Handbook N-P - Fulton County Public Library

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“As I was leaving The Indianapolis Star for Rochester so many years ago, some of my
colleagues apparently felt that I was stepping into a black hole. When I stopped by the city room
to say goodbye to friends there, Charley Walker, the state editor, wished me well and said ‘now
don’t go up there and disappear, Jack; we want to hear from you.’
“The honor you pay me today proves that I did not disappear - and that I have been heard
from.
“My sincerest appreciation to those who nominated me, to those who selected me, to all
others connected to the Hall of Fame and particularly to members of my family and the dear
friends who have come here today to share this distinction with me.”
Others inducted were Ruth Farlow Uyesugi, a journalism teacher at Paoli High School
and 43-year sponsor of the school’s newspaper; Majorie Smith Blewett, professor emeritus and
former placement director at the Indiana University School of Journalism; John Bartlow Martin,
the late magazine writer who also served as speechwriter and adviser for Adlai Stevenson and
Presidents Kennedy and Johnson; and Chris Schenkel the former ABC Sports commentator who
covered nine summer and winter Olympic Games.
Overmyer went to work for what was then The News-Sentinel while he still was in
Rochester High School. He was sports editor of the newspaper during his senior year and for a
year after his 1941 graduation was city editor.
He then left for Indiana University and while attending college also was for three years
the university’s athletic publicity director. During that time, I.U. in 1945 won its first Big Ten
football championship.
Leaving I.U. in 1946, Overmyer went to work for The Indianapolis Star and for the next
six years edited its sports pages and covered Big Ten and Indiana collegiate sports, Indianapolis
Kautskys and Olympians professional basketball, Indianapolis Indians baseball and Indianapolis
Caps hockey.
He returned to Rochester in 1952 as managing editor of The News-Sentinel, became
editor of the renamed Rochester Sentinel in 1966 and assumed full ownership in 1976.
He has passed management of The Sentinel to another generation but continues to write
his column, Considered Comment, which will be resumed after a short hiatus on May 4. His
daughter, Sarah, is the newspaper’s publisher and her husband, W.S. Wilson is its editor.
His wife, the former Margery Hodson of South Bend, writes a monthly food column for
The Sentinel and once served as its LifeStyles editor. The couple met at Indiana University and
have been married 52 years.
They have two other daughters, Laura Nelson, Howe, and Betsy Madlem, Rochester; and
three grandchildren, Jack Oldroyd, Elkhart, and Luke and Hannah Wilson, Rochester. A daughter,
Jenny Overmyer, died in January and a grandson Robbie Nelson, died in 1989.
[Rochester Sentinel, Monday, April 19, 1999]
OVERMYER, JACOB [Union Township]
BIOGRAPHY
Jacob Overmyer was born in Union County, Penn., May 9, 1826. His parents, William
and Susanna Overmyer, were natives of Union County, Penn. Mr. Overmyer’s father died at the
age of seventy-four years, and was the father of twenty-one children; ten of whom were the issue
of his first marriage, and eleven the children of his marriage with Elizabeth Eversol. Of Mr.
Overmyer’s brothers and sisters, five are living, as follows: William, Polly, John, Susana and
Harriet; of his half-brothers and sisters, Isaiah, Lewis, Albert, Franklin, Ella, Joel and Alice are yet
living. Jacob Overmyer and Susanna Jones were married November 7, 1849. Mrs. Overmyer was
born in Marion County, Ohio, in 1830, and has one sister (Nancy) and one brother (Zephaniah)
living. Mr. Overmyer came to Fulton County in 1848, and commenced to improve his land. He
now owns 100 acres of well-improved land, upon which are good buildings. Mr. and Mrs.
Overmyer are the parents of nine children, seven of whom are living. The names of their children
are as follows: Catharine, Sarah, William, Harriet, Franklin, Elizabeth, John R., Schuyler C. and