Obituary for Joy Evelyn Schneider

JOY EVELYN SCHNEIDER

Joy Evelyn Schneider, age 89, of Brookville, died Tuesday, February 1, 2022, at the Brookville Healthcare Center in Brookville. 

Born February 4, 1932, in Rose Hill, Virginia, she was one of two daughters born to the late Floyd Franklin and Nina Maude (Moore) Busic.  She moved with her family to Franklin County in 1946, and remained a lifelong resident.

On December 1, 1951, she was united in marriage to Paul J. Schneider, and he preceded her in death on October 11, 2009.

She was retired, having been employed at the former Popper’s Clothing in Brookville for several years. In her leisure time, she enjoyed collecting pottery and traveling. She had attended the Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church.

Survivors include a sister, Roselle Merrell of Brookville; two grandchildren, Derick Paul Runtz of Greensboro, North Carolina and Anna Kelly Johnson of Knoxville, Tennessee; as well as two nephews, Jeffrey Merrell and Scott Merrell.

In addition to her parents, and husband Paul, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Bridgett Lynn Schneider who died on July 18, 2009, as well as an infant son, Ricci Paul Schneider.

Family and friends may visit from 10 a.m. until 11a.m. on Saturday, February 5, 2022, at Phillips & Meyers Funeral Home, 1025 Franklin Avenue, Brookville.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 5, 2022, at Phillips & Meyers Funeral Home, with burial following in Maple Grove Cemetery in Brookville.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church.  The staff of Phillips & Meyers Funeral Home is honored to serve the Schneider family, to sign the online guest book or send personal condolences to the family please visit www.phillipsandmeyers.com.

Obituary for Jon Michael Redd

JON MICHAEL REDD

Jon Michael Redd, 59, of Brownsville, passed way Friday, January 28, 2022, at Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Jon was born May 14, 1962, in Wayne County, one of 11 children of Joe and Carolyn Spivey Redd and graduated from Excel Adult Learning Center in Richmond.

For several years, he was a truck driver for Walsh Industries of North Bergen, New Jersey. For 10 years, he was employed in the maintenance department of Indiana University, Bloomington, where he received his HVAC certification. For the last 20 years, he was the general manager of South End Auto in Connersville. Along with his wife, he also operated WJ’s Services where he completed various work such as RV renovations at Liberty Tree in Liberty.

On November 18, 2001, he was married in Brownsville to Wanda Sue Austin, who survives.

An ordained minister, he led services at Gospel Revelations and ministered at Solid Rock Church. He was also a deacon and served as a youth minister.

In his leisure, he enjoyed woodworking and listening to music. He especially loved to cook for large family functions.

Survivors besides his wife of 20 years, Wanda Redd, include three children, Crystal (Chad) Todd of Bloomington, Jon Michael (Shana) Redd II of Liberty, and Ashley (Trent) Redd of Brownsville; seven grandchildren, Kayden Dawson, Kane French, Kyndal French, Korie Collins, Jayde Redd, Jaci Redd, and Trevor Collins; 10 siblings, Patty (Charlie) Thomas of Connersville, Joe (Nancy) Redd, Jr. of Liberty, Donna (Bob) Sweney of Connersville, Jackie Wildridge of Connersville, Debbie (Andy) Hilbert of Morrisville, Vickie (Joe) Russell of Cincinnati, Ohio, David Spivey of Greensfork, Carla (Roger) Wessel of Greensburg, Tony Redd of Connersville, and Bill (Cheri) Redd of Michigan.

Jon is preceded in death by his parents; one nephew, Bradley Scott Thomas; two nieces, Dani Saylor and Ladonna Miracle; his father-in-law, Bill Austin; and a nephew-in-law, Robert Austin.

Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 5, 2022, at Miller, Moster, Robbins Funeral Home with Pastor Gary Reynolds officiating. Burial will be in Union Cemetery. Friends may visit from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday.

Online condolences may be made anytime at millermosterrobbins.com.

Obituary for Cynthia “Cindi” K. Chumbley

CYNTHIA “CINDI” K. CHUMBLEY

Cynthia “Cindi” K. Chumbley, age 69, of Connersville, passed away on Monday January 31, 2022. She was born on July 20, 1952, the daughter of the late Herbert “Jack” and Audrey Adkins Toole. 

