VOLUME NO. LXIX
_____ ____ ___
ON AREA
GOES INTO FIFTH
WEEK OF SNOW
More Drifts Come with Two
inch Snow Which Falls Here
Monday Night
little Progress Made in Open
ing Snow-Blocked Roads
in Country
Snowbound conditions remained vir
tually unchanged in the Bluffton
area during the last week, and addi
tional snow and bitter cold weather
continued an uninterrupted assault
of “old-fashioned” winter now going
into its fifth week.
Just as some degree of organiza
tion was beginning to be achieved in
clearing the -principal snow-blocked
rural roads, the situation was made
as serious as ever by a two-inch
snow on Monday night which was
driven into new drifts by a biting
wind.
Monday’s snowfall was especially
bad inasmuch as it piled up most on
east and west roads, which until that
time had been comparatively free of
drifts, and with the majority of
north and south roads still unopened
snowbound
than ever
conditions were worse
Tuesday morning.
Schools Open
public schools which had
Bluffton
opened Monday, after suspending op
erations with exception of two days
since December 11, were closed again
on Tuesday because of the fresh
drifts.
Opening of the schools again on
Wednesday, however, marked a de
termined effort on the part of school
authorities to keep classes in session
if at all possible.
Only three of four Bluffton school
buses have been making their rounds,
since classes were resumed this week.
It has been impossible to cover the
route northwest of town where roads
are impassable.
Attendance at school Monday was
considered satisfactory in view of
the condition of roads in the area.
Bluffton High school had 25 students
absent in the morning and 18 in the
afternoon. Of these 17 were rural
pupils.
At the grade school, there were 49
absences, of which all
from the country.
but 10 were
Out
are making
rounds, and
Mail Carriers
Rural mail carriers
part of their regular
they report shifting snows compli
cate their driving. They find roads
closed one day which were open the
preceding day, and it is extremely
•difficult to plan their daily trips un
der those circumstances.
Near zero weather has continued
to pinch the ears and cheeks of those
who have to venture out-of-doors,
with the coldest of this week re
ported Monday and Tuesday nights
when the mercury stood at six above.
Warmer weather and snow are fore
cast for Thursday.
on
Country residents who live
roads which have been partially
ened still have to travel miles
of their way to get to town,
bobsleds coming in from the country
district still are a common silght.
op
out
and
Funeral Wednesday
For Philip Basinger
Philip Basinger, 67, formerly con
nected with the Basinger meat mark
et here, died at his home south of
Bluffton on the Dixie highway, Sun
day morning. Death followed a
year’s illness.
Mr. Basinger operated a farm
for many years and later was asso
ciated for 20 years with his broth
ers Joel and Ezra in the operation
of a meat market here from which
he retired several years ago.
Funeral services were held at his
residence Wednesday afternoon with
Rev. Will Rupp of Archbold officiat
ing. Interment was in the Reformed
Mennonite cemetery.
The son of Joel and Mary (Ha
begger) Basinger he was born in
Riley township March 16, 1877. He
was married to Elizabeth Steiner in
1900. She died in 1920. He was
for many years a member of the Re
formed Mennonite church.
Surviving are two sons: Eugene
rr.d 1 endon of Bluffton, and four
daughters, Mrs. Abe Hilty of Pan
dora Mrs. Ernest Looker, Jr., of
Wheeler, Ind. Marcella and Lois at
home and three grandchildren.
Five brothers surviving are Homel
and Ambrose of Pandora Jess of
Jenera Ezra and Joel of Bluffton
and three sisters Mrs. John Amstutz
of Shelby, Mich. Mrs. Minnie El
liott of Lima and Mrs. Earl Jones
of Toledo.
Auto Stolen Here
Destroyed By Fire
An automobile stolen last Satur
day evening from the Bluffton col
lege campus was found destroyed by
fire about 3 a. m. Sunday on the
South River road near Findlay by
Hancock County Deputy Sheriff Ray
Pruitt, of Findlay.
Elton Beery, of Seville, junior at
the college, was the owner of the
1938 Dodge coupe valued at $750.
He found it missing early Satur
day evening and notified the state
highway patrol. Officer Pruitt was
called to the South River road when
people living nearby saw the auto
burning.
