The Bluffton news. [volume], April 05, 1945, Image 1

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BUY
VKiTM
LXIX
VOLUME NO.
FLIER REPORTED
MISSING MAY BE
SAFE IN RUSSIA
Unconfirmed Mesage Received
by Father of Sgt. Richard
Oberly
Telegram Arrives Here Wednes
day Morning Seek Further
Details
Staff Sgt. Richard Oberly, 19, Fly
ing Fortress turret gunner reported
missing in action over Germany may
be alive and safe in Russia, accord
ing to developments Wednesday
morning when a telegram to this
effect was received by his father
Millard Oberly of Cherry street.
The telegram sent from Viaden,
Mississippi, and signed “Francis
Griffith”, said:
“Have reliable information
your son Richard is safe in Rus
sia. Have you heard anything?”
Sender of the wire apparently did
not know the name of the missing
flier’s father as the message was ad
dressed to the “Parents of Richard
Oberly”.
Father Mystified
Richard’s father, Millard Oberly,
was mystified by the telegram and
said he had never heard of Griffith.
However, he plans to contact the
Mississippi man in hope of obtaining
further details.
It was pointed out here Wednesday
morning that Sgt. Oberly received
part of his air combat training at
Keesler Field, Biloxi, Miss., and
might have known Griffith during
this period.
The possibility was then advanced
that Griffith might have picked up
the information in an overseas broad
cast on a short wave receiving set
and recalled that Oberly’s home ad
dress was Bluffton.
Missing March 15
Word that Sgt. Oberly was miss
ing since March 15 was received here
early last week by his father in a
telegram from the War department.
The missing flier was based in
Italy with the 15th American Air
Force. Last February he received
the Air Medal for “meritorious a
chievement while participating in
aerial flight”.
Francis Schumacher
Gets Purple Heart
Cpl. Francis Schumacher, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Eli Schumacher, of
west of Bluffton ,who received a
head wound on the Western German
battlefront on March 11, has received
the Purple Heart medal at a hos
pital in France.
Relatives here were notified of the
award of the medal in a letter from
Cpl. Schumacher dated March 19. In
the letter he mentioned that he is
well on the road to recovery.
Cpl. Schumacher has been over
seas about one year with an ar
mored reconnaissance group of the
Ninth Armored Division, which cap
tured the Remagen bridgehead mark
ing the first breakthru on the Rhine.
He was graduated from Pandora
High school and is a brother of Mrs.
Robert Benroth, of South Main
street, and Mrs. Milton Reichenbach
and Mrs. Denver Zimmerly, of near
Bluffton.
Ebenezer Church
Youth Conference
Annual youth conference of the
Ebenezer Mennonite church will be
held April 12 to 15, it is announced
by the Rev. J. J. Esau, supply
pastor.
Principal speaker will be Rev.
Lando Hiebert of Grace Bible Insti
tute, Omaha, Neb., and Rev. Dwight
Niswander of Lima will be in charge
of the music. Meetings will be held
every evening.
120 Are Called
For Jury Service
Names of 120 Allen county resi
dents have been drawn for service
on petit and grand juries for the
April term of court.
Those from this area include:
Grand jury—C. E. Watt, Lafay
ette.
Petit jury—Eudora Soldner, Louise
Ruhl, Elfriede Howe, Ernest Gratz
and Paul Whitmer all of Bluffton
Ed Bogart, Beaverdam C. H. Green
awalt and George Heiser of Lafay
ette.
BLUFFTON MARKETS
Wednesday Morning
Grain (bushel prices) Wheat,
$1.68 corn, $11.12 oats, 80c soys,
$2.04.
Require Consumer Declarations
For Next
Red Cross Drive
Tops $3,000 Goal
Bluffton’s drive to raise $3,000 in
the annual Red Cross War Fund so
licitation went over the top during
the month of March by $26.05, it was
reported Tuesday by Woodrow Little,
chairman of the local campaign.
In solicitation of Bluffton resi
dences, business places, industries,
the Star Theatre, a total of $3,026.05
was raised. This is the largest
amount contributed in any Red Cross
drive locally since the start of war.
In announcing the final results of
the drive, Chairman Little and Mrs.
