The Bluffton news. [volume], December 16, 1943, Image 1

About The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current

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BUY
UNITED
mrts
SAVINGS
/SON OS
AND SUMPS
VOLUME NO. LXVIII
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
CHANGES LITTLE IN
WARTIME SETTING
Town Shorn of Decorative Frills
But Same Old Holiday Cheer
Still Prevails
Snow And Cold Weather Provide
Setting Shopping Is At
Its Peak Here
With Christmas shopping and
mailing at its peak, Bluffton’s third
wartime observance of the Yuletide
will differ little from the traditional
holidays of other years altho shorn
of some of the customary sparkle
and decorative frills.
Following a light snowfall that
blanketed the ground in white Tues
day, about the only thing missing
from the traditional Christmas set
ting was the lack of decorations and
lights in the business district, which
are out for the duration.
Cold weather, frozen creeks, biting
winds, and crisp, clear nights also
help to create the proper holiday
setting, as Christmas draws nearer.
Shopping At Peak
Christmas shopping for the most
part is believed past its peak, altho
merchants reported quite a volume of
trading still is to be expected.
Earlier buying this year, however,
will eliminate the last minute rush
customary in peace-time.
Further reflection of intensive
Christmas activity in the community
has been the greatly increased out
going and incoming volume of mail
handled for nearly a week by the
Bluffton post office. The peak of
incoming mailings is expected next
Monday, after which it is believed
the volume will taper off gradually.
In keeping with the spirit of the
season, churches of the community
are making preparations for the
presentation of Christmas programs,
and schools have additional Yuletide
entertainment arranged.
Musical Background
Opening the musical observance of
the season, the Bluffton College
Choral Society will present its an
nual rendition of Handel’s Christmas
oratorio, “The Messiah”, at 8 m.,
Sunday in the high school gym
nasium.
Bluffton High and Grade school
pupils are looking forward to a
week’s Christmas holiday recess
which will start with the close of
school Friday evening, Dec. 24. They
will return to classes Monday morn
ing, Jan. 3.
Bluffton college will have a vaca
tion over the holidays extending
from Thursday, Dec. 23, at 4 p. m.,
until Tuesday morning, Jan. 4.
Burns Fatal To
Mrs. Marion Hixon
Mrs. Ethel Mae Hixon, 52, a
resident of Richland township, died
at 1:30 a. m., Saturday in Bluffton
hospital from burns received Oct. 11
in a kerosene explosion in her home.
She was a member of Pleasant Hill
Methodist church.
Surviving are her husband, Mar
ion, a son John W. of McComb a
daughter, Mrs. Howard Oaks of
Wayne, Mich. three grandchildren,
four brothers and sisters, Mrs. Volda
Barnhill, Clarence, Ralph of Arcadia
Roy of Findlay, and a half-brother.
Parlee Binger also of Arcadia.
Funeral services w’ere held Monday
morning in the Paul Diller funeral
home. Rev. Bernard Baughn of
Beaverdam officiated. Burial was
in Arcadia cemetery.
District Optometrists
Hold Meeting Here
Thirty Northwest Ohio optomet
rists and their wives attended the
annual meeting of zope 10 of the
Ohio Optometrists association held at
the Walnut Grill, Tuesday night.
Speakers were A. Baker of the
Triplett Electrical Instrument com
pany who talked on visual problems
of industrial workers and Dr. O. N.
Sparrow’ of Toledo who spoke on pro
fessional ethics Drs. D. C. and
Gordon Bixel are local members of
the association.
Funeral For Peter
Miller Held Here
Funeral services for Peter Miller,
72, inmate of the Allen county in
firmary were held at Paul Diller
funeral chapel, Tuesday morning.
Miller died Sunday morning. He
is a native of Goshen, Ind.
Survivors include a daughter, Mrs.
Helen Bierly of Columbus and a
sister, Mrs. Alice Reed of Cross
Plain, Texas.
Influenza Common
Here In Mild Form
Many colds, sore throats and mild
forms of influenza are common in
the Bluffton area this week, forcing
curtailment of war production, busi
ness services and operations of
schools.
