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March 2016
www.boomermagonline.com
TO THE
MUSICIANS
HALL OF FAME
Rock, bluegrass, gospel
musician Dave LeDune
to be inducted in March
RFKS VISIT
Democratic presidential
hopeful rallies Vincennes
in 1968
CONSERVATION
EDUCATION
Cindy Spillman building
womens outdoors skills
LOST
ROCK
LEGENDS
Columnists reflect
on recent deaths
of iconic stars
2/22/16 10:48 PM
Montgomery and the Spa at Ross Bridge are in the Top 7, followed closely
Marriott is known globally for having great spas. In North America, five of
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the top Marriott and Renaissance spas are found in Alabama. For guest
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p2RTJ2Mar16.indd 1
2/15/16 2:39 PM
2/15/16 2:12 PM
EDITORS DESK
BOOMER
PUBLISHER
Ron Smith
(812) 698-8788
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Melody Brunson
(812) 698-1626
DESIGN EDITOR
Natalie Reidford
(812) 568-8991
ADVERTISING SALES
Kim Schoelkopf
(812) 881-9286
Rick Zeller
(812) 254-0480, Ext. 111
Graphic Artist
Alice Schwartz
PHOTOGRAPHY
Joy Neighbors, Bill Richardson
and Bernie Schmitt
WRITERS
Todd Lancaster, Angie Moore,
Joy Neighbors, Bill Richardson,
Bernie Schmitt, Kaila Stevens and
Clifford York
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Boomer is published seven
times a year, serving the Knox
County area. The subscription price
of $25 per year can be mailed to P.O.
Box 471, Washington, IN 47501.
2/23/16 3:30 PM
Philip Bacidore, DO
A li Ayoubi, MD
Philip Watson, DO
Vikash K hurana, MD
p5GoodSamFullMar16.indd 1
2/23/16 8:38 AM
CONTENTS
4 Editors Desk
20 An Idealistic Vision
By Melody Brunson
7 Financial Wisdom
By Clifford York
Page 14
Page 28
By Bernie Schmitt
By Bernie Schmitt
By Bernie Schmitt
27 Calendar
Ag Day, Drum Enchanted Evening, Knox
County Chamber Bandwagon
Could Lose
By Bill Richardson
By Angie Moore
By Bernie Schmitt
Photo provided
By Bill Richardson
38 Boomer Connoisseur
Does wine glass shape really matter?
By Joy Neighbors
By Bernie Schmitt
42 Sieur de Vincennes
By Bernie Schmitt
46 Boomer Fitness
By Kaila Stevens
Page 18
By Todd Lancaster
By Todd Lancaster
By Joy Neighbors
18 Day Tripper
By Joy Neighbors
2/23/16 9:55 PM
FINANCIAL WISDOM
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only
and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for
any individual. This material was prepared by Peak Advisor Alliance.
Peak Advisor Alliance is not affiliated with the named broker/dealer.
2/23/16 3:42 PM
The
STARS
have lined up
JUST RIGHT
Included in Dave LeDune's collection of instruments is this banjo, made in 1982. The banjo was given to LeDune by the
late Bill Stedman, a Vincennes dentist, upon Stedman's retirement. Stedman and LeDune became close friends through
the years, and often traveled to bluegrass festivals together when they weren't making music. LeDune had the banjo
restored to good enough condition that it can be played.
13 in Terre Haute.
To me, it means that even though
I didnt go on the road, and didnt go to
Nashville, Im still being recognized in my
community and the Wabash Valley for
being a good musician and a good singer,
said LeDune, It really means a lot to me.
You dont think about something like that
ever happening. You just play.
Play LeDune has done, almost since
he was a toddler, growing up in the Indian Prairie community in Sullivan County, a few miles east of Carlisle. LeDune
attended elementary school in Pleasant-
2/23/16 10:02 PM
Ive been fortunate to play everything from gospel to classic rock and roll,
to rock, to country, Americana to old-style
mountain music, he said. Thats why I
have so many different instruments. And
Ive enjoyed every minute of it.