J. S. Steiner, co-chairman, thanked
the Boy Scouts, the Lions club, the
Star theatre, house-to-house solicit
ors, Bluffton industries for plant so
licitations, various clubs and organ
izations, churches, business firms,
and all others who assisted.
COINCIDENCE HAS
ROLE IN TWO AUTO
CRASHES MONDAY
Two Detroit Cars Crash Within
Half-mile of Each Other on
Dixie Highway
Mishaps Occur Within 15-Min
ute Interval No One In
jured Seriously
Coincidence figured stangely in two
automobile accidents within one-half
mile of each other on the Dixie high
way south of Bluffton when two De
troit cars skidded on the wet pave
ment and crashed within a 15-minute
interval about 5 p. m. Monday.
Both autos were northbound to De
troit, and both mishaps resulted from
skidding
The first accident occurred on the
Dixie between the Omer Welty and
Philip Basinger farms, one mile south
of town, when a car driven by Ray
mond Fitzgibbon, of Detroit, skidded
and collided with a southbound auto
driven by Sol Steiner, residing west
of the Gratz crossing.
Woman in Hospital
Fitzgibbon’s wife, Geneva, 26, suff
ered back injuries and an injury to
the left ankle. She is in the Bluffton
Community hospital and will probably
be discharged the last of the week.
Steiner received a fractured right
.arm and bruises about both eyes. He
is at his home.
Fitzgibbon was uninjured and drove
his slightly damaged car on to De
troit, Monday night. He and his wife
were enroute to Detroit from Florida.
Car Overturns in Field
In the second accident, a party of
four escaped serious injury, altho their
car was practically demolished when
it skidded and overturned in a field
on the Philip Hilty farm, about one
half mile south of the scene of the
first mishap.
Passengers in the auto were Mrs.
Loraine Cull, 25 daughter, Joan, 2 a
brother-in-law, Arthur Cull, 19 and
Emil Anatangelo, 53, all of Detroit.
Anatangelo, the most seriously hurt
suffered a broken collar bone Mrs.
Cull had deep cuts on the right fore
arm from going thru the windshield.
Her little daughter, whom she was
holding at the time of the mishap
was not hurt nor was her brother
in-law.
The group were returning home
from Ft. Knox, Ky., where they had
visited Mrs. Cull’s husband, Lester
Cull, and Anatangelo’s son Otto, both
of whom are in training there.
Athur Cull was driving at the time
of the mishap. He lost control of the
auto when it skidded, crashed thru a
fence and overturned in the field. Oc
cupants of the wrecked auto, owned
by Mrs. Cull’s husband, were brought
to the hospital by passing motorists,
and went on to Detroit by bus early
Tuesday morning
Bluffton Woman's
Father Succumbs
H. L. Messer, 74, father of Mrs.
George Carmack of this place, died
at his home in Wayne, Ohio, Sun
day. His death followed a three
years’ illness of a heart ailment.
Mr. Messer operated a pharmacy
and was active in management of his
establishment until shortly before his
death.
Funeral services were held at the
Methodist church in Wayne, Wed
nesday afternoon followed by burial
at that place.
Survivors besides his daughter
here are his wife of Wayne and one
son Harry Messer of Akron.
Winter’s Coal Supply
He further stated that consumers
cannot obtain these forms at boards
which will make them available only
to coal dealers.
“Our boards”, Bogart added “are
simply the place where the dealer
can pick up as many forms as he
needs for distribution to customers.
OPA has no further authority to
answer detailed or technical ques
tions regarding the regulation”.
Easter Wedding
Sunday Afternoon
Miss Treva Mae Hochstettler,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter M.
Hochstettler of Bluffton became the
bride of Ralph R. Sousley, son of
Mr. and Mrs. David L. Sousley of
Ada, at the parsonage of the Em
manuel’s Evangelical and Reformed
church, Sunday afternoon at 2:30
o’clock.
Rev. V. C. Oppermann, pastor of
the bride officiated using the double
ring ceremony. The attendants were
Miss Esther Hochstettler, sister of
the bride and Pvt. Donald Spar,
friend of the groom.
