The Mail-Journal, Volume 13, Number 28, Milford, Kosciusko County, 4 August 1976 — Page 10

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed.. Aug. 4,1»7S

10

Murder still unsolved — Laurel Mitchell's friends talk, and show a quiet inner strength

By MARY LEE WILLMAN As I sat chatting with a group of Laurel Mitchell's friends I was more than a little impressed with the quiet inner strength and determination displayed by these young people. Most of them have had a really rough and nerve wracking year, yet’, nobody complained or seemed worn out or frightened by it all. August 6 marks one year since 17-year-old Laurel Jean Mitchell vanished after leaving work at her summer job in Epworth Forest. Her body was found the next morning in a branch of the Elkhart River in Noble County. She had been raped and murdered A stunned and angry com-

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munity, in cooperation with state, county and ( local authorities, began a search that continues to grow and seems to intensify. Nobody is going to rest until this vicious killer is brought to justice. ~ How do the young people of North Webster feel about things one year later? They talked freely and with much feeling. The following are excerpts from the friends conversations: “1 wish they would quit printing that Laurel walked along that road all the time She did no such thing She nev%r walked anywhere alone and most certainly not at night." “We were always togetiier and felt more like family than just

friends." "Laurel was easy to talk to. Everyone could unload their problems to her and she would do her best to understand She was never quick to judge or criticize anybody.” "Sometimes you try to forget but you can’t. What happened that night is always in the back of your mind." "I wish they would hurry’ up and catch who ever did it. Sometimes I wonder if they are really trying hard enough " “Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and get really scared. All the awful memories come back and I get really scared." "She was everyone’s friend Just a great person It dosen't

rinii vAruii unvwuw vr wywuwv Rev Raymond Fmkbmer Pastor Sunday School t X Worship Service *0 30 Adult B.p<e Study ? UNITED METHODIST CHURCH LEESBURG Ken Fast, Pastor Mrs Chris Kammerer Sup’ Mom.no Worsh'P » 30 Church School 10 30 UNITED METHODIST CHURCH MILFORD Everett Owens Pastor Mrs Robert Brown. Sup’ Church School ♦ 30 Worship 10 30 UMYF Sunday s 30 CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN NORTH WEBSTER Paul F Shriber Pastor Morning Worsh.p » X Sunday School >OX FIRST BRETHREN CHURCH MILFORD Rev Richard Boyd Pastor Mike Mathews. sjpt Church School « 30 Morning worship >0 30 Mom.no Prove* Service Tuesday • BETHANY CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN (US.*) Doug Archer. Pastor Eugene Lange. S S Sup» Aoming Worship » 30 Sunday School 10 30 ■ TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI HhOO LKSOHIER Church service • IS Sunaev School >0 IS Vicar James Brubaker OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CATHOLIC CHURCH t eta and Mam streets) MILFORD English mat* • a m Spanish mas* »0 30 am Confession before masses GRACE BIBLE CHURCH SYRACUSE Dr David R Haiflev Pastor Robert F Graft. Amo Pastor Scndoy School * aS Morning Worship It Evemng Service 7 WeWissday Evening Service 7 JEHOVAH'S WITNESS KINGDOM HALL (East Papakeectne Labe Drive) Sunday Public Lecture 030 Watchtower Study 10 30 Tuesday Study ot Prophecy >X Thursday. Ministry School ? SALEM COSAMUNITY CHURCH <H MMe Southeast Os Wflaul) Paswr Elmer Miller Sunday School 0 30 Morning Worship 10 30 Sunday Evening Service 9 9rtrtf Bible Study Wednesda v 1

figure why anyone would want to hurt her.” "We don’t go out to the arcades much anymore. It’s just not fun like it used to be." "Nobody should be allowed to forget what happened till this thing is solved. Maybe not even then. We owe it to ourselves and to Laurel never to forget.” "Most of us have had nasty phone calls and really unpleasant things happen over the past year. I don't know why people have to be so mean ” "I wish we could do more. We have cooperated with the police in every way we know how. It dosen’t seem like enough I wish we could think of something else to do that would be of help." “We keep hoping that anyone who has information and is holding back will get to the point where they can't stand themselves and have to come forward.” “I wonder if some of the grownups in the community have been as open and helpful as they might be .” “1 wonder too. 1 think sometimes grown-ups are too afraid of hurting somebody's feelings.”

