News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Emy Jo Ray graduated from the practical nursing program at Ivy Tech State College on August 18th. The pinning ceremony took place at the Madison Consolidated High School auditorium. She is the daughter of Mickey and Direnda Ray of East Enterprise. A recent graduate of Switzerland County High School, she has now enrolled in the fall semester at Ivy Tech, and plans to continue working toward her registered nursing degree.
Harriet Bovard of near Vevay brought a huge watermelon to our office which had been growing in her flower bed. This is the second year that watermelons have come up in the flower bed; and Harriet said that last year she had four watermelons, and this year there are three. All of them came up voluntarily. This melon weighed in at 39 pounds.
The Hoxworth Blood Center of Cincinnati conducted a blood drive last Thursday at the Jack Sullivan Building of the Switzerland County Senior Citizens Center. The drive was sponsored by Vevay Newspapers, Inc., and a total of 30 units of blood was given by Switzerland County donors.
The Switzerland County Commissioners met Monday afternoon with a representative of a construction firm who hopes to build the new YMCA here; but old memories may keep that firm from pursuing its bid. David Engineering is the same company that was t he general contractor when the courthouse was renovated in the early 1990s. The quality of that renovation job led members of the YMCA committee to express concerns to company owner David Holobaugh III. Those concerns led him to Monday’s commissioners meeting.
20 YEARS AGO
After 20 1/2 years Postmaster Judy Dickerson has retired from the Patriot Post Office. Her last day in the office was last Friday.
The Kiwanis Club of Vevay will celebrate its 55th Anniversary next Wednesday evening, September 12th at the Ogle Haus. “Building Better Lives” is the theme of the club’s celebration with President Alex Shelley presiding.
Astronauts Colonel Bryan O’Connor and Captain Claude Nicollier made a brief visit to Switzerland County at the end of last week. O’Connor is related to several people in the county including Gladys Moreillon who is his grandmother. Nicollier who is from Vevey, Switzerland was making his first trip to the county and wanted a tour of the courthouse.
30 YEARS AGO
The lower half of a skeleton that police believe may be human was found Monday near the mouth of Plum Creek near Vevay. The bones have been sent to the Indiana State Police forensic laboratory in Indianapolis for identification.
Switzerland County recorded its first traffic fatality of the year Friday morning. According to Indiana State Police, Ronald M. Ferry, 24, of Rising Sun was killed when his car overturned on North Branch Road.
40 YEARS AGO
Timothy Philip Truitt, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Truitt of Vevay, has received a masters degree in science in electrical engineering from Purdue University.
Raymond T. McClellan of Vevay has received recognition for his angling skills in a national “fish America” awards program sponsored by Zebco. The 38-year-old McClellan qualified by taking a 12-ounce bluegill near Markland Dam.
Mr. and Mrs. Liston Hatton of route 1, Canaan, will observe their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house at Brushy Fork Baptist Church from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Mrs. Wildus M. Green, 48, of route 1, Bennington, near Allensville, passed away Monday at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison.
50 YEARS AGO
Members of the Vevay Kiwanis Club, their wives and approximately 100 members and distinguished guests from Kiwanis Clubs of Indiana and Kentucky will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Vevay Kiwanis Club September 14th at the Jefferson-Craig Consolidated School auditorium. Governor Hobart Creighton of the Indiana District of Kiwanis will attend and deliver the principal address.
A two-car head-on automobile crash about one mile south of Fairview on the Fairview-Mount Sterling Road at 1:15 p.m. Friday killed a 73-year-old Fairview farmer and seriously injured a well-known woman of the same community. Fred T. Althoff, following the accident suffered a heart attack while en route to King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison. He died about five hours after the crash, succumbed to his injuries. The other victim is Mrs. Alvin Cole, wife of Switzerland County’s auditor, whose condition is listed to be steadily improving at Madison.
Vevay’s Carolyn Danner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Danner, of Vevay, is Switzerland County’s queen candidate to compete for the title of “Miss Regatta” in a beauty contest to be held September 30th in Madison.
60 YEARS AGO
Stewart Wood of Florence is a patient in King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison where he is undergoing treatment for injuries which he received when he was struck by a truck while employed as traffic flagman on the Madison bridge.
A son, Richard Lionel, was born August 26th to Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Turner of Florence at the Milan Hospital.
The style show which was sponsored last week by the Bennington Rebekah Lodge, was pronounced a decided success and plans are now underway to repeat the venture in the spring.
70 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Mary E. Reed passed away at the home of her son, Reverend Frank M. Reed, here Friday morning having been in ill health for some time past.
More than a thousand persons gathered Saturday at the old grave near Moorefield to attend the 78th meeting of the time honored “Celebration.”
Mrs. Harry Gilbert and her grandson, Myron Scudder, were terribly burned Wednesday afternoon at their home on Tapps Ridge when gasoline, which they were drawing from an automobile, exploded and the burning liquid was thrown over their bodies.
