & Photos // Abby Laub 

If there ever was a person who was a 

“good” candidate to receive a cancer 

diagnosis, Helen Smith would be it. 

The Angels of Hope Support 

Group leader at the Cancer Center of Indiana 

in New Albany overcame a 2003 

uterine cancer diagnosis and said the 

increased level of empathy she now has 

for her patients was worth the winning 

battle waged against the deadly disease. 

“I remember one year at Relay for 

Life looking down from the bleachers 

and seeing all of the survivors in purple 

shirts and thinking, ‘Thank you, God, for 

the blessing that I’m not down there’,” 

Smith recalled. “The next thing I know 

I’m standing down there with a purple 

survivor shirt and a balloon and thinking 

‘Thank you, God, that I’m here.’ It’s 

a whole new ball game when you’re a 

survivor.” 

Smith, 55, has worked at the cancer 

center for 15 years as a receptionist and 

in 2003 was rushed to the hospital when 

she hemorrhaged at work. Undergoing 

an emergency hysterectomy, she thought 

she was in the clear. 

“And my doctor called me at home 

and said, ‘Well, we weren’t looking for 

this, but you’ve got cancer’,” she remembered 

about the surprise diagnosis. 

Already Smith had been running the 

Angels of Hope Support Group for several 

years and knew she would now 

need the support that she had given to 

so many people. 

At only 46 years old, uterine cancer 

was rare for her age and the health 

complications she had been experiencing 

prior to her diagnosis were usually 

brushed o as symptoms of menopause. 

The tumor in her uterus, she 

said, was the size of a Àve-and-a-halfmonth 

pregnancy and fortunately was 

only in Stage I. 

“Of course when you’re told you have 

cancer, you just never associate your 

name with the big ‘C’ word,” she said. 

A blessing of cAncer 

Helen Smith allowed an awful diagnosis to shape her life forever 



Helen Smith holds the name 

tags of her group’s 

many members. 

“They have my records here at 

the center, so I’d go pull my chart 

and go to Helen Smith, cancer ... 

like, they don’t go together. It always 

happens to other people.” 

Five years, three surgeries and 

hundreds of doctor visits later, 

Smith is cancer-free and grateful 

for the experience that threatened 

her vitality. 

“God spoke to me when I 

was o of work for my surgeries, 

and he said ‘I gave you the 

gift of compassion, and these 

people know you love them 

and you care about them, but 

we’re going to kick it up a 

notch, and when you tell them 

you understand, they’re going 

to know you really understand’,” Smith 

said. “And that’s what brought me back 

here.” 

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Her gift of compassion is obviously 

working. When she took over the group 

she said there were about 10 members, 

and now she has almost 100 members. 

Part of it, she said, is that she 

sees many of the members on a 

regular basis when they come to 

the center for treatments. 

“They’ll tell you I harass 

them,” she laughed. “I’ll ask 

them, ‘Why haven’t you been at 

the support group, what’s your 

problem?’ When I tell them 

about the support group, I do 

emphasize that I am a survivor 

and I do understand.” 

Smith said if people say they 

have plenty of support at home 

then she encourages them to 

come to the group so their story 

can help someone else. 

And when it was her turn 

to battle cancer, Smith got the 

support right back from her 

group members. She said she 

also realized how fortunate 

she was that her cancer was 

not nearly as advanced or as 

aggressive as many of the folks 

that she encourages at Angels 

of Hope. 

“My strength was my patients, 

because I thought how lucky and 

blessed I was that I didn’t have to go 

through the treatments,” she said. 

Throughout the process she felt 

closer than ever to her patients at 

the support group and realized 

that “it’s a group you don’t want to 

get into, and it’s a group you don’t 

want to get out of.” 

So much so, she joked, that she 

has to push people out of the group 

once they are cancer free. 

“I have one lady who doesn’t 

even have cancer but she thinks she 

does,” Smith said. “I’ve had two 

marriages out of this group.” 

Angels of Hope meets twice a 

month. On the Àrst Thursday of 

the month are roundtable discussions 

for caregivers and survivors 

and on the third Thursday Smith 

brings in speakers, organizes 

games, plans activities and generally 

makes it a lighter evening for 

people to get their minds o cancer. 

Smith and members of the group 

also are very active in the community, 

particularly with Relay for 

Life. 

Since her diagnosis, Smith said 

she has connected with her biological 

mother (Smith grew up in an orphanage), 

discovered a brother, and 

lobbied on behalf of cancer centers 

in Washington, D.C. • 



Treasures and Simple Pleasures 

The Besslers bring their dreams to life at The Destination 

Photos//Abby Laub 

Story//Sara Combs 

When Tom and Denise 

Bessler were 

handed the keys to 

their rural Washington 

County 

property, they 

wasted no time. 

“As soon as we closed 

(the deal) we drove 

straight there and started 

tearing out carpet,” Denise 

said. The former educators 

have been hard at 

it ever since – whipping 

their barn into shape to 

display antiques and remodeling 

the two-story 

frame farmhouse for a 

bed and breakfast and 

place for small gatherings. 

That work paid off. 

They opened the antique 

shop earlier this year 

and have held several 

gatherings in the B&B, 

which will accommodate 

overnight guests in three 

beautifully decorated 

themed guest rooms furnished 

with antique and 

period furniture − with 

most pieces available to purchase. 

The Besslers have done most of the 

renovation themselves. “It is our recreation,” 

said Tom, adding that local workers 

assisted with drywalling and landscaping. 

Occasionally, friends and family 

have lent a hand. 

Combining three businesses has allowed 

the couple to use their skills as 

they practice a love for antiques and people, 

said Denise. 

Denise, who was a school administrator 

until leaving her job earlier this 

September/October 2012 • 18 

year, said both she and her husband are 

“people persons” and enjoy entertaining. 

They have hosted the local Lions 

Club, Red Hat ladies, some homemakers 

groups and others. “I like thinking 

about the days when people sat around 

the dining table and visited,” said Tom. 

“We want to recreate some of that kind 

of feeling.” 

Denise’s eyes sparkle as she and Tom, 

her husband of 18 years, show their accomplishments, 

describe their journey, 

and tell about plans for expansion. 

It all began several years ago, she said, 

when they wanted to enter 

the rental real estate 

market. They also hoped 

to combine their interest 

in antiques with a retail 

project. 

When they drove 

from their western Clark 

County home to explore 

possibilities, there was a 

decision to make. “When 

we came to the end of that 

driveway, we could have 

turned either way,” said 

Denise. Should they stay 

in their home territory or 

head toward Washington 

County? Obviously, they 

turned toward Salem 

where their first venture 

was a duplex that became 

Kelsey’s Corner, 

their first antique shop. 

Denise believes the direction 

of that turn was 

no accident. “I think God 

always leads us whether 

we know it or not,” she 

said. 

“We closed Kelsey’s 

in December 2009, intending 

to reopen in the 

spring,” Denise said. 

That attracted a good following 

but lack of parking 

made the site less 

than ideal. They had also 

begun looking for property 

where they could 

expand their vision. 

It was after several 

months’ search that 

things began to come together. 

Just before Christmas 2009, the 

Besslers spotted a couple of places that 

might work. And, less than two weeks 

later, they closed on the Harristown Road 

property, which, Denise says was, once 

again, God inspired. “Too many things 

just fell in place to be all coincidence.” 

Tom and Denise say they have always 

been open to the Lord’s leading. “And 

we do want to give Him thanks and glory 

in all we do,” Tom said. 

