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Special section • Star Century: 100 years of The Indianapolis Star

Whether they began reading The Indianapolis Star as children engrossed in the comics pages or as adults drawn to news that affects their lives, some longtime subscribers view their morning newspaper as crucial to daybreak as first light.

"We absorb both The Star and a pot of coffee -- at the same time," Beverly Jeffers said of herself and her husband, James, both 74, Greenfield. "From time to time we speak, but we read in silence unless there is something really exciting. We love The Star. It's the beginning of our day."

In other households, the scene isn't so serene. Once it hits the doorstep, the paper is subject to a free-for-all as each person reaches for a favorite section.

For example, subscriber Jon Hall, 48, recalls the daily routine when he was growing up on Indianapolis' Eastside post-World War II: "It was Dad taking the main part of the paper, us kids taking the sports and comics, and then Mom and Dad working the crossword puzzle."

Some faithful readers are determined not to divvy up the sections.

"I buy it at the newsstand on the way to work, and so does my husband. I work days and he works nights, so we each get our own copy," said Judi Miller Nelson, 54, Indianapolis.

With a home of his own on the Southwestside, Hall no longer dives for the comics pages. He aims for news and weather articles to use while teaching science at Danville Middle School.

But the comics are still a big draw.

Although he's a self-described news hound, Lumir Palma, 86, admits to starting each day with the funny pages before poring over the rest of the paper.

"My wife and I watch television news, of course," the Brownsburg resident said. "But we go to the paper for what we hope is the real skinny."

And getting the whole story is so important to some readers that they've saved editions of The Star for decades.

Mary Jean Hurt, 73, Beech Grove, saved copies about the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the 1986 Challenger explosion. "We had them for years, but you just can't keep everything. I finally decided to leave it up to history."

Not all subscribers start their day with the newspaper. For some, the century-old morning newspaper is the first star they see at night.

Afternoon and evening readers, including Raymond Huffman, prefer to enjoy The Star once the day's early hubbub has quieted down.

"I glance at it in the morning, but I still read the paper in the afternoon," said Huffman, 85, a retired steel salesman and longtime afternoon newspaper reader. He's been a Star subscriber for about 35 years.

For Huffman and other readers, television hasn't supplanted the paper. Instead, it's increased their preference for their daily Star.

Star reporters Cathy Kightlinger and John Tuohy contributed to this story.

Call Star reporter Marcella Fleming at 1-317-444-6089.