She became the wife of Kenneth Chumbley on July 11, 1996, at an outdoor ceremony in Nulltown. Mr. Chumbley survives. Together, they enjoyed riding motorcycles. Cindi was very devoted to her family and loved having family get togethers. She enjoyed spending time talking with the veterans at the Amvets. Cindi enjoyed being outdoors and had went tubing on the Whitewater River for the first time at the age of 67.

She graduated from Ivy Tech as an LPN and had worked at several area nursing homes and long-term care facilities over the years.

In addition to her husband, Kenny, she will be lovingly missed by her son and daughter in law, Rick and Stephanie Mitchell of Brookston; a granddaughter Isabella Mitchell; a brother, Dale Toole of Connersville; a sister Connie McCarroll of Connersville; stepchildren, Angie Chumbley of Connersville, Joshua Chumbley and Jacob Chumbley of Peru; step grandchildren, Devon, Evan Aubrey, and Addison; several nieces, nephews and cousins; and her beloved dog Phoebe.

She is preceded in death by her parents, a daughter, Stacey Mitchell and a brother in law, Mark McCarroll.

Visitation for Cindi will be held at Urban Winkler Funeral Home, 513 W 8th Street, Connersville on Monday February 7, 2022, from 4 to 6 pm.  Funeral services will be conducted at 6 pm.

Obituary for Jackie Ray Clarkston

JACKIE RAY CLARKSTON

Jackie Ray Clarkston, 70, of Liberty passed away on Monday, January 31, 2022. He was born on May 26, 1951, to the late David and Ruby Allen Clarkston in Richmond.

Jackie graduated in 1969, from Short High School in Liberty. He then served his country in the Army Reserve from 1969 until 1973.

On March 3, 1973, Jackie married the love of his life Patricia McMurray Clarkston.

Jackie and Patricia owned and operated a cattle farm, and he was very prideful of his herd. He also worked for CSX as an equipment operator until his retirement in the early 2000s.

Jackie loved the time he spent with his family, especially his son, and grandsons. He enjoyed having a moment to relax while casting his fishing line. He was also an avid NASCAR fan. If a race was on, his attention would not be divided. He was an accomplished cattle farmer, which took honor in the work he did with his herd. 

He will be greatly missed by his beloved wife of 48 years, Patricia, his son Justin (Kyla) Clarkston; his brothers, Tom (Teresa) Clarkston and Patrick Clarkston.

His memory will be cherished forever by his grandsons Jakob, Garrett, and Jackson Clarkston.

Jackie was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Judy Campbell; brothers, Larry, John, David, Bobby, and James Clarkston.

Friends and family may gather on Wednesday February 9, 2022, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Urban Winkler Liberty Funeral Home located at 310 N. Main Street, Liberty. A memorial service for Jackie will begin at 7 p.m.

To sign the online guestbook or to leave the family a personal message visit, www.urbanwinklerfuneralhome.com.

Obituary for Alberta M. “Bertie” Sauerland

ALBERTA M. “BERTIE” SAUERLAND

Alberta M. ‘Bertie’ Sauerland, age 85, of Brookville, died Monday, January 31, 2022, at McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital in Oxford, Ohio.  

Born February 7, 1936, at home in Brookville, she was the second born child of the late Albert and Alma (Fehlinger) Sauerland.

She attended St. Michaels School in Brookville for eight years, before graduating from the former Brookville High School with the class of 1954.

She secured her first job a few weeks following graduation in 1954, at the Brookville Telephone Company that was owned by Lloyd and Bob Morin, where she worked until 1958, when the Morin Brothers sold out to General Telephone Company. She then went to work at the former Franklin Casket Company where she remained until 1971, when she went to work for Connersville Casket Company. In 1974, she was hired by then Franklin County Auditor, John Bischoff, thus beginning her career in public service.

She was appointed Auditor of Franklin County in 1974, and served until December 31, 1975, she then became First Deputy Auditor from 1976 – 1983. She became county Auditor by election from 1984 until 1991. She was then elected Clerk/Treasurer of the Town of Brookville in 1992 and served in that position until she retired in 2006 at the age of 70.

She was a member of the Ladies Democratic Club since 1974, and had served six years on the Franklin County Sheriff’s Merit Board.

Her greatest joy in life was flowers and working in her yard until her health no longer permitted. She also was very fond of animals and they of her.