One of the most successful groups
LeDune has been involved with was The
Scrubby Pine Boys, in the early 1980s. The
original lineup included LeDune, Richard Yates, Tim Ridgeway and Ron Lucas.
Ridgeway dropped out after a little over a
year, and was replaced by Kevin Doyle.
A highlight was the recording a bluegrass record entitled Back to Indiana.
The record featured LeDune on banjo
and lead vocal, Lucas on guitar and vocals, Doyle on mandolin, tenor and lead
vocal and Yates, on bass and singing the
bass parts. The record featured 10 songs,
of which three were original.
The group first played informally at
one of the Beanblossom festivals, hosted
by the legendary Bill Monroe, known as
the Father of Bluegrass.
LeDune said the four traveled to the
festival together and parked underneath
an ugly old pine tree thats still there.
The men would play at night, and
drew a crowd to their jam sessions.
Finally, somebody said
2/23/16 10:02 PM
LEDUNES INFLUENCES
Dave LeDune says he cant begin
to list everyone whos made a mark
on his musical life.
However, here are a few people
who have influenced him the most.
Five-string banjo
Tom Bastain: Hes a friend of
mine from Pennsylvania who had
moved to Terre Haute and was a
great banjo player and a very patient
teacher.
Guitar
Don Rogers and Tim Ridgeway:
Both had the style and timing that
I loved to hear for bluegrass and
country.
Electric bass
Steve Harper, Richard Yates:
Steve had a style that is so tasteful,
timing and sustain was great. Richard
was originally a electric bass player
that converted to upright acoustic
bass and was the bass player for the
Scrubby Pine Boys and to this day, I
have never heard anyone on upright
match what he did.
Country music
Gary Ready, Roy Chapman
Classic rock
Bill Cooper: He has an
unbelievable understanding of that
music and is a killer electric guitar
player, one of the best. I played
electric bass with him in a band
called Old School. Great fun!
Gary Ready and Dave LeDune are the Fabulous Antiquities, playing still today.
Whats the name of your band?, LeDune
said. We said Were not a band, just four
friends who get together and play. But
wed talked about how ugly that pine tree
was, and finally Richard Yates looked up
and said Were the Scrubby Pine Boys.'
It wasnt long after that the group
came across a young singer named
Allison Krauss, who has risen to stardom
in the world of bluegrass and country
music. Krauss entered the music industry
at an early age, and recorded for the first
time at age 14.
She was classically trained as a
2/23/16 10:02 PM
Among the instruments Dave LeDune can play are, from left, a five-string
banjo, two acoustic-electric guitars, a fiddle, a 1972 custom Telecaster, a
fender Stratocaster and a Fender Precision.
stresses that there are a lot who are better,
and those are the ones he likes to play
with.
If there was a secret or a reason for
a person to get to where I am right now,
its that Ive always been fortunate to be
around good musicians, he said. You
always want to pay attention to what
theyre doing. If you surround yourself
with people who are better than you, then
20 N. 3rd St., Suite 301 Vincennes www.knoxcountyfoundation.org Ph: 812-886-0093 Fax: 812-886-0133
Boomer March 2016 11
p8-11DaveLeDune.indd 4
2/23/16 10:03 PM
2/23/16 10:08 PM
812-726-1122
www.naturebydesignlive.com
812-726-1122
Where Service Comeswww.naturebydesignlive.com
Naturally
Boomer March 2016 13
2/20/16 1:49 PM
indy Spillman is
a dynamo in the
National Wild Turkey Federations Women in
the Outdoors program. She
manages 32 counties in Illinois, coordinates numerous
classes, sets up special events,
and conducts fundraising
banquets around the state.
Spillman began working
with the Women in the Outdoor organization back in
2002 as a regional coordinator for a part of Illinois and
half of southern Indiana. In
2008, she became a regional
director for the NWTF with
1-800-726-4770
www.grundmanshoe.com
Mon.-Fri. 8-5 (EDT); Sat. 8-12
2/24/16 11:49 AM
Participants in the Women in the Outdoors program can learn more than hunting. Here, women learn about canoeing
and kayaking.