W W When Pat was younger, he H H ■ used to think I was a superman ■ ■ H ■ He s older now and he knows that I'm not But he still has that waa w special kind of confidence kids W have in their parents . . . and ■ ■ more than anything else. I want BK WB to that trust There was a time when I seldom went to church Then, one day I realized that if I were going to be the kind of father Pat needed. I had to have help - God's help I went to church, and I prayed At first, it wasn't easy to pray But gradually the L * * words came stronger and I Maybe HI never be able to 1 JmF give Pat everything I’d like to A gK give him But he can always B R jMBI depend upon me for the most H important thing of all: truth I found truth in the Church. Strasburg . Rr H ' Bk ‘ fc S.-ch.'es seecteo Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Iriday Saturday Hebrews Hebrews James Geneses Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua J- k 11:1-1® lir-26 2:14-26 12:1-® 20:2-B 4:5-14 1:1-9

> APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN MILFORD Theo Beer Henry Beer Jesse Beer Elmer Hartter and Waiter Stetten. Ministers Mommg Worship 19 Sunday School 10 . Afternoon Worshp 12 30 CHRISTIAN CHURCH MILFORD Eldon Wiison Pastor Wayne Bucher Supt B.tHe School » 30 Worship 10 30 a m and 7 pm Wednesday Bble Study 7 CONCORD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH ( County Reads 30* and Roobsteei > Everett Owens. Pastor Roderta Laughlin. S S Supt School 10 IS worship Service • M CHURCH OF GOO NORTH WEBSTER Bin Evaps. Pastor worship »30 School 10 30 Evening Service 7 NEW SALEM CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN <»**N AIM E 1 Chad Woocpurn Pastor Simday School » 30 Worsh.p 10 30 Evening Worship 7 BRETHREN CHURCH LEESBURG Ralph Bums. Pastor Sunday School « 3010 X Mommg Worship 19 3011 X Evening worship 7 • UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NORTH WEBSTER Paul Steele. Pastor A c unoerwpod. Assistant worship » X and io aS Church School » X Junior Senior LIMY sg BARBEE COMMUNITY CHURCH I Kuhn Drive, tittle Barbee Lake) Bryce Foster Pastor Sunday School * Worship Service )« Prayer Meeting. Wednesday ’ ALL SAINTS'CHAPEL (Epucepal* LAKE WAWASEE v*car Rev David L Hyndman Holy Eucharist « 'cLUNETTE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Carl R Lott, pastor Worship service » a m Stf»day school 19 15 am BURR OAK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Lawrence Byrnes Pastor . Siridav School » X Worship 19 X

“They are afraid they will be laughed at or criticized. "That’s one thing about being a teenager you get used to being laughed at and criticized.” "If we can cooperate all the way with the police it seems to me the adults could do the same.” “Things just aren't the same without Laurel in the group. It’s like a member of the family is gone." "She was our little sister. Howdo you handle somebody doing to your little sister what they did to Laurel? It makes me sick!” Wesley Kilmer is promoted HOMESTEAD. Fla — Wesley D. Kilmer, whose parents are Mr. and Mrs. Orvil R. Kilmer of r 2 Milford has received his first promotion in the US Air Force Kilmer, promoted to airman, is now assigned at Homestead. He serves as an administrative specialist with a unit of the

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH SYRACUSE Aksei C. Larsen. Pastor Sunday School 5 Worship )C NORTH WEBSTER CHRISTIAN CHURCH Charles E MyerS. Pastor Tom Hoffer-. S S. Supt Stnoav School « X Worship 10 X Wecnesday Services 7 TURKEY CREEK CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN Clarence B Fike, Pastor Church Schoo) at » Worsn.p at 10 •’ HASTINGS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Dav d W amove* Pastor Kenpali B<ner. Supt Sunday School » X Worship 10 X Prayer Mee’.ng Thursday 7 X Ygung Adults Wednesday 7 X CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH t Armstrong Road) OSWEGO 'Donald L Fowler. Pastor Byron Myers. Supt Sunday School « X .Mo*".ng Worship 10 X Sunday Evening Worship 7 BETHEL CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN MILFORD j. Duane Beals. Pastor Fred Werner, Adult S. S Supt Sun’day School » X Worship 10 X SYRACUSE UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH (earner Hamsan A Peart Sts.) Terry Fleetwood Pastor " Sunday School 10 Praise and Worship, Sunday 7 x Youth Service. Tuesday 7 Bible Study Thursday .7 x CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE SYRACUSE Norman Lincoln, Pastor Sunday School * X Morn.rg Worsh.p 10 X Sunday Evening Worship 7 p m Midweek Prayer Meeting 7 X Wed SAINT PATRICK S CATHOLIC CHURCH LIGONIER Rev Arthur F MacDonald Masses Sat «p m and Sun 10 Xa m. WAWASEE LAKESIDE CHAPEL Harlan Stetten Pastor corns Miller. S S Supt Worsh.p Service 10 Sunday School 11 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (a*7 S Cavm St.) LIGONIER Sunday School »X worship Service 10 X

