The Bluffton news. [volume], December 30, 1943, Image 1

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

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Happy New Year
VOLUME NO. LXVIII
BLUFFTON PLANS
TO WELCOME NEW
YEAR WITH GAIETY
Watch Parties And Bands of
Carolers Will Greet 1944
Friday Night
Enthusiasm And Cheer of New
Year Brightened By Better
News of War
Reacting to a brighter aspect in
the fortunes of war, Bluffon area
residents will cast their cares aside
to the accompaniment of ringing
bells, shrilling whistles and tooting
horns at midnight Friday in the
celebration of the passing of another
yeai’ and the ushering in of its suc
cessor.
In keeping with the custom of the
community, there will be many
watch parties, and bands of carolers
will make their traditional rounds of
the town and the countryside, adding
color and cheerfulness to the New
Year’s observance.
New Year’s Eve carolling is a tra
dition of long standing in the area,
and altho restrictions on tires and
gasoline limit the use of automobiles
in reaching isolated districts, there
has been no general curtailment of
this activity.
Theatre parties are being arranged
by other groups, and in some cases
the passing of the old year will be
observed by staying quietly at home
and listening to radio music in keep
ing with the season.
New Year Holiday
New Year’s Day will be observed
quietly, with business and industrial
activities generally suspended in the
town. As usual, there will be no
postal deliveries on town or rural
routes.
With the debut of 1944, the gaiety
of the Yuletide season will be brot
to a close, and its color and cheer
will soon be absorbed in the rush of
everyday affairs. Christmas decora
tions 'will be removed, and Christmas
trees will be discarded, symbolizing
the passing of the community’s fa
vorite holiday season.
Bluffton High and Grade students
will return to their classes Monday
morning, and students at Bluffton
college will resume their' normal
sehclastte achetMlle mor-
Week Of Prayer To
Be Observed Here
Universal week of prayer will be
observed in churches here next
week, it is announced by the Bluff
ton Ministerial association in charge
of arrangements.
Meetings will start next Sunday
and continue all next week every
night at 7:30 p. m. except Saturday
and close on the following Sunday,
January 9. Union meetings will be
held in the various churches with
no pastor speaking in his own
church.
National observance of the Week
of Prayer is sponsored by the Fed
eral council of churches.
Schedule for services, including
place and speaker:
Sunday, Jan. 2, Methodist church,
Rev. J. N. Smucker.
Monday, Church of Christ, Rev.
E. N. Bigelow.
Tuesday, St. John’s Reformed,
Rev. Stanley Rupp.
Wednesday, Defenseless Mennonite,
Rev. J. A. Weed.
Thursday, First Mennonite, Rev.
V. C. Opperman.
Friday, Lutheran, Rev. A. C.
Schultz.
Sunday, Jan. 9, Presbyterian, Rev.
W. L. Harmony.
With The Sick
Mrs. Willis Althaus, former Bluff
ton resident now residing in Ash
land is in the Samaritan hospital in
that city with a fractured hip which
she received in a fall at her home
Sunday. Her husband who suffered
a paralytic stroke five weeks ago is
convalescing at their home in Ash
land.
Miss Levon Wilch, daughter of
Harvey Wilch of High street under
went an operation for removal of
tonsils in the office of Dr. B. W.
Travis, Monday.
Mrs. Jacob Schnegg who has been
bedfast for the past three weeks
with pneumonia at her home on
East College avenue is slowly re
covering.
Mrs. Elizabeth Risser, mother nf
David Risser, Bluffton restaurateur,
is a surgical patient in Lima Me
morial hospital.
John Trippiehorn residing south of
town on the county line is a patient
in Bluffton hospital.
Two Are Injured In
Auto-Truck Mishap
Two Kentucky men injured in an
automobile-truck accident two miles
south of Bluffton on the Dixie high
way near the Philip Hilty farm at
7:30 a. m. last Monday, are in the
Bluffton hospital this week.
Four other occupants of the auto
mobile were released from the hos
pital following treatment.
Most seriously hurt in the acci
dent were Willie Root, 24, of Corbin,
Ky., who suffered severe lacerations
about the head, and Kenneth Root,
19, of Lake, Ky., who received a
fractured left ankle.
The other four persons who re
ceived treatment for minor injuries
were Hubert Philpot, 17, of Lake,
Ky. Mrs. Bertha Clutter, 23, of
Detroit, Mich: Mrs. Pauline Mc
Hargun, 20, of Corbin, Ky., and J.