Her sister wore a gold crepe dress
with matching accessories and her
corsage was of white gardenias
centered with yellow roses. Her
ornament was a gold locket, a gift
of the bride.
Following the ceremony the couple
left for a short wedding trip, after
which time they will reside in Bluff
ton in the Ebenezer church parson
age on Grove street.
The bride is a graduate of Bluffton
high school and is employed at The
Triplett Co., in Bluffton.
The groom attended Ada high
school and is now employed at the
Tank Depot in Lima.
Pvt. William Mericle
Wounded In Europe
Pvt. William P. Mericle was
wounded in both legs and left arm
on March 15 in fighting on the west
ern European front, according to
word received this week by his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Mericle,
of South Main street.
Pvt. Mericle is in a hospital in
France. No additional details were
given. He has been overseas since
June 27.
His brother, Staff Sgt. Gene Mer
icle, who had been overseas two
years is home at present on a 27-day
furlough, visiting with his wife and
parents.
Bright Weather Here
For Easter Sunday
Bright weather in Bluffton last
Sunday provided a perfect setting
for the gay colors of Easter frocks,
matched only by the brilliance of
blooming jonquils and hycinths and
blossom-bedecked fruit trees.
A break in rainy w'eather with
overcast skies, w’hich prevailed on
Friday and Saturday and again on
Monday, made Bluffton’s Easter
Sunday weather everything that
could be desired.
Altho the holiday came within one
week of the earliest date it can pos
sibly occur, the weather w’as balmy,
with temper! tures of as high as 66
recorded here.
All church services during the day
w’ere attended by capacity audiences,
with a full day’s program inaugur
ated by a sunrise service in the
morning and closing with a church
musicale in the evening.
0 A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
Forms Are Expected to Be
Available Within Next Ten
Days
Consumers May Obtain Declar
ation Form from Their Coal
Dealer
Consumer declarations for next
winter’s coal are expected to be
available within the next ten days
it was announced by the Toledo
Office of Price Administration the
first of the week.
H. G. Bogart, Toledo district OPA
director announced that the declara
tions can be obtained by coal dealers
only at local war price and rationing
boards.
He emphasized that this is in ac
cordance with the recent order of the
Solid Fuel administration, requiring
every consumer to file with his deal
er a consumer declaration in order
to obtain solid fuel for the 1945-46
heating season.
The bride was attired in a poudre
blue dress with white and brown
accessories and her corsage was of
white gardenias centered with pink
roses. Her only ornament was a
strand of pearls, a gift of the bride
groom.
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1945
Alien County Board No. 3 Will
Induct 57 Men Into Armed
Forces
Five Men from Bluffton, Four
from Surrounding Area To
Leave in April
Nine registrants from the Bluffton
district are among 57 notified to re
port for induction into the armed ser
vices in the April draft call, it w’as
announced Wednesday by Allen
County Draft Board No. 3, which has
jurisdiction over the county outside of
Lima.
Five Bluffton men will be inducted,
including Charles H. Steiner, Wood
row’ W. Little, Frederick W. Tschantz,
Donald C. Corson and Russell M.
Schaublin
Others from this immediate district
are Freeman W. Basinger, Pandora
Route 1 Morris R. Lewis, Columbus
Grove Prenton James Larue, Lafay
ette and Ray E. Luginbuhl of Find
lay, a former Bluffton resident.
The induction list also includes the
following:
Cairo—Richard E. Olt, Jacob J. Al
staetter.
Ada—Franklin R. Hubbell.
Lima—Ronayld Ferguson, John Kel
ler, Harold Williams, Melvin Sprinkel,
Robert Hire, George Fetter, Roy War
ner, David Hefner, John Musser, Nor
bert Gaull, Albert Rankin, Eugene
Woodruff, Berdine School, William
Stumbaugh, Frank Lones, Charles
Cline, Marvin Armentrout, George
Sroufe, Roland Nevergall, Frank
Bosh, Rexford J. Snapp
Elgin, O.—Dewey Spence.
California, O.—Nelson Harter.
Spencerville—William Roeder, La
Verrle Bow’ers, Winford Bell, Karl
Krendl, Dontfld Lawrence.
