The Bluffton news. [volume], February 01, 1945, Image 1

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

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STAMM
VOLUME NO. LXIX
DIMOUT WILL BE
PUT IN EFFECT
HERE ON THURSDAY
All Unessential Illumination Is
Banned Under New Federal
Regulations
Fuel Shortage Is Not Critical
Enough to Close Schools
and Public Buildings
Nation-wide “brownout” regula
tions will dim the lights of Bluffton’s
downtown district beginning this
Thursday night, but local schools,
public buildings and places of recre
ation will not curtail their operation
despite a federal recommendation
that all public buildings close dur
ing the present coal shortage.
Detailed information based on
official federal information rela
tive to lighting restrictions is
published by the Board of Pub
lic Affairs on Page 3.
Elimination of all unessential out
door and show’ window lighting is re
quired under the new regulations in
a national effort to conserve electric
ity and save fuels used in generat
ing the current.
Prohibited lighting after February
1 includes outdoor advertising and
outdoor promotional lighting outdoor
display lighting except where neces
sary for the conduct of business of
outdoor establishments outdoor dec
orative and ornamental lighting,
show window lighting marquee light
ing in excess of 60 watts per unit
and white-way street lighting.
Street Lights Exempt
Bluffton’s street lights, however,
will not be dimmed, for they meet
with nation-wide requirements, and
■continuation of present illumination
is believed to be a factor in safety.
Atho
in the town
dimmed, but
town can be
new order.
war
Bluffton’s city clock
hall tower will not be
no other clocks in the
illuminated under the
Proctective lighting around
plants is permissible, and gasoline
service stations may have^_ outdoor
lighting to the extent necessary to
.carry on business.
On the other hand, Bluffton’s fuel
situation has not reached the point
where curtailment of operation of
schools and other public buildings is
required.
Enough Coal Here
coal has been relatively hard
all winter, the situation at
is no worse than it has been.
to get
present
All householders in the town are
supplied at present, and officials of
Bluffton college and Bluffton public
schools announced they have ample
fuel to operate several weeks.
Bluffton’s municipal water works
and light plant also is well supplied
with coal at present ,and business
places of the town have sufficient
fuel for current needs, it was an
nounced.
Should Bluffton dealers continue to
receive shipments of coal on a
schedule approaching that of the
early part of the winter, it is not
believed that Bluffton’s fuel situa
tion will become critical.
Oldest Resident
Has 92nd Birthday
Mrs. Joseph Mumma, of North
Jackson street, believed to be Bluff
ton’s oldest resident, is receiving con
gratulations on the occasion
92nd birthday anniversary.
of her
Euphe
Orange
Mrs. Mumma, the former
mia Hamilton, was born in
township the daughter of Jonathan
and Elizabeth Hamilton on what is
now the Elmer Anderson farm.
She has been a lifelong resident of
this vicinity and has lived in Bluff
ton for 63 years. For 50 years she
has occupied her present home on
North Jackson street. Her husband,
the late Joseph Mumma, was chief
of Bluffton’s fire
many years.
department for
was held at
her birthday
A family dinner
home in honor of
niversary which was Tuesday of
week. Her four sons are Jay
Harry of Toledo and Forrest
Gail Mumma of Bluffton.
her
an
last
and
and
Library Closed
Bluffton public library at the high
school building is closed this Wed
nesday and Thursday while the li
brarian, Miss Ocie Anderson is at
tending a library meeting in Colum
bus.
Radio Broadcast
by
in
A mixed octette directed
Waldo Hofstetter will be heard
the Ebenezer church broadcast from
Findlay station WFIN, Sunday after
noon at 3:30 o’clock.
Speaker
pORREST STEINMAN, former
president of the Ohio Retail
Lumber Dealers assocation, will
be one of the speakers at the an
nual four-day convention of the
organization this week in Colum
bus.