No foot tracks were found in the
snow leading to or from the ma
chine. The license plates were miss
ing, and police said that circum
stances indicated the car had been
set on fire intentionally.
FARM CENSUS FOR
RICHLAND TWP. TO
START THIS MONTH
Resources and Productivity of
Farms in Wartime Will Be
Checked in Census
Walter Schaublin Named Enum
erator for Richland Town
ship’s 350 Householders
Beginning within the next week,
the 14th farm census in 104 years
will be taken by township enumera
tors to establish detailed information
on crops, livestock and the farm
labor situation thruout all of Ohio.
Walter Schaublin will be in charge
of taking the census in Richland
township, and it is expected that
approximately 60 days will be re
quired to contact the township’s 350
householder®.
Start of the census may be delay
ed slightly in this part of the state
if it is impossible to clear present
snow-blocked roads, county officials
in charge of the survey announced
last Saturday.
Census enumerators for Hancock
county townships in the Bluffton
area have been announced as fol
lows: Robert O. Comer, of Mt. Cory,
Union township and Calvin Den
hart, of near Rawson, Eagle town
ship. No one has been named as
yet to check farms in Orange town
ship. C. D. Steiner, of Pandora, will
be the census enumerator in Riley
township, Putnam county and Earl
Treece will make the survey in
Monroe township.
Congressional law provides that a
census of agriculture be taken every
five years to obtain basic informa
tion on farm acreage, land values,
crops, livestock, tractors, labor and
hired tenure, plus all other general
items relating to agriculture.
A census enumeration will be made
of every farm in the United States.
Census reports are confidential,
and farmers are required by law to
give the necessary information to
enumerators, it was explained this
week. Entries as farms in a whole
for each district will be logged in
stead of individual farms, as in past
surveys.
Steiner Elected
Director Of Bank
Adam S. Steiner, Bluffton garage
man was elected to the board of di
rectors of the Citizens National bank
at the annual stockholders’ meeting,
Tuesday night. He succeeds Noah
Basinger, director of the bank
whose death occurred last month.
All directors of the present board
were re-elected for the coming year
at the meeting Tuesday night. They
are C. H. Smith, E. C. Romey, Ed
win Amstutz, Henry Huber, M. M.
Bogart, C. F. Niswander.
A cash dividend of $4 a share re
cently declared on the outstanding
common stock was announced at the
meeting.
Radio Play Written
By Bluffton Girl
Miss Betty Steinman, Bluffton stu
dent at Ohio Wesleyan university,
Delaware, has written a radio play
which members of her radio class
will produce in a broadcast. She is
a member of the senior class at the
university and the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Forrest Steinman of South
Lawn avenue.
Old Fashioned Winter Brings W ith It
Return To Early Pioneer Isolation
Many Rural Districts Remain
Snowbound with Radio As
Only Contact
Farmers Shoveling Snow to
Open Roads as Motorized
Equipment Fails
For nearly a month now, farmers
of the Bluffton area have had to live
in snowbound isolation in a return
to the pioneer tradition of 75 years
ago, with the situation representing
a triumph of real, honest-to-goodness,
old-fashioned winter over our vaunt
ed mechanical age.
Snowplows and automobiles have
failed in the critical test of nego
tiating drifted roads blocked by al
most continuous snow, and the situa
tion differs little from pioneer times
when farms sometimes were isolated
from the surrounding community for
the greater part of the winter.
Telephone lines, too, are down in
many places, further cutting off
contact of farm residents with the
outer world, and about the only mod
ern note remaining in the picture is
(Continued on page 8)
Funeral Tuesday For
Mrs. Sibyl Mollett
Funeral services for Mrs. Sibyl
Mollett, 64, were held at her home
on South Main street, Tuesday after
noon with Rev. J. A. Weed of the
Methodist church officiating assisted
by Rev. Milton Fronsoe of the
Church of Christ.
Mrs. Mollett died unexpectedly at
the home of Gerald Berry on West
Elm street, Saturday night at 7:10
o’clock where she had gone on an
errand in connection with church
work.
