Published in the Wednesday, June 21, 2023 edition

Last weekend was very special. Saturday we hosted an afternoon Celebration of Life for my son, Mark Shonk. He passed away last December. We held it at our house. It was a very special afternoon. Some of my former high school classmates were present. Former transportation staff from Beech Grove City Schools stopped in and visited. A boy that lived a couple of houses down the street from us in East Grand Rapids, Michigan also showed up.

So many memories and wonderful stories were exchanged. My former classmate, Sharon Darko-David was there and while we didn’t have a chance to talk about any of my memories during the get-together last Saturday, I’ll do it now.

Several years ago, a lunch was planned with Sharon and her two granddaughters. I had met one of the girls, Daphne, the year before. We had a lot of fun and I was looking forward to meeting her older sister.

When I arrived at Sharon’s house to pick them up, Daphne came running toward the car shouting, “Shotgun”. During lunch the year before, I had given her the nickname, “Trouble”. It was apparent that the nickname was going to stick. Her older sister, Sophie and Sharon climbed into the back seat, and we were off to lunch.

After lunch, we headed to my house so the girls could meet Stuart (our Therapy Dog) and our chickens. My wife, Lyn introduced the ladies to the chickens and soon after that I noticed “Trouble” carrying one of the younger chickens around the yard.

Shortly after that, the girls noticed the houses on the other side of the fence. That is one of the fields that belong to the Southport Equestrian Center. After they visited with the horses for a while, we drove around to the center’s main area and saw some other horses and my friend, Charlie the Donkey.

On Saturday, our daughter, Michelle drove down for a Father’s Day visit and lunch date. Michelle was the original young lady to have the nickname, “Trouble” issued to her by me. Back in her teen years it was the perfect nickname.

There is a third “Trouble” that had entered my life at that time. Our youngest grandson, Trey was dating Diana. As I got to know her better, I issued the name “Little trouble” to her. She had been at our house the previous day when Sharon and her granddaughters were visiting.

Had Michelle been available that day, we could have maybe set a world record for the number of young ladies with the nickname, “Trouble” in one backyard.

Okay, back to the Celebration of Life part of this story. When Mark was ready to start second grade, we moved to East Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our neighbors that lived just two houses from us also had a son (Tom) starting second grade. Mark and Tom became great friends. Tom and his wife showed up for the celebration. I hadn’t seen Tom for maybe 40 years. It was so special to get caught up with them. They now live in Hammond, Indiana.

The very next day, Linda Doty-Williams showed up for the celebration. Linda and I were neighbors when we were young and lived on Madison Avenue. She now resides in Georgia and was home visiting her sister, Carole Sue. We had the pleasure of visiting and telling good stories for a couple of hours. 

It was a very special couple of days. Thanks to everyone for stopping by. It was a special Father’s Day weekend.

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, June 14, 2023 edition

I very much enjoy spending some time looking at Facebook each day. I have lots of friends and family that post interesting things. I sometimes find interesting things that I will share also. Facebook also sends me back some of my postings on the anniversary of that posting.

I was very surprised last week when I received a 10-year anniversary posting. It was a photo of the bus I drove during my years at Beech Grove City Schools. It was Bus #5, and her name was “Ursula”. The school had taken a picture of “Ursula” and the students that rode with her and me that year.

I had a very difficult time believing that it had been 10 years. I remember that last day very well. For several years, my bus riders had been extremely bothered when they noticed a bug or spider on the bus. Spiders were the ones that caused loud screams from students.

I came up with a plan and the next occasion a spider caused a disruption on the bus, I quickly explained that it was a spider friend, and his name was Steve. For several years after that, if a spider was noticed on the bus. It was probably Steve.

After I parked “Ursula” for the last time on that final day of school for that year, a spider lowered itself out the driver’s side window into the parking lot. Steve and I had retired at the very same time.

I thought about kids that had just finished first grade that year would be in high school now. I decided to repost that special picture for my friends on Facebook to see and enjoy also. I’m still connected with lots of those students that I drove to school each day.

Shortly after my posting, I began to receive responses. Very heart-warming responses.  Family members, Beech Grove school staff, many of my former riders and even a couple of riders that I drove to Edgewood Grade School several years earlier.
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Published in the June 7, 2023 edition

Last week, I received a telephone call from my sister Kathy, a retired schoolteacher who lives in Austin, Texas. We haven’t seen each other for several years, but we stay connected by telephone.

After we had gone through our “Hellos” and “How are you doings” she said, “Guess what I am watching on my television right now?” Thankfully she didn’t keep me guessing for very long. She then explained that she was watching an old Roy Rogers television show.

She told me that as soon as she started watching, she knew she had to give me a call. As a young boy, I was infatuated with Roy Rogers. My first connections with him were with comic books and radio programs.