B. Jones, 19, of Detroit.
Those injured were in an automo
bile northbound to Detroit which
sideswiped a southbound truck op
erated by a Cleveland poultry con
cern. The six occupants of the car
were brought to the hospital by the
Diller ambulance.
NEW
OFFICIALS TO BE
INDUCTED
Mayor Howe Will Start Third
Term As Head of Town
Administration
Outgoing Council Will Meet And
Adjourn Sine Die New
Group Will Convene
Bluffton’s new municipal adminis
tration will take over the reins of
city government at the first council
meeting of the new year next Mon
day night.
The change will be made officially
in the council chamber when mem
bers of the outgoing council will
convene in brief routine sesssion and
adjourn sine die after which the
incoming council will hold its organ
ization meeting.
With Mayor W. A. Howe re-elected
for a third term, the administrative
head of the local government will
Treasurer Re-Elected
Also re-elected were Samuel Bixel,
city treasurer and Charles Auker
man, Jesse Yoakam, Cleon Triplett
and E. S. Lape, as councilmen. Wil
ford Geiger, who has been serving as
deputy clerk in the absence of James
West, was elected to that office in
November, and will continue in the
post he has been filling temporarily.
New’ council men, elected last
November, will be Don Patterson,
and C. A. Stauffer, a former corpora
tion clerk. Appointments for munici
pal officers will be made at next
Monday’s meeting of the town coun
cil.
The Bluffton board of education
also will re-organize for the new
year, at the first January meeting.
Waldo Hofstetter, re-elected, will
be serving his second term, and Levi
Althaus will take office for the first
time, replacing Elmer Short, who
was not a candidate for re-election.
Ralph Badertscher, Dr. W. M. Nis
wander and John Tosh, present mem
bers, will continue to srve.
Board of Public Affairs
There will be two new members
on the Board of Public Affairs,
Harry F. Barnes and F. J. Harmon.
William Luginbuhl, a previous mem
ber, was re-elected.
Personnel of Richland township
trustees will be unchanged. Allen
Grismore was elected for another
term, and Fred Badertscher and
Walter Marshall will continue to
serve. N. W. Basinger will continue
as clerk-treasurer, having been re
elected again last November.
Township constables named last
fall also are unchanged. They will
be R. E. Griffith and Charles Lora.
A. D. Gratz and Stanley Vertner
will continue as justices of peace.
Burial Services
For Infant Twins
Twins, a boy and girl, born to
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Marshall of
Orange township at the Bluffton hos
pital, Saturday, died shortly after
birth. Burial services were held at
Pleasant Ridge cemetery near Pan
dora, Monday.
Promotion
Elbert Kibele, formerly of Bluff
ton, serving in the European war
theatre, has been promoted from sec
ond lieutenant to first lieutenant it
was announced Tuesday.
FHEBLUE
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE
$8,000 DAMAGE IN
BARN—SHED FIRE
ON CHRISTMAS EVE
Bank Barn, Implement Shed
And Contents Lost On
Jesse Hummon Farm
Family In Bed When Fire Is
Discovered Livestock And
House Saved
A Christmas Eve fire causing
damages estimated at more than
$8000 to buildings and contents razed
a large bank barn and implement
shed on the Jesse Humon farm, five
miles north
township.
of Bluffton in Union
shortly before midnight
the fire had gained so
Discovered
last Friday,
much headway before the Bluffton
fire department arrived that it was
impossible to save either building.
The fire was discovered when mem
bers of the Hummon family noticed
a red glow reflected in their bedroom
after they had retired. The blaze
spread rapidly and altho the live
stock was saved there was no time
to remove anything else from the
burning structures.
Starts In Shed
Fire Chief Guy Corson reported
that the fire evidently started in the
implement shed, which adjoined the
barn. It had spread to the barn be
fore being discovered and there was
no chance to save either.
Lost in the barn was a large
quantity of stored corn and hay, and
a combine. Implements burned in
the shed included a tractor, a pickup
truck, an automobile and a wagon.
The car had been put in the shed
by Hummon about 7:30 p. m., and
no one was in the structure after
that time, the family said.
A house on the Hummon farm was
burned 16 years ago in a fire that
occurred in July, 1927, and the
present structure was built to replace
it.
Loss in the barn fire was only
partly covered by insurance, Hum
mon reported.
