Beacon March 2021

INSIDE 

The BEACON 

A new year brings new ambitions 

and a revitalized focus on goals. The 

objectives held by Indiana Governor 

Eric Holcomb are no exception. His 

goals for growth and prosperity in the 

state of Indiana are heavily based on 

infrastructure which will lead the state 

down the road of stability and success. 

Financial considerations are paramount 

to the success of any project, 

and running the state while promoting 

its growth is no exception. Thanks to 

the foresight of the community leaders, 

Indiana is one of the few states 

that saved up for a rainy day. As we 

all know, 2020 proved to be a “rainy 

THE 

BEACON 

www.goBEACONnews.com | PUBLISHED MONTHLY SINCE 1994 | March 2021 

Governor Shares Thoughts on Port, Infrastructure 

day.” These savings previously set 

aside by state legislators have allowed 

Indiana to take what Governor Holcomb 

refers to as a “bullish stance” 

on economic development during a 

time when other states are desperately 

scrambling for economic recovery. 

During a recent interview with The 

Beacon, Governor Holcomb stressed 

the importance of infrastructure and its 

impact on the stability of Indiana. The 

Governor’s objectives for strengthening 

the state’s infrastructure includes 

much more than the roads and bridges 

that have been improved in southeast 

Indiana because of the Community 

Crossing Matching Grant program. 

Governor Holcomb reiterated the 

importance of continuing to pursue 

the viability of a fourth port and its 

role in Indiana’s future infrastructure. 

While the first location chosen proved 

not to be financially advantageous 

due to environmental concerns, other 

locations within southeast Indiana are 

being considered. Southeast Indiana’s 

location on the Ohio River is a powerful 

factor for this project, as well as 

its accessibility to rail transport and 

expressways. 

Another piece of infrastructure 

Continued on page 3A 

Remembering a Hero 

An Ohio County family shares 

memories of a WWII pilot. 

Page 6A 

On the Road Again 

Harry J. Lyness travels south to 

help Hearts and Hands Children’s 

home in Haiti. Page 6B 

Labor of Love 

Restoring an old tractor becomes 

a family heirloom and bonds 

a family. 

Page 7B 

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U.S. POSTAGE 

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CINCINNATI, OHIO 

Permit No. 9714 

THE BEACON 

PO Box 4022 

Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025 

The joy of youth and imagination 

captured in bronze. 

A sense 

of pride 

portrayed 

in this 

detailed 

sculpture. 

Bronze 

Braun 

sporting 

a sign 

of the 

times. 

By Maureen Stenger 

What is it like to be a priest? What 

an interesting and loaded question, at 

least to me. Growing up, I attended 

St. Martin of Tours School in Cheviot, 

Ohio for eight years. One priest stood 

out to me- Father Robert Wolfer, a 

Cincinnati native who was the pastor 

there from 1988 until 1993. He had 

bunnies, and at recess, he would bring 

them out to the playground for all of 

us children to pet and see. He was 

kind, approachable, and, well, human. 

What must his life have been like 

beyond the shenanigans of the schoolyard? 

As a priest, one gets to be a part 

of people’s best moments as well as 

their darkest. 

For some, you are their rock, their 

salvation, maybe even their last hope. 

How does one decide to dedicate his 

life to the service of others? What 

does one do with such great promise 

and perhaps burden? So, I decided to 

A regal lion cast for eternity in marble. 

Hidden 

Art 

Sculptures and artwork are 

interlaced throughout our 

community. Can you identify 

these works of art? 

Look around... 

(Photos by Shelly Ulrich) 

After a tree had been cut down, resident Gary Payne carved the trunk 

and exposed roots based on the Pietà by Michelangelo. 

ask some area Roman Catholic priests, 

a deacon, and two seminarians just exactly 

what their lives are like and how 

they got started on such a journey. 

Meet Hayden Merkel, a Batesville 

native who is a current seminarian, 

someone who has recognized his call 

and attends a seminary. 

Seminaries are schools of theology 

that educate students and prepare 

them to serve in the clergy or some 

other capacity of Christian ministry. 

Seminaries in The United States are 

directed by the Program of Priestly 

Formation. They focus on four pillars 

of formation- human, spiritual, 

intellectual, and pastoral formations. 

Seminary typically takes eight years to 

complete. The first four years consist 

of pre-theology, studying philosophy, 

and earning an undergraduate degree. 

The next four years are of theology 

studying the faith in further detail. It’s 

safe to say the road to the priesthood 

Laughery 

Valley Viaduct- 

A Hidden Gem 

By Shelly Ulrich 

Funny how you can live in an area 

for decades and have no idea of some 

of the really cool things that exist in 

your area. Things perhaps a tourist 

might seek out and find but in the 

everyday life, you can drive right 

past them and not even know they are 

there. 

Turns out there is just such a gem in 

Ripley County. I’m talking about the 

Laughery Valley Viaduct, also known 

as the Railroad High Bridge or simply 

High Bridge. Officially it is a bridge of 

the CSX Railroad Line. Located three 

miles east of Osgood, this structural 

masterpiece sits tucked away just off 

of State Road 350. 

In 1898 the Ohio and Missouri 

Railroad merged with Baltimore 

and Ohio Railroad (B&O Railroad). 

A decision was made to have the 

railroad line resurveyed for a line with 

fewer hills and curves. In essence, a 

safer, shorter line resulted in having 

the rerouted railroad line cross over 

Laughery Creek between Pierceville 

and Osgood. To accomplish this, 

a railroad trestle would have to be 

constructed. Originally named the 

B&O Railroad: Laughery Creek 

Viaduct, this amazing structural work 

was erected in 1901. 

A trestle consists of a framework 

structure upon which long bridges 

are built. The framework of a trestle 

bridge is comprised of vertical, slanted 

and cross pieces that are used to 

support the bridge. 

Listed as a deck plate girder bridge, 

the High Bridge railroad trestle is 


The Priesthood- Irreplaceable and Indispensable 

Father Jonathan Meyer dressing up 

as St. Nick to bring the children joy 

during mass (Photo courtesy of All 

Saints Parish) 

is not short. 

Hayden did not set out to be a priest. 

After graduating from Batesville High 

School, he attended the University of 


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Page 2A THE BEACON March 2021 

By 

Tamara 

Taylor 

Who Does That! 

I was recently asked, 

“You’ve never met a stranger, 

have you?” For those of you 

who don’t know me, the 

answer is, “No!” (For those of 

you who do know me, insert 

chuckle and subtle head nod 

here.) 

For example, one time I was 

walking through the courthouse 

and noticed a gentleman 

dressed in a conservative 

suit paired with wild, colorful 

socks. Of course, I had 

to comment on those socks. 

Our paths have crossed on 

business a few times, and 

the socks are always a topic 

of conversation that make 

me smile. Things that make 

one smile are what life is all 

about. 

Okay, back to never the 

thought of meeting a stranger. 

I recently played a game of 

Monopoly with some friends, 

but of course it was not a 

typical game. The properties 

were all named after local 

businesses. How cool to land 

on DeVille Pharmacies and to 

buy Friendship State Bank! 

The game was sold as a part 

of a fund raiser in 1996. I 

wonder if those who were 

involved in this project ever 

fathomed that it would be a 

topic of discussion today. 

As I rounded JTM and 

Post a picture on Facebook 

or Instagram of you 

dining or shopping in 

downtown Lawrenceburg 

& use the hashtag 

#heartlburg 

to enter to win a $50 in 

Downtown Dollars giveaway! 

headed for home (Perpetual 

Federal), I realized how many 

faces I could associate with 

the businesses on the board. 

Gallimauphrey Cafe (yum!), 

Ullrich Studio, Delanys, Lorey’s 

... Where are they now? 

Perhaps the secret is to stay 

in touch with those “strangers” 

whom you meet throughout 

your life. 

Anyway, we had a lot of 

fun. I am thrilled to boast that 

I was the proud owner of the 

Coachlight Inn. I went bust, 

but I am still proud! 

Because I have never met a 

stranger, I get to know quite 

a few people and learn about 

their professions. So many 

times, those chance meetings 

result in me connecting two 

entities who greatly benefit 

from getting to know one 

another. For example, an organization 

in the area needed 

new windows installed. Enter 

stage left- Jim Helfrich. Exit 

stage right- never happened. 

Jim and I have crossed 

paths a few times for a menagerie 

of projects since then. 

(I am pretty sure he is adding 

himself to the head nodding, 

chuckling group as he gets to 

this part of my story.) He is 

always enthusiastic and has 

a zest for life. Something we 

could all use a bit of. 

One day, Jim and I were 

chatting about the holidays 

and how gatherings were so 

different this year. Jim mentioned 

that, in years past, he 

and his wife, Dawn, are the 

instigators of family gatherings, 

especially at Thanksgiving. 

This year was quite different 

at the Helfrich home, as 

was the case for many of us. 

But rather than bemoan the 

situation, Jim got to work preparing 

the traditional holiday 

meal for a gaggle of folks. 

Then he packed everything up 

and delivered meals to friends 

and neighbors who also had 

Publisher/Editor 

Tamara M. Taylor 

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“different” Thanksgivings this 

year. Who does that! 

Jim doesn’t boast about 

things he does- I just happen 

to pull tidbits out of him to 

put together the big picture. In 

fact, the Thanksgiving information 

arose from a conversation 

where Jim was sharing 

with me the antics of his 

neighbor, Roberta Calloway. 

Ms. Calloway drives a pretty 

big pickup truck. This woman 

thinks nothing of dropping everything 

to help those in need, 

not just in our area but across 

the country. She hooks up 

a trailer to her big ol’ truck, 

loads it with five hundred 

cases of water, and takes off 

to make a delivery to areas 

in crisis like Iowa and New 

Orleans. 

Again, who does that! 

But I digress. Mr. Helfrich 

has a long history of giving 

back to the community. He 

is an active member of the 

Knights of Columbus and 

carries the title of financial 

secretary for the organization. 

If you want to know where 

a penny went in the K of C 

Council #1231 coffers, Jim 

Helfrich is the man to ask. 

Mr. Helfrich has long been 

known for organizing the 

free-throw tournament held 

jointly by the Aurora and 

Lawrenceburg K of C Councils. 

The event encourages 

participation by community 

youth and strengthens yet 

another Aurora-Lawrenceburg 

bond. 

Now for the crazy side of 

Jim. Every year a fund raiser 

is held on behalf of Special 

Olympics. Every February. 

Every C.O.L.D. February. 

Hundreds of people take 

pledges for a Polar Bear 

Plunge held at the Versailles 

State Park. 

Brrr. 

My hat is off to all who 

participate in this event. I can 

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The Beacon is an independent 

monthly publication with 

distribution in Dearborn, Ripley, 

Franklin and Ohio Counties in 

Indiana and Harrison, Ohio. 

Published since 1994. 

Beacon News, Inc. 

PO Box 4022 

Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025. 

Member: 

Dearborn County 

Chamber of Commerce, 

Ripley County 

Chamber of Commerce, 

Bright Area Business Association, 

Batesville Chamber 

of Commerce 

Jim Helfrich 

guarantee that this year will 

be no exception on February 

13 when Mr. Helfrich 

comes out of that frigid water 

whooping and hollering, and 

with a huge grin on his face. 

Rumor has it that Jim has 

walked away with the lead 

sponsorship trophy for this 

Special Olympics event too 

many years to count. 

Mr. Helfrich fills a number 

of roles as a member of St. 

Lawrence Church as well 

as the K of C #1231. He is 

chairman of the annual blood 

drive and is the Knights’ 

Special Olympics envoy. 

As the envoy, Jim attends a 

multitude of conventions on 

behalf of the K of C Council 

#1231. He coordinates the 

opening ceremonies for the 

Special Olympics and handles 

the medal ceremonies at the 

spring games. For the winter 

games, he coordinates the 

fourth degree Knights to open 

the games. But wait- there’s 

more. Mr. Helfrich chairs 

and works diligently on food 

drives for both St. Lawrence 

Church and the K of C. 

Naturally he is active on the 

fund raising committee and is 

entrenched in making the annual 

raffles and rummage sale 

a great success. 

Fellow Knight Jeff Lacey 

shared, “Jim does all of our 

inside work and is a pretty 

smart guy to do it.” Mr. Lacey, 

the president of the Arch 

Street Foundation, stated, “He 

always makes a point to make 

a point.” Anyone who knows 

Jim knows how passionate he 

is about what he believes in. 

And then there’s Jim’s mischievous 

side... 

Thank you, Roberta Calloway 

and Jim Helfrich, for all 

that you do for our community 

both locally and across 

the nation. 

I would like to extend condolences 

to the Deddens family 

on the passing of Gerhard 

Deddens. One of my favorite 

interviews was with Mr. Deddens. 

He shared stories about 

his life in Germany, serving 

in WWII, his profession as 

a baker, and his family. Mr. 

Deddens’ bluntness and passion 

were refreshing, charming, 

and truly touched my 

heart. I hope that many had 

the chance to get to know him 

in the same way. May he rest 

in peace. 

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Twenty-seven Years of Bringing our Community and Businesses Together.

March 2021 THE BEACON Page 3A 

What is it? 

The identification of last 

month’s item was elusive 

to many. While it may look 

like a post hole digger, it is 

actually used for making 

holes in golf courses to 

accommodate a cup. Thank 

you to Dillsboro resident 

Jim Deaton who shared the 

unique tool. 

Last month: Stanley #81 

spokeshave 

This month’s item has German roots dating back to 

the 1800s. Please e-mail your guesses along with your 

name and the community in which you live to editor@ 

goBEACONnews.com by Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. 

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A postcard dated 1910 featuring High Bridge. (Photo 

courtesy of Wikimedia, Public Domain) 

A view of High Bridge looking west. (Photo by Shelly Ulrich) 

High Bridge- Hidden in Plain Sight 

Continued from page 1A 

constructed primarily of 

steel and concrete. Sitting 

atop concrete pillars are steel 

towers, each roughly sixty 

feet tall. Atop the towers 

are steel spans measuring 

thirty and sixty feet with 

one ninety-foot-long span 

traversing Laughery Creek 

itself. Arched masonry 

abutments are located on 

each end of the bridge. 

Unbelievably, this thirteenhundred-foot-long 

bridge 

was constructed in just 

twenty-six days by the 

Union Bridge Company 

of Buffalo, New York and 

Athens, Pennsylvania. On 

construction days, upwards 

of one hundred fifty men 

could be seen working on 

the bridge at one time! 

Steelwork was done by the 

American Bridge Company. 

At one hundred nine feet 

tall, High Bridge is listed as 

the second-highest railroad 

bridge in the state of Indiana. 

The first train crossed High 

Bridge on May 18, 1901, 

and the trains have never 

stopped. Major repair work 

was done in 1958 when a 

number of the girders were 

replaced. This bridge is still 

in use today as an active line 

of the CSX Railroad. 

To take a peek as you drive 

by, from IN-350 go south 

on N County Road 25 E for 

about three-fourths of a mile, 

and you will be able to see 

High Bridge from the CR 35 

E CSX Overpass. 

To spend a little more 

time exploring and see 

High Bridge up close and 

personal, find it on Google 

maps by using the bridge 

coordinates 39°08’20” N, 

85°14’55” W. 

Either way, you choose to 

see it, it’s worth the trip. 

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in southeast Indiana that 

Governor Holcomb discussed 

with The Beacon is the viability 

of the original plans 

for the development of a new 

portion of State Road 101. 

This project, like most in 

the state, lost traction when 

the pandemic hit last March. 

However, plans are again 

being discussed. Possible 

alterations in the location of 

the new road hinge upon the 

selection of a new port site 

being selected. Governor 

Holcomb stated that work 

will continue with the Port 

Commission on the new port 

location and the infrastructure 

necessary to support it. He 

referred to focusing on how 

the pieces from each project 

“snap together” for the whole 

of the community. He also 

shared that he is open and 

receptive to all of the entities 

involved in making these 

become a reality. 

Governor Holcomb stressed 

the need for high-speed 

quality connections throughout 

the state. In fact, on the 

morning of the interview, the 

governor had held a meeting 

with fellow legislators 

concerning the importance of 

moving this project forward. 

The Governor shared that, in 

his eyes, the one thing that he 

observed during the pandemic 

was the change in workplace 

with so many residents working 

from home, making highspeed 

quality connections a 

requirement for all areas. The 

higher the speed, the higher 

the priority to provide faster 

service. Governor Holcomb 

sees all of these elements of 

infrastructure as items necessary 

for quality of life and 

place in southeast Indiana and 

throughout the state. 

Governor Holcomb shared 

a bit of personal history concerning 

a question he asked 

his father long ago. Why did 

his father and mother settle 

in the Vincennes area to raise 

their family? His father’s 

answer was simple, “Because 

there was work.” 

That answer has stayed in 

Governor Holcomb’s mind 

to this day and drives him to 

make Indiana a place with 

stronger infrastructure to encourage 

businesses, manufacturing 

facilities, and corporations 

to make Indiana their 

headquarters. This past year 

proved to be the fourth consecutive 

year of record-breaking 

economic development. 