WINTER ASSAULT
CONTINUES WITH
NEW COLD WAVE
Old-Fashioned Winter Goes Into
Eighth Consecutive Week
in New Assault
Battle To Open Snow-Drifted
Rural Roads is on Again as
Wind Piles New Drifts
Real Estate Deals
Mid-West Lumbermen Preparing For
Post-War Business, Survey Shows
its
Old-fashioned winter went into
eighth week of uninterrupted assault
on the Bluffton district Tuesday with
a new sub-zero cold wave following
on the heels of a near-blizzard that
piled fresh drifts on the few country
roads that had been opened.
From mid-moring Tuesday, the
mercury dropped steadily to reach a
low mark of two degrees above zero
Wednesday, and weather forecasts
predict the cold wave will continue
several days before its icy grip is
broken.
Biting winds that made the cold
more intense reached blizzard pro
portions Tuesday morning and drove
loose snow which had fallen on Sun
day and Monday into new drifts that
closed north and south roads and
(Continued on page 8)
on
Willard Frankhauser residing
the county line east of Bluffton has
purchased the Georgia and Wayne
Yerger property on South Jackson
street and expects to occupy
place this spring.
the
the
of
Lawrence Hosafros residing on
George Boedicker farm south
Bluffton has purchased the Jonathan
Agin property on Cherry street oc
cupied by Earl Jorg and family.
Promoted
Byron Fritchie, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Fritchie of the Navy
has been promoted from seaman,
first class to signalman third class.
Noah Zimmerman of Bluffton now
with the American Army in Holland
has been promoted from the rank of
corporal to sergeant, it was
nounced the first of the w’eek.
In England
ar-
Pfc. Halsey Hutchinson has
rived with an Army unit in England,
it was learned the
by his sister, Mrs.
is the son of Mrs.
of Beaverdam.
first of the week
Dan Alspach. He
Ellen Hutchinson
Recent war casualties have been
heavy for Mr. and Mrs. John Bader
tscher of South Lawn avenue who
have received word that a grandson
is missing in action, a nephew killed
and the wounding of a grandson
and grand nephew. Three of the
casualty messages have been received
within the past week.
Two Grandsons, Two Nephews Of
Bluffton Couple War Casualties
in action is
Jr., in the
son of Mr.
The grandson missing
2nd Lt. Homer Gratz,
Pacific area. He is the
and Mrs. Homer Gratz of near Bluff
ton. His mother is a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Badertscher.
The nephew killed in action is
Russell Badertscher, son of the late
Noah Badertscher of Lorain who lost
his life in France, Januaiy 13. He
Forrest Steinman, Bluffton
Dealer, to Address State
Convention
To Give Results of Survey
Columbus Meeting Thurs
day Morning
at
of
Forrest Steinman, manager
Steinman Brothers Lumber Co. here,
will be one of the principal speakers
on the four-day program of the 64th
annual Ohio Lumbermen’s convention
in Columbus this week.
Steinman, a past-president of the
Ohio Association of Retail Lumber
Dealers which sponsors the conven
tion, will speak at Thursday morning’s
session on “The Retailers' Post-War
Plans.”
His address is based on a sampling
test survey which he conducted
among lumber dealers in a territory
from Fint, Mich., south to Louisville,
Ky. east to Johnstown, Pa., and west
to Indianapolis, Ind.
From facts ascertained in the sur
vey, Steniman says lumber dealers
are actively preparing for the post
war market. In the future their op
erations will put more emphasis on
service, and thru them home owners
may obtain a complete building ser
vice rathen than simply going to them
to buy’ lumber.
Mr. and Mrs. Steinman left for
Columbus, Tuesday’ morning to par
ticipate in sessions of the conventions
opening on that day and continuing
thru Friday.
Chief public interest in the con
vention will center on an address by
Upton Close, radio commentator and
a critic of the Administration, which
is to be a feature of the closing day.
Another item of general interest
scheduled for the convention will be
a report on the house prefabrication
industry, which has been boomed as
a post-war possbiility.
More than 2500 persons are expect
ed to attend the four-day session.
Jeremiah Basinger
Funeral Saturday
Funeral services for Jeremiah Ba
singer, 68, of Cherry street, were
held in the First Mennonite church,
Saturday afternoon W’ith Rev. J.