3 con
Triplett
Starts
recon
Excavatioi£oach
a new buildiffg AdWtion to the plant
of The Triplett Electrical Instru
ment Co. was started Tuesday on
the former Mrs. Corda Oehrli lot
extending north from Poplar street.
The new building will be a two
story cement block structure that
will house expanded production fa
cilities demanded by the war
gram.
Names Are Drawn
For Jury Service
and vicinity
grand
venires
of the
court.
residents of Bluffton
are included in one
and three petit jury
Names of
jury
drawn for the January term
Allen county common pleas
Included in the grand jury venire
are: R. A. Stratton, Kermit Kibele,
Bessie Diller, Bluffton Clara Jen
nings, Beaverdam.
Petit jury cenire includes: Evelyn
Benroth, John Tosh,
Otto
ton
beet
ron
Basinger, Pandora.
W .H. Kidd,
Bigler, and Jesse Yoakam, Bluff
Clair Moser, Earl Struble, Her
Marshall, Columbus Grove By
Shrider, Beaverdam Gertrude
Peter Heldman Dies
Funeral Thursday
services for Peter Held
will be held at Trinity
church, Jenera, Thursday
at 2 o’clock. Rev. George
Funeral
man, 81,
Lutheran
afternoon
Luetke of Toledo will officiate and
burial will be in Trinity cemetery.
Mr. Heldman died at his home in
Eagle township, Hancock county,
Monday afternoon. He was a life
long resident of Hancock county.
In 1881 he was married to Eliza
beth Nessler who survives.
Also surviving are three sons Ed
ward of Jenera Amos of Findlay
and Levi of Eagle township and two
sisters, Mrs. Mary Von Stein of
Jenera and Mrs. Jacob Von Stein
of Union township.
Takes Advanced Air
Course At Army Base
Aviation Cadet Wade Mumma has
completed his basic training at the
army air field at Coffeyville, Texas,
and has gone to an advanced field at
Pampa, Texas, where he will finsih
his cadet training and win his wings.
He is the son of Carl Mumma of
North Main street. i
Bl
fc!
The usual oddities that help-make
up the warp and woof of this com
munity’s pattern of living take the
center of the stage in the review of
1943 happenings in, Bluffton and its
environs, against a background of
the war and its effect on the every-
■^■1
town.
For the Bl
a good memory, S
as a year of
They are the persons who
mind you that earing the
months:
A Nickel
the tracks
farm, and
more than-t
bounced back
astonished
having two
birth.
Tree
pro­
Bluffton’s
IT ALL HAPPENED IN
BLUFFTON DURING 1943
iffton folks who have
will be recalled
lai occurrences
can re­
tank car
H.
damage occurrt
had
they
Iding
said
like
jumped
Allman
ah-ng for
across the ties,
the rails. No
the railroaders
heard of the
daughter of
basin Ijer,
attaches by
teeth four days after
Crushes Truck
his
A truck driver who parked
vehicle on Main street was moved to
profanity when a large tree split
in half and fell, crushing the motor,
just as he stepped from the cab.
Municipal councilmen had a new
headache presented to them, when a
reputable laboratory ruled
age gas from Riley creek
coloring paint on houses.
that sew
was dis-
to play
A Deputy Sheriff had
King Solomon when he was called
to Bluffton to settle a family
in which a wife refused to give
husband his trousers until
turned her ration book.
row
her
re-
he
an
in
Marshal Lee Coon found
year-old transient sleeping
city jail with a large American
draped over him. He said
lieved in demonstrating his
ism when he
when awake.
84
the
flag
be-
he
patriot
well as
was asleep, as
Still
city
With Us
officials
fifth attempt to
the rails of an
Rails
were
thwarted in their
rid themselves of
abandoned interurban line running
thru Main street. War Materials
Inc. made the same report as before,
the rails were so
in concrete they
moved.
Bluffton college
game in the 1942-43 season, then
with less than two full teams avail
able for this year’s schedule,
team was still undefeated at
Christmas
holidays.
High astonished every
victory
an all-
Bluffton
to score a
over Ada
time record at the school.
IT ON NEWS
RESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, WURSD AY, DEC. 30, 1943
... ......... -——______________________________________
restrictions ran a varied course drur
ing the year.
Despite rigid tire and gasoline
rationing, the Bluffton auto tag
registrar sold more licenses than ever
prior to the 1943 deadline last April
1.
Rationing Hurts
Rationing really came into its own
during the year. Canned goods
rationing became effective on Feb. 1.
and fresh meats went on the ration
list one month later.
