For a print edition, please contact the editor of our Special Publications, Jennifer Mertz.

STORY INDEX Introduction Service still most important product at Ligonier Telephone Co. A black and white sensation: Tiny Screens a big attraction in early years of television A man works from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done Indiana Extension Homemakers better the lives of families How to be a good wife The show goes on at The Strand: Kendallville theater survives decades of changes in the movie business Some movies forgettable, but not Cleon Point: Memories of colorful, longtime Strand Theatre manager live on Small towns once supported their own movie theaters 'You'd see everyone there': Kendallville residents have lasting memories of teen hangouts old and new Links of land and lakes: County, state officials worked together to establish Chain O' Lakes State Park William Jennings Bryan among among orators at Rome City's Western Chautauqua Dr. David Rogers - Man of mystery, and benevolence DNR restoration programs working: Once abundant wildlife returning to area Rise of girls athletics have changed face of school sports Decades of intramurals: Before the '70s, girls had limited athletic opportunities Ford Frick was reared on Noble county's sandlots: Baseball executive always considered himself a 'lucky fan' Ruth was greatest player ever: Frick Frick's predictions for 2000 not far off Small Wolf Lake big winner in 1942 basketball regional Four in a row: Finally with a gym of their own, KHS cagers went to 'Sweet 16' four straight years Ink to flow into 21st century at county's newspapers Broadcast media: Manahan was pioneer in Noble County broadcasting WAWK's history dates back to 1959 Soundwaves from the past: Ligonier museum has one of the largest collections of antique radios in U.S. Health trends: Changes through the century occurred in medicine, health care Scarlet fever, polio were early health scares From sanitarium to partnership: A century of Noble County's medical care Funeral directors ran ambulance service in county prior to '74 'EMS arrives in time for '74 tornado LaGrange County doctors once made house calls by horseback Country doctor delivered babies in his home and drove a Thunderbird Service to mankind condensed to footnotes of history Lengthy Mier-Straus rivalry ended with bank merger : German-Jewish immigrants had impact on Ligonier's history Who are the people of the Amish faith? A place to live, farm, worship, and raise families: Amish began settling in LaGrange, Elkhart counties in 1840 Two controversial religious sects from the 1970's have impact on Noble County Churches with rich heritages served parishioners in LaOtto, Ege Indiana Extension Homemakers better the lives of families By GRACE HOUSHOLDER The News-Sun ALBION - In 1988 the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association (IEHA) celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding. As part of the celebration, an oral history project began in 1980. More than 300 homemakers throughout Indiana were interviewed; their words were recorded in six books edited by Eleanor Arnold. They also produced a video. The quotes in the story headlined "A woman's work is never done" are from these books, loaned to The News-Sun by Beth Berry, Noble County's extension educator. The purpose of the IEHA was to help rural homemakers, who often had large families, learn better ways of doing household tasks. The classes were the reason for the formation of Home Economics clubs. At the time, and for many years, these clubs were the only social outlet for many rural homemakers whose lives revolved around family and church. Early lessons covered topics such as cold pack canning in a washboiler, clothing construction, the advantages of different breeds of chickens, how to make cottage cheese and hoop cheese, basket weaving, etching aluminum trays and home nursing. Meetings were often all-day sessions; and the children sometimes outnumbered the women. As the membership grew, the women started needing professional help at the county level; soon each county had a full-time woman agent. The agent was expected to leave extension service when she became a bride. Over the years two name changes have occurred. In 1951 Home Economics clubs became Home Demonstration clubs. In 1966 they became the Extension Homemaker clubs. Extension educators now specialize in one of three areas: consumer and family sciences, 4-H and youth and agriculture and natural resources. Berry specializes in consumer and family sciences. Doug Keenan is Noble County's specialist in both youth and agriculture. The extension educators are primarily funded by the counties and federal and state funds that come through Purdue University. Berry works with families in a variety of ways, ranging from a healthy baby program for teenage mothers to handling stress to planning a healthy diet. The extension educators serve a nine-county cluster. Berry is an advisor to extension homemakers. Founded in Noble County in 1921, the Noble County clubs had about 600 members during the 1950s. Now, because so many women work outside the home, membership is about half that number, and the average age of members is in the high 60s, Berry says. Although extension homemakers focus on the home, they have been responsible for some important advances outside the home. For example, extension homemakers in Indiana got the state's school lunch program going and have spearheaded efforts to promote childhood immunization programs and organ and tissue donation. Noble County is home to two former state presidents: Helen Schinbeckler in 1967 and Joy LeCount in 1980. Berry's office is in Albion in the Noble County Complex, south on Ind. 9. The phone number is 636-2111. "Our job," Berry says, "is to give research-based information so that people can make up their own minds based on facts."