Through the Years: 1971 - Robert Porter, Sr. caught a Buffalo fish weighing 51 pounds near Cataract Lake

Deaths: Donald “Don” Genda, 91; Forest Taylor, 74; Sandra Isenburg, 62; Kenneth Freeman, 58.

A body presumed to be that of Don Richards, 84, former primary stockholder of the Rolling Meadows Golf Course, was found in the rubble following an explosion at his home located on North County Line Road East.

Spencer’s Pete Hodge won the Demolition Derby point series held at the Owen County Fairgrounds.

Benny Hammond was remembered by family on the 12th anniversary of his death.

10 years (2011)

Deaths: Gerald Richardson, 50; Otis “Jim” Calvert, 74; Betty Lou Weidner, 85; Lloyd “Ed” Coleman, 64; Delores Boler, 61.

Vincent A. Ross spoke at a meeting of the Owen County Historical and Genealogical Society about Owen County’s Postal History.

A $20 bill with a Spencer National Bank mark was being offered for sale at $675.

For the 2nd time, Lucas Nickless, 32, of Spencer, reached the summit of Mount Rainier.

Marla Jo Mason signed a recording deal with the Tate Music Group.

A team coached by Rob Babbs beat a team coached by John Truax, 76-74, in the first Owen Valley High School Alumni Basketball Game.

Joan Chambers was remembered on the 1st anniversary of her death by her daughter, LuAnn.

Benny Hammond was remembered by family on the 7th anniversary of his death.

25 years (1996)

Births: A son, Evan John, born to Shawn and Paula Wood; a daughter born to Billy and Katharine Williams; a son born to David and Jenny Green; a son born to Jay and Kimberly Henson.

Deaths: Wayne Steele, 89; Anna White, 96; James Fulk, Sr., 67; Freda “Irene” Isaac, 80; Stuart Becker, 67; Kim King, 48; Pauline Larkin, 80; Martha “Pauline” Harris, 85.

The Spencer – Owen County School Board voted to extend Superintendent Gene Pettit’s contract by one year.

Lee Wiggam resigned as S-OCS Computer Coordinator to take a position as Director of Tech Services for LaPorte Community Schools.

James Shipley completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

Marvin Campbell, Kenneth Parrish, and John Wallace were inducted into the Spencer Exchange Club’s Owen County Firefighter Hall of Fame.

Fred Wright, 81, of Carp, was restoring a 1920s era Owensboro wagon.

Kelley Jo Snapp was remembered by friends and family on the 4th anniversary of her death.

50 years (1971)

Births: A daughter, Amy Catherine, born to J. Michael and Connie Gooding; a daughter, Jennifer Louise, stillborn to Leroy and Bonnie Hawkins.

Deaths: Iva Franklin, 92; Earl Cradick, 67; Kenneth Sloan, 88; Merle Scott, 91; William Miller, 74; Marietta Clark, 74; Cornelia Baugh, 86; Arthur Riggs, 71.

Franklin Williams, 37, died after being electrocuted while working for the N. G. Gilbert Construction Company in Kokomo.

Shirley Fulk, 33, died following surgery for a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Joan Smith, 39, of Gosport broke her pelvis and her children, Susan and John, were injured when she collided with a car driven by Brook Edwards, 20, of Bloomington on Road 46 at Hall’s Grocery.

Florence Woodcock fell and broke her hip.

Robert Porter, Sr., Spencer, caught a Buffalo fish weighing 51 pounds near Cataract Lake.

The Spencer Evening World received the National Guard Bureau’s Guardsman award.

Danny Whitaker was missing a yellow American Flyer 20-inch bicycle from 109 Hillside, Spencer.

Two Indiana University students, James Dyar and David Lisby, both 19, were arrested at McCormick’s Creek State Park and charged with possession of marijuana.

William Jennings completed basic training at the Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Illinois.

Michael Lovings completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

Freddie Rose completed basic training with the U.S. Army at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Private Russell Herbert completed combat training with the Infantry Training Regimes at the Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton, California.

Army Private William Gray, 20, completed an 8-week cooking course at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Vandals damaged 31 gravestones, some beyond repair, at the Mannan Cemetery near Lewisville on the Owen – Morgan county line.

Vandals destroyed every gravestone, approximately 50 markers, at the Newark Cemetery in Greene County.

Facing charges of drinking while riding the school bus, Judge William Sharp repeatedly told 10 girls to “take a walk around the front part of the courtroom. I want to take a look at you,” telling the mother of one 12-year-old to, “take her home and put something on her that will cover her bottom,” and the mother of a 14-year-old that her daughter was, “a good looking girl, but she dresses like a tramp,” and when another 14-year-old replied “Yes” to Judge Sharp’s question, “Are you satisfied with the kind of girl you are?” He had her jailed for the night.

75 years (1946)

Births: A son, Roger Lynn, born to James and Marguerite Sink; daughter, Beverly Jean, born to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Withem; a daughter, Sylvia, born to Mr. and Mrs. Jack Money.

Deaths: Bessie Smiley, 66; Almira Oliphant, 82; Ina Thompson, 57; Lewis Clingerman, 5 months.

Charles Grant Cones, 10, of Indianapolis, died after his clothes caught fire after he threw a lighted match into a gasoline drum. He was the son of Clarence Cones who was killed in a 1945 airplane crash, along with his daughter Mary Lou, south of Spencer.

Homicide was suspected after the body of Thora Lake, 40, was found in the woods two miles east of Bedford.

Joseph Woolridge, 29, of Bloomington, pleaded guilty to the murder of Phyllis Coleman and was sentenced to life in prison.

The home of Floyd and Georgia Stroud, near Freeman, was destroyed by a fire started in a defective flue.

The Owen County Hospital Board selected Jesse Johnson, of Columbus, Indiana, to serve as architect for the project.

Paul Robeson appeared at the Indiana University Auditorium.

Gene Coffey found a tame white rabbit on West Market Street, Spencer.

Warren Hamm lost a Redbone Hound named Trig.

Fire destroyed the home of Dan and Laura Stahl located 4 miles west of Freedom.

This article originally appeared on Evening World: Through the Years: 1971 - Local man caught a Buffalo fish weighing 51 pounds near Cataract Lake