Few serious cases have been re
ported, however, and it is hoped the
change to colder weather will pre
vent the disease attaining epidemic
proportions.
Health officers said that the ail
ment is of a far less serious type
than the influenza epidemic which
swept the country in 1918, and
deaths so far have been few thru
out the nation.
DECEMBER DRAFT
CALL WILL TAKE
73 MEN, REPORT
Selectees Will Go to Toledo For
Physical Examination,
Saturday
Fathers Must Go in January,
However, LTnless National
Policy Changes
No pre-war fathers are included
in the December draft call of ap
proximately 73 men being sent to
Toledo this Saturday, by Allen
County Board No. 3 for induction
into the armed forces if they pass
physical examinations.
With this call, however, the Board
under which Bluffton and all of
rural Allen county is included has
exhausted its list of single men and
married men without children.
This means fathers must be taken
to meet an increased quota in Janu
ary, unless definite orders are re
ceived in the meantime to delay
their induction as a result of recent
legislation passed by Congress and
signed last Thursday by the Presi
dent.
Policy Is Uncertain
What effect the Congressional
action will have on the drafting of
fathers is a complicated puzzle this
week, and no one in authority yet
has made any commitments that men
with children will be eliminated from
the January draft call, which will
be one of the largest of the war.
Allen County Board No. 3 so far
has met its draft quotas without
summoning any pre-Pearl Harbor
fathers, altho other boards in this
area have been taking men with
children for several months.
Only Fathers Left
Single men who previously were
deferred for farming and industry
and whose deferments have expired
make up the group of about 73 to
report on Saturday at Toledo, but
there will be only a limited number
available from this source for Janu
ary.
Men accepted for the Navy at
Toledo this Saturday will receive a
one week’s'furlough. This will make
it Saturday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day,
when they ordinarily would be ex
pected to report. However, it is
believed that the furlough will be
extended until Monday, Dec. 27, be
cause of the unusual conditions
prevailing.
Men accepted for the army will
have a period of three weeks before
they will be expected to report.
Wins Peace Contest
In Putnam County
Marilyn Steiner of Mt. Cory, who
represented the Grace Mennonite
church of Pandora, won the Putnam
county Prince of Peace declamation
contest Sunday night. The contest
was held at the United Brethren
church in Col. Grove. There were
three contestants entered.
Miss Steiner, as winner of the
contest will represent Putnam county
in the district contest.
Beaverdam School
Plans Music Night
Beaverdam high school musical or
ganizations will present a program
at the school, Friday evening at 8
o’clock.
Appearing on the program will be
junior and senior choruses of the
high school and the girls triple trio.
Grade school talent will be pre
sented in a one act operetta “Susan
na’s Christmas Auction”.
Christmas Season To Be Ushered In
By Rendition Of “The Messiah” Sunday
rHE Bluffton
125 Singers From College And
Community Make Up Choir
Personnel
Rendition Here Sunday Will Be
The 41st, Given Annually
For 34 Years
Bluffton’s observance of the
Christmas holiday season will be
ushered ’in with the 34th annual
rendition of Handel’s oratorio, “The
Messiah”, by the Bluffton College
Choral society at 8 p. m. Sunday in
the Bluffton High gymnasium.
Presentation of the oratorio will be
made for the 41st time before local
audiences, altho it has been given in
succession for only 33 years. Prior
to 1909 it was not an annual affair
here.
Appearing in the chorus are 125
singers from the college and sur
rounding community under the direc
tion of Prof. Russell A. Lantz, head
of the department of music at the
local institution.
Soloists for the performance in
clude Dorothy Schultz, of Lima,
soprano Opal Berry Stauffer, of
Columbus, contralto B. Fred Wise,
of Chicago, tenor and E. E. Emer
son, of Toledo, baritone.
An orchestra of about 35 pieces
will accompany the choral society in
the presentation of the oratorio. This
group plays under the direction of
Sidney Hauenstein, of the college
music faculty.
Mrs. H. P. Mann, also of the col
lege faculty, will be the piano ac
companist.
The large gymnasium at the high
school has ample seating accommoda
tions for the large crowd that attend
each annual rendition of “The
Messiah”.
