John R. “Pete” Hughes of Brownsburg passed away May 11, 2013.  Pete was born in Cairo, Ill., to John and Lottie Hughes. He served as a medic in WWII and then worked for the New York Central Railroad as well as Ransburg Corporation. For 32 years, Pete and his wife, Patricia (Hall) Hughes, ran their business called J. Bob’s in Nashville. He was a 50-year member of the Cairo, Ill. Masonic Lodge No. 237.

Pete and Pat were happily married for 67 years. They have three children, Lynda (Larry) Myers, Donald (JoAnn) Hughes and Sherrill (Barry) Gunn. He was also blessed with six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Ethelyn Mae and Helen Louise; and grandson, Andy Myers.

A memorial service is being planned for a later date.

Rhonda Sue Phifer of Warsaw, Indiana passed away at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, 2013 at the age of 54. She was a graduate of Brown County High School in 1977. Moving to Kosciusko County, Indiana in February 1984, where she became a realtor in 2005. She worked for Lucas Realty, Re/Max Realtors, and Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber. She was a good Christian woman, with a deep Baptist faith.

She was born on December 14, 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana to the late Virgil E. Rutter and Bette J. (Osborn) Rutter, who survives in Syracuse, Indiana. On January 27, 1979 she was married to Don Phifer, who survives in Warsaw, Indiana.

She will be lovingly remembered by her son: Chris (wife Bernice) Phifer (Pierceton, Indiana); daughter: Lisa Henrickson (Pierceton, Indiana); five grandchildren; one brother: Sam Rutter (Whiteland, Indiana); three sisters: Michelle (husband David) Bjella (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina); Pam Hildebrand (Indianapolis, Indiana); and Debbie (husband Don) Steele (Alabama). She was preceded in death by her father Virgil E. Rutter in 2002, and her son Jason in 1997.

Her funeral service will be conducted on Monday, May 20, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana and officiated by Pastor Terry Bradford There will be visitation prior to her funeral on Monday, May 20, 2013 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Memorial donations in Rhonda’s name may be directed to Kosciusko County Home Care & Hospice, P.O. Box 1196, Warsaw, Indiana 46581-1196; or to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana, Indiana Region, 7330 Woodland Drive, Suite 201, Indianapolis, Indiana 46278 …..Web site: www.makeawishindiana.org and would be appreciated by her family.

Michael Dewayne Wilson, 51, of Bloomington, passed away Wednesday at his home. He was born on January 7, 1962, in Somerset, Kentucky; he was the son of Willard and Burnis (Hutchison) Stewart.

Michael was a graduate of Bloomington High School South class of 1980. He worked for Umphress Masonry.

Michael is survived by his companion, Heather Dugan; one daughter, Ashylan Jofaye Wilson; his parents, Willard and Burnis Stewart; brothers and sisters, Jeffrey Hutchison (Gaye), Misha Kirts (Mark), Michael Stewart and Suzette Weakley (John); and several nieces and nephews.

Michael was preceded in death by his sister, Eula Love; brother, William Joseph Stewart; and grandparents, Leo and Myrta Hutchison and Flora and Tom Stewart.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 18th, 2013, at the Paynetown Pentecostal Church with Rev. Cheryl Crum officiating. Burial will follow at Clear Creek Cemetery. Family will receive friends from 4-8 p.m. Friday at Allen Funeral Home.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.allenfuneralhome.org.

Photo by Kim Woods-Owens

The Brown County Playhouse’s Summer Youth Theatre will be performing “Grease” (book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey) on Friday-Sunday, July 12-14, 2013 for a total of 3 performances. The show will be co-directed by Chad Rabinovitz & Eric Anderson, directors of last summer’s hit – FOOTLOOSE!.

The show is about head “greaser” Danny Zuko and new (good) girl Sandy Dumbrowski trying to relive the high romance of their “Summer Nights” as the rest of the gang sings and dances its way through such songs as “Greased Lightnin’”, “It’s Raining on Prom Night”, “Alone at the Drive-In Movie” recalling the music of Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Elvis Presley that became the soundtrack of a generation. An 8-year run on Broadway and two subsequent revivals along with innumerable school and community productions place Grease among the world’s most popular musicals.

Auditions for the musical  ”Grease” will be held on  Wednesday, May 22 from 3:15 pm-4:15 pm at  the Brown County High School music room. Auditions are open to high school and college students. The co-directors are looking to cast 9 males and 8 females in the musical. Please contact co-Director, Chad Rabinovitz, at artisticdirector@newplays.org to schedule an audition slot.

Auditions will be held in 5 minute increments. Headshot & resume accepted but not necessary. Actors are asked to prepare 16-32 bars (about 1 min) of a contemporary musical.  Please provide sheet music if possible.  Actors may also choose to prepare a 1 minute  monologue or select a cold reading provided at the audition.

