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Relay for Life

You Know Them, They Know You

September 22, 2016 by Peg Leave a Comment

Those of us privileged to live in Posey County appreciate the advantages, and inescapability, of a rural court justice system. When it comes to Posey County Probation Officers such as Mark Funkhouser and Courtney Price, the community interconnections are salient. Anonymity is not likely for either the probation officers or those who need their services.

Mark and Courtney both graduated from Mt. Vernon schools and attended area colleges. Mark’s father, Bud, served on the Posey County Council and operated a local hardware store, in which Mark worked, for many years. Courtney is married to County Coroner Jay Price and is the daughter of Sheriff Greg Oeth and nurse practitioner Melody Oeth.

Mark has been a probation officer for 21 years and Courtney for 5. Both of them have been actively involved in numerous areas of public service in Posey County for several years. Mark was instrumental in the establishment of Posey County’s Community Corrections Board. He has volunteered his time and talent to many community organizations such as The Governor’s Commission for Drug-free Indiana, the Mt. Vernon Opportunity Center, Posey County Boys Group Home, Welfare to Work Planning Council and he currently serves as the Regional Director for the Indiana Community Health Worker Association, just to name some of his extensive community involvement.

Courtney is involved with her Point Township Nazarene Church, helps coach the Posey County Special Olympics Dance Team and to honor her mother who fought and defeated breast cancer Courtney is an active volunteer with Relay for Life. Courtney and Jay have a baby boy, Jaxson, and operate Price Excavating Company. Mark has two sons, Mike and Nick, and one grandson.

Mark and Courtney are heavily invested in Posey County both professionally and personally. They care about their community, their probationers and those affected by those who are on probation. As Courtney says:

“Probation is so much more than being an officer of the court, preparing presentences, supervising probationers, and doing field checks. It is getting involved in offenders’ lives, outreaching to community resources and providers, and acting as a bridge between the probationer, the court and the prosecutor. It is acting as a support system, a compass, a counselor, a listening ear, a role model, an educator, an accountability partner, an advocate, a resource director, and more for the probationer. We must be able to get creative and think outside of the box when it comes to each individual case. What may work best for one individual likely will not for the next. We are a career that wears many hats.”

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Filed Under: Circuit Court, Gavel Gamut, Judicial, Posey County Tagged With: County Coroner Jay Price, Courtney Price, Governor's Commission for Drug-free Indiana, Indiana Community Health Worker Association, Mark Funkhouser, Melody Oeth, Mt. Vernon Opportunity Center, Point Township Nazarene Church, Posey County Boys Group Home, Posey County Council, Posey County Probation Officer, Posey County Special Olympics Dance Team, Posey County's Community Corrections Board, Price Excavating Company, Relay for Life, Sheriff Greg Oeth, Welfare to work Planning Council

What Are We Doing?

July 22, 2016 by Peg Leave a Comment

You probably think this article is about the current presidential election. You would be incorrect. The title is literal. That is, what does the Posey Circuit Court do and who does it? Many of my friends ask me these questions. Actually, I do not have that many friends but the few I have often ask, “Do judges work?” One of my brothers, the one who practices law, answers this question thusly, “No!” But he was always prone to being overly dramatic. And his opinion is usually expressed right after he has lost a case. I do not feel any urge to disabuse him of his prejudice.

Instead I would like to share with you, Gentle Reader, an exposition of what really goes on in the Posey Circuit Court. Let’s start with one of the Court’s four court reporters, Liz Miller.

Elizabeth Ann (Dayton) Miller has been with the Court since January 2015. She is our newest member. While each court reporter may step in for the others when needed, each court reporter has particular areas of responsibility. Liz’s is court administration. She prepares and presents our budgets, claims and payroll to the Posey County Council, Board of Commissioners and the County Auditor. Liz also picks up the mail, prepares the next day’s files for court and transcribes testimony from court hearings.

Lizzie, as only her four siblings call her, was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Her family moved to Posey County when she was twelve so her father could take the position of plant chemist with G.A.F. Liz and all of her siblings graduated from Mt. Vernon High School.

Jeff Miller, Liz’s husband of 34 years, is a native of Savah where, according to Liz, he plans to stay until he becomes one with the soil. Jeff and Liz are members of Mt. Vernon’s First Christian Church.

Liz has been actively and deeply involved in public service in Posey County for many years. She was Co-Chair of Relay for Life 2001–2005. Liz received the Relay for Life Courage award in 2006. She has chaired the Gateway for Cancer Research Longaberger Basket BINGO every year since 2004.

While Liz has numerous other public service accomplishments one of her proudest honors is being chosen one of Posey County’s Torchbearers for Indiana’s Bi-Centennial Torch Relay celebration. To commemorate 200 years of Indiana history Hoosier citizens from across our state have been nominated and selected to carry the Torch from our first State Capitol in Harrison County through all 92 counties.

Liz and her fellow Posey County honorees will receive the Torch at noon on September 11, 2016 in Mt. Vernon in front of the Hovey House. She will be one of the twenty Posey County citizens who are being honored for their public service. Liz is grateful but humbled by this recognition of her dedication to helping others and promoting Indiana’s long tradition of service and progress.

To those who may wonder what the court does, I submit Liz. Perhaps we can discuss other Court functions and functionaries later.

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Filed Under: Democracy, Gavel Gamut, Judicial Tagged With: Bi-Centennial Torchbearer, court reporter, Gateway for Cancer Research Longaberger Basket BINGO, Liz Miller, Posey Circuit Court, Relay for Life

© 2025 James M. Redwine

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