Photo provided
Beth Chattin
812-887-5778
Rich Chattin
812-291-0670
Mary Clayton
812-881-7107
Stacey Foster
812-887-2612
Cindy Moore
812-887-0745
Robin Montgomery
812-881-7509
REALTORS
2/23/16 10:11 PM
Photo provided
We find money
others miss
1203 Main St., Vincennes, IN 812-882-8473
1100 Franklin Ave., Bicknell, IN 812-735-3430
We find money
others miss
2/23/16 10:11 PM
Photo provided
2/23/16 10:11 PM
DAY TRIPPER
2/23/16 10:14 PM
Museum vice president and active oilman John Larrabee next to a mural.
each day.
The Illinois Basins rich oil heritage is
on display at the museum with artifacts
and exhibits that showcase Crawford
Countys, and Illinois role in oil speculation, drilling and production. Many of
the artifacts go back to the first oil well
discovery in 1906, including the original
Mahutsak Oil Companys sign. Mahutsak,
according to legend, was an Indian word
that meant more money.
Larrabee makes for an interesting
guide with stories of what life was like
at the turn of the 20th Century, along
with vivid descriptions of the well drilling
process. One story told how oil wells were
originally sunk using a torpedo filled with
nitrogen oxide dropped in a small hole
and hit with a Joe dog a rod of sorts
resulting in a huge crater.
Larrabee explained that work in the
oil fields was hard and dirty, but extremely desired. Men would stand in a group
Oblong Oil Field Museum
10570 North 150th Street
(Route 33)
Oblong, IL
Free admission
Personally guided tours are available from Memorial Day weekend
through October, Wednesdays
Sundays, 1 p.m. 5 p.m. CST
Group tours or appointments can
be made by calling (618) 562-4664.
2/23/16 10:14 PM
I ND I A N A BICE NT E NNIAL 1 8 1 6 - 2 0 1 6
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy with Gus Stevens of Vincennes near
the Francis Vigo statue along the Wabash River. Stevens was asked to give Kennedy a tour of
Vincennes historic sites when the candidate visited the city in late April 1968.
AN IDEALISTIC VISION
Photo courtesy of Gus Stevens
Osborne and Ernst were young teachers at Vincennes Lincoln High School
that spring of 1968. Their names were
suggested to the Kennedy campaign by
2/23/16 4:07 PM
Kennedy was not scheduled to speak at Vincennes University, but when besieged by hundreds of students outside of Grouseland in 1968, he stopped and
answered all of their questions, according to Gus Stevens of Vincennes, who
led Kennedy on a tour of local historic sites. In the background are VUs Welsh
Administration Building (right) and what was then Beckes Union (at left), now
Governors Hall.
Bill Epperidge/ Time & LIFE Pictures/Getty Images
2/23/16 4:07 PM
2/23/16 4:07 PM
Tom Ernst and Jim Osborne, left, in 1968 when they helped open a campaign
headquarters for Robert F. Kennedy on South Fourth Street, just behind todays
Old Thyme Diner. The two posed for a photo at the same location in 2009.
2/23/16 4:07 PM
Mark Roche, at far right, with members of the Kumana family in the Solomon
Islands in 2008. Eroni Kumana is in the middle, holding a bust of JFK. Roche is
standing next to Kumanas wife. Both Kumana and his wife have since died. At
left is Kumanas son, John Fitzgerald Kennedy Kumana.
Photos provided
Kennedy connection
helps in fulfilling
islanders wish
By Bernie Schmitt
im Osbornes connection with the
Robert Kennedy campaign in 1968
led to him helping Knox County
native and avid military historian, Mark
Roche, make contact with the Kennedy
Library Foundation.
www.hackerplumbing.com
2/23/16 10:16 PM
tain, where the old man came out of a leaf-covered hut with a towel
wrapped around him.
Roches spent a couple of hours talking with Kumana, as Kumanas son translated. Roche said the old man broke down crying at
one point, when discussing Kennedy and the story of how Kumana
and Biuku Gasa helped in saving the PT-109 crew.