Sherm Ewing Buried
At Maple Grove Here
Remains of Sherman Ewing, 81, of
Lima, former Bluffton resident were
brought here for interment at Maple
Grove cemetery, Wednesday after
noon. He died Monday at St. Rita’s
hospital, Lima, following a six weeks’
illness.
He wras for many years employed
by the Ohio Oil company and was
prominent in the Masonic lodge. He
was also a member of the Lima Cen
tral Church of Christ.
Surviving are a daughter Mrs.
Berda Fritz and two grandchildren
Mrs. W K. Baker, of Ft. Wayne
Mrs Sam Owen of Virginia Beach,
Virginia.
Benroth Re-elected
Sportsmen's Head
Eugene Benroth was re-elected
president of the Bluffton Community
Sportsmen’s club at a meeting Tues
day night in the town hall.
Other officers also re-named to the
same posts they held last year were
Silas Diller, vice-president Gerald
Huber, secretary, and Dallas Berry,
treasurer.
Re-elected to the board of directors
were Dan Trippiehorn, Edgar Root,
Jesse Manges and William Edwards.
Wilbur Fish and Aldine Kohli are
new directors.
Gail Mumma, a hold-over on the
board of directors, entertained the
group with an account of the ad
ventures of a party of Bluffton
sportsmen in Canada on a hunt
ing trip a month ago. In the party
were Mumma, Dr. J. S. Steiner, Le
land Sechler and Hiram Wenger.
Four From Here Go
To Army Thursday
Four Bluffton men were in a group
of 24 Allen county men called by
Draft Board No. 3 which left for
induction into the army at Ft. Hayes,
Columbus, last Thursday.
Those from here were Karl L.
Gable, Richard Cookson, James
Howard Basinger and Donavin W.
Moser.
Two From Here
Would Join Navy
Two Bluffton youths, Richard
Rockcy and Jud Johnson applied for
enlistment in the navy the first of
the week. They expect to undergo
I physical examination and other pre
liminaries within the next few days.
ARCHERY CLUB TO MEET
The archery club will hold the
next meeting of the organization
next Wednesday night, Dec. 22, at
7:30 o’clock at the archery range in
the town. All persons interested are
invited to attend.
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, DEC. 16, 1913
POST OFFICE OPEN
EVENINGS DURING
CHRISTMAS RUSH
Peak of 1943 Holiday Mailing
Expected to be Reached
Over Week End
Windows Open Thursday, Fri
day and Saturday Nights
This Week
With the annual Christmas mailing
rush at its peak this week, windows
at the Bluffton postoffice will be
open on Thursday, Friday and Satur
day nights, Postmaster Ed R.
Reichenbach announced Tuesday.
In the evening senice provided
each night until 9 p. m. clerks will
handle only receiving of mail and
selling stamps, the postmaster said.
Bluffton’s Christmas mailing rush
is under way much earlier than
usual this season, with the peak
coming a week before the time it
normally can be expected, the post
master said.
Incoming mail also is being receiv
ed much earlier, and the bulk of all
second-class greeting card mailings
is expected to be out of the way
before the close of the week.
Heaviest stamp sales locally are
expected Friday and Saturday of this
week, and the complications of
handling expanded deliveries pro
bably will pass its peak next Mon
day.
Stamp sales at the post office are
running ahead of last year’s figures
for the same period, including a
heavy demand for one and one-half
cent stamps. Practically all parcels
will be enroute by the close of the
week, otherwise there is little pos
sibility of delivery before Christmas.
Last Rites For Mrs.
Samuel Augsburger
Funeral services for Mrs. Sarah
Augsburger, were held Monday after
noon in the Ebenezer Mennonite
church of which she was a member.
Rev. A. C. Schultz, pastor, officiated.
Interment was in the church ceme
tery.
Mrs. Augsburger, who resided one
mile west of Beaverdam, died late
Friday night in St. pita’s hospital,
Lima, following U «. Illness of three
weeks.
She was born Dec. 28, 1871, the
daughter of Christian and Elizabeth
(Geiger) Burkholder.
