Dr. John W. Stone, Modern-Day Doctor & Preacher. Also, Traitor to the Union

 Knights of the Golden Circle Series

Dr. John W. Stone (1837-1909) Modern-Day Doctor and Preacher. Also, Traitor to the Union.
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

On 21 Oct 1864, a military commission convened in Indianapolis, Indiana, having charged several Hoosier men of treason to the United States. Dr. John W. Stone was not one of the five, but he was quite involved in the antics that caused the trial. The trial is known as ex parte Milligan.

Dr. Stone was, however, arrested much later in 1888 for a murder he allegedly helped to commit in Martin County, Indiana. This murder occurred in 1864.

I learned of John W. Stone through my research of The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC). One of my main characters in Pioneer Stories, Albert Qualkinbush, was part of this secret society and participated in the above stated murder of his neighbor, Jackson Ballard. Ballard was home on leave from the Union Army and was looking to arrest a deserter, Allen Anderson. He would never have a chance to do so, for he himself was murdered in cold blood - allegedly by members of the KGC - before he could find Anderson. On a side note, Anderson would never be found as he had fled to Canada.

Dr. John W. Stone was born around 1841 in Lexington, Kentucky. This is according to the Directory of Deceased American Physicians, 1804-1929. The reason I give the source of this information is that Ancestry will have you all over the board as far as John W. Stone. To be fair, this man WAS all over the board anyway. But be sure to check and double check your information on Ancestry. It's so easy for their algorithms to pull you in! Especially with a common name such as John Stone.

On the 1850 census, Stone was living with his parents in Spencer County, Kentucky. His father was listed as a chair maker. By 1860, Dr. Stone had married Susan McKinney, and their eldest was born in 1860 in Brownstown, Indiana.

Stone's father, who ended up in Lost River Township, Martin County, Indiana, was in Floyds Knobs, Indiana at the time of the 1860 census. By 1870, he was settled in Martin County, Indiana.

In the 1870 census, Dr. Stone and his family were in Van Buren, Indiana, and he was listed as a Teamster. See what I mean by all over the board? By 1880, he was situated in White County, Illinois, listed as a physician and a surgeon. This was where he settled.

What was this KGC, and what were their goals? Simply put, their oath was to the Confederate president, Jefferson Davis, and they were on the side of the Confederacy, even though their residences were in the Union. Their larger goal, however, was a bit more sinister. The scheme that only the higher-ups knew about was to build a brand-new country, in the shape of a circle, with Havana, Cuba as its capitol. Other lands to be annexed for this new country were parts of the United States, Mexico, and Central America. Slavery would be legal, and their aim was to corner the markets in cotton, sugar, tobacco and coffee. Click on photos to enlarge

The military commission that
presided over ex parte Milligan
Public Domain via Wikipedia

Whatever the frame of mind of the KGC's Martin County members, John Stone must have been a man full of charisma, for he was the one fueling the enthusiasm for the KGC in the Martin County area. We may, however, take clues from Wesley Tranter, a former Knight, who testified on behalf of the U.S. government in the treason trials in Indianapolis:

[Mr. Horsey] came to me and said they were getting up a concern; he did not state what it was, but it was something in defense of the country -- but he didn't tell me exactly what it was at first, or the name of it. I joined it, and they called it the Circle of Honor.

When the KGC was ready to put their plan into place, the first goal was to "put [Indiana] Governor [Oliver] Morton out of the way." According to Tranter, this referred to the assassination of the governor. The men in southern Indiana's KGC were to make a rush on the capitol of Indianapolis, "take the place, wear out the soldiers, and release the [Confederate] prisoners." On the same day, according to "The Treason Trials of Indianapolis," attacks would also be made in St. Louis, Missouri; Springfield, Illinois; and Washington D.C. When Tranter was asked by the Judge Advocate who was responsible for making these plans, he answered, "John W. Stone."

John W. Stone was not only a physician, he was also a pastor. We know little about his practice or his ministry. According to The Daviess County Democrat, March 10, 1888:

[Stone] was afterwards silenced from preaching, on account of not practicing what he preached, and a rumor was reported at the time that he had killed a Union soldier. He still practiced medicine, when sober."