“We needed to use our excess energy,” 

said Tom. The three-business model is al-

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lowing that. Tom taught industrial arts 

for 34 years which gave him carpentry 

skills and plumbing and electrical abilities 

as well. Before becoming an administrator, 

Denise taught home economics 

and business − knowledge and experience 

that have proven invaluable, said 

Tom. She is the global thinker, seeing the 

big picture; he is the detail person, with 

both seeing to day-to-day operations. 

“Our talents complement each other,” he 

said. 

Tom stayed on site to cope with all 

that goes with major renovation. Denise 

was still working but she joined him on 

weekends. They stayed in their camper 

until the Àrst bathroom was functional. 

“We lived like that for a year and a half,” 

said Denise. After moving into the house 

in September 2011, the couple slept on a 

mattress in the living room Áoor until the 

master bedroom was completed. 

With completion in sight, the Besslers 

say they are enjoying seeing the fruits of 

their labor. 

They have immersed themselves in 

their new community, joining a nearby 

church, becoming active in several organizations 

and buying locally. “When 

you go grocery shopping, it gives you an 

opportunity to talk with people, to get to 

know them better,” Denise said. 

The Destination is located at 206 N. 

Harristown Rd., Salem. The antique 

shop contains a wide variety of furniture, 

primitives, quilts, candles, collectibles, 

country pieces and more. Trendy Gurgle 

Pots (Àsh-shaped pitchers that make a 

gurgling sound as liquid is dispensed) 

are included in the mix. Although antiques 

are their Àrst love, stocking a variety 

of items is necessary, says Tom. “You 

can’t make it if you only have antiques.” 

Denise’s love for antiques and handmade 

items began when she was a teen 

and grew when she was a student at 

Berea College in Kentucky, located in an 

area known for its arts and crafts industry. 

She Àt right in. “I love handcrafted 

items, especially things made of wood 

and fabric,” she said. 

Tom’s interest in antiques began when 

he and Denise were married and soon 

grew to match hers. “I knew with his 

love for woodworking he would love antiquing,” 

she said. Besides antiques, the 

barn houses Tom’s woodworking shop 

and includes picture windows so visitors 

can watch him build replicas of antique 

furniture and other pieces. 

They have four adult children who 

are professionals and competent do-ityourselfers. 

The parents of this blended 

family, whose ages range from 25 to 33, 

love it that their children have mastered 

these life skills. “But most of all we are 

proud that they are all living good Christian 

lives,” said Denise. 

Plans include building the Gathering 

Place, a facility to host weddings, 

receptions and other larger gatherings. 

They will also have an enclosed English 

garden, utilizing a building that once 

housed hogs. 

“We have a lot of 

goals,” said Tom, 

“and reaching them 

is important, but 

enjoying the journey 

is the key.” • 

The antique shop 

is open Thursday and 

Friday from 11 a.m. 

to 5 p.m. and Saturday 

from 10 a.m. to 5 

p.m. To make reservations 

at the B&B or 

schedule a gathering, 

call 812-896-1369, or 

go on line at tddestination@yahoo.com. 

For more information, 

visit thedestination.info. 


Living the 

SWEET 

Life 

Cotton Candy whiz Bill Burch can’t get enough sugar 

Story // Sam C Bowles 

Like most people, Bill Burch loves snack foods, 

but Bill has taken that appreciation to the 

next level by making a career out of it. 

“When I was in high school, I used to make 

peanut brittle,” Burch said, “I had the Charlie Brown 

Cookbook when I was young and liked to make candies 

and stu like that.” 

Burch has been in the grocery delivery business 

for over 35 years now, stocking grocery stores of all 

sizes with all kinds of snacks. His primary employment 

is with the Davis Cookie Company for whom 

he distributes a variety of products, but he has also 

worked with Webb’s Butcher Block for the past couple 

of years. 

“I’ve called on just about all the ‘Mom and Pop’ 

stores within a 50 mile radius of Louisville.” 

In fact, that is precisely how Burch met his wife 

Gayla, who used to work at a small grocery store in 

Borden. 

More recently, however, Burch has expanded his 

involvement in the grocery business to include not 

just distribution but production as well. 

His current venture, a new company called Marengo 

Candy Barn, makes and packages the light-as-air, 

melts-in-your-mouth, perennial favorite cotton candy. 

“I have always loved cotton candy and wanted a 

cotton candy machine,” Burch explains. “And I actually 

had the machines for two years before I really 

got started making the stu , but I knew if I bought 

them I’d eventually get it going.” 

Since he already owned a building in downtown 

Marengo (the former home of the Marengo Farm and 

Home Supply), Burch decided it would be the perfect 

location to setup his cotton candy production and 

packaging center. 

“I looked at the town and what else I could put in 

this building that would be viable for the community,” 

Burch said. “And so far we’re headed in the 

right direction.” 

In the beginning, it was Burch and his wife Gayla 

along with their friends and business partners Larry 

and Judy Applegate making and packaging all the 

cotton candy, which is being branded under the 

name “Sweet Fortune.” Now, however, after just a 

year in business, they have four part-time employees 

who work as orders come in and their product 

can already be found in numerous business locations 

throughout Southern Indiana and beyond. 

Selling more than 40,000 units in the Àrst year, 

Burch and his partners hope to double that number 

for their second year of operation. 

“My goal is to get the employees we have up to 

full-time. So everyday we’re seeking new customers 

and distribution outlets. It just takes a little time,” 

Burch explained. “All it takes is one chain like Kroger 

or something like that, and things really take o .” 

Burch also has some creative ideas to expand the 

business, including working with organizations by 

making custom batches to be sold for fundraisers. 

In addition, he sees great potential in custom orders 

made for di erent schools or athletic teams, where 

the cotton candy is made to match the school or team 

colors. 

“We’ve got lots of ideas for the future.” 

If you would like more information about Sweet 

Fortune Cotton Candy, Bill can be reached by phone 

at (502) 594-1907. • 


Nothing CHILLY 

about it 

Chillers’ owners bring faith and family to new store 

Story // Kathy Melvin 

Photos // Michelle Hockman 

Susan and Troy Ward are living the sweet life, both at home and at 

work. 

At home they are grounded in solid Christian principles in 

which they raise their two beautiful children, Sarah, 3 and Ethan, 2. 

So it’s no surprise that their Christian values also guide their new business, 

Chillers, in Scottsburg. Located just o exit 29 on I-65, they are strategically 

positioned across the street from the largest McDonalds in the 

Midwest. 

Susan is a teacher at Maple Elementary in Jeersonville. Troy was 

involved with his family business, manufactured stone, for the past 17 

years, but was eager to own a business reÁecting his personal values. 

About a year ago, he began looking for a business that was as close to 

recession-proof as possible. In April of this year, he and Susan opened 

Chillers with 15 full and part-time employees. It’s the third franchise store 

sold by the Young family who own Zesto Ice Cream. The other two are in 


silivingmag.com • 23 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAJOR SPONSORS

“Give people more than 

what they ask for. That’s 

our script for success.” 

-Troy Ward 

Je ersonville and St. Matthews. 

The Youngs taught him how to make 

ice cream and were very honest about 

the time commitment it would take to be 

successful. 

“They have just been wonderful,” he 

said. “They shared every secret from 

Zesto’s 45 years in business. They could 

not have been more helpful.” 

