Fort Wayne has nurtured the talent of numerous entertainers who have performed during Vaudeville, on Broadway and in Hollywood. One of our lesser known entertainers was vaudevillian trapeze artist, Charles Augustus Rathert. Born on November 28, 1885, Rathert grew up in Adams Township within Allen County. He began his performing career in 1914 with his wife Edna and they were known first as “Rozella & Earl,” eventually settling on “The La Croix.” After 1926, Charles performed alone under several aliases, including: La Croix, Charles Augustus, Charles Richards, Charles La Croix, Carl Landair, Vinton Corwin and Victor C. Carlin. Rathert continued promoting his trapeze act though the 1950s. He died on April 18, 1963 at the Irene Bryon Hospital from pulmonary tuberculosis and was buried at Prairie Grove Cemetery. #sociallyhistory
Ladies Society of Lutheran Hospital
Started in the fall of 1904 when the Lutheran Hospital opened. After 111 years with fewer active members and lack of new younger members it ended in 2015. See Hospital society to end with new year by Frank Gray published in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Lahey, Eric
18-year fire department veteran sworn in June 2, 2014 as Fort Wayne's 22nd Fire Chief. A Fort Wayne native and Concordia Lutheran High School graduate. 18-year department vet sworn in as fire chief by Dan Stockman published June 3, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Landon, Daniel
An Early Mill at Three Rivers on page 120 of Pamphlets Volume 8 by the Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Publication date 1954, on Archive.org In 1802Daniel Landon purchased the improvements on a tract of land on the St. Mary's River, near Wayne's fort. The mill, which he later erected on the river, may havebeen the earliest water mill in Allen County. The Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County is indebted to Miss Caroline Dunn, librarian of the Indiana Historical Society, who unearthed the federal document on the claims of Landon' s heirs. The report is published verbatim, except that the Library staff has reconciled the punctuation and spelling with current practice.
Mr. Lane was born in Jackson County, Michigan, October 31, 1851, the son of David and Minerva J. (Crawford) Lane, both natives of New York. He remained on the family farm until he was fifteen years old. He then entered the public schools of Jackson, Michigan, to which city his parents had moved. He was graduated from the Jackson High School in 1869. In the fall of 1870, he matriculated in the University of Michigan. Completing a full classical course, he was graduated in June, 1874. Mr. Lane’s excellent scholarship was recognized by his teachers. At the time of his graduation no Phi Beta Kappa existed at Michigan. Many years later a chapter of that scholarship fraternity was established; and on graduation Winthrop Lane, son of Chester T., received his key in the first class so honored. Simultaneously his father was belatedly recognized. For five years (1874-1879) Chester T. Lane served as high school principal at Ypsilanti, Michigan. Chester T. Lane thereafter served as principal of the Fort Wayne High School for the ensuing thirty six years, terminating his professional career here in 1915. he period of Mr. Lane’s tenure at the Fort Wayne High School, 1879-1915, saw much that was formative in the American nation. Some of the landmarks of the period were the disappearance of the western frontier, the last of the Indian wars, Custer’s defeat, the early stirrings of Union labor, the annexation of Hawaii, the Spanish-American War, the beginning of the World War, the last twenty-four years of Queen Victoria’s reign, the flight of Wright's plane at Kitty Hawk, the sinking of the TITANIC and the invention of wireless telegraphy.
The Chester Lane home is for sale on Maple Avenue. This home, known as the Cottage House, was built in 1889 in South Wayne. This beautiful Queen Anne was in a countryside neighborhood with larger lots to give it that country in a city setting. While the home is gorgeous, Chester Lane was one of Fort Wayne’s most incredible educators. Read on to learn more!
Lane Middle School was named after Chester, who was considered an expert in classical education. Chester, born on a farm in Michigan, didn’t have formal education until high school. Excelling, he attended the University of Michigan, receiving a full classical education. Upon graduation, he spent a few years in Michigan but eventually arrived in Fort Wayne in 1879 to lead the development of Fort Wayne High School for the next 36 years.
Lane built the school curriculum based on the Boston Latin School and recruited teachers to provide the best classical education available. Chester’s wife, Caroline, passed away in 1906. Chester and Caroline had six children. Eventually, Lane remarried Vera, who was an English teacher. In 1917 Chester passed away, but his story serves as the foundation for public school education in Fort Wayne.