Of course, this is hearsay.

On Ancestry, John W. Stone, looks like most everyone else, reduced to documentation. But by using other sources, we can find out more about people like Dr. Stone, such as newspaper articles and, in this case, government transcripts about a trial for treason! Although Dr. Stone was not one of the defendants in ex parte Milligan, he certainly played a huge role in the crimes.

So eloquently stated

The men on trial for treason in the case called ex parte Milligan were found guilty of treason by the military court and sentenced to hang. Andrew Johnson, after Lincoln's assassination, commuted the sentences to life imprisonment.

The Supreme Court took up the case, stating that President Abraham Lincoln had overstepped his presidential powers in dealing with dissenters. Because the civilians were tried in a military court, they threw the case out. In so doing, they protected future civilians from being tried in military courts. The prisoners were then released, now free but broken. Dr. Stone escaped this mess, even though he had been a large part of the scheme.

In the latter trial, the one held in Martin County, Indiana, Dr. John W. Stone was found not guilty of the murder of Jackson Ballard.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

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The Trials for Treason at Indianapolis: Disclosing the Plans for Establishing a North-Western Confederacy. Being the Official Record of the Trials Before the Military Commission.... (1865). United States: Moore, Wilstach & Baldwin.

The Trials for Treason at Indianapolis - Google Books

Winzerwald Winery

 The Travel Blog

Winzerwald Winery, Perry County, Indiana
____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

When my daughter was in high school, we were both so busy. I was working three jobs, and she was busy in school and with friends. I felt our closeness melting away, and I wasn't sure what to do. We would seemingly be having a great mother-daughter time, and then something would happen. I would get a phone call; she would get a phone call; a friend would come over...

Then I had an idea. A great idea, as it turns out. I realized that when she and I were in the car together, we were stuck with each other. By this time, I believe I had a primitive flip cell phone for work, but I don't believe she had one. No one else could track us down. So once a month, we planned a day trip together on Sunday. We went everywhere - Wyandotte Cave, Louisville, French Lick, Owensboro - and I was right. It gave us a wonderful time to talk with each other and stay in touch with each other while having fun. Click on photos to enlarge

Stephanie and me at Leavenworth, Indiana
Probably 2007

When I wrote The Cliffords & Mr. Orr, I caught the bug from Emily Orr Clifford's love of travel. She always preached to anyone who would listen that travel, not things, is the ultimate way to spend one's life. My dad wasn't a traveler, and so neither was I. Now that I'm able, I want to start traveling more extensively.

Stephanie and I currently are settling for day trips. And one that we have done twice is Winzerwald Winery in Perry County, Indiana. It's so easy to get to. Coming from Evansville, just take Robert D. Orr Highway north to I64. Take I64 as if going towards Louisville. Take exit 72 and follow the signs! It's located at 26300 N. Indian Lake Road.

It was a dark day but warm. I can't drive when it's dark because of the way headlights refract on my eyes, leaving me with a debilitating migraine. But Stephanie is always happy to drive, for which I'm most grateful. And she, like I, must stop at every single rest stop to pee. :)  There is a rest stop on the way to Winzerwald and one on the way back!

Look at us now! Nov, 2021
At Blue Star Memorial Highway rest stop
near Winzerwald Winery in Bristow, IN

Guess what else is located on Indian Lake Road? A cemetery! I love cemeteries. All those stories behind all those stones. And, as a Find-A-Grave volunteer for nearly ten years now, I checked this cemetery's stats on Find-A-Grave. I saw that there were 9 photo requests and that the cemetery was only 38% photographed. I asked my daughter if she would like to help photograph the cemetery with me, and she was a bit hesitant. One reason she thought it would take a lot of time. Another was that she didn't want to trespass. I explained that I photographed the entire Goodwill Cemetery, that has over 2,000 graves, in 3 hours - with a Nikon camera to boot. We had that cemetery photographed in 15 minutes, and I now fortunately have a new ally in photographing and setting up memorials on Find-A-Grave! She loved the experience. Looking at all those names and dates. So interesting.