Kumana and Gasa risked their lives getting the message to American rescuers in waters heavily patrolled by the enemy, after the Japanese
destroyer Amagiri collided with Kennedys PT boat on June 2, 1942.
He talked about how it was his idea for Kennedy to write a note
on the coconut shell, Roche said. He talked about the whole episode.
Kumana surprised Roche when he asked him place a special gift
on Kennedys grave at Arlington National Cemetery. The gift was indeed special. Kumanas own family members were shocked when he
gave the gift to Roche, as it had been in the family for generations.
Known as custom money or shell money, a doughnut-shaped
object that was sometimes used by island people to lay on a chief s
grave. Kumana adored JFK and considered him his chief.
This was a family heirloom, and had probably been in the family 200 years, Roche said. It is smooth, made of an ancient clam
shell, an antiquity.
Roches tried for three or four months, trying to contact Sen.
Edward Kennedys office, Arlington Cemetery officials, and the Kennedy Library in Boston, all to no avail. He told the story to Osborne
who offered to help.
Not long after that I got a call from the Kennedy Library,
Roche said. They wanted to have a ceremony, and Caroline (Kennedy-Schlossberg) wanted to be part of it. We went to Washington
and were guests of the Kennedy family for three days.
On Nov. 1, 2008, members of the Kennedy family, Roche and
his children, Caleb and Frank, Osborne, and others gathered at
JFKs gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery, where Roche was
able to make good on his promise to place Kumanas tribute there.
The custom money is now on display at the Kennedy Library
with the coconut shell Kennedy used to etch the message Kumana
carried, photographs, and a PT-109 pennant. Roche saw the display
last year when he visited the Library.
It was a great opportunity, Roche said.
Mark Roche (dark suit and blue tie) prepares to place a
tribute from Eroni Kumana at the grave site of John F. Kennedy in 2008. Kumana gave Roche an heirloom earlier that
year, as he and another Solomon Islander helped rescue a
young JFK and his PT-109 crew during World War II. Kumana died in 2014. Members of the Kennedy family, including
JFKs sister, Eunice (in wheelchair) attended the ceremony at
Arlington National Cemetery.
2/23/16 10:16 PM
By Bernie Schmitt
2/23/16 4:10 PM
M
a r c h 1 2 3 4 5
MARCH 10
Ag Day, 5 p.m.
7:30 p.m., Vincennes
University P.E.
Complex. Tickets
available at area banks.
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
MARCH 18
Richard Glazier, Alumni
Community Series, 7:30
p.m., Red Skelton Performing
Arts Center. Call the Alumni
Office for ticket information,
812-888-4354.
MARCH 16
River Brass Band, 8
p.m., Red Skelton
Performing Arts Center.
No tickets required.
Free and open to the
public.
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
MARCH 19-20
Salute to World War I,
Indiana Military
Museum, Vincennes
MARCH 22
VU Debate, 11
p.m., Red Skelton
Performing Arts
Center. No tickets
required. Free and
open to the public.
MARCH 22
VU Music Faculty
Recital, 7:30 p.m., Red
Skelton Performing Arts
Center. Justin Bird, piano.
No tickets required. Free
and open to the public.
MARCH 23
Knox County Chamber
Bandwagon, noon. Fort
Sackville Room, Vincennes
University. Sponsored by
Boomer Magazine and
Grundman Shoes.
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
MARCH 31
VU Music Department
Drum Enchanted Evening,
7:30 p.m., Red Skelton
Performing Arts Center.
No tickets required. Free
and open to the public.
27 28 29 30 31
APRIL 2-17
Vincennes USBC
Association State
Seniors Tournament,
Creole Lanes,
Vincennes.
APRIL 2
Kite Day, George
Rogers Clark Memorial.
1
2
April
APRIL 3
Parade, 4 p.m., Red
Skelton Performing
Arts Center. No tickets
required. Free and open
to the public.
APRIL 3
VUs Got Talent, 4 p.m.,
Red Skelton Performing
Arts Center. No tickets
required. Free and open
to the public.
