True stories of everyday people
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John William Sauffer
Born in the 1930’s, John Sauffer reflects on growing up in Richmond, Indiana and coming to the big city of Indianapolis. He describes simpler times when more was left to your imagination.
George Glenn Bartley
In his youth during the 1960’s George Bartley, a big fan of musicals, got to see Bette Midler in a broadway musical. Years later he got a chance to meet her and experience her good sense of humor.
Michele M Goodrich
The career test back in 1976 said she would either be a good priest or a YM/YWCA director. Which path did she take and what did Jane Pauley have to do with it? Michelle Goodrich tells the story.
Shannon Samson
Even though her newly adopted dog was female, Shannon changed her pet’s name to Matt Damon. Find out why.
Steve Teagarden
Steve Teagarden describes the origins of the “Nestle Inn” and observing the gentrification of Mass Avenue and the Chatham Arch neighborhood in downtown Indianapolis.
Elizabeth Jeanne Brandt
In an excerpt of her oral history of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church’s Spiritual Life Center the director, Elizabeth Brandt, tells about her love of labyrinths. How did the center come to have three labyrinths for meditative walking? Elizabeth tells the story.
Paul Francis Smith
Paul Smith grew up in a Navy family. In the 1960’s when he was a teenager they moved from Athens, Georgia to Monterey, California. Paul talks about the challenge of fitting in and learning to be true to himself.
Carol Bussell
Born in New York, Carol Bussell is a professor at IUPUI who uses stories in her teaching. She came to her Life Stories intervew with family artifacts, journals, diaries, photos, and most importantly books!
Betty Shaw
This excerpt of Betty Shaw’s life story focuses on the examples set by her parents, how she became a trail blazing manager, entrepreneur and active community volunteer.