We then went onward to Winzerwald! They have a nice wine flight where you can chose 8 different wines to taste. They also have wonderful flat bread pizza and a gorgeous view. We each did a wine flight, shared a frozen wine, bottle of water and a flat bread pizza for less than $30. Everyone there is really nice, and it's just a great place to have a relaxing lunch. The view is also breathtaking. 

We visited the cemetery on the way back, too, just to check again for the photo requests. We had only found 4 of the 9. On our visit back, we discovered 2 more that were covered in that cemetery moss that plagues so many cemeteries. There were 3 we just couldn't find, but we will look again the next time we go back. There were quite a few stones that had sunk into the ground and some marked with just a small stone with no name. Many were illegible. The good news is that instead of 38% photographed, Foster's Ridge Cemetery is now 71% photographed!

I love these little trips, though. Emily Orr Clifford was right. Traveling is the best.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

The Joe Schnepp Family of Monticello, IN

 Growing Up with a Preacher Man

Rev. William "Lester" Howard (1929-2021)
Mary Eulalie McLean Howard (1933-2021)

The Joe Schnepp Family
__________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

I don't remember when the Joe and Jeanette Schnepp Family began attending First Baptist Church of Monticello, Indiana. It feels like they just were always there. Joe and Jeanette were at the church a lot, and I know my dad thought the world of them. I don't remember their roles exactly, but I see in Jeanette's obit, she sang in the choir. She and I shared the same birthday, and I think she may have sent me a card every year. I'm not sure, but when I saw on Ancestry that we shared a birthday, it felt she was proud of it or at least thought it was neat.

I learned early that the two boys they were rearing, Mike and John, were their nephews. I'll not repeat the story I was always told as to why, because I don't know if the reason is true or if I even am remembering it correctly. But Mike and John indeed lived with their Uncle Joe and Aunt Jeanette, and so, they attended my dad's church. I didn't know what to do with this. I couldn't figure out if they were my friends or were just being nice to me because they had to be.

I was as boy crazy as any other little girl, but mine was terribly unhealthy. I was so obsessed with David Cassidy, it was ridiculous. And so, I also wondered if either Mike or John could become my crushes. Mike did give me a ring once at church, and I was proud of it. But my dad saw it and told me I had to give it back. Instead of going to Mike and telling him "My dad says I have to give the ring back, I'm sorry," like a normal person, I yelled at him and threw the ring at him. So much for having crushes.

Mike and John's grandmother lived really close to our house, just off North Main Street. She ran a yard sale everyday and had a big sign that you could see from Main Street that said "RUMMAGE." I only remember being there one time, but I'm sure it was many more times than just once. But in this memory, she had an orange clear plastic piano for sale. It was small, and I liked anything that had to do with the piano. There was only one problem. This particular piece actually was a cigarette holder. So, because it was a cigarette holder, their grandmother wouldn't let me buy it. Such was the constant supervision I lived with growing up as Rev. Howard's daughter.

Once when at their grandmother's, John asked me if I wanted to know how to lose ten ugly pounds. Being chubby, I definitely wanted to know! The punch line was "Cut off your head." Little boys telling dad jokes. Click on photos to enlarge

L to R: Janet and Rose Geier, ?, Mike Schnepp, maybe Leo Price,
Greg Timm, Cindy VanMeter, me, ?, John Schnepp, Peggy Shine
Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection

Something that I've never understood was how my parents were okay with me spending an afternoon with Joe's sister, Ethel. I was never allowed really to go much of anywhere, but yet, they let Ethel take me home to Idaville, Indiana one day. I think it might have been after church. The reason I question it, even today, is that she was estranged from her husband, and she was afraid of him. Or at least, she made me afraid of him. She was continually looking over her shoulder that day, on the lookout. I only remember two other things from that day. The first was that we stopped at a gas station so she could put gas in her car. At that point in history, there was such a thing called Ethyl gasoline. She told me at the station that I could always remember her name by thinking of Ethyl gasoline. The last thing I remember from that afternoon is that she taught me to play a card game called Crazy Eights. It may be this experience that gave me a love for card playing. A love I no longer have as an adult.