APRIL 5
VUs Got Talent, 7 p.m.,
Red Skelton Performing
Arts Center. No tickets
required. Free and open
to the public.
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
APRIL 10
Helping His Hands
Concert, 3 p.m., Red
Skelton Performing Arts
Center. Featuring Ivan
Parker. Call the box office
for tickets at 812-888-4039.
APRIL 12
VU Debates, 11 a.m.,
Red Skelton Performing
Arts Center. No tickets
required. Free and open
to the public.
APRIL 14-16,
APRIL 21-23
Farce of Nature, Old
Town Players Theatre,
Vincennes. Comedy,
rated PG-13. Tickets
needed.
APRIL 15
Linda Eder, Alumni
Community Series, 7:30
p.m., Red Skelton Performing
Arts Center. Call the Alumni
Office for ticket information
at 812-888-4354.
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
APRIL 20
An Evening of Winds
and Percussion, 7:30
p.m., Red Skelton
Performing Arts Center.
No tickets required. Free
and open to the public.
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
APRIL 26
Guitar Fest, 7:30
p.m., Red Skelton
Performing Arts Center.
No tickets required.
Free and open to the
public.
APRIL 27
Knox County Chamber
Bandwagon, 7 a.m.,
Student Union food
court, Vincennes
University. Sponsored
by Burkhart Insurance.
APRIL 27
Grouseland Annual
Dinner, Green Activities
Center, VU Campus.
Call 812-882-2096 for
tickets.
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Boomer March 2016 27
p27CalendarMar16.indd 1
2/22/16 3:20 PM
Doug Crook gives coach Gunner Wyman a hug after the Alices defeated Anderson in 1981.
Photo by Vincennes Sun Commercial archives courtesy of Adams Coliseum Museum
2/23/16 10:27 PM
SPECIAL EVENTS
Senior
night
$ 99
+ Drink
gaSthof flea
Market
Officially opens for the
season Sat., April 2nd.
~GIFT SHOPS~
The Blue Door, The Pig & Fiddle
Buffet Restaurant & Bakery
Village Inn Banquets & Catering
$
Limit 4 adults per coupon. Offer good Mon.-Sat. 4-8
pm. Not valid with senior discount or Senior Night
promotion. Not valid with any other coupon, discount or promotion. Expires 4/1/16. Boomer Mag.
00
OFF
adult dinnEr
BuffEt
6695 E. Gasthof Village Rd., Montgomery, IN 1/2 Mile N. US Hwy. 50 812-486-4900 www.gasthofamishvillage.com
Boomer March 2016 29
p28-32Lincoln1981.indd 2
2/24/16 1:09 PM
OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT
ROSTER
No. Name
10 Doug Crook
12 Brent Claycomb
14 Randy Combs
20 Tim Vieke
22 Jeff Agee
30 Ron Stryzinski
34 Mike Kimmel
42 Bryan Spradling
44 Robin Talbott
50 Karl Donovan
52 Courtney Witte
54 Jim Martin
Ht.
6-1
5-9
6-1
6-1
5-8
6-2
6-0
6-4
6-3
6-3
6-8
6-1
Class
12
11
12
11
12
12
11
11
10
12
12
10
Photos provided
2/23/16 10:27 PM
2/23/16 10:27 PM
D U TC H
PA N T R Y
Handmade deli
sandwiches served
throughout the day
Selection of homemade
Potato Salad, Macaroni
Salad, Ham Salad, &
Chicken Salad
Chili &
Potato Soup
available
during cold
weather
months
Homemade
Baked
Goods!
As always
we carry...
Gluten-free
products
VINCENNES
ODON
13014 N. 1100E
812-636-7923
M-F 9-5 - SAT. 9-4
Gunner Wymans goal boards for the 1981 season hang in the museum at
Adams Coliseum.
2/23/16 10:27 PM
Some of this may seem overwhelming, but its the marvelous price you
pay for potentially living a long time! If
working will be part of your retirement,
make a plan push yourself stick
with it and make your retirement years
work for you.
