CLARK COUNTY — This newspaper began printing the news of Clark County 139 years ago, and some of you loyal readers have been subscribing for about half that time.

That’s amazing.

A newspaper is really an ever-changing history book; one that documents huge events such as man walking on the moon, elections, deaths, sports championships and a slow-moving bridges project. It seems that started in 1872 as well.

But, as you’ll read below, it’s often the personal memories that stick with long-time readers — so much so that the daily newspaper becomes less of a history book and more of a scrapbooking tool.

We asked veteran subscribers to tell us how long they’ve been taking the paper and to share some of their fondest memories of The Evening News. Many wrote of children’s photos or pictures of engagements and weddings appearing in the paper.

It’s the freedom a small-town paper — even one right in the middle of a metropolitan area — has to publish almost anything. Our weekly Life and Times page is proof that if you take a picture and send it in, we’ll run it.

Those individual photos might not mean much to a lot of people, but they meant a lot to certain people. Those can be reasons for someone to subscribe to the paper for 50, 60 or 70 years.

I put a news brief in the paper months ago (sorry for the delay folks, just like years, days and weeks can get away from you) asking for what turned into the responses below. We are very thankful for the letters and e-mails — and even one printed in a thank you card — you sent back.

We appreciate the business of all our subscribers, single-copy purchasers and advertisers. We just wanted to give the ones below some special attention.

Enjoy, and here’s to many more years of bringing you Clark County news. Thanks for welcoming us into your homes.



“When my husband, Earl, was discharged from the Army in 1959, we moved to Clarksville and started taking The Evening News soon after. We have lived locally and taken the paper for about 51 years.

The coverage on church, school, sports and government are the best. We have been in senior games for 15 years and the coverage has been great with many pictures.

Thank you, Evening News, for all you do for our area.”

— Betty Haley, Jeffersonville, formerly of Clarksville



“My son, John, delivered The Evening News on his bicycle through the country around Sellersburg. He was 15 years old. He had 103 customers on his route.

That boys is now 60 and I still take The Evening News.”

Thank you,

— Shirley Wilson, Jeffersonville



“On April 2, 1947, I was almost 19 years old, a new bride and owner of a small restaurant/tavern specializing in fried chicken and draft beer.

It was located at the same spot where Neil and Patty’s Fireside Grill is now. Our old building was also a gas station at one time and there was a large wooden box that once held an air compressor. We used it for The Evening News because there was no carrier in Hamburg back then.

Some customers paid weekly and others dropped money in the box and took a paper. Can you imagine doing that today? I don’t remember the price, but I made good money. Also, it helped bring in new customers at our restaurant.

This went on for several years and I have been a customer ever since — 63 years. Your paper has been a blessing, giving us great coverage on many of our projects, especially our cemetery restorations.”

Thank you and keep up the good work,

— Betty J. Johnson, Memphis



“My husband and I married on Oct. 26, 1957. We subscribed to The Evening News at that time and have enjoyed the paper each evening for the past 53 years.

We have followed Jeffersonville High School basketball, swimming and golf teams. We also have enjoyed the columns on area college athletes.

My husband and I were on the front page of the paper on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2000, voting at Wilson Elementary School during the presidential election.

Keep up the good work Mr. Van Hoy. We enjoy your columns and the Cheers and Jeers.”

Thank you,

— Pat and Bob Woehrle, Jeffersonville





“We have been taking The Evening News for about 40 years. We can’t remember exactly when we started. We have lived here for 45 years.

My husband, Maurice H. Popp, and I like the stories from St. Joseph Hill Catholic Church and many others.”

— Lelia M. Popp, and husband, Maurice H., Memphis





“Newspapers have always been important to our family. We were subscribers to The Evening News when the flood came.

During those year, and following, the news printed a section called The Colored News every Saturday. The contents were collected and contributed by various members of the black community.

My father, the late Clarence Clipper, occasionally had “economizing fits” and decided that we were spending too much money on newspapers (we were taking the Louisville paper daily), The Evening News and often bought the Louisville Defender on the weekends.

He would discontinue the News for a time, but inevitably we would soon become subscribers to it again.

My sister and I left Jeffersonville during the 1940s, but my father and stepmother, Edith M. Clipper, subscribed to The Evening News during all the years until her death in 1993.

I continue to subscribe.”

— Flora Clipper, Jeffersonville



“I believe Mr. Schroer wrote articles for you in the 1980s. I remember a great one from 1980, as it was an exciting track sectional and a win for Providence High School.

We have been subscribing to The Evening News for about 33 years.”

— Mary Seger, Clarksville



“I have been a subscriber since 1951 or 1952. One of my local news memories was the celebration of Jeffersonville’s sesquicentennial.

They had a big parade and Henry Nachand, attorney, was the parade marshal. His secretary, Helen Wiggam, and I rode in the lead convertible with Circuit Court Judge Bottorff.