On her arrival at the Berry resi
dence she complained of illness and
Mrs. Berry summoned a physician.
However, she was unconscious when
the physician arrived and died soon
after. Her death was attributed to
a heart condition.
For a number of years Mrs. Mol
lett was associated in a partnership
with her sister in the operation of
a millinery store under the name of
Helen's Hat shop.
She was born in Bluffton the
daughter of David and Hannah
(Ewing) Close and w’as graduated
from Bluffton high school in the
class of 1899. For 14 years she
taught in the second grade in the
public schools here. Later she was
clerk in the First National bank
and also taught in the Lima schools.
Following her marriage to Robert
Mollett in February, 19TB, the fam
ily lived in Lewisburg. Her husband
died eight years ago. Also one son,
Robert, Junior, died at birth.
After the death of her husband,
she returned to Bluffton where she
has since resided. She was a mem
ber of the Methodist church here
and took an active part in church
work. For a number of years she
was also treasurer of the high
school alumni association and a
member of the executive committee.
Besides her sister, she is survived
by three nephew’s and one niece.
Following funeral services Tuesday
afternoon interment w’as in Maple
Grove cemetery.
Couple Weds In
Arlington Church
Wedding of Miss Luella Mae
Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
George Smith of Jenera and Lieut.
Wayne Yoakam, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Vernon Yoakam of Bluffton took
place in the Good Hope Lutheran
church at Arlington, Sunday night
at 7 o’clock.
Rev. Arthur Rismiller, pastor, offi
ciated in the double ring ceremony
performed by candlelight. Mrs. Mer
lin Loach, organist, played a pro
gram of nuptial music preceding the
ceremony and the traditional wed
ding marches.
The bride wore a white moire taf
feta dress with long train. Her at
tendant, Miss Ruth Ellen Russell of
Findlay, a cousin, wore light blue
taffeta.
Jesse Yoakam of Bluffton, brother
of the groom was best man. Ushers
were Harold Smith of Williamstown,
brother of the bride, and Harvey
Gratz of Bluffton, uncle of the
groom.
The bride is a graduate of Arling
ton high school and has been em
ployed at the Triplett plant in Bluff
ton.
Lt. Yoakam was graduated from
Bluffton high school, attended Bluff
ton college and graduated from Ohio
State university. He is now an in
structor in the Army Air force at
Champaign, Ill., where the couple
will reside.
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO,
19 ALLEN COUNTY
YOUTHS IN DRAFT
CALL THIS MONTH
List Summoned for Induction is
Announced by Board No.
Three, Tuesday
Decisions on Two Appealed
Cases Announced by Allen
County Board
Nineteen registrants, including two
from Bluffton, are included in the
January call for induction into the
armed forces, it
Called for induction this month
are:
Bluffton—William J. Klass and
Robert P. Burkholder. Also called
is Cleo Dale Davidson of Willoughby,
formerly of Bluffton.
Col. Grove—Harlan Peters, Leland
Amstutz, Loren Fruchey, Lewis
Amstutz, Loren Fruchey,
Martz.
Elida—Ray Brenneman,
Delphos—Hubert
Bonifas, Merle Will
Harrod—William
I. Robert
Spencerville—E
Appeals
Leroy Clover,
Classified in 1-A
Registrant ap
Class 2-C by
Classification
dent by the si
ive service.
President,
agriculture.
Wedding of Miss Phyllis Winget,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard
Winget of Bluffton to Sgt. Royal
Downey, son of Mr. and Mrs. Har
mon Downey of Beaverdam took
place Tuesday noon in Findlay at
the home of the officiating minister,
Rev. W. L. Harmonv pastor of the
Bluffton and Findlay Lutheran
churches. Parents of the couple wit
nessed the ceremony.
The bride was attired in a two
piece w’hite wool dress with brow’n
accessories. She is a graduate of
Mt. Cory high school and has been
employed at the Triplett plant here.,
Sgt. Dowmey, a graduate of Toledo
high school, recently returned from
38 months in the Caribbean war area
w’here he served with a military po
lice unit. After a 21-day furlough
here he will report to Santa Ana,
Calif., for reassignment.
