Southern Indiana Living - January / February 2025

Southern

Indiana

Jan / Feb 2025

Living

TOP 10

spots for a

valentine’s

dinner

FACES & PLACES

Photographer Randy West

Honoring every

moment together.

Jacob’s wife, Emily, was his rock. When illness struck, Hosparus Health

Southern Indiana became their lifeline. Our compassionate team provided

dignified care, easing Emily’s pain and offering support to Jacob. If you’re on

a similar journey, don’t wait. Call 812-945-4596, scan the QR code or visit

HosparusHealth.org to experience our warmth and expertise. Because every

moment matters — for your loved one, for you, for all of us.

2 • Jan/Feb 2025 • Southern Indiana Living

MerryM Ledges

IN THE WOODS

LRustic

Wedding Facility

Missi Bush-Sawtelle, Owner

812-267-3030

www.MerryLedges.com

• Charming • Private

• Rustic • Unique

Located in Corydon, IN

Southern Indiana Living • Jan/Feb 2025 • 3


For more information: 812-739-2246,

info@crawfordcountyindiana.com,

www.cometocrawford.com

Southern

Indiana

Living

JAN / FEB 2025

VOL. 18, ISSUE 1

PUBLISHER |

Karen Hanger

karen@silivingmag.com

LAYOUT & DESIGN |

Christy Byerly

christy@silivingmag.com

COPY EDITOR |

Jennifer Cash

COPY EDITOR |

Sara Combs

ADVERTISING |

Take advantage of prime

advertising space. Call us at

812-989-8871 or e-mail


SUBSCRIPTIONS |

$25/year, Mail to: Southern

Indiana Living, P.O. Box 145,

Marengo, IN 47140

Contact SIL

P.O. Box 145

Marengo, IN 47140

812.989.8871


ON THE COVER:

Roses / Vector by Vita_Dor /

shutterstock.com

22

7

Featured Stories

14 | TOP 10

Top 10 Restaurants for Valentine’s Day

19 | HANDS THAT HELP

Fuller Center for Housing

22 | PLACES & FACES

Harrison County Artist, Randy West

24 | AT HOME IN CRAWFORD COUNTY

Artist Sue Chapman

Southern Indiana Living

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2025

Check out more

features and stories

at www.silivingmag.com

Southern Indiana Living is

published bimonthly by SIL

Publishing Co. LLC, P.O. Box

145, Marengo, Ind. 47140. Any

views expressed in any advertisement,

signed letter, article,

or photograph are those of

the author and do not necessarily

reflect the position of

Southern Indiana Living or its

parent company. Copyright ©

2018 SIL Publishing Co. LLC.

No part of this publication

may be reproduced in any

form without written permission

from SIL Publishing Co.

LLC.

24

In Every Issue

7 | FLASHBACK

A Peaceful Snowfall, Corydon, IN, 1967

9 | A WALK IN THE GARDEN

The Stories are ‘Out Here’

13 | NOTE TO BABY BOOMERS

On the Road to 75

27 | REAL LIFE NUTRITION

Plant-based Diets

29 | EVERYDAY ADVENTURES

Camping Mishap


This is adventure

SQUIRE BOONE CAVERNS

CAVE COUNTRY CANOES

HARRISON COUNTY POPCORN FESTIVAL

Come alive in Corydon and Harrison

County, Indiana. We offer a wide variety

of outdoor adventures – some will have

you totally relaxed, and others will have

INDIANA CAVERNS

BAT CHASER

you screaming your head off.

To learn more, visit ThisIsIndiana.org


Flashback Photo

A Peaceful Snowfall

Corydon, Indiana

ca. 1967

// Photo courtesy of the Frederick Porter Griffin Center, Harrison County Public Library

This snapshot from the Harrison County Public Library archives captured a beautiful winter snow covering the first

state capitol in Corydon, Indiana in 1967.



A Walk in the Garden

The Stories Are ‘Out Here’

Ihave long believed that every

person in human history is a

story at some point in his or

her life, not to forget their cats,

dogs and parakeets. As such, I have

developed somewhat of a bad habit

while driving past some bent-over

human being dressed in worn work

boots, frazzled knit hat and Salvation

Army bib overalls of calling out

to my wife, “There’s a story there.”

OK, I might say the same of

a sharply dressed banker standing

outdoors in heavy rain at a barbecue

stand. Or a young mother

pushing a stroller stuffed with triplets,

and a 2-year-old trailing not

far behind. Or walking out of an

airport passing a cluster of people

holding signs saying, “Welcome

home, Great-Grandpa Ahab.”

Point being, if you just look at

the world through optimistic glasses,

those stories will come to you. In

my case, they came in about 4,000

newspaper columns, feature stories

and occasional diatribes. If you stay

in the business long enough, you

can gather 50, or so, of the favorites

and put them in a book. Let’s

call mine “Out Here” because my

entire career was out here in mid-

America.

The book answers the question

of how it all happened. How

does a guy who began his newspaper

career at age 25 writing in longhand

with a pencil end up working

at a daily newspaper traveling the

country and the world? That would

include writing three, four and

sometimes five columns a week on

everything from gardening to murder

to NCAA basketball tournaments

to drinking moonshine with

Loretta Lynn’s brother way up in

Butcher Hollow?

And it would include writing

14 books, doing a couple National

Public Radio talk shows, riding

an elephant, covering the U.S. Supreme

Court, trading verbal jabs

with Muhammad Ali and writing a

regular column for the world’s best

Southern Indiana Living Magazine.

And winning a bunch of awards,

including the Ernie Pyle Legacy

Award.

There is a story there, too. It’s

all in my latest book, “Out Here.”

It’s actually a bunch of stories that

came to me over about 50 years

of mostly genial pursuit. It’s now

available at Carmichael’s bookstore

in Louisville, or online through

Amazon from Old Stone Press.

The book was never really

planned. It just seemed like a good

thing to do while still vertical

enough to do it. Which brings to

mind a writing class I wrote about

many years ago that dealt with that

very subject, and many others.

The class brought together

about a dozen very senior citizens

who, while reasonably fit, could see

the light at the end of the yoga class.