She is survived by her husband
and five daughters, Mrs. Homer
Spallinger, Mrs. Walter Welty, Mrs.
Orlando Lugibihl, Mrs. Howard Nis
wander and Miss Florence, ail in the
Beaverdam vicinity.
Mrs. Augsburger is survived also
by two sisters, Mrs. Aldine Diller of
Pandora Mrs. Dan Herr of Bluffton,
four brothers, Amos, Monroe and
Jacob Burkholder, all of Columbus
Grove, and Chris Burkholder of Gil
boa.
College Graduate Is
Injured In Pacific
Lieut. Richard Backensto, of the
U. S. Marines, a Bluffton college
graduate, was injured in action in
the South Pacific, according to in
formation learned here this week.
Details of where injuries were re
ceived or their extent were not in
cluded in the notification received by
his wife.
Lieut. Backensto was a member of
football, basketbail and baseball
teams during his undergraduate days
at Bluffton college.
Dr. Travis Is Named
Railroad Physician
Dr. B. W. Travis has been ap
pointed local physician for the Nickel
Plate railroad, it was announced the
first of the week He succeeds the
late Dr. J. S. Steiner who held the
appointment for a number of years.
Ebenezer Broadcast
A girls trio consisting of Jemima
Luginbihl, Mrs. Vinton Bucher and
Vera Amstutz will be heard on the
Ebenezer church musical program
broadcast Sunday afternoon at 3:30
o’clock from Findlay station WFIN.
Mabel Amstutz is accompanist.
Radio Sermon
“Courage for Our Time” will be
the subject of the radio talk in the
series Living Today broadcast by
Rev. A. C. Schultz of the Ebenezer
Mennonite church from Findlay sta
tion WFIN, Friday afternoon at
3:15 o’clock.
Zero weather brought by the win
ter s first severe cold wave had
Bluffton area residents shivering in
their heaviest clothing and digging
into dwindling piles of scarce coal
Tuesday and Wednesday of this
week.
Originating in the frigid wastes
of the Lake Superior region, the
first onslaught of the cold wave
drove temperatures to a new win
ter’s low.
Accustomed to unseasonably mild
weather which has prevailed since
early September, Bluffton area resi
dents found it hard to adjust them
selves to the cold wave that swept
down out of the North.
A ^intry setting also was pro
vided by a light snowfall which fell
intermittently on Tuesday and left
the ground blanketed with a white
covering.
Details of Death In Pacific
Learned When Buddies Re
turn Home from Front
Bluffton Area Youth Crouched
In Fox Hole When Shell
Struck, Parents Told
Pvt. Francis Wilkins, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Ira Wilkins, who reside be
tween Mt. Cory and Rawson, was
killed in the Pacific war theatre
when a Japanese shell made a direct
hit on the foxhole in which he was
crouched, it was learned here this
week.
Details of how the youth met his
death were learned for the first time
thru some of his war buddies, who
were near him when he shell struck.
His death was instantaneous.
Wilkins’ parents were notified on
Sept. 1 that he had been killed in
action, but the war department com
munique did not report any of the
details.
Serving with the army’s 37th di
vision, Wilkins met death in the
month of August during some of the
most heated fighting in the South
Pacific area. He was a graduate of
Mt. Cory High school and had been
serving overseas since May, 1942.
The family is well knowm in the
Bluffton area, having lived on the
George Read farm north of Bluffton
on the county line road before mov
ing to their new location several
years ago.
Pvt. Wilkins’ mother is the former
Emma Tschiegg, sister of Amos
Tschiegg, of North Jackson street,
and of Eldon Tschiegg and Mrs.
Aaron Messinger, west of town and
Mrs. Otto Badertscher, of north of
town.
The War Department’s Purple
Heart medal was awarded to Pvt.
Wilkins, following his death.
Mrs. Sarah Diller
Dies Here Monday
Mrs. Sarah Diller, 72, died at her
farm home, five miles west of Bluff
ton, at 8 a. m. last Monday. She
had been ill from influenza .but death
was attributed to a heart condition.
The daughter of Samuel and Bar
bara (Steiner) Burkholder, Mrs.