Long-Lugibihl
Church Wedding
The marriage of Miss Lois M.
Long and Francis A. Lugibihl GM 2/c
U. S. Navy was solemnized at the
Emmanuel’s Evangelical and Re
formed church last Thursday after
noon at 2:30 o’clock.
Rev. V. C. Oppermann, pastor of
the bride officiated using the double
ring ceremony. The attendants were
Miss Dorothy Long, sister of the
bride and Wayne Lugibihl, brother
of the groom.
The bride wore a white wool dress
with white and black accessories and
a corsage of red rose buds. Her
sister wore a blue crepe dress and
her corsage was of pink and white
carnations. The men wore bouton
nieres of white carnations.
The bride is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Melvin Long of Orange
township and the groom is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Lugibihl of
Bluffton.
The groom is home on leave after
serving the past two years on sea
duty at Pearl Harbor.
Following the ceremony they left
on a short wedding trip. Mr. Lugi
bihl will leave on January 17th to
report for reassignment at
Diego, California.
LAY, JAN. 11, 1945
wyis
announced
Tuesday by Allen County Draft
Board No. 3.
The board also announced two de
cisions handed down .y the district
board of draft appeals.
In Current Call
Robert
Powell, John Blymyer, Norman Ste
men.
Lafayette—Richard Hawk.
nan, Rufus
erlin Suever.
met
Post.
CISIONS
1, Harrod,
e local board.
Reclassified in
of appeals,
to the Presi
of select
in 1-A by the
is engaged in
Jay Long, Jr., Rt. 2, Ada. Classi
fied in 1-A by local board. Regis
trant appealed. 1-A classification up
held by board of appeals. Registrant
is engaged in agriculture.
Winget-Downey
Wedding Tuesday
San
Tosh Is Reelected
School Board Head
John Tosh was re-elected president
of the Bluffton Board of Education
in an organization meeting of the
board held Monday night. Dr. W.
M. Niswander w’as re-elected vice
president. Other members of the
board are Levi Althaus, Ralph Bad
ertscher and Waldo Hofstetter.
Wartime employment is keeping
Bluffton folks busier than ever, and
has resulted in a pronounced de
crease in adult book circulation at
the Bluffton library.
In contrast, the circulation among
younger readers is the highest
the local library was opened.
Disastrous Blaze Occurs on An
niversary of Court House
Fire of Jan. 7, 1929
Victims Trapped in Burning
Hostelry Three Others
Are Still Missing
Allen county’s most disastrous fire
since the county court house blaze in
Lima on January 7, 1929, occurred
last Sunday on the anniversary of
the conflagration when an early
afternoon fire within a stone’s throw
from the court house razed the Mil
ner hotel, destroyed two business es
tablishments, damaged two others
and took the lives of at least two
hotel guests.
Norman Grape, 45, of Shanks, W.
Va., died shortly after midnight Sun
day of burns suffered in the fire, and
Mrs. Florence Huff, 50, was killed
in a plunge from a third story win
dow after flames had trapped her in
her room at the hotel.
Firemen were handicapped in
fighting the half-million dollar blaze
by low pressure in the Lima water
mains resulting from
shortage of water which
in the county seat for
one month.
Steady Grind Of War Work Cuts
Into Library’s Book Circulation
since
thru
1944
cent
Miss
Total circulation of books
the library during the year
was 21,086, of which 53.1 per
were read by younger readers,
Ocie Anderson, librarian, reported.
On the shelves of the Bluffton li
brary there are wow 11,964 books,
621 of which have been added this
year.
Half-Million Dollar Hotel Fire
Takes Lives Of Two At Lima Sunday
Three other guests of the hotel
had not been located Tuesday night,
and authorities do not know if they
perished in the blaze, or if they
made their escape before being trap
ped.
a serious
has existed
more than
p. m., the
raged thru
Breaking out about 2
fire gutted the hotel and
buildings housing Eckard’s drug
store and the Hudson restaurant.
Operated originally as the Norval
hotel, the hostelry razed by the fire
was for years the center of Lima’s
social life following the turn of the
century, and the
one of the city’s
landmarks.
disaster removed
most w’ell knowm
Lima’s second of
in less than a
The blaze was
ma jar proportion
week, a $50,000 fire having destroyed
the front part of the Lima
building, last Thursday.