Not only did he learn how to make 

ice cream, Troy learned how to create 

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Cave Tours or Canoe/Kayak Rental 

*Limit 4 people/2 boats. Coupon valid through December 2012. 

JL 

Snickerdoodle 

and decorate the store’s special occasion 

cakes and pies. A Chillers’ cake has two 

layers of soft-serve or hand-dipped ice 

cream of your choosing, as well as two 

layers of golden cake. There’s also a featured 

“Áavor of the week” for the handdipped 

ice cream that allows him to get 

creative. 

Recently, the o ering was peanut butter 

ice cream, laced with huge chocolate 

and peanut butter buckeye candies. For 

canoe trip! 

The kids loved 

the cave. It was 

larger than I 

expected. 

the more health conscious, there is nofat, 

no-sugar frozen yogurt, with only 60 

calories. There are also parfaits, sundaes, 

smoothies, milk shakes and malts. Also 

o ered are specialty hot dogs, pork barbecue 

and a chicken sandwich. 

Troy admits the last few months have 

been stressful, primarily because he’s 

away from his wife and children up to 

15 hours a day. Every morning he leaves 

their home in Marysville and drives 20 

minutes to the Scottsburg location. 

“My family was used to me being 

home every day at Àve,” he said. “Now 

I leave at six in the morning and don’t 

get home until late at night.” He said 

the Youngs warned him about the long 

hours and he and Susan talked and 

prayed about it before making the commitment. 

Troy, clearly an extrovert, loves the 

service aspect of the business and the opportunity 

to interact with his customers. 

He makes a point of personally talking 

with as many customers as possible and 

inviting them to come back. 

“Give people more than what they 

ask for. That’s our script for success,” he 

said. 

The Wards continue to grow the business 

and look for new ways to serve the 

community. They have ordered a portable 

ice cream cart and the Scottsburg 

Chamber of Commerce has given them 

several catering leads. Troy thinks the 

portable cart is ideal for taking into 

businesses where shift workers may 

only have 30 minutes for lunch or dinner, 

and of course, for special events. 

He hopes one day, to leave the business 

to his children. • 

The newly opened micro-creamery is located 

at 1515 W. McClain Street in Scottsburg. 

When school is in session, hours are 

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Out of school, hours are 10 

a.m. to 10:30 p.m.www.ILoveChillers. 

1355 HWY 64 NE, 

NEW SALISBURY, IN 47161 

812-347-1031 

877-747-8877 

Schmidt Cabinet Company is 

located in New Salisbury, IN. 

Family owned and operated since 1959.

Harrison County Lifelong Learning, Inc. 

Adult Education Program Revamped 

Adult Education 

Instructional Hours 

Monday - Thursday 

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 

5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Official GED Test 

Content and Time Limits 

of Block Testing 

Day 1 

Language Arts, Reading 

65 minutes 

Social Studies 

70 minutes 

Science 

80 minutes 

Day 2 

Language Arts, Writing 

Part I, 75 minutes 

Part II, 45 minutes 

Mathematics 

2 parts, 90 minutes total 

Harrison County 

Lifelong Learning recently 

changed their Adult Education 

program to better 

accommodate adult learners. 

The free classes now 

include morning and evening 

sessions and students 

are accepted on a walk-in 

basis. “Our flexibility is designed 

to help students 

when they make the call, as 

soon as they are ready to 

commit to their educational 

success,” comments Doug 

Robson, agency Director. 

Students entering 

the program are asked to 

make an attendance commitment 

and spend their 

first hours completing the 

Test of Adult Basic Education 

(TABE). In addition to 

traditional book work, 

students have access to 

Instruction for Targeted 

TABE Success (ITTS) and 

GED Online, two distance 

learning programs created 

by McGraw-Hill. The 

programs are provided to 

Lifelong Learning by the 

Region 10 Adult Education 

Consortium in partnership 

with Scott County Economic 

Development Corporation. 

“For the students who juggle 

work and family responsibilities, 

the online learning 

tools have been a tremendous 

help,” says Robson. 

The program 

changes are also a result of 

changes at the state level. 

In 2011 Adult Education 

was moved from the Department 

of Education to the 

Department of Workforce 

Official GED Testing in Southern Indiana 

Development, giving the 

program a more job-skills 

focus. “It’s our hope that the 

partnership with DWD prepares 

students to enter a 

career certification program 

or post secondary education. 

We want them to be 

successful and attain their 

academic goals,” reports 

Robson. 

Adult Education Instructor Sheila 

Bennett helps a student use the 

ITTS online learning tool. 


Lifelong Learning, Inc. 

101 Hwy 62 W. Suite 104 


812.738.7736 


Lifelong Learning is the official 

GED Test site for Region 

10, a 6-county area across 

Southern Indiana. Testing is 

coordinated each month for 

Harrison, Crawford, Clark, 

Floyd, Scott and Washington 

Counties and for the local 

correctional facilities. 

A student’s eligibility 

to take the official GED 

test includes being a resident 

of Indiana for at least 

30 days and presenting 3 

forms of identification, 

including a governmentissued 

photo. Students 

younger than 18 have additional 

requirements. 

To pre-register for 

GED testing, please call one 

of the following agencies for 

an appointment: 


Lifelong Learning, 

Corydon 

738-7736 

Community Action of 

Southern Indiana, 

Jeffersonville 

288-6451 x 2121 

Greater Clark Schools 

Auxiliary Services, 

Jeffersonville 

218-1669 x30100 

Let us help you achieve academic success! 

www.HarrisonLifelongLearning.com 



Old Settlers Days 

salem.stvincent.org 

FRIDAY NIGHT ON THE SQUARE 

Sept 14 - 6-10 p.m. in Salem, IN 

LOTS OF FUN, FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT 

for the entire family 

Old Settlers Day Festival - Salem 

Saturday, Sept. 15, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. 

Sunday, Sept. 16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

Te Old Settlers Days Festival in Salem will 

be held on September 15 -16 on the grounds 

of the John Hay Center, 307 E. Market Street, 

Salem. Te festival will once again be focused 

on wholesome family activities with a special 

emphasis on teaching, sharing and the pioneer 

heritage of Washington County. 

Join Us 

Best in the 

Midwest 

St.Vincent SALeM hoSpitAL iS proud 

to be pArt of St.Vincent heALth, the 

MidweSt’S only thoMSon reuterS 

top 15 LArge heALth SySteM. 


Making a splash at 

Great Wolf Lodge 

You have to hand it to Great Wolf 

Lodge. Their facilities alone are 

impressive. The Àrst time you 

step into the Àve-story grand 

lobby it takes your breath away. Between 

the massive log covered walls and the 

enormous Àeldstone Àreplace, it looks 

like a rustic national park lodge that’s 

been super-sized. 

The hotel contains over 400 guest 

suites with 13 dierent styles of rooms, 

some with bunk beds for kids designed 

to look like caves, cabins or tents, not to 

mention Àreplaces and whirlpool tubs 

for mom and dad. The indoor water 

park? 90,000 square feet of slippery fun, 

including 12 dierent slides, three pools 


Story // Jason Byerly 

Photos // Great Wolf Lodge 

and a lazy river. They even have a Starbucks. 

General Manager Terrie Zajo describes 

Great Wolf as a “land-based cruise ship,” 

a description that seems about right. 

Despite all of the bells and whistles, 

though, Zajo says that the best thing they 

have going for them is their pack. That’s 

what they call their employees, all 500 of 

them. 