tactical air command. Airman Kilmer, a 1971 graduate of Wawasee high school in Syracuse, attended Grace college in Winona Lake and Asbury college in Wilmore, Ky. His wife. Lucy, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn M. Cummings of 1580 Mohawk Lane, Ogden. Utah. To return to Hawaii today Patrick D. Finton, USMC, and his daughter Kimberly, 16, will leave today (Wednesday) to return to their home in Honolulu, Hawaii, after spending a week with Mr. Finton s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Finton, 413 South Harrison street, Syracuse. Mrs. Finton. a native of Japan, is visiting Japan and Okinawa with her son Steven, 17, while Mr. Finton and Kimberly are visiting in the United States. While in Japan. Steven, an Eagle Scout, planned to climb Mount Fuji with some Japanese Boy Scouts as a scouting project.

GOSHEN FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST Service ItSunday School II Wednesday Service 7 aS CHURCH OF GOO SYRACUSE Thomas Douglas. Pastor Joe Hibschman. S S Supt Sunday School » X Mommg Worship 10 X Sunday Evening Servce 7 X SAINT ANDREW'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH SYRACUSE Rev M. W. Jones. Pastor Church School 9 IS Worship Hour 10 X WAWASEE HEIGHTS BAPTIST CHURCH (Across From High School) James Freerksen. Pastor Manon Acton. S S Supt Sunday School ♦ X worship to X and 7 Midweek Aec 7 Sunday Youth Time Wed 7 MILFORD CHAPEL (South Mam) Jerome Zehr. Gen Supt Joe Shetler. S S Supt Sunday School 10 Worship Serv.ee II CALVARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (SR 13 South) SYRACUSE Ross D Cook. Pastor Arlen Bobeck. S S Supt Church School » X Mommg worship I X A 10 X Jr A Sr YF * X Sunday SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES CATHOLIC CHURCH . SYRACUSE Father Eugene Zimmerman Sunday Mass 7 x and 10 X a m Saturday S Confession before Masses Holy Days 7 am and 7 X pm SOLOMON'S CREEK UNITEDMETHOOIST CHURCH Rev Donald She Ime Pastor Sunday School 10 X Worship * X ZION CHAPEL U.B. CHURCH (Comer Syra Weh Rd. and ION N.) Chester Reed, Pastor Eldon J Walkms. S S Supt Sunday School V X Worship 10. X Evening Worship 7 CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN SYRACUSE George Phillips. Pastor Charles Baldwin. S. S. Supt Sunday School «:X Morning Worship 10 X

I North Webster | I By MARY LEE WILLMAN | I - R. 1 Leesburg I

Beta Psi plans for the future Shirley Fiddler, president, was in charge of the July 27 meeting of Beta Psi Chapter of Lambda Chi Omega sorority. The group met at Camelot Hall, North Webster, with approximately 10 members present. The recent convention and plans for future money making projects were discussed. Refreshments were served by Marge Link. COMMUNITY NEWS Miss Sharon Llewellyn, Nanty

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Gio, Pa„ was a recent guest at the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Willman and family, Leesburg. —NWVehicles collide at intersection No injuries were reported in a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of US 30 and old road 30 last Wednesday involving a North Webster man. The vehicles were driverkby Fred Hahn, 74, r 1 North Webster and Rose McLaughlin, 53, of Plymouth. Damage listed by investigating officers was $375 to the Hahn car and $450 to the McLaughlin vehicle.