Two hundred eighty-two 

companies have committed 

to locating or growing in the 

state of Indiana. The result 

is over 31,000 new jobs for 

Hoosiers. 

Governor Holcomb shared 

his viewpoint, “Indiana is 

special in that we have a 

strong mix of rural, urban, 

and suburban areas, making it 

even more appealing.” 

Communication is key 

with any relationship, and 

the workings of the state 

legislature are no different. 

While the capital of Indiana 

is centrally located, far-reaching 

areas such as southeast 

Indiana have their own sets of 

needs and challenges. Governor 

Holcomb was quick 

to share that communication 

between the state and our 

community is a continual 

struggle. Communities like 

southeast Indiana typically 

get news from the nearest 

large city that is often located 

in another state, resulting in 

little or no news being shared 

about Indiana. The governor’s 

office is continually researching 

new and innovative ways 

to ensure that communication 

with outlying areas becomes 

stronger. Information about 

a wide array of state affairs 

can be found at https://www. 

in.gov/gov/ in the newsroom 

and throughout the site. Social 

media outlets are being 

utilized to share news from 

the governor’s office. 

Governor Holcomb closed 

the interview by saying that 

he is the first to try to set 

an example by the way he 

conducts his life. He holds 

himself accountable and practices 

what he preaches. If he 

makes a mistake, he owns up 

to it. The decisions he makes 

are based on what he feels is 

the best for the entire state, 

including the communities 

located in the far corners like 

southeast Indiana. He stressed 

that we are fortunate to have 

representation throughout Indiana 

working to ensure that 

each community’s strengths 

and concerns are heard and 

addressed. 

“We are all in some form 

or fashion accountable for 

our actions. We have to deal 

with the factors whether we 

like them or not. There is a 

process to follow,” shared 

Governor Holcomb. 

Words to live by. 

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An Inside Look Into the World of a Priest- A Way of Life 


Missouri where he ran cross 

country and track. He ultimately 

graduated from 

Wright State University in 

Dayton with a degree in 

Biological Sciences-Applied 

Physiology with every intention 

to go to medical school. 

But something else had 

been brewing inside that 

Hayden had tried to quiet. 

During his junior year in 

high school, he explains that, 

for him, God was manifesting 

a call to the priesthood. 

Hayden elaborates, “God allows 

us to respond freely, but 

my response was a response 

of fear and doubt. I believed 

myself to be too broken, and 

too sinful. I doubted that I 

could do it, and that God you 

have the wrong guy! After 

years of attempting to make 

my own way through life and 

trying to do what I wanted, 

there was an underlying 

dissatisfaction growing.” 

Even after being accepted 

into medical school twice, 

Hayden declined because he 

knew in his heart that was not 

the right path for him. 

After spending some time 

doing missionary work, 

Hayden finally entered the 

seminary at St. Pius X for the 

Archdiocese of Dubuque in 

Iowa. 

Hayden jokes that his family 

and friends told him it 

was about time! But the decision 

has not been all sunshine 

and roses. While most people 

are supportive of Hayden’s 

path, others pushed back. The 

fact that many people are disgruntled 

with the Church and 

its teachings is no secret. The 

Catholic Church’s scandals 

have turned many faithful 

away. Hayden elaborates, 

“Lukewarmness, toleration, 

silence from leadership, 

minimalism, and mediocrity 

are stifling any effort for the 

Church to grow together. 

Sometimes I can become discouraged 

in seeing this, but 

the beauty is that keeping the 

end in mind, what it is God 

is calling me to, I can stay 

encouraged to be a man who 

courageously takes on these 

difficulties.” The brotherhood 

and fraternity of fellow 

seminarians who are on the 

same journey as Hayden help 

immensely and bring him 

tremendous joy. 

That joy helps to stifle any 

doubt and second-guessing 

that tries to creep in. Hayden 

explains, “I think that often 

people think the priesthood is 

like another career or job, but 

it is not. It is a state of being. 

Like any vocation, we cannot 

help but be who we are called 

to be.” 

Another area seminarian 

is Randy Schneider from 

Harrison, who is attending 

Bishop Simon Brute’ College 

Seminary in Indianapolis. 

At the tender age of just 

eighteen years, Randy says 

his earliest memory of wanting 

to be a priest began soon 

after he read up on the life of 

St. Therese of Lisieux. “I was 

very inspired by her determination 

to give her life to Our 

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Seminarian Hayden Merkel 

(Photo courtesy of The 

Archdiocese of Dubuque) 

Lord, and it was at this moment 

that I first intentionally 

said, I want to be a priest. 

After that, I had amazing experiences 

at Adoration, Mass, 

and even just being with 

friends. These experiences 

are impossible to describe 

but the easiest way to explain 

them is to say that they are 

powerful callings, where my 

heart was pulled upwards.” 

Randy shares that he is the 

oldest of nine children. The 

support from his family and 

friends has been vital on this 

journey. 

Having a son just a few 

years younger than Randy, I 

felt compelled to ask him if 

he feels like he is giving up 

too much as he is so young. 

“Honestly, not really. If God 

is calling me to the priesthood, 

then there is nothing 

else out there that could possibly 

fulfill me! I am confident 

that through seminary, 

I will discern with clarity 

whether God is truly calling 

me to the priesthood and I 

will act based on that knowledge.” 

Randy also shared 

with me what excites him the 

most about the possibility 

of becoming a priest, “The 

adventure of going where 

God leads me, especially as 

I journey with others. Being 

able to assist them physically 

and supernaturally in 

Seminarian Randy 

Schneider (Photo courtesy 

of The Archdiocese 

of Indianapolis) 

carrying their crosses.” To 

balance that I also asked him 

what he perceives as the most 

challenging part of this path 

he has chosen, “The eight 

years of study, prayer, and 

discernment are daunting 

but very worth it.” Randy’s 

involvement in his parish, 

youth group, and being an 

altar server for All Saints in 

Dearborn County, along with 

encouragement from Father 

Jonathan Meyer, helped him 

pursue this journey. 

Father Meyer has been the 

pastor at All Saints Parish 

since March of 2014. 

Something new he has had 

to tackle since the beginning 

of the pandemic is an online 

ministry. I asked him why it 

was so important for him to 

record his homilies, to start 

an Instagram account, and record 

the masses. He responded, 

“Simply, Jesus came to 

Earth to dwell among us. 

A priest who stands in the 

place of Christ two thousand 

years later needs to dwell 

with his people. Where are 

my people? Online. You need 

to go where the people are.” 

The online following has exploded 

and resulted in a new 

campus. All Saints Parish is 

comprised of four campuses 

(St. Joseph in St. Leon, St. 

John the Baptist in Dover, St. 

Paul in New Alsace, and St. 

Martin in Yorkville). Now a 

group of online parishioners 

is considered the fifth campus. 

Some of these online parishioners 

come from all over 

not just the United States, but 

the world. 

As a priest you get to be a 

part of people’s best moments, 

weddings, and baptisms, 

but what about being 

a part of people’s darkest 

moments? What do you 

do with that? How do you 

handle that? I asked Father 

Meyer, a seasoned priest, “It 

is all about perspective. I see 

it as one of the greatest and 

Father Vince Lampert, pastor 

at St. Michael and St. 

Peter as well as the archdiocesan 

exorcist. (Photo 

Courtesy of St. Michael 

and St. Peter Parishes) 

most humbling honors of the 

priesthood. In people’s deepest 

pain I am given the grace 

to step in, in the name and 

person of Christ, and bring 

peace and healing. 

Because of that, and because 

I have seen the healing 

and peace, it is all worth it.” 

In addition to the normal 

rigors of the position, being 

a priest during a global 

pandemic has its own challenges. 

When asked how he 

keeps the faith, Father Meyer 

revealed “Prayer! I count on 

the two hours of prayer in 

front of the tabernacle to be 

my anchor. Our Lord is King 

and Lord. He can accomplish 

all things, I just try to go for 

the ride with Him.” 

All Saints Parish is blessed 

with a deacon, Deacon Bob 

Decker. The Holy Orders 

have three orders- deacon, 

priest, and bishop. A deacon 

has three ministries- the ministry 

of the Word, the ministry 

of assisting at the Mass, 

and a ministry of Charity. A 

deacon can baptize, preside 

at marriages outside of mass, 

and conduct funeral services 

and burials. A deacon can 

be married before ordination, 

but may not marry after 

ordination. 

I asked Deacon Bob why 

he chose his path. “God 

called me to commit the rest 

of my life to Him. Becoming 

a deacon gives me a committed 

opportunity to serve God 

and others.” 

Deacon Bob dedicates a 

great deal of time to the Pax 

Christi Ministry, which encompasses 

visiting and taking 

Holy Communion to the 

sick, home bound, and those 

in nursing homes. He trains 

many others in this very important 

ministry in which he 

views his involvement as “A 

privilege.” When 


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An Office of Vocation Motivations and Responsibilities 

Gorgeous woodcarving of 

Simon Brute done by the 

extremely talented Deacon 

Bob Decker (Photo courtesy 

of All Saints Parish) 


I asked Deacon Bob what he 

enjoys most about his calling, 

he shared, “My ministry is 

one of charity and love. Visiting 

the sick, shut-ins, those 

in nursing homes and those 

nearing death bring me life. 

I love to listen to them and 

I find joy knowing that my 

visits bring me and hopefully 

those I visit closer to God.” 

Those on this journey to 

FLU SHOTS 

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Deacon Bob Decker and Father Meyer celebrating mass 

together (Photo courtesy of All Saints Parish) 

whom I spoke are firm believers 

of renewing hope and 

chasing out darkness with 

light. Perhaps none more 

so than Father Vince Lampert, 

pastor of St. Michael 

in Brookville and St. Peter 

in Franklin County. Father 

Lampert also wears another 

hat as the archdiocesan exorcist 

for the Archdiocese of 

Indianapolis. Father Lampert 

was kind enough to take time 

out of his busy schedule to 

speak to me about what that 

role entails. I have to say, 

what he shared was one of 

the most fascinating and eyeopening 

interviews I have 

ever taken part in. Father 

Lampert is an extraordinarily 

humble, faithful, and brave 

man. He takes his role in 

stride- a living example of 

faith over fear. 

How exactly does one 

become an exorcist? Father 

Lampert was appointed back 

in 2005 and subsequently 

spent time in Rome training 

with a seasoned exorcist. He 

participated in forty exorcisms 

learning first- hand 

about the church’s ministry 

to those battling evil. As 

Father Lampert spoke, I felt a 

mix of awe and terror. So this 

stuff really is real I asked? 

“Where there is light, there is 

darkness and usually people 

don’t want to think about 

that. We don’t want the counterbalance 

of good and evil. 

Sometimes 

people will 

believe evil is 

nothing more 

than something 

of our 

own making, 

it’s humanity’s 

inhumane 

treatment of 

one another. 

But the bigger 

question is, is 

evil personified 

in what we 

would call the devil, or other 

demons or evil spirits and the 

Catholic Church would say 

yes. Jesus gave his disciples 

the authority to cure illness 

and to cast out demons. So 

Jesus makes the distinction 

between the two, so the 

Church to this day still makes 

the distinction between the 

two.” 

Father Lampert gets eighteen 

hundred calls a year to 

perform exorcisms. Aren’t 

you afraid I wondered aloud, 

but Father Lampert says “No, 

it’s not terrifying because 

the power of God is greater 

than the power of evil. When 

the light of Christ is turned 

on, evil will scatter.” Father 

Lampert is a member of the 

International Association 

of Exorcists and has given 

numerous interviews about 

his experiences, has been 

featured on television shows 

as well as just publishing 

a book, “Exorcism: The 

Battle Against Satan and His 

Demons.” Father Lampert 

says “Faith in God will lead 

us in one direction, the lack 

of faith in God will lead us in 

another. So if you look in the 

world in which we live today, 

is there a greater presence of 

evil than there has ever been? 

No Wait 

Immunizations, 

personal 

service. 

My response would be, the 

devil hasn’t upped his game 

but more people today are 

willing to play the devil’s 

game because God has 

become less relevant in the 

lives of many people.” We all 

have free will, and we must 

use that free will responsibly. 

All of these men on similar 

but separate paths have one 

thing in common- they answered 

a call despite doubts, 

challenges, and fears. 

When asked what advice 

they would give to someone 

contemplating a vocation 

to the priesthood, Hayden 

Merkel shared, “If you feel 

you have a vocation, my 

advice is to not have fear and 

go for it! I made excuses for 

eight years while trying to 

create my own life. It was not 

until I stopped running and 

accepted the awesome life 

Christ was trying to give me. 

No matter what, Jesus is with 

you and the Father will not 

abandon you. If you feel you 

have a call, do not ignore it! 

This vocation is a tremendous 

gift!” 

These men took the road 

less traveled. For them and 

those whom they serve, that 

road has made all the difference. 

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S 

Teaching Your Kids How to 

Make Decisions 

By P.G. Gentrup 

Ed Hautman is a True 

American Hero who gave his 

life while fighting in World 

War II. 

Ed’s brother, Ralph, lived 

in Rising Sun and raised nine 

children. One of Ralph’s 

children was named after his 

Uncle Ed and today is the 

Ohio County Assessor. He 

and his wife, April, live in 

Rising Sun. 

Ed Hautman was a member 

of the 445th Bomb Group, 

Heavy, 703rd Bomber 

Squadron, and flew a special 

mission on September 27, 

1944, to Kassel, Germany. 

Thirty-seven aircraft were 

involved in the bombing run 

that day. Due to navigational 

errors, they were eventually 

directed to Gottingen, 

about thirty miles north of 

the original target. About ten 

minutes after getting to the 

target area they were attacked 

by over one hundred German 

fighter planes. While 

the attack took less than five 

minutes, the carnage was 

considerable, and twenty-five 

crews were lost. Also, two 

crash-landed in France, two 

crashed at Mansion, England, 

and five crashed near the base 

at Tibenham, England. Only 

three of the original planes 

safely returned from the mission. 

Ed’s nephews, Ralph 

(Sonny) and Chuck provided 

ALUTE TO THE 

MILITARY 

more information on the attack. 

The 2nd Bomb Wing 

was flying southeast near 

Kassel. The 445th began 

veering off too far to the east 

and lost their fighter escorts. 

Near Gottingen, and about 

twenty-five miles off course, 

they dropped their bombs and 

were immediately attacked 

by up to 150 FW 190 Messerschmitt 

109s. The German 

planes came at them in waves 

of 10-12 abreast. Ed was a 

pilot on the Mairzy Doats, 

42-109789, a B-24J, and took 

direct fire that caused heavy 

damage. Cannon fire hit the 

number four engine which 

separated from the plane and 

slammed into the number 3 

engine. As a great testament 

to Ed’s flying ability, he was 

able to keep the plane in the 

air long enough for the men to 

get out. He guided the plane 

for about 115 miles to near 

Wetzler, Germany where it 

took another direct from a 

20mm round. They all had 

no choice but to bail out of 

the B-24. The Mairzy Doats 

crashed near Bassenheim, 

Germany. Ed made it safely 

to the ground but was never 

seen again. His body was not 

recovered. Official records list 

the site as Leutesdorf, Landkreis 

Neuwied, Rheinland 

-Pfalz, Germany. 

First Lieutenant Edward 

F. Hautman was an Army 

Air Force pilot and a True 

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Ed Hautman, World War II 

Pilot. 

American Hero. He was born 

on Oct. 2, 1919, and gave his 

life on September 27, 1944, 

fighting for what he believed 

in and paving the way for all 

of us to be able to live the 

American Dream. So many 

brave men gave their lives 

and as members of America’s 

Greatest Generation, we are 

indebted for their many sacrifices. 

Ed’s burial site is at Herri- 

Chapelle American (ABMC) 

Cemetery at Henri- Chapelle, 

Belgium. The site is just a 

memorial and is in the Tablets 

of the Missing section. He 

was awarded the Air Medal 

and Purple Heart, along with 

several other medals. 

Our World War II Veterans 

are slowly fading away and a 

very young one is ninety-three 

years old, so take the opportunity 

to let your kids and 

grandkids learn a little history 

from them. 

When Paula and I were 

married on Dec. 5, 1970, Ed’s 

niece, Pat Hautman Cleeter, 

was in our wedding. 

Never forget these brave 

men and women who served 

in World War II. I thank God 

every day for men like Ed 

who have made it possible for 

all of us to live in the greatest 

nation on earth. May he rest 

in eternal peace. 

By Merrill Hutchinson 

Recently, my 16-yearold 

came to me and said he 

wanted to buy a different car. 

When I probed a little deeper, 

I realized that his desire to 

buy a car was not a decision 

he was ready to make on his 

own. 

Less than a year ago, my 

son bought a vehicle that was 

in perfectly good shape. When 

I asked why he wanted to buy 

a different vehicle, he said, “I 

just think this new one would 

be more fun because it’s a 

stick.” WARNING - WARN- 

ING - WARNING!!!!! 