A Defiance, Ohio, native, Lantz graduated from Fort Wayne’s Central High School. She earned a doctorate from Michigan State University. “All the presidents worked hard, but she set the bar. You could talk to her and work with her. She loved Fort Wayne and (the) university.” said Win Moses, who was mayor of Fort Wayne during part of Lantz’s 1988 to 1994 tenure as IPFW’s fourth chancellor. Copied from Retired IPFW chancellor Joanne Lantz dies by Lisa Esquivel Long published December 9, 2017 in The News-Sentinel newspaper .
Lapp, Sharon
May 1, 1985 murder of community activist at her home on Rudisill Boulevard. Lapp, known for her outspoken criticism of Mayor Win Moses and other city officials, was the publisher of "The Messenger," an occasional newsletter that passed on gossip and other material that usually held city officials in a bad light. Copied from Grisly crimes sent chills through city by Mike Dooley published in 1980-1989: HOT POLITICS, COLD CRIMES of The News-Sentinel newspaper. Her 1941-1985 tombstone on Find A Grave.
91, May 9, 1921, Knoxville, Tennessee - January 2, 2013, served in the elite all black Tuskegee 301st Fighter Squadron. He was employed by Wayne Pump Company; where he developed a device that was used to detect the presence of water in gasoline. This device was submitted to the Department of Defense in Washington D.C. and became a part of the Army and Navy standard specifications for fueling installations at all U.S. Air Bases. A patent was issued in honor of James name. From his Carmichael Funeral Service obituary. See his Legacy.com obituary.
Latz, G. Irving
1889-1947, first general manager in 1919 of the local legand Wolf & Dessauer store. See Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne, by Randolph L. Harter, Craig S. Leonard .
#hoosierjewishhistory On this day in Hoosier Jewish History in 1888: Birthdate of Baltimore native C. (George) Irving...
On this day in Hoosier Jewish History in 1888: Birthdate of Baltimore native C. (George) Irving Latz “ would become the president of the Wolf-Dessauer Department Store in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Lauer, Kenneth Lawrence
February 27, 1926 to December 27, 2013, fifth child of Paul Anthony Lauer and Florence Elizabeth Becker. Siblings Margaret Ann (Lauer) Sherlock, Richard Paul Lauer, Mary Alice (Lauer) Burns, Phyllis Mae (Lauer) Traylor, and Lawrence James Lauer. January 27, 1951, he married Mary Joan "Jo" Piatt in the rectory of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church. Ken died one month before his 63rd wedding anniversary. Their children were Beth Ann Lauer, Linda Sue Lauer, and Philip Gregory Lauer. Greg's wife was Joletta Charun, and their children were Austin Charun Lauer, Braden Charun Lauer, and Audrey Charun Lauer. Fred Reynolds, head Allen County Public Library librarian, persuaded Ken to change careers by working at ACPL and going to library school for three summers. During this time, he made 52 trips to Newberry Library in Chicago to help ACPL build its now famous genealogy collection. Ken eventually became a library manager. See his lengthy Legacy.com obituary or Elzey-Patterson-Rodak Home obituary.
Fort Wayne Community Schools board member and local attorney. The son of former Fort Wayne Mayor Ivan Lebamoff, Jordan Lebamoff was a 1984 graduate of South Side High School. He was first elected to the school board in 2010 and joined the board in 2011. He was last elected in 2018, and his term runs through 2022. He chose to raise his two sons, Sebastien and Julien, with his wife, Nicole, within view of South Side in the house his grandfather built and where he and his father were raised. He was committed to improving the neighborhood around South Side as a property owner and landlord. Copied from Jordan Lebamoff, FWCS board member, attorney, dies at 54 by Jim Chapman published March 10, 2020 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
Lebamoff, Thomas Christ
1932 - December 1, 2012, was a Fort Wayne restaurateur for over 40 years owning Ted and Tom's North and South, Yankee Drummer, Lambro's, and The Elegant Farmer Restaurant, retiring in 2001. For more read his obituary.
The History Center mourns the passing of its dear friend and dedicated champion Judge William C. Lee. Judge Lee was first elected President of the History Center’s Board of Directors in 1992 and returned to serve in that position between 2001 and 2006. As the Board President with the longest combined tenure, one of only two to serve five consecutive years and one of only two to serve non-consecutive terms, he playfully quipped that he had the distinction of being both the F.D.R. and Grover Cleveland of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society. He began his service to the organization in the 1960s coordinating fundraising events, continuing into the 1970s when he advocated for the capital campaign that transformed the Old City Hall Building into its current museum. He created our Heritage Education Fund annual campaign in 2003, co-chaired the publication of the History of Fort Wayne and Allen County in 2006, and established our William C. Lee Fund in 2022.