What makes them so special? According 

to Zajo it’s because they really 

care about their guests and go out of 

Fast Facts: 

Location: 2501 Great Wolf Drive, 

Mason, OH 45040 (next door to 

Kings Island amusement park) 

Website: www.greatwolf.com 

Phone Number: 800.913.WOLF 

Least crowded months: May and 

September 

Prices: 189.99 – 359.99 

Package deals: discounted tickets 

available to King’s Island and Cincinnati 

Zoo 

Water park temperature: 84 degrees 

Number of slides: 12 

Number of indoor pools: 3 (including 

wave pool) 

Fun extras: 4 story water fort and 

lazy river 

their way to create special experiences 

for each of them. From the moment we 

walked into our room this was obvious. 

We were greeted by a huge plate of cookies 

on the counter and milk in the fridge. 

On the bed? A towel folded to look like 

a wolf wearing a complimentary pair of 

swim goggles. 

It’s these little touches that make a 

Great Wolf Lodge stay so much fun. 

Zajo said it’s a win for her team any 

time they help a family make a special

If you suspect God may be 

much funnier and way cooler 

than anyone gives Him credit, 

check out The Life Less Traveled 

and discover a God you’d actually 

like to hang out with. 

Holy and awesome? You bet. 

Boring and lame? Not ever. 

Ready for a fresh look at faith? 

Maybe it’s time to leave the 

beaten path and take a shot 

at living a life less traveled. 

Available now for Amazon Kindle 

and Barnes and Noble Nook and 

at www.jasonbyerly.com/ebook.. 

Follow Jason on Twitter@jasondbyerly 

or get e-mail updates at 

www.jasonbyerly.com. 

Follow Jason at Twitter@jasondbyerly or 

www.jasonbyerly.com 

silivingmag.com • 23 29

memory together that 

takes them away from the 

hustle and bustle of everyday 

life. “Families have so 

little time together,” she 

says. “So we o er them a 

weather-proof vacation.” 

Maybe that’s why Great 

Wolf Lodge has enough 

repeat business to start 

what they call the “Howl 

of Fame,” a photo gallery 

of families who’ve visited 

the lodge twenty times or 

more. Zajo said her team 

loves to watch the kids 

grow year after year. 

She told me the story of 

one Indiana family with 

an autistic son who has 

stayed with them over 

thirty-Àve times. It’s his 

favorite place on the planet. The last time 

they stayed, the Great Wolf sta wanted 

to do something special for them so they 

took the family to a Red’s game. They 

had incredible seats and met some players 

for autographs, but all the boy wanted 

to do was get back to the water park. 

For him nothing else could compare. 

It’s not surprising. The biggest problem 

my family faced was deciding what 

to do next. The water park alone can Àll a 


day, but it’s amazing how much the rest 

of the resort oers to keep families busy. 

My girls went nuts over Magi-quest, a 

three-story high tech scavenger hunt 

where kids are issued “magic wands” 

that interact with clues and treasure hidden 

throughout the lodge, and the Cub 

Club, a quiet activity room where kids 

can color, play on a computer and do 

a craft. We deÀnitely had plenty to do 

without touching a swimsuit. 

Jamie Whitman Auto Sales, Inc. 

812-738-2822 

Selling and Financing Pre-Owned Automobiles 

Jamie Whitman, Owner 

204 W. Walnut St. • Corydon, IN 47112 

“Serving our Community since 1956” 

Here are a few other dry 

activities once your family 

gets water-logged for the 

day: 

• Northern Lights, an 

8,000 square-foot arcade; 

• Ten Paw Bowling Alley, 

a half-sized bowling alley 

with Àve-pound bowling 

balls; 

• Scoops Kid Spa, manicures 

and pedicures for 

kids; 

• Wolf Walk, a guided 

nature walk around the 

lobby Àlled with wildlife 

activities; 

• Character Greeting, 

meet costumed mascots 

Wiley, Violet and Oliver the 

raccoon. 

As a dad, my favorite 

part of our stay came at the end of the 

night, when families gathered in the lobby 

for the nightly clock tower show and 

story time. The Áoor was covered with 

kids in their PJs snuggled up with their 

parents for some much needed wind 

down time before bed. 

The Great Clock Tower Show is a short 

musical with animatronic puppets about 

a boy lost in the woods who meets some 

forest friends who help him out along 

the way. I’m not sure how much my kids 

followed the story, but it was just a cool 

moment watching all of those families 

nestled down together at the end of a big 

day. 

It’s little moments like that that make 

a stay at Great Wolf Lodge worth it. Zajo 

and her pack make it easy to create some 

special memories your family will treasure 

for years to come. • 

Holiday Fun: 

Looking for a special way to get 

into the holiday spirit this Christmas? 

Check out all that Great Wolf 

Lodge has to oer around the holidays. 

• Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus 

• Enjoy a fresh snowfall three 

times a day in the Grand Lobby 

• Dine in the full scale gingerbread 

house 

• Sing along with Christmas carols 

at the clock tower show 

• Experience a nightly story time 

with Rowdy the Reindeer 

• Decorate cookies as a family 

• Take a horse and buggy ride 

around the lodge (last family of the 

night rides with Mr. and Mrs. Claus)

News, Weather, 

Entertainment & Fun! 

WEEKDAY MORNINGS 

6am-9am 

Thursday 10pm, Friday 8pm & Saturday Noon 

WEEKDAYS 

5:30pm & 7:30pm 

WEEKDAYS 

9pm-10pm 

WEEKDAYS 

6pm & 11:30 pm 


Dining Car 

or Woman 

Jasper Train Depot: Located in the heart of the “Old Jasper” district, near the Patoka River, 

the train depot is a replica of the former structure built in 1906. Features include an oldfashioned 

ticket window, roll top desks, pot belly stove, and authentic memorabilia. 

Parlor Car 

Parlor Car 

Te Mill 

Spirit of Jasper Train: Ride in style on three beautifully renovated, climate-controlled, vintage 

railroad cars, complete with restrooms, comfortable seating, and a cash bar. Tese passenger 

cars have been restored by the staf of volunteer labor, City of Jasper employees, and generous 

local corporations and businesses. For more information about these cars, visit http://spiritofjasper.com 

French Lick Excursion: Embark on a tour of Southwest Indiana on the “French Lick Express” 

and enjoy the scenic countryside. Experience passing through the second-longest railroad 

tunnel in the state of Indiana and travel over several railroad trestles and bridges. Once in 

French Lick, step back in time and follow the footsteps of the rich and famous. Enjoy dinner 

and freely tour the French Lick Resort & Casino and the West Baden Springs Hotel. Afer 

approximately six hours, the trail will depart for Jasper. 

Ride & Dine Trips: Depart the Jasper Train Depot and enjoy a scenic tour of Dubois County. 

Te Ride & Dine features a meal and beverage catered by the local Authentic German Restaurant, 

Te Schnitzelbank! Also available on this trip is a cash bar. Te Ride & Dine trips 

last approximately 2 hours & 30 minutes. 

Te Jasper City Mill: Recently constructed and fnished in 2009 to resemble the former 

mill that once stood along the Patoka River, this new structure is the latest addition to the 

“Old Jasper” district. Tour the mill, watch the workings of the waterwheel and embrace the 

serenity of the Patoka River while relaxing at the plaza area on the Jasper Riverwalk. 

For more information regarding the history of the Jasper City Mill, 

visit http://spiritofasper.com/jasper-city-mill.