Helping our kids make 

good decisions is an essential 

part of parenting. The skill of 

making good decisions can 

mean the difference between a 

rewarding, successful life and 

one filled with frustration and 

regret. I’m the first to admit 

that not all of my decisions 

have been fruitful. Some have 

been downright painful. But 

as parents, we have the gift of 

wisdom and the responsibility 

to impart as much of that 

wisdom to our children as 

possible. 

We can all relate to the 

phrase, “Do as I said, not as I 

did.” 

What should we impart on 

our youngsters when it comes 

to making decisions? 

1. Teaching the difference 

between emotional decisions 

and logical decisions. 

Children are driven by emotions 

and feelings. If it feels 

good, do it! We all want to 

make decisions that make us 

feel good, but we must learn 

to assess the possible consequences. 

I like to teach my kids to 

play out decisions and consequences 

in their heads. As 

I told my 16-year-old about 

buying a different car. “Son, 

you don’t have a car problem, 

you have a math problem.” 

I asked him to show me on 

paper how the math was going 

to work for him to buy 

this different car. He had to 

account for all expenses that 

he had to cover himself. His 

first figures made me wonder 

if he worked for the federal 

government. He was making 

money appear out of nowhere. 

When I pushed him to give 

me hard numbers, the math 

became far more difficult. 

2. Teaching who and what 

their decisions will impact. 

Our kids are relatively selfcentered. 

This is not intended 

to be an insult, merely to be 

truthful. The nature of a child 

is typically more self-centered 

than an adult. They are slower 

to think about how their actions 

may affect others. When 

we are teaching our kids 

about the decisions they are 

making, do them a favor and 

have them think about who 

and what will be impacted 

by their decision. Will the 

decision take someone else’s 

time, talent, or money? Our 

children need to learn that 

their decisions often have an 

impact beyond themselves. 

3. What are they willing to 

sacrifice? 

Teaching them accountability 

and that most things 

come at a cost is where the 

process begins. How are they 

going to cover the cost? It 

does not always need to be an 

exact tit-for-tat, but it certainly 

does not hurt for them 

to understand how they are 

going to pay someone else for 

a sacrifice or service done on 

their behalf. 

4. Teaching ownership of 

decisions and outcomes. 

As mentioned earlier, decisions 

always come with a consequence 

and a cost. Hopefully, 

the cost and consequence 

produce a positive outcome. 

Unfortunately, sometimes the 

cost and consequence lead 

to a negative result. We call 

this a “bad decision.” When 

we make a bad decision, we 

want nothing more than to 

hide from it. I am not saying 

that we throw our kids to the 

wolves every time they make 

a bad decision. But, I am saying 

that we allow them to see 

how big and bad those wolves 

can be. Teaching your kids 

to own their decisions and 

the results of those decisions 

are nothing short of the best 

lessons they will ever experience. 

The result is wisdom! 

Getting back to my son and 

his desire to buy a different 

car. I’m not exactly sure how 

this story ends just yet. I have 

made my points and offered 

real-life wisdom, but at the 

end of the day, he will have 

to make his own decision. As 

parents, we will allow him to 

make this decision and live 

with whatever the results 

produce. The more interesting 

thought is, I wonder what 

he will tell his son someday 

when he wants to purchase a 

car. Only time will tell. 

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By Mary-Alice Helms 

Recently I have found myself 

wondering if I’m not past 

my expiration date. You know 

what I mean. Most products 

have little notations saying, 

“Best if used before ------.” 

I think that my warning tag 

should have been “best before 

2000.” Oh, I can’t complain 

too much about the packaging. 

Most of my parts work 

pretty well. I can stay in my 

own house, cook my own 

meals, do my laundry and 

drive my car (in the daytime.) 

Thankfully, I even have my 

own teeth. As someone old 

enough to remember Pearl 

Harbor, I am grateful for these 

gifts. So, what has started this 

rant? Electronics! 

My family’s introduction to 

the world of electronics came 

in the 1970s when a friend of 

ours gave his wife a microwave 

oven for her birthday. 

They invited us to see this 

new-age marvel, and we 

gazed in wonder as it popped 

popcorn in seconds. The wife 

later served us ice cream with 

a delicious crumbly topping 

which had been prepared in 

the microwave. I guessed 

that if you wanted to live on 

popcorn and ice cream topping, 

that would be fine. Our 

friends insisted that, in the 

future, our meals would be 

prepared entirely by microwave. 

Oh, sure! 

Chip 

By Chip and Tammy Turner 

Hi! I’m Chip, and I am the 

resident who has been here 

the longest. I can teach you 

how everything 

works 

First and 

most important, 

PAWS 

does not 

pick up cats 

or dogs! Animal 

Control 

handles that, 

and they are 

A decade or so later, an 

edict came to all of us who 

were teachers in our school 

district that we were going to 

have to learn to use a computer. 

Was it referring to one 

of those gigantic, room-sized 

monsters shown in pictures 

of the Pentagon? Of course 

not. By that time, technology 

had given us desktop versions. 

There weren’t enough 

available machines for all of 

us to learn to use them at one 

time, so we were paired up in 

a computer class and shared 

a 12” screen. Some class! We 

learned to turn the machines 

on and off. 

Finally, as 2021 dawns, I 

have gained a little knowledge 

of this wonderful device. I use 

the term “little” advisedly. I 

have just enough know-how 

that I can get myself into a 

world of trouble! Sometimes 

I “click” on something when 

I shouldn’t or call a number 

that I’m directed to call and 

end up having to cancel my 

debit card… again! I don’t 

know how it happens. I always 

think I am being careful. 

Now, let’s talk about that 

most baffling of electronics, 

the cell phone. I hate to 

admit it, but I don’t text. In 

today’s world, that is tantamount 

to saying, “I don’t eat 

with a fork.” Well, I do eat 

with the proper utensils, but 

I still don’t text. It isn’t as 

From A Dog’s Point of View 

different from us. 

When a stray comes to us, 

we check for a microchip. The 

Vet Techs administer vaccines 

(so they don’t spread anything 

to the rest of us). A picture of 

the stray is taken and posted 

on Facebook (Paws of Dearborn 

County Lost and Found) 

to see if its owner comes to 

claim it. Each animal is given 

a kennel or cat kennel with 

food, water, blankets, a bed, 

and toys. PAWS does charge 

$20 a day to keep animals, 

which helps with expenses 

(vaccines, like people meds, 

are not cheap). Sometimes 

Animal Control may add a 

fine for retrieving a pet. 

According to a Dearborn 

County ordinance, an animal 

becomes the property of 

PAWS after a five-day waiting 

period. The animals are 

then spayed or neutered and 

offered for adoption. If an 

animal is shy, young, old, or 

perhaps has some anxiety, 

they are placed with a rescue 

group. A rescue will provide 

a foster home until a furever 

home can be found. Some 

animals adapt to the shelter 

easily and some do not. Decisions 

always take into account 

what is best for the animal. As 

tough as it is to see an animal 

locked in a kennel, the alternative 

of a dangerous life on 

the streets is never better for a 

homeless animal. 

PAWS can spay or neuter 

a cat and return it to the area 

from where it came, but every 

alternative is pursued during 

cold weather. Cats are often 

adopted as barn cats or sent to 

rescue. 

PAWS handles any medical 

attention that the animal 

needs. That expense is also 

covered by the daily fee and 

our Angel Fund. 

So take it from me, life here 

at PAWS is pretty good. We 

get our playtime, walks, and 

plenty of love. But a family to 

call our own is our dream. 

Outdated? 

if I haven’t tried. I watch in 

amazement as my grandkids 

and great-grands manipulate 

their thumbs as if they were 

hinged at the joint. Those 

amazing opposing appendages 

fly over the tiny keys at warp 

speed. I sometimes wonder 

if future generations will be 

born with opposing styluses 

instead of thumbs. Can you 

imagine what the future of 

mittens might be?? 

Not only do I have a problem 

with texting, but my cell 

phone presents other frustrations 

for me. For example, the 

evil thing buzzes and directs 

me to “swipe to answer.” 

Okay, so I swipe, and it keeps 

right on buzzing. Again, I 

take a swipe, and once again 

it buzzes. Sometimes I just 

wait until it goes to “voice 

mail,” and then I return the 

call. I have to return the call, 

because my voice mail gives 

the caller the message that 

my voice mail is full. That’s 

strange, since no one ever can 

leave a message! An alternative 

notation to the caller 

sometimes is, “This voice 

mail has not yet been set up,” 

which is odd as I was told that 

it was set up when I bought 

the phone. I have attempted 

to give my cell phone number 

only to those friends and family 

members who understand 

my inability to cope. That 

hasn’t worked so well, either. 

If you want to fill a void in 

your life, come see me, Chip, 

the handsome Boxer mix. I 

am four years old and love to 

play with toys. I would love 

to be your only pet. 

For an appointment or 

questions, call the shelter at 

812-577-0829. 

Kisses, Chip 

Some of the documents I have 

tried to file have a “mobile 

phone only” designation. And, 

alas, I keep getting robo-calls 

from Jamaica or Nigeria. 

My kids and grandkids tell 

me that I don’t have to attack 

the phone as if I were killing 

snakes, so I try being “gentle.” 

That is, I try being “gentle” if 

I finally locate the keyboard. 

I am just as apt to access 

a gaming site or a weather 

report as I am to find that elusive 

keyboard. I never noticed 

that I have over-sized thumbs, 

but they sure don’t fit on those 

tiny letters, even when I do 

happen to find them. 

The one device which I do 

seem to have mastered is the 

remote control. That is probably 

because there are detailed 

instructions for “using 

your remote” which pop up 

JOIN US FOR 

SUNDAY BRUNCH 

Thank You 

for a wine-derful 2020. 

on the screen when I’m trying 

to find “Judge Judy.” As for 

recording programs, that‘s not 

on my agenda. 

If I live long enough, I 

might someday learn how to 

control the electronic nuisances. 

By that time there 

will be new discoveries and 

inventions to defy my ancient 

intellect. There are, however, 

a few compensations to being 

“over-the-hill.” This week I 

got my first COVID vaccination, 

and I should have the 

second by the time you read 

this. Take that, you applecheeked 

chicks who insist on 

calling me “sweetheart” or 

“honey” while loading my 

groceries into my cart. You’ll 

just have to wait your turn. I 

may be outdated, but I don’t 

think I’ve quite reached my 

expiration date! 

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FROM 

H ere 

By 

Ollie 

Roehm 

I really enjoyed the piece 

by Logan Community Correspondent 

Susan Carson in last 

month’s (February) issue of 

The Beacon. It brought back 

memories of one of the best 

men I’ve ever known. 

Susan talked about Jim 

Helms, longtime Southeastern 

Indiana educator and her English 

teacher at North Dearborn 

High School in the late ‘60s. 

Jim had a wonderful career as 

an educator, totaling thirtyfive 

years as a high school 

teacher, coach, and principal 

and sixteen years as Chancellor 

at Ivy Tech Community 

College. 

As Susan mentioned, Jim 

began teaching at North 

Dearborn in 1968. That’s the 

same year he left my old high 

school, Whitewater. 

Prior to his leaving, I had 

Jim for driver’s education and 

health. 

He was my baseball coach 

during my freshman and 

sophomore years. 

Whitewater had, arguably, 

Coach Jim Helms. Back: M. Schalk, D. Johnson, T. Leary, 

R. Baker, K. Lanning, T. McMillin, P. Chaney, C. Bruns, G. 

Bruns, S. Bischoff, R. Losekamp, K. Losekamp. Assistant 

Coach Ron Raver. Front: F. Bennett, T. Losekamp, B. 

Campbell, O. Roehm, P. Day, A. Doerr. 

its best-ever basketball team 

in 1968 with Jim at the helm 

(pun fully intended). The 

season’s pinnacle came during 

the sectional tourney when we 

beat archrival Brookville on 

a last-second 35-foot shot by 

Keith Lanning. 

I don’t remember anyone 

not liking Mr. Helms. He was 

a really good teacher and had 

a great sense of humor. 

He walked into class one 

day carrying a record player. 

It was not unusual for a 

teacher to use a record player 

in class in those days, so no 

one suspected anything out of 

the ordinary from Mr. Helms. 

He plugged in the record 

player and didn’t say a word 

– no good morning, nothing. 

With a stern look on his face, 

he stood at his desk until the 

room turned totally quiet. 

Then he dropped the needle 

onto a record. 

Out of the speaker came 

Jackie Wilson’s “Lonely Teardrops.” 

Mr. Helms danced 

around and pantomimed the 

entire song. Then he sat down, 

closed the record player, and 

began the class in his normal 

fashion like nothing had happened. 

We always wondered why 

Mr. Helms often looked tired. 

Years later I got an answer 

when I found out he was 

playing the organ six nights a 

week at a Newport Kentucky 

nightspot. 

He went on to be a popular 

entertainer and MC throughout 

the Cincinnati area along 

with being a premier educator. 

We were all devastated 

when Mr. Helms left Whitewater 

for North Dearborn. He 

hadn’t been at our school all 

that long, but he had made a 

huge impact. 

Personally, one incident 

with him is one I’ll always 

remember. 

7 1 8 5 4 2 

2 7 

8 2 9 7 3 6 

8 3 6 1 9 7 

7 2 5 

5 7 

1 5 

3 1 6 

3 9 8 2 5 7 

Sudoku 

Sudoku is a logical puzzle game that may seem difficult at 

first glance, but actually it is not as hard as it looks! Fill a 

number in to every cell in the grid, using the numbers 1 to 

9. You can only use each number once in each row, each 

column, and in each of the 3×3 boxes. The solution can be 

found on our website www.goBEACONnews.com/print_ 

edition. Click on the link for Sudoku and view the solution 

for this month and last. Good luck and have fun! 

I won the batting title my 

freshman year, posting the best 

batting average on the team. 

A few upperclassmen and 

probably a few parents were 

not happy that a freshman had 

won the title and questioned 

the validity of the numbers. 

Jim defended the numbers, 

and me. I was touched by it 

then and still am today. 

I lost track of Jim for many 

years but was lucky enough 

to become reacquainted with 

him in the early ‘90s. Saint 

Mary and I owned a restaurant/pub 

in Harrison, and Jim 

and his lovely wife Charlotte 

were frequent patrons. 

In 1993 Jim walked in with 

a wonderful gift – a signed, 

framed photograph of the 

1966-67 Whitewater baseball 

team from my freshman year. 

It is hanging on my wall and 

always will be. 

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Save Money On Your Wedding 

By Stefanie Hoffmeier 

It’s the beginning of spring, 

and the wedding season is 

right around the corner. For 

those couples planning a 

wedding this season, the costs 

can add up quickly. After all, 

you want your wedding day 

to be the greatest day of your 

life. But wedding days can 

also have a lot of waste with 

items that you will purchase 

and only use for that one day. 

According to TheKnot.com, 

the average cost of a wedding 

in Indiana is $22,800. Today’s 

couples want their wedding to 

be a true expression of their 

unique love story and personalities. 

Weddings tend to have 

a lot of “single-use” items 

like flowers and decorations, 

much of which ends up in 

the landfill once the wedding 

is over. So, before you head 

out to start shopping for your 

big day, consider renting or 

borrowing décor items for 

your wedding. Check out the 

Dearborn County Recycling 

Center’s Lending Station. 

This service allows individuals 

to borrow items for 

weddings, special events, and 

parties at no cost. Decorative 

glass jars, vases, tea-light 

candle holders, tabletop signs, 

table runners, chair bows, and 

mirrors are just a few of the 

items in the Lending Station 

that can be borrowed for your 

wedding. 

Get creative and search the 

web and Pinterest for ideas on 

reuse items and creating your 

own tabletop decorations. 

Simple glass vases, candleholders, 

and mirrors can be 

dressed up with ribbons, 

burlap, fabric, and silk flowers. 

The Lending Station has 

organza table runners that can 

be used on the table or tied 

into bows around floral and 

glass decorations. While you 

may not find everything for 

your wedding in the Lending 

Station, the items that you do 

find can definitely save you 

money that can be used for 

other things like an upgrade to 

your honeymoon or items for 

your new home. 

Borrowing items isn’t just 

for weddings. Most of the 

items can also be used for 

baby and bridal showers, anniversary 

parties, and other 

life events. Besides the traditional 

glassware and party 

supplies, there are also cake 

pans, craft punches, rubber 

stamps, embossers and Cricut 

machines that are available 

for use. Because many of 

the items available are only 

needed for a one-time event 

or occasion, they were placed 

in the Lending Station so that 

more than one group or individual 

can use them. 

Individuals that borrow 

items do not need to be part 

of a non-profit organization 

or live in Dearborn County. 

Anyone who wants to borrow 

items from Lending Station 

will be asked to fill out a 

rental agreement to ensure 

that items will be returned in 

a timely manner. All items in 

Lending Station were donated 

by the public. If you have 

items from your wedding or 

event packed away, consider 

donating them for another 

couple to use. Donations of 

party and wedding supplies 

can be dropped off in the 


Drive-Thru during normal 

business hours. Anyone 

interested in borrowing or 

donating items can call the 


Center at 812-926-9963 or 

email Julie at reuse@dearborncounty.in.gov 

to make an 

appointment. 