L to R front row: Debbie Sproles, John Schnepp
I unfortunately don't remember the other three
The teacher, though, (in blue) didn't like me
Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection

Mike and John's uncle, Uncle Joe, drove a school bus for the Twin Lakes School Corporation. I walked to school at Woodlawn Elementary, because it was 5 minutes from my house. When I hit 6th grade, I, like most of the other 6th graders were shuffled off to Meadowlawn Elementary. It was a good system, for the 6th graders had their own wing in this school and were kept separate from the others.

Even though Meadowlawn was on the other side of town, I walked and/or biked to and from school whenever I could. Otherwise, I would ride the bus. I'd walk to Woodlawn to catch bus #6 driven by Uncle Joe Schnepp. He was a good bus driver, very kind to the students.

L to R: My dad, me, two visitors, and Mike Schnepp
I was mad at Dad, the reason for my face
Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection

I don't remember when, but I do remember that Joe and Jeanette built a new house in an area called Norway. We visited several times as they were building. I don't remember the floor plan, but I do remember having a church Halloween party there. Funny thing about my dad being reared Pilgrim Holiness. we always had Halloween parties growing up. I don't know what the Pilgrim Holiness beliefs are as to Halloween, but I wouldn't think they'd see it in a positive light. This particular party wasn't the church-wide Halloween party but was just for those in the youth group. I made one of the attendants upset. I identified her when I arrived by saying hi to her and calling her by name, thusly ruining the "guess who this is" game. She didn't talk to me for a while after that. We also dunked for apples, and I was terrible at this. I didn't like having my head under water, for one thing. Can you imagine a bunch of kids sticking their head in the same container of water, all of them with mouths open, spit coming out in droves. Post-pandemic I wonder if any of us got sick after such a spectacle? How did we survive?

The two trees in front of the church
I loved those trees and took this picture hoping
I'd never forget them

When we left Monticello in 1977, I clung onto everyone as hard as I could. To that end, I had all my friends at First Baptist Church sign my bible, much like you would have someone sign your yearbook. I was clinging to what I had, knowing I was going to be a terrible situation once to Evansville, I was hoping against all hope that I could take something from Monticello with me to Evansville that would get me through. But the old saying is true. You can't go home again. Once we turned our backs on Monticello, it was over.

Me in front of the moving van
I had by this time lost the weight
I look happy, but I wasn't

The bible that everyone signed has long been missing,  I still remember what John Schnepp wrote in it though.  In his usual humor, he wrote, "don't forget to breathe." Sage advice for any generation. On a brighter note, it did all work out, in the end.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Dad's Best Friend, Bill Kretchmar

Growing Up with a Preacher Man 

Rev. William "Lester" Howard (1929-2021)
Mary Eulalie McLean Howard (1933-2021)

Dad's Best Friend, Bill Kretchmar (1920-2006)

____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

As a child, I didn't understand the dynamic a lot of relationships, especially when it came to my dad. You see, Dad didn't have friends. He, as a pastor, felt he couldn't really have "friends" per se, because he was a pastor. Growing up with Dad, even as a child, I witnessed his mental health struggles. I always thought it would be good for Dad to have a best friend. He did have one, though; he just didn't label Bill as his best friend. Because he was a pastor, and he felt he couldn't have friends.

Bill, along with his wife and family, were hometown treasures of our little resort town of Monticello, Indiana. The Kretchmars owned "The Frosty Mug" drive-in where root beer flowed freely into frosty mugs, and it was good root beer, too. It's never really been my thing, but something was different about the root beer at The Frosty Mug!

Frosty Mug was started in 1954 by Bill Kretchmar and his father-in-law, Louis Barton. I don't know why the Bartons and the Kretchmars decided to move from Hammond, Indiana to Monticello around the time they started the restaurant. I never wondered about that. Ever. Until now. Isn't it funny the things we take for granted? Especially as children. But they did move to Monticello, and I'm ever so grateful to have known them.

