Newspaper Page Text
VOLU] LXIX BLUFFTlnj MAY GET FEDERAL AID FOR postwar AIRPORT CAA Engineer Inspects Pro posed Airport Site East of Town. Federal Financial Assistance for Extensive Program May be Available in 1945 one of 206 municipali eing considered as sites new airports a program for funds will be Bluffton i, ties in Ohio for construction of after the wlr, in i which gover^nent available. the Possibility airport being lo light when Earl cated here cai^e to F. Heist, of port engineer if the Civil Aeronau tics division of the U. S. Department of Commerce, 'was in Bluffton last Thursday to kiake a preliminary survey of the l|cal situation. dumbus, district air- It was disclosed during He tour of inspection that the fe •government will help finance provements in also assist i fields. im and the Bit ffton the stop and one-half miles east of town on the 80-acre farm .formerly known as the A. J. Owens place, which Bixel bought last summer. Heist said it was a desirable location and appear ed favorably impressed with its pos sibilities. The farm is one and one half miles east of town on Route 103 and a short distance south. Plans Airport plans to establish a small on the farm in the spring, the federal aid program is operation at that time, he Bixel airport even if not in announced after Heist’s visit, mum requirements for an airport are a hangar and stocks of gasoline and oil. Two runways aifeo are required. «ach of wfyeh must- be about 1500 feet in length and feet Mini *as In BUel’i presentt open an instructor in firing, he has 25 students from Bluffton and the im mediate area. Altho he could obtain additional students facilities are lack ing to handle more at present. Bixel now has a hangar on the farm of William Beagle, his father in-law, across the road from the pro posed air site, but it is not desig nated as an airport. He is optimis tic about the post-war development of air travel, and says an airport will be a necessity for every pro gressive municipality after the war. Total cost of the CAA post-war airport program in Ohio would ap proximate $31,161,000, and comple tion of the project would require from five to 10 years. The CAA estimates there will be 400,000 civil ian aircraft in use in the nation within 10 years after the close of the -war, in comparison with 25,000 in pre-war days. Home From South Pacific For Xmas Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Lehman of Lima, former Bluffton residents have received word that their son, S/Sgt. Rolland R. Lehman who spent the past twenty-six months in the South west Pacific war theatre will be home for the holidays. Sgt. Lehman who recently arrived in this country from overseas is at present with his wife in Nashville, Tenn., and the couple expect rive in Lima, December 16. to ar- Man Is Struck By Hit-Skip Driver Raymond Amstutz was painfully cut and bruised when struck by a hit-skip auto driver, Thursday night at 6 o’clock. The accident occurred as Amstutz was walking on ment a short distance from on North Main street near & Y. railroad crossing. the pave his home the A. C. The car, southbound coming into town, was driving without lights and did not stop after striking Am stutz and knocking him to the pave ment. His injuries were not serious. High School Xmas Vespers On Sunday Annual Christmas vesper service of the high school musical organiza tions will be presented in a program at the auditorium, Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock, it is announced by Miss Harriet Brate .music supervisor. Appearing on the program will be the orchestra and band in instru mental numbers and the high school chorus, girls’ and boys’ glee clubs in vocal selections. Two Are Home From South Pacific Area The accident occurred after the collided with an by Lester Nis- northbound truck automobile driven wander of North the latter, also northbound, was mak ing a left turn onto Jefferson street. Pre-Christmas Activities Herald Approach OftHoliday Season Here Birchnaugh and two veterans from Pacific war theatre furlough until after Joseph Habegger, Southwest home on holidays. Merlin the are the Birchnaugh is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Birchnaugh of East Elm street and Habegger is with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Habegger of Riley street. Habegger’s wife who lives in Me dina is also here for the period of her husband’s furlough. been in the the spring home with The two veterans have Southwest Pacific since of 1942. They returned 251 Ohio men of the 37th Division who were given furloughs at this time. Among the Bluffton men who were