Diller was born in Richland town
ship, Nov. 19, 1871. She was mar
ried to Peter Diller, who expired in
1923.
Survivors include six sons, Mel
vin and Kenneth, at home Harley
and Archie, of Bluffton Earl, of
Pandora,: and Virgil, of Columbus
Grove. Five surviving brothers are
Eli, Gideon and Menno Burkholder,
of Bluffton John Burkholder, of
Wooster, and Reuben, of Washington
state.
She was a member of the Ebenezer
Mennonite church.
Funeral sendees were held Wed
nesday afternoon at the Ebenezer
Mennonite church, Rev. A. C. Schultz
officiating. Interment was in the
church cemetery.
Named To Honorary
Education Society
Miss Jeanne Baumgartner, form
erly of Bluffton, senior at Bowling
Green State university, has been
elected to membership in Kappa
Beta Pi, honorary national education
society, it was announced the first
of the week.
She is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Lysle Baumgartner of Misha
waka, Ind., w’ho previously reside^
here.
news
Bluffton Shivers As First Zero
Cold Wave Of Winter Strikes Area
Direct Hit By Jap Shell Causes
Death Of Pr vate Francis Wilkins
Meat Ration Points
For Salvaged Fats
Bluffton housewives, with others
thruout the nation, may obtain one
meat ration point starting Monday
of this week for every half-pound of
salvaged household fats they turn in
to their meat dealers.
This is in addition to payment of
four cents a pound for fats which
dealers have been allowing in the
past. The added incentive was an
nounced by the OPA in the hope of
increasing the supply of waste fats
being turned in by housewives for
the war program.
Brown stamps which the dealers
collect from War Ration Book No. 3
w’ill be given to housewives for the
fats, which badly are needed to make
glycerin used in making gunpowder,
it was announced.
Promoted
Frederick Herr, stationed at Ft.
Lewis, Wash., has been promoted to
the rank of staff sergeant, it was
learned the first of the week.
Clifford Houts now’ in the Euro
pean war zone has been promoted to
private first class it was learned by
his wife, Mrs. Dorothy Houts of
North Main street.
Alvin Wilkins, serving overseas in
the air force has been promoted to
the rank of sergeant. He is the
son of Mr. and Mrs. Ira Wilkins.
Carl Marshall, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Ray Marshall of Orange town
ship has been promoted from cor
poral to sergeant at Camp Gordon
Johnston, Florida. He returned to
camp Tuesday morning after having
spent a seven days emergency fur
lough here. His father, a patient at
Bluffton hospital who has been crit
ically ill following an operation is
somewhat improved.
Promotion from second to first
lieutenant of James Owens, stationed
in England was announced the first
of the week He has been overseas
for several months serving as intel
ligence office in the army air force.
Announce Wedding
Solemnized In Iowa
Wedding of Sgt. Harold Balmer
and Miss Anna Ruth Mullett of
Wayland, Iowa, which took place
Sunday, December 5, w’as announced
the first of the w’eek when the cou
ple arrived here to visit his parents,
Mr and Mrs. Henry Balmer of South
Law’n avenue.
The w’edding was solemnized in
Wayland Mennonite church in an
evening ceremony in the presence of
250 guests Officiating were Rev. E.
S. Mullett and Rev. L. Metzger.
The bride wore for the occasion
an ivory satin gown and fingertip
length veil and carried a bouquet of
white roses. Her attendants w’ere
Miss Josephine DiMarco of New’
York city anil Maxine Zihlman of
Wayland.
The bridegroom w’as attended by
his brother, Ralph Balmer.
Following a reception at the home
of the bride’s parents, Rev. and Mrs.
Mullett, the couple left on a w’edding
trip.
The bride is a graduate of the
high school at Nappanee, Ind. and
groom of Bluffton high school. Both
attended Bluffton college.
Sgt. Balmer who recently returned
from 18 months service in the arctic
is now stationed at Milwaukee, Wis.
After completing her semester’s
schooling at low’a Wesleyan college
Mrs. Balmer will join her husband.