Redefine Your Age 

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Replacement 

Quality Nutritional 

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Prescription HCG for 

Weight Loss 

Topical Pain Therapy 

We offer consultations and 

monthly seminars. 

Call us for an appointment or 

stop in and see us! 

Precision Compounding 

PHARMACY ● WELLNESS CENTER ● BOUTIQUE 

1.866.941.9301 | www.pcpnewalbany.com 

2113 State Street, Suite 2 | New Albany, IN 47150 


Once upon 

a farm... 

Defying the norm, the Brewer family farm is 

moving into a third generation 


On a steamy June 

day at Brewer 

Dairy Farm near 

Marengo, Jerry 

Brewer hopped 

out of a massive tractor with 

his toddler grandson, Oliver, 

and walked over to check 

out three baby calves born 

that morning. 

Story & Photos // Abby Laub 

Their little tails waving away Áies, the tiny black and white 

beauties were the delight of Oliver, who is the fourth of a 

string of Brewers since Jerry’s father, Elmo Brewer, founded 

the farm in 1947. 

“They come wanting to see where milk comes from and 

how it’s made,” Jerry said 

about visitors to his dairy 

farm operation. “But they 

leave excited about petting 

the baby cows. They steal the 

show.” 

Despite squeals and pats 

on the head for the new 

calves, Oliver, though, still 

prefers tractors. The farm’s 

heavy equipment and implements 

are one of the many 

things that have changed on 

the multi-generational farm 

since Elmo and his wife of 75 

years, Marie, started it years 

ago. What hasn’t changed is 

the concern about weather. 

Jerry, 57, pointing out the 

dust swirling around the 

driveway and the brown 

grass on the hillside next to 

his barns, noted that he had 

never seen the ground so dry 

so early in the year and that 

he worried about his crops 

and the decreased milk production 

from his 100 or so 

heifers. 

In optimal weather (the 

50s to 70s), he said his cows 

each produce about nine 

gallons of milk per day, but 

with a week of 100-degree 

weather, the supply could be 

“When I graduated in ‘73 it 

looked like a good 

opportunity. I had the 

experience already and 

really enjoyed it. Fast 

forward to my son Trent 

taking over. He grew up 

the same way, helping 

every day. We tried to 

chase him off and say 

there are better 

opportunities. But you 

could see that he really 

wanted to, and I know that 

compared to a lot of other 

family farms that went to 

the second or third 

generation — they had no 

one who wanted to take 

over ... If he can’t make it, 

who can?” 

-Jerry Brewer 

diminished by several gallons — money slipping between his 

calloused Ànger tips. 

“It’s all about the cow’s appetite,” he explained. “They need 

a high energy, high fat, high starch diet. Think about it, do you 

want to eat a pork roast when it’s 100 degrees out? What goes 

in the cow is going to take care of what’s going out.” 

And what’s going out is a lot of milk to support the farm 

and the livelihood of its owners. Jerry took over operating 

Brewer Dairy Farm from Elmo, and now his son, Trent, 30, 

will take over when he decides to retire. 

When you get right down to it, Elmo said, farmers today 

still worry about the weather and keeping their animals happy, 

but farming as a business has changed drastically. Prices 

have gone up and the value of the dollar has decreased, he 

said. 


“Years ago a dollar would buy something, it doesn’t amount to anything 

now,” he reÁected. “Everything’s been de-valued.” 

This makes farming dicult. And yet, he thinks it is worth it. 

“You’re just out there working for yourself and being your own boss,” 

he said. 

Marie said even when times were tough the couple never wanted to 

throw in the towel and try something easier. 

And now she sees her grandson, Trent, learning from their mistakes and 

making the Brewer farm operate even more smoothly thanks to technology. 

The couple agreed they are glad to have a grandson interested in carrying 

their torch. 

Elmo, though, said he hardly recognizes what Trent does now. What he 

learned in farming school in the mid-1900s has all changed. 

“What they told us then is obsolete now, you do it dierently,” he said. 

“You do everything dierent; it wouldn’t amount to anything now.” 

Now Elmo, who struggles with his vision, said he feeds the cats and tries 

to get his mower out. 

“There’s a lot of things I wish he could do that he used to do,” Marie 

added. “But of course he doesn’t see too well so I have to kind of see for 

him.” 

Elmo smiled and said his wife could “outwork” him and that when she 

leaves the house every Tuesday for her quilting group it is “the hardest 

day” for him. “I need a babysitter,” he laughed. 

(Above) Jerry Brewer 

introduces his 

grandson, Oliver, to 

one of the farm’s 

newest calves. 

(Left) Elmo and Marie 

Brewer have been 

married for 75 years. 

The couple also is active in the Golden Friends 

organization at their church. They also have a 

daughter who is 13 years older than Jerry. 

Jerry and his wife, Michelle, have worked on 

the farm for almost 30 years and still love it despite 

the long hours and stress associated with 

owning a business, particularly a farm where so 

much seems to be out of their control. 

“When I graduated in ‘73 it looked like a good 

opportunity,” Jerry said. “I had the experience 

already and really enjoyed it. Fast forward to 

my son Trent taking over. He grew up the same 


“What they told us then is obsolete now, you do it differently. You do 

everything different; it wouldn’t amount to anything now.” 

-Elmo Brewer, on the difference in farming in his era versus his grandson’s. 

THREE GENERATIONS 

(from left) Jerry, Elmo and Trent Brewer 


Classic Oldies 

FM 102.7 

AM 1550 

Original Do-Wopp 

Rock & Roll Music 

is now on FM 

at 102.7! 

Harrison County’s Radio Station 

Jerry Brewer said 

he used to know 

the name of every 

single cow on 

his farm. 

way, helping every 

day. We tried to 

chase him o and 

say there are better 

opportunities. 

But you could see 

that he really wanted to, and I know that 

compared to a lot of other family farms 

that went to the second or third generation 

— they had no one who wanted to 

take over ... If he can’t make it, who can?” 

Growing up on the farm, Jerry said 

Trent already understands the hard work 

involved and is skillfully getting the farm 

up to speed with new technology and ef- 

Àciencies. 

“It is hard work, but it’s a lot more 

mental stress than physical,” he said, 

adding that if he didn’t enjoy it the worry 

would not be worth it. “Being your own 

boss helps make up for the 16-hour days 

most of the time.” 

“Playing” with tractors also helps 

bring joy to the job. 

“I have a T-shirt that says ‘Still plays 

with tractors’,” he laughed, noting that 

sometimes he feels like a kid all over 

again. “It’s too much work if you’re not 

enjoying it.” 

It also helps, he said, that people are 

becoming more curious again about 

where their food comes from. 

“What you’re seeing a lot of interest in 

is food safety, whether it be beef, dairy,” 

he said. “They want to know that those 

products are coming from a well managed, 

clean environment and humane. 

Why would you want to mistreat a cow?” 

Jerry said he always welcomes visitors 

to the farm, even if the calves steal the 

show. 

After all, farms like his are dying out 

nationwide, and he said Brewer Dairy 

Farm is one of the few remaining generational 

farms in the area. 

“Most of the farms around are either 

very small and they’re on their last 

generation, or they’re getting very large 

... It’s either get big or get out,” he said, 

adding that it is a sad fact because he 

feels farms his size (about 200 cows total, 

including heifers and calves) are the most 

ecient and have the best management 

and therefore best milk production. 