Delphos—John Scherger, Richard
Morgan, William Remlfnger, Richard
Friemoth, Ralph Staup, Louis Rode,
W’alter Martin, Elmer Looser, Lewis
Wiechart.
Westminster—Jacob Gross.
Harrod—Harry Coolidge.
Elida—Harvey T. Bame, Frank
Ridenour, Donald Stemen.
St. Marys—Elmer Ramga.
Gomer—Ralph W. Rumford.
Dayton—Jack L. Sn&ti.
Jeanne Baumgartner
Bride Of Geo. Swank
In an impressive ceremony on
Good Friday afternoon at the First
Methodist church in Mishawaka, Ind.,
Miss Jeanne Baumgartner, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. L. F. Baum
gartner, former Bluffton residents,
became the bride of Sgt. George
Sw’ank, Jr., son of George Swank,
of Bluffton.
The couple repeated their vows be
fore an altar banked with palms,
w'hite snapdragons and large candel
abra. Rev. Claude Garrison was
the officiating minister.
Preceding the ceremony special
music w’as provided by sorority sis
ters of the bride and M. W. Baum
gartner, of Cleveland, an uncle.
Miss Kae Baumgartner, of Cleve
land, cousin of the bride, was maid
of honor, and Miss Margaret Ba
singer, of Bluffton, and Miss Bette
Root, of Berea, Ohio, were brides
maids. Nancy Cunningham, of Lake
wood, Ohio, and Kenion Kaufman,
Jr., of Skokie, Ill., cousins of the
bride, w’ere flower girl and boy.
Charles Swank, of Bluffton, broth
er of the groom, was best man.
For the ceremony the bride wore
a shimmering white satin gown,
fashioned with fitted bodice, square
neckline and long sleeves, and trim
med with bows of white corded silk
braid. Her bouquet was of w’hite
roses made in an army spray with
green ivy.
The bride and groom are gradu
ates of Bluffton High school, and
Mrs. Swank attended Bluffton college
for tw’o years, later graduating from
Bowling Green State university in
1944. She is a teacher in the home
economics department of Oliver
Junior High school, South Bend, Ind.
The groom graduated from Bluff
ton college, and before going into
the army was coach at Bluffton High
school. He is stationed at present
at Camp Livingston, La.
Explains Workings
Of Selective Service
Major Fogo of state selective serv
ice headquarters, Columbus, ad
dressed the Lions club Tuesday night
in the Walnut Grill, explaining
workings of the selective service act.
The speaker dwelt at length on the
modifications of selective service as
provided in the Tydings amendment
applying to drafting of farm labor.
BLUFFTON NEWS
NINE OF 57 MEN
IN APRIL DRAFT
CALL FROM HERE
Validation of new’ red and blue
ration stamps, Sunday, marked the
inauguration of a new program in
which blocks of five stamps of each
series will in the future become valid
on the first day of each month.
OPA announced the new method of
stamp validation as a move toward
uniformity and in assisting house
wives to better keep in mind the
opening and closing dates of ration
ing periods.
New food stamps validated Sun
day, and good for 10 points each in
the rationing program, include Red
K2, L2, M2, N2 and P2 and Blue
T2, U2, V2, W2 and X2, all in Ra
tion Book IV.
This makes a total of 50 points
per person each month for meats
and fats (red) and canned fruits
and vegetables (blue).
Sales For Passenger Cars And
Trailers 1,230, Or 100
More Than In 1944
Total Sales Including License
Plates For Trucks Stand At
Mark Of 1,650
Altho the number of motor cars
in operation generally is decreas
ing in number thruout the country,
auto tag sales in Bluffton picked up
for the second successive year, it
w’as announced Monday by Harold
Montgomery, deputy registrar for
this district.
At the close of business last Sat
urday night, the deadline for oper
ation of cars with 1944 license plates,
plates, passenger auto and trailer
tag sales amounted.to 1,230, exactly
100 more than last year’s total of
1,130. In 1943, 1,077 tags were sold
locally.
Total sales including truck tags,
made here up to Saturday night,
were 1,650, Montgomery said.
No Preservatives
With use of new tags general this
week, motorists w’ere warned not to
apply any kind of shellac, varnish or
other preservative to the plates.
