From Maroons to Lancers: Celebrating 73 Years of Memories with Joe and Marilyn Lain
For Joe Lain, a 1953 graduate of Edinburgh High School, the memories of growing up in the heart of town are as vivid today as they were over seven decades ago. From playing on the summer streets at 406 Main Street to watching his high school sweetheart cheer from the sidelines, Joe’s roots in Edinburgh run deep.
Joe was born on the land that is now Camp Atterbury, attending first grade at the property's historic Records School House. But life changed instantly following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Needing roughly 40,000 acres for immediate military construction, the U.S. government gave Joe’s family and more than 600 other local farming families just weeks to pack up their lives, sell their land, and relocate. By early 1942, construction on the massive military installation was underway, and Joe’s family had found a new home right on its doorstep in nearby Edinburgh.
Growing up alongside his older sister, Colleen, and older brother, Meredith, Joe watched his parents work hard at Cummins. That work ethic clearly rubbed off on Joe at an early age.
When he was just 16 years old, Joe and his friend Bill Shaffer took a trip to the Labor Union in Martinsville to sign up for work. There was just one catch: you had to be 18 to get the job. Joe laughingly recalls "aging two years overnight" by stretching the truth to join. The white lie paid off, and he spent a memorable summer working hard at Camp Atterbury through the union.
Joe’s absolute favorite memory of his time within the Edinburgh Community School Corporation (ECSC) dates back to his sophomore year of high school. That was the year the basketball team received brand-new "Maroons" uniforms, complete with incredibly cool warm-up pants. (While they were the Maroons back then, the school would later officially change its mascot to the Edinburgh Lancers).
The basketball season got off to a rocky start. For the first three games, Joe split his time, playing half reserve and half varsity. Edinburgh dropped the first three games to Union Township, Center Grove, and Waldron. Joe’s favorite game in his basketball career was when he got his first starting role, and they avenged early season loss to Union Township.
With the adjustments made, the Maroons started winning. The thrilling season culminated in a spectacular 57-55 Sectional Championship victory over Clark Township. After winning the Franklin Sectional, the highlight of the season was when Edinburgh won the Greenburg Regionals beating Madison and Columbus. The season ended with a loss In the Sweet Sixteen at Butler Fieldhouse. Joe still speaks fondly of those celebratory bus rides to the games, driven by Howard Boegaholtz.
What made that sophomore season truly unforgettable, however, was the sidelines. That same year, Joe’s girlfriend, Marilyn (Wertz), was elected varsity cheerleader. Having his sweetheart cheering him on made every victory that much sweeter.
Joe and Marilyn's love story started long before high school; the pair originally met all the way back in the second grade. Both graduates of 1953, they went on to marry and build a beautiful life together, raising two children, David and Marla.
After high school, Joe was recruited by Coach Hickman during his senior year to play basketball for Franklin College, where he graduated in 1957 with a degree in Business Administration. He went on to serve his community as a dedicated State Farm Agent in Columbus for 35 years. Meanwhile, Marilyn dedicated 22 years of her life to teaching elementary school right here in Edinburgh, giving back to the system that raised her and working alongside the very teachers who had once mentored her.
Joe credits his own educational foundation entirely to his elementary teachers: Miss Wright, Miss Nichols, Miss Cochran, Miss Hemphill and Mr. Rund. Mrs. Williard, 8th grade English, was another influential teacher. He fondly remembers the strict, yet beloved, school rules of his childhood. When students arrived at school, they were strictly forbidden from stepping off the sidewalk. The student body chant was always, "Don’t walk on Mr. Manuel’s weeds!" Mr. Manuel was the school superintendent, and his "weeds" were actually the pristine grass of the front lawn. The only exception to the rule? Fire drills.
Reflecting on his life, Joe admits his only real regret was never going back to his old elementary school later in life to personally thank his former teachers and tell them just how profoundly they had influenced his future.
Now, as an Edinburgh alumnus who has been out of high school for 73 years, Joe offers this timeless piece of advice to the students sitting in Edinburgh classrooms today:
"Value the foundation your teachers are building for you right now and never miss the chance to tell someone thank you. Respect the rules even if it means staying off the grass and cherish the friendships and memories you are making today, because they will stay with you for a lifetime."