For the centennial celebration of the History Center in 2021, Judge Lee shared the following retrospective on his time with our organization and the value of its ongoing mission. His sentiments below represent a minute encapsulation for why he will be so deeply missed by our organization and those who cherish our unique local history and distinct heritage.
“When I learned of the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, I checked the society’s records and found that I first became a member in 1967 and have remained one ever since, thus spanning more than half the history of the organization. Given that longevity, and the remarkable changes in our community and culture, raise the question for me, and perhaps others, of whether or not local history can still be important or even relevant in this age of instant messaging, wireless communication, video games, and all the various forms of instant gratification that we now have dominating our lives. At first glance it would appear counterintuitive to think that anything as painstaking and laborious to produce could be relevant today. My position, perhaps not surprisingly, is that local history is as important today, perhaps more important than in times past. As our society has become more transient and fragmented, the greater importance there is to the enduring questions of where we are now, where we have been, and where we may be going.”
1931 to November 2, 2013 - Berne native, Korean War Army veteran, received degrees from Bluffton University in Ohio and Indiana University, former president of the Fort Wayne National who helped found the English, Bonter, Mitchell charity foundation and was involved in a lengthy list of charitable organizations, 52 year member of the Plymouth Congregational Church and instrumental in bringing a minor league baseball team to Fort Wayne. Wife Carol Sprunger, four children Reverand Janet (Jeffrey) Funk, Ray Lehman, Susan (Dr. Steven) Hoagburg and Rober (Denise Daniels) Lehman, 7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. From Bank chief, civic leader Lehman dies Started charity foundation, oversaw Coliseum projects by Ron Shawgo November 5, 2013 on The Journal Gazette newspaper and D.O. McComb and Sons obituary. Editorial
‘Visionary’ Lehman poured his all into Fort Wayne’s improvement November 7, 2013 on The Journal Gazette newspaper.
The News-Sentinel newspaper has 45 pages of online archived articles for Kevin Leininger from April 23, 2020 when they stopped online digital publication back to 2017 with their last print edition on October 7, 2017.
I don't plan on beating this dead horse any longer -- I'm moving on -- but just for the record, here's what The News-Sentinel brass promised readers back on Oct.3, 2017, when publication of the daily newspaper was discontinued.
As you'll notice, you were told to expect continuation of the same conservative editorial viewpoint for which the paper had been known for more than a century.
Is that still the case? When will they be honest enough to tell readers,one way or another?
9 year old girl gruesome murder in December 2011 and dismembement at a trailer park on the north side of Fort Wayne made national news as a search for a missing child. June 4, 2012 a garden was dedicated in her honor as a student at Holland Elementary School. Memorial garden in honor of Aliahna by Sarah Janssen published June 5, 2012 in The News-Sentinel newspaper. December 23, 2012 Remembering Aliahna Candles lighted at 1-year vigil for slain girl by Jeff Wiehe of The Journal Gazette newspaper. June 18, 2012 Michael L. Plumadore was sentenced to life plus 36 years in prison for killing 9-year-old Aliahna Lemmon. Plumadore, a family friend was baby-sitting Lemmon and her sisters when Aliahna went missing days before Christmas 2011. Babysitter Kept Aliahna Lemmon's Head in His Freezer with video by Olivia Katrandjian published December 27, 2011 on ABC News.com.
Leonard, Craig
A native of Fort Wayne, historic preservation consultant, and three degrees in architecture. Forty years specializing in restoration and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. He is both a Sagamore of The Wabash and a Kentucky Colonel. Involved in restoration of the John Bass Mansion “Brookside,” the Allen County Courthouse, and other local landmarks. He has done extensive research of local history, and past volunteer work for ARCH and The History Center. The book Legendary Locals of Fort Wayne by Randolph L. Harter, Craig S. Leonard - 2015. Available at Amazon.com, Arcadian Publishing, Museum Shop at The History Center, and Visit Fort Wayne Store at Visit Fort Wayne.
Leonard, Jay
Preferred Auto dealer website: https://preferredautogroup.com/, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preferredauto. Jay A. Leonard May 3, 2023 (age 61) Divine Mercy Funeral Home Obituary Jay Alan Herbert Leonard, 61, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023. He was surrounded & filled with the love of his wife, two children & their spouses, both of his brothers, niece & nephew, and life-long best friend. Jay was raised in New Haven, Indiana. He was the middle of three sons of James (Jim) & Janet Leonard. His brother James (Jim Jr.), 67, who currently resides in Los Angeles, California and younger brother Jon, 57, who currently resides in Chicago, Illinois have been continual supporters of Jay’s ambitions since the earliest days here with him. He has been happily married to & survived by his wife Ann for 34 years. Together, they had two children Alexandria (Khorshid) & Jacob. He is also survived by his son-in-law, Daniel Khorshid, and daughter-in-law, Ashley Leonard. Along came three grandchildren as well, Lincoln & Leo Khorshid and Penelope Leonard - best known as “Papa” to them. He continues to be survived by his brothers James (Linda) Leonard Jr. and Jon (Betsy) Leonard; several nieces and nephews and additional family members. Jay was preceded in death by his father, James J Leonard, and mother, L. Janet Leonard.