Fears that such applications would
remove the enamel were voiced by
Frank M. Quinn, registrar of motor
vehicles, who pointed out that the
W’hite and blue plates w’ere treated
by a new’ method in which the enam
el is baked with infra red light.
Application of any kind of pre
servative, he said, will remove the
enamel.
In previous years, motorists have
been urged to protect their plates
by the use of preservatives, but that
was before the new’ production meth
od was used, he pointed out.
Talk On England In
Wartime At Vespers
Dr. Glen Miller, professor of chem
istry at Goshen college, Goshen, Ind.,
w’ill be the speaker at vesper services
in the Bluffton college chapel at 3
p. m. next Sunday.
Dr. Miller recently has returned
from a year spent in relief w’ork in
England under auspices of the Men
nonite Central committee.
He will tell of conditions as he
found them in England.
Special music will be provided by
the women’s choir.
Alice Lentz Weds
Gerald Spallinger
Alice Bernice Lentz, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Lentz, of Co
lumbus Grove Route 2, became the
bride of Gerald Eugene Spallinger,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Chancey Spal
linger, of Lafayette Route 1, in an
Easter Sunday ceremony at the Co
lumbus Grove Church of the Breth
ren.
Rev. Frank Hamblen performed
the ceremony, with Miss Janice
Lentz, sister of the bride, attending
as the Maid of Honor, and Howard
Spallinger serving as best man for
his brother.
The bride w’as graduated from Co
lumbus Grove High school and until
recently was employed as a stenog
rapher by Swift and Co. in Lima.
Spallinger attended Lafayette High
school and is engaged in farming.
Ration Stamps In Future Will Be
Validated On First Of Each Month
Auto Tag Sales Show Continued Gain
Here Altho Cars Are Wearing Out
In the first year that truck plates
were distributed here, a surprisingly
large number of sales were made,
w’ith tags for 420 vehicles sold. Pre
viously orders' were taken heR4 but
tags were distributed from Colum
bus.
Beaverdam Man In
Combat Repair Work
Pfc. Robert T. Cartwright, of
Beaverdam, is attached to the repair
unit of the 469th Engineering
Company handling maintenance of
U. S. Seventh Army Troops which
has turned out approximately 10,000
repair jobs during almost two years
of combat action in Sicily, Italy and
France.
Cartwright is a truck driver at
tached to the unit, which repairs
some 75 different machines. The
469th followed assault troops onto
the invasion beaches of Sicily, Italy
and Southern France, and for a
time was the only engineering main
tenance unit supporting the armies.
TOWNSHIP BRIDGES
MUST BE REPAIRED
TO AVOID CLOSING
Many Of Richland Township’s
40-Odd Bridges Are In
Bad Condition
One Span On Lugibill Road
Has Been Closed County
Action Is Sought
One Richland township bridge is
closed and others are in need of
immediate repairs, township trustees
reported this week in notifying Al
len county commissioners that
maintenance of the bridges is a
matter of pressing urgency.
Need for extensive repairs to
many of the 40 odd county bridges
in the township is a result of war
time scarcity of steel and other
materials which have prevented
major repairs to bridges during the
last tw’o years.
The closed bridge is on the Lugi
bill road, over Cranberry Run, in
the southwestern part of the town
ship near the Herbert Marshall
farm. It is an arch stone structure.
Because of the unsafe condition of
the bridge the road is closed.
Another bridge that must be closed
unless repairs are made promptly is
a steel span on the Fett road near
the Ernest Gratz farm. It has one
abutment reported in very bad
condition.
In Bad Condition
Many of the remaining township
bridges, some stone, some concrete
and some steel, also are badly in
need of maintenance, trustees pointed
out in notifying county commission
ers of the urgency of their request.
Several bridges are in such poor
condition that the trustees said they
would recommend that they be post
ed with signs cautioning against
heavy loads, and giving maximum
safety weights, as a precautionary
measure.
Because of the shortage of mater
ials and manpower, any bridge re
pairs completed last year were of a
temporary stop-gap nature, and most
of the work done at that time now’
is in need of further attention.
Responsibility of maintaining
bridges is in the hands of the county
commissioners, but township trustees
check their condition and make re
commendations to the county regard
ing work required.