News
Marshall-Schaller
Wedding Solemnized
Wedding of Miss Avis Marshall
and Adelbert C. Schallei’ was sol
di .nized last Saturday evening in
Arlington at the home of the offi
ciating minister, Rev. Lee Remaley
at 6:30 o’clock.
The wedding previously announced
to take place on New Year’s night
at Riley Creek Baptist church was
postponed because of impassable
roads.
The bride is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Roy Marshall of near
Bluffton and the groom the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Schaller of
near Jenera. The couple was
attended.
un
Mt.
em-
The bride is a graduate of
Cory high school and has been
ployed as a bookkeeper at the Jenera
elevator. Mr. Schaller is a gradu
ate of Rawson high school and en
gaged in farming.
Bluffton Girl Is
Injured In Crash
Louise Wilch, 16-year-old daugh
ter of Mr. Harvey Wilch and a
senior in Bluffton high school was
badly cut about the face in an ac
cident in Findlay, Sunday night at
11:30 o’clock.
The car in which she was riding,
driven by Bud Rexouth of Findlay
collided with a truck-trailer. Two
other girls and two boys also in the
car were not injured.
The Bluffton girl was taken to
Findlay hospital where 20 stitches
were required to close the lacera
tions. She was later returned to
her home on High street where she
was reported improving Tuesday.
Longsdorf Named To
Library Board Here
appointed
board of
public li-
A. J. B. Longsdorf was
to membership on the
trustees of the Bluffton
brary to serve the unexpired term
of the late Noah Basinger.
Appointment of Longsdorf, a form
er superintendent of schools here,
was made at a meeting of the board
of education, Monday night. Ba
singer was appointed two years ago
for a seven year term, which Longs
dorf will serve until 1950.
BLUFFTON SCHOOL
PLANS CLOSING ON
TIME NEXT SPRING
Ohio Laws Allow 10 Days from
Regular Term in Case of
Emergencies
Schools Closed 11 Days
Local
So Far Only One Day Must
Be Made Up
Unless Bluffton schools are fur
ther closed by snow-blocked roads, it
will not be necessary to extend the
end of the school term next spring,
Supt. Ralph Lanham said Wednes
day morning.
Altho the local schools have dis
continued operations for 11 days in
addition to the regular time allowed
for a Christmas holiday recess, state
laws provide that in cases of emer
gency 10 days may be taken off the
allotted school term of 180 days.
Since only 11 regular days of
classroom work have been missed
during the wintry assault of the last
month, the Bluffton term of school
could be closed on May 24, as orig
inally planned, providing the schools
operate on one holiday, which pre
sumably might be Washington’s
birthday.
No Saturday Schoool
School cannot be conducted on
Saturdays to make up time missed
from the regular schedule, as the
Ohio law provides that a school week
shall consist only of five days.
With the law providing that 10
days cat^ be missed, it is likely that
only one day of the 11 on which op
eration of the Bluffton schools were
suspended will be made up, altho no
official action has been taken yet by
the board of education.
Should that course be followed,
the Bluffton school term this year
would be only 170 days in contrast
to the normal schedule of 180.
Home On Furlough
Sgt. James Ehrman of Amherst,
Ohio, who was graduated from
Bluffton college in the class of 1939
was in town, Tuesday calling on
friends. For the past three years he
has been in India with the Army’s
weather bureau in the India, Burma
China area. Sgt. Ehrman will leave
shortly for Miami, Florida, for fu
ture assignment.
Lt. H. R. Wilson of Oakland,
Calif., and his mother, Mrs. G. B.
Wilson of Detroit are
home of Mr. and Mrs.
ner west of Bluffton,
and Mrs. Danner are i
guests at the
Charles Dan
Mrs. Wilson
sisters.
Cpl. Wayne Yerger of Camp Hood.
Texas, is spending a furlough at
his home here.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Everett Devore,
Bluffton, a son, Larry Allen, Thurs
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Rader, Ot
tawa, a son, Robert Dwaine, Sun
day.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Leroy Reese,
Findlay, a son, Robert Jerry, Tues
day.
