A few years ago, my wife, Lyn came to me with a question. She explained that our youngest grandson, Trey had a girlfriend, who was a student at IUPUI and needed a place to reside for a while. I asked for a bit more information and I sat down to listen to quite a story.

Lyn explained to me that this young lady was originally from Honduras. She and her mother relocated to Indianapolis several years ago. Her mother is now living in Georgia with other family members.

Lyn explained more about the young lady and asked if I would be up to meeting her and maybe getting to know her better before making a housing commitment. I agreed to that, and a plan was made.

She seemed like a very nice young girl. We learned a bit about her family and her relationship with our grandson. She also told us quite a bit about her studies at IUPUI. We agreed to provide her with our spare bedroom. It wasn’t long before she was part of our house and family.

I sometimes enjoy giving nicknames to family members and friends. Our grandson, Trey’s mother (our daughter) is mostly known to me as “Trouble.” As I continued to get to know our new house member, a nickname quickly popped into my mind.

She became known to me as “Little Trouble.”  After a few days, I adjusted it down to “Little T.” We really enjoyed the time that “Little T” lived with us. Time flew by very quickly and before we knew it, she graduated, and a marriage was in the works.

“Little T” and Trey are now married and reside in the Whiteland area. She has a really good job and Trey is finishing college and is also working.

A couple of weeks ago, we heard that “Little T’s” mother was coming up from Georgia for a visit. We later heard that she was having some car trouble and needed to postpone that visit until the car was repaired. I also learned that her mother’s birthday was coming up hopefully during her visit.

Last week, her mom leased a car and drove up here from Georgia. The kids met her in Columbus, Indiana and turned in the car. I believe we missed her birthday by two days. Lyn and I were invited down to visit last Friday evening.

We were told that Trey was working late that evening. We figured with Trey not going to be home that we would have our supper at home before driving down for our visit. After we arrived, we visited and had fun. Later, “Little T” asked about eating and we explained that we had our evening meal at home.
She then brought out a big partially eaten birthday cake. She offered us a slice. Lyn turned it down, but I was ready for dessert.

I was presented with a large slice of chocolate birthday cake. It had very thick icing and a different icing between the layers of cake. I started devouring my cake. It was very good. I was happy and I even attempted to sing, Happy Birthday.

All of a sudden, I slid a bit between layers of icing that was located between the cake layers and a strange taste caught my attention. I also felt some rather hard little strips in that icing. I quickly asked what I was tasting in that icing and several loud laughs started.

It was COCONUT. I hate coconut. There were small little strips in that icing. Everyone knew except “Little T’s” mom, the birthday girl, of my dislike for coconut. I maneuvered that coconut icing to the side of the plate and finished that good part of the birthday cake.

Just as we were about to head home, Trey arrived and as we were saying goodbye someone told him about my encounter with coconut. I think he was still laughing as we drove down the driveway.

Shonk is a 1960 graduate of Southport High School, a ’63 grad of Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) and a retired bus driver from Beech Grove Schools. He can be reached through email at fdshonk@aol.com.

By Fred Shonk

​A couple of weeks ago, I was enjoying my morning coffee and watching The Today Show. I was about to move on to my next assignment when I heard someone on the TV say that there was going to be a segment about the returning of an aircraft carrier to it’s base after a long deployment.

I poured myself more coffee and settled back to watch. Soon, Jenna Bush-Hager, began explaining that she had been to the port when the crew of the USS George H.W. Bush (Aircraft carrier) were welcomed ashore to reconnect with their families. This aircraft carrier is named after Jenna’s grandfather and former President, George H.W. Bush.

I really enjoyed watching families reunite after the deployment of a family member. This one was really fun and special. I saw one crew member meet his newborn daughter for the very first time. I also enjoy when a returning military member surprises their son or daughter by dressing up and showing up at school.

Sometimes something like this reminds me of a double family surprise that I was involved in as a member of the Indiana National Guard. After my basic training at Ft. Knox, I was sent to an advanced training course at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. Because I was returning home after this training assignment, I was allowed to drive my personal car to the training.

The training was very intense, and we spent the weekends studying and trying to keep up. Weekend studying allowed me to get better acquainted with a few classmates. After the third week, our instructor gave us a weekend pass without any weekend assignments.

I quickly connected with three of my classmates and suggested we should go to Baltimore for the weekend. A couple of them didn’t even know that I had my car with me. We got our passes, grabbed some clothes, and we were out of there.
 
Soon, we were on the highway heading to Baltimore. It was a Friday evening and traffic was very intense. We were making our weekend plans while we were slowly moving in the traffic.

We were traveling on a four-lane highway. I was in the outside lane heading north. We were listening to music on the radio and enjoying ourselves. As we were driving, I noticed a car pulling a small travel trailer in the left lane. It was several vehicles ahead of us. I smiled because it reminded me of home, because it looked like my parents’ car and sort of like their travel trailer.

A few minutes later, the left lane slowed, and we got quite a bit closer to the car and travel trailer. I began to smile and slowed down, so I stayed behind the trailer. I pulled closer a couple of more times, just to be sure. I then explained to my buddies that the car and travel trailer in the lane beside us belonged to my parents.
I made a quick plan and pulled alongside of them, and we yelled and waved. It was my mother, father, sister and her college roommate.

They were shocked and surprised. Dad and I did some fancy maneuvering and finally got both vehicles into a parking area. We laughed and hugged for a long time. They explained that this was supposed to be a surprise visit from them and not the other way around.

I told them that I was totally surprised when I saw their car and trailer. They really did surprise me, but I got to return the surprise in about 10 minutes.

My buddies caught a bus to Baltimore, and I followed my parents to the camping ground where they had a spot reserved for the trailer. It was a wonderful weekend and I believe we laughed the whole time. I had to tell the entire story in class on Monday.