Joseph Levine was born in Molodechno, Belarus on July 7, 1907. He was one of nine children of Zalman and Sylvia Levine. In 1915, he left Molodechno with his mother, two of his brothers, and one sister. The family traveled in boxcars across Russia and Siberia, arriving at Angel Island, California in February 1915. He graduated from Hillhouse High School in 1926 and from Franklin & Marshall College in 1930. After some graduate studies at Columbia University School of Social Work, he began his career with the Jewish Board of Guardians in New York City. He later became a parole officer with the New York state parole office and was soon selected the number two person in the department of Executive Case Supervisor, after finishing first in a civil service exam. During WWII he was in the electric supply business with one of his brothers in Stanford, Connecticut. Following WWII, he worked in Germany for a year for the “JOINT” Distribution Committee, resettling Holocaust survivors. Joe wrote a story for the Indiana Jewish Historical Society on his work with the Jewish survivors of WWII, and it is still available. In the summer of 1947, he became the Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Jewish Federation. When he retired in 1972, he founded the Indiana Jewish Historical Society and was its director until he retired in 1992. Governor Evan Bayh awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash to him for all his contributions to Indiana. He married Edna Price of Staten Island, New York and they had two children, Lois (deceased) and Stanley. Joe passed away in August 7, 1996 at the age of 89. The Fort Wayne newspaper hailed him as the “conscience of the community.” Additional publications by Joe Levine are: The First Known Jewish Resident of Fort Wayne John Jacob Hays; The Boruchovicz Siddur; Peddlers To Merchants; My Work in Germany with Jewish Survivors of WWII; A Little Known American Jewish Hero; Minsk 1915: The “Rabbi Wept”; Jewish Transients in Fort Wayne; The American Heritage-Roots of Greatness; Changes In Fort Wayne. Copied from Joseph Levine at the Indiana Jewish Historical Society website: ijhs.org.
Mother Louise Magoon and father Josue Njock Libii. He graduated from Snider High School in 2003 where he was active in drama and speech. Kobi helped take the Snider speech team to eight national competitions. The Snider High School grad starred in CBS' 2017 legal drama, Doubt, alongside Katherine Heigl of Grey's Anatomy fame. See Snider Grad starring in primetime CBS show by Kaitor Kposowa published Febraury 13, 2017 on CBS WANE-TV NewsChannel 15.
Liddell, Stan
February 4, 2013, 76, in 1984 he bought the Marketplace of Canterbury. He also owned Piere’s Entertainment Center with 5 different clubs featuring various musical genres and is billed as "Fourth in the World for Clubs 21+.", a variety of other businesses, including the north-end Trolley Steaks & Seafood, also known as the Trolley Bar, and a car parts company. A 1994 profile of the man published in The News-Sentinel called the nightclub business a “brass-knuckle arena” where “Liddell is the reigning champ in Fort Wayne.” A 1996 article in the northeast Indiana publication Business People, referred to Mr. Liddell by his well-known moniker, "Prince of Piere's." Read more of his story in Fallen Piere’s founder ‘really cared’ February 6, 2013 by Jeff Wiehe of The Journal Gazette newspaper. Survivors include his daughters, Buff (Lloyd) Sergent of Chicago; Jill (Chad) Conley of Sugar Grove, Ill. and Tish Liddell of Allen County; sons, Herbert Liddell III (Sheraea Deckard) and Nicholas Liddell, both of Fort Wayne; grandchildren, Caleb, Camri and Chloe Conley, Joelle (Elle) Liddell and Herbert Liddell IV and Hannah Scarlett Liddell; sisters, Charlotte Beatty of Auburn, Judy Liddell Farrington of Fort Meyers, Fla. and Deborah Liddell of Raleigh, N.C.; brother, David (Sunny) Liddell of Auburn; and 15 nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert Liddell Sr. and Lee Liddell. From his February 6, 2013 Fort Wayne Newspapers Legacy.com obituary and Feller & Clark Funeral Homes Auburn, Indiana obituary.