Mrs. Lula Day Brant for many years a resident of Vevay, passed away in a Cincinnati hospital Tuesday after an extended period of ill health.
Claude Dunwoodie averted what might have been a tragedy Sunday when he jumped from a boat, fully clothed and pulled two youngsters from the river. The boys, Buddy and Bobby Brown, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Brown, had been playing in the water with a floating log and had gotten into water of some depth and could not make it back to shore.
A son was born Friday to Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Stewart of Florence.
A daughter, Gerry Gayleine, was born August 29th to Mr. and Mrs. Gayle Wiley of Popcorn Ridge.
Gilbert Dewitt, aged 26, a fine young man of Posey Township, was drowned in the Ohio River near Louisville Sunday while employed on a gravel digger.
80 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Josephine Lientz Tompkins, aged 78 years, died at her home on McCreary’s Ridge Thursday after an illness of some months duration.
Charles G. Boerner, a former resident of Vevay, died at her home in North Madison Wednesday morning after a long illness. His wife passed away just about one week ago.
One of the largest dairy barns in this section on the farm of Amie Dugan on Tapps Ridge was consumed by fire Thursday afternoon. Origin of the fire is thought to be spontaneous combustion.
The fifth annual reunion of the Scudder family was held at Stow’s park in East Enterprise Sunday with 248 members in attendance.
Huam Milton Phillips, aged 91 years, a former resident of the county died at his home in Madison Saturday evening. Funeral services were held in Vevay Tuesday and interment was made in the Vevay Cemetery.
Miss Mildred Weales and William F. Cook were married in Madison Saturday by Reverend W. H. Sando.
Miss Ollie Brindley has moved her variety store from the Klein building on Ferry Street to the rooms on Main Street recently vacated by the Byram grocery.
A daughter, Rosa Lee, was born August 25th to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Boyd.
90 YEARS AGO
The number of women of Switzerland County who registered Saturday indicates that an encouraging percent of them will exercise the suffrage right to vote in the November election.
Arrangements for the big Jubilee and Carnival which will be given under the auspices of the local American Legion Post during the week of September 20th to 25th are progressing rapidly and indications point to one continuous round of fun and frolic.
Died in Jefferson County, Mrs. Julian Greve, 44. The husband, two daughters, and a son survive.
Married in Vevay September 4th by Reverend F. E. Hammell, Miss Marie C. Singlinger and William P. Wallace of Cincinnati. Mr. Wallace is superintendent of the Lauer Tailoring Company here.
Married September 6th, by Reverend W. C. Marshall, Miss Geraldine Krom and Leon D. Gleason.
The new meat shop of Joseph Krummel on Main Street was completed last week and is now open for business.
Miss Grace Griffith has been appointed to succeed Miss Fanny Shadday as primary teacher in Vevay school.
Born, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. David Humphrey (nee Anna Brown) of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The condition of Mrs. Frank Dittgen who is ill with typhoid fever remains little improved.
It is an interesting fact that in the statistical report for August no marriages are recorded.
Dr. George W. Copeland and family of Moorefield left this week for their new home in Indianapolis where Dr. Copeland has entered into partnership with Dr. Preston Christy.
100 YEARS AGO
Albert Edward Montayne, aged 47 years, died at the home of his brother John Montayne September 1st.
Mrs. Nettie Adams, wife of Frank Adams of Bear Branch, died at her home Friday after a short illness. She was but 22 years of age.
Mrs. Jessie F. Williams, having sold her hotel, has gone to New York City to reside.
Born, August 29th, to Mr. and Mrs. Luther Baatz of Markland, a son.
Born to George Pavy and wife of Allensville August 31st, a son.
Charles Robinson, an inmate of the County Home, died Tuesday, aged 80 years.
120 YEARS AGO
Died in Vevay August 29th, Thomas A. Haskell, aged 81 years.
Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Cunningham of Florence are the proud parents of an 8 3/4 pound Republican.
Perry M. Ward, aged 40 years, died at his home in Arcola, Illinois on August 2nd. He was a brother of Colonel W. D. Ward of Vevay who attended the funeral at Arcola.
The Carrollton Democrat says that the town is to have a new Presbyterian Church, brick slate roof, 24×70, with steeple, 70 feet high. It will be a fine modern building. The contract has been let.
Terrell brothers, educated horse, in charge of Dam Costello, will be in Vevay for exhibition soon.
Two different circuses will show in Vevay at the same time next week.
Licensed to marry: Samuel B. Forwood and Delena Turner, Edward E. Kelso and Edith J. Luck, Silas R. Hughes and Effie Hughes.
150 YEARS AGO
Efforts are being made to extend telegraph wires across the river at Warsaw to Florence and Vevay.
Dr. Ridgeway broke his collar bone Saturday night.
Whiskey advanced in price to 18 1/2 cents per gallon, sugar 8 1/2 cents and 9 1/2 cents, bacon 8 3/4 to 11 cents.