in the same area as Birchnaugh and Habegger are Herbert Kindle, lard Dillman, Wendell Duffman James Birchnaugh, brother of Wil and Joe. fur- At the expiration of their lough Birchnaugh and Habegger will report at Miami ,Florida, where they will await future assignments. SKIDDING TRUCK DEMOLISHES LIVING ROOM OF HOUSE Transport Truck Crashes Thru Side of Leon Hauenstein Home Friday Night Car Driven by Lester Niswander Is Damaged in Mishap No One Is Injured a heavily loaded transport truck crashed into the living room of the residence of Leon Hauenstein on North Main street a few minutes be fore midnight, Friday. Lawn avenue as The truck struck the side of Nis wander’s car and then skidded thru the driveway of the Mobilgas filling station on the corner and crashed into the Hauenstein residence, a dis tance of 105 feet. No One Injured With Niswander in his car were his wife and their 13-year-old son Robert, all of whom were William Johnson, 29, of Ind., driver of the truck caped injury. unhurt. Muncie, also es- car was One side of Niswander’s caved in and the front of the truck was badly damaged when it crashed thru the side of Hauenstein’s resi dence. The truck is owned McClain Trucking Co., of and was enroute to Detroit load of castings. by the Muncie with a House Damaged Principal damage was to the Hau enstein residence .where the truck crashed thru the walls of the home and into the living room, room’s furnishings, and a table, were the only item which was a radio sitting of the room. All the including chairs demolished, and escaped damage in a far corner Mr. and Mrs. Hauenstein and their two sons had retired only a short time before the mishap oc curred. They had occupied the liv ing room during the evening. Niswander’s car and the truck both were traveling north on Main street, and the accident occurred as Niswander started to turn left on Jefferson street. Johnson, following in the truck, applied his brakes in front of the Eugene Basinger resi dence, but the vehicle went into a skid diagonally across the street. A canvass tarpulin was over the gap in the wall Hauenstein home awaiting Damage to the building is by insurance. placed of the repairs, covered The accident was the second with in a week on North Main street. On the preceding Saturday night a truck overturned in the business section as it jacknifed when the driver unsuccessfully sought to avoid Jack Filhart, pedestrian who was crossing the street. Filhart was struck by the truck and instantly killed cargo the when he was buried under of the overturned vehicle. Births are and Mrs. Bracy Crawfis Mr. the parents of a daughter born at Bluffton hospital, Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Agin of Midland, Mich., are the parents of a son Gary Lee, born at that place, Sunday. Stores Busy with Only 15 Shop ping Days Remaining Until Christmas Messiah Concert December 17 Announce School and Col lege Vacations With Christmas less than three weeks away, customary pre-holiday activities and preparation for the Yuletide are coming to the fore in the Bluffton community. Christmas trade in stores is at its peak, spurred by the realization that there are only 15 shopping days re maining until the holiday, rehearsals are virtually completed for an ex tensive program of pre Christmas events, and announcements were made this week of approach'ng year end vacations at Bluffton college and in the public schools. Opening the musical observance if the Yruletide, the annual rendition of Handel’s “Messiah” wi'.l be given Sunday night, Dec. 17, in the Bluff ton High gymnasium by the Bluffton Christmas vacation at the college ill start at 4 p. m. Thursday, until Tuesday time Bluffton war outdoor de- ora i stores also have Tude d* rations s comp'rt rn, with most ?tting it out of the way n usual Mailing of Yule and greetings also is ex each its peak earlier than usual this year, to help gestion of the mails at season. the holiday Bluffton Native Killed In Action James Owens, 25, Bluffton was killed November 8 in in Germany, it was learned Otto native, action here the first of the week, who served in the Army Engineering corps was the son of the late Dr. Otto Owens and a grandson of the late A. J. Owens of this place. Owens, Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Mary Owens of Youngstown and two brother Drs. A. J. Owens in the Army Medical corps stationed in Panama and Dr. James Francis Owens, interne in a St. Paul, Minn., hospital. Woman Interned In Germany At Vespers Mrs. Henry Buller who arrived in this country last March after being interned in Germany will speak at the