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niJ 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.