George E. Nearpass II  

This was about all the son had concerning the early edition of the paper, but he gives us an interesting sketch of the history of his father, GEORGE E. NEARPASS II:

"GEORGE E. NEARPASS II was born on a farm near Concord, Michigan. His father, GEROGE E. NEARPASS I, was a Methodist Episcopal preacher, or in those days a circuit rider. He had several churches.

At the age of nine, GEORGE E. II ran away from home and landed in Chicago. He was a newsboy and boot-black on the streets of Chicago until he was thirteen years of age, and he secured a job as "devil" in the old 'Chicago Times' office, where he learned the printer's trade. He had a limited education, but he co uld spell every word, I believe, in the dictionary at the age of eighteen. He was a powerfully built man. Through a friend of his he got a job with a show company.

With the show company he acted as stage-hand and played small parts, and while doing so he learned the different parts of both shows, and later played the leading parts in those shows for eight years.

Loses An Eye
In a fencing duel in one of the shows he got his left eye put out, and, having saved some money, he returned to the printing trade, and started a paper in Vermontville, Michigan. He sold this paper and then started one in Shelby, Michigan. From there he went to Charlotte, then to Whitehall, then to Hart. From Hart he landed in Hobart, Indiana, as editor of the 'Hobart Gazette.'

He was in Hobart four years, and started a paper in Bremen, Indiana, called the 'Bremen Standard.' As the `Inquirer' was also published there at that time, he soon found out that Bremen co uld not support two papers, and he started to scout around for a location. He went over to Argos, Indiana, and learned there about an opening in Marmont. He took a train to Hibbard, and as there was no train connection he walked from Hibbard to Marmont.

Locates in Marmont
In Marmont, he called on several business men of that day, John Osborn, Sam Medbourn, E. B. Van Schoiack, Dr. B. W. S. Wiseman, Dr. O. A. Rea and many others, and told them if they would raise him a bonus he would start a paper in Marmont. They got busy, raised the bonus, and he moved his plant to Marmont in 1894, and established the 'Marmont Herald.' His equipment consisted of an old Washington hand-press, an old foot-pump Gordon job press, a printer's stone and three cases of type.

He moved his family to Marmont about two weeks later. My brother, Homer, and sister, Myrtle, both helped in the office, and as we younger kids grew up we all had to take our turn in the office. (I have set pied type until I was black in the face.)

Getting Out the News
In those days there were a lot of tramp printers roaming over the country, and many of the old timers of Marmont will recall a printer by the name of Billy Millross, one of the best printers who ever held a stick of type. Billy worked for Dad several years.

On publication day, and it took all day to print the paper, Sumner Wiseman, who is now Dr. Summer [Sumner] Wiseman of Union Mills, Indiana, would run the press. Ed Gandy was the chief roller, when my brother Floyd could not be found. The roller was the one who put the ink on the type. My job was to take the papers off the press. Harry Medbourn was my substitute, and I got a licking if I did not show up. Tim Wolfe also used to run the press, and many others helped to get the paper out on publication day.

Dad liked the lake and stayed in Culver around nine years or so. I remember when the town was changed to Culver City, then to Culver . Father sold the paper to J. H. Koontz.

Dad was a real newspaper man and a writer of ability," George E Nearpass III relates, continuing the story of the family. "At one time he was offered City Editor of the old Terre Haute Gazette, but he wo uld not take it. He published the paper in Culver for about nine years and sold it to J. H. Koontz, who changed the name to The Citizen.

Father was one of the men who helped to change the name of Marmont to Culver . The first change was from Marmont to Culver City. Then, later, the name was changed to Culver . I remember the week when he sawed out the city part of the heading of the Culver City Herald, which then made it the Culver Herald. I think Dad sold the Herald to J. H. Koontz, April 27, 1903.

Father and Mother are both dead and buried in Highland Lawn Cemetery at Terre Haute, Ind. There were seven children."