A son, Norman Reese, was born
to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Jones of
Carrollton, Saturday at the Canton
hospital. Mrs. Jones is the former
Ruth Beidler, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Harvey T.cidler of South Jack
son street.
Flight Officer and Mrs. Melvin
Lora are the parents of a son, Mi
chael, born at Bethlehem, Pa., Dec.
27. Mrs. Lora is the former Jose
phine Mohr of that place and a
former student in Bluffton college.
NUMBER 38
MENNONITE AID
INSURANCE ASS’N.
SHOWS GROWTH
Organization Has $3,860,200
Risks in Force Shows In
crease of $250,035
Policies Carried By Insurance
Society Number 917, Larg
est in History of Unit
Insurance risks aggregating $3,
860,200 are carried by the Mennonite
Mutual Aid Society, a locally owned
and operated insurance organization
specializing in farm protection. It
was reported last Saturday after
noon at the annual meeting in the
Bluffton High school building.
Reports made at the session show
that the mutual insurance society
has 917 policies in force in Allen,
Putnam, Hancock and Hardin coun
ties, an increase of 12 over last
year.
Aggregate risks covered by the
insurance organization increased
$250,035 over the total of $3,610,165
on the books at the close of 1943,
and with present policies in force
representing $3,860,200 in insurance
value the company has its largest
coverage since it was organized
June 5, 1866.
25 New Members
Twenty-five new members affiliat
ed themselves with the insurance
.society during the year.
Total losses suffered by policy
holders during 1944 amounted to
$4,989.18. Most of these w’ere the
result of fire, in contrast to the pre
ceding year when heavy damage
was caused by storms.
Claims paid by the society in 1944
were less than half in value of
settlements made during the preced
ing year when policy holders had
an aggregate of $10,064.62 in losses.
With 917 policies in force, the
association is carrying a new record
number of risks. This increase off
sets the year-end report of 1943
when the society’s risks fell off nine
from 1942*s coverage of 914 policy
holders, because of a new Ohio law
barring farm mutual companies from
writing insurance on real estate
other than dwellings in incorporated
towns.
Board Organizes
At last Saturday’s meeting, Max
Crawfic was elected a member of
the board of directors, and Albert
Winkler and Amos Tschiegg were
re-elected to the board. All will
serve three-year terms.
In the organization of the board
of directors, E. E. Bucher was
named president Llewellyn Geiger,
vice-president Albert Winkler, secre
tary Amos Tschiegg, assistant
secretary and Ray Hilty, treasurer.
Bucher, W inkler and
elected.
Hilty were re
society during
be Max Craw
Llewellyu
Appraisers for the
the coming year will
Moser,
Geiger and Amos Tschiegg.
Raymond
Hold District Peace
Contest Here Sunday
Representatives from six counties
will participate in the annual district
Prince of Peace Declamation contest
to be held in Bluffton at the Meth
odist church, Sunday night at 7:30
o’clock. Rev. J. A. Weed, pastor of
the church will preside.
Counties represented are Lucas,
Seneca, Wyandot, Crawford, Hardin
and Auglaize.
Contestants are: Jack Webb, To
ledo Mary Alice Fritsch, Berkey
Lois Shank, Wapakoneta Betty Ann
Now, Fostoria Reva Marling, Mc
Guffey Philip Shober, McCutchen
ville, and Herman Seibert, New
Washington.
Each contestant has won a silver
medal in competition with other lo
cal church winners in county con
gests. Winner of the district con
test will receive a gold medal and
will be one of 20 district winners in
the state eligible to enter the state
contest in which cash prizes and col
lege scholarships are to be awarded.
Sgt. Janies Martin
Missing In Action
Sgt. James Martin, 25, formerly of
Bluffton is reported missing in action
in Germany since December 19, ac
cording to word received here by
his uncle, Ezra Moser, residing north
of Bluffton.
Sgt. Martin is the son of Rev. A.
J. Martin of Philadelphia and the
late Mrs. Nettie Moser Martin, form
er missionaries to Brazil. He at
tended high school here for several
years.