Perhaps their move had something to do with the First Baptist Church of Monticello, which was started about the same time as the restaurant. Click on photos to enlarge

1963 letter from Bill to my dad
Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection

As I said in a previous blog post, it feels like I remember meeting Bill and Ruth when I was 2 years old. They were showing us the house we were going to move into on Beach Drive in Monticello. A more probable memory, however, is when we would visit Frosty Mug. I don't think we did it very often, because my father was a very proud man, and our food was always free. But, oh, those tenderloin sandwiches. So good. I was intrigued by the drive-in, and it was fun to eat in the car. Why? Because I was a child, I guess, and I was getting my very own tenderloin sandwich. Bill would serve us himself!

We were with the Kretchmars a lot. I remember that their house on the east side of Monticello, Indiana, had a laundry chute. That was so cool. I couldn't find this home's address using Ancestry, but I was pretty sure I could remember where it was. Sixty years ago, this house was spectacular.

Bill & Ruth's first Monticello home
Courtesy Google Maps
Proper attribution given

When Dad first came to Monticello to be the pastor of the First Baptist Church, they were meeting in a little storefront close to Bill & Ruth's home, on the east side of Monticello. Bill was the "moderator" in the church service, so he sat in the front of the church with Dad, facing the people. He led the congregational singing as well and sang special music quite a bit. More than once, he sang "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," moving my dad to tears every. single. time.

Front row: Dad, me, Mom,
maybe Wanda King, Mrs. Geier.
Loucille Cole is in this one as well.
Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection

The church soon moved to its brand-new home on Beach Drive and the Kretchmars moved to 5461 E. Fairbanks Court. Google Maps does not have street view for this home, but you can see it is on the banks of the Tippecanoe River. It is also very close to the Indiana Beach amusement park.

Bill & Ruth's dream home
Monticello, IN
Google Maps with proper attribution

I remember this home well. In this home, Ruth would make "purple cows" for us, which I believe I always declined. There was a Hammond organ, or something like a Hammond organ, and over it was a beautiful family picture of Bill and Ruth with their children and with Ruth's mother. The second story overlooked the Tippecanoe so beautifully. And that living area was all glassed in, so you could see for miles around.

We would visit every July 4th, and I would watch the fireworks on their upper deck. I watched them by myself, which, watching them by yourself as a child is pretty boring. My parents would be inside the home with the Kretchmars, talking about who knows what. Grown up stuff like the restaurant business or the church business.

Something else I remember is that Ruth was always dressed to the nines with perfect make-up and hair. By her vanity, affixed to the wall, was a print of a painting. It was one of those where you can see two different things. One view was a beautiful woman sitting at her vanity looking at herself in the mirror. The other view was that of a skeleton head, and the caption "All Is Vanity." It spoke volumes to me as a young girl growing up in a legalistic household. Cosmetics were bad. Looking nice was bad. That's unfortunately what I took away from the picture, thanks to my filters. I wonder, though, what the sketch meant for Ruth.

"All Is Vanity"
By Charles Allan Gilbert
Fair Use

L to R; Ruth Kretchmar, Sharon Tolley, Edie Miller
Howard Family Collection

When I was young, a singing group from Pomona, California, did a concert at our church. They were called The Overtones, and I was star struck. They were so good. And the after party? It was at Bill & Ruth's big house on the river. These are the things that were taken away from Mom and me when Dad moved us to Evansville. It was a huge deal to be on the "in" with people like Bill & Ruth Kretchmar. That party. It was amazing. And so much fun to party with all these cool cats!

The Overtones
Fair Use

Another fun memory that so many of us from Monticello have were the steamed cheeseburgers at The Frosty Mug. Once the day center was opened up at First Baptist, these steamed cheeseburgers were on their menu, as well! Someone even posted recently on Facebook the recipe.

After we moved to Evansville in 1977, Bill & Ruth came to see my parents. I know it was around Christmastime, because, as a musician, I used to play piano for a lot of Christmas parties. I was playing a party and then after that went to Mom and Dad's to see Bill and Ruth. This is crazy, because it was probably 11 p.m. Fast forward to present day, and I need to be home on the couch by 6:00.

They probably came many times to visit my parents, and I'm just smushing all their visits together into one. It's a five-hour drive from Evansville to Monticello, though, and it's not a fun drive, either.