Angie Moore, CPA, has been with Kemper
CPA Group for 21 years. Angie and her
husband were graduated from the University
of Illinois in 1993, and reside in Lawrence
County, Illinois, with their two children.
Complete the form below, include your check, money order or credit card information and mail to:
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PUBLISHED
FEBRUARY APRIL
JUNE AUGUST
OCTOBER
2/23/16 4:45 PM
Spangles
Our Times
Brian Spangle, the historical collections administrator at the Knox County
Public Library, has compiled a section of his weekly history columns into one
volume titled Vincennes History You DONT Know.
Vignettes of
Vincennes history
in single volume
By Bernie Schmitt
2/23/16 4:47 PM
The Old Main Street Bridge spanning the Wabash River in downtown Vincennes. It was replaced with the Memorial
Bridge in 1932.
spontaneous celebration here when it was
announced that World War I had ended.
Spangle has also include lots of
firsts in the book, including the first
stop light in Vincennes (1926), the first
talking motion picture (1929), and
the first building to be air conditioned
(Pantheon Theatre, 1935). He writes of
famous people who visited Vincennes,
including presidents and presidential
candidates. He even writes about how
the city streetlights were turned off in
1910 to allow residents to view Halleys
Comet streak across the nighttime sky.
Three of the citys worst tragedies, four
firemen killed in an accident on their way
to a fire, police officer Simon Carie killed
in the line of duty, and citys worst-ever fire
2/23/16 4:47 PM
Lakewood Park, now a subdivision for nice homes, was once an amusement
park, complete with a roller coaster, at top. The Burchfield Department Store
fire in February, 1926, above, is considered the worst fire in Vincennes history.
Three people died in the fire.
Spangle said. Weve sold maybe close to
300 from here at the library.
This month marks Spangles 30th
year working for the library. He has a
masters degree in history from Indiana
State University and for years has overseen the extensive genealogy collection
at the library and has helped patrons in
their research efforts.
Anyone who knows me, knows I
2/23/16 4:47 PM
The Freedom Train, at left, rolled into Vincennes on July 24, 1948, carrying important U.S. historical documents, like an
original copy of the U.S. Constitution. An ad, at right, featuring the first talkie the first motion picture with sound in
Vincennes that was playing at the Pantheon Theatre.
2/23/16 4:47 PM
BOOMER CONNOISSEUR
the mouth for optimal flavors. A Bordeaux glass is great for Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Syrah.
By Joy Neighbors
Burgundy glass
Bordeaux glass
The Bordeaux glass is large with a
long bowl to allow for plenty of swirling.
The tapered sides pull the wines aromas
up to the nose, and when you take a sip,
the wine is focused directly to the back of
2/18/16 5:17 AM
Red wine benefits from a larger bowl than a white wine glass, to allow its
dense aromas to mix with the air and create an interesting bouquet. A fluted
champagne glass keeps the air out of the bubbling liquid and also allows the
drink to stay cool longer.
2/18/16 5:17 AM
University.
The story is set in 1778 and features
Alice, a young woman coming of age
on the American frontier during the
Revolutionary War.She is the frontier
Indiana heroine, a strong-willed,
independent young woman whose love
of country, and for one of George Rogers
Clarks soldiers, is the focal point of this
historical romance.
The original novel was published
at the turn of the 20th Century, when
many Americans were nostalgic for
Americana and glorious visions of
history and heroes. Alice seems to fit
the bill, especially for Indianas first city,
Vincennes.
In addition to Alice, other characters
influence the outcome of their story
from local townspeople to the
Indians and soldiers on both sides of
the American Revolution. It was in
1779 that Clark led a band of loyal
frontiersman, dedicated to the American
cause, through wintry floodwaters to
surround Fort Sackville on the Wabash
River at Vincennes, forcing the British
to surrender, thus winning what was
then the West, for the fledgling United
States.
For updates on Alice, visit www.
aliceofvincennes.com.
