WILBUR E. SUTTON, editor of the Muncie Evening Press, was born and reared at
Muncie, and since early manhood has never for any length of time been out of
contact with literary and newspaper work. The Evening Press of Muncie is a
paper with 14,000 subscribers, is a splendid home paper and carries in its
columns the features and contributions of many of the best-known syndicate
and special writers and artists in the American newspaper field. The Evening
Press’ business department, editorial and reporting staff comprises an
aggregate of about 100 employees. Mr. Sutton was born at Muncie, September
30, 1879, son of Samuel R. and Amelia (Coffeen) Sutton. His grandfather, the
Rev. Daniel B. Sutton, was one of the early itinerant ministers of the
Methodist Church in Eastern Indiana. He and his wife are buried at Red Key in
Jay County. The Sutton family came from Virginia. Samuel R. Sutton was born
near Xenia, Ohio, and was a boy when his parents settled in Jay County,
Indiana. On attaining his majority he moved to Muncie and for many years
followed the trade of carpenter. He was an active member of the High Street
Methodist Episcopal Church. Samuel R. Sutton died in 1913, at the age of
seventy-six, and his wife passed away in September, 1908. Both are buried in
Beech Grove Cemetery. Amelia Coffeen was born at Muncie, attended public
school there and a girls’ school in Illinois. She was the second wife of
Samuel R. Sutton, who by his first marriage had one daughter Emily, widow of
Edward Teverbaugh, of Indianapolis. By the second marriage there were six
children, two of whom died in infancy and one, Elmer E., of Bartlesville,
Oklahoma, died January 4, 1930. George H., Miss Mabel Sutton and Wilbur
Ervin, all of Muncie, are living. Wilbur Ervin Sutton attended the grade and
high schools of Muncie, was graduated from the Central High School in 1897
and immediately joined the staff of the Evening Times as a reporter. A year
later he was advanced to the position of city editor, and remained with that
paper until it was merged with other local journals in 1905. He then became
editor of the Muncie Evening Press and later for more than a year was city
editor of the Muncie Star. For a time he was without formal connection with
local newspaper interests and for four years had a private publicity bureau,
contributing to the newspapers and magazines. Mr. Sutton in 1917 returned to
the Evening Press and since 1918 has been its editor. He is a director of the
Delaware County Tuberculosis Society, is a past president and director of the
Kiwanis Club, member of the B. P. 0. Elks and also a director of the Muncie
Chamber of Commerce and of the Delaware County Health Association. He is a
member of the Muncie Garden Club and other organizations. Mr. Sutton was
married at Muncie, April 14, 1904, to Miss Allie Snell, who was reared and
educated in the Muncie schools. She is a member of the First Presbyterian
Church and is a director of the Muncie Visiting Nurses Association. Her
parents, Thomas B. and Alice Snell, lived in Muncie many years, where her
father owned considerable real estate. Her father died in March, 1905, and
her mother in April, 1922, and both are buried in the Beech Grove Cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. Sutton have one child, Donn T. Sutton. The latter attended
school at Muncie, being graduated from the Central High School in 1923 and
continued his studies in McGill University at Montreal, Canada. During
1927-28 for about two years he was managing editor of the Muncie Press. He
has been writing since he was sixteen years of age, and has regularly
contributed to newspapers and magazines during his school life and subsequent
years. For a while he was in the editorial department of the Toledo News-Bee
and then joined the staff of NEA Service at Cleveland as a writer and editor.
Since 1928 he has been in the editorial department of that service at New
York City. During the Florida boom days Mr. Sutton was an editor for the
Miami (Fla.) Herald. He was married, June 27, 1929, to Miss Esther Wood, of
Muncie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Wood, of near Montpelier, Indiana.
Mrs. Sutton was educated in Spokane, Washington, and attended a girls’
college in Oxford, Ohio. She was a teacher in the public schools of Muncie
until her marriage.