Bertie is survived by her brother, Jim Sauerland of Brookville, a sister-in-law, Janice Sauerland of Oxford, Ohio; other survivors include a nephew Jeff (Karen) Sauerland of Blooming Grove; two nieces, JoAnn Bales of Winchester, and Jennifer (Lee) King of Dublin, Ohio; several great nieces and nephews, Brandon Bales, Andy (Katie) Sauerland, Matt (McKenzie Frashur) Sauerland, Marissa Bales, and Emilee King; as well as a great-great niece Bentley Jo Sauerland.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Evann E. Bernhart, and a brother, Otto Joseph Sauerland.

Family and friends may visit from 11 a.m. until 12 Noon on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at Phillips & Meyers Funeral Home, 1025 Franklin Avenue, Brookville.

Rev. Shaun Whittington will officiate the Funeral Services on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at Phillips & Meyers Funeral Home. Burial will then follow in St. Michael Catholic Cemetery in Brookville.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the American Kidney Fund, Arthritis Foundation or PETA. The staff of Phillips & Meyers Funeral Home is honored to serve the Sauerland family, to sign the online guest book or send personal condolences please visit www.phillipsandmeyers.com.

Obituary for David Wayne Spraker

DAVID WAYNE SPRAKER

David Wayne Spraker, age 59, of Brookville, died unexpectedly, Saturday January 29, 2022, at his residence in Brookville. 

Born May 6, 1962, in Cincinnati, Ohio he was the son of the late James Taft & Katie L. (Wells) Spraker.  

He had worked in fiberglass fabrication for many years. In his leisure time, he enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson and watching the Cincinnati Bengals.   

Survivors include his son, Tyler D. Spraker of Brookville, a sister, Cathy (Kendall) Lake of Cedar Grove; a brother, James Dale Spraker of North Bend, Ohio, two nephews Travis (Caitlyn) Lake and Brandon (Melody) Lake, as well as a great-niece, Emilia Lake.

Family and friends may visit from 5 until 7 p.m., on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, at Phillips & Meyers Funeral Home, 1025 Franklin Avenue, Brookville.

Todd Wolfe will officiate the Funeral Services on Thursday, February 3, 2022, 11 a.m., at Phillips & Meyers Funeral Home. Burial will then follow in Maple Grove Cemetery in Brookville. The staff of Phillips & Meyers Funeral Home is honored to serve the Spraker family, to sign the online guest book or send personal condolences to the family please visit www.phillipsandmeyers.com.

Sounds like it’s snow time — can I get a waiver?

Column by Donna Cronk

The news people are ecstatic: a snowstorm is coming! It’s on the way! It might replace covid as the lead story. Now they will tell us where to go if you think you have covid in a snowstorm, and how to reduce chances of covid if you get stuck in a snowdrift. There will probably be a heroic rescue that involves both covid and snow.

Me? I’m nursing an abscessed tooth right now and the regular dentist won’t touch it—but referred me to an oral surgeon. The appointment is for Thursday but Brian called and pleaded snowstorm and pain—and got me in a day early. It’s  only for evaluation. I hope we’re not one of those stranded-in-the-snow feature stories you’ll see on the news.

When you’re young, a big snowstorm sounds like folly and adventure. My dad drove a Union County school bus and we would get stuck at John Scott’s property on at least one occasion, and almost stuck many other times.

Why did we think this was the most exciting thing ever? Even I did, and I should have had nothing but empathy for my dad, who had to figure out how to get us out of the situation, and the rest of the route kids safely home.

I spent three weeks or maybe a month total during the winter of 1978 in Liberty on my brother and sister-in-law’s couch. You couldn’t get to the boonies of our family farm at Rural Route 1, Brownsville after all that snow. But I could get from Liberty to Connersville for my job most of the time. I sure was ready to be home though.

On the plus side, Brian and I were engaged that Valentine’s Day, ring and all, right in the midst of that winter of endless snow and drifting. It was a low-key engagement, but hey, we’re still here battling snowstorms together 44 years later. And for that, I am truly blessed.

Another time, when our sons were small, I took my mother home to Rural Route 1, Brownsville from a weekend visit to our house. I was to take her on Monday but word came that we were in for a huge snowfall so we returned early.