Each had a story to tell, perhaps one

shining moment or period in their

life they wanted to leave for the

kids or grandkids. The need was

there, but very few had ever written

much beyond a grocery list. The

class instructors made it very clear

that did not matter. Don’t sweat the

spelling, grammar, punctuation or

syntax. Just tell your story. All those

messy phrases, spelling errors and

misplaced semicolons could be

worked out later.

The final results were amazing.

Many people ended up writing

much more than even they

expected, a few even wrote books,

I have developed

somewhat of a

bad habit while

driving past some

bent-over human

being dressed in

worn work boots,

frazzled knit hat

and Salvation Army

bib overalls of

calling out to my

wife, “There’s a

story there.”

their full life stories alive to be left

behind, including many family surprises.

And all in their words. As is

often the case, their lifelong manner

and style of speaking — or writing

— offered a more poignant result

than the King’s English. Keep

it real. You want to someday have

a grandchild say: “I read the book

and that sure sounded like Grandpa

talking.”

It was a writing philosophy I

often used in “Out Here.” A favorite

column in the book told of man

named Claudius Greenwade. He

was 94, the Black son of slaves who

was still living on his desolate 50-

acre family farm in Trigg County,

Kentucky. We were walking his

farm, trying to find the graves of

his parents. Their graves were only

marked by small, smooth stones,

the final indignity given slaves.

Greenwade lived nearby in a small

trailer and a crumbling house with

buckled floors, warped walls and a

patched roof.

“My house got old,” he explained.

He could have used 50

words and never said it better, more

personally: “My house got old.”

He spoke of the poverty in

which his family grew up, saying:

“My daddy had mighty modest


In the beginning, as the Louisville Courier Journal’s “Kentucky columnist”

and knowing very little about the state, I would get into my pickup truck

on a Monday morning and just drive east, south, west and north —

including Indiana — hoping stories would find me.

white people that was over him.”

We never found his parents’

graves. All the small stones, carefully

lined up, each above a forgotten

family member, were almost identical.

Greenwade could not tell them

apart, who was beneath them: “I’m

just not for certain,” he said, “and

most of my acquaintances is dead.”

In the beginning, as the Louisville

Courier Journal’s “Kentucky

columnist” and knowing very little

about the state, I would get into my

pickup truck on a Monday morning

and just drive east, south, west and

north — including Indiana — hoping

stories would find me. Traveling

into the Eastern Kentucky

mountains, I saw a man walking

behind a one-bottom plow being

pulled by a pair of mules. This was

not a story generally taught in journalism

school. I parked the truck,

walked out into the field to meet

the guy, and asked if I could give

mule-plowing a chance.

Absolutely.

I have done some farm work

in my day, baling hay, milking cows

and yes — ouch — castrating hogs.

But this was a whole different experience,

with history attached. Worth

a story. Closer to Central Kentucky,

I ended up in Gravel Switch, home

of Penn’s General Store, a legendary

place for cheese, crackers and

conversation. I became friends with

the owners and was made honorary

chairman of the Penn’s Store Great

Outhouse Blowout. Damn near Pulitzer

Prize territory. Western Kentucky

offered some great fishing.

Traveling Southern Indiana, I spent

a few hours at an auction watching

a poignant tale of a grandson

buying what he could afford of his

grandfather’s possessions.

The stories all piled up in time,

and then time started piling up on

me. So, I’m thinking let’s stick both

entities in one book and see where

that leads. It’s all there, in “Out

Here.” •

About the Author

Former Courier-Journal

columnist Bob Hill enjoys

gardening, good fun, good

friends and the life he and

his wife, Janet.




On the Road to 75

A Note to Baby Boomers

Men live a bit less than 75

years, on average. I am

71.

And there is no

pause button.

I may reach the norm and still

not watch my first reality TV show.

I could get there and still not figure

out why our smoke alarms blare

just for late-night meanness. By 75,

I still might not have done my next

pushup or attended my next movie.

Yet there also is this: Neither

of my parents and none of my

grandparents lived an average-long

life.

I might, nonetheless. Will I?

My goals are to live well and to

live better, not merely to hang on or

to fend off genetic bogeymen. My

kin made health mistakes I avoid,

more or less. Plus, cars are safer,

air and water are cleaner. A pill

knocks out its rival cholesterol. I eat

better than my folks did, better too

than I did for too long. I exercise,

sleep decently and no longer dread

doctor visits.

All of which means something

though, of course, guarantees

nothing.

My old, long-time employer

– the newspaper – apparently

provides free obituaries for retirees.

I need better incentive to give up

not giving up. Besides I may outlive

the newspaper. Like that’s sadly a

boast.

My teachers seemed old, as

if a youngster truly knows old.

So did my neighbors, my pastors,

star ballplayers, the women who

checked out our groceries and the

men who pumped our gasoline. I

could not imagine being that old.

Yet here I am and then some.

Gaps narrowed. I was no

longer the youngest trombonist

in the school band. I wasn’t

the youngest reporter on the

newspaper staff. I reached driving

age. I reached drinking age. The

military draft ended mere months

before I could have been issued a

rifle. Celebrations and breaks came

and went.

Adulthood arrived.

Dating turned into marriage.

Playing ball turned into coaching

ball, volunteer style. Allowance

turned into paychecks and

paychecks turned into tax-paying.

Renting turned into owning.

Marriage turned into parenthood.

The more I wrote, the more

money I earned, the more never

amounting to a whole lot. So be it. I

still enjoy writing – still and always

will be identified mostly as a writer.

May my last piece be that

freebie obit.

I got older. I got old. It took

work, took luck. Math not my

thing, I nonetheless could count my

blessings. Did I? Do I? I chose not to

settle on any one definition of old. Is

it the start of those incessant AARP

membership mailings? Is it when

the parents of our childhood friends

pass? Is it when the insurance agent

insists nursing-home coverage

makes sense?

Is it when a decision had to be

made: What should the grandkids

call me? To them I became Poppy.

Is it when Social Security is

first accessible? Is it when Medicare

knocks? Is it when early bird specials

and senior discounts start dictating

tomorrow’s agenda?

Indeed, I am 71. That is old.

But is 70? 69? 65? 60? 55? America

just held an election. The age

of candidates was debated and

debated. Maybe that was less about

being old and more about being too

old. Oh my, I still adjust to being

flat-out, no-doubt-about-it old.

I beg off the prospect of being

too old. How is it possible I may

need a bathroom even more?

Every retiree, every senior,

whatever age, is urged to keep

living, not to start dying. Stay

active, stay interested. Figure out

how, not if. Running for president

is not the simplest option.

Running at all is among my

memories, not plans. But I must

accept the overall aging struggle

as long as going to bed before 10

remains acceptable.

Being 71, being old, need not

feel like being condemned. I remind

myself, remind you, to take a walk,

take a nap and take stock. Make a

bucket list or complete one. Make

friends and rekindle friendships.

Look up, look around and not

always down at the bleeping cell

phone. Find good fits, one that will

offer an incentive to get up and to

get out.

Must I really be the last person

on Earth not to play pickleball?

In my last stop in this

magazine, I recounted how an

insurance underwriter concluded

my house was too risky to cover.

(Other insurers proved eager to

disagree.) This house – my home

virtually all my life is 163 years old

– serves both as ever-trusty shelter

and unrivaled role model.

It manages aging like houses

built 163 months ago should but

My kin made health mistakes I avoid, more

or less. Plus, cars are safer, air and water are

cleaner. A pill knocks out its rival cholesterol.

I eat better than my folks did, better too than I

did for too long. I exercise, sleep decently and

no longer dread doctor visits.

too often do not. This house changes

while staying the same. It will

confront and prevail over whatever

comes or whoever judges.

Will its owner?

I vowed long ago not to let

technology walk all over me. It still

does. I pledged to resume playing

that trombone. I still haven’t. Life

continues until the instant it doesn’t.

It is late but it is not too late.

I have more to give, more to

receive. Seventy-five is not all that

far off. Then again, neither is there

a fast-forward button. I will get

there when, or if, I get there. I will

need help, but I like my chances.

Seventy-five, here I come.

Please.•

After 25 years, Dale Moss

retired as Indiana columnist

for The Courier-Journal. He

now writes weekly for the

News and Tribune. Dale and

his wife Jean live in Jeffersonville

in a house that has been

in his family since the Civil War. Dale’s e-mail

is dale.moss@twc.com


Top Ten

TOP 10

Restaurants for Valentines Day

Photo credit: Romix Images / shutterstock.com

1

2

3

The Overlook Restaurant

along the Ohio River in Leavenworth

Sit by the window and look at the Ohio

River scenery or stop in and buy a box of

chocolates.

theoverlook.com | 812.739.4264

Schwartz Family Restaurant

in Eckerty, Indiana

Enjoy the made-from-scratch Amish style food served

cafeteria/buffet style and shop for candies and gifts.

SchwartzFamilyRestaurant.com | 812.338.9000

1816 Modern Kitchen

in Corydon, Indiana

Southern Asian Fusion Restaurant with farm-to-table

food

1816kitchen.com | For reservations: 812.721.0054

6

7

8

Flipdaddy’s in Corydon, Indiana

Enjoy only the best beef with premium

quality cuts of brisket, short ribs

flipdaddys.com |812.225.7229

Cattleman’s Roadhouse

in New Albany, Indiana

Serving premium quality steaks

812.725.7166 cattlemansroadhouse.com

Lucas Oil Golf Course Bar & Grill

in English, Indiana

Steak, burgers, chicken, pizza, seafood

lucasoilgolfcourse.com | 812.338.3748

4

5

Rancho Alegre Restaurant

in Corydon, Indiana

Offering tamales, burritos, and more.

ranchoalegrein.com | 812.738.7530

Springtown Pizza

in the Marengo Cave Gift Shop

Dine and then enjoy a cave tour or visit the rock shop

to purchase of special gems and gifts.

marengocave.com | 812.365.2886


9

10

Porkys BBQ in Paoli, Indiana

Established in the 1950s & made famous for

their double decker FatBoy sandwich still served

today

www.facebook.com/porkysbbqofpaoli/

812.723.2271

El Maguey Mexican Restaurant

in Salem, Indiana

Carnitas, tacos, quesdillas and other favorites

https://salem.elmaguey.restaurant

812.883.0098

Corydon, Indiana

812-736-3040

BRIAN A. BATES LORI S. SHORT

812-736-3040

101 N. MULBERRY ST. • CORYDON, IN • 812-736-3040



Refresh.

Reset.

Renew.

Put a retreat on your calendar for 2025.

When was the last time you took time away? Really away? Time to quiet your

mind, and turn your heart and soul to what matters most? This year, why not

make time for a retreat at the Benedictine Hospitality Center at Monastery

Immaculate Conception in Ferdinand?

Step away from your normal routine. Slow down, be

still and reconnect with God. Focus on your own

spiritual journey in peace, away from the noise and

interruption of your daily routine. And enjoy the

warm hospitality and spiritual support of the

Sisters of St. Benedict.

Choose one of our scheduled Quiet Retreats

or Silent Directed Retreats — or come for your

own individual retreat for two, three or more

days. All are designed to refresh your soul, reset

your mind and renew your relationship with God.

Walk the grounds and the labyrinth. Follow the

Stations of the Cross. Climb the Rosary Steps on

Grotto Hill. Reflect on the Cosmic Walk. Light a candle

in the Grotto. Join the Sisters for the Liturgy of the Hours and

Eucharist. Pray and reflect at your own pace.

See the complete calendar of 2025 scheduled retreats, and learn more about the

Benedictine Hospitality Center, at www.thedome.org under “Serving You,” by

calling 812-367-1411 Ext. 2842, or by scanning the QR code below with your

smartphone.

Come alone. Come with a spouse, a sibling or a friend. Come if you’re

Catholic. Come if you aren’t. But come away, and refresh mind, body and

spirit. All are welcome.

BENEDICTINE

HOSPITALITY CENTER

Welcoming Each Person As Christ

Sisters of St. Benedict | www.thedome.org | 812.367.1411 | 802 E. 10th St., Ferdinand, IN 47532-9239


OF HARRISON COUNTY

500+

YOUTH

Taught Life-Saving

Water Skills

100+

Aging Adults

Cared For

WEEKLY

Through

Social Activities

2024

IN REVIEW

Thanks to the

generosity of neighbors

like you, our Y has

been able to make a

transformational

impact in 2024.

Contact us to help ring in your 2025

with generosity!

cf-cc.org/funds

812.365.2900

Financial Assistance to

300+

Community Members

& Organizations

500+

Youth Served

In & Out of School

Time & Sports

Programs

We can help you triple the value of

YOUR gift to one of our

unrestricted grantmaking funds.

(812) 734-0770 ymcaharrison.org

198 Jenkins Ct. NE, Corydon, IN 47137


Helping Hands

Getting to her driveway

is much easier for Judith

Waggoner these days. The

78-year-old English woman

who suffers from vertigo found

walking across her yard difficult.

“I have some bad flare ups that

give me trouble keeping my balance,”

she said. Even using a cane

or walker, it wasn’t easy walking

without mishap, she said. “I could

have stubbed my toe and fallen.”

Reggie Timberlake, president

of the Fuller Center for Housing of

Crawford County, learned about

Waggoner’s plight from Bob Crecelius,

vice president of the organization,

and with Jim Stolberg, a board

member, they solved Waggoner’s

problem by providing a sidewalk.

And in a later project, handrails.

“I just feel it is a lot safer now,”

said Waggoner, “and I am thankful.”

Timberlake said that doing

jobs like this is one of the reasons

the local organization transitioned

from Habitat for Humanity to the

Fuller Center.

The Fuller Center embraces

side projects and is better geared all

around for smaller organizations,

Timberlake said. “Habitat is fine

for larger cities and places where

they have resources to build several

houses at a time. But here we do

well to have volunteers and financial

resources to construct a house

every three years or so.”

“We plan to build houses,

but in the meantime others can be

helped with smaller projects. That

allows us to assist more people,” he

said. These have included roofing a

storm-damaged home as well as installing

a heat pump and duct work

for a family facing a serious health

crisis.

Timberlake, Crecelius and

other board members researched

extensively before the organization

made the change. “We looked at

several other alternatives, but this

seemed the best fit,” Timberlake

said.

Although they have consulted

print material and internet information

and made phone calls,

they didn’t rely solely on those to

understand how the Fuller Center

operates. Timberlake and Crecelius

traveled to Americas, Georgia,

where they volunteered at a Fuller

Center Building Project.

“We wanted to see firsthand

just how it worked,” said Timberlake,

adding that another advantage

of the Fuller project is that there are

programs in which volunteers from

other municipalities join locals to

build homes. “That is something

we hope to take advantage of and

get some help,” he said. “I plan to

volunteer at other sites as well.”

“The Fuller Center is a much

smaller organization than Habitat

for Humanity and you have a personal

connection with the people

who run it,” he said. “Less paperwork

is required, and there is flexibility

allowing projects fitting to the

community’s needs. That’s why so

many other less-populated counties

are going to the Fuller Center with

Habitat’s blessing.”

Timberlake and Crecelius got

an in-depth look into the history of

the two organizations when they

made the Georgia trip.

They were given rooming at

Koinonia Farm, where the movement

began in 1942 when Clarence

Jordan, a Baptist minister, bought

the farm with another couple. The

goal was to create a community

where believers shared their talents

and resources. It was in the 1960s

that Millard and Linda Fuller came

to the farm and a movement was

born.

With the Fullers at the helm,

the house building grew into the

successful Habitat for Humanity

program, providing homes worldwide.

Habitat was named the 17thlargest

home builder in the United

Making a Difference

States in 1994 and was championed

by former President Jimmy Carter.

However, with growth came

change and differences of opinion,

resulting in the Fullers being ousted

from the organization in 1904, according

to David Snell, president of

the Fuller Center, in his publication

“The Vision at Work.”

Fuller remained dedicated

to his goal of eliminating poverty

housing, and the Fuller Center for

Housing was established.

Crecelius said they realized

what a humble man Millard Fuller

was when they visited his gravesite

at Koinonia Farm. Fuller died unexpectedly

in 2009. He was buried in a

pine box in an unmarked grave, according

to his wishes. Only a hammer

stuck in a nearby tree marks

the spot. “That was really impressive,”

said Crecelius.

A partner family is being chosen

for the local chapter’s next

build. “We purchased land and are

obtaining the required permits,”

said Timberlake, who is targeting

May to begin construction.

He notes that partner families

must demonstrate a need and an inability

to achieve home ownership

through conventional methods.

They must be willing to participate

in the process, contributing “sweat

equity,” and they must have the

means of repaying material costs

on terms they can afford, over time,

and with no interest charged.

Timberlake said volunteers

are needed. “We really need people

who can sit on the board as well as

serve on various committees. We

don’t just need people who can

build, but those who can provide

meals to workers, paint, provide

family support and serve in other

ways.”

He added that side jobs, such

as Waggoner’s sidewalk, will be

done for qualifying homeowners.

As with homes, costs for materials

are paid back without interest as

the resident is able. There are never

any labor charges.

Waggoner said, “By ‘paying it

forward’ with a monthly contribution,

I am helping buy materials for

further work so they can help others,

and I am happy to do that.” •

For information, or to donate, volunteer

or apply to be a partner family,

visitfullercenter.org/crawford-countyindiana,

call 812-267-6275 or go to

facebook.com/FullerCenterofCC.


VANWINKLE

• ALIGNMENTS

• OIL CHANGE

• TIRES

812-347-3134

CALL RAMSEY TODAY!

Seniors &

Winter Safety

Keep your loved one safe

and in good hands!

Caring for an elderly loved one can bring concerns such as wandering, forgetting to

secure doors, or leaving appliances on, which can be especially risky in winter.

Winter Respite Care offers a solution! We can provide short-term stays that help

reduce these risks and give primary caregivers a much-needed break. Whether recovering

from surgery or just needing temporary support, we ensure that your senior family

member receives the appropriate level of care, so you can experience peace of mind.

Respite care is available at all of our area communties

(listed, right). Call today! Or visit www.ASCCare.com

Care Coordination Center

here when you need us:

888-996-8272 ASCCare.com

Visit ASCCare.com for more information about locations, services and career opportunities.

CLARKSVILLE

Clark Rehabilitation &

Skilled Nursing Center

517 N. Little League Blvd.

Riverview Village

586 Eastern Blvd.

JEFFERSONVILLE

Hillcrest Village

203 Sparks Ave.

LEAVENWORTH

Todd-Dickey Nursing

& Rehabilitation

712 W. 2nd St.

SCOTTSBURG

Hickory Creek

at Scottsburg

1100 N. Gardner St.

Lake Pointe Village

545 W. Moonglo Rd.


CLK-mkt 7.5x4.875_SIndLivingMag-WinterSafety_11.24.indd 1

12/5/24 9:47 AM

1 in 5

children

faces hunger

Together, we can change this.

Donate today at

DARETOCARE.ORG


Artists of So IN

More than 100 vintage

photographs of Harrison

County and its residents

were on display at

Harrison County Arts in Corydon

between Sept. 13 and Nov. 9, 2024.

Randy West, the photographer who

shot these photos, was the editor of

The Corydon Democrat from 1970

to 2005.

The exhibit, “Around the

Corner, Down the Street,” featured

mostly black and white photos

taken for the newspaper at a time

when local journalism still played a

critical role in keeping communities

across America informed. West’s

photos capture rare and iconic

moments of small-town life in a

disappearing America.

One location that West

liked to visit to photograph

was Davidson’s Pool Room in

downtown Corydon, which was

established in 1932 and closed in

1983. Pool halls were once found in

most towns and cities throughout

the U.S. and were often regarded

as dens of moral corruption.

Davidson’s, too, was a fabled place

of notoriety and legend.

According to the historical

marker placed on the old site by

Harrison County Bicentennial

Committee Historian Bill Brockman,

“Davidson’s was a narrow, smokefilled

room, but spanned 99 feet

between its entrances on Chestnut

and Beaver Streets. It provided a

convenient place for grown men to

meet, play pool and swap stories.”

“The light in there was

unique,” West said. “The big plateglass

windows on each end allowed

light to pour into the gloomy

interior creating striking shadows.”

West used the light to capture

the intensity of the lined faces of

cigar-smoking regulars watching

an eight-ball tournament. His 1974

photo of Frank Scott, 88, caught

the subject in an intimate and still

moment of solitude, half in shadow

as he sits by the window keeping an

eye on what is happening in town.

“Frank often came to

Davidson’s pool hall to see his

friends, and occasionally comment

on a game,” West said.

The traditional barbershop is

another place that caught West’s

eye. A 1991 photo of Voyles Barbershop,

“A Cut Above,” shows John

Voyles, 41, and his father, Carl, 72,

keeping things light at their business

in Palmyra. “Carl played his


fiddle on slow days,” West said,

“reminiscent of barbershops in the

early 20th century where men gathered,

socialized and sang.”

A 1974 photo of George’s

Barbershop, in downtown

Corydon, was taken as a passerby

might see it on a Saturday morning.

West’s photo is framed so the

viewer focuses on barber Carl

Lofton sitting back in the chair and

brushing up on the news before his

first customer.

“The traditional barber was

expected to know the news of the

world, everything going on in

town, and have a witty answer for

everything,” West said. It had both

more and less to offer than today’s

unisex “salons,” “style shops” and

“hair studios.”

Children and their pets figure

in several of West’s photos in the

exhibit. A 1976 shot of 9-yearold

Peter Bush holding on to

Twister, his Hereford Angus calf,

is masterful. Taken just before the

Pet Parade begins on the Fourth of

July in Laconia, the photo captures

the slow pace and relaxed, magical

vibes of small-town life.

West’s collection also includes

photos of well-known historical figures

of Harrison County, including

Frank O’Bannon (1930-2003), former

governor of Indiana; Fred Griffin

(1915-2008), a local historian;

Places & Faces

Harrison County Artist Randy West

Story by Judy Cato

Photos by Lorraine Hughes

Wilfred Sieg Sr. (1931-2006), “Cousin

Willie” of Ramsey Popcorn; and

many more.

West did not set out to be a

photojournalist. His father bought

him his first camera — a 35 mm

Pentax — in Hong Kong when

West was in college. “I spent many

happy hours taking pictures with

that camera,” West said, “but I did

not associate it with a career. I was

studying to be a history or English

teacher.”

Out of college, West was hired

to teach English at Corydon Central

High School where he was also

asked to teach a journalism class. “I

received a crash course in operating

the school’s vintage Rolleicord

camera by a student, Bonita

Brockman, and basic darkroom

organization by the principal,

Earl Saulman,” West said. “After

that, it was just trial, error and

perseverance.”

The summer after his first year

of teaching, in 1968, West enrolled

in a basic photojournalism class at

Indiana University, in Bloomington,

to sharpen his skills.

“This class changed everything

for me,” West said. “Dr. Wil

Counts, the professor, introduced

us to the work of the Frenchman

Henri Cartier-Bresson, often called

the father of modern photojournalism.

I immediately became a huge

fan of his work and his ideas.”

Bresson pioneered the genre

of street photography and thought

the photographer should capture

a “decisive moment.” He saw the

camera as an instrument of intuition

and spontaneity, and the photographer

as master of the instant.

For Bresson, the photo happens in

a creative fraction of a second, and

not in the darkroom, through cropping

and manipulation.

Two years later, when West

was hired as editor of The Corydon

Democrat, it was these ideas of

Cartier-Bresson that inspired him.

In a 1989 photo of Raymond

Cotner’s fish camps at New Amsterdam,

West captures the “decisive

moment” when Ohio River

floodwaters come right up to the

camps. The photo taps the exquisite

beauty of the location and evokes a

complex mood with the fog, barren

limbs and low light, all seen as they

are and as reflected in the river.

West believes that his job as

editor of The Corydon Democrat

was the best job in the world for

him and that he was lucky to have

it. “I could pretty much do what I

wanted, within reason,” he said.

“I loved to take pictures and write

stories, and could decide when and

how they appeared in a paper that

people read. What’s not to like?” •

The exhibit,

“Around the

Corner, Down

the Street,”

featured mostly

black and

white photos

taken for the

newspaper at a

time when local

journalism

still played a

critical role

in keeping

communities

across America

informed.

Pictured: (left hand page, top) Carl Lofton brushing up

on the news before his barber shop opened; (this page,

top) Frank Scott at the Pool Hall; (this page, middle)

Peter Bush, 9, holds on to Twister, his Hereford Angus

calf, before the Pet Parade in Laconia in 1976; Wilfred

Sieg at a Ramsey Popcorn meeting in 1977. He would

later become Cousin Willie, the popular logo for Ramsey

Popcorn; (bottom, from left) artist Randy West; Cigar

smoking regulars watch an eight-ball tournament at

Davidson’s Pool Hall in Corydon.