2/23/16 4:48 PM
BOOMER
MARCH/APRIL 2016
DQ Something Different
103 N 6th St. Vincennes
8128824925
812-882-0914
p41NightLifeMar16.indd 1
2/18/16 11:34 AM
Sieur de Vincennes
Sculptor Bill Wolfe of West Terre Haute works on a preliminary rendition of Francois Marie-Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes, the
man who first established a post along the Wabash River that later became the city of Vincennes. While this rendering has
Vincennes with facial hair, a newer version is without it, as most French military officers were clean-shaven. The model is
made of clay. A fundraising effort is under way to erect a finalized statue in bronze.
Heritage group
wants statue to
honor citys founder
By Bernie Schmitt
The history
Sieur de Vincennes established a
fort at Vincennes to expand and protect
the French fur trade, and thus French
influence, in the lower Wabash Valley.
2/23/16 4:53 PM
them.
Rehabilitation
Redefined
2/23/16 4:53 PM
100TH ANNIVERSARY
WWI
OF
1916-2016
The statue
A statue of Sieur de Vincennes has
already been modeled, and modifications are ongoing by West Terre Haute
sculptor Bill Wolfe. He is known for his
Larry Bird sculpture on the Indiana State
University campus in Terre Haute, and
a number of sculptures for museums,
courthouse squares, and war memorials.
I was fired up and couldnt wait to
get started, he said.
Enthusiastic about a historical
project, Wolfe created a clay sculpture
of Vincennes that was display for several
months last year, on the main floor of
the Knox County Public Library. He was
provided historical reference materials
by Vincennes historian Richard Day to
get an indication of what Vincennes may
have looked like. No paintings or representations of him exist.
I sat down around 2 oclock in the
morning, grabbed a ball of clay to start
on his head, Wolfe said. I said to myself, What did you look like? and I was
inspired to come up with what I did.
Day, who portrays Sieur de Vincennes
during living history events, also posed
for Wolfes statue. Wolfes clay model gave
the founder a beard, but that was later
changed, as French officers would not
have had facial hair, Biggs said. He was
also carrying a rifle, but speculation about
historical accuracy on that led Wolfe to
2/23/16 4:53 PM
PRACTICING IN THE
STATE & FEDERAL COURTS
OF INDIANA & ILLINOIS
MEDICAID/NURSING
HOME PLANNING
Joyce Phegley at Shakers Landing Antiques and Frame Shop on Willow Street
looks over a lithograph with Joy Biggs, left, and Emily Bunyan, director of
the Knox County Library. The lithograph will be permanently displayed at the
library. Prints from the lithograph will be sold to raise money for a statue of
Sieur de Vincennes.
nered hat in one hand while his other rests
on his sword. He still looks pretty cool.
Fundraising efforts
French heritage
Joy Biggs interest in Sieur de Vincennes comes from genealogical discoveries which revealed that her own ancestors
in Indiana were French.
That was when I discovered my
ancestors were patriots, she said.
Biggs said the French and the Catholic missionaries wrote letters and kept
good records, and without that information we would not have the knowledge of that early Indiana history. She
believes there should be more emphasis
on Vincennes, its French history, and
more importantly its founder, Sieur de
Vincennes, during the 2016 Indiana
Bicentennial.
We shouldnt forget out French
heritage, Biggs said.
In 1897, Edmond Mallet lamented in
Sieur de Vincennes: Founder of Indianas
Oldest Town, that after a century and a
half Vincennes was lost in neglectful obscurity, but added that he was a valiant
and chivalrous Christian hero.
A statue of Vincennes would ensure
he would be remembered in future
generations, Biggs said.
DAN SIEWERS
812-882-8935
www.hartbell.com
513 Main Street Vincennes, IN
2/23/16 4:53 PM
BOOMER FITNESS
planning it away.
Its easy to get lulled into a life of
routine and ritual, but most of us want
to make sure that were leading a full and
satisfying life. This doesnt necessarily
mean flying by the seat of our pants and
making foolish decisions, but taking calculated risks and adding some excitement
to our lives. I know Im not the only one
that over thinks and contradicts myself,
so this could be a good goal for everyone.
Located in Historic Downtown Vincennes near the intersection of 1st and Main
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