The Bluffton news. [volume], October 25, 1945, Image 1

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'THURSDAY. OCT. 25. 1945
BUY
I'KITM
■TATIS
STAMPS
VOLUME NO. LXX
LIEUT. KLIEWER IN
JAP PRISON USED
FOR PROPAGANDA
Model Camp at Zentsuji was
One Shown Red Cross
Investigators
Bluffton Marine Held as
Hostage After Capture at
Wake Island
A prisoner of the Japanese for
nearly four years, Marine Lieut.
David Kliewer, Bluffton officer cap
tured by the enemy at the fall of
Wake island, received better treat
ment than most Allied soldiers held
by the Nipponese.
Information received from Lieut.
Kliewer at Honolulu when he recent
ly arrived there enroute home dis
closed that Zentsuji prison camp, in
which he spent all but a few months
of his captivity lacked the inhumane
treatment characteristic of most
such places.
“Zentsuji,” he said, “was a model
camp. It was set up as propaganda
for visiting members of neutral gov
ernments and Red Cross representa
tives.”
Lieut. Kliewer was in that camp
from Jan. 12, 1942, after being tak
en to Yokohama for questioