Reverend Arnold Cutter
Reverend Arnold John Cutter, age 86, of Dillsboro, Indiana, departed this life at 5:30 a.m., on Sunday, September 16th, 2018, at the Highpoint Health in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
Arnold was born November 15th, 1931, the son of Christopher Ernest and Martha Clara (Vinup) Cutter, at their home near Fairview. He was baptized into the Christian faith as an infant, at the St. Peter Lutheran Church in Bear Branch, Indiana. Later in life he accepted his baptized vows through confirmation and became a member of the church.
He attended the Fairview one room schoolhouse for seven years (skipping the third grade); then went on to Vevay High School, graduating in the class of 1949.
He stayed on the farm until August of 1952, when he was drafted into the Army. He took his basic training at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He spent the last of December of that year on a delay in route at home. He left on January 1st for California. From there he sailed for Japan. There he joined the I Calvary Division 5th Calvary Regiment. He was signed to “L” Company as a truck driver. About two weeks later his regiment left for Pusan Korea, where his company was assigned to guard the depot where supplies for troops in Korea were unloaded. Every four hours he took out two new guard forces.
Just before the war ended his company was sent to an island off the coast of Korea where North Korean prisoners were kept. The war ended and their company had the job of loading these prisoners on L.S.T. and sending them back North. After that they returned back to their home base in Northern Japan. From there he returned to the U.S.A. in August of 1954 and was discharged at the rank of Corporal. He received the Korean Service Ribbon with two bronze service stars, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
Upon arriving home he saw his wife to be, Annette Combs for the first time in person. Many letters and pictures had been exchanged during the past 18 to 20 months. Of course it was nice to be home with his Mom, Dad, Brother and Grandma Vinup.
Arnold and Annette were married on June 11th, 1955, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. They moved to the farm house that his father and mother had purchased, but never lived there just across from the home place. Their family was made complete with the birth of a son, Ronald; and daughters, Bonnie and Joy. They lived there for 35 years and one day, before moving to Ogilville, Indiana to pastor the church there. Arnold was a farmer at heart, but he had other God given gifts too. A cousin came over shortly after they were married and wanted Arnold to help in his meat market that is now called, The Food Pantry in Dillsboro, Indiana. Arnold told him he didn’t know anything about cutting meat. “If you will help us in the store I will teach you,” he replied. That was one of God’s gifts he didn’t know he had. Arnold purchased his own meat cutting equipment and set it up at his home. God only knows how many deer and other animals he had cut up.
In October 1958, he started to work at Schindleys Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The first few years were not very steady. He had the farm work to do because his brother, Otto was in the Army. He worked at Schindleys just short of 30 years until the company closed.
In 1974, he felt the call to the ministry, which he had felt since he was in high school. Arnold and Annette had joined the Fairview United Methodist Church in the late 1950’s. There he started doing lay speaking. In the fall of 1974, he was assigned his first church on the last Sunday in September. It was the Swiss Ohio Parish – Mt. Pleasant in Ohio County, Indiana. He also preached in Quercus Grove, East Enterprise and Bethel Ridge in Switzerland County. Mt. Pleasant closed at the end of that year. He served the other three for 15 years. When Schindleys closed and he went full-time, he served all Methodist churches from Quercus Grove to Bennington, Indiana. Keith Allhands helped with that charge. It lasted one year and they divided.
He and Annette moved to Ogilville, Indiana, near Columbus, to a two point charge, Ogilville and Ohio Chapel. They pastored there for six years. They later retired and moved to the Dillsboro community. Arnold filled in for other pastors when they went on vacation or when they were sick for two years. He served the Dillsboro Presbyterian Church for one year and then went back to Fairview United Methodist Church for 14 years. Arnold retired on January 1st, 2014, after 39 years and three months from his first church assignment. He attended Garret Evangelical Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, for four summers. He was ordained a deacon in June 1981 at the South Indiana Annual Conference. He enjoyed doing God’s work with God’s help. He served grieving families in around 400 funerals and 150 weddings. Many were called to serve Christ and were baptized. Even some were called to preach.
Arnold was a part of a number of things in his life. He and Annette started an ice cream social at the Fairview United Methodist Church. In 2017, they celebrated 50 years. Arnold and Annette were some of the first EMTs in Switzerland County. Arnold and Thelma Tinker delivered the first baby born in the squad. He served on the Switzerland County School Board a few months short of a term, resigning to due minister’s work. He served on the American Cancer Board Neighborhood Campaign for a few years. He helped the women of the church serve the Gideon suppers and funeral dinners. He also helped with many projects like putting a basement under Fairview Church, the parking lot, steeple, sidewalk, bulletin board and pew cushions.
At East Enterprise United Methodist Church he helped remodel the sanctuary and redoing the pews. Arnold helped put in restrooms and remodeled the kitchen in the parsonage at Ogilville United Methodist Church. At the Dillsboro Church he served as president of the Friendly Seniors Civic Club. He received a few awards. Arnold and Annette were homecoming king and queen in 2005. He received the Dearborn County “Heart of Gold Award” in 2008 and the Dillsboro Outstanding Service Award to the community in 2010. Arnold loved to keep busy. He always had a wonderful garden and kept a meticulous yard. Arnold liked to read a little and teach the grandkids how to can and freeze the garden produce. He loved to cook and bake along with sharing bread, cakes and pies. He did all of these things and more to glorify God and share His love.
Arnold will be deeply missed by his loving wife of over 63 years, Annette (Combs) Cutter of Dillsboro, Indiana; his son, Ronald Cutter of Fairview; his daughters: Bonnie Eversole and her husband Joe of Huntsville, Alabama and Joy Mcvay and her husband Jeff of Florence, Kentucky; his grandchildren: Deidra Dennis and her husband Marty, Aaron Cutter and his wife Nicole, Caleb Eversole, Miranda Eversole, Keiran Eversole, Halee Mcvay and Colby Mcvay; his great-grandchildren: Ashley Hartsburg and her husband Issac, Avery Dennis and Aiden Dennis; his great-great-grandchildren, Ellie and Ivy Hartsburg; and his several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Christopher Ernest and Martha Clara (Vinup) Cutter; by his daughter-in-law, Linda Sue (Lockhart) Cutter, who died on August 17th, 2013; his brother, Otto William Cutter, who died on November 20th, 2014; his sister-in-law, Vera Jean (Ketenbrink) Cutter, who died on January 7th, 2017; and his great-great-grandson, Rhett James Hartsburg, who died on April 18th, 2017.
Friends were invited to call on the family on Wednesday, September 19th, at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street Vevay, Indiana, 47043. Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, September 20th, at 11 a.m., by Reverend Keith Allhands and Eddie Hankinson, at the funeral home. Interment will follow in the Oakdale Cemetery on Beatty Road in Dillsboro.
Full military rites will be conducted by the Honor Guard of the Vevay American Legion Post #185 and the Vevay VFW Post #5396 at the cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Methodist Ministers Pension Fund, Fairview United Methodist Church or Bear Branch Volunteer Fire Department. Cards are available at the funeral home.
Rose Brandon
Rose Mary (Scranton) Brandon, 80, of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, passed away on Friday September 14th, 2018.
She was born October 11th, 1937 in Switzerland County, the daughter of the late Herbert R Scranton and Margaret (Dibber) Scranton.
She was a member of the Moose Auxiliary and the Eagles Auxiliary of Aurora. Rose enjoyed working puzzle books and she loved cats. Rose loved spending time with family and friends. She will be greatly missed.
Rose is survived by her children: Betty Wonka of Trenton, Florida, Margaret Dilts of Milan, Indiana, Steven Vornheder of Guilford, Indiana, Gary Vornheder of Baltimore, Maryland, William Vornheder of Jacksonville, North Carolina, Paul Brandon of Versailles, Indiana, Joyce Addison of Aurora, Indiana, and Penny Proffitt of Shelbyville, Indiana; by her sister, Ruth Chipman, of Aurora, Indiana; her half-brother, Harold Scranton, of Friendship, Indiana; 15 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Brandon; by her parents, Herbert and Margaret L. Scranton, by her twin sister, Lettie McDaniel; and by her brother, Glen Scranton.
Visitation for the family was held on Monday, September 17th, at the Rullman Hunger Funeral Home, 219 Mechanic Street, Aurora, Indiana. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, September 18th, at the funeral home. Interment followed in the Mt. Sinai Cemetery, Aurora, Indiana.
Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or American Lung Association. Cards are available at the funeral home.
Merrell Webster
Merrell E. Webster, 72, of Versailles, Indiana, passed away at 12:40 p.m. on Saturday, September 15th, 2018 at his residence.
He was born at home on Plum Creek near Vevay in Switzerland County on December 11th, 1945, the son of Melvin and Edna Scudder Webster.
Merrell was married to Jeraldine Otte on September 15th, 1965, and they shared 53 years of marriage together until his passing.
Merrell was a 1965 graduate of Cross Plains High School. He played for the Wildcats basketball team, and was named to the Ripley County all-star team his senior year. He was a former employee of Cummins Engine in Columbus, Bruns-Gutzwiller Construction in Batesville, and had also worked for Berry Materials in Versailles. Merrell also drove a bus for the South Ripley Schools; and served four years on the South Ripley School Board, but his main occupation was being a farmer. He enjoyed rabbit hunting as well as fishing and was an avid fan of the Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and the Kentucky Wildcats.
Merrell served six years with the U.S. Army Reserves, and was also a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Olean.
Along with his wife, survivors include a son, Michael (Sally) Webster of Versailles; a daughter Marsha (Tad) Brinson of Versailles; six grandchildren: Erin (Jay) Hooten of Versailles, Sarah (Kevin) Swinney of Versailles, Emily (Levi) Speer of Holton, Jacob Brinson of Holton, Kelsey Brinson of Cleves, Ohio, and Abby Brinson of Versailles; four great-grandchildren; one sister, Martha Riley of Madison; and by his sister-in-law, Millie Webster of Osgood.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Damon Webster.
Funeral services were held on Wednesday, September 19th at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles, with Randy Thieman, minister of the Versailles Church of Christ officiating. Burial was in the St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery at Olean.
Visitation was held on Tuesday, September 18th, at the funeral home.
Memorials may be given to the St. Paul Cemetery in care of the funeral home.
Janet Baatz
Janet Arlene (Shoopman) Baatz, age 79, of Spring Hill, Florida, formerly of Center Square and Hanover, Indiana, passed away at 6:40 a.m. on Monday, September 17th, 2018, at the Sturgill Hospice Care Center in Brooksville, Florida.
Janet entered this life on October 27th, 1938, in Waldron, Indiana, the loving daughter of the late Walter Lee and Anna Pearl (Shelton) Shoopman. She was raised in Waldron, and was a 1956 graduate of Waldron High School.
Janet was united in marriage on May 12th, 1956, in St. Paul, Indiana, to the late Loyd Delmer Baatz. Janet and Loyd shared 55 years of marriage together until Loyd passed away on August 4th, 2011.
Janet was employed as a bookkeeper for Triton Central High School in Fairland, Indiana, from 1978 to 1987. Janet served as secretary to the assistant prosecutor and attorney for Switzerland County, from 1989 to 2001. She was employed for People’s Trust Bank in Vevay for one year.
Janet was a member and worthy matron of the Bennington Order of Eastern Star Chapter #407 and the Fairland Eastern Star Chapter #359. She was a former member of the East Enterprise United Methodist Church and after moving to Hanover she became a member of the Hanover United Methodist Church. Janet enjoyed cooking and gardening and spending time with her family.
Janet is survived by her sons: David Baatz and his wife Linda of Shelbyville, Indiana and Scott Baatz of Spring Hill, Florida; by her daughter, Janet Lynn McIver of Spring Hill, Florida; by her grandchildren: Roger, Loyd, Josh, Bryan, Sam, Alli, Jeremy, Terry, Melissa and Joey; her 30 great-grandchildren; her four great-great-grandchildren; her sisters: Rosalind Gaffney and her husband Mike of Brookville, Indiana and Candice Milbourn and her husband Bruce of Brookville, Indiana; and her several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter Lee and Anna Pearl (Shelton) Shoopman; by her husband, Loyd Delmer Baatz, who died on August 4th, 2011; her grandson, Todd Baatz; her infant brother, George H. Wainscott; and her sister, Emma Jane Kahn.
Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, September 23rd, at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street Vevay, Indiana, 47043.
Funeral services will be conducted on Monday, September 24th, at 11 a.m., by Pastor Bill Madison, at the funeral home. Interment will follow in the Vevay Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sturgill Hospice Care Center. Cards are available at the funeral home.