By 

Jack 

Zoller 

March 2021 

beaconsports 

THE BEACON Page 9A 

@live.com 

By 

Melanie 

Alexander 

Last week, as I reviewed 

By 

a recipe online, Maxine I realized 

that I continue Klump to look for 

new ideas even though I 

have enough Community recipes in my 

Correspondent 

home to last for many years 

without any repeats. The 

maxineklump.thebeacon@yahoo.com 

recipe itself was titled Meaty 

Minestrone and called for 

different versions of the most 

common ingredients. I love 

a bowl of this hearty soup, 

especially on wintery days. 

I gathered the ingredients 

to try the recipe this past 

Saturday. 

The soup simmered in 

my crockpot all afternoon, 

and when I removed the 

lid, I found a colorful soup 

filled with vegetables in a 

mild but flavorful broth. I 

am providing the recipe as 

listed but I decided to halve 

the amounts. A half-recipe 

yielded six generous bowls 

of soup (five servings reside 

in my freezer.) Standout 

items for this soup included 

vegetables that looked as 

though they had just been 

picked in the garden and 

colorful tomato-based broth. 

When topped with grated 

Parmesan and paired with 

garlic toast, I had a most 

satisfying meal. Note: I used 

a mild version of Italian 

sausage rather than the “hot” 

version. I also added both 

green beans and white beans 

listed as optional ingredients 

along with some extra broth 

to provide some additional 

broth to be used for “dipping” 

my garlic toast! Just one 

more note- don’t let this 

long list of ingredients deter 

you from trying this recipe. 

Chopping and layering the 

ingredients took about twenty 

minutes. 

Meaty Minestrone Soup 

1 cup chopped onion 

1 cup chopped celery 

3-4 uncooked Italian 

sausages, chopped 

1 medium zucchini, chopped 

1 medium yellow squash, 

chopped 

1 cup carrot, chopped 

2-inch square Parmesan 

cheese 

1-2 teaspoons minced garlic 

2 cans beef broth (14.5 oz.) 

24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce 

1 cup water 

½ cup button mushrooms, 

sliced (canned mushrooms 

can be used) 

1 teaspoon dried basil 

1 tablespoon parsley 

1 cup dry uncooked 

corkscrew pasta 

1 cup cut green beans (I used 

canned) 

15 oz. jar white beans (I used 

cannellini) 

1-2 cups additional beef broth 

as desired 

Layer ingredients in order 

listed in a slow cooker. Cook 

on low heat for 6 hours. 

About 15 -30 minutes before 

serving, increase heat to warm 

the soup up to your desired 

temperature. 

One of my all-time favorite 

desserts is Tiramisù. I have 

long had a delicious recipe, 

but it also takes hours 

of preparation from the 

beginning until the time of 

eating. The one that I provide 

for you does not take hours 

but provides for a good 

“stand-in”. 

I’ll leave the “real” 

Tiramisù for some of my 

favorite restaurants to 

prepare and I’ll savor those 

masterpieces at the close of a 

“takeout” meal. 

Stand-In Tiramisù 

4 oz. package milk chocolate 

pudding mix (either cooked 

or instant) 

1 8oz. bar cream cheese, 

softened 

2 cups whipping cream 

4 tablespoons confectioners’ 

sugar 

2 tablespoons cocoa 

1 cup cold strong coffee 

22 ladyfingers 

Additional cocoa for dusting 

Prepare pudding mix 

according to directions. If 

using cooked version, place 

in the refrigerator to cool. 

Thoroughly blend softened 

cream cheese into pudding 

mixture. Set aside. Combine 

whipping cream, sugar, and 

cocoa and whip mixture until 

stiff peaks form. Set aside. 

Note: This dessert consists 

of two layers of ladyfingers 

covered with each of the two 

chocolate mixtures. You will 

be using 11 of the ladyfingers 

for each layer. Using an 8 or 

9-inch square baking dish, dip 

½ of each ladyfinger into cold 

coffee and place each to cover 

the bottom of the dish. 

Cover with about ½ of the 

pudding atop the ladyfingers, 

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Harrison, Ohio 45030 

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We believe in going beyond what is 

expected to offer each family a caring 

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then place about ½ of the 

whipped cream mixture. 

Repeat with remaining 

ladyfingers (dipped into 

coffee) and then cover with 

pudding and finally, with 

whipped cream. Dust top 

lightly with cocoa (if desired). 

Chill for 2-3 hours before 

serving. 

Have a great month and 

stay well. Before we know 

it, springtime buds will be 

peeking through. 

“Providing funerals and cremations with dignity and compassion.” 

215 E. Broadway St, P.O. Box 513 

Harrison, Ohio 45030 

(513)367-4545 Fax: (513)367-4546 

www.jackmanhensley.com 

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By 

Doris 

Butt 

Community 

Correspondent 

goodolddays@goBEACONnews.com 

Getting Ready to Go 

On our kitchen walls are 

three collages showing some 

ninety travel photos. Many 

were taken when we traveled 

in an RV maybe, oh 

dear, twenty years ago. Being 

homebodies now, I take great 

pleasure in memories of our 

trips. 

It all began when Ray and I 

were driving through the ‘Avenue 

of the Giants’ in Northern 

California and we came 

to a campground. We stopped 

near there. I sat under the 

canopy of the redwoods on a 

fallen log and soaked in the 

scene. I could smell a mossy 

fragrance and feel cool moistness. 

The birds were singing 

and a nearby brook rippled. I 

was in God’s cathedral. 

I regretted going back into 

our minivan and leaving. I 

wished I had an RV so we 

could stay and camp. Ray 

and I discussed buying an RV 

for only a minute or two, but 

an image was planted in my 

mind. 

About a year later I spied 

a used RV I liked for sale 

right in our town. We ignored 

it for a few days, but finally 

we stopped and looked at 

it. It was perfect. The little 

Rialta pleased Ray because 

it was small enough to be 

driven almost anywhere, and 

as RVs go, it was economical 

to drive. I was impressed 

with the sink, refrigerator, 

stove, and microwave. It had 

twin beds and all features in 

its bathroom. The Rialta had 

plenty of storage and was a 

very nice RV. 

There was one concern- after 

a little figuring, we concluded 

the cost would equal 

staying in over six hundred 

motel rooms while traveling 

with our minivan. Even as 

much as we travel, that would 

equal fifteen years of motel 

rooms. And then I remembered 

that campground in the 

redwoods. We bought that 

RV! 

I started equipping it and 

decided that I wanted everything 

in it so that we could 

take off at a minute’s notice. It 

took a while. 

First, came the cooking 

utensils: pots, a skillet, 

plastic bowls with lids, plates, 

glasses, mugs, and silverware. 

Then the can opener, scissors. 

I added measuring spoons 

and cups though I doubted I 

would ever cook that much. 

Next came the towels, both 

dish and bath, plus washcloths, 

dishcloths, and add a 

rag or two. 

Then there was the stuff 

for the bathroom. Ray said 

I should put together two 

bathroom kits in case we 

decide to take showers in the 

campground showers at the 

same time. True, the shower 

in the RV looked snug. Add 

two soaps, two deodorants, 

two shampoos, two combs, 

two tubes of toothpaste, and 

our toothbrushes. Ray needs 

dental floss; I need other 

things. Add bathrobes and 

slip-on shoes. 

There were the clothes 

washing supplies: soap, dryer 

sheets, clothespins, and a 

clothesline. I made a special 

laundry bag to match the 

sheets so it could be disguised 

as a pillow. 

Speaking of pillows, I made 

two special pillows. The RV 

had air conditioning and a furnace, 

but besides the sheets, 

add sleeping bags, medium 

blankets, and light blankets. 

We want to be comfortable. 

Add some pajamas. Speaking 

of sleeping, I put in a good 

supply of earplugs. Add my 

radio with earphones in case I 

can’t sleep- a problem in my 

old age. The earphones can 

attach to the TV too. 

Did I mention we have a 

TV and VCR combined? And 

the RV is cable ready. Clothes 

must be packed carefully. 

There must be something to 

wear anywhere. The undies 

are no problem, but it gets 

more complicated. There 

are dress-up clothes and the 

regular clothes beside the 

cold- or hot- or just-rightweather 

clothes were packed. 

There are the hanging clothes 

and the folded clothes. Plus it 

all should all be wrinkle-proof 

and match. 

Oh, I put together an emergency 

kit in one of those clear 

plastic shoeboxes: aspirins, 

sinus medicine, ibuprofen, 

ex-lax, Pepto Bismol, lots of 

Tums, band-aids, tape, antiseptic, 

and sunscreen. I put in 

bug spray and an itch stick for 

when I get bitten- bugs love 

me. 

Did I mention the dish soap, 

Windex, carpet spot remover, 

and the bathroom cleaner? 

Speaking of keeping it clean, I 

put in the Dirt Devil. 

I might get inspired to 

write, so add paper, pencils, 

By 

John Hawley 

Purdue 

Extension 

hawley4@purdue.edu 

Finding Local and 

Reliable Gardening 

Resources 

As you prepare for the 2021 

growing season, you may be 

hunting for tips to improve 

your gardening skills. In the 

age of smartphones and the 

internet, the sheer availability 

of gardening resources has 

never been grander. However, 

determining whether these 

resources are accurate and 

reliable can be difficult. In 

today’s article, I will share 

where to find both local and 

reliable gardening resources. 

When using online gardening 

resources, your first task 

should be separating fact from 

fiction. To do so, visit sites 

that end in.gov, .edu, or .org. 

Additionally, consider using 

peer-reviewed materials, 

preferably from university 

sources or respected experts. 

Be cautious when reading 

blogs or viral social media 

posts. Suggestions from these 

sources are not often peer-reviewed 

and may even include 

recommendations that would 

be harmful to your garden or 

landscape. 

I often share with clients 

that our office has served 

Dearborn County residents 

for over one hundred years. 

In that long span of time, we 

have assisted thousands with 

questions about soil testing, 

fertilizer recommendations, 

fruit production, pest control, 

seed storage, tree pruning, 

and more. I invite you to 

reach out to us for assistance 

as you prepare for this new 

gardening season. We may not 

always know the answer, but 

we will do our best to find the 

reliable information you need. 

In addition to our staff and 

faculty experts, the Southeast 

Indiana Master Gardener Organization, 

housed within our 

office, boasts local members 

trained by Purdue University. 

These Master Gardeners are 

vetted volunteers who have 

been active in our community 

for well over two decades. 

878 W Eads Pkwy, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 

812.926.0273 artisticfloralshop.com 

The find that dreams were made of. 

an ink pen, 

highlighters, 

stamps 

scotch tape, 

masking tape, 

as if I would 

write a postcard. 

I made 

a special list 

of addresses 

and telephone 

numbers. Now 

was the time 

to pack a small 

dictionary. 

I added my tapes for music. 

Ray prefers it quiet but allows 

me some Willie Nelson who 

has mostly been replaced by 

Vince Gill. Add Yanni, LeAnn 

Rimes, a little John Berry, and 

lots of bluegrass tapes. I put 

in some Harry Chapin for old 

times’ sake. I like variety. 

I added some miscellaneous 

things- playing cards, shoe 

polish. I added a few more 

personal things, and I have 

our RV ready to go. All we 

need to do is grab our pills 

and go. 

I didn’t pack any food, but 

I have a list that includes the 

Butt family favorites: Hi-Ho 

crackers, crunchy peanut butter, 

Tang, bananas and apples, 

milk (now skim), and of 

course, bologna and cheese. I 

know I have a nice little kitchen, 

but sometimes I thought 

we would enjoy eating the 

Butt family favorites, so we 

could remember the good 

times eating with our children 

on previous vacations. 

I added two lawn chairs. 

I have my AAA tour books 

and little zip lock bags full of 

info for every state. 

And a diary. I decided that 

I would count back those 600 

motel days every time we 

stayed a night in the RV. 

We traveled over 50,000 

pleasurable miles in that RV. 

Oh well, I think I will stop on 

a positive note. 

They can provide residents 

with education and assistance 

related to most gardening and 

landscape topics. 

The Dearborn County Soil 

and Water Conservation 

District (SWCD) and Natural 

Resource Conservation Service 

(NRCS), both located in 

Aurora, are also great resources 

for gardeners, landscapers, 

and homeowners seeking 

additional assistance. My colleagues 

at SWCD & NRCS 

offer informative gardening 

courses, often in partnership 

with our Master Gardener 

experts. They can even assist 

you with rain barrel installation, 

reducing soil erosion, 

and invasive species control, 

among many other gardening 

and landscape tasks. 

When it comes to finding 

reliable gardening resources 

that will help guide 

you throughout the growing 

season, the bottom line is to 

use your best judgment. Other 

helpful and generally reliable 

resources produced by experts 

include books, gardening 

magazines, community garden 

organizations, newspaper 

columns, and how-to videos. 

No two gardeners will utilize 

the same set of resources. 

Finding the right mix is 

critical to the success of your 

garden. 

To find gardening resources 

from Purdue University 

experts, search “Indiana Yard 

and Garden – Purdue Consumer 

Horticulture” on your 

home computer or smartphone 

or feel free to email me 

at hawley4@purdue.edu. You 

can also reach our office at 

812-926-1189. We are located 

at 229 Main Street, Aurora, 

IN 47001. 

Look for my next article in 

the April issue of The Beacon! 

BRATER - WINTER 

FUNERAL HOMES 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


hat's 

Happening In 

March 2021 THE BEACON Page 1B 

BRIGHT 

By 

Debby 

Stutz 

Community 

Correspondent 

debbystutz.thebeacon@yahoo.com 

The East Central wrestling team, coached by Adam Wolf, celebrates after capturing its 

first-ever IHSWCA 3A State Championship. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Wolf) 

S 

BEACON 

PORTS 

SCENE 

By 

Chris Jack 

Nobbe 

Zoller 

beaconsports 

@live.com 

sports@goBEACONnews.com 

EC Wrestling 

Wins IHSWCA 

3A State Title 

The East Central wrestling 

team, led by Head Coach 

Adam Wolf, competed in the 

Indiana High School Wrestling 

Coaches’ Association 3A 

Team State Duals. The Trojans 

competed 

By 

against seven 

other 3A Maxine wrestling schools for 

the state Klump title. 

While several area wrestling 

programs Community have been invited to 

this tournament 

Correspondent 

over the past 

maxineklump.thebeacon@yahoo.com 

ten years with Milan, Franklin 

County, and South Dearborn 

going multiple times, no team 

from the area has been able to 

pull off a state title in this tournament. 

That would change 

this year as East Central 

gained the 3A team state title. 

The Trojans entered the 

tournament as the #4 seedThey 

would forfeit six points at the 

106 weight class all day which 

put them in a hole to begin 

each dual; despite this, the 

Trojans won 8 of 13 matches to 

begin the day with a 40-27 win. 

Winning matches in the first 

dual were #1-ranked Bryer 

Hall, Phillip Sims, Austin 

Cox, #12-ranked Blake Wolf, 

Charlie Euson, #20-ranked 

Ben Wolf, David Nash, and 

#14-ranked Sam Ringer. 

The semifinal round 

matched the Trojans with the 

#1 seed Franklin Community 

Grizzly Cubs coached by legendary 

coach Jim Tonte. The 

Trojans would again claim 8 of 

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the 13 wrestled matches. 

Although they lost the next 

match to fall behind again at 

31-27 with two matches remaining, 

Sam Ringer recorded 

a :30 fall of his opponent 

to take the lead, and Bryer 

Hall finished off the dual with 

a decision victory for the 36- 

31 Trojan victory. 

Others recording wins in 

the Franklin dual to propel the 

Trojans into the finals were 

#7-ranked Kole Viel, Dylan 

Lengerich, Blake Wolf, Rider 

Searcy, Charlie Euson, and 

Ben Wolf. 

The championship dual 

matched the Trojans against 

the Highlanders of Floyd Central. 

Both teams would forfeit 

a weight class in this dual, thus 

starting square in the meet at 

6-6. The Trojans would start 

off with wins from Viel, Cox, 

EC Swimming Claims 

Both EIAC Titles 

East Central Swimming, under 

the tutelage of long-time 

coach Brandon Loveless, won 

both the boys’ and girls’ EIAC 

titles. This marked the 32nd 

title for the boys’ team and the 

22nd title for the girls’ team. 

MVP honors on the boys’ 

side were shared by Trojan 

teammates Nick Weber and 

Skyler Cavins while the girls’ 

MVP honor was shared three 

ways between East Central’s 

Kyra Hall, South Dearborn’s 

Holly Kraemer, and Greensburg’s 

Arianna Sia. Each of 

these competitors recorded 

IMMUNITY SUPPORT 

Back To 

School 

And 

Back To Work 

Essentials 

The South Dearborn boys’ basketball team claimed 

its first Rivertown Classic championship since 2013 

on Jan. 9 with victories over Lawrenceburg 51-44 and 

Rising Sun in the title game, 49-32. The Knights are 

coached by Matt Colston in his first year at the helm 

for South Dearborn. (Photo courtesy of Kim Powell) 

and Carson Whitehead to go up 

15-6 after four weight classes. 