Explore the inspiration behind this 1958 ranch house on the Northeast side of Fort Wayne. The Fawn Liebowitz's 1958 Childhood Home creatively pays homage to the movie “Animal House,” Summit City history, and 1960s Americana.
Samuel Lillie Jr. (1830-1869) operated a brick, tile and pottery/earthenware business in Fort Wayne back in the mid/late 1800s. His brick yard was located at the corner of Maumee and Walton Ave. (now Anthony Boulevard). His brick yard continued to operate (at this location) after his death until it finally ceased operations in around 1887. Mr. Lillie also held a patent that made improvements to machines that molded and pressed bricks. Copied from a December 5, 2023 photos and discussion on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
Lincoln, Abraham
President of the USA - February 23, 1860 made a brief stop at the Pennsylvania Railroad station in Fort Wayne. While he was making his way to New York to deliver his famous Cooper Union Address - the speech that assured his nomination as the Republican candidate - Lincoln stopped in Fort Wayne in the dead of night to change trains. There is no evidence that he ever left the station - it was 1 a.m. - and only a brief notice in Dawson's Daily News of Fort Wayne noted his passing: "The Hon. Abe Lincoln and wife came from the west this morning at 1 o'clock, on the Toledo, Wabash and Western Railroad, and changing cars at this city, went east." From 'Ole Abe' rides the rails Old train stations sadly reflect Fort Wayne's past by Michael Hawfield from the archives of The News-Sentinel newspaper. Lincoln came through a few days later for a second visit changing trains on his way back to Illinois. A statue of the young Abraham Lincoln in Fort Wayne represents the president-to-be as more of a “dreamer and poet… than…rail-splitter.” from Fort Wayne’s Lincoln Mystery By Yael Ksander posted May 30, 2011 at indiana publicmedia.com.
This 1930 aerial view of Fort Wayne would have been very similar to what Charles Lindbergh saw when he flew over the city in 1927 with one major exception. Can you guess what would have been different?
After the end of World War I, large portions of society worked to keep America out of and from intervening in any European conflicts. In order to accomplish this, the America First Committee (AFC) was established in September 1940. As the foremost non-interventionist group in the United States they supported isolationism. Membership peaked at 800,000 paying members in 450 chapters, located mostly in a 300-mile radius of Chicago, making the AFC one of the largest antiwar organizations in the history of the United States. Well-known aviator and accused Nazi sympathizer, Charles A. Lindbergh was the group’s major spokesman and appeared all over the country promoting isolationism. On October 3, 1941, exactly 79 years ago today, Lindbergh spoke at the America First rally in Fort Wayne held at the Gospel Temple. His address, entitled “On Free Speech,” was delivered to an overflow crowd and the event was broadcasted over national radio. AFC disbanded several months later, in December 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Today the History Center takes a look back on one of the days that Charles Lindbergh visited Fort Wayne. #sociallyhistory
No America First Committee chapter was without its organizational or leadership problems. But among the better chapters in terms of leadership, size, and effectiveness of organization were the chapters in St. Louis, Missouri; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Denver, Colorado; Fort Wayne, Indiana; from page 31 and However,/without referring to the Des Moines speech or the Jews, he did attempt to defend him self at an America First rally at Fort Wayne, Indiana, on October 3, 1941page 153 in the book AMERICA FIRST THE BATTLE AGAINST INTERVENTION 1940-1941 by WAYNE S.COLE, Publication date 1953, Publisher THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN PRESS
Col. William Hardy Link, born 2 March 1821Rockbridge County, Virginia, died 20 September 1862,Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky from Find A Grave. While serving as Commander of the 12th Indiana Infantry, Col. Link was wounded at the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky on August 30, 1862. He was struck in the leg by a minie-ball (a muzzle-loaded, spin-stabilizing rifle bullet) which shattered the bone. He remained in a military hospital with an infection for three weeks before dying on Sept. 20, 1862. His body was returned to Fort Wayne for burial on Sept. 24th at Lindenwood Cemetery, Section B, Lot 46. Sources: News-Sentinel, Ancestry, Battle of Richmond Association on Facebook; and staff at Lindenwood Cemetery. Copied from March 10, 2023 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
1983-2004 various responsibilities at Fort Wayne's 21AliveNews.com, was the number one ranked morning show for 20 years, now Victor Locke Productions in Durango, Colorado who still does many voice over commercials around the area.
Logan, Lot A.