Bridge Repairs First
In the opinion of the board of
trustees, bridge repair work should
take precedence over county assist
ance in the towmship road program
this spring and summer.
Despite unusually heavy winter
damage to the township roads, the
trustees will have sufficient funds to
take care of principal patching re
quired. How’ever, funds have been
so depleted in clearing snow and ice
from roads, that any re-surfacing
completed this summer must be
financed by the county.
With the towmship road fund
nearly exhausted at the close of the
winter, trustees applied for and ob
tained permission to transfer $2,500
from the general fund to the road
fund, a sum sufficient for patching
of roads.
Count}' assistance in re-surfacing
the major township roads was asked
by trustees several weeks ago, but
funds from that source probably will
be limited, because every towmship
is faced with a situation similar to
that prevailing in Richland.
BUY
NUMBER 50
LIGHT PLANT TO
DISCONTINUE HOT
WATER SERVICE
Service to 30 Users Will Be
Dropped About June 1,
Board Plans
Hospital Begins Construction of
Heating Plant Building
Wednesday
Hot water heating service provided
during the summer by the municipal
water works and electric light plant
for 29 private homes and the Bluffton
Community hospital will be discontin
ued about June 1, it was announced
Tuesday by the Board of l*ublic Af
fairs
The action was taken as an economy
measure, Harry F. Barnes, president
of the board, said in commenting on
the change in service policy.
First direct result of the decision
was announced that the Community
hospital will proceed at once with the
installation of a private heating plant.
Excavation for a building to house the
plant wtis ,-tarted Wednesday on the
hospital grounds.
In addition to providing hot water
service, the hospital plant will be
large enough to heat the building if
necessary during the winter. The hos
pital is one of approximately 40 users
who receive winter heating service
from the municipal plant.
Building Planned
N. E. Byers, president of the hos
pital board, said the building to be
constructed for the heating plant will
be of brick, about 22 by 26 feet. It
is being designed by McLaughlin and
Associates, Lima architects, to har
monize with the modernistic hospital
building.
Contract for an oil burner and
boiler to serve as the heating plant
has been let to the Lima Plumbing and
Heating Co.
Harry Mericle will supervise con
struction of the building and Hiram
Wenger and Ross Bogart, officers of
the hospital board, are on the build
ing committee.
In addition to the announcement re
garding hot water heating service,
Barnes said the Board of Public Af
fairs has considered discontinuing
home heating service next winter, but
that no definite .decision has been
reached.
Final course that the board will fol
low, he pointed out, will depend con
siderably on whether the 40-odd users
can obtain individual heating systems
in view of wartime priorities and re
strictions.
Magdalene Geiger
Is Easter Bridae
In an impressive Easter morning
ceremony, Miss Magdalene E. Geiger,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Menno N.
Geiger, of Cherry street, became the
bride of Ray Foust, of Portage
township, Hancock county, at 8 a. m.
Sunday in the First Mennonite
church.
Rev. J. N. Smucker, pastor of the
church, received the vow’s of the
contracting parties in the single-ring
ceremony.
For the w’edding, the bride wore
a yellow’ princess-styled dress w’ith
turf tan bolero jacket and accessor
ies. Her flowers w’ere yellow roses.
Following the ceremony a wedding
dinner was held at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Maynard Geiger of Cherry
street.
Mrs. Foust is employed as a sew
ing instructress by the Singer Sew
ing Machine Co., of Lima, where she
plans to continue to w’ork for a
short time.
The groom, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Burley Foust, also of Portage town
ship, is employed at the Van Buren
school.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Pfc. and Mrs. Richard Davies,
Bluffton, a boy, Richard McElroy,
Tuesday. Pfc. Davies is in the Pa
cific war area. Mrs. Davies is the
former Vernice McElroy.
Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Fisher, Bluff
ton, a boy, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Crates, Ar
lington, a boy, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. John Ginther, Ot
tawa, a girl, Sunday.
Real Estate Deals
The J. A. Hochstettler property on
High street occupied by the Harvey
Wilch family has been purchased by
Frank Stalter of Riley street. Stat
ler expects to occupy the property.