N. Smucker officiating. Burial was
in the St. John cemetery near Pan
dora.
Mr. Basinger, retired farmer and
insurance salesman died in the Bluff
ton hospital, last Wednesday night
following a six months illness.
He was for many years prominent
in farm organizations serving for
28 years as president, secretary and
director of the Mennonite Mutual
Aid society and also had been an
officer of the Pandora
phone company and the Putnam
County Farm Bureau,
member of the First
church here.
Mutual Tele-
The son of Peter
an-
He was a
Mennonite
and Lydia
(Beeshy) Basinger he was born in
Putnam county December 13, 1876
and was married to Anna Diller who
died five years ago.
Children surviving are: Lamarr
Basinger, Lafayette Luther of To
ledo Pearl, Myrtle, Gaynell and
Dorothy Basinger and Mrs. Princess
Richard all at home Robert Basing
er of Pandora Mrs. Augusta Decker
of Carey Mrs. Etta Ross of Clyde
and Mrs. Gladys Bunn of Bedford.
Bluffton Veteran At
Cambridge Hospital
Pfc. Frederick Reichenbach, 24,
son Of Henry Reichenbach northwest
of Bluffton who was wounded in the
European theatre of war last June
29 is convalescing at the Army’s
Fletcher General hospital at Cam
bridge, Ohio. Reichenbach received
shrapnel wounds in his right hip
and leg.
is survived by his wife and one-year
old child. His brother,
Lorain telephoned the
Tuesday' night.
Donald, of
news here
France is
Wounded in action in
a grandson, Francis
son of Mr. and Mrs. Orville Bader
tscher of North Manchester, Ind.,
former Bluffton residents. 1
an Army hospital in France
condition is reported as not
according to word received
grandparents here the first
week.
Badertscher,
He is in
s and his
serious
by the
of the
A grand-nephew wounded in action
in France is Maynard Badertscher,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Bader
tscher of Bluffton. He is convalesc
ing in an Army hospital in Englan^.
SHE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO
USD AY, FEB. 1. 1945
80 ALLEN!COUNTY
MEN REC
INDUCTI
E PRE
CALL
mts Among
Bluffton Regi
Those Called |or Physical
Exa
ition
No Bluffton Men in Group of 17
to be Inducted Into Army in
February
Eighty Allen obvhty men
have
been notified by llraft Board No. 3
to report for pre-induct ion physical
examination on the February call, it
was announced from board head
quarters, Wednesday morning. A
number of Bluffton men are included
in this number, it was indicated.
This number is one of the largest
called for pre-induction physical ex
amination in recent months.
At the same time the board an
nounced names of 17 men who will
be inducted into the armed services
on the February call. None of
these is from Bluffton.
To be inducted in February are:
Lima—James W. Turner, Clifford
Stewart, Lewis Bassett, Mark Jacobs,
Ronald Miller, Oliver Wildermuth.
Springfield—Ralph Clouser.
Mt. Gilead—f’aul Eley.
Spencerville—Karl Stockton, Lloyd
Adams.
Delphos—Firmin Pothast, Chester
Diller, Richard Busch, Leonard Allen.
Harrod—Junior Clover.
Lafayette—William Crist.
Waynesfield—Rodger Stimmel.
BLUFFTON’S FUEL
SITUATION IN NEW
CRISIS THIS WEEK
Transportation Delays, Cold
Wave, Rail Embargo Cause
Acute Coal Shortage
Farmers Are Busy Cutting
Wood for Fuel as Coal
Supply Fails
Aggravated by the return of sub
zero weather, Bluffton’s domestic
fuel situation has taken a turn for
the worse, and many local household
ers are running short of coal in the
midst of one of the season’s
pronounced cold w’aves.
most
three
with
Coal supplies of Bluffton’s
dealers are entirely exhausted
the exception of tw’o cars which ar
rived Monday, and the three-day em
bargo on railroad freight of all kinds
except war goods over the past week
end makes it difficult
w’hen other shipments
ceived.
