Paul Elbert Hart1932-2020Paul Elbert Hart, 88 years, of Thorntown, who was a resident of Zionsville for more than 40 years, died Friday October 9, 2020 at Cedarhurst Senior Living in Bloomington, Indiana.Born October 9, 1932 in Daviess County, Indiana, to James I. and Karen (Caudell) Hart. �Paul’s early years were working the family farm with their horses “Kurt and May” and then using the Farmall F-12 and a Massey Harris 81 tractors.� The Hart family participated in the Community Threshing Ring with neighbors helping neighbors during the harvesting of their oats and wheat in the early years.� �His showing of Angus cattle, at his 4-H fair in the 1940’s, expanded to obtaining state and national awards during his lifetime, with herds in both Boone County and Daviess County, IN.� He expanded his crop operation into Boone, Clinton and Daviess County.Paul was taught in a one (1) room schoolhouse during the elementary years, with his mother as his 8th grade teacher.� He was a 1950 graduate of Epson High School (home of the Salts), where he was the basketball captain his senior year.� He graduated from Purdue University in 1954, as a member of the Farmhouse Fraternity with a B.S. degree in Agriculture Education.� Upon graduation, Paul taught one (1) year at Thorntown High School before reporting to duty in the U.S. Army.� He served nearly two (2) years as Executive Officer and tank commander of Company A, 73rd Tank Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, next to the DMZ line established at the end of the Korean War in 1953.� During this time, he lived and taught the Turkish Brigade how to deploy their own tanks, as well as carrying “Top-Secret” messages back and forth from the U.S Army in Japan and the U.S. Army in South Korea.� Upon being honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant, he restarted his teaching career in 1957 at Zionsville High School where he taught vocational agriculture. After eleven (11) years of teaching, he then continued as an Assistant Principle at the Zionsville Jr. High and Middle School until his retirement in 1995.� He was proud to have taught three (3) generations and over 5,000 students at Zionsville schools.Paul actively volunteered for over 50 years.� He served in various agricultural and livestock leadership roles.� �He coached several Boone County students in 4-H and FFA on livestock, grain, soils, garden, entomology, and forestry, as well as serving Boone County as a 4-H men’s adult leader, project chairman, council member and other duties with the 4-H Beef Shows and Boone County Open Beef Shows.� �Other agricultural-livestock volunteer activities were: Gold Medal Beef Association presiding as President, Vice President and Secretary; Boone County Purdue Ag Club presiding as President and Vice President; Boone County Soil Survey Educational Committee; Boone Farm Mutual Insurance Company presiding as a Director; Indiana Beef Producers presiding as Hoosier Rib Eye Director for over ten (10) years; Indiana Angus Association since 1957, presiding as District Director and Award Committee Chairman; and the Boone County Beef Association presiding at Secretary/Treasurer.� He was also a fifty (50) year member of the Masonic Lodge in Zionsville, a Zionsville Kiwanis Club member serving as President and Treasurer and a Zionsville Jaycee member.Some of his lifetime achievement awards were the “Outstanding Young Teacher” by the Jaycees, the “2005 Lifetime Distinguished Agricultural Career Award” by the Boone County Breeders and Feeders Association, the “2005 Indiana Angus Family of the Year” and the “50 year Angus Breeders Award” by the American Angus Association, the “2015 Agricultural Distinguished Citizenship Award” by the Boone County Farm Bureau, Inc.�� He and his wife were the 2001 Boone County 4-H Fair Parade Marshals.� The family has recently received the Indiana Historic Angus Farm award, recognizing 75 years as an Angus farm.He was preceded in death by his high school sweetheart and wife, Virginia E. (Burch) Hart of 57 years on September 12, 2011; sisters Elizabeth “June” Hart and Roberta “Bobbye” Hart.� Survivors are son, Paul E. Hart II and wife Gena, son Rene M. Hart and wife Deanna, daughter Phyllis A. Hart, grandchildren Gwendolen E. Kaser, Kirsten S. Liden, Levi B. Lewis, Sarah D. Hoopingarner, Henley M. Swartzentruber, Bailey M. Dant, and six (6) great grandchildren.The family would like to express a special “Thank-you” to all current and previous staff at Cedarhurst/Autumn Hills facility, and the Southern Care Hospice for their care and compassion received.A visitation will be held Tuesday, October 13th from 4-8 P.M. at Simplicity Funeral & Cremation Care, Zionsville, 125 West Sycamore Street, Zionsville. A funeral service will be held at 12 P.M. on Wednesday, October 14th at the funeral home. Friends and family may visit from 10 A.M. until the time of service. Burial will follow at Salem Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Boone County 4-H or the Indiana Angus Awards/Scholarships programs.Due to CDC guidelines, all guests are required to wear a mask during the visitation and service.