The farm also grows some grain and 

corn, does timber and several other small 

crops. 

“When it’s good it’s good, but it’s a 

money pit when it’s bad,” he said about 

the dairy operation. “We’re price takers 

not makers.” 

Jerry has faith that Trent will continue 

the operation with excellence and stand 

out in a time when very few family farms 

can hold up. • 


Things Look Bright at 

White Cloud WindoW 

Story & Photos // Randy West 

Roni Cravens hails from Plains, Kan., a dusty little town that claims to have the widest Main Street in 

the country but not much else. When Roni transplanted to a pretty 12-acre farm in White Cloud, Ind., 

in western Harrison County, all the hills, horses and green countryside convinced her that she “was 

home,” even though it brought with it a degree of uncertainty. 

In her barn in 1992, she started a shop a stone’s throw from Blue River. She bought and sold hand-made 

items, antiques and stained glass art objects. It was called the “White Cloud Window,” located just o S.R. 62, 

a National Scenic Highway. Because it was in the country, Roni never knew what kind of wildlife would show 

up outside the barn; and because it was an antique shop, she never knew what kind of stu would wind up 

there. Business was great the Àrst year, not so great the second. Due to the name, “Everyone thought I was a 

window company,” she said. But inquiries kept coming about stained glass art objects and repair work. 

Roni, 56, had taken a beginner’s class in stained glass from New Albany’s Bill Stepp, who lived near Lanesville 

at that time, and subsequently she took classes at Indiana University Southeast and elsewhere. But 


Above: 

Roni works on a piece featuring 

three kimonos that will be sent to a 

customer in Kansas City. 

Opposite Page: 

(Left) Dee Downey of Corydon said 

she likes to work with glass because 

“It calms my nerves. It’s a very good 

stress reliever.” 

(Right) All kinds of glass objects are 

for sale at the White Cloud Window, 

some are home-made, some from 

other places in the world. 

life kept messing up Roni’s plans. When the economy 

tanked, she closed her business, lost her day job as an 

administrative assistant at PCUSA in Louisville, and 

su ered through spells of Àbromyalgia (a disease affecting 

soft muscle tissue and motor skills) and a persistent 

back problem. A protracted, ugly divorce made 

things even worse. 

She found peace by getting up in the middle of the 

night to work for hours on stained glass projects. “As 

I’m fond of saying, ‘Get lost in the glass’.” She was encouraged 

by a woman who ran a stained glass shop at 

the Green Tree Mall in Clarksville and others in Southern 

Indiana and Kentucky. Most, if not all of them, have 

since closed. 

Roni decided to take the plunge and open another 

shop in 2007, this time in Corydon, in the old Saulman 

Tree Service building on Old Forest Road. She said it was 

one way she could control her life. In a short time she 

moved to two other locations facing the town square, 

and then in January of 2011, needing more room, she reopened 

at the corner of Mulberry and Chestnut streets, 

opposite Harmony and Health. 

Business was so bad in April and May this year that 

“I thought I would have to close, but June was phenomenal,” 

Roni said. Word-of-mouth advertising has been 

great. One Colorado couple who heard about her store 

from an employee at one of the local motels told her 

that when they returned, “they would bring an SUV 

instead of a VW.” 

Roni is typically upbeat and rarely looks harried. She 

gives her students plenty of individual attention (they 

come in whenever they can), works on her custom jobs 

and commissions from all over the country, and sells 

many kinds of glasswork, some of which is made at 

White Cloud Window and some of which comes from 

faraway places like Murano, Italy, the glass-making 

capital of the world. You can buy sun-catchers and 

custom-made elaborate designs for windows, not to mention bowls, pitchers, plates, 

cups, jewelry boxes, crosses, shamrocks and amusing knick-knacks -- like an azure blue 

corset. She and her advanced students do a lot of repair work. 

She encourages the advanced students to experiment with their own unique designs, 

some of which can be quite complicated. For example, Bob Bursey, 69, Corydon, an “associate” 

who has been coming to White Cloud Window for about two years, is a trained 

electrician-professional handyman-turned artist. He’s currently making a sunÁowerlike 

sunburst window featuring a bright red, heavy antique glass plate with dramatic 

red Áares. The old Amberina glass design is called “Buttons and Daisies.” 

Terri Jones, now a good friend of Roni’s, started coming to the shop 3-1/2 years ago. 

She lives in a New Albany mansion that was built by a state senator in 1905. She drives 

to Corydon twice a week to make things for her home and for the shop. 

Among other things, Roni is working on a 20-by-40-inch piece for a lawyer in Kansas 

City that features three kimonoes. It will be mounted on a wall and enhanced by a light 

box. She’s getting ready to bid on a 40-inch circular piece 15 feet above the Áoor in a 

home that will require scaolding to install. A woman in Evansville has asked her to create 

a 16-by-24-inch piece for a bay window. She will soon start on two Converse sneakers 

based on a story like “Blind Side” for a person who works for the Amarillo (Texas) 

Economic Development Commission. 

Barbara Fitzgerald, Elizabeth, who started in glass four-and-a-half years ago, just Ànished 

a 40-inch circle of The Trinity for St. Peter’s Church in Buena Vista. It was dedicated 

in April. Scott Dell, 47, Ramsey, a former Navy Seal and an aluminum fabricator 

by trade, said he didn’t have an artistic bone in his body until he started working with 


glass at the White Cloud Window. Now he’s working on an interesting 18-inch diameter cross and considers himself an artist. 

Scott is perhaps the best example of what Roni means when she says that experience and training are not required to work with 

stained glass. “I haven’t found anyone I can’t teach,” she said. And one of the nicest things about working in Roni’s store is that 

all the students share a camaraderie and help each other with their projects. • 

The White Cloud Window store hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The phone number is 812-596-0393. 

5 

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Hayswood Theatre: 

Acting out and selling tickets 

(Above) Detective 

Harry Heartstone 

(Tom Gudding) 

planting a juicy one 

on Sheriff Willie 

Lovelace 

(Elizabeth 

Whittinghill) in 

“Blazing Guns.” 

(Right) Nellie 

(Laura Von 

Fossen) and 

Emile (Gary Crockett) 

swear their 

undying love for 

each other in 

“South Paci¿c.” 

Story // Lee Cable 


Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch 

Photo by Jack Sweeney 

Photo by Kathy Norton 

Photo by Randy West 

The building, which stands along Capitol Avenue in Corydon, 

doesn’t seem large enough to house a theatre, 

but the old sayings that “looks can be deceiving” and 

“don’t judge a book by its cover” surely apply when it 

comes to the Hayswood Theatre. 

Although not a large structure, every inch of the former telephone 

company building is used when there’s a play on stage 

and an audience in the seats, and its size could be a factor in 

its success. Overhead is low and ticket prices are aordable. 

Many of the shows, which usually run for three weekends, are 

sold out. 

Its small size also makes it a place where everyone must exercise 

a little imagination, including the directors, actors, stage 

managers, costume designers, choreographers and yes, even 

the audience. Creativity is almost always entertaining, and 

the creativeness that is used to make a play come to life on the 

small, Hayswood stage, with limited props, backdrops and set 

changes is often almost as entertaining as the play itself. 

The seed was planted for a community theater in Corydon 

over forty years ago when the Woman’s Literary Club set out 

to Ànd ways to help the local economy and provide a means 

of “reviving and promoting the cultural growth of all of us.” 