Pictures of my family and I have been in the paper many times — my wedding picture from 1956, pictures of my children and various organizations in which I was involved.

The Evening News has been my favorite newspaper for more than 60 years.

Yours truly,”

— Opal Nein, Jeffersonville



“I lived at 1011 Applegate Lane for 29 years and took the paper some of the time I was there. I now live on Blackiston Mill Road and have taken the paper for the 26 years I have lived here.”

— Jack L. Wassing, Clarksville



“The Evening News has been delivered to my home since the spring of 1955 — more than 55 years!

It has allowed me to “keep up” with the “goings on” in Jeffersonville and all of Clark County.

Sincerely,”

— Clementine B. “Tiny” Barthold, Jeffersonville



“I have been getting The Evening News for more than 50 years while living in four different places in Clarksville — including the 42 years in my present home.

My theme for this letter is pictures.

You had a one-time, one-shot staffer named Erna. She never wasted film, but her one shot was good.

My three daughters, Ann, Naomi and Valerie graduated from Clarksville High School. You used to put the whole class photos individually in the paper.

The best picture that means a lot to me was when you came to our home and interviewed Nelson, my husband and took his picture. He is a World War II veteran — a combat Marine and there’s not many of them left.

The article was very nice and we appreciate it so much.

Best of luck to all the staff and may God bless,”

— Martha E. Prince, Clarksville



“I started taking the paper in the 1960s and my daughters, born in 1959, 1961 and 1972 were all in the paper. They all played softball and went to George Rogers Clark.”

— Jean Martin, Jeffersonville



“We have subscribed for 51 years. We moved to Maple Court on March 15, 1959. It has been a wonderful place to live.

Our 40th and 50th wedding anniversary pictures were in your paper. We raised three kids, three grandkids and have nine grandkids now.

There have been many “student-of-the-month” pictures and honor roll articles.

Thank you for your service,”

— Thomas and Rosemary Scantland, Clarksville



“I have been a subscriber to The Evening News for 55 years and my favorite was the pictures of my seven great-grandchildren in the Christmas section.

At the age of 90, my favorite section today is the obituary section.

Sincerely yours,”

— William H. Cheesman, Charlestown



“One of my favorite stories in The Evening News was about a hunting or fishing trip that Bill Scott Sr. went on, I believe in Canada. It’s been a while.”

— Doris J. Henshaw, Jeffersonville



“My wife, Dolly, and I have been married for more than 60 years (1950) and we are sure we have subscribed to The Evening News that long.

We have three or four scrapbooks full of newspaper articles about Jeffersonville High School and University of Louisville basketball. My grandson, B.J. Flynn played for both teams.”

— William and Dolly Pangburn, Jeffersonville



“Just a note to let you know we are in our 41st year as subscribers to The Evening News. Keep up the good work.

Respectfully,”

— Roy D. Light, Jeffersonville



“My name is Joan Dodd and Lindon Sr. and I started getting The Evening News in September 1962. We enjoyed all the children’s activities in the paper.

I know everything going on in the community. I can’t wait for the paper to arrive. We think we beat the other paper a lot.

I’ll continue your paper so long as we live here. We enjoy all the writers, especially our son [Lindon]!”

— Joan Dodd, Oak Park, Jeffersonville



“I’ve been a subscriber for 30 years at the same address. I was also a contributor 30 years ago when you published brief minutes of our local Beta Sigma Phi sorority chapter meetings and were eager to come out and take photos of us and our newly elected officers every year.

It was a thrill looking for our pictures and making our own scrapbooks.”

— Phyllis Kreutz, Jeffersonville



“I first subscribed to the Evening News in the month of November in 1951. At that time, my address was Route 2 in Jeffersonville, now considered Clarksville. I moved to Charlestown Pike in Jeffersonville in 1963 and had the paper transferred to my new address. That is 59 years.

I enjoyed reading about my sons and grandsons and their friends in the Sports Section throughout the years.”

 — Mary Ann Huffmon, Jeffersonville



“My husband and I began dating when we were both working at The Evening News in 1965. We have now been married for 43 years and have been a subscriber for all those years.

Our favorite stories were the coverage of Jeffersonville High School winning the state basketball tournament in 1993.”

— Lynne and Bill Fleece, Jeffersonville



“Thank you for the nudge to an estimated 50-year subscriber to say thanks to The Evening News for keeping me up-to-date on all the news you need to know of Clark County.

I have been a member of many civic and church activities over the years and truly appreciate and value The Evening News for helping us inform the people of our area of events that they would enjoy or need to become involved with.

But my favorite story occurred in the 50-year-ago column in the early 1960s. In the column was listed something like this: “Miss Mary Gintner and Mr. Ernest Frederick, a popular young couple from Jeffersonville, were seen leaving the County Courthouse after they were refused a marriage license.”