Shonk is a 1960 graduate of Southport High School, a ’63 grad of Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) and a retired bus driver from Beech Grove Schools. He can be reached through email at fdshonk@aol.com.

Published in the Wednesday, May 3, 2023 edition

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. For me, just reading those three words brings back so many wonderful memories. I’ve been bouncing down this road for a few weeks now. The loss of one of my 6th grade teachers at Edgewood Grade School snapped my memory into high gear.

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, William (Bill) Pickard was one of my 6th grade teachers. He taught and supervised in Perry Township Schools for many years. Edgewood Grade School was filled with wonderful teachers and staff. We are all sad about the death of Pickard.

After Edgewood, I attended junior high and high school at Southport. I met classmates from the other elementary schools, and we all connected very quickly. We also were fortunate to have exceptional teachers at both schools.

Our junior high principal was Hugh Thompson. His daughter, Sue Thompson, was in our class. She and her husband, Andy Zajac, are both retired teachers, with 25 of those years teaching in Alaska.

I have fond memories of classes with William Webb (auto shop) Everett Swank (math) Gloria Hilfiker (homeroom) Bill Fredenberger (physical education) and so many others. These are just a few of the teachers that had to deal with me in those years.Hilfiker was a typing teacher. I was in her homeroom, and it was also the typing room. I didn’t ever take typing and was not allowed to touch a typewriter during homeroom.
For a few years, my family had a small school bus fleet that we contracted in Perry Township. I then had the opportunity to work with former teachers, coaches and staff members. It was very interesting to kindle a very different relationship. I felt very honored.

Many years later, I took a part-time position as a school bus driver for Beech Grove City Schools. I was once again very impressed as I met staff at the different schools. I drove there for about 10 years, and I now have so many friends that are still teachers and staff or have, like me, retired.

I’m still connected with so many teachers and staff from Beech Grove City Schools. Through Facebook, I’m also connected with many of my former school bus riders. I’m even considering putting together a “Bus #5 Ursula” reunion. I think that would be a blast.

I’m getting ready to call my sister, Kathy, later this evening. She is a retired teacher. She and her husband, Paul, live in Austin, Texas. She graduated from Indiana University and taught in St. Louis for a few years then moved to Texas and taught until she retired.

Many of my high school classmates became teachers and counselors. It is so special when our class gets together, and I sometimes get to share stories with former teachers and staff members. My good friend, Sharon Darko-David taught and was a counselor at Decatur Township Schools. We are both members of the Perry Township / Southport Historical Society.

I’m quickly trying to put together a plan that will honor lots of the school staff members. I challenge you to consider doing something to honor and thank one or more of your past teachers or even one of your children’s or grandchildren’s present teachers.

I’m working on my plan and if I’m successful, I will report about it in a future article.
Remember this is Teacher Appreciation Week!!

Shonk is a 1960 graduate of Southport High School, a ’63 grad of Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) and a retired bus driver from Beech Grove Schools. He can be reached through email at fdshonk@aol.com.


​

Published in the Wednesday, April 26, 2023 edition

Sometimes when I sit down to put together my article for the week, lots of things come into my mind. Other times I have not a clue what I am going to be writing about. This week was not a problem. We lost a couple of men that had a very large impact on the Southside. I am speaking mostly of the Edgewood area in Perry Township.

I received a call a couple of weeks ago letting me know that we had lost a retired Perry Township Schools employee. My thoughts took me back to when I was in either the 5th or 6th grade at Edgewood Grade School. I came in contact with a very tall man while I was walking down a hall.

I learned very quickly that he was a new teacher at Edgewood and his name was Mr. Pickard. During that time, the students stayed in one classroom the entire day and the teachers moved from class to class teaching their specialty. I was in Mr. Chandler’s room during my time as a 6th grader.

Several years later, I reconnected with Edgewood Grade School as a contract school bus driver. Several of the teachers and office staff were still working there. It was amazing to reconnect with Mr. Pickard, Mr. Chandler, Mrs. Sanders, and Mr. Bailey. I really enjoyed working with them.

A few days later, I found out that we had also lost another gentleman with Edgewood connections. Floyd Crayton opened and operated Crayton’s Cleaners for over 25 years. His first Edgewood location was on the east side of Madison Avenue between the old post office building and the small strip-center.

My father’s Sunoco service station was just north of the little strip-center. We were very early Crayton’s Cleaners customers. We took our dirty service station work uniforms to them to be drycleaned.

Some years later, the business moved across Madison Avenue into a building on the nNorthwest corner of Epler and Madison. I was friends with a few of Floyd’s employees and I even dated a couple of them.

It was so nice to be able to visit with some of both Bill Pickard’s and Floyd Crayton’s families. The visitations were just one day apart. I met family members and reconnected with friends that were also paying respects.
Next month, the Perry Township / Southport Historical Society is going to host a program to honor another Edgewood family. We will celebrate the Kautsky family. There will be wonderful family stories about the grocery business and the basketball business.

While many Southsiders remember the Kautsky Grocery Store located at Madison and Epler avenues, many have not a clue that Frank Kautsky started and owned the very first professional basketball team that was based in Indiana. Paul L. (Pete) Bailey assisted Frank in building and operating this team. Bailey was also a player on the team.

This program will be presented on May 23 at 7 p.m. at the Perry Township School’s main building (Superintendent’s office) at 6548 Orinoco Avenue. (Enter at SW corner of the building).

This will be a very special program to honor the Kautskys and Edgewood.
​
Shonk is a 1960 graduate of Southport High School, a ’63 grad of Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) and a retired bus driver from Beech Grove Schools. He can be reached through email at fdshonk@aol.com.