Bread was sold unsliced for one
month in the spring. Then just after
everyone had finally found suitable
knives to cut their own, officials re
lented and bread was again sliced by
the baker.
Eggs were scarce and high in
price. At Easter they sold for 40
cents a dozen, a contrast to 10 years
earlier when they brought 12 cents.
As a result of conditions the usual
Easter egg hunt for kiddies was call
ed off, and a theatre party was held
instead.
the year it was practically
to get the services of
painters, carpenters, elec-
Thruout
imposible
plumbers,
tricians, etc., except in emergencies,
and there was no such thing as labor
for odd jobs.
“Sign of the Times”
Another sign of the times was the
notice in the window of Bluffton’s
only full-time shoe repair shop in
the fall, “Closed to catch up with
work. Open 4 to 6 p. m. for
deliveries only.”
Withholding tax under the “pay
as-you-go” program hit the pocket
book of every wage-earner in July.
Twenty-per-cent was deducted under
a bracket arrangement, that left
plenty of red faces when the town
council gave municipal light plant
employes a raise that kicked them
into the next classification and the
men actually took home less money
than they received previously.
Busy Bluffton folk had little time
for politics, and there was no August
primary for the first time in history
because no contests developed on
either ticket.
Robert
Is
securely anchored
could not be re-
C, Watkins
Aviation Cadet
Watkins, son of Mr. and
Robert R.
eagers lost every
the
the
one
94 to 27 basketball
in December, for
restric-
The weather, despite war
tions, was something to talk about.
It rained on 19 days in May for a
new record, and storm sewers were
so heavily overloaded that fully one
fourth of the town’s basements were
flooded.
Unpredictable Weather
Farmers from three to four weeks
behind in spring work, but the
weatherman repented in the fall, and
provided the best autumn weather in
years.
After operating for 19 months on
war-time, Bluffton turned its clocks
back one hour on October 1, to gain
an hour’s daylight in the morning
during the winter season.
Effects of wartime controls and
Mrs. Robert Watkins, 155 Spring
street, is now enrolled as an avia
tion cadet in the Pre-Flight school
for pilots at Maxwell Feld, Alabama.
At the school, cadets receive nine
weeks of preparatory training before
beginning actual flight instruction
courses.
Richard Wenger In
Armored Division
Pvt. Richard E. Wenger, son of
Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Wenger, of
Beaver street, who went into the
U. S. Army last October 12, has
been assigned to the 16th Armored
Division at Camp Chaffe, Arkansas.
Pvt. Wenger worked here for
A. & P. Tea Co before going
the army.
the
into
Birth
and Mrs. Glen Noe of Ada
Mr.
are the parents of a son born at
Bluffton hospital, Friday.
FARM INSTITUTE TO
BE HELD HERE ON
19, 20
instructive And Entertaining
Two-Day Institute Program
Is Being Arranged
John Grierson And Mrs. M.
Rosseiott Will Be State
Institute Speakers
E.
for
Plans are nearing completion
Bluffton’s third wartime Community
Institute, a two-day program of lec
ures, discussion periods and enter
taining features to be held here Wed
nesday and Thursday, January 19
and 20.
As usual one of the highlights of
the gathering will be the apjearance
of State Institute speakers. This year
they will hr J\\n Grierson awid Mrs.
M. E. Rosseiott, both of Hillsboro.
Other features of this winter’s
meeting will include sessions set a
side for the discussion of farm and
community problems, and entertain
ment comprised of dramatic and mu
sical offerings.
Arrangements for the institute are
being directed
eluding Elmer
Harvey Gratz,
liam Althaus,
and Harry F. Barnes, Ezra Moser,
Earl Matter, Homer Gratz and Ray
mond Stratton, members of the ex
ecutive committee.
by the officers, in
Lauby, president
vice-president Wil
sec retary-treasurer
Mrs.
Mrs.
Mrs.
Mrs.
Women’s institute officers are
Walter Sommer, president
Josephine Huber, vice-president
Albert Augsburger, secretary
W’alter Scaublin, Mrs. Addie Graber
and Mrs. Edwin Niswander, executive
committee.
Bluffton Soldier
Wounded In Action
Pfc. Eugene Augsburger of near
Bluffton has been wounded in action
in the Mediterranean area, accord
ing to a report from the
partment.
War De­
not state
except to
The announcement did
the extent of his injuries
say that he is now in a convalescent
hospital. Letters written by Augs
burger to his sisters Mrs. Dorothy
Williams of near Beaverdam and
Mrs. Irene Crawford of near Bluff
ton indicated that his wounds were
not serious.