These were my grandparents, and Grandmother Frederick was still alive, living in Indianapolis. I could hardly wait to get in touch with her and find out what this was all about. She laughed and said they were turned away because they were “under age.” She said her parents were notified and knew about it before she got home. Don’t you just love a small town.

I still have the clipping in a small frame, stored somewhere safely, but I can’t find it. It is a small treasured gift from The Evening News.”

— Carol Frederick Johnson, Sellersburg



“My husband and I are 21-year subscribers. We have always enjoyed keeping up with local events, and seeing our kids, through the years, in pictures or articles pertaining to school or sporting events.

My favorite is a picture that appeared Sept. 9, 2007 on the front page of the sports section. It features our son lifting a teammate in celebration after a play against rival New Albany. Jeff went on to win the game and take the sectional title in November. That picture encompasses the emotions of the day so well.

Thanks for the memories”

— Sue Hilburn, Jeffersonville



“We moved to Clarksville 51 years ago and have subscribed to The Evening News as long as it has been available to us. We have put our 50th and 60th anniversary announcements in it and I received a note from someone I had taught in 1949 or 1950. She recognized my “before” picture. What a pleasure. She was in an executive position at Clark County Hospital, so I went to see her. We have also had some stories about us in the paper.

We have driven to 48 states and flew to Alaska and Hawaii. We like to keep up with the community. “

— Lois S. Faulkner, Clarksville



“During the 1960s, my brother, sister and myself delivered The Evening New for six or seven years during our middle and high school years.

We would go out every Saturday mornings to collect 25 cents for one week of delivery. My sister has moved out of state but my brother and myself still subscribe to The Evening News after 45-plus years.”

— Linda Reynolds Lawrence



“When we moved to Jeffersonville in 1949 and started taking The Evening News to keep up with the Jeffersonville Red Devils basketball team. I don’t remember what year it was exactly, but we started going to the games with Keith and Viola Weathers, later with Bill and Katleen Wolpert and Ray and Juanita Jones. Of course, there school activities that our children were involved in that we wanted to send to out-of-town grandparents.

One of the best editions was the results of the state basketball championship in 1993. What a thrill it was. It’s just sad that Don wasn’t here to witness the game that he wanted to see for so many years.”

— Doris Schifferly, Jeffersonville



“We have been subscribers to Evening News since July 1962. We felt getting the local newspaper was a good way to become acquainted with our new community.

We remember one-shot Erma and still have clippings of our family from various organizations and the school events.”

— Art and Mary Lou Rousseau, Jeffersonville





“My name is Penny Madden. My husband, Pat, and I moved to Clarksville in May 1990 when I was seven months pregnant with our second son, Cliffy.

He just turned 20 last week, and we’ve gotten The Evening News since we’ve lived here. Pat’s parents, Leo and Marilyn Madden, bought this house in 1975, and they received The Evening News for a long time. We kept it going after we moved here.

I can’t remember all the articles I’ve clipped and saved, but I remember Cliffy’s baseball team pictured in it in the 1990s, and our first granddaughter, Isabella’s picture was in it for her first birthday in November 2008.

I love that our small town newspaper will put pictures of the children in it regularly. I’m glad I ran across your article that reminded me of this.

Have a great day!”

— Penny Madden, Clarksville



“We have been subscribers of the Evening News at least 50 years and maybe longer. Some of the things that I remember are the stories of when JFK was assassinated. When Silver Creek Little League finally was sanctioned in the 1960s and how the ball diamond was built by volunteers.

Also, the story when Silver Creek Junior High was torn down in 2003 — It was the High School when I attended. The fight Hamburg had with the town to keep from being annexed. The article when we finally built the Korean War Memorial in Sellersburg. And I always appreciate when our Memorial Day service is covered.”

— Tim Sells, Sellersburg

 

“I have subscribed to The Evening News for nearly 30 years, and my family has subscribed going back even farther. I can’t pinpoint a particular memory because there have been so many.

Rather, as a historian of the Louisville-Southern Indiana region, I find the news a vital source of intelligence about what’s going on in the community and a record of events in which I have been involved. Over the past 35 years, I have developed a chronological collection of scrapbooks that record events and issues such as the Ohio River bridges debate, major historic preservation projects, planning and transportation issues, the Lewis and Clark Expedition commemoration, civic programs and organizations, and a host of other activities in which my wife Mary and I and our consulting firm, have been involved.

These scrapbooks, which are loaded with news clippings, have been a vital source of primary documents for many of our books and other publications, including “This Place We Call Home: A History of Clark County, Indiana.” The collection is approaching 75 volumes and I hope that one day it will become part of an archival collection that will be of value to future historians of the region. “

— Carl E. Kramer, Jeffersonville