Please visit our sponsor's site by clicking on their ad.

July 18, 2013

James Edward Anderson

James Edward Anderson, 68, of Dillsboro, passed away very suddenly on Tuesday morning, July 16, 2013, while walking on the bike trail in Dillsboro. Jim was born on December 20, 1944 in Marysville, CA, the son of Edson and Evelyn Anderson, and lived in the Dillsboro area since he was a young boy.

He graduated from Dillsboro High School and served his country in the U.S. Army from 1968-1971.

On April 25, 1984, Jim married Linda White, and they were the parents of two children, Zach Anderson and Erin Anderson.

Jim was employed for 41 years at Fenton Rigging as a mechanic. He was very involved with racing and breeding quarter horses. In his younger days, he rebuilt engines and did mechanical work on cars. He was a great mechanic and was well known in the area for this talent.

Jim was a member of the Dillsboro American Legion and a life member of the VFW. He was a fine husband, dad, grandpa and great grandpa. His family was very important to him, and he had many, many friends.

Jim was preceded in death by his father, Edson Anderson in 2005.

He is survived by his wife, Linda; one son, Zach Anderson, currently a student at Indiana University in Bloomington; two daughters, Erin Anderson of Dillsboro and Jodi (Kelly) Mollaun of Lawrenceburg; his mother, Evelyn Anderson of Dillsboro; five grandchildren, Camden Anderson, Chelsie, Ashlie, Courtnie and Zach Mollaun; one great grandchild, Chase; one brother, Billy Don “BD” (Debbie) Anderson of Dillsboro; and one sister, Ellen R. (Joe) Beeler of Brownsburg.

Funeral services for Jim will be Saturday, July 20 at 10:30 a.m. at DeVries Funeral Home in Dillsboro, with his sister-in-law, Rev. Debby Allen officiating. Burial will follow in the Oakdale Cemetery with full military rites provided by the Dillsboro American Legion. Friends may meet his family at the funeral home on Friday, July 19, from 5-8 p.m.

James Kirby Brooks

James Kirby Brooks, 83, of Versailles, passed away Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at Woodland Hills in Lawrenceburg. He was born in Jefferson County near Canaan on December 13, 1929, the son of James and Ethel Miller Brooks.

Survivors include one daughter, Jackie Meadows of Greensburg; two sisters, Elizabeth (Robert) Whitham of Madison and Elsie Freudenstein of Charlotte, North Carolina. He was preceded in death by his brother, Curtis Whitham and his sisters, Edna Mae Collier, Doris Brooks, and Virginia Brinson.

Mr. Brooks was a retired truck driver, and was an Army veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Kirby was a member of the Versailles Church of Christ, Napoleon VFW, and the Versailles American Legion.

Estelyn Geiss

Estelyn Geiss, 96, of Indianapolis, passed away on Tuesday, July 9, 2013.

Surviving are five children, 16 grandchildren, 33 great grandchildren and seven great great grandchildren.

Robert Harvey Wirth

Robert Harvey Wirth, 85 of New Point, passed away Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Memorial services will be held Tuesday, July 23, at 11 a.m. with Masonic services at 10:30 a.m. Military funeral rites will follow all at St. John United Church of Christ. Burial will be at a later time in Rossburg Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to St. John UCC c/o Meyers Funeral Home. Online condolences at www.meyersfuneralhomes.com. Meyers Funeral Home, Batesville, is entrusted with arrangements.

July 11, 2013

Janet Eloise Chorpenning

Janet Eloise Chorpenning, age 79 of Versailles, passed away Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. She was born October 21, 1933 in Switzerland County, the daughter of Russell and Ester Keith Kelley. She married Russell Chorpenning on February 18, 1961.

Janet was a nursing graduate in 1955 from Bethesda School of Nursing located in Cincinnati, Ohio. She later continued her education receiving her Ed.D degree.

She taught nursing in the early 1960's at Methodist Hospital located in Indianapolis. Following this, she also taught nursing at Purdue and Indiana University, both in Indianapolis, which became IUPUI of Indianapolis.

From 1999 to 2007, Janet served as the chief nursing consultant for the Indiana State Board of Health.

She owned and operated the Kelley's Bel-Air Drive Inn Theater at Versailles. Her father originally started the business in 1950.

Catherine A. Frey

Catherine A. Frey, 88, of Batesville, passed away Tuesday, July 9, 2013. Visitation is Thursday, July 11 from 4-7 p.m. at the Weigel Funeral Home in Batesville. Funeral services will be Friday, July 12 at 10 a.m. at St. Louis Church in Batesville with burial in the church cemetery. Memorials may be given to the Franciscan Retirement Fund or Margaret Mary Health Pregnancy Crisis Hotline. Weigel Funeral Home, Batesville, is in charge of arrangements.