Contact co-Director, Chad Rabinovitz, at artisticdirector@newplays.org with questions about the production or necessary audition material or if you’re unable to make the scheduled audition time.

Rehearsals will begin Monday, June 3, 2013  and run Monday – Friday. The time will be announced later.

ADDITIONAL LINK – Brown County Playhouse

Brown County Relay for Life will be this Saturday, May 18th at the Brown County High School Track.

Schedule of events:
8 am Registration
9 am Opening Ceremony
9:30 am Survivor Speech
10 am Survivor Breakfast
12 noon Silent auction begins
1 pm Corn Hole tournament
5 pm Silent auction ends
5 pm Team Recognitioin/Fight Back Ceremony
10 pm Luminaria Ceremony
12 midnight Closing Ceremony

Music Schedule:
10-10:45 am Tony Voss and Destiny*
11-11:45 am Allison Drew and Friends
12-12:45 pm The Mizfits
1-1:45 pm BreakOut Worship
2-2:45 pm Alisa Smith and Cole Oday
3-4:45 pm Cheeky Rose and Dynamo
5-5:45 pm Don Ford
6-7:45 pm The Webbs
8-9:00 pm The PawnTunes
10 pm The Luminaria

If you can’t make it to the event and would like to make a donation click on this link – BROWN COUNTY RELAY FOR LIFE.

Long-time resident of Brown County, Sherlene “Shelly” Smiley-Saurer, 77, passed away May 15, 2013. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Dec. 26, 1935, she moved Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., then moved to Indianapolis to work for Eli Lilly. In 1965, she moved to Brown County and has been a resident ever since.

Shelly, as she was known by her friends, was preceded in death by her husband, Peter; and her son, Mark Enoch Smiley.

She is survived by two daughters, Theresa Burgess (Rick) and Betsy Arnold (Brian); and two sons, Brian (Areerat) and Eric Smiley; four grandchildren, Jason Smith (Mandy), Laura Fancher (Josh), Brian W. and Jack Smiley; and two great-granddaughters, Jalyn and Addison Smith.

Shelly will always be remembered for her strength and determination to overcome any obstacle and her love of family.

A memorial service will be conducted at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 2, at St. Agnes Catholic Church  with visitation from 3 p.m. until service time. In lieu of flowers  send memorial contributions to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in the name of Sherlene Smiley-Saurer.

Michele Marie Taylor, 47, of Nineveh, died at 1:37 p.m. Monday, May 13, 2013, at IU Health Methodist in Indianapolis. Born in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 7, 1966, Michele was the daughter of George Crawford Caudill and Ami Ruth Duran Caudill. She married William R. Taylor Nov. 16, 2001.

She loved her family, being a “Mom” and was proud to be a military wife. She also loved genealogy and researching her family history as a stay at home Mom.

Survivors include her husband; her mother, of Nineveh; children, Damarla Taylor of Pennsylvania, Samantha Smith of Austin, Kara and Kyle Kluesener of Nineveh, Tamara Taylor of Nineveh, Derryck Taylor of Indianapolis, Shaynna Taylor of Greenwood, William Taylor of Illinois and Keesha Taylor of Brookville; grandchildren, Aidan Day, Alexandria, Christian and William Taylor; a brother, Peter Vellis of Evansville; and sisters, Renee Grace of Crothersville and Karen Campbell of Dallas, Texas.

Michele was preceded in death by her father, George Crawford Caudill

Her funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Monday at Jewell-Rittman Family Funeral Home with the Rev. Wes Jones officiating. Calling will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday and from noon until service time Monday. Burial will be at Valley Home Old Regular Baptist Church Cemetery in Freetown.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

You are invited to view her video tribute after 1 p.m. Sunday, light a virtual candle and send a message to the family at www.jewellrittman.com.

The following BCHS athletes will head to IHSAA Boys’ Track Regional at Bloomington North High School next week, Thursday, May 23 at 6 pm:

100 Meter Dash: 4. Dylan Quakenbush 11.59

200 Meter Dash: 4. Nick Harding 23.51

3200 Meter Run: 4. Alden Westcott 9:58.46

4 x 400 Meter Relay: 4. Nick Harding, Collin Hoskins, Isaac Gluesenkamp, Cody Whipker 3.33.00

4 x 800 Meter Relay: 3. Isaac Gluesenkamp, Alden Westcott, Eddie Ryan, Cody Whipker 8:20.95

Team results: 1. Bloomington North 141, 2. Bloomington South 114, 3. Edgewood 71,4.  Martinsville 52, 5. Brown County 29, 6. Linton-Stockton 27, 7. Owen Valley 23, 8. Eastern Greene 3, 9. Bloomfield 2

Tennis (Girls) – Brown County vs. Columbus North @ Columbus East for the IHSAA Girls’ Tennis Sectional on May 16, 2013.