Artists of So IN

In wooded northeast Crawford

County, near Milltown, artist

Sue Chapman appreciates the

tranquil setting of her home.

“I moved here more than 30

years ago to enjoy the picturesque

landscape with its views of woods,

streams and wildlife,” the artist

said. Chapman, now 97 years old,

holds a wellspring of memories

about the land formations of this

area that she has painted.

Memories from her earlier life

— in New York, Indianapolis, Louisville

and Corydon — also emerge

as she speaks about her life as an

artist.

Chapman was born and grew

up in Delmar, New York. She remembers

choosing art classes for

all her electives through junior high

and high school. “I was probably

influenced to do this by my father,

who should have been an artist,”

she said. “I was lucky to have had

a great teacher, Elizabeth Marston,

who I used to go back and visit,

even years later.”

Straight after high school,

Chapman enrolled at Pratt Institute

in Brooklyn, a school known for its

art and design programs. “I figured

I would have to make a living after

college,” Chapman said, “so I chose

commercial art, focusing on illustration.”

She was right; she had no

trouble finding work after graduation.

Early employers included ad

agencies, printers, and, on a freelance

basis, General Electric’s advertising

apparatus and public relations

departments.

When Chapman and her

husband moved to Indianapolis,

shortly after their marriage, it was

because he was offered employment

in the expanding Midwest,

and because they were both big

auto racing fans. While Chapman

continued to work in her field, she

took on a part-time job as a scorer

for the races. “I loved the speed, the

thrill of competition,” she said. Her

artwork began reflecting the influence

of this sport. “I did hundreds

of pen and ink drawings, watercolor

and acrylic paintings of auto racing,”

she said. Louisville’s Courier

Journal Sunday Magazine used one

of her illustrations for an

Indianapolis 500 story, as did

Sports Car Graphic. One of her

works is in the private collection of

Hall of Fame driver A.J. Foyt Jr.

Moving to Jeffersonville,

Chapman began exploring a new

At Home in Crawford County

Southern Indiana Artist Sue Chapman

theme for her artwork: horse racing.

Thanks to a friend, she got a job as a

hot walker at Churchill Downs. (A

hot walker is someone who walks

the horses to help them cool down

after a workout). “I loved walking

the horses, sensing their muscle

movement,” she said. She eventually

became well known for her

equine paintings, as her work was

featured on magazine covers and

used by the horse racing industry.

Reflecting on this period of

her life and on her action paintings,

Chapman said, “My work

was never perfect, but I wanted to

get it ‘right’. ‘Right’ might be local

color, atmosphere or sense of motion.

I attempted to convey the tension

between man and medium —

whether thoroughbred or race car.”

Chapman and her husband

settled in Corydon around the time

of Indiana’s sesquicentennial in

1966. “I was impressed that Corydon

had been Indiana’s first state

capital, so I read a lot of local history,”

she said.

For the sesquicentennial,

Chapman designed and printed

lino blocks of Corydon’s historic

landmarks, including the Old State

Capitol Building, Constitution Elm,

the Posey House, the Old Treasury

Building and Gov. Hendricks’ headquarters.

A lino block, also known

as a lino print or linoleum art, is a

printmaking technique. It is a variant

of woodcut in which a sheet of

linoleum is used for a relief surface.

Story by Judy Cato

Photos by Lorraine Hughes

A design is cut into the linoleum

surface as a mirror image. The sheet

is inked with a roller, called a brayer,

impressed onto paper or fabric,

and run through a printing press or

printed by hand.

“I printed the images of Corydon

landmarks on a galley press

from the old Corydon Republican

newspaper when it went out of

business,” Chapman said. She has

kept the original lino blocks all

these years.

Another source of inspiration

for Chapman’s art has been other

artists and writers. In the late 1970s,

she was introduced to the American

artist and writer Harlan Hubbard.

“I had been impressed by his

book “Shantyboat,” about his journey

down the Ohio and Mississippi

Rivers, living simply, with leisure

for painting,” Chapman said. When

Chapman met him, he was living

with his wife at Payne Hollow on

the shore of the Ohio River in Trimble

County, Kentucky. “We became

friends, and I felt privileged to have

the opportunity to paint portraits

of both him and his wife, Anna,”

Chapman said.

In November 2023, Harrison

County Arts, in Corydon, honored

Chapman with a Lifetime Membership

Award in conjunction with an

exhibit of close to 50 of her paintings.

“The evening of the opening

reception was truly wonderful,”

Chapman said. “I was totally sur-

“My work was never perfect, but I wanted to get it

‘right’. ‘Right’ might be local color, atmosphere or sense

of motion. I attempted to convey the tension between man

and medium — whether thoroughbred or race car.”

- Sue Chapman

prised and deeply moved by all the

people who showed up.”

In an article about this event,

The Corydon Democrat referred to

her a “one of Southern Indiana’s

most beloved artists.”

Since her move to Crawford

County, one of Chapman’s favorite

places to paint has been the Leavenworth

Overlook. “I have made

over 20 different paintings there,”

she said. “For one week, I went almost

every day. The light at different

times of day, the shadows created

by fog and sun have created

endless possibilities.”

Chapman stopped painting a

year ago due to health concerns. “If

I were to paint again,” she said, “I

would return to Horseshoe Bend at

the Leavenworth Overlook.” •

THE EAGLE’S NEST

Relax and Watch the Riverboats Pass By!

THE HAWK’S NEST

(812) 968-4334 | BigTimberRiverCabins.com

Leavenworth, Indiana

Discover What Makes Washington County a

Great

Destination!

Cornerstone Hall

Our spaces accommodate up to 500 people with

an elegant ambiance that lets you set the stage

for a memorable event. | CornerstoneHall.com

The Destination LLC

A country setting in the hills of Southern Indiana,

less than an hour from Louisville, Kentucky, and 90

minutes from Indianapolis, IN. Stay at our Farm

House Bed & Breakfast, shop the Vintage Market,

or celebrate your event in The Yard, Gathering

Room, or The Loft with meals straight from our

kitchens. | TheDestinationLLC.com

John Hay Center

The Stevens Memorial Museum has a meeting area with a genealogical

library, displays, artifacts and historical items. The Depot has a meeting

room and railroad museum with a working train display. Both offer a

kitchen so have your meeting catered. | JohnHayCenter.org

Be sure to check visitwashingtoncounty.org

for more information and other events that are planned,

or call 812-883-5533 to plan your trip!