Ralph Emerson Herin

Ralph Emerson Herin, 81, of Canaan, passed away Monday, July 8, 2013 at King's Daughters' Hospital, Madison. He was born on July 22, 1931 at Madison, the son of John S. and Nellie Fiesel Herin. Ralph was united in marriage to Beverly Lee Shepherd Lotshaw on Sept. 20, 1958 at the Tyson United Methodist Church in Versailles, by the Rev. Lymon Sale, Jr. She preceded him in death on October 10, 2011.

Survivors include his son, Stephen Emerson Herin of Madison; daughters, Belinda McIntyre (Joe) of West Chester, Ohio, and Beth Michelle Herin of Columbus, Ohio; brother-in-law, Robert Lotshaw (Pam) of Peoria, Arizona; step grandchildren, Kimberly Cline (John); Sarah Welsh; Joseph Micheal McIntyre; Matthew David McIntyre; six step great grandchildren, several nieces, nephews and other relatives.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; his brother, Franklin Herin; and his sisters, Ruth Bevis and Dorothy Sellers.

Ralph resided all of his life in Jefferson County and was a 1949 graduate of Central High School. He attended Purdue University and studied dairy farming.

He was inducted into the United States Army on July 14, 1952 in Indianapolis. He rose to the rank of Sergeant during the Korean War. Ralph was honorably discharged on July 9, 1954 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, receiving the United Nations Service Medal, the Korean Service Ribbon with two Bronze Stars, and the National Defense Service Medal.

Ralph was a farmer all of his life, raising cattle, hogs, soybeans, corn and hay. He began employment with Cummins Engine Company in Feb. 1965 as a machinist and retired in 1995 from the Holset plant. Ralph had served as a deacon at the Hicks Baptist Church on Hicks Ridge near Canaan. He had been involved in Jefferson County 4-H, a member of Jefferson County Farm Bureau since 1951 and a 47-year member of the Versailles American Legion Post 173.

Ralph enjoyed his farm and was proud to be awarded the Hoosier Homestead Award in 2013. He was an avid reader and enjoyed going to auctions and caring for his cattle.

Funeral services will be held Friday, July 12, at 1 p.m., at Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, Madison, with Rev. Ron Lee officiating. Burial will be in the Grandview Memorial Gardens near Madison. Visitation will Thursday, July 11, from, 4-8 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. until time of the service at the funeral home.

A final salute will be conducted on Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home by Versailles American Legion Post 173.

The family requests memorials in memory of Ralph to the Versailles American Legion Post 173 or American Cancer Society or American Lung Association, contribution cards are available at the funeral home.

July 4, 2013

Caroline C. McCarty

Caroline C. McCarty, 65, of Versailles passed away Monday, July 1, 2013 at Ripley Crossing in Milan. She was born in the Tanglewood Community near Versailles on October 6, 1947, the daughter of Lee and Mary Ann Firth Strubbe. She was married to Jack McCarty on March 25, 1970 and he survives.

Other survivors include three sons, Brian (Mary) McCarty, Brad (Elizabeth) McCarty, and Tyler McCarty and his companion Ashley all of Versailles; five grandchildren Abby, Connor, Cameron, Emma, and Tanner McCarty; two brothers Robert (Mary) Strubbe of Versailles and Stephen (Madeline) Strubbe of Summerville, South Carolina and one sister Judith Smith of Versailles.

Her parents and her brother Firth Shelpman preceded her in death.

Mrs. McCarty was a 1965 graduate of Versailles High School and received her Bachelor of Science degree in education from Ball State University in 1974. She was an elementary teacher at Cross Plains and Moores Hill and had finished her teaching career at the Aurora Elementary School.

Caroline was a member of the Tanglewood Baptist Church and the Versailles American Legion Auxiliary.

David Hite Porter

A former successful local basketball coach and Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame member has passed away. Dave Hite Porter, 94, of Greensburg, died July 2, 2013 at 10:45 a.m. at Morning Breeze in Greensburg.

Porter, a 1936 Westport High School graduate and Indiana University graduate, was a teacher and coach at Sandcreek High School, Jac-Cen-Del and South Decatur high schools. His lifelong passion was Indiana high school basketball.

In Ripley County, he led the Jac-Cen-Del Eagles to six sectionals and two regionals, and to the Final Eight of state tournaments in 1969. His record at JCD was 234-173, including six Ohio River Valley Conference Championships. He was the first coach to win the Ripley County Tournament of Champions four times.

Porter's coaching career began at Sandcreek High School in 1953 with a 122-73 record and Decatur County Conference Champions five times and Decatur County Tournament Champions three times.

His accomplishments at South Decatur, with a record 91-57, include two Mid-Hoosier Conference Championships, sectional champs in 1983, and received eight Coach of the Year Awards from 1967 through 1989.

In 2003 he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame for his many accomplishments as a high school basketball coach. Porter authored two books concerning basketball and his coaching career.

He married Mary Hooker on December 7, 1941 in Westport and she survives. Also surviving are his sons, David Porter of Martinsville and Patrick Porter of Charlotte North Carolina; his brother, Don Porter of Columbus; seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters, Lucille Gaynor, Marygail Bentzen, Gene Faulkner and his brothers, Johnny, Robert and Tommy Porter.