It Happened in February

The following article by Charles Hartley originally appeared in The Pioneer News on 24 Feb 2014. It is archived here for your reading enjoyment.

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In this column we will look back 15, 30, 60, and 90 years to capture glimpses of what was happening in Bullitt County in each of these years. Today we will focus on the month of February.

1999 - 15 Years Ago.

Magistrate Eddie Bleemel requested that a resolution be adopted to ask the State Department of Transportation to do something about Highway 44. Sound familiar?

Justin Odle, Chad Young, Derick Bradshaw, Ashley Murrell, Megan Brimer, Brad Harvey, Jessica Cheatham, Megan Reiding, Aaron Pugh, Casi Jesse, Sierra Bass, and Lauren Parrish were recognized as "Students of the Month" at Hebron Middle School.

Corky Miller resigned as mayor of Fox Chase to devote his time promoting the American Cancer Society.

Jeannine Hurst, a Bullitt Central graduate, was performing with the production company at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.

Bellarmine's Dean's List included local high school graduates Anne Trost Allgeier (BC), Kristina Exely (BE), Angela Hoffman (NB), Rachel Layman (NB), Christine Mudd (BC), Sara Robison (BC), Kacey Stiles Roby (BC), Margaret Schneider (BE), and Kristie Wise (BE).

I wonder if Dustin King, Christina Trageser, and Casi Jesse remember having their Hebron Middle School essays printed in The Pioneer News?

Nichols' Christmas program pictures were printed in February and included musicians Todd Mertz, Josh Jeffries, Jordan Lacefield, John Gordan, Evan Thompson, Dustin Collier, Michael Cottrell, Brandon Bishop, Brittany Hurst, Alicia Embry and Jody Gaw.

The community came out to show their respect for Lloyd "Shot" and Arbidelia Dooley on the occasion of their retirement after spending 25 years together in the sheriff's department.

Bullitt East senior Jason Winstead was invited to the play in the Executive East/West All-Star Classic basketball game. He was his school's leading scorer and rebounder.

Janet Pack, a Mt. Washington resident, was awarded the WHAS-TV ExCEL award. The award's purpose is to recognize the importance and contributions of public school teachers and the teaching profession.

Judge Executive Ken Rigdon was pictured surrounded by educators Bob Buege, Joe Reister, Rob Mineer, Keith Davis, and Rob Williams. Seen any of those guys lately?

And does anybody remember when Stefanie Sellers reported on the deaths of Romeo and Juliet with a live on-air report at Bullitt East?

1984 - 30 Years Ago.

Mayme Ratliff celebrated her 90th birthday. She was born in Bullitt County in 1894 to Will Ed and America Frances Shepherd, and married Coleman Ratliff in 1912. According to the paper she had 32 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren to help her celebrate the occasion.

Dion Masden made quite an impression on opposing teams after becoming a starter on the Bullitt Central team.

Verna Montgomery, who was formerly with Jean Hatzell, announced that she had joined the tax staff of William Batsel.

The men of Belmont Baptist Church were treated to a fine breakfast on Baptist Men's Day. Bettie Johnson, Barbara Etherton, Joyce Kliever, Jenny Myers, Frances Riggs and Sue Goble did the cooking. Clifford Etherton baked the biscuits!

Oretha Ridgeway, the Nichols correspondent, wrote, "Sorry to hear the death of Ada Monroe Hoover. Miss Monroe was my teacher here at Nichols in the 1920-21 term."

Bullitt Lick Middle School sixth grader Tiffany Rice took top honors in the county spelling bee competition. Tasha Wethington, a Mt. Washington 8th grader, took first place in the 7-8 grades event, and second overall. Destiny Wolford, a Cedar Grove 4th grader, placed third overall.

The paper printed a picture of "The Ramblin' Boys," a music group of local boys including Buba Franklin, Eddie Faust, Jack McCubbins, and Don Langly.

At the Shepherdsville Middle School Science Fair, winners included Bobbie Hardison, Carrie Olser, Clinton Clayborne, Joe Rauchenbach, Aaron Brown, Pam Terhune, Kent Armstrong, Monty Moore, Brian Branham, Mike Brown, and Angel Tharp who won first place overall.

Meanwhile over at Bullitt Lick's science fair the winners included Debbie Callahan, Blu Flenor, Mike Price, Lor Hilbert, Monica Meredith, Joey Cherivak, Lisa Sallengs, Kim Davis, and Chad Tabor who was the overall winner.

Terry Patton of Bullitt East, Jeff Muncey of North Bullitt, and Kim Valentine of Bullitt Central were pictured with County Judge Executive Clifford Haley as he signed a proclamation declaring Future Business Leaders of America Week in Bullitt County.

Tina Priddy and Kevin Newton of North Bullitt, Connie Fox and John Fackler of Bullitt Central, and Tonya Proctor and Robbie Henry of Bullitt East were the queens and kings at the schools' respective basketball homecomings.

And I wonder if Matt Johnson, Karl Lepper, Calvin Rowland, Chris Beck, and Junior Huff remember standing R.O.T.C. inspection for Brigadier General Thomas W. Lightner at Bullitt Central?

1954 - 60 Years Ago.

Mrs. Mollie Raymond resigned as nurse with the Bullitt County Health Department.