Bluffton college vesper service, Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock. Mrs. Buller, born in Germany of Jewish parents, left that country ten years ago and while engaged in re lief work in France was married to Mr. Buller who was also in that country doing relief work as a rep resentative of the Mennonite Cen tral committee. After the outbreak of war between the United States and Germany the couple was interned at Baden-Baden until last March when they returned to this country on the Gripsholm. They are living in Akron, Pa. High School League Dinner Meeting Held Faculty Manager Sidney C. Stet tler and W’ilford O. Geiger, assist ant, represented Bluffton High school at a Western Buckeye league din ner meeting Tuesday night in the Argonne hotel at Lima. State Ath letic Commissioner Emswiler was the speaker and a trophy representing the league football championship was presented to the St. Marys grid team which was undefeated in circuit play. Return From Bedside Of Father Very Hl Supt. and Mrs. Lanham and two daughters of West College avenue returned the first of the week from Harrisonburg, Va., where they were called because of the condition of his father M. L. Lanham, 72, who is critically ill with double pneu monia at Rockingham Memorial hos pital in Harrisonburg. His condi tion was reported improved Wed nesday morning. THE BLUFFTON NEWS A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, DEC. BLUFFTON WOMAN DIES IN ACCIDENT ON ICY HIGHWAY Christmas Shopping Trip Tragically in Mishap Dixie Highway Husband and Mother of Victim Escape Serious jury in Collision A Christmas shoppi’ trip ended in tragedy last Friday waning at 7:00 o’clock for Mrs. Hart,' 1 Wenger, 32, of the Stratton apartments on the icy Dixie highway between Bluffton and Lima, about one mile south of the Five Points intersection, when the car in which she was riding with her hus band and mother figured in a three can collision. Mrs. Wenger died 40 minutes later in Lima Memorial hospital without having recovered consciousness. Her husband, driver of the car, suffered a broken rib and bruises about the legs and body, and Mrs. Charles F. Miller, mother of the mishap victim, was badly bruised. Both were released receiving medical treatment. Dwight McDaniel, 34, of Forest, driver of a northbound car which struck Wenger’s skidding southbound auto, suffered lacerations about the knee and face. His father, William McDaniel, 57, and William S taley, 37, also in the car, were slightly injured. Both cars were badly wrecked in the collision caused by a treacherous, ice-covered highway. Wenger’s auto, traveling toward Lima, was hit first by an unidentified aut ^mobile preced ing the McDaniel car. It was only a slight innipact, touch ing the left front bumper, but the Bluffton car was -pun arom I directly which crashed into Wenger’s vehicle on the right -ide just lack of the front wheel. Mrs. Wenger was thrown from the car onto the icy highway, suffering a skull fracture, injury to the brain, a broken right ar: .. 1 vernal injur- Funeral services were held Monday afternoon in St. John’s Reformed church, with Rev. A. K. Beisheim, of Buffalo, N. Y., and Rev. Vernon Op perman, pastor of the church official ing Burial was in Maple Grove cemetery. Survivors include the husband her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Mill er, of South Main street three sisters, Mrs. Dennis Brauen, Mrs. Jane Baker, and Mrs. Christine Wenger, and a brother, Lieut. James F. Miller, of the Coast Guard. Two Bluffton Entries In Livestock Show Two Bluffton youths, Arthur Neu enschwander, 14, and Allison Neu enschwander ,16, have exhibits in the annual International Livestock show in Chicago this week. Arthur is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Neuenschwander, and Allison the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Neuenschwander, all of Bluffton. The two youths ins. 7, 1944 Ends on Crash In show. Allison, who FFA exhibit is show- Both are Bluffton High school stu dents. Allison is in the junior class and Arthur is a freshman. They are members of classes taught at the school by Harry F. Barnes .vocation al agriculture instructor. All exhibits will be sold at tion at the close of the show. This year s supply of Christmas trees probably will be ample to sat isfy the holiday needs of Bluffton area residents, according to an an nouncement made this week by Office of War Information officials in this area. At the same time, buyers are warned against “over-zealous buy ing’’ as that might create an arti ficial shortage followed by a of trees. Honor Conferred