As a result, cutting of wood for
fuel, virtually forgotten on most
farms in the district, has come into
its own again. Right at present
wood cutting rapidly is assuming the
proportions of the No. 1 job facing
farmers, even more important than
the task of trying to keep drifted
roads clear of snow.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
A daughter, Susan Frances to the
late Lt. Gerald Trippiehorn and
Mrs. Trippiehorn, of Bluffton. Lt.
Tripplehom was killed in December
in the campaign on Leyte island.
A daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Milo
Lora of Col. Grove, Tuesday.
A son, Charles David was born to
Cpl. and Mrs. Francis Niswander,
Thursday at the University hospital,
Augusta, Ga. Mrs. Niswander is
the former Esther Luginbuhl, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Cal Luginbuhl
of near Bluffton. Cpl. Niswander is
stationed at Camp Gordon, Ga.
Hope that Groundhog Day this
Friday may bring a prediction of a
break in two months of uninterrupt
ed snowbound winter weather is
causing widespread interest in the
generations-old tradition.
Legend has it that if the Ground
hog sees his shadow on February
second, he holes up again for six
more weeks of winter w’eather.
Should there be no sun to cast a
shadow’, he stays outside and an
early spring can be expected.
Even folks who put little stock in
the legendary forecast are looking
forward to Groundhog Day with
hopes that a break may come in the
old-fashioned winter that has grip
ped the area since December 11
without interruption.
Tired of snow and cold w’eather,
residents see in the groundhog some
hope of a prediction that may herald
early relief.
Community Institute Resolution
Avers Change Works Hard
ships on Farmers
Permanent Schedule Adopted
By Council Provides for Re
turn to Fast Time in May
Farmers
to determine
may be re­
everyone sup­
In an effort to keep
plied, coal from merger stock on
hand is being delivered only to those
with less than a five days’ supply on
hand. The amount for each home
owner is being restricted to less than
a ton in an effort to make the supply
stretch until additional coal is re
ceived.
Bluffton’s fuel situation, precarious
all winter, is in its worst stage at
present, the result of transportation
tieups, last week’s embargo and the
renewal of wintry assaults in a new
cold wave.
Many farmers are out of coal, and
snow-drifted roads make it impossible
for most of them to get into town
for a new supply, and those who have
open roads can obtain only small
amounts of coal.
Minter-Weary Bluffton Hopes
Groundhog Doesn’t See Shadow
Farmers Protest Toi
To Fast Time 1 lere During Summer
of
Reiteration of the opposition
farmers to fast time during
spring and summer months was evi
denced in resolutions adopted at
Bluffton’s annual two-day Commun
ity Institute, Friday.
the
Consistently opposed to fast time
since its adoption wras recommended
by President Roosevelt
year of the war, rural
affirmed their stand in
of the resolution, w-ith
tory statement that setting clocks
ahead one hour works hardship on
the farmers.
in the first
residents re
the drafting
the explana-
However, despite the opposition of
farmers, there is little prospect that
Bluffton will change its
returning to fast time
Sunday in April.
intention of
on the last
con w'ere
Arguments pro and
threshed out in detail by the muni
cipal council last spring, and result
ed in the adoption of a permanent
schedule under which the town
operate on slow time from the
Sunday in
Sunday in
of the year
time.
will
first
last
rest
fast
September to the
April. During the
the town will be on
charge that fast time
cuts food production essential to a
successful prosecution of the war, be
cause they can not operate as effi
ciently as on slow time.
Following the, outbreak of war
Bluffton changed to fast time in
February, 1942, and operated on
that schedule until October, 1943,
when the town clpcks ran on slow
time for the winter months. In
April, 1944, the permanent schedule
was set up, providing slow time for
the winter months, and fast
for the summer.
time
Concert Pianist In
Program February 7
Cara Verson, concert pianist, will
be heard in a recital on the Bluff
ton college music course on Wednes
day night of next week at .8:30
o’clock. Miss Verson is known for
her interpretation of modern music.