Ruth Kretchmar, Me, Mom, Dad
at First American Baptist, Newburgh, IN
Howard Family Collection

Mom, Dad, Bill Kretchmar
at First American Baptist, Newburgh, IN
Howard Family Collection

Dad, Stephanie, Mom, Bill, and Me
at my parents table, 1997
Don't judge my hair lol
Howard Family Collection

The last memory to share is that of the monthly skating parties our church had. We rented a roller-skating rink in Logansport, Indiana every month on a Thursday. We would meet at the church and drive together in a caravan. I had a problem learning to skate, because I was afraid of falling. Poor Bill. He decided to teach me to skate, and it turned into a several month project. I knew he was tired of helping me, but he continued anyway, and I let him. I was afraid to let go of him. He would just kindly say "pretend you're like a sack of potatoes. Just a sack of potatoes." I'm sure he was relieved when I finally learned to roller skate on my own! Those were the days. We looked so forward to those skating parties, all of us, adults and children. We'd skate from about 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. And in the middle of the skate, we'd take a break to have devotions and prayer.

My dad was amazing in finding ways to share the gospel with the people he pastored, including the one who was secretly his best friend.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Scuffletown, KY - Mom's Side of the Story

Growing Up with a Preacher Man 

Rev. William "Lester" Howard (1929-2021)
Mary Eulalie McLean Howard (1933-2021)

Scuffletown, KY - Mom's Side of the Story

____________________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

This post was updated Feb. 28, 2024

I have always thought - from the time I could think - that my parents were an odd match. Now that Dad has passed and Mom is in the nursing home, I was right. They were an odd match, which probably made them perfect for each other.

I've talked a lot about Dad's history in this blog and on Facebook, but I have talked very little about my mother's side of the family. Still, I've always been weirdly proud that my Aunt Betty McLean Kroeger (1938-2012) was born in what is now a ghost town. She was proud of it, too. Click on photos to enlarge

Scuffletown and surrounding area
Google Maps with correct attribution

Scuffletown's problem is that it was on the Ohio River, which was always flooding the town. This is what caused its demise. I always thought it was the building of the twin bridges from Evansville, Indiana over the Ohio River going into Henderson, Kentucky. By building the twin bridges, people in Kentucky no longer needed the Scuffletown ferry to get them to Evansville. You see, people from Kentucky would take John Pfingston's ferry into Cypress Beach, located near the Newburgh Overlook, and from there would take a train into downtown Evansville where they could shop. This, to me, sounds delightful. The flooding, though? Not so much.

Mom with her mother
Downtown Evansville, Shopping
Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection

Scuffletown basically was owned by a man named Will Dempewolf. According to an article in The Warrick Press, 29 Aug 1985, Dempewolf owned 1,284 acres in Scuffletown. Many of the residents worked on his farm as tenants. My grandfather operated the Scuffletown General Store, which was also owned by Dempewolf. The ferry, operated by my 2x great-grandfather, was also owned by Dempewolf.

Mom with her brother, Rufus Jr.
Scuffletown, KY
Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection

My mother talked very little about Scuffletown, where she lived with her parents until the 1937 flood drove them out. After the flood took everything in Scuffletown, the McLean family moved to an area called Vanada Station in rural Warrick County, Indiana, close to Newburgh Indiana. I remember that my mother only really talked about two things in Scuffletown. One was about how much drinking went on; and the second was how all her friends there were of African-American descent.

According to Wikipedia,
this was the founding family of Scuffletown
Public Domain via Wikipedia

Scuffletown was indeed a drinking town, as it was the stomping grounds of so-called "riverboat men." Because there were no locks or dams on the Ohio River at Newburgh, which was then called Sprinklesburgh, the water over the Ohio sometimes got pretty low. Low enough that the riverboat men would have to lay over at Scuffletown, waiting for rain. While waiting, the men drank... a lot of whisky. It feels that Mom told me that her Uncles were all alcoholics. But I was young when she told me this. I know there were alcoholics in the family, but I don't think it was her Pfingston uncles. (It was recently confirmed that many were.) It was just the riverboat men in general, drinking a bunch and probably fighting. I can't imagine being so young and exposed to all this rowdiness. It certainly made an impression, for my mother never touched alcohol that I know of in her whole life. And Dad was polar opposite of what she would have witnessed growing up in Scuffletown. He grew up in a very religious household where drinking was thought of as quite sinful - the devil himself, actually. This may have further attracted her to him.