We tailor coverage to your unique needs and offer

discounts that could save you money.

LIFE’S BETTER WHEN

YOU’RE PROTECTED

UNDER OUR ROOF.

Save up to 25% on your home and

auto insurance when you bundle

home, auto and life insurance. *

Call or scan today to get a quote

and see how much you could save.

Mark Stevens, Agent

Mark R Stevens Agency LLC

(812) 734-0612

mstevens@amfam.com

markrstevensagency.com

*Customers who bundle home, auto and life policies may save up to 25% on their home and auto policies together (as of

December 2023). Discounts may vary by state, property, policy form and company underwriting the auto and/or home

policy. Discounts may not apply to all coverages on an auto or home policy. Discounts do not apply to life insurance policies.

American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. & its Operating Companies, American Family Life Insurance Company,

6000 American Parkway, Madison, WI 53783 ©2023 21714 – Rev. 4/24 – 22901886

Talk to your

neighbors,

then talk

to me.

Wigs

BY KIM

812-736-3928

Theresa J Lamb Ins Agency Inc

Theresa Lamb, Agent

1523 State Street

New Albany, IN 47150

Bus: 812-945-8088

1001174.1

See why State Farm ® insures

more drivers than GEICO and

Progressive combined. Great

service, plus discounts of up

to 40 percent.*

Like a good neighbor,

State Farm is there. ®

CALL FOR QUOTE 24/7.

*Discounts vary by states.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL


Plant-Based Diets: How to Dip Your Toe or Dive Right In!

As we are all ringing in

the new year, health is

at the forefront of many

people’s minds. New

Year’s resolutions often include

some health-related aspect, such

as losing weight, gaining muscle,

cooking more or eating out less.

One newer trend is focusing on

plant-based foods and eating

less meat. Benefits can include

lower intake of calories, saturated

fats, trans fats, added sugars and

sodium, which could have positive

effects on blood pressure, elevated

glucose (sugar); cost savings with

the rising cost of meat; increased

fiber, vitamin and mineral intake;

as well as positive effects for the

environment, including less carbon

emissions from meat production.

In 2003, in association with the

Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable

Future, American advertising and

marketing executive Sid Lerner

founded the “Meatless Mondays”

campaign encouraging consumers

to go meatless for one day a week.

The idea was to start your week

off on a positive and healthy note,

setting yourself up for a successful

week. Going meatless means you

can still include dairy items such

as yogurt, cheese, milk and eggs,

but still have positive health and

environmental impacts. Grains are

also an important part of the diet

that provide fiber, along with fruits

and vegetables. Round out your

meal with healthy fats such as olive

oil, avocado or nuts and seeds.

The most common concern

people have with plant-based diets

is getting enough protein. Protein

can be found in many non-meat

sources such as beans and legumes,

tofu and tempeh, nuts and seeds,

quinoa or a plant-based protein

powder. If you aren’t ready to go

fully plant-based and just meat-free,

then low-fat milk, yogurt, cottage

cheese, eggs or oral nutrition

supplements such as Boost or

Ensure are also excellent sources of

protein.

If you are curious about going

meatless one day per week and

want to start eating more plantbased,

here are some meal and

snacks ideas to get started! •

Photo: Creative Cat Studio / shutterstock.com

About the Author

Kate Perkins, MS, RD,

LD, is a clinical dietitian

at Baptist Health Floyd

in New Albany. She

graduated from the

University of Kentucky

and completed her internship in Lexington,

Kentucky. Although she has practiced in a

variety of settings in the past 12 years, she

finds the most joy in clinical nutrition, applying

evidence-based practices to improve patient

care. In her spare time, she loves reading,

staying active and trying local restaurants.

Real Life Nutrition

PLANT-BASED SNACK IDEAS

• 1 ounce of almonds (make it trail mix by adding 2 tablespoons

raisins and ¼ cup whole grain cereal)

• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and apple slices (or banana or

celery!)

• Baked potato and salsa

• Roasted chickpeas

• Rice cake topped with 2 tablespoons guacamole

• 1 cup edamame (with the shell)

• Energy bites (a mixture of peanut butter, oats and chocolate chips)

PLANT-BASED MEAL IDEAS

• Butternut squash and black bean enchiladas

• Rice and black bean stuffed bell peppers

• Portobello mushroom burger

• Grain bowls (greens, beans, vegetables, dressing)

• Cauliflower steak

• Bean soup


So Indiana in Pictures

Personal Counseling Service’s

2024 Norman Melhiser Samaritan Awards Gala

The Gala generates funding for those individuals and families who are uninsured. Thanks to all of you and your support,

PCS was blessed by netting $81,000 to provide mental health and addiction services to individuals and families.

- Doug Drake, PCS Staff and Board of Directors

Pictured: (above) PCS Ambassador, Andrew Takami and Kentucky State

Representative, Pamela Stevenson

Pictured: (right)Emcee Dawne Gee

Pictured: (above) First Harrison Bank Volunteers.

Pictured: Board member, Julie Gamble, PCS CEO, Doug Drake, and Gala Team

member, Savannah Gamble.


Jamey Aebersold Jazz Quartet

THANKS TO OUR MAJOR SPONSORS

Duke Energy

Alice J. Schleicherr

First Harrison Bank

Calco Spa

Faithpoint Church

Drue & Ron Thompson

First Capital Christian Church

Jamey Ebersold

Award winners (left to right):

Officer Chris Bartley – First Responder/Healthcare Samaritan Award

Jessica Sawyer – Alice & Richard Schleicher Individual Samaritan Award

The Mustard Seed – John & Nancy Keck Non-Profit Award

Family Time, Inc – Les & Virginia Albro For-Profit Samaritan Award

Pictured: (above) PCS Board Vice-Chair, Dr. Steve Cunningham and Former

Indiana Senator Ron Grooms

Pictured: (above) Richard Schleicher greeting the Gala’s namesake, Norman

Melhiser with Alice Schleicher, Dan & Vicki Williamson in the background.