After dropping the next 

weight class, Blake Wolf 

recorded a fall at 126 to bring 

the score to 21-9. However, 

East Central would struggle 

through the middleweights 

in this dual by dropping five 

straight matches from 132- 

160. The crucial difference in 

this dual, however, is that the 

losses East Central suffered 

with not pins, save for one. 

Regardless, the Trojans had 

now relinquished the lead 

to the Highlanders at 28-21 

with only three matches left. 

Hall recorded a fall at 170 to 

two individual meet titles 

while all also competed on relays 

for their respective teams. 

In addition, Lady Trojan 

Kyra Hallbroke two EIAC 

records during the meet. 

Also winning an event for 

the Lady Trojans was Natalie 

South, who won the 1-meter 

diving competition. 

South Dearborn senior Holly 

Kraemer brought in her two 

individual titles in the 200- 

yard individual medley (IM) 

and the 500-yard freestyle. 

The team scores for the 

girls’ championships were: 

East Central 311, followed 

closely by Greensburg 286, 

South Dearborn 171, Connersville 

160, Batesville 157, 

and Lawrenceburg 108. 

The boys’ meet saw the 

Trojans dominate the action 

in the pool by recording 

victories in all but two events. 

Trojan Nick Weber pulled in 

two individual titles by winning 

the 50-yard freestyle and 

the 100-yard freestyle. 

Teammate and fellow MVP 

bring the Trojans within one 

at 28-27. Sam Ringer was also 

able to avoid a pin in his loss 

which was another crucial 

battle for the Trojans. 

With the score at 32-27, East 

Central would need a fall by 

Ryan Bovard at 195 to win the 

title, and that is exactly what 

the young man did. Bovard 

recorded a first-period pin in 

39 seconds to score six team 

points and win the dual as well 

as capture the state title for 

the Trojans. Despite winning 

fewer matches in the dual, the 

battles to get pins and not get 

pinned proved crucial for the 

33-32 championship victory. 

Skyler Cavins won both the 

200-yard IM and the 100-yard 

breaststroke. Fellow Trojan 

Matthew Badinhaus won the 

100-yard butterfly in 57.06 for 

a conference title. 

Two other Trojans won 

individual conference titles 

as well with Kaden Cummins 

winning the 500-yard freestyle 

and Ray Krider winning 

the 100-yard backstroke. 

The Trojans captured victories 

in all three relays. The 

team of Nick Weber, Skyler 

Cavins, Matthew Badinghaus, 

and Henry Strotman won the 

200-yard medley relay. This 

same group joined up to win 

the 200-yard freestyle relay as 

well. The 400-yard freestyle 

relay was won by the Trojan 

team of Kaden Cummins, 

Ayden Ketcham, Luke Jackson, 

and Ray Krider. 

Team scores for the boys’ 

championships were: East 

Central 398, Batesville 199, 

Connersville 191, Greensburg 

147, South Dearborn 141, and 

Lawrenceburg 91. 

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Page 2B THE BEACON March 2021 

BRIGHT/ 

SUGAR RIDGE 

By 

Bob 

Waples 

Community 

Correspondent 

bright@goBEACONnews.com 

O 

ur 

The March salute goes 

to Airman 1st Class Noah 

Blakely and Airman 1st Class 

Klay Shipman. 

Noah was an honor grad 

from basic in May 2019 and 

completed prelim EOD training 

in Sept. 2019 and completed 

EOD school in Sept. 

2020. Currently serves as 

EOD tech at Davis-Monthan 

AFB (AZ) where he is responsible 

for rendering safe and 

disposal of explosive hazards. 

Klay is currently stationed 

at Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, 

SD. He works military and 

civilian payroll and serves as 

Travel Team Lead. In May 

2020 he was selected 28th 

Bomb Wing Raider of the 

Month and in July was selected 

as Airman of the Quarter. 

As a former AF guy myself, 

I am so very proud of both 

Noah and Klay. 

I would like to say a few 

words in remembrance of a 

very dear friend. Mr. John 

Edgar Blasdel, Sr. John passed 

in Dec. 2020, but because of 

printing schedules, etc. I did 

not have the opportunity to 

remember him. John was a 

lifelong resident of our little 

corner of the world, and I got 

211 Second St 

Aurora, IN 47001 

812.926.1772 

V alentines 

D A Y 

a red roses awaits 

chocolate covered strawberries 

shrimp cocktail appetizer for two 

choice of wood fired 

• prime rib, 6 oz filet, or pork chop 

• salmon 

red velvet cheesecake for two 

Champagne available 

Fri, Sat 4-10 P.M., Sun. 12-9 P.M. 

R 

DJ Adkins entertaining Sat. night 

eservations 812.926.1772 

Live music! 

green beer 

Mar. 17 

Join us for 

all the fun! 

Communities 

to know him initially through 

the Bright Lions. We became 

better friends through the 

years, especially during the 

several years that I had the 

honor of picking him up for 

church. Mr. Blasdel was active 

in the Masonic Lodge. 

His biggest joy was driving 

children for over one hundred 

trips to Shriner’s Children’s 

Hospitals. One of my greatest 

enjoyments was accompanying 

John (spring, summer, 

and fall) to the monthly steak 

suppers with the Lodge. I have 

never seen a man clean a T- 

bone like John….he loved the 

meal. Rest in peace, my friend. 

I would like to recognize a 

fellow North Dearborn Pantry 

volunteer as well as a friend 

Ms. Luree Ketcham. Luree 

was recently recognized by 

the Dearborn County Chamber 

of Commerce as one of 

the three “2020 Women of 

Distinction” recipients along 

with Lee Fox and Fayla 

Nanz. Luree was nominated 

for the award by her friend 

Jill Lussow. Luree and her 

husband moved to our area 

in 1987 from the west coast. 

Luree has been a very active 

volunteer in our community. 

She believes that volunteers 

are the heart and soul of a 

great community. So many 

organizations rely on volunteers 

to serve and fulfill their 

mission. Giving as little as 

one day a month can make a 

big difference. Luree currently 

serves on the Board of 

North Dearborn Pantry and 

is hands-on with stocking 

shelves, transporting food via 

large, four-wheel carts, and 

filling food orders. Her personal 

PSA is to remind people 

to ask for help when needed 

as well as paying it forward 

by volunteering if you can. 

Volunteers are always needed. 

Upcoming March birthdays: 

Ann Jeffries (27), nephew 

Eric Jones (3), niece Isabella 

Jones (31), nephew Caden 

Wesley (22), Tommy Schroer 

(4), Jimmy Proctor (4), Sue 

Schroer (10), Cindy Grote 

(11), Jackie Lindsley (18), 

Tawyna Renee (19), Joy 

Buress (21), Jeff Stone (24), 

Sara Chipman (27) 

Happy Valentine’s Day. 

DOVER 

By 

Rhonda 

Trabel 

Community 

Correspondent 

dover@goBEACONnews.com 

I have to mention this year’s 

Christmas Services that took 

place at All Saints Parish, 

St. John Campus. The first 

mass was held outside at 4 

P.M. While the weather was 

rather cold, over six hundred 

parishioners were in attendance. 

Midnight Mass was a 

bit more exciting as attendants 

experienced a snowstorm during 

mass. Over six hundred 

were again in attendance. 

Wow! I have to give credit to 

the die-hard people who sat 

through that service. The picture 

shows the intensity of the 

storm that night. I know Fr 

Meyer loved it. What a way 

to honor the birth of Jesus and 

also have a White Christmas! 

Congratulations to Robert 

and Christy Pederson on 

the birth of their son Robert 

Logan Pederson on Oct. 16. 

He was a little premature but 

is now doing fine and growing 

like a weed. Proud grandparents 

are David and Leisha 

Kushman and Guy and 

Susan Pederson. Logan was 

baptized at All Saints Parish 

(St. John Campus) by Deacon 

Bob Decker on Dec. 4. His 

godparents are Clay Cremeans 

and Amanda Farmer. 

Congratulations to Leo 

Maxwell, a junior at East 

Central HS. He placed second 

in shotput at the Tiffin Throws 

Extravaganza at Tiffin University 

in Northwestern Ohio. 

To qualify for Nationals, he 

needed to throw 56 feet 8 

inches. He threw 58 feet 5 

inches. He is now ranked fifth 

in the nation. Leo is the son of 

John and Robin Maxwell of 

Dover. Proud grandparents are 

John and Linda Maxwell of 

Dover and Carroll and Diane 

Gramman of Spades. Best of 

luck to you Leo. Looks like 

you have a bright future ahead 

of you. 

The town of Dover has been 

in mourning over the loss of 

Robert and Christy after 

the baptism of Robert 

Logan. 

Midnight Mass at St. John 

Campus. 

a great man and pillar in the 

community. John Wuestefeld 

passed away on Dec. 29. John 

was the kindest, most gentle 

soul and exuded compassion. 

In January 1970, he met Babs, 

a girl from Delhi. They immediately 

clicked and the rest 

is history. 

Following in the footsteps 

of his mother, Edith Andres 

Wuestefeld, John studied at 

the College of Mortuary Science, 

graduating in 1962. He 

loved working alongside his 

mother until she passed away 

in 1979. John continued the 

tradition of being the family’s 

fourth-generation funeral 

director, eventually changing 

the name to Andres-Wuestefeld 

Funeral Home. 

Mr. Wuestefeld was a 

member of the U.S. Air Force 

Reserve and belonged to St 

Leon Legion Post 464. 

John will be greatly missed 

by his wife of fifty years, 

Babs, his children Nicole 

(Patrick) Becknell of Dover, 

Krista ( Mark) Kirchgassner 

also of Dover, and Michael 

(Katie) Wuestefeld of Florence, 

KY, and ten grandchildren; 

Siblings Charlie (Rosalee) 

Wuestefeld of Dover, 

Sue (Dave) VanSkyhawk of 

Osceola, IN, Rose (Jim) Ferry 

of Dover, Margaret (Wayne) 

Busse of Aurora and brotherin-law 

George Hartman. He 

was preceded in death by his 

parents Elmer and Edith (Andres) 

Wuestefeld and siblings 

Larry Wuestefeld, and Elaine 

Hartman. 

John, I know you are in 

heaven collecting rocks and 

riding your tractor to your 

heart’s content. Rest in peace. 



ST. LEON 

By 

Debbie A. 

Zimmer 

Community 

Correspondent 

stleon@goBEACONnews.com 

St. Leon lost three residents 

last month- Walter Schuman, 

Alvin Werner, and Mike 

Hornbach. 

Walter Schuman and Al 

Werner were two of the founding 

members of the St. Leon 

Volunteer Fire Department and 

were members of St. Joseph 

American Legion Post 464. 

Mr. Schuman held the 

position of Fire Chief for 

many years. He was a great 

leader and could always be 

found helping out at festivals 

even after he retired 

from his chief’s position. 

Mr. Schuman always had a 

smile and was a great source 

of knowledge for the department. 

He owned Schuman’s 

Garage for years until his 

sons took over the business. 

Upon retiring from the garage, 

he purchased the family 

farm where he enjoyed the 

cows and farming with his 

International Harvester tractors. 

He also took his International 

Harvester display 

trailer to many tractor shows. 

Mr. Schuman organized the 

annual “tractor ride” to the 

Franklin Antique Machinery 

Show in which as many as 

sixty area residents made the 

trek to Brookville from St. 

Leon. Walter and his wife 

Mary loved to go dancing. 

He especially loved all of his 

O 

ur 

children and grandchildren. 

He will be missed by many! 

Al Werner was an active 

member of St. Joseph Post 

464. He held several offices at 

the post and then advanced on 

to the district offices including 

the Indiana Department 

Commander. Mr. Werner was 

the first building inspector for 

Dearborn County- a position 

he held for twenty-five years. 

Mr. Werner was reunited in 

Heaven with Annie, his wife of 

sixty-five years. 

Mike Hornbach was the 

Dearborn County Purdue 

Extension Office Educator for 

many years. He and his wife 

and Lesa always helped with 

firemen’s festivals and church 

festivals as well as with setting 

up and serving funeral meals. 

He will be missed by all. 

All of the above families 

have our deepest sympathy. 

Happy wedding anniversary 

to my niece Roxanne and 

Mike Haag on Mar. 3. 

March Birthdays– 2 Henry 

Stenger, Shelly Bischoff, 

and Lisa Nobbe, 3 my 

daughter Melissa Barrett, 

Joe Schuman, and Shirley 

Huber, 4 Jacob Bittner, my 

sister-in-law Schere Kramer, 

Harper Vogelsang, and Jackie 

Gaynor, 5 Danny and Jack 

Deddens, 6 my daughter Jennie 

Geisheimer will celebrate 

the big “50”!, Keith Fox, 

Stephanie Collins, Chris 

Bischoff, and Robin Fox, 7 

Melanie Gutzwiller, Margo 

Whitehead, Jacob Stenger, 

and Andy Hornbach, 8 Joe 

Baker and Matt Wilgenbusch, 

9 Tammy Vonderheide 

and Nikki Kamos, 10 

CommunitiesHIDDEN 

Virginia Eckstein and Steve 

“Buck” Hoog, 11 Corey 

Brock, 12 cousin Randy Zimmer 

and Chuck Hautman, 

13 Mike Haag, Dennis and 

Joan Wuestefeld, and Anita 

Alig, 14 Jackie Sims, Rick 

Kurelic, and Kevin Stenger, 

15 cousin Mindy Puente and 

Estelle Salisbury, 16 cousin 

Kari Andres and Roseann 

Fuernstein, 18 Justin Alig, 

Larry Schuman, and Donna 

Smith, 19 Carson Whitehead, 

21 Joey Alig, 22 Jill 

Wilhelm, Steve Hornberger, 

Paula Brennan, and Karen 

Herth, 23 Megan Steurenberg, 

25 Stephanie Smith, 

26 McKenzie Callahan and 

Danny Craft, 27 cousin Tim 

Andres, Pat Schlarmann, 

28 Rick Stenger, 29 Chad 

Sterwerf, my niece Jennifer 

Andres and Cindy Fasi, 30 

Mary Jane Telles, 31 Jeff 

Bulach and Jenna Dee. 

Get in touch with me with 

news from stleon@go 

BEACON news.com. 

VALLEY LAKE 

By 

Korry 

Johnson 

Community 

Correspondent 

hvl@goBEACONnews.com 

Happy Valentine’s Day 

everyone! Whether you 

celebrate it or not, do something 

kind for someone or 

for yourself. Make it a “feel 

good” day because we all 

deserve it. I buy my chocolate 

candies from a shop in 

Bellevue, Kentucky. They’ve 

been making candy at their 

store for eighty-two years! 

It’s well worth the thirty-fiveminute 

drive. BUY LOCAL! 

(It is local!) 

Hidden Valley Lake is 

starting a spring running 

program for our kiddos. 

A Hidden Valley resident 

and mom, Ashlee Rogers, 

is organizing this program 

called “Healthy Kids Running 

Series.” The series is 

planned for five consecutive 

Sundays starting from Apr. 

11 through May 9. Participants 

will run a race each of 

the five Sundays. Those ages 

2 years old to eighth-graders 

are encouraged to participate. 

More details to come! 

March Birthdays: Elliott 

Johnson, Juliet Johnson, 

Samantha Airgood, Hattie 

Hampton, Jason Armbruster, 

Cathy Witte, Leah 

Cox, Jared Lischkge, Celia 

Jasper, Sheri Trumbull, 

Jacob Clark, Matt Clark. 

March Anniversaries: 

David & Sheri Trumbull 

PLEASE STAY SAFE and 

FIND YOUR KINDNESS! 

Please email me, Korry H. 

Johnson, if you have something 

to share in next month’s 

article at hvl@goBEACONnews.com 

Share your positive 

news at The Beacon! 

Dearborn County Visitors Center 

#theplace2play 

We’re Ready When You Are 

March 2021 

JANUARY 2017 

Photo credit: 

Blue Willow House 

March 1 - April 23 – 2021 Youth Art Exhibit - Call for Entries - The Dearborn Highlands 

Arts Council is seeking creative student art entries for the 2021 Youth Art Exhibition in the 

Gallery at 331 Walnut Street, Lawrenceburg. This annual event is a great opportunity to 

share and highlight the talent and creativity of students. The 2021 Youth Art Exhibit will 

open at the Gallery March 1 and will be on display through Friday, April 23rd. Awards will 

be presented at the reception on Friday, April 23, 6pm - 8pm. 

March 1 – Dearborn County Historical Society & Museum - Open for tours and 

research March - October - Vance-Tousey House and Angevine Cabin. The Historical 

Society offers a variety of services for visitors interested in the county’s rich history, 

including genealogical research assistance, tours of the 1819 Angevine log cabin, programs 

and special events. The year 2021 exhibits will celebrate the Ohio River and how it relates to 

our county. Memberships available. Hours: Monday - Friday 1pm - 4pm and Saturday 10am 

- 2pm or by appointment. For time and more information call 812-537-4075 or visit 

www.dearborncountyhs.org. 