Southernaires, noted negro ensem
ble will be here under auspices of
the college music department in a
program at the high school auditor
ium on Friday, February 16 at 8:00
p. m.
Sgt. Norman Kirtland
Receives Air Medal
Staff Sgt. Norman E. Kirtland,
23, son of Mr. and Mrs. V. A. Kirt
land, has been awarded the Aid
Medal at a 15th AAF Base in Italy.
He is an armorer-gunner on a B-24
Liberator heavy bombardment plane.
The award was “for meritorious
achievement in aerial flight while
participating in sustained operational
activities against the enemy”. Kirt
land joined the USAAF in Decem
ber, 1943, and won his wings at Har
lingen, Texas, on June 3, 1944. He
has been stationed in Italy since
last October.
Kirtland is now a member of a
group that has staged more than 200
attacks against Nazi targets thru
out the dwindling empire. He has
been cited twice by the War De
partment for outstanding perform
ances in the Mediterranean theatre
of operations.
Returns After 33
Bombing Missions
First Lieut. Harold L.
29, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.
son, South
has arrived
distribution
Beach for
after completing a tour of duty out
side the continental United States.
Peterson,
E. Peter
Bluffton,
Main street,
at Army Air Forces Re
Station No. 2 in Miami
reassignment processing
Veteran of 33 bombing missions
over Europe, Lieutenant Peterson, a
B-24 Liberator navigator, returned
to America on Dec. 30, 1944, decor
ated with the Distinguished Flying
Cross and the Air Medal with five
Oak Leaf Clusters. He also flew as
a bombardier on tw’O missions during
six months in the European Theater
of Operations.
He is the husband of D. Louise
Peterson, of Ada.
n's Return
INSTITUTE WARNS
FARMS MAY LIE
IDLE IN DISTRICT
Community Institute Resolu
tions Ask More Labor for
Area Farms
Community and Farm Problems
Are Discussed at Two-Day
Meeting Here
of
a
Reflecting the critical shortage
manpower and farm machinery,
resolution adopted at the closing ses
sion of the annual two-day Bluffton
Community Institute, Friday warned
that many acres of rich farmland in
this section may lie idle during the
coming summer.
In the action taken by the Insti
tute, it was urged that the matter
should have immediate and serious
attention of those who have the au
thority to correct the situation.
Alarm over the farm food produc
tion situation arises from recent Se
lective Service announcements that
more farm youths will be drafted in
to the armed forces, plus the fact
that the supply of farm machinery is
in a critical stage, institute spokes
men pointed uot.
Health Program
The Instiute also went on record
with a resolution urging a preven
tive health service program for com
munity families, not merely remedial
health sendee after illness has struck.
In another resolution, the Institute
voiced its opposition to proposed
(Continued on page 8)
Race Relations Is
Union Service Topic
Race relations will be the topic for
Bluffton’s monthly union service to
be held at the First Mennonite
church Sunday night at 7:30 o’clock.
Rev. Gaar Davis, pastor of Zion
African Methodist church, Lima, will
be the speaker. The monthly union
services are sponsored by the Bluff
ton Ministerial association.
In Graduate Study
At Western Reserve
Miss Ruth Steiner, eldest daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Steiner of
Poplar street will leave the first of
next week for Cleveland to take a
graduate course in library science at
Western Reserve. She recently re
signed a teaching position in the
high school at McComb.
Home On Furloughs
Cpl. James Benroth who has been
stationed at love Field, Dallas, Tex
as, is spending a week’s furlough
visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Albert Benroth
street. At the
furlough he will
at Wright field,
of North Main
conclusion of his
be assigned to duty
Dayton.
Pvt. Robert Criblez spent a week’s
furlough with his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Alfred Criblez. He completed
basic infantry training at Camp Fan
nin, Texas, and will now receive spe
cialized training at Fort Ord, Calif.
Byron Fritchie of the Navy spent
the week end
his parents
Fritchie.
on leave
Mr. and
here visiting
Mrs. Fred
Herr of Camp Polk,
Cpl. Floyd
La., is spending a furlough at the
home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Nelson Herr of North Lawn avenue.
