Faith, Grit, and Fairmount: The Life of Mike Davis

Mike Davis has lived a life woven into the heart of Fairmount, Indiana — a place he’s called home since childhood. Born in 1942 while his father served in the Marine Corps during World War II, Mike has a story that spans eight decades of love, service, family, faith, and resilience. From singing in the church choir at the age of 6 to serving as a police officer during a dramatic bank robbery, his journey reflects the strength of small-town values and the quiet heroism of everyday life. Below is his story in his own words.

It was back in 1977, when the Fairmount State Bank was robbed. I was a police officer then. The robbers were the Scarbrough brothers from down south somewhere. They scoped the place out. Fairmount was a quiet little town with one stoplight and usually just one officer on duty.

One of them stood at the Citizens Bank door with an automatic weapon, stopping traffic. The other went into the other bank and held it up. Kelly Thomas was the officer on duty. He got a call and parked by Driscoll’s Market, which is now Helping Hands. It was right next to the bank. We used to get a lot of phony calls. He walked up toward the bank, and when he realized it was being robbed, he went for his sidearm and turned run outside, and the guy across teh street shot him.

He was on his back, but he fired six rounds into their getaway car. The blast blew some of his gear off … his mace canister, everything. He had to go to the hospital, and that’s where I came in. My job was to go to the hospital and stand outside his door.

The Scarbrough brothers had hidden a second vehicle out toward Summitville in a trailer lot. They returned there, laid low, and when it was clear, they took off. They headed south and eventually got into some more trouble and were shot.

My name is Mike Davis, and I grew up at 510 West First Street. I wasn’t born and bred in Fairmount. I was born in Marion during World War II, in 1942. Dad was in the Marine Corps at the time. (He was injured in Iwo Jima.) It was just me and Mom, and I had a sister, Sherri, who passed away from Alzheimer's a while back. When Dad got home, we moved to Fairmount and got out of Marion.

We had been living in Marion in an apartment above my grandparents’ house. When we came to Fairmount, I started singing in church when I was 6. I’ve been going to that same church all these years.

I went to grade school at West Ward. It was out on Highway 26. We had West Ward and North Ward. Nancy, my wife, went to North Ward.

It was just a normal childhood. We had a neighborhood team of ball players–baseball, basketball, and maybe a little football. I went out for football in high school at four feet tall, 105 pounds, and I got my picture in the paper standing between two linemen, both 300 pounds.

As soon as I graduated from high school, I went to Elkhart University of Medical and Dental Technique and became an X-ray technician, but I couldn’t find a job. I was working at Driscoll’s Grocery Store, cutting up some produce, when a buddy of mine, Doug Mann, walked in.

He said, “What are you doing?” I said, “Nothing much.” He said, “Come with me to the Army recruiter.” I said, “I’ll ride along.” Next thing I knew, he and I were signed up on the buddy system at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in the Army.

Did we see each other through basic training? No. He was in one place, I was in another. I went from there to Texas, and then to Washington state. I worked at Madigan General Hospital, a military hospital. I came back home, picked up my bride, Nancy, and we got married.

I knew her before I left for the Army. We knew each other in grade school and were high school sweethearts. Anyway, we drove all the way back out to Washington. She got a job there, and I was working at the hospital. I was the NCOIC (that’s Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge) of the X-ray department. I worked mostly in emergencies and surgeries.

We spent time there, then I got my discharge papers. We drove back to Indiana. I served two years, 10 months, and six days. It's not that I didn’t enjoy it, but, yeah, it was a lot better once Nancy came out there.

I went to Ball State after I got home. Flunked out. I just didn’t want to be institutionalized anymore. I had had enough of rules.

I went to work at RCA and became the maintenance supervisor, in charge of all the maintenance people. When they closed the place, that was the end of my working career. I had worked two jobs at times. That’s when I was also a police officer here in town. (I still can’t get over Kelly putting six rounds in their car after he was shot!)

We’ve lived in Fairmount ever since I got out of the military. I’ve gone to the same church all my life – Fairmount Friends Church. Went to Sunday school and all that stuff. When I was in the military, I was gone for a period of time, but I came back to it.

I have three children. Diana is the oldest. She's a teacher, bless her heart. Leslie is my second daughter, and she’s a nurse practitioner. My son, Eric Michael, is a photojournalist for one of the big networks in New York City.

These two little ladies (my daughters) come over all the time and help me because I can’t do much anymore. I can mow, but my wife took part of that away from me, too. She does a good job.

My real eye-opener came when I got sick. I had cancer and lost a lot of my innards. I didn’t care if I lived or died. I really did not care. Nancy, Diana, and Leslie were caring for me. They each came in one by one and said they couldn’t help me if I wouldn’t get out of bed. That night, I had just a little talk with Jesus. (There’s a song about that).

Next morning, I got up.

I use a walker now, but I got up. I’m cancer-free now. I tried chemo, but it nearly killed me. I had outstanding care during my illness, but I didn’t care if I lived. I thought, “If I don’t wake up, I don’t wake up.”

But my girls told me I had to try, and God heard me. That’s what did it.

If anybody tries to tell me there’s no God, they’re gonna get a good, old-fashioned Quaker ass-kicking. I told my pastor that, and he told the whole church. But I meant it.

I’ve had faith for a long time. A very strong faith. All my kids and grandkids do, too. In the military, if you don’t have faith, something’s wrong. You’re in harm’s way. But when I was sick, that’s when my faith really solidified.

I’ve had a great life. I’ve been blessed with a good wife of over 60 years. She gave me three great kids and all these little sprouts. Without her, I’d be dead. She put her needs aside to take care of me.

I love people. I like to build relationships and hang onto them. I also enjoy a good joke, sometimes even the not-so-good ones.

I’ve been blessed.

I wouldn't live anywhere else but Fairmount. Boy, there's just something about Fairmount. I've seen its ups; I've seen its downs. I'm a small-town guy.

On the 10th day of August, I’ll be 83. I'm waiting for my grandson Max to make me a great-grandfather. I’ve seen a lot of things in my life. I hope I live to see that.