George Edgar Nearpass Birth: 1852 Death: 1918 Burial: Highland Lawn Cemetery Terre Haute Vigo County Indiana, married Mathilda/Matilda C Anderson 1 Homer Lynn Nearpass Birth : 19 Jun 1880 Michigan Death: 24 Apr 1940 Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California Buriak Rose Hills Memorial Park Whittier, Los Angeles County, California married 7 Aug 1905 Warsaw Kosciusko, Indiana Susanna Mae Wise daughter of Cassius Clay Wise & Mary Clymer

is Superintendent of City Schools at Santa Barbara, California. He is also a graduate of the Culver Military Academy.

Husband of Mae Wise Nearpass of Bellflower; father of G. M. Nearpass of Compton, and H. L. Nearpass of El Monte. Also survived by 3 brothers: Val E. Nearpass of Minnesota; George E. of Indianapolis; and Vance B. of Indiana. Also survived by 3 grandchildren. - LA Times Death Notice - April, 1940

2 MYRLE NEARPASS Birth: 1884 - Shelby, Mich. Marriage: 30 Jan 1909 - Cedar Rapids, Linn Co., Iowa death : before 1935 John Farwell King Birth : 3 Dec 1883 Spink/Redfield, South Dakota Death : 27 Aug 1954 Los Angeles county California son of Robert C. King & Sallie C. Stitzel

3 Floyd Vern NEARPASS, Birth: 25 Nov 1886 Whitehall, Muskegon County, Michigan Death 20 Jan 1931 Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana Burial Highland Lawn Cemetery Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana

former Lieutenant of Police, Pennsylvania Railroad. Terre Haute, Ind married 1st Eva Edna O'Hara Birth: 1889 Croton, Licking County, Ohio , Death: Nov. 19, 1914 Terre Haute Vigo County Indiana, Burial: Highland Lawn Cemetery Terre Haute Vigo County Indiana,
Death or Mrs. Nearpass. Eva E. wife of F. V. Nearpass died at Terre Haute Nov. 18, at 4 a.m. very suddenly. Besides her husband she leaves two boys - Lyle, years old and Wayne 3 years old. Mr. Nearpass formerly lived in Culver, and is now employed on the Vandalia as dectictive on the Vandalia pay car. - - Nov 26, 1914
married 2nd 26 Jul 1917 Emma A Long Birth: 19 Dec 1883 South Bend, St Joseph, Indiana Death 1929 Burial City Cemetery South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana married 1st Jay Wallace Arnold daughter of John H Long & Clara Gillen

4 GEORGE Edwin NEARPASS, III. Birth: 15 Mar 1886 Hart, Oceana County, Michigan

5 Val Edgar Nearpass Birth: 13 Dec 1893 - Bremen, Indiana Death: 8 Dec 1947 Hennepin County, Minnesota buireal Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, married Pearl L FOx Birth : 9 Nov 1894 Death : 13 May 1979 Hennepin County, Minnesota, Burial: Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota,

is president of the Acute Printing and Stationery Co., and president of the Franklin Amusement Co., a chain of fifteen moving picture theaters, of Minneapolis, Minn. He also represents he Speakers' Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, of Minneapolis.

6 Vance Bayard Nearpass Birth: 9 Feb 1896 - Culver, Marshall County, Indiana

7 Name: Verna Ruth Nearpass Birth: 5 Mar 1902 - Culver, Indiana Death Oct 1927 married 20 Dec 1919 - Indiana William F Walters Birth: 22 Feb 1896 Rockville, Indiana Death: 8 Sep 1965 Logansport, Cass, Indiana burial Highland Lawn Cemetery Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana,

After leaving Culver , GEORGE NEARPASS, Sr., and GEORGE NEARPASS, Jr., launched the "Shipshewana Sun," at Shipshewana, Ind. That was not long after the middle of August, 1905. In fact, Vol. I, No. 1 of the "Shipshewana Sun," edited by the father and son, appeared around the first of September, that year.

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1905 - Aug 17 - George R Nearpass, of this city. will soon issue the first number of the Shipshewana Sun, at Shipshewana, Ind., Mr. Nearpass edited and published the Culver City Herald at Culver, Ind., for about ten years. Prior to that time he conducted the Hobart Gazette. — Mishawaka Democrat.