BUY
unit**
•VAT**
SAVING*
NUMBER 41
TWO MORE LOCAL
YOUTHS REPORTED
MISSING IN ACTION
Seed. Lieut. Homer Gratz Miss
ing in South Pacific Thea
tre, Parents Learn
Pfc. Ralph Althaus Missing in
Belgium Since Day Before
Christmas
Two additional Bluffton youths in
the armed forces are reported miss
ing, one in the Pacific war theatre
and the other in Belgium.
They are:
Second Lt. Homer Gratz, Jr.,
22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Homer
Gratz, two miles south of Bluff
ton.
Pfc. Ralph Althaus, 19, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Levi Althaus, four
miles west of Bluffton.
Lt. Gratz, pilot of a Marine Corps
bomber, was reported missing at sea,
according to a message received last
Thursday from the War Department.
No details were given.
His last letter, received by his
parents on January 22, was written
on January 15, and it is believed he
was reported missing in action on
the day’ after the letter was posted.
A graduate of Bluffton High school,
Lt. Gratz attended Bluffton college,
and went into the service in March,
1942. The Marine flyer took his train
ing in Florida, Kansas and California
before going overseas last October.
Lt. Gratz is married to the former
Roxanna Eaton, w’ho lives with her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Eaton,
in Lima. She is a granddaughter of
Mrs. Lou Eaton, of Bluffton.
Pfc. Althaus has been missing since
December 24 in Belgium, according
to word received by his parents, last
Thursday.
His last letter home was written
on December 17, and altho no details
were given in the War Department’s
message it is assumed he was with
one of the divisions which opposed
the Germans in the “Belgian bulge”
fighting.
Pfc. Althaus was a graduate of
Bluffton High school in the class of
1943. He was in the infantry.
Noah Zuercher Dies
Funeral On Friday
Funeral services for Noah Zuerch
er, 54, of South Main street, Bluffton
municipal light plant engineer, will
be held at the First Mennonite
church on Friday afternoon at 2:30
o’clock with Rev. J. N. Smucker and
Rev. G. T. Soldner officiating.
Mr. Zuercher died at Bluffton hos
pital Monday afternoon following a
six months’ illness,
ices were delayed
awaiting the arrival
law, Harold Thiessen
Funeral serv
until Friday
of his son-in
from Florida.
The family has resided in Bluffton
for the past twenty years, moving
from Berne, Ind., where he was bom
on April 14, 1891, the son of Samuel
and Marian (Amstutz) Zuercher. He
was a member of the First Mennon
ite church here.
On January 20, 1918 he was mar
ried to Rena Sprunger who survives
together w’ith three children: Ken
neth of Lima and Mrs. Marie Thies
sen and Merlin Zuercher at home.
There are three grandchildren.
Also surviving are five brothers:
David .Albert and Jephtha of Berne,
Ind. Osw’in of Hatfield, Pa. Martin
of Chicago and Palmer of Vassar,
Michigan.
The body is at the Paul Diller fun
eral home w’here it will remain until
time for the funeral services. Burial
will be in the Ebenezer Mennonite
cemetery west of Bluffton.
Former Bluffton Man
Is Train Dispatcher
Ray Root, of Lima, son
and Mrs. Edgar Root of
street has been promoted to
sition of train dispatcher
Nickel Plate railroad, it was
nounced the first of the week.
of Mr.
Mound
the
on
po
the
an-
F-5 George D. Moser
Gets Army Citation
T/5 George D. Moser, formerly of
North Main street, has received a
certificate personally signed by hia
commanding general honoring him
for fighting with the Twenty-Ninth
Infantry Division from Day to
St. Lo.
The honor is a personal salute
from Maj. Gen. Charles H. Ger
hardt to the officers and men who
battered their way through flooded
areas and the Normandy hedgerows
and stormed the key city of St. Lo
in a campaign where the taking of
every 500 yards was a major battle^.