After Partici pation in Invasion of ern France Bluffton Man Also Flew to Guerilla Forces of Marshal Tito n Fr He was advanced to captain on November 7 air base in Italy. west of are cous- Shorthorn Arthur’s entry of two and two Hereford steers in the 4-H club exhibit is his third try in the International has entered two purebred Angus steers in the ing for the first time. auc- Couple Married 53 Years Sunday Mr. and Mrs. I). C. Bixel of Lawn avenue quietly observed their fifty third wedding anniversary last Sun day. An octet from the First Men nonite church serenaded them follow ing the morning service and a fam ily dinner was enjoyed at the noon hour. The couple has resided all their married life at their present location on Lawn avenue. Daily Bible Reading In the nationwide Bible reading from Thanksgiving to the daily selections for week are: Christmas, the current 11 Thurs- Wednesday, Hebrews day, Matthew 7 Friday, John 15 Saturday, Psalm 27 Sunday, Isaiah 55 Monday, Psalm 121 Tuesday, Philiipians 4 Wednesday, Revela tion 21. Ample Supply Of Christmas Trees Predicted For Holiday This Year waste In 1943 consumer anxiety the availability of Christmas spurred by initial slow deliveries to retailers, led to high prices. Fol lowing that there was a glut of trees on the market at Christmas time. Many surplus trees sold for prac tically nothing on Christmas eve and a sizable leftover had to be de stroyed. Captain Francis L. Hochstettler Gets Distinguished Flying Cross the The captain participated i invasion of Sicily and the pilots who carried the guerilla forces in Yugoslavia, evacuate hundreds of wounded from front line hospital stations. one of dies to of Marshall Tito In overseas combat and operation al duty, Captain Hochstettler has 1400 flying hours in addition to serv ing in England, North Middle East and Italy. Africa, the the rank of at an army Scouts To Gather Waste Paper Here Bluffton Boy Scout Troops will in augurate a regular monthly collec tion of waste paper, starting Satur day, it was announced the first of the week. Collection will be made on the second Saturday of each month in event of bad weather collection will he made on the following Saturday. The town’s two scout troops will make the collection on alternate months. Both magazines and newspapers will be gathered and should be tied in bundles for easy handling and placed on the front porch steps by 12:30 p. m. next Saturday. Paper gathered here is shredded and used for packing purposes in a local de fense plant. The Bluffton Scout troops have gathered more than 30 tons of paper this year. Mennonite Sunday School Officers The First Mennonite Sunday school has elected the following offi cers for the coming year: Supt., John Boehr sec.-treas., Dora Kirchhofer assistant, Kenneth Winkler librarian, Genevieve Buh ler assistant, Betty Holtkamp chor ister, Mary Kathryn Ramseyer as sistant, Mrs. James Suter pianist, Alice Jean Bixel assistant, Mary Kathryn Bauman. Prof. Lantz Directs “Messiah” At Berne Prof. Russell Lantz of Bluffton college music department will direct the rendition of The Messiah, Christ mas oratorio at Berne, Ind., Sunday night. The concert will be given in the First Mennonite church at 7:80 o’clock by a chorus of 153 voices. Former Resident Killed In Action Lt. Gerald Faze, son of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Faze of Cairo, was killed in action in the fighting in Germany November 13, according to word ceived by his parents, Tuesday, was connected iment. Lima BUYING OF LAGGING IN WAR LOAN Sout li Supplies Famed Hoc Mr. and Mrs Hochste’ ing gliders carrying supplies to the ground troops, and the mission con tinued until invasion forces and the paratroopers were joined. He with an infantry reg- formerly short time street. The family Flluffton for a So’’th Jackson a nephew of south of Bluffton and Mrs Sumiuy of near Lafayette. about on Faze Paul Wilbur honis and one sister, Mrs. F. Ammon, Jr., of Columbia, S. of Ivors are his brothers Leo s, Va., and Jimmy at M. 13,000 in Bonds Sold So Far in Campaign to Raise $100, 000 in Bluffton Intensified Buying Needed Put Drive Over the Top in Community I uesday’s reports showed that bond sales so far in this drive aggre-_ gate only $33,000 remains to be done if the drive and Mr BONDS SIXTH in Blufft Kliewer Mennonit DRIVE and much deadline set by Co-Chairmen Normal A. Triplett and M. M. Bogart. Heavner individual buying also will be required, and zone captains are intensified solicitation to attain that end. In Allen county as a whole the campaign also is running be hind schedule. report that much the