Mama and Me

Includes many of the “Mama and Me” and “Bette’s Barbs” columns written for The Reporter (now The Reporter-Times) in Martinsville, Indiana, for the last half century. The columns talk about things that happened — births, deaths, schools, store openings, fires, crimes, store closings, historical events, tragedies, wars, events in Martinsville and Morgan County, Indiana, stories about people and more. The stories are mainly about the author’s years growing up in the area, about her family and the families of many locals.

The “Mama and Me” articles are from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and up to 1990. Others are taken from the 1990s and 2000s when the column’s name changed to “Bette’s Barbs.” Besides my treasured columns, this book includes some of the stories about individuals and families like the Sichting brothers, the Bastin brothers, the Grizzle sisters, historical articles about Martinsville’s most famous people; a series on the last 100 years in the USA and many other subjects.

Today, at age 80, the author is proud of these columns and all the memories that are woven into them.

Let the columns and stories begin...