High School Hires
Language Teacher
Miss Mildred Keel was hired as
instructor in French and Latin in
Bluffton high school at a meeting of
the board of education, Monday
night. She will fill the vacancy in
the teaching staff caused by the res
ignation of Mrs. Harriette Criblez
Luginbuhl which becomes effective
at the holidays.
Miss Keel, language instructor in
Pandora high school, has presented
her resignation at that place in
order to accept the position here.
She will assume her teaching duties
with the opening of school after the
holidays.
Mrs. Kenneth Luginbuhl will leave
for Ft. Monmouth, N. J., to join
her husband Sgt. Kenneth Luginbuhl
who has been at that place since he
returned last summer from service
in the southwest Pacific war area.
BUY
UM1TBO
■TATBB
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NUMBER 34
GENERAL STORE AT
ROCKPORT RAZED
BY FIRE THURSDAY
Building And Contents Lost In
Conflagration Discovered
Late Thursday
Fire Leaves Community With*
out Store Ration Books
of Patrons Also Lost
Rockport this week is without a
general store for the first time in
the memory of its inhabitants, the
result of a fire which last Thursday
night razed the one story frame
structure and destroyed its entire
stock of food and merchandise.
Operated by Mr. and Mrs. Wilber
Lentz, the store did a large volume
of business out of proportion to the
size of the community, and it was
often reported that shoppers could
obtain there “hard to get’’ items
after supplies in larger cities had
been exhausted.
Fire Chief Guy Corson, w-ho went
with the Bluffton fire department to
battle the blaze, but arrived too late,
said he understood value of the large
stock of supplies lost in the fire was
in excess of $3,000.
Starts Late At Night
Mrs. Milford Everett, of Rockport,
who discovered the fire about 10:30
p. m. Thursday, notified the residents
of the village and telephoned Mr. and
Mrs. Lentz, who had gone to their
home in Columbus Grove.
However, the blaze was entirely
out of control by the time neighbors
and the Bluffton fire department
reached the scene. Loss was only
partially covered by insurance.
Also included in the loss were a
number of customers’ ration books,
which they had been in the habit of
leaving in the store.
It is reported the store will be
rebuilt, inasmuch as the Lentz family
has a new home adjacent to the
store property nearly completed and
ready for occupancy. Some of the
lighting fixtures for the residence
were lost in the fire, however, and
must be re-ordered.
Red Cross Business
Meeting Next Tuesday
Business meeting'of the Bluffton
Red Cross organization will be held
at the high school cafeteria next
Tuesday night at 8 o’clock. Finan
cial reports will be presented and
officers will be elected for the com
ing year. AU members are asked
to be present.
At Naval School
Richard N. Klay, son of Mr. and
Mrs. George Klay, of Mound street,
has been transferred to the Naval
Training School at Dearborn, Mich.
He will take up advanced machin
ist training at that place. His “boot**
schooling was received at the Great
Lakes, Ill., naval station.
College Xmas Recess
Starts December 23
Students will be dismissed from
classes and laboratories after 4 P.
M. on Thursday, December 23, for
the annual Christmas recess. Va
cation will continue from that date
until Tuesday, January 4, when
classes will be resumed at 8:00 A.
M.
Rationing Calendar
So that you may keep in mind the
numerous important war-time ra
tioning dates, the Bluffton News is
publishing this weekly reminder:
DECEMBER 20—Last day to
use Green Stamp A, and C, in
Ration Book 4 for processed
foods.
JANUARY 15—Last day to
use Stamp No. 29 in Ration
Book 4 for 5 pounds of sugar.
SHOES—Stamp No. 18 in Ra
tion Book 1 good for one pair.
Stamp No. 1 on “Airplane” sheet
in Ration Book 3 good for one
pair.
JANUARY 1—Last day to use
Brown Stamps L, M, N, P, in
Ration Book No. 3 good for
meats, cheese, canned milk, can
ned fish, butter, lard and other
edible fats.
JANUARY 20—Last day use
Green Stamps D, E and in Ra
tion Book No. 4 for processed
foods.
JANUARY 21—Last day to
use Coupon No. 9 in A books for
three gallons of gasoline.