March 4, 5 – Blue Willow House Spring Opening - Three Floors of antiques, home 

decor, clothing, jewelry, candles, soaps, lotions and gifts located in a lovely home built in 

1912. Location: 9960 Front Street, Dillsboro, IN 47018. Hours: Thursday & Friday - 10am - 

6pm; Saturday - 10am - 2pm. For more information contact Melissa Waltson/Pam Lewis 

at 812-432-3330 or visit www.bluewillowsisters.com. 

E 

ven though March looks 

quite different than we are 

used to, we are ready when you 

are here in Southeast Indiana. 

From visiting our museums 

to enjoying our wineries to 

shopping our quaint shoppes 

to enjoying our art exhibits, we 

are prepared to welcome our 

visitors in a safe and healthy 

manner. Thank you for your 

support, and we encourage you 

to contact us with any questions, 

comments or feedback. We look 

forward to seeing you soon! 

March 11, 12, 13, 14 & 18, 19, 20 – Spring Junkin Trail - 8 great shops participate in the 

trail. Hours open 10am - 5pm each day. For more information contact Ruby Kern at 812-487- 

8008 or visit www.thegreenbriarshop.com. 

March 13 – Holtkamp Winery St. Patrick’s Day Celebration - Come celebrate St. 

Patrick’s Day at Holtkamp Winery at 10868 Woliung Road, Sunman, IN 47041. Brick Oven 

Pizza and Wine Specials. For more information call 513-602-5580 or visit 

www.holtkampwinery.com. 

March 13 – St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl - Ticket prices are TBD. For more information visit 

www.thinklawrenceburg.com. 

March 14 – Chicken Dinner - Legion Post 452, New Alsace. Enjoy Chicken dinner at Legion 

Post 452 in New Alsace. $12 - Adults; $6 - Children (4-10 years old). Location: North Dearborn 

American Legion Post 452, 25329 Legion Road, Sunman, IN 47041. Time: 11am - 4pm. 

For more information call 812-623-3695. 

Dearborn County Convention, 

Visitor and Tourism Bureau 

320 Walnut St. • Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025 

www.VisitSoutheastIndiana.com 

Stay healthy. Bring your mask 

and hand sanitizer along! 



OLDENBURG 

By 

Sue 

Siefert 

Community 

Correspondent 

oldenburg@goBEACONnews.com 

O 

ur 

Sisters celebrate 170 Years 

One hundred seventy years 

ago, twenty-four-year-old S. 

Theresa Hackelmeier made 

the journey by sea, canal, 

river, and over land to a log 

cabin in the village of Oldenburg, 

arriving on January 6, 

1851. There to greet her were 

three women from the Oldenburg 

area who had volunteered 

to join her in establishing 

the Sisters of St. Francis 

of Oldenburg. Fr. Francis 

Rudolf, the pastor of Holy 

Family Church in Oldenburg, 

had sought to establish a congregation 

that would eventually 

teach both in German and 

English. 

Within six months after the 

founding, Theresia Dreer, 

a gifted German woman, 

arrived from Switzerland 

to join the new community. 

Mother Theresa, recognizing 

the newcomer’s talents 

and put the new arrival (now 

Sister Antonia) in charge of 

the community school that 

opened in September 1851. 

In the following year, Mother 

Theresa appointed Sister Antonia 

director of an academy 

established for girls from the 

area. The academy included 

the six boarders who by this 

time lived with the Sisters 

in the stone convent built 

within months after Mother 

Theresa’s arrival. Sister (later 

Mother) Antonia also assumed 

the task of training the 

Sisters, many of whom had 

little education, to be teachers. 

A short three years after 

the founding of the congregation, 

Fr. Rudolf asked Mother 

Theresa to accept the care of 

a number of orphan girls from 

the area, some of whom had 

lost parents in a cholera epidemic 

in the late 1840s. This 

ministry to orphans, beginning 

with eleven girls, grew 

and lasted eleven years; the 

venture would be the first of 

several in caring for orphans 

undertaken later on in the 

Congregation’s history. 

In addition to the educational 

ministry and the care 

of orphans, the Sisters maintained 

a garden presided over 

by Sister Michaela Lindemann, 

one of the first three 

women who awaited Mother 

Theresa’s coming in 1851. 

The Oldenburg Sisters were 

soon being asked to help 

establish and staff schools in 

neighboring Indiana towns. 

The convent in Oldenburg 

became a Motherhouse from 

which the Sisters traveled 

throughout southern Indiana 

to do the work of education, 

returning each summer for 

further training and spiritual 

retreat. 

Mother Theresa died in 

1860 and was succeeded by 

Sister (now Mother) Antonia. 

By that time, the Oldenburg 

Sisters had reached beyond 

Indiana to establish Holy 

Trinity School in St. Louis. 

They had also met the challenges 

of rebuilding and 

enlarging their facilities at 

Oldenburg after a devastating 

fire of 1857 had destroyed 

their convent. In the years following, 

the Franciscan Sisters 

accepted requests to establish 

schools in Kentucky (1861), 

Indianapolis (1864), Cincinnati 

(1876), and other Ohio 

locations, as well as Iowa, 

Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. 

Under the leadership of 

Mother Olivia Brockman, 

from 1884 to 1920, the Sisters 

continued to be pioneers in 

the field of education. From 

the 1850s, the Sisters had 

qualified for teaching by passing 

the state’s education examination. 

Their own teacher 

training school, St. Francis 

Normal, was accredited by the 

Indiana State Board of Education 

in 1910. As early as 1911, 

the Oldenburg community 

sent its Sisters to Marquette 

and other Catholic colleges 

for academic degrees. 

In 1892, the Sisters opened 

Communities 

St. Ann’s, the only school for 

African-American children 

in the then-segregated city 

of Indianapolis. It has since 

been succeeded by St. Rita’s 

and was the first of many 

African-American schools 

the Sisters staffed in other 

cities—notably Kansas City, 

MO, and Cincinnati, OH. In 

1935, the Sisters responded 

to an invitation to missionary 

work among the Crow Indians 

in Montana. In the 1970s this 

ministry with Native Americans 

was extended to ministry 

with the Northern Cheyenne 

Indians, and in the 1990s with 

the Navajo in New Mexico 

and Arizona. Most prominent 

among the Congregation’s 

foreign missions were: China, 

1939 to 1945 (where Sisters 

spent the last two years in 

Japanese internment); Papua 

New Guinea (PNG), 1960- 

2011. This mission spanned 

both Vatican II and the national 

independence of PNG and 

included the establishment 

of a native PNG religious 

congregation (now a diocesan 

community), the Franciscan 

Sisters of Mary. In 1937, 

Mother Clarissa Dillhoff, who 

had led the community since 

1926, took the “preposterous” 

step to move Marian College 

NEW ALSACE 

By 

Laura 

Keller 

Community 

Correspondent 

newalsace@goBEACONnews.com 

Evan Spangler, son of 

Mike and Lisa Spangler, is 

proudly serving our country 

as a new United States 

Evan Spangler 

Marine. 

Evan left 

home and 

began his 

journey to 

become a 

marine on 

Oct. 5. 

Entering the 

military 

during a 

pandemic required Evan to 

quarantine for two weeks in a 

hotel before spending thirteen 

weeks at the Marine Corps 

Recruit Depot (MCRD) in 

San Diego. Evan completed 

from Oldenburg to the site 

of the former Allison estate 

in Indianapolis. This venture 

was undertaken to provide 

college educations for laywomen, 

as well as for the Sisters 

themselves. Accredited by 

the Indiana State Department 

of Education in 1944, Marian 

became the state’s first Catholic 

co-educational college in 

1954 and continues today as 

Marian University with strong 

professional programs and 

the addition of an osteopathic 

medical school in 2013. 

The Second Vatican Council 

brought vast changes, 

both internal and external, to 

religious life, possibly most 

visible in changes made in 

the traditional dress, or habit. 

Numbers decreased, not only 

from Sisters choosing to leave 

but also because decreasing 

numbers of women chose to 

enter religious life. Changes 

in Catholic schools (parish 

school closures, and the 

availability of willing and 

qualified lay teachers), and 

the recognition of the many 

needs for faith-filled service 

in Church and society led 

many Sisters to assume new 

ministries. They adopted new 

roles in the Church (e.g., 

pastoral ministers, directors of 

North Dearborn American Legion’s new swing set, bench and bleachers. 

The Crucible on Dec. 31, 

2020, earning him the title of 

a United States Marine. He 

graduated from the MCRD on 

Jan. 15 and is currently 

stationed at Camp Pendleton 

undergoing Marine Combat 

Training. Unfortunately, the 

graduation ceremony was 

closed to family members and 

the traditional ten-day leave 

has been suspended. Evan’s 

family is incredibly proud of 

him and anxiously awaits the 

day they are able to reunite 

with him. Thank you, Evan, 

for serving our country! 

Kieran Draude, son of 

Keith and Jes Millson, 

recently completed his Eagle 

Scout project by making 

several improvements to the 

North Dearborn American 

Legion. Kieran is a senior 

at East Central High School 

and a member of Boy Scout 

Troop 646 in New Alsace. His 

project consisted of painting 

the legion’s baseball dugouts 

and swing set in addition to 

building new benches and 

Mother Theresa Hackelmeier. 

religious education and Pastoral 

Life Coordinators), and 

in society (e.g., social work 

and health care). In 1981, the 

Sisters welcomed lay women 

and men to join with them as 

Associates, sharing Franciscan 

spirituality, prayer, and 

sometimes ministry. Today 

there are 233 Associates. 

Throughout one hundred 

seventy years, in the spirit of 

Mother Theresa Hackelmeier, 

the Sisters of the Third Order 

of St. Francis have continued 

to venture courageously from 

Oldenburg to carry out the 

vital mission of living and 

spreading the Gospel of Jesus 

Christ. 

Das ist alles von der ’Burg! 

painting and replacing the 

bleacher seats. Kieran chose 

the project because the legion 

allows his boy scout troop to 

use their facilities for meetings 

and he wanted to give 

back to the legionnaires. The 

legion hosts a men’s wooden 

bat baseball league so the 

improvements will be seen 

and used by many people this 

summer. A special thanks 

to Mike Schwebach Sr. for 

donating the paint used in 

Kieran’s project. Thank you, 

Kieran, for the great work! 

If you’re craving fried 

chicken, mark your calendar 

for Sunday, March 14. The 

North Dearborn American 

Legion Post 452 will have a 

carry-out only chicken dinner 

from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The cost 

is $12 for an adult meal and $5 

for a child’s meal (ages 3-12). 

I would love to hear from 

you! If you have news in the 

New Alsace area you’d like 

me to share, please contact me 

at newalsace@goBEACON 

news.com. 

Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

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Entrees! 

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New 

Entrees! 

*Lime Only 

$3.99 Margaritas 

ALL DAY Monday 



*Lime Only 

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24486 Stateline Road 

Bright 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

We accept 

(Limit competitor’s 

$5 maximum per 

coupons 

$30 Or More. 

coupon When You Spend 

(Limit Or 1/2 $5 price maximum on 2nd per coupon 

meal. 

Not When Valid You Friday Spend or $30 Saturday.) Or More. 

Or 1/2 price on 2nd meal. 

Not Valid Friday or Saturday.) 

812-747-7262 

812-747-7262 

Buy 24486 1 Lunch Stateline or Road Dinner 

Bright 

at regular price 

Get 1 Lunch We or accept Dinner 

competitor’s 

at 1/2 coupons price 

Excludes steaks (Limit $5 and maximum seafood 

per coupon 

When You Spend $30 Or More. 

Expires Mar. July Or 1/2 14, 11, price 2021 on 2016 2nd meal. 


Not Valid Fri. or Sat. 

Not valid with 812-747-7262 

daily specials. 

24486 Stateline Road 

$5 Bright 

off purchase of 

on 

$30 

purchase We of accept 

$30 

Expires Mar. 14, 2021 

Expires Not Valid July competitor’s 

Fri. 11, or 2016 Sat. 

Not Valid Fri. 

coupons 

Not valid with or (Limit daily $5 maximum specials. Sat. per coupon 

Not valid When 

with You Spend 

daily $30 Or More. 

specials. 

Twenty-seven Years of Bringing our Community and Businesses Together. 

Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

*Lime Only 



Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

*Lime Only 



$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

$5 off on 

Or 1/2 price on 2nd meal. 


812-747-7262 

Buy 1 Lunch 

at regular 

Get 1 Lunch 

at 1/2 p 

Excludes steaks 

Expires July 

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$5 off 

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a 

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BATESVILLE 

By 

Sue 

Siefert 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

batesville@goBEACONnews.com 

Batesville is home to 

Indiana’s only public school 

Mandarin Immersion program, 

reports Melissa 

Burton, Assistant Superintendent. 

She reveals, “with 

determination and ambition, 

this program—which began 

only with kindergarten 

in 2016, with forty-eight 

students—has not only succeeded 

but flourished. Currently 

offered through grade 

4, approximately 25% (205 

students out of 770) of Batesville 

Community School 

Corporation (BCSC) students 

in kindergarten through grade 

4 participate in the program, 

with plans to continue annual 

expansion until classes are 

offered through grade 12.” 

Students are placed in the 

Mandarin Immersion program 

on a first-come, firstserved 

basis. The school corporation 

uses a 50/50 model 

in which students split their 

time between Mandarin Chinese 

and English. 

Program participants are 

expected to exhibit mastery 

in reading, writing, speaking, 

and listening in English 

and Mandarin, as well as 

high levels of academic 

proficiency in all other subjects. 

Also, students develop 

heightened cultural awareness 

in a global community 

through the program curriculum. 

Besides the 50/50 instruction 

model which will be 

followed through grade 5 

in the 2021–22 school year, 

the vision for the program’s 

expansion includes several 

Students participating in the Chines Immersion Program. 

class periods in Mandarin in 

junior high and Advanced 

Placement Mandarin courses 

for immersion participants 

when they reach high school. 

In addition, camp and study 

abroad experiences may be 

integrated. 

How the program started… 

The BCSC’s commitment 

to helping its students learn 

about the Chinese culture 

and language began with its 

educators in 2014. That summer, 

six educators were sent 

to China to teach English at 

the University of Science 

and Technology Beijing. 

While in China, the educators 

were tasked with learning 

more about the Chinese 

culture in order to effectively 

implement a Dual Language 

Immersion program in their 

respective schools. Later 

that year, BCSC hosted 

25 principals from China 

as they visited Batesville 

High School to learn about 

BCSC’s teacher evaluation 

system, tour classrooms, and 

learn more about the United 

States educational system. 

On the student side, BCSC 

hosted Chinese pupils in 

its community, providing a 

summer camp for fourteen 

elementary school students. 

During another opportunity, 

Batesville families showed 

their Hoosier hospitality 

and hosted twenty-four high 

school students from China 

for two weeks, during which 

the students attended school 

at Batesville High School 

and Batesville Middle 

School. The school corporation’s 

relationship with its 

Chinese counterparts continues, 

as BCSC currently has 

five sister schools in China. 

The Batesville Community 

School Corporation’s plans 

for formal programming 

began in 2015 when it was 

awarded a grant from the Indiana 

Department of Education 

to create and launch the 

state’s first (and currently 

still the only) Chinese immersion 

program in a public 

school district. To date, total 

funding received from the 

state of Indiana for its program 

has topped $200,000. 

BCSC has participated 

in the U.S. Department of 

State’s Teachers of Critical 

Language Program. Most 

recently, the Batesville 

program has been recognized 

for its excellence in 

programming, receiving the 

2020 Wide World Award 

for Distinguished Dual 

Language Immersion (DLI) 

from the Indiana Foreign 

Language Teachers Association 

(IFLTA). 

That’s Sue’s news for now. 

SDHS Competition Cheer Squad: Lyvi Percival, Whitney 

Whitelock, Emma Traue, Izzy Bear, Taci Hughes, Shanna 

Tschaenn, Avery Wuestefeld, Kayla Upton, Jozie Mason, 

Marrgo Arnsperger, Cadence Denney, Macie Teke, 

Emalee Ramsey 

MANCHESTER 

By 

Lisa 

West 

Community 

Correspondent 

manchester@goBEACONnews.com 

Seven talented Manchester 

athletes celebrated January 

with a record-setting victory. 

(Marrgo, Jozie, Shanna, 

Emma, Izzy, Macie, and 

Lyvi) These now SDHS 

cheerleaders, took first place 

in the annual Rivertown Competition. 

In the closest statistical 

win in the tournament’s 

history, SDHS edged out 

Lawrenceburg to claim their 

fourth consecutive winning 

year! Ten cheerleaders took 

the mat for this competition. 

Cheer competitions were 

held ‘virtually’ this year. The 

SDHS cheer squad took an 

impressive fifth place at the 

state championship. 

