Our daughter, Michelle, was married to Ben Kimmerling in a beautiful outdoor ceremony June 14, during which they seemed to glow in front of family and friends. Michelle’s sons, Trevor and Trey, escorted her to the wedding and gave her away. The newlyweds spent a week in Tennessee.
There was a no-presents request made by Michelle and Ben, but our dog, Stuart, didn’t get the message. He held a meeting with the other non-humans at our house, and just before I headed out to the wedding they presented me with their offerings. The chickens, Alberta, Betty and Jackie, each presented a freshly laid egg. Guessie, the neighborhood cat, delivered a bagful of fresh catnip, and Stuart offered several of his Beggin’ Strips. I’m sure their gifts were appreciated.
Sunday was Father’s Day, and I got a phone call from my son, Mark, who was working. We are going to get together for lunch in the next couple of weeks. I also got a call from my unofficially adopted daughter, Brooke. We also planned a get-together. Michelle and Ben took Lyn and me out for a wonderful dinner. I had a great day.
While looking for something in my home office (I didn’t find it), I ran across some gifts that were given to me and other members of The Perry Township/Southport Historical Society.
Jean Fish, one of the group’s most active members, died about 18 months ago at age 88. She enjoyed knitting small gifts and making up interesting notes to accompany them. She gave these keepsakes to society members. The one I found was a knitted cloth with the attached note: “Wishes – Wishes won’t wash the dishes – Maybe a new cloth will lighten the load for you.”
Our club, which meets six times a year, recently toured the Historic Hannah House, 3801 Madison Ave., which was once part of the Underground Railroad, a series of safe havens for runaway slaves seeking freedom in the North.
A few months ago the society invited members to bring in something that might have ties to their families or our geographic area. I had just received a package from Beverly (Shirk) Hopper, a former 12-year classmate of mine from Perry Township Schools. She sent me an Edgewood Grade School sweatshirt that will be donated to the society. The sweatshirt was found at a cabin that had been owned by former Edgewood Principal Paul L. Bailey.
Our special programs have included Perry Township’s Contribution to the Indianapolis 500 and Remembering Longacre Pool and Park. Each event attracted more than 300 guests.
If you would like to become a member of the society, call 789-3979.
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.