Pictured: (above) Auctioneer and Classic Furniture Owner Todd Coleman and

Emcee Dawne Gee.

Above: Marilyn Dorton and Floyd County Council Member Tony Toran

Pictured: (above) PCS Gala at Huber’s Winery Plantation Hall

And many thanks to our in-kind sponsors...

First Harrison Bank Volunteers

Plantation Hall at Huber’s Orchard & Winery

Our Gala Team

Underproduction Multi-Media

Kinkade Jewelers

Southern Indiana Living Magazine

Budget Printing

Way FM

Todd Coleman, Auctioneer

Dawne Gee, Emcee WAVE -3 TV Anchor

Charity Drake, Photographer. Whitney & Tim Nash

Pam Lumley Vissing


Everyday Adventures

The Attack of the 50-Foot Air Mattress

Never set up a brand new

tent at a campground unless

you’ve tried it first at

home. This is especially true

if you’re setting it up at dusk with your

spouse. There’s just too much at stake.

If things don’t go well, you’re going

to end up sleeping in your car, driving

home or threatening to feed each other

to the bears.

Unfortunately, no one gave me

this advice before I walked down the

aisle. In fact, it was a wedding present

that got me into this mess to begin with.

You see, my family loved to camp

when I was kid, so when I got married,

my dad gave us a dome tent and a deluxe

air bed to go with it. It was a great

present. I had enough painful memories

of sleeping on thin blankets and flimsy,

dime store air mattresses to make me really

appreciate a quality camping bed.

Those days of roughing it were

over, though. My new air bed looked

top of the line, probably nicer than my

real bed. No doubt about it. We were

sure to sleep like babies in the great outdoors.

At least, that’s what I assumed.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance

to actually try it out or even get it out

of the box before our inaugural camping

trip, but I didn’t give it a second

thought. In fact, when a family from

our church invited us to camp with

them one Friday night, I jumped at the

chance. It was go time. Not only would

we finally get to try out our new gear

but I’d also get to show my wife how

handy I was in the woods.

Yet, as excited as I was about the

trip, things didn’t exactly start out on

the right foot.

We were late getting on the road,

and the campground was an hour away.

By the time we found our friends and

grilled some burgers, the sun was starting

to set.

No problem, I thought. I’ve set up

a million tents. This wouldn’t take long.

Turns out it took us until well after dark.

We eventually had to turn on our headlights

just to see what we were doing.

After what seemed like hours, we

finally got the tent up and figured we

were home free. Now all we had to do

was inflate the air mattress with the car

pump, and we’d be good to go.

As I watched it fill with air, my excitement

grew. The bed looked so comfy.

This was going to be the best night’s

sleep of my life. But the longer I inflated


it, the more my enthusiasm turned to

concern. Just how big was this thing

anyway?

My eyes darted back and forth

between the mattress and the tent, and

suddenly I realized we had a real problem

on our hands. This bed was much

bigger than I’d expected. And like a

monster from an old 50’s sci-fi movie,

it kept growing and growing and growing!

Once it was full, I wrestled it into

the tent, but no matter how hard I tried

to cram it inside, it was sticking out the

door at least a foot. There was no way

we would be able to zip that door.

Now we had a choice to make. We

could either sleep on the hard ground or

keep the door open, inviting every raccoon,

snake and squirrel to come snuggle

with us to keep warm. It was a no

brainer. We opted for comfort and spent

that night with our feet sticking out in

the wilderness, all in the name of a good

night’s sleep.

I learned a couple of valuable lessons

that night. The first, of course, is to

try out all of your camping gear before

you haul it into the woods. The second

is that sometimes small things in life can

turn into a bigger deal than we might

expect.

For instance, if someone hurts my

feelings and I don’t address it or forgive

it, it can sour my whole attitude

towards that person. Or if I let myself

grumble and complain about my job,

the next thing I know is I hate my job.

If I stress eat every night, by the end of

year, I’m carrying extra pounds and

feeling lousy.

Bad habits can blow up into addictions.

Unresolved conflict can wreck

relationships. Judging others and indulging

tiny moments of pride can turn

us into unloving, bitter people.

Like my air bed that inflated into

something so big it crowded out everything

else, these little choices can crowd

out the joy and peace from our lives.

On the other hand, small positive

steps can take us the other direction.

Getting out and walking a little every

Those days of

roughing it were

over, though. My

new air bed looked

top of the line,

probably nicer than

my real bed. No

doubt about it. We

were sure to sleep

like babies in the

great outdoors.

day can lead to a healthy heart. Writing

down things we’re thankful for can lead

to a grateful mindset. Intentionally letting

others go first can turn us into servants.

Starting our day

with a few minutes of Bible reading

and prayer can deepen our friendship

with God and our

capacity to handle stress.

Little things tend to become big

things over time, whether for good or

bad. It all comes down to

what we want to see grow in our

lives and what we want to see diminish.

The great news is that

we don’t have to navigate these

choices alone. There’s a God who loves

us who wants to fill our lives with good

things and will help us to take steps in

that direction one choice at a time•

Photo credit: Polina Timokhovskaia / shutterstock.

com.

Jason Byerly is a writer, pastor, husband and

dad who loves the quirky surprises God

sends his way every day. You can read more

from Jason in his books Tales from the Leaf Pile

and Holiday Road. You can catch up with Jason

on his blog at www.jasonbyerly.com.

NEW YEAR. NEW CAR.

NEW YOU.


EVERYONE’S HEARTBEAT IS UNIQUE.

WE BELIEVE HEART CARE SHOULD BE, TOO.

A NON-INVASIVE HEART SCREENING AT BAPTIST HEALTH FLOYD MAY HAVE

SAVED JOHN’S LIFE when he experienced shortness of breath. The cardiac specialists

detected a 95% blockage of blood flow to his heart and performed a triple bypass. This

expertise in diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening cardiac conditions is one reason

more people trust Baptist Health with their hearts than any other hospital system in

Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Find out why you can, too, at BaptistHealth.com/HeartCare.

Corbin | Floyd | Hardin | La Grange | Lexington | Louisville | Madisonville | Paducah | Richmond

BaptistHealth.com

Southern Indiana Living - January / February 2025

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template ?