Later there were movies and his weekly television show. I remember attending Roy Rogers movies with a couple of cousins. We would hang out at our grandparents’ house and walk to either the Garfield or the Fountain Square theaters to see a Roy Rogers movie.

Over a couple of my birthdays and Christmases, I acquired a total Roy Rogers cowboy look. I had a nice cowboy hat, a couple of western shirts, several neck scarves, comfy cowboy boots and of course, a two-pistol belt with shiny cap-guns.

The only times that I didn’t have my special cowboy outfit on was when I was in school or having to go someplace with my parents. I even learned to adjust my voice so that I spoke and totally sounded like Roy Rogers.

Kathy began telling me how she discovered the return of the show. She told me how to search for myself. I listened carefully and took a couple of notes. When it was time for me to respond to her, I dug down deep inside of me and answered in my famous Roy Rogers voice.

After we finished our telephone chat, I followed her directions and quickly discovered that I could also watch Roy Rogers shows. I think I have watched three or four of them now. It was special to get caught up with Roy, Dale Evans, Pat Brady, Trigger (Roy’s horse), Bullitt (Roy’s dog) and Nellybelle (Pat Brady’s jeep).

I told Kathy that I had also recently discovered an old cowboy television show. I had been watching old Gene Autry shows. These shows are also 30 minutes in length, just like Roy’s shows. Gene and Roy were also singers. Gene quite often sang a song near the end of most of his shows. I had been totally enjoying them. I gave her directions for her to start watching Gene Autry.

On occasion, I enjoy watching a couple of old comedy television shows. I remember listening to both of these shows on that big old free-standing radio that we had in our living room. One of the shows starred Jack Benny. My parents really enjoyed his shows. I remember them being excited when his television show premiered.

The other radio show was The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.  George and Gracie were married, and they had funny family stories each week. Both shows started on the radio and then later on television. I watch a couple of episodes now each week.

At the end of most Burns and Allen shows, George would say to Gracie, “Say goodnight, Gracie”. 
Gracie would respond, “Goodnight Gracie”.

Lyn and I have carried that on for years. At the end of the day (bedtime) one of us will say the first part and the other must finish off the second part. It switches each time. One time I speak first, and she responds and the next time she goes first.

This time I get to go first, “Say goodnight, Gracie”.

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 5/31/2023 edition

Most weeks, I put together my weekly article on either Saturday or Sunday. I am doing this one on Sunday morning. It is also Indy 500 race day. About 70 years ago, I was attending my very first Indianapolis 500 race.

My mom’s brother, Wayne would drive up from his home in Tennessee. Her brother, George, would also go with him to the race.  They started taking their boys and cousins with them. I remember going a few times with them because my father had a country pick-up milk route, and it was a seven day per week business. I have great memories of attending the race with my uncles and cousins.

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking for something on our bookshelves. I don’t believe I ever located exactly what I was looking for, but I came across a couple of other treasures. I pulled out a small book titled, Over the Hill.

I sat down and started looking at that book. The very first page got me. The words on that first page said, “The Star of this book is Fred Shonk. With Love from Ron Lowe 1995”.  During the years around 1995, I had a part-time job driving a charter bus. I worked with a couple of guys that were also part-time drivers for the charter bus company.

Ron Lowe was one of those guys. His full-time job was a fire fighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department. The other fellow was Carl Cambridge. He was a deputy sheriff with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department. All three of us are characters in this little book. But it was mostly about me.

Each page showed a drawing of something and a few sentences about me that connected with the drawing. Page 5 showed a guy (me) watching television and showing a commercial for a computer. It said that I thought that I was probably “over the hill” because I was satisfied to remain “computer ignorant” for the remainder of my days.

There are pages that describe how I might forget what I was doing while making my breakfast. A page that showed me wearing a robe and slippers while waiting at a bus stop. It said that as I understood the “over the hill” time of life that I always dressed casual.

There are a couple of pages that explained how quickly I can forget things. It showed drawings of notes, memos and calendars. I am totally connected with these personal helpers. My June calendar is ready to be pinned to the bulletin board. I have a check list that helps me to remember all the things I need to take with me when I am leaving the house.

A page explained that I was going to attend a reunion and decided to wear a 20-year-old blue suit. I didn’t think anyone at the reunion had ever seen it. Carl and Ron always said it looked very good on me.

A page commented about me thinking about my school days as I drove to the reunion. It said that I was very content to be driving about 35 miles per hour as I thought that was a very reasonable speed. 

A page showed me at the reunion and said that friends that I had not seen in many years said that I looked better not older. It also said that I believed them.

Carl and Ron both have passed now. I really miss them. We had many special, wonderful times. Ron even came down to Beech Grove and drove a school bus with me for a few years.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.
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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.