Senior and Captain Marrgo 

Arnsperger shared, “This 

season has had many challenges, 

but I stayed positive 

and pushed myself for what 

my team and I wanted: a win! 

The hardest part was trying to 

believe we could get through 

all of the last-minute changes 

we had to make. I think we 

were very lucky to still be 

able to have a competition 

squad this year.” 

Senior Jozie Mason added, 

“My senior year has had 

many setbacks. But I wouldn’t 

have wanted to deal with any 

of this with any other team. 

At the beginning of the year, 

I was so down in the dumps 

because of my knee injury 

and everything being taken 

away from us, especially us 

(seniors). However, everybody 

was able to keep such 

a positive attitude, which 

really showed how much we 

love our sport. Placing first in 

Rivertown for the FOURTH 

year in a row was a great way 

to end my high school cheerleading 

career!” 

GREENDALE 

By 

Gloria 

Carter 

Community 

Correspondent 

greendale@goBEACONnews.com 

Valentine’s Day is just 

around the corner which 

means that the beginning of 

spring is not too far away. 

So far, we have had a mild 

winter. Several of us are looking 

forward to the opening of 

the Greendale pool this year. 

Now is the time to think about 

contacting the City of Greendale 

to inquire about applying 

for the jobs of pool manager 

or lifeguard. Check with your 

local Red Cross for lifeguard 

training classes in our area. 

We are all looking forward 

to fun in the sun at the pool 

this year. 

The Dearborn County 

Health Department has an 

excellent web site with information 

on the COVID-19 

vaccine sites and registration. 

Go to www.dearborncounty. 

org/department/division. 

php?structureid=155 and click 

on COVID Vaccine Information. 

There you will find a link 

to the website https://ourshot. 

in.gov. In red at the top of the 

page, click on vaccination site 

and registration. Click on the 

state of Indiana where you 

want to receive your vaccination. 

You will experience 

waiting time on the computer 

or phone. You may also call 

211 and register. Don’t get 

discouraged- the waiting time 

goes by fast, and registration 

is not difficult. I registered 

my next-door neighbor, my 

husband, and myself. I know 

several who have already gotten 

the vaccination. 

Garnett Cavanaugh is at 

home recuperating from foot 

surgery. She should be back 

on her feet soon. Muffin 2 is 

missing his walks. 

My article is not very 

long this month because I 

have been bonding with my 

husband. We are tackling the 

remodeling of our kitchen and 

utility room. 

I had my water pipes 

replaced, and lots of drywall 

was torn out. The kitchen is 

finished, and we are now on 

our way to the utility room. 

Stay safe and enjoy the 

mild winter. Don’t forget 

Valentine’s Day. 

Lending Station 

NICOLE & JOHN WUESTEFELD 

A Family Tradition Since 1800’s 

QUALITY SERVICE • COMPASSION • DEDICATION 

25615 STATE ROUTE 1 • DOVER, IN 

(812) 576-4301 WWW.ANDRES-WUESTEFELDFH.COM 



AURORA 

By 

Margaret 

Drury 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

aurora@goBEACONnews.com 

Life never ceases to amaze 

me! The older I get, the smaller 

the world is. I know we have 

heard it more than once, but it 

is TRUE… especially when 

we TUNE in and do what that 

still small voice within urges 

us to do! This month it started 

with Tamara Taylor forwarding 

an email to me from the Indiana 

Historical Society (IHS) 

thanking all Indiana county 

historians for their service and 

dedication to local history. 

Aurora resident, Jenny Awad, 

was recognized as Dearborn 

County’s Historian by IHS. So 

here we go... small world! 

Jenny serves as a volunteer 

appointed by the Indiana 

Historical Society (IHS) and 

Indiana Historical Bureau to 

promote local history in Dearborn 

County, connect individuals 

and groups with history 

resources, promote collaboration 

between local history 

organizations, and maintain 

connections with the (IHS) 

and Indiana Historical Bureau. 

The IHS collects and preserves 

Indiana’s unique stories. 

I had written down a few 

questions that I wanted to ask 

Jenny for this column, one of 

them being, “What inspired 

your love of history?” She 

Jenny Awad 

replied that she had, “… just 

always liked history.” I then 

shared what connected those 

proverbial “dots”… making 

the world a smaller place. “For 

example,” I told Jenny, “My 

love of history originated with 

visits to my grandparents’ 

farm in Morris, IN.” – which I 

explained was a VERY small 

town between Sunman and 

Batesville. She shared that was 

where she grew up, “…about a 

quarter-mile off Adams Church 

Road!” To which I replied that 

my grandparents’ farm was 

near there. Come to find out, 

we know the same people and 

she knew of my relatives the 

Brunsman, Hartman, and 

Merkle families. She even 

commented that there were 

a lot of Hartmans! And she 

is right as the last Hartman 

family reunion boasted about 

five hundred attendees. Jenny 

said she was the eighth of nine 

children raised out there in the 

country. She attended Sunman 

High School and is married to 

Joe Awad. Her grandchildren 

will thank her in the future as 

Wagon Shed 

Candle Company 

Specializing in all natural soy candles 

and gift baskets made to order 

for all occasions 

DOTTIE SCHIPPER, Owner 

4717 Tall Oak Drive 

Aurora, Indiana 47001-7735 

812-926-1466 Home • 859-512-9792 Cell 

Redevelopment members Patrick Schwing, Fred Lester, Dan Bimrose, Mark McGownd, Bill 

Ullrich, Chris Daugherty 

she requires them to name the 

creeks and river we live on, as 

well as the city in which we 

live. She said her grandchildren 

also volunteer at the Dearborn 

County Historical Society. 

Additional pearls shared by 

Jenny include that we live in 

what was once the Northwest 

Territory. She believes this 

area is as important as the 

founding of America. Jenny 

shared that she loves stories 

and, “…everyone has a story.” 

She said if she could go back 

in time in Aurora, she would 

like to meet various people 

such as Jesse Holman, Thomas 

Gaff, Jacob Kirsch, Poddie 

Lowe, to name a few. She 

would ask Capt. Alexander 

Pattison, “How the heck he got 

the rock he uses for a headstone 

from Gettysburg to River 

View Cemetery.” I SO enjoyed 

the time that Jenny took to 

share with me, and I would 

like to thank her not only for 

that time but for ALL the time 

she devotes herself to preserving 

and sharing the history of 

Dearborn County. One of the 

last things Jenny did share 

was that she would like to see 

the riverboats coming into the 

dock. It’s funny… not funny 

HA, HA, but funny unusual 

that riverboats and the Aurora 

riverfront were discussed 

at the January-2021 Aurora 

Redevelopment Commission 

meeting… Small world! 

Exciting things are happening 

in Aurora! A new team 

now comprises the Aurora 

Redevelopment Commission. 

Their first meeting was 

exciting to hear all the things 

concerning the city from the 

aforementioned riverfront 

items to new housing projects. 

The team truly seemed excited 

to be working together. 

All of these members bring 

so much to the table from 

engineering to real estate, to 

entrepreneurship, to years of 

municipal and county experience. 

New City Attorney Jared 

Ewbank told them that the 

Redevelopment Commission 

is one of the most powerful 

boards to shape a community. 

Stay tuned for good things to 

come from this team… What 

do YOU want to see in your 

beloved Aurora? 

Before I wrap up for this 

month, I want to let you know 

about two new opportunities 

to remember your loved ones 

while helping our beloved Aurora. 

First, the city is having 

trees planted in our parks. For 

$250 you can have a memorial 

tree (maple, oak, or poplar) 

LOGAN 

By 

Susan 

Carson 

Community 

Correspondent 

logan@goBEACONnews.com 

On the road again: Harry 

J. Lyness is like an Eveready 

battery- he just keeps going. 

This time he was on his way 

to Florida with a truckload 

full of donated items for the 

Hearts and Hands Children’s 

home in Haiti. On Nov. 30, 

Harry and his stepson, Pete 

Lahni, left Logan for Raleigh, 

NC. Harry says “Day one 

went very smoothly. Not one 

of the 6-7 truck weigh stations 

were open. The old Mack 

truck performed faultlessly.” 

Then they started loading 

more donated items while 

in Raleigh. At that point, the 

truck weighed 21,450 lbs. 

The next day, they loaded 

part of the 1350’ of chain link 

fencing and more items into 

the truck. Total weight 28,500 

lbs. Oops! 26,000 lbs. is the 

CDL weight limit, so they had 

to unload 2,500 lbs. worth of 

items. Finally, they were on 

their way to Riviera Beach 

where the shipper is located. 

Harry and Pete flew back 

from Florida and a couple 

of weeks later, Harry took 

another load. Note that the 

box truck itself was donated 

by the North Dearborn Pantry 

according to Barb Lyness, 

planted. For more details, you 

can reach out to the Aurora 

Street Department. Second, 

the city is accepting donations 

to help cover the cost of building 

a new city pool. My eyes 

popped out of my head when 

I heard the price tag of the 

new pool is over $3 million. 

The current pool was built in 

the 1960s and is well past its 

lifespan. The Pool Committee 

has been working diligently 

on the new pool project for 

months. A tentative design 

with a diving board with swim 

lanes would allow for outdoor 

swim meets, which is needed 

in our area. The design also 

has play features as well as 

handicap-accessible, zerodepth 

entry, and either a refurbished 

or new bathhouse. In 

future articles, I will be sure to 

share details as they develop. 

Until next month, take care 

and God bless! 

Harry J. Lyness 

Jim Stallard 

the pantry director. 

A special man is in our 

midst. Jim Stallard will be 

102 years old this March 28. 

Born in Summerset, KY in 

1919, he was raised by his 

widowed mother and stepdad. 

He never knew his biological 

father because Jim’s parents 

both contracted the Spanish 

Flu, but only his mother 

survived. Now, Jim is one of 

the few Americans to survive 

two pandemics. Jim is a 

WWII disabled veteran. He 

was a Corporal in the Army 

Air Corps, which in 1947 

became the US Air Force. We 

are proud to have him with us. 

Happy Birthday, Jim! 

Put Your Money where your 

is 

Support the Specialty Retail, Personal 

Services, Professional Services and 

Restaurants of Downtown Aurora 

All Year Long 

#SHOPSMALLBEFOREYOUSHOPBIG 



LAWRENCEBURG 

By 

Debbie 

Acasio 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

lawrenceburg@goBEACONnews.com 

Ahh, Winter….The time 

when we organize after 

Christmas. The stores are full 

of organizational tubs and 

materials, and we are hopeful 

that 2021 will find us 

organized. Organization and 

cleaning were forced on me 

this winter when my freezer 

died. 

That’s when I found the 

“mystery meat.” After no one 

in my family seemed to know 

where this huge bag of meat 

(frozen in water) came from, 

a decision was made to thaw 

it out. So what was it? Let’s 

keep the suspense up. The 

answer will be found at the 

end of my article. 

Congratulations to Lawrenceburg 

High School junior 

Ashton Rasnake for being 

chosen by the Cincinnati 

Symphony Youth Orchestra 

to play his trombone in one 

of their two youth orchestras. 

Ashton has been playing for 

over five years and practices 

for about an hour and a half 

every day. In addition, he is a 

member of the military club 

and school band and hopes to 

pursue music in college. 

The Lawrenceburg Lady 

Ashton Rasnake 

Tigers Varsity won their fifth 

consecutive championship 

at the River Town Classic 

basketball tournament. Not 

to be outdone, the Lawrenceburg 

Tigers Boys Varsity and 

JV continued the winning 

streak placing first in the 

competition. In addition, the 

cheerleading squad placed 

second in cheer competition. 

Congratulations to all for your 

hard work and commitment. 

Congratulations to former 

Lawrenceburg High grad and 

now attorney Jared Ewbank. 

He has been named attorney 

for the city of Aurora, assisting 

the mayor of Aurora 

and elected and appointed 

members of the city government 

with their legal needs. 

Speaking of new positions, 

Sarah Cotherman-Lansing 

has accepted a position as 

Adult Director of the Dearborn 

Center. Her role will be 

directing day-to-day operations 

and obtaining funding 

for the center. She will be a 

very worthwhile asset to the 

Kane Ferreira 

seniors in Lawrenceburg. 

Each year the Special 

Olympic competitors, under 

the direction of Greg 

Townsend, hit the slopes to 

show off their skills in skiing 

and snowboarding. The 2021 

gold champion in snowboarding 

was Kane Ferreira who 

had the honor of also lighting 

the torch at the opening 

ceremony. 

He is the son of Kelly 

Kemper and Kim Ferreira. 

Great job Kane! 

A few new additions have 

been made to the sporting 

events and cafeteria areas 

in Lawrenceburg schools. 


Center of Indiana Department 

received a grant to purchase 

green recycling bins to collect 

cans and plastic for recycling. 

Lawrenceburg is one of several 

Dearborn County schools 

to receive these bins. 

Many area adults have fond 

memories of the Pin Oak 

Skateland in Lawrenceburg 

owned by Frank and Judy 

Communities 

513-574-9518 

Holly Fehr with bother Danny in 1979. Daughter Nora in same 

outfit in 2021. 

Linkmeyer and Pat and Paul 

Titkemeyer. It was a simpler 

time when parents simply 

dropped their kids off for an 

evening of fun and never had 

a worry. Holly Fehr recently 

had a “blast from the past” 

when her favorite old skating 

outfit surfaced after forty-plus 

years in storage. Please enjoy 

the reenactment photo of her 

daughter, first-grader Nora 

Fehr, wearing the same skating 

outfit forty years later! 

Congratulations to Jenny 

Awad who has been named 

state historian for Dearborn 

County for 2021. Jenny, 

Joyce Baer, and other volunteers 

have been working tirelessly 

documenting old photos 

that have been donated to the 

Dearborn County Historical 

Society, especially thousands 

from the 1937 flood that 

devastated Lawrenceburg and 

surrounding areas. 

I’d like to share one tidbit 

about our new historian that 

you may find interesting. 

Mystery meat 

Jenny grew up poor and one 

of nine children on a farm in 

Ripley County with brothers 

who loved to hunt. An 

abundance of fried squirrel 

was often on the dinner table, 

and Jenny still loves eating 

fried squirrel to this day. As 

an adult, she used to fry up 

a batch and share it with her 

elderly neighbor in Aurora. 

So when my freezer “mystery 

meat” was revealed to be 

frozen squirrel, can you guess 

who received the bounty of 

my broken freezer? I think 

you have guessed. 

Jeff Mersmann’s restored 

1965 Ford 4000 tractor. 

(Photo courtesy of Jeff 

Mersmann) 

YORKVILLE 

& GUILFORD 

By 

Laura 

Keller 

Community 

Correspondent 

yorkville@goBEACONnews.com 

Making memories. We often 

hear that phrase used when taking 

a trip or doing something 

special with family or friends 

that we know we’ll fondly 

treasure for years to come. 

In January 2020, Jeff 

Mersmann knew he and his 

sons would be making memories 

when he was one of one 

hundred Indiana educators 

awarded a Lilly Endowment 

Teacher Creativity grant for 

his proposal titled, “A Father’s 

Legacy.” The goal of 

his proposal was to restore an 

antique tractor with his sons 

and share his experience with 

students at Sunman-Dearborn 

Middle School, where he’s a 

7247 State Road 46E 

Batesville, IN 47006 

812.932.3300 

Owen Mersmann applies 

decals to his father’s tractor. 

(Photo courtesy of Jeff 

Mersmann) 

counselor and coaches track 

and cross country. 

Jeff’s father passed away 

in 2005, and he inherited 

his father’s 35-horsepower 

1964 Ford 2000 tractor. Jeff 

was inspired to apply for the 

grant when his youngest son, 

Owen, sat on his father’s tractor 

and said, “Just think. By 

touching this steering wheel, 

I’m touching the same spots 

that grandpa did.” 

Upon receiving the grant, 

Jeff purchased a 55-horsepower 

1965 Ford 4000 tractor. 

While the tractor was mechanically 

sound, it looked 

very rough. Jeff and his sons, 

Noah and Owen, began 

working on the tractor in late 

May 2020 by removing parts, 

sanding, priming, painting, 

and reassembling it. Jeff’s 

friend Greg Callahan was instrumental 

in helping with the 

project, too. On Nov. 24, Greg 

primed the engine and after 

a couple of chugs, the tractor 

roared to life after almost 

seven months of silence. Over 

the next several days, Jeff and 

TOPSOIL 

(Regular and Shredded) 

FILL DIRT 

GRAVEL 

SPECIALIZED HAULING 

& DELIVERY 

Noah Mersmann working on 

the tractor. (Photo courtesy of 

Jeff Mersmann) 

his sons applied decals and 

drove the tractor up and down 

the road a few times. 

Jeff’s 15-year-old son, 

Noah, said his favorite part 

was spending time together 

restoring something that will 

hopefully be cherished for 

generations to come. Owen 

echoed his brother’s comments 

but added that putting 

the steering wheel on was his 

favorite part. 

