The Bluffton news. [volume], December 07, 1944, Image 1

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

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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.