1832-1898, 66 years old, born in 1832 Kentucky, came with his parents in 1836 age 4 to Fort Wayne, was a conductor on the Wabash railroad, had four children John C. a conductor on G.R. & I. RR, William H., Mary Cantrell of Hartford City, and Jennie Lones of Warsaw wife of a Pennsylvania RR agent. See his Fort Wayne News obituary February 5, 1898.
When the Fort Wayne Komets first came to town in 1952, they held a free exhibition two nights before their first game to introduce the sport to the fans.
Then-News-Sentinel Sports Editor Ben Tenny wrote, ``It didn't take me long to see that the young short skater who was wearing No. 16 on his white jersey had that desire to win and get ahead that makes some athletes outstanding. If the play of this youngster is typical of the play fans will see in the International Hockey League, hockey will make it in Fort Wayne.''
Hockey made it, and so did Eddie Long. Long played 14 seasons for the Komets, and his No. 16 became the first Komets' jersey to be retired on March 27, 1965. The Komets shocked Long by sneaking his mother into town for the event.
During his playing days, Long scored 459 goals, 465 assists and 924 points while earning 845 penalty minutes in 858 games. He retired as the IHL's all-time leading scorer.
He ranks second in games played, goals, assists and points and is ninth in penalty minutes on the Komets' all-time lists.
``But Eddie Long is more than a statistic – he’s a spirit, the spirit of competition,'' former News-Sentinel Sports Editor Bud Gallmeier wrote at Long's retirement in 1965. ``He only knew one way to play the game – as hard as he could. Eddie would burn more energy during one shift on the ice than many players do in an entire game.''
During his career, ``Tiny Mite'' as he was first known, became ``Mr. Komet.''
Long was part of two Turner Cup championship teams, played in four IHL All-Star games, was the league's MVP in 1963 and was named all-league three times.
21Country Extra: Interview with Melissa Long posted Apr 19, 2021 by Daniel Beals on YouTube. Former WPTA anchor Melissa Long speaks with ABC21 on her time in television, as well as co-authoring "Television in Fort Wayne: 1953 to 2018" with Heather Herron and Mark Souder..
1976 Elmhurst High School graduate and cheerleader captain. Melissa Hunter began her career reading afternoon news on WGL Radio in 1980. A fixture on local television news for three decades and wife of Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long from Melissa Long Local anchor plans her post-career life by Bonnie Blackburn published August 28th, 2015 in Fort Wayne Magazine.
Today is Melissa Long's final day at 21Alive. I hope you can join us this evening for two very special shows at 5:00 and 6:00 (for those of you out of town, you can live stream the shows on the 21Alive app). We will be honoring Melissa and her wonderful career.
This is a very sad day for me and the entire 21Alive family. After having already spent years on radio and TV, here in Fort Wayne, Melissa joined our station in October of 1992. Over more than 31 years on Fort Wayne television, she has become a true Fort Wayne icon. She is an intelligent, sharp, well-read woman with the ability to think clearly, on the fly, in the midst of the chaos which can come with live TV. All of those qualities have come shining through the television and have been obvious to all of you. Simply put, she is the best news anchor in Fort Wayne television history. (No small feat - it's a history full of incredibly talented anchors) However, more than that, Melissa is a nice, warm, loving person. That too has been obvious to anyone who has ever watched her on TV.
For me, sitting next to her for the last two decades has been an overwhelming honor and pleasure. Through all of these years, she has allowed me to be a real goofball. She handles all of my teasing and silliness with a grace and style that few possess ... and she has the wit and ability to fire back. It's made for a wonderful friendship both on and off-air. She always knew I was joking and and she knows how much her friendship has meant to me. Many of you have half-jokingly asked what I was going to do without Melissa to pick on ... and I can honestly tell you, I am not sure what I will do. She's really been like a big sister to me, and I struggle to think about the future without her, at the station.
This will be a very difficult transition for all of us at the station. 21Alive still has a wonderful team, and we will go on, but there will never be another Melissa Long and I will miss her tremendously.
Thank you Melissa!
Long, Shelley Lee
Born August 23, 1949 in Fort Wayne, daughter of Ivadine Wiliams, a school teacher, and Leland Long, who worked in the rubber industry before becoming a teacher. She attended Kekionga Junior High and was active on her South Side high school speech team. She competed in the Indiana High School Forensic Association, and in 1967 she won the National Forensic League National Championship in Original Oratory. She studied drama at Northwestern University, but left before graduating to pursue a career in acting and modelling. She became a member of the celebrated Second City troupe in Chicago. She starred in 142 episodes on the TV sitcom Cheers (1982-1993) for five years, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress (1983) and two Golden Globe Awards in 1983 & 1985. She went on to star in several movies such as Money Pit (1986). She appears periodically in the ABC television show Modern Family. She married second husband Bruce Tyson in October 1981 and daughter Juliana was born March 27, 1985. Paraphrased from The History Center Facebook posts shown below, Wikipedia, and IMDb biography. See photo on Five Fort Wayne Actresses Who Made it on the Big Screen by the The News-Sentinel newspaper now archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
Shelley Lee Long was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1949. She is the daughter of Ivadine, a school teacher, and Leland Long, who worked in the rubber industry before becoming a teacher. She was active on her high school speech team, competing in the Indiana High School Forensic Association. In 1967, she won the National Forensic League's National Championship in Original Oratory.