The following year, they recruited a group of student actors 

to help, got permission to use the old state capitol building in 

Corydon’s downtown square for performances and performed 

re-enactments of actual trials that had been held in the State 

Capitol in the 1820s. The group, calling themselves the Hayswood 

Players, performed the re-enactments without scripts, 

so each actor had to respond as they thought appropriate. 

According to Hayswood history, the “Old Trials” were quite 

successful and people “came from all over” to watch the reenactments. 

But after about a year the group changed course 

and their name. They decided to perform actual plays utilizing 

the Harrison Grange Hall, tackling such favorites as “Never 

Too Late,” “The Fantasticks” and “Diary of Anne Frank,” and 

changed their name to “The Hayswood Little Theatre Group.” 

In 1971, the Fiesta Discount House, located in a building on 

South Capitol Avenue owned by the Eureka Telephone Company, 

went out of business and the phone company oered the building 

to the theatrical group. After extensive renovation, the building was 

made into the current Hayswood Theatre. 

“At the time, the audience sat in chairs,” said Linda Ray who with 

her husband, Macon, became involved with the group in the early 

1970s. “There were no bathrooms up front and no outside entrance for 

the actors. The pipes froze on a regular basis and sometimes we had 

heat and sometimes we didn’t. But we did some outstanding shows 

there like ‘Tobacco Road’ and ‘Oklahoma.’ Macon and I were involved 

in the Stephen Foster Story in Bardstown for 15 years and were o 

during the winters, which is when we did plays at the Hayswood. 

Macon won the theatre’s best actor of the year award for playing the 

leading role in ‘Tobacco Road,’ and during that play, we had the cab of 

an old truck right on stage. It was great.” 

Besides musicals, the group also began performing plays for a 

younger audience. Plays like “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” 

and “Snoopy” were such big hits for the theatre that the actors took

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the shows on the road and performed them, 

free of charge, at all the schools in the county. 

“We even wrote some plays,” Ray said. 

“We didn’t have the money to pay the royalties 

for many shows, so we would just get 

together and write our own. And people 

would come to see them. They knew the 

plays would be 

good. I ran across 

one of our old programs 

the other 

day and had to 

laugh. There were 

mistakes and those 

old programs were 

kind of tacky, written 

on an old typewriter, 

but those 

shows sold out and got us on our feet.” 

But during those years, there were only a 

handful of people involved in Hayswood. 

Sam and Mary Swan, Rick Archibald, Phil 

Miller, Sam and Barbara Lander, Bill Ingleman, 

Harry Hurst, Bill Timberlake, Joe 

Palmer, Ivanna Conrad, Virgil King, and a 

few others did the lion’s share of the work 

and made the little theatre thrive. But the 

time and eort needed to put on plays year 

after year eventually took a toll on the group. 

“The theatre can consume you,” Ray said. 

“When you do a play, it takes six weeks 

out of your life. You don’t have time to 

clean your house or eat regular meals. So 

“People are hungry for uplifting 

entertainment. And that assures 

us of a great future here.” 

-Kathy Norton 

getting burned-out is a real danger for actors, 

directors and others involved. You can 

only do it so long, then you need a break. 

At the Hayswood, people had been giving 

their all for years, but eventually had other 

commitments and began drifting to other 

projects and ventures. We were working 

professionally, too, 

so things began to 

slow down at the 

theatre.” 

With no re-enforcements 

or new 

energy coming 

into the group, the 

little theatre went 

dark after the mid- 

1990s. The last play 

performed there was “The Fantasticks.” A 

Áood in 1997 sent the water of nearby Indian 

Creek into the structure, leaving behind ruined 

props, costumes, and a foot-deep layer 

of mud. For a while, it looked as if the days 

of the Hayswood Theatre were over. 

“In 1998, Sue and Ed Woertz, and Richard 

and Cathy Ryan came to my oce and 

wanted to get the Hayswood Theatre going 

again,” said Liz Swarens, a local attorney. “I 

looked into it for them. I found the person 

who had all the theatre’s records and they 

were given to me. I checked with the state 

on the status of the theatre, and found that 

there was no problem with another group 

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e-opening the venue.” 

The new group formed a board of directors. Ed Woertz was 

made president, and Swarens had become interested in the project 

and accepted the treasurer’s duties. She also brought her 

husband, Charles, who was an accomplished actor, to the group. 

“The Àrst thing we did was roll up our sleeves and clean,” Sue 

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Woertz said. “Everything was moldy and muddy. We had to 

shovel out the mud. We threw a lot of stu away—things that 

were rusty and ruined. It was a mess, but we eventually got it 

cleaned up.” 

The group was able to secure a $50,000 grant from the Lily 

Foundation and bought a new sound system and other equipment 

to get the theatre going. 

“Our Àrst play was ‘Crimes of the Heart,’” Woertz said. “That 

was in December, 1998.” 

And the little theatre group never looked back. Many believe 

the timing was perfect, that there was an abundance of talented 

actors and directors in the area needing a place to whet their appetites 

and hone their skills, and many keep coming back year 

after year to bring entertaining shows to the theatre. 

These days, the theatre has Àve major shows per year, which 

usually includes two musicals, two mystery plays and a comedy. 

One recent o ering was the slapstick western “Blazing Guns 

at Roaring Gulch,” directed by one of the theatre’s veteran actors, 

Kathy Norton. 

“My kids actually got me involved with Hayswood,” said 

Norton, who did acting in high school and college and ran the 

theatre department at another college after graduating. “I loved 

acting when I was younger, but I eventually got married and 

had three children, so acting was put on the back burner for 

quite a while,” she said. “Then, when the kids took an interest 

in doing plays, I got involved again. We’ve done several plays 

together here at Hayswood, and I’m now on the board of directors. 

But I always wanted to direct a play here and got my 

chance with ‘Blazing Guns.’” 

The show, like most that are presented at Hayswood, was a 

success. Norton Àlled the stage with gunslinging bad guys robbing 

banks and stealing the pretty girl and fast-drawing good 

guys who came to the rescue and saved the day. Real six-guns 

(shooting blanks of course) were used, adding a touch of realism 

that drew the audience into the plot and had them rooting for 

the hero. Almost every show was sold out. 

“The size of the theatre creates some constraints physically, 

but it makes you work a little harder to pull it all together,” Norton 

said. “And as a director, there are some anxious times because 

you know you have to do it well in order to Àll the seats 

for every show. The royalties are expensive and you have to 

sell tickets to pay for them. There are only 70 seats available, 

and nine performances of the show. So if you do the math, it’s 

easy to see that the shows aren’t big money-makers but allow 

us to pay the bills and buy the royalties for the next show. For 

instance, ‘Happy Days’ will be coming to Hayswood in a few 

months, and it will cost us about $2,000 for the rights to perform 

it. ‘Rumors,’ the Neil Simon play, is also on our list of upcoming 

shows and will cost us $1,200 in royalties. But we keep our 

ticket prices aordable and hope the community comes out and 

supports us.” 

And that is almost a given these days. The little theatre has 

a loyal following. Many in the community attend every play. 

Some show up with groups from their church. Others bring outof-town 

guests to show o their community theatre, one of only 

two or three in the whole region. 

“People are hungry for uplifting entertainment,” Norton 

said. “And that assures us of a great future here.” 