drive is com with sons in the they are getting Local solicitors of the support of ing from parents service who feel closer to the boys on the fighting fronts by purchasing as many bonds as they possizly can. Zone captains who are directing the canvass include Wood row Little, Gene Benroth, Charles Aukerman, Mayor W. A. Howe, C. F. Niswand er, Charles Gazette, Gail Mumma, N. E. Byers, Jesse Yoakam and Silas Diller. Funeral On Thursday At Beaverdam Church Funeral services for Mrs. Ci villa Clark, 61, will be held in Beaver dam Methodist church, Thursday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. Mrs. Clark died at her home one mile south of Beaverdam, Monday night. Surviving are her husband, How ard Clark daughter Mrs. Edgar Anderson near Lafayette four sis ters, Mrs. Alice Akerman of Ypsi lanti ,Mich. Mrs. Irvin Clark near Lima Mrs. Alzoda Hedges, Lima, and Mrs. Leona Robinolte, Findlay. Rev. W. H. Lahr will officiate at the funeral services assisted by Rev. C. D. Chiles. In New Locations Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Warkentin moved the first of the week from the Hankish apartments above Todd's grocery to the Jacob Althaus prop erty six miles west of Bluffton. Mr. and Mrs. James Clark will move from the W. H. Gratz apart ments on South Lawn the apartment vacated by Mr. and Mrs. W arkentin. avenue Robert Schafer of Vaughnsville has rented the Andrew Gratz farm near Bluffton and expects to move on the place soon. H. S. Grid Team Guests Of Lions Thirty members of the Bluffton High football squad were guests of the Lions club at a dinner meeting Tuesday evening in the Walnut grill. Football and other movies were shown to the group. BUY UNIT** AN NUMBER 33 STUDIES MEDICINE WHILE HELD WAR PRISONER BY JAPS Lieut. David Kliewer Held for Nearly Three Years on Jap anese Island. Takes up Medical Studies with Two Dutch Doctors Interned for Duration. Lieut. David Kliewer, Bluffton Marine flier and first from this place to be captured by the Japanese, who laid aside plans to become a physi cian in order to serve in the armed forces is studying medicine in prison camp, it was revealed in a letter received by his parents, Rev. A. Kliewer of Albany, written on Easter the defenders on Wake and ago. ch time Rev. the Ebenezcr of Instructors been Anatomy, standard medical text and is receiving instruction in medicine from two Dutch doctors Van Peenen Bluffton man writes and busy il school of in Chicago, qualified as was one of island when it was attacked by the Japanese early in. the war..» We is credited with having sunk an attacking enemy submarine while flying the last air plane left to the Marine defenders. He is a Bluffton high school grad uate and made the highest scholastic record of any student ever to be graduated here. College To Holld Rural Life Meet The third annual rural life con ference of the Brethren, Friends and Mennonite denominations will open a two day session at Bulffton college on Friday morning. Participating in the conference will be farm men and women, rural ministers and teachers. Theme of the conference will be the conserva tion of resources—spiritual, economic and social. Visitors attending the conference will have meals at the College din ing room and leaders from the three churches will address sessions of the conference which will include also panel discussions. President Ramseyer of Bluffton college will deliver the opening ad dress Friday morning sounding the keynote of the conference ‘‘The Peace Churches and Rural Life’’. The public is invited to the open meeting Friday night at 7:30 in Ramseyer chapel. Addresses will be given by Stanley Hamilton of Rich mond, Ind., speaking on “The Rural Life Association’’ and Dr. Ledwyn van Kershbergen of Loveland on the subject “Training for Rural Life”. Rationing Calendar So that you may keep in mind the numerous important war-time ra tioning dates, the Bluffton News ia publishing this weekly reminder: MEATS, BUTTER, CHEESE. CANNED MILK—Book 4 red stamps A-8 thru Z-8, A-5 thru S-5 good for 10 points each under token rationing indefinite ly. PROCESSED FOODS—Book 4 Blue stamps A-8, thru Z-8 and A-5 thru W-5, good for 10 points each under token rationing in definitely. Five new blue stamps becoming good on Friday, Dec. 1 are X-5, Y-5, Z-5, A-2 and B-2. GASOLINE—Stamp A-13 in new book good for 4 gallons of gasoline thru December 21. SUGAR—Stamps 30, 31. 32. 33 and 34 in Book 4 good for 5 pounds sugar indefinitely. Stamp 40 good for 5 pounds under can ning allotments until Feb. 28. 1945. SHOES—Airplane stamps 1, 2 and 3 in Ration Book No. 3 good indefinitely.