The tractor is now ready for 

work, hayrides, tractor shows, 

parades, etc., but most importantly, 

creating new memories 

with family and friends. 

If you have news in the Yorkville/Guilford 

area you’d like 

me to share, please contact 

me at yorkville@goBEACON 

news.com. 

HOURS 

MON—FRI 8:30—5:30 

SAT 8:30—1:00 

We buy used cars—call 

for pricing!! 

800.245.2886 

NOW OPEN ON SATURDAY FOR SCRAP 

AND AUTO PARTS 8:30am — 1:00pm 

Need a part—go to www.miamitownautoparts.com and “Search our Inventory” 

Cincinnati, Ohio 

513-451-1134 

Check out current scrap prices! 

Owner of Whitey’s Package Store for over 40 years, also owner of 

Johnson’s Service Station for 20 years has passed away. 

Paul’s Story 

I am adding a new chapter to my life story. 

When I consider my past-times when I was successful 

and times that seemed to limit me, that is when I prayed 

and worked even harder. 

I can celebrate the richness of my past and stay 

focused in the present. I will bring with me ideas and 

truths that enrich my life today and the rest of my life. 

I neither want to forget the things my eyes have seen, 

nor to let them slip from my mind. 

I’m not going to cry because it is over, I smile because I 

was here to make it happen. 

Thanks to all who attended my retirement party. The 

many gifts, cards and my many customers and friends I 

acquired along my life’s journey. 

I appreciate you ALL! 

Paul 



O 

ur 

MHS Boys Varsity Basketball Team Seniors: Carsyn Ascherman, 

Joshua Clark, Evan Miller, Adam Norman, Chandler Reatherford, 

Kaden Rinear, Ethan Schwipps, Peyton Wert, Jacob Wullenweber; 

Coach Randy Combs. 

Communities 

DILLSBORO 

By 

Lorene 

Westmeier 

Community 

Correspondent 

dillsboro@goBEACONnews.com 

The holidays are over 

but we have some late but 

happy news. During Christmas 

in Farmers Retreat, the 

preschool program entitled 

“Miracle In The Manger” 

was well attended. It was 

directed by Jane Ohimansick 

and Shannon Hughes. 

The Sunday School Program 

on Christmas Eve was “His 

Name Is Jesus” and was directed 

by Sarah Thomas and 

Jane Ohlmansiek. Barbara 

Grace was the organist for 

these events. 

News from Dillsboro: Doug 

Baker is the newest member 

of the Dillsboro Town Council. 

He was sworn in on Jan. 

1, 2021, by Judge James 

Humphrey. Mr. Baker grew 

up in Rising Sun, where he 

raised his family, Bailey and 

Kasey, until he moved to 

Dillsboro in 2016. Mr. Baker 

is also a licensed official for 

the IHSAA. 

Doug Baker’s interest in 

local politics was sparked at a 

very early age. In fifth grade, 

he lost his run for class president 

to his very best friend. 

His aspirations for serving in 

government continued, and 

he was later elected to the 

Ohio Co. Council where he 

served for twenty years. He 

likes living in Dillsboro and 

describes his new town as a 

“big family where everyone 

has your back.” Mr. Baker 

hopes to offer his experience 

in budgeting and finances to 

his new position as a member 

of the council. 

The highlight of February is 

always Valentine’s Day! Let’s 

all remember our family and 

friends with love and understanding. 

May God Bless all of you 

and keep you safe. 

MHS Girls Varsity Basketball Team: Abby Ball, Analise Carpenter, 

Emma Carpenter, Riley Clark, Olivia Davis, Shelly Hoffrogge, 

Rachel Holt, Elle Honnert, Emma Jutsi, Angela King, Ellie 

Knecht, Bella Knueven, Emma Rapier, Makaylee Rivera, Audrey 

Schmidt, Maggie Schmidt, Riley Schwipps, Taylor Williamson; 

Coaches Bob Bressert, Bryan Beeler, Kevin Elder, Tony Clark. 

MILAN 

By 

Susan 

Cottingham 

Community 

Correspondent 

milan@goBEACONnews.com 

As the basketball season 

is winding down, I want to 

recognize the girls and boys 

varsity basketball teams 

for good participation and 

devotion to their sport as 

well as for taking the time to 

work within their community. 

I know many of the athletes 

volunteer individually, but 

they also do their part as a 

group. I personally had the 

opportunity to see how they 

work together not only on 

the basketball court, but also 

at the museum where they 

worked to get a job done 

that is too big for the staff to 

tackle due to age, ladders, 

and the possibility of falling. 

Thank you to the girls, boys, 

and coaches for putting up 

and taking down the large 

Christmas tree that stands 

in the center of the museum 

from Thanksgiving until the 

end of the year. The big job 

was made easier with the help 

of younger, athletic workers. 

Some who have helped in the 

past know the process and 

take leadership roles to get 

things in motion. Spending 

some time with them is always 

a pleasure, and we look 

forward to having them return 

anytime. Museum founder, 

Roselyn McKittrick, always 

encouraged volunteerism and 

would be proud. Thank You! 

Pictured are those who came 

by to lend a hand. 

CNA’s, HHA’s, LPN’s and RN’s 

Need some extra money? 

Have some extra time on your hands? 

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THE ADVANTAGE TEAM? 

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800-807-6839 • 812-537-0325 

460 Ridge Ave. Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 • EOE 

HARRISON 

By 

Debbie 

McCane 

Community 

Correspondent 

harrison@goBEACONnews.com 

Harrison residents did 

not disappoint when the 

city asked for random 

holiday pictures of Harrison. 

Numerous photos were 

uploaded onto the city’s 

social media. Snow scenes, 

Christmas lights, and homes 

decorated for the season were 

gladly shared for all to enjoy. 

MOORES HILL 

By 

Barbara 

Wetzler 

Community 

Correspondent 

mooreshill@goBEACONnews.com 

Congratulations Cody 

Faulkner, son of Daniel and 

Heidi Struckman Faulkner, 

who graduated 2nd Battalion, 

13th Infantry Regiment Basic 

Combat Training. Thank you 

for your service Cody and 

dad Daniel! Cody is also the 

nephew of Dee Faulkner 

Russell. 

Welcome to Moores Hill’s 

newest residents Sami Jo 

Wetzler and her darling 

daughter Ozlan. 

Misty Russell and Moores 

Hill Fire/EMS had a free flu 

clinic offered by the Indiana 

Department of Health. Great 

service to the community! 

Thank you to all who 

volunteered so many hours 

to organize the 2020 Winter 

Drive-Thru (formerly Winter 

Walk), especially organizers 

Tamila and Dave Wismann, 

Lynn Allen, Steve Bruns, 

Darlene Couch, Robyn Ison 

Gilbert, Timothy Canfield, 

Donna Couch, Samantha 

The city drew one random 

entry to win a prize for 

participating which contained 

gift cards and merchandise 

from local businesses. The 

winner was Julie M. 

Entries can be seen on the 

city’s website and social 

media. Thank you to all who 

have sent in their pictures 

depicting Harrison during 

the holidays. Visit https:// 

www.harrisonohio.gov/ 

CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=214 

to view the wonderful 

entries. 

Congratulations to John 

Hamstra, superintendent 

of Southwest schools, for 

being the recipient of the 

Wismann, Moores 

Hill Fire/EMS 

and Misty Russell, 

Flo James and 

Post 209, Janet 

Moore, Santa and 

Mrs. Claus, the 

Grinch and Cindy 

Lou Who, Mr. Elf 

Kevin Thomasson, 

and all sponsors. 

Kelly Lynn said 

it so well, “Thank 

you so much to all 

the volunteers who 

put together a great 

Christmas Drive- 

Thru (vs Walk). 

It amazes me that 

these volunteers were able 

to pull off such a great event 

that had so many restrictions 

in such a short period of time. 

My daughter was thrilled to 

see the Grinch and Cindy 

Lou Who! Thank you to all 

involved! Great Job!” 

Congratulations to the 

winners of the Mark Cubert 

House Decorating Contest: 

1st place winner Brenda 

Higgins, 2nd place winners 

Dave and Mary Kinser, and 

3rd place to Tracy Wheeler 

and Brian Krueger. Thank 

you to all who decorated their 

homes over the holidays; the 

town looked so magical and 

2020 Mary Lou Smith 

Community Service Award. 

This is an award given by the 

Greater Harrison Chamber 

of Commerce to individuals 

whose actions make a 

lasting and meaningful 

impact on the community. 

John has worked tirelessly 

for new, state-of-the-art 

schools for the students 

of our community and the 

teaching staff. He has shown 

good moral character and 

a solid work ethic for the 

sake of our community. We 

all appreciate his efforts and 

long hours, and we know that 

our students will benefit from 

his contributions. 

Newlyweds Becca and Bryan Michael 

Lewis. 

festive. 

Happy January birthday to 

Brent Casebolt, Kenny Rogers, 

Darla Kinnett Fleek, 

Holly Schumann, Vicki 

Bryant. 

Rod and Karen Bolin wish 

a happy birthday to grandmother 

Goldie Bolin, who 

turned 103 on Jan. 28... and 

many more, Miss Goldie! 

Happy February birthday 

to Cherri Schwartz Strohofer, 

Theresa Schumann, 

Dee Faulkner Russell, Betty 

Ingersoll, Tabby Browning, 

Debbie Schultz-Scott, Terry 

Brown. 

Happy March birthday to 

Bobbi Elza, Rob Wetzler, 

Becky Ingersoll, Sheri Ann 

Day, Ruby Burns, Betty 

Cummings, Pat Struckman 

Drake, Jeannine Eichler 

Ashcraft, Ericka Honeycutt 

Barnes, Sami Wetzler, Connie 

Mockbee, Colton Dunn, 

Debbie Terrill Biddle. 

Wednesday, February 17th 

ASH WEDNESDAY 

HOT 

CROSS 

BUNS 

Yummy! 

Harrison Home Bakery 

513-367-6117 

HarrisonHomeBakery.com 

Like us on Facebook 



Paula Gentrup explores the 1850s flatboat replica. 

RISING SUN/ 

OHIO COUNTY 

By 

PG 

Gentrup 

Community 

Correspondent 

risingsun@goBEACONnews.com 

I hope last month has been 

good to you. I received my 

first shot with the Moderna 

vaccine. I had no problem 

with it, and this morning my 

arm feels normal. I firmly 

believe we are on the road to 

recovery. 

I recently spoke to four 

O 

ur 

Whitewater Canal Trail 

1 

Laurel Feeder Dam 

North Trailhead 

Outdoor Recreation 

Accessible trail 

Parcours exercise area 

Unique regional scenery 

Laurel Feeder Dam 

South Trailhead 

Metamora 

Historic Preservation 

Original 1830’s canal locks and dam 

1800’s canal town of Metamora 

Traditional ice ponds 

Communities 

classes at Lawrenceburg High 

School about the Vietnam 

War and our veterans. I knew 

many of them have been to 

Washington, DC on their class 

trip, and we discussed the 

Vietnam Memorial. It is ten 

feet tall at the highest point 

for several panels, and if we 

would put the names of the 

COVID victims, that Wall 

would be over sixty feet tall. 

Tough to imagine that. The 

World War II Memorial has 

four thousand gold stars, each 

representing one hundred 

soldiers killed in WWII over a 

four-year period. 

I finished the year with a 

total of 4002 miles racked up 

during my walking and running. 

I’m going to sit down 

and figure how many steps 

that was because I kept track 

of them too. This year I will 

most likely be around the 

3000-mile mark. My weight is 

where it needs to be. Hopefully 

the sixty-five pounds I lost 

are gone forever. I covered a 

minimum of ten miles a day 

and have cut that to seven 

miles a day. Many days the 

distance I covered was in the 

teens. I only missed two days, 

and this year I will give my 

legs and body a little more 

rest. Age 74 is creeping up on 

me in June. 

Gink Poling recently passed 

away. He went to DC with me 

when I took fifty Korean War 

Veterans in 2010. I met Gink 

when I worked at Seagrams 

starting in 1965. Good man. 

Polly Raker passed away 

too. She and Paula worked together 

at the Ohio Co. Public 

Library for many years. Nice 

lady. 

A new 1850’s flatboat replica 

is on display at the Ohio 

County Historical Museum 

Cliff Thies and his crew 

are doing a wonderful job 

preserving our history. Stop 

by and see a lot of our local 

Natural Resource 

Conservation 

Habitat areas and bluebird boxes 

history. 

I could go on and on about 

the rioters in DC and you 

have to make up your own 

mind who is responsible. We 

would all never agree with 

each other about the possibilities. 

I just pray our nation 

heals and we can get back to 

being AMERICANS again. It 

all comes down to RESPECT. 

Each morning when you look 

in the mirror, if you don’t 

have respect for yourself, how 

can you respect others? 

I can’t help but think about 

my old buddy, Captain Bill 

McClure, and he would have 

been 101 on Jan. 27. I still 

miss him. He was a character; 

we did a lot with the veterans 

through the years. 

My buddy and Purple Heart 

Recipient from Vietnam, 

Larry Young, introduced me 

to a book called Giant Killer, 

about Captain Richard J. 

Flaherty, who Larry knew. 

The fascinating read revealed 

that this soldier was only 4’9” 

tall and weighed ninety-seven 

pounds. He was awarded 

medals for valor, etc. I would 

recommend it if you like to 

read about Vietnam. 

Good luck to Lane Siekman 

who recently closed his law 

office in Rising Sun to take a 

job for the State of Indiana. 

He is also the minister at the 

First United Church of Christ 

in Rising Sun. The history of 

the Siekman family is deeply 

rooted in Ohio Co. 

As I continue to rack up the 

miles, I will continue to pray 

for each of you. 

God Bless all of you. 

BUSINESS & 

PROFESSIONAL 

DIRECTORY 

Cornerstone Realty, Inc. & 

Lutz Auction Service, LLC 

“One Call Does It All” 

Dale Lutz 

. 

25980 Auction Lane, Guilford, IN 47022 

Office 812-637-2220 

Cell 513-266-1859 

cstonerealty.com lutzauctions.com 

Comstruction Projects: 

1) Feeder Dam North 

2) Metamora Connector 

3) Twin Locks to Yellow Bank 

4) Yellow Bank to Brookville 

BROOKVILLE 

brookville@goBEACONnews.com 

Franklin county’s greatest 

secret is the group known as 

Whitewater Canal Trail Inc. 

(WCT). The members of this 

organization have quietly 

constructed one of the most 

accessible, user-friendly trails 

I have ever seen. They have 

done so without fanfare and 

on a shoestring budget. If 

the day is sunny, you can bet 

those volunteers can be found 

somewhere on the trail digging, 

weed eating, or clearing. 

The efforts of this group 

have not gone unnoticed. 

Recently a sizable anonymous 

donation changed the future 

of the trail. With the generous 

donation, WCT can now 

move forward with completing 

an additional 5.6 miles 

2 

Open 

Metamora 

Trailhead 

Whitewater Canal Trail–a work in progress. Status as of December, 2020 

Ready for Construction 

Planned 

of new trail that will connect 

all of the existing segments. 

The result will be a continuous 

eleven-mile trail from the 

Yellow Bank Trailhead to the 

Laurel Feeder Dam. The organization 

is also planning to 

construct the final leg of the 

Canal Trail from Yellow Bank 

to Brookville. 

The completed trail will 

enable access to historic canal 

structures that are unique in 

Indiana. 

3 

Parking/Access 

US 52 

Yellow Bank 

Trailhead 

4 

Billy Jean Jobe 

Trailhead 

Tecumseh 

Landing 

Brookville 

Several years ago Mick 

Wilz, the Brookville resident 

who spearheaded the WCT 

board got a phone call from 

an out-of-town visitor who 

discovered the trail. The visitor 

and his wife had immensely 

enjoyed their experience 

and wanted to help keep the 

project going. He asked about 

making a contribution to 

the trail at some point in the 

future. Obviously, the future 

is now. 

Wilson Electrical 

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No job is too small! Call for 

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20 E. Center St. 

Lawrenceburg IN 

812-537-0619 

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557 W. Eads Parkway 

Lawrenceburg IN 

812-537-0610 

SUNMAN 

By 

Maureen 

Stenger 

Community 

Correspondent 

Map created with TOPO!® ©2005 National Geographic 

sunman@goBEACONnews.com 

Sunman lost a good man. 

Mike Hornbach passed away 

on January 15. 

Mike grew up in St. Leon 

where he attended St. Joseph 

Catholic Grade School. He 

graduated from East Central 

High School and attended 

Purdue University. Mr 

Hornbach taught agriculture 

at Milan High School, after 

which he spent the remainder 

of his career as Dearborn 

County’s Purdue Extension 

Educator. He retired in 2017. 

Mike and his wife Lesa were 

very active parishioners at All 

Saints Parish, always offering 

to lend a hand. Our thoughts 

and prayers go out to the 

entire Hornbach family. 

American Legion Post 452 New Alsace 

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Next euchre party Mar. 7 

Doors open 12 noon • Games begin at 1 • All are invited 

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Beacon March 2021

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