After graduating from South Side High School in Fort Wayne, she studied drama at Northwestern University, but left before graduating to pursue a career in acting and modeling. Her first break as an actress occurred when she began doing commercials in the Chicago area.
The sitcom Cheers highlighted the Boston bar “where everybody knows your name.” Do you know the name of the actress with Fort Wayne roots who played the popular female lead Diane Chambers? The sophisticated love interest of Ted Danson’s character was played by Fort Wayne native Shelley Long. Long was born in Fort Wayne in 1949 and graduated from South Side High School in 1967, where she was active in speech and theatre. Long has enjoyed a successful career in show business, but she is best known for her role on Cheers, winning two Golden Globes and an Emmy. Featured are photos from Long’s time as a student at South Side and articles from local newspapers. #sociallyhistory#ArtStartsHere
The sitcom Cheers, which highlighted the Boston bar “where everybody knows your name,” debuted thirty-six years ago today. Do you know the name of the actress with Fort Wayne roots who played the popular female lead Diane Chambers? The sophisticated love interest of Ted Danson’s character was played by Fort Wayne native Shelley Long. Long was born in Fort Wayne in 1949 and graduated from South Side High School in 1967, where she was active in speech and theatre. Long has enjoyed a successful career in show business, but she is best known for her role on Cheers, winning two Golden Globes and an Emmy. Featured are photos from Long’s time as a student at South Side and articles from local newspapers. #sociallyhistory
1967 Indiana's Mr. Basketball while at South Side High School with a school-record 1,606 points, 24-4 record and the state finals in his senior season. Inducted in 1999 to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. He scored 1,542 points at New Mexico, holding the school record for 17 years. He averaged 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in one season with the Floridians in the ABA, and 9 points and 5.2 rebounds and 12.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in each of his two seasons with the Rockets. In 2016, was a substitute teacher and high school volleyball referee. A new life for an Indiana Mr. Basketball He had it all. Prestige. Stardom. Glory. But all that fizzled out for Willie Long, until he received an unexpected letter. published May 2, 2016 on IndyStar newspaper. See 1967 yearbook photo - Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne. Help comes at long last for former hoops star by Greg Jones published May 15, 2016 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
In 1967, South Side's Willie Long is named Mr. Basketball.
The Archers' senior averaged 25.6 points and 16 rebounds per game, leading South Side to the 1967 Final Four in Indianapolis when the Archers lost 79-70 in the semifinals to Lafayette Jeff. The Archers finished 24-4.
Long was the second player from Fort Wayne and South Side to earn Mr. Basketball honors, following Mike McCoy in 1958.
The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 23.2 points per game as a junior and 25.6 as a senior to earn Mr. Basketball honors and finish his high school career with 1,606 points. His single-game high was 44 points.
Then he went to the University of New Mexico and established almost every scoring record the school had. He averaged 23.8 points per game as a junior and 23.9 as a senior, earning All-Western Athletic Conference honors both years. As a senior, he led the WAC in scoring and earned All-America honors as the Lobos climbed as high as No. 5 in the national rankings.
His 1,542 points was the New Mexico career scoring record for 17 years. He was the second Lobo ever to score at least 1,500 points and grab 800 rebounds. Long finished with a 19.8 scoring average and 10.3 rebounds for his college career.
Long was a second-round draft choice of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers (35th overall) but played three years in the American Basketball Association. With Florida as a rookie, he averaged 11.7 points and then he scored 9.0 and 12.6 points per game in two seasons with Denver. His career totals were 11.4 points and 6 rebounds per game as a pro.
A restaurant executive with Taco Bell Inc., Long rarely visits Fort Wayne and currently lives in Atlanta.
Long was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
Also, in 1988, the Flames drop the final game of the playoffs to Canton 5-4 before 8,032 at Memorial Coliseum.