On my way back to Madison County, I hopped onto Interstate 70 at Cambridge City and the snow came down so heavy and hard that I literally could not see any lines on the highway. I was surrounded by white out my windshield. Semis continued to fly around me sending snow and ice onto it. One headlight blew out.

There was no pulling over—the snow was already tall and packed alongside the lanes. I gripped that steering wheel and prayed hard to get off that highway alive. I’m convinced that the Lord sent angels to help me because I had no idea where I was steering. Finally, I got off at a New Castle exit. This would have been in the early 1990s—no cellphones— and I thought Brian must be terrified about me!

When I got home, the kids were blissfully romping around the house and Brian was low key, watching them and I’m sure TV, and none of them had a clue of how bad it had gotten!

If you’ve been around a minute or two, you probably have your share of similar  stories. I have more. But you get the picture. I haven’t even started on the ice stories! And those are scary on a whole different level.

It’s going to be rough out there for the rest of this week. Please stay home. Unless you have an abscessed tooth, in which case, be careful out there.

Union County native Donna Cronk is retired from a career at the New Castle Courier-Times. She now writes columns for three newspapers along with this news blog. Amazon just released her new memoir, There’s a Clydesdale in the Attic: Reflections on Keeping and Letting Go. She can’t wait to get snowstorms and tooth problems behind her and get out there and promote it.

FC native announces candidacy for State Representative

Press release

Lindsay Patterson proudly announces her candidacy for Indiana State Representative, District 55.

Lindsay was born and raised in Brookvillle. She, her husband, and her two teenage boys live on their family farm in Franklin County. Lindsay has a Bachelor´s Degree in Business from Indiana University. She also has an Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene from the University of Cincinnati. Lindsay Patterson comes from a close working-class family and developed a strong work ethic at a young age. She was gainfully employed by the time she was 12 years old, and to this day, has always gravitated towards vocations that allowed her to serve others. Lindsay would now like to serve our community and our state by representing Indiana’s 55th House District.

Lindsay believes that the current makeup of the Indiana House is working well for Hoosiers but sees opportunities for improvement. She will strive to preserve the programs that are improving lives and work with her fellow representatives to improve upon those that do not. Lindsay looks forward to meeting the citizens of the 55th District, listening to their concerns, and working hard as a voice for those interests in Indianapolis.

Lindsay Patterson is firm in her opposition to any masking or vaccination mandates placed upon the free citizens of Indiana. These personal health choices should be made at a personal level…PERIOD. Lindsay is pro-life and a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. Lindsay believes in fiscal responsibility because any government should be held to the same standard she would hold for herself. Lindsay and her family live within their means; she feels Indiana government should make intelligent choices with Hoosier tax dollars, as well. Lindsay believes in giving a hand up to those who need it but will work to end the injustices of generational welfare.

Lindsay feels with her strong work ethic, conservative beliefs, and family values; she will not let Indiana’s 55th House District down.

If you have any questions or you would like to reach Lindsay, you can email her at patterson4house55@gmail.com.

Osgood man killed in Ripley Co. crash

Indiana State Police press release

Saturday, Jan. 29, at approximately 9 am, troopers from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post responded to a two-vehicle crash on US 421, just south of Napoleon, that resulted in the death of a 53-year-old Ripley County man.

The investigation by Master Trooper Daniel Elmore, Indiana State Police-Versailles Post, indicated that a 2000 Jeep being driven by Norman P. Kappes, age 53, Osgood, was traveling northbound on US 421, just south of Michigan Road. For an unknown reason, Kappes’ vehicle crossed the centerline into the path of a 2015 Kenworth dump truck, being driven by Timothy M. Sides, age 49, Versailles. The dump truck was owned by the Ripley County Highway Department. The vehicles collided nearly head on in the southbound lanes of US 421.   

As a result of the collision, Kappes sustained fatal injuries in the crash. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Ripley County Coroner’s Office. Sides was not injured in the crash. 

US 421 was closed for approximately five hours for the crash investigation and cleanup.

The investigation is ongoing. Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors although toxicology tests on both drivers are pending at this time.

Norman Kappes’ family has been notified.

Trp. Elmore was assisted by the Indiana State Police-Versailles Crash Reconstruction Team, Ripley County Sheriff’s Department, Ripley County EMS, Napoleon Fire Department, Ripley County Coroner’s Office, TDS Towing, and AJ’s Auto Body.