From L to R
Great-grandmother Flora Vogt Pfingston
Grandmother Anna Bell Pfingston McLean
My mom, Mary McLean Howard
Great-grandfather Arthur Edward Pfingston
In front of Anna Bell's house in Warrick Co., IN
Carolyn Ann Howard Family Collection

The second thing I remember her talking about more than anything was how many African-American friends she had growing up and how they would do each other's hair. Growing up in a little town in Northern Indiana that was completely white, I was intrigued by this.

It is striking, though, that her mother, my grandmother, in the Evansville Press dated 29 Sep 1931 named the names of the four white families that lived with them in Scuffletown: Howard Buley, Lon Meredith, John Beach, and Alvin Watkins. Anna Bell then stated that "nine negro families make up the rest." That was the ending sentence of the article.

Today, there is nothing at Scuffletown but bottomlands. According to Wikipedia, in 2001, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service suggested making this area a nature preserve, but that hasn't happened.

I have also read that the Henderson, Kentucky Public Library has recordings of some of those who lived in Scuffletown. I will have to make a trip there to see if my grandparents were counted among those recorded.  I'm also wondering if any of the African-American families who lived there were recorded. I would love to hear their side of the story.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Three Changes After Dad's Death

In memory of William "Lester" Howard (1929-2021)

__________

by Carolyn Ann Howard

I've noticed three changes have occurred since I was able to finally get my dad into Newburgh Healthcare. Once he was safely in there, I could breathe again. I knew he'd either start to feel better, or he would die in peace. The latter is what occurred.

Sleep experts say your bedroom should be dark. To that end, I painted our bedroom "Ice Cave." Although internet swatches of this color show a lighter blue, its true color is actually very dark and deep. I bought a black comforter, pulled all the light wood furniture out and put black furniture in. It is very dark in there now, and I love it.

I have this weird feeling about other people's bedrooms. I'm sure it's something from my childhood, but I've always felt that bedrooms should be private, personal, and intimate. To that end, I've always kept this room dark, even in the day, so that no one visiting would be able to see it, even with the door open.

Oddly, after I got my father in Newburgh Healthcare, I couldn't stand to look into that dark room and not be able to see anything in it. I have lamps that I put in that also have dark shades when they're turned off. Now, I leave one of the lamps on during the day, so that when I look in, I can see the bedroom. Click on photos to enlarge

The stuffed animals are unapologetically mine

As a minimalist, (who has 6 stuffed animals in her bed) I have very little sentiment toward things. I have a few family bibles, but that's the genealogist in me. I have a few of my daughter's trinkets she made when in grade school. For whatever reason, having too much stuff makes me feel insecure. It's crushing. My daughter has inherited this trait from me.

So, when Dad gave me the quilt Mom had made for my daughter, but then decided to keep for herself instead, my daughter and I thought to sell the quilt. Neither of us wanted it or needed it. And it takes up so much room in my closet.

The shadowed area is my shadow

After Dad died, however, we have decided to keep the quilt. Just like that, the feelings toward it inverted. Even my attitude toward all the work my mother - a maximalist - did. This oil painting that Mom did many years ago is now proudly displayed above my piano.

The third thing for me that changed was my entire routine. For example, I used to love to watch The Drew Barrymore Show. I haven't watched a single one this new season and oddly, I no longer have the desire to. I have the tv off most of the time during the day now. While that used to be my modus operandi anyway, after living with Kenny these past 7 years, I had become comfortable with the TV blaring. I have lost that comfort. Give me quiet and let me read.

In a nutshell for me, after losing Dad:

1. Some things become bothersome - like my bedroom being dark during the day.

2. Things that meant nothing increase in value - like the quilt and the oil painting.

3. Routines change - I now have the TV off during the day.

My daughter adds a fourth bullet point: "Seeing someone lose their life leads you to reevaluate your own."

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