The paper reported that construction of the new toll road would be "the greatest thing that ever happened for our county."

T. C. Carroll was recently elected vice-president of the State Bar Association.

Mr. and Mrs. Roy Shepherd, Buddy, Inez, and Billy had the pleasure of talking to Emogene who was in Margate, Kent, England. The call came through to Mr. and Mrs. Woodford McDaniels.

The S.H.S. band director, Armand Abramson, led his group in giving rousing support to the Rams' basketball team in its 70-45 victory over Mt. Washington.

Mrs. Mary Cook's fifth grade was treated to an interesting account of sights and scenery of Florida when Burnell Pike described her trip to Jacksonville and St. Augustine.

The paper was pleased to report that Mr. Paxton Parrish was able to attend church services Sunday morning at the Methodist Church in Mt. Washington; but regretted to report that little Miss Sharon Pennington has the measles.

Elmer Downs, Roy Kulmer, and William Morrison of the Shepherdsville fire department went to Cincinnati to pick up a used pumper engine that that city had for sale.

The Chamber of Commerce was looking for financial help in getting a bookmobile for the county.

The local P.T.A. expressed their appreciation to Harold Jenkins, Don Riley, Jackie Troutman, Harold Troutman, Charles Fearnbach, Walter Mattingly, Henry Terry, and Blane Terry for providing music at their dance.

Did you miss the grand opening of Wigginton's Union Store Supermarket in Mt. Washington? They gave away 25 baskets of food!

If you shopped in Shepherdsville, the Harold W. Hardy Super Market had a 25 pound bag of Ballard flour on sale for $1.94.

Shepherdsville seniors William Coy, Darrell Parrish, Norman Troutman, Darrell Bridwell, Arthur Miller and Bobby Milam made their final home appearance in a close game against Bardstown. At halftime Janet Masden was crowned queen by Mr. Roger Wigginton. Mr. Wigginton graduated from the school in 1918. Senior Sponsor Neil Farris served as master of ceremonies.

And Attorney General Jiggs Buckman spoke at the dedication of the new lunchroom at the Shepherdsville High School. I had some fine meals in that place!

1924 - 90 Years Ago.

The ladies of Shepherdsville organized a Woman's Club with the following officers: Mrs. Sudie Means, President; Mrs. Ella Chappell, Vice-President; and Mrs.Ada Troutman, Secretary and Treasurer. Other members mentioned included Mrs. T. C. Carroll, Mrs. Collings, Mrs. Harmon and Miss Mary Dawson.

Charles Lee Bradbury and Stanley Muir led the Georgetown College basketball team to a victory over the University of Kentucky. Together they scored 16 of the team's 26 points.

Out Pleasant Grove way the Union Truck collected for market two bunches of hogs, one for Jasper Hall and the other for Strauss and Rob Hall, one cow for Jess Ridgway, five calves, two for George Armstrong, one for Mike Brumley, one for Talmage Lloyd and one of K. S. Grant. That was a full load!

The Hebron correspondent reported that Mrs. Betty Deacon died in late January at the age of 88. She was a carpet weaver and wove many yards of rag carpet, flannel and jeans with her loom. It was estimated that in 60 years that she followed weaving, she wove over six thousand yards of carpet, flannel and jeans. She left one daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Swearingen, three grandchildren, Louis Swearingen of Louisville, William and Miss Geneva Swearingen of this place and quite a number other near relatives and friends.

The Fiscal Court decided to help build a bridge across Rolling Fork River about a mile south of Lebanon Junction.

J. R. Zimmerman, a popular Shepherdsville attorney, moved his office over to room 3 in the new Bullitt County Bank building, and invited all his clients and friends to come by for a visit.

The newspaper editor wrote about his "esteemed friend," Mr. Samuel A. Hornbeck who had just celebrated his 80th birthday with a splendid dinner prepared by Mrs. Letitia Wilson, his daughter, assisted by her sisters, Mrs. Mary Collings, and Miss Nannie Hornbeck.

The paper reported that the Glen Ella school district had the largest percentage of its pupils in high school of any district in Bullitt County. This district was first taught by Mrs. Ella Sweeney Pope, whose popularity there also gave it a part of her name. C. P. Bradbury, James Bradbury, Harry Combs, Forrest Weller, H. M. Trunnell, Conrad Maraman, James Hardaway and other notables were all students in that school.

O. G. Howerton sold his insurance business to Gabe Bealmear and Gus Swearingen who, while new men in the insurance field, were not strangers to the people of Bullitt County, where both were born and reared and where both had lived since birth. For several years, Mr. Swearingen was with Troutman Bros. where he made an enviable record. Before coming to Shepherdsville, Mr. Bealmear was engaged in stock raising and farming in the Zoneton neighborhood. He also operated a taxi for two years.

Back then Ottis Porter of Bardstown Junction would sell you a pair of good heavy horses, and if you were interested he'd also part with his farm.

And if you needed coal, you needed to call J. E. Chappell or Lillie Thompson in Shepherdsville. They handled nothing but the best Eastern coal.

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Copyright 2014 by Charles Hartley, Shepherdsville KY. All rights are reserved. No part of the content of this page may be included in any format in any place without the written permission of the copyright holder.

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