After the cowpokes of “Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch” got 

on their horses and rode out of town, Norton went right back to 

acting, accepting a role alongside her son and daughter in the 

next play “South PaciÀc,” directed by Charles Swarens. Some 

wondered how Swarens would be able to pull a cast of 40 actors 

together and make the play work in the small venue, but almost 

every seat was full for every performance, and when each one 

ended, Swarens had the audience teary-eyed as Nurse Nellie

and Emile hugged and rekindled their 

romance. 

After being bitten by the theatre bug, 

Liz Swarens would turn o the lights in 

her law o ce in the evenings and head to 

the theatre. She’s hooked on Hayswood. 

Many now consider her the backbone 

of the venue as she rushes around backstage 

with such attention to detail, Àlling 

the stage manager position for many 

of the plays. She has also been an actor 

in a few plays and has assisted her husband, 

Charles, in directing some plays. 

Her sewing and costume design abilities 

could be seen on stage during “South PaciÀc,” 

and she also serves as the president 

of the board of directors. 

And there are people like Rita Hight, a 

well-known regional actress and director 

who, not only acts, but works as choreographer 

on shows like “South PaciÀc.” 

Talented local artist Larry Morgan creates 

colorful backdrops and scenery for 

many of the shows, and the list of talent 

involved both onstage and backstage is 

extensive. Nowadays, there’s no shortage 

of directors wanting to do shows at Hayswood, 

and there is plenty of help to share 

the workload and prevent burn-out. 

“For people who want to try acting or 

directing, the Hayswood is a wonderful 

place to learn,” said Sue Woertz, who has 

performed in several plays at the venue. 

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(Above) After being away from Hayswood 

Theatre for several years, Lynn Benson 

returns as Bloody Mary in “South Paci¿c.” 

(Right) Because painting sets indoors can 

be dangerous, Larry Morgan paints the 

backdrop for “South Paci¿c” outside his 

garage in Corydon. 

“Young and old can mold together and 

interact there, and I love things that involve 

all ages. I believe it’s important for 

the community to support and showcase 

the performing arts, and the Hayswood 

Theatre does that. It is a premier small 

theatre, one of the best in the region.” 

Up next at the theatre are “Til Beth 

Photos by Randy West 

Do Us Part”, “Papa’s Angels”, “Happy 

Days”, “Rumors”, “Cotton Patch Gospel” 

and “Seussical the Musical.” • 

For ticket availability and show information, 

visit the theatre’s website: www.hayswoodtheatre.com. 

For reservations, call 812- 

738-2138 or 888-738-2137. 

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Flashback Photo 

1984 

Rothrock’s Mill 

Rothrock’s Mill in Harrison County near Milltown. Built by Philo Rothrock in 1865. After damage by a Àood, it was rebuilt in 

1909 by Philo’s sons, Henry and Luther. After the mill had been unused for a number of years, the millwheel was removed and 

shipped to a Catholic diocese in Southeast Asia. When damage accumulated from a number of subsequent Àoods, it was demolished 

by the State of Indiana in 1986. The dam was eventually removed to facilitate passage of canoes from Cave Country 

Canoes in Milltown. 

// Photo courtesy Jon R. Combs, great-great-great--grandson of Philo Rothrock. 



everyday adventures 

Missing Mayberry 

We can learn about our relationship with God from Andy Grif¿th 

Celebrity deaths are weird to me. 

It just seems strange how connected 

we can feel to people 

we’ve never met and mourn 

their loss like someone from our own 

family. For example, this summer, when 

Andy Gri th died, I was seriously 

bummed. It was like losing a grandpa. 

Part of it, I guess, is that given how 

much TV I watched as a kid, I probably 

spent more time with Andy than with 

some of my real family members. Sad, 

but true. 

But I think with Andy, something 

unique was going on. It wasn’t just me. 

When Andy passed away, fan reactions 

Áooded the internet. Fan videos, 

photos and tributes popped up everywhere. 

My favorite was a picture I saw 

on Facebook that said, “Our world needs 

more Mayberry, less Jersey Shore.” That 

one pretty much says it all. 

Andy reminds us of something we’ve 

all lost but don’t know how to reclaim. 

That’s because Andy represents 

something bigger than a TV character. 

He represents the Mayberry Myth, the 

possibility that somewhere out there is 

a place where life isn’t so complicated 

and harsh. 

In Mayberry, relationships matter 

more than accomplishments, contentment 

beats out materialism and simplicity 

trumps sophistication every time. 

We live in a dark and cynical world, 

but something deep down tells us it’s 

not supposed to be this way, and that 

maybe somewhere, once upon a time, it 

wasn’t. Mayberry is that once upon a 

time, that idyllic hometown we all long 

for in the confusion of 21st century life. 

The funny thing, though, is that 

even in Mayberry they were longing 

for Mayberry. In a 1996 interview with 

Matt Lauer, Andy Grith said that even 

though the show was Àlmed in the sixties, 

they were trying to create a town 

that felt more like the thirties. 

He said, “Even when we were Àlming 

the show, Mayberry was already a time 

gone by.” 

A time gone by. The good old days. 

Sweet innocence that’s been lost. 

The Bible calls this place Eden, a perfect 

world of goodness and simplicity 

where people hung out with God like 

old friends sitting around on a front 

porch. 

Andy reminds us of something we’ve all 

lost but don’t know how to reclaim. 

In Eden decency and honesty ruled 

the day, and the world was exactly as it 

was meant to be. 

But mankind walked away from all 

that. We turned our back on all that was 

good, and now, like Mayberry refugees 

who ran o to the big city, we’re all 

homesick for the place we know we belong. 

A time gone by. But maybe also, it’s a 

time yet to come. 

Mayberry may be a myth, but the 

things in it that we yearn for are certainly 

real. They were real in Eden. They’ll 

be real in heaven, and to some degree, 

they’re available to us as we grow closer 

to God in the here and now. 

So maybe it’s time to let our nostalgia 

lead us home to the place where we will 

always Ànd belonging, relationship and 

peace and a Father who wants to help 

us discover our heart’s true hometown. 

The opening credits of the Andy 

Grith Show remind me of this kind of 

intimacy with God, a snapshot of a perfect 

relationship between a father and 

his child. I don’t know if God has an old 

dirt road or a Àshing hole, but I know 

He longs for each of us to walk with 

Him with that same kind of innocent 

wonder. • 

Jason Byerly is a writer, pastor, husband and 

dad who loves the quirky surprises God sends 

his way every day. He believes life is much 

funnier and way cooler than most of us take 

time to notice. You can catch up with Jason on 

his blog at www.jasonbyerly.com or follow him 

on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jasondbyerly. 



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replacement, with an emphasis on minimally invasive procedures for lower risk, 

greater comfort and faster recovery. The Clark team provides you with pre-operative 

education, advanced pain control and comprehensive after-care — all designed to give 

you the best possible outcome. You can find out more and plan to attend one of our FREE 

Knee and Hip Pain Seminars at www.clarkmemorial.org. For hip and knee replacement 

that gets you back to the things — and people — you love, no one cares like Clark. 

FREE KNEE 

& HIP PAIN 

SEMINARS 

Thursday, September 20 | 5 - 6 PM 

2109 Green Valley Road | New Albany 

Thursday, October 18 | Noon - 1 PM 

Kathryn Raines Education Conference Center, Clark Memorial Hospital 

1220 Missouri Avenue | Jeffersonville 

RSVP: (812) 283-2926 or www.clarkmemorial.org 

(812) 282-6631 | www.clarkmemorial.org

Southern Indiana Living SeptOct 2012

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