New Instructor Will
Begin Duties Monday
who has
Board of
in Latin
been
Edu
and
here
Miss Mildred Keel
hired by the Bluffton
cation as instructor
French will assume her duties
at the opening of school Monday,
following the Christmas vacation.
Miss Keel, who formerly taught in
Pandora high school resigned her
position there to accept the appoint
ment here. She will fill the vacancy
caused by the resignation of Mrs.
Harriett Luginbuhl who has left for
Ft. Monmouth, N. J., where her
husband, Sgt. Kenneth Luginbuhl is
stationed.
Miss Helen Spar, senior at Ohio
Northern university, Ada, will take
charge of women’s physical educa
tion classes formerly taught by Mrs.
Luginbuhl.
Happy New Year
NUMBER 36
$8,000 GIH MADE
FOR IMPROVEMENT
OF COLLEGE HALL
A. C. Ramsey er of Smithville,
Prominent Potato Grower
Named as Donor
Contribution First to be An
nounced in Institution’s
$50,000 Program
Bluffton college’s campaign to raise
$50,000 for improvements on the’
campus got off to a good start with
the announcement of a gift of $8,000
from A. C. Ramsey er of Smithville.
Ramseyer is one of Ohio’s largest
potato growers and a member of the
institution’s board of trustees.
Announcement of the gift was
made the first of the week by Dr. L.
L. Ramseyer, president of the college
who added that the money was
pledged with the understanding that
contributions of an equal amount are
to be obtained for other college pur
poses.
This is the first major contribution
to be announced in the campaign
launched last fall at a meeting of the
institution’s board of trustees to raise
a special fund for improvements to
buildings.
Recondition College Hall
The $8,000 gift will be used for
complete reconditioning of College
hall and work will start as soon as
materials are available, President
Ramseyer stated.
The building, oldest on the campus,
was built in 1900. Among the im
provements planned are a new roof,
modernizing of art rooms on the
third floor, construction of a fire
proof concrete vault for valuable
records and moving of administrative
offices to the first floor adjacent to
the vault.
Present offices on the second floor
will be remodeled and used for class
rooms.
Last Rites Held For
Mrs. Lydia Williams
Funeral services for Mrs. Lydia
Williams, 84, pioneer resident, were
held at the Paul Diller funeral
chapel Sunday afternoon.
I Mrs. Williams died at Bluffton
I hospital Thursday morning from
complications following a fractured
hip resulting from a fall last July
18.
She was bom in Hancock county
February 12, 1859, and was married
to John C. Williams who died in
1919. Her entire life was spent in
this vicinity and she was for many
years a member of the Bluffton
Methodist church.
Surviving are a daughter, Mrs.
Cleon Triplett of South Main street
with whom she made her
a son Arthur Williams of
Heights.
home and
Cleveland
Methodist
Rev. J. A. Weed of the
church officiated at the funeral serv
ices and interment was in Maple
Grove cemetery’.
Rites For Mrs. Mary
Devier On Thursday
Funeral services will be held at
2:30 p. m. Thursday in the Diller
funeral chapel for Mrs. Mary
Catherine Devier, 86, who died at
12:10 a. m. Tuesday in her home at
683 S. Main street.
She had been ill for 10 days ,with
pneumonia. Her husband, Jasper N.
Devier, preceded her in death in
1932.
Mrs. Devier was born
1857, in Hancock county,
ter of Jesse and Nancy
Stepleton. She is the
family of 18 children.
March 31,
the daugh
(Bowsher)
last of a
Surviving are three sons, Ernest
E. Devier,
of Bluffton,
home one
Adams, of
children, and four great-grandchild
ren.
of Lima N. B. Devier,
and Grover C. Devier at
daughter, Mrs. Daisy
Mt. Cory 12 grand-
Mrs. Devier was a lifelong member
of the Church of the Brethren at
Beaverdam.
Rev. Clarence Bowman will offi
ciate at the funeral service. Burial
will be in the Maple Grove cemetery.
Real Estate Deals
the
of
on
Edgar Herr has purchased
Mrs. Charlotte Rohrbach farm
sixty acres south of Bluffton
Bentley road which he now occupies.
Stanley Salter has purchased the
former Jacob Zeiders farm of 80
acres near Rockport. Salter expects
to occupy the place in the spring
moving from his present location
south of West Point on Lafayett*
road.