Loomis, Jim
Ex-Magnavox CEO, 85, dies January 15, 2012 by Archie Ingersoll of The Journal Gazette newspaper. Obituary James R. Loomis, a former chairman and CEO of Magnavox Electronic Systems Co., died Friday at the age of 85. Loomis spent 30 years with the defense contractor that was based in Fort Wayne. He started with the firm in 1962 as controller of its research lab in Torrance, Calif., and took charge of developing an electronic facsimile program. He climbed through the ranks of Magnavox, becoming CEO in 1990 and retiring from the post in 1992."
Lopshire, Gerald Stephen
August 10, 2015 - inherited the family business Lopshire Flowers when it was a greenhouse and small retail flower shop in the family home on Pennsylvania Street. wife of 55 years, Judith Ann; his four children, Dawn (Rhett Bratt), of Walnut Creek, Calif.; Katheryn, Dr. John (Therese), and Sara Reifenberg (Dr. Rick) all of Indianapolis; eight grandchildren, Andrew, Elizabeth, Rachael, Hans, Joey, Callahan, Addison, and Kate; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Grace Edna; brothers, John and James; and his sisters, Helen (Barry) and Grace (Griffiths). See his August 16, 2015D.O. McComb and Sons obituary.
Lotter, Gary
Lotter first started Fort Wayne Crime Stoppers more than 40 years ago in 1983 after visiting programs in Rockville, IL...
Lotter first started Fort Wayne Crime Stoppers more than 40 years ago in 1983 after visiting programs in Rockville, IL as well as another in South Bend, IN. Once he returned, he knew the program could do wonders for the Summit City and Allen County.
The Fort Wayne Crime Stoppers officially launched November 14, 1983. Lotter would also go on to help develop 13 other programs across Indiana and Ohio. Lotter has received other awards for the work Crime Stoppers has done in helping law enforcement, including the recovery of drugs and property equal to $2 million.
During the surprise celebration, Lotter talked about how when Fort Wayne Crime Stoppers first began, many members of law enforcement didn't have belief in its success.
“It’s been a really good thing over the years 40 years later. They told me it would never last a year. A lot of my criticism coming from police officers at that time, they wouldn’t think it would last a year but we fooled them,” Lotter said.
Luers, Right Reverand John Henry
Pages 30-38, Chapter III. Bishop John Henry Luers The First Bishop of Fort Wayne in The Diocese of Fort Wayne by Alerding, Herman Joseph, 1845-1924; Noll, John Francis, Abp., 1875-1956, Publication date 1907, on Archive.org.
The Rt. Rev. John Henry Luers, D. D., was born on September 29, 1819, near the city of Munster, in Westphalia, a province of Germany. His parents were devoted Catholics. Poor in the goods of this world, and desirous of bettering their condition in life, the family emigrated in 1833, landing in New York on June 7th. Piqua, Ohio, located on the Miami river, and being the terminus of the Miami canal, connected Cincinnati on the Ohio river with Toledo on the Lakes. It was here, on a farm in the neighborhood of Piqua, that the Luers family settled down. He is remembered with Bishop Luers High School.
Family from Near and Far Brothers reunite after being separated as toddlers by Pat Randle published July 1, 1995 in The Journal Gazette newspaper . Newspaper article with photos shows brothers Melvin Lutes of Fort Wayne, raised in South Bend (born James Melvin Lane), met Homer Kapua (born Harmon Arthur Brown) the brother he never knew 68 years after being put up for adoption.
February is Black History Month - each Friday this month, we have featured stories to recognize and highlight Fort Wayne's American heritage. Today, we are featuring Preston A. Lyons Sr.
Preston Allen Lyons Sr. was born in McKinney, Texas in 1891 to Henry and Belle Lyons. He married Jessie Lindsey and the couple moved their two sons, Herbert and Preston Jr. from Texas to Fort Wayne around 1920. They had three more children: Joseph, Anne, and Hilda.
Mr. Lyons was an entrepreneur - he owned the Lyons Trucking Company, retiring from there at age 84 after 55 years. He also owned the Lyons Fish Market in the 1950s.
He was active in the community. A member of the Union Baptist Church, he served as a deacon, a trustee, a choir member, and Superintendent of the Sunday School for 35 years. Mr. Lyons also served as President of the Fort Wayne chapter of the NAACP, was Justice of the Peace during 1953-1954, a member of the Retired Men’s Club, and served in several other organizations.
Preston Allen Lyons passed away at the age of 95 on November 5, 1986 at Parkview Memorial Hospital. He was survived by his wife of 73 years, Jessie, their children, 20 grandchildren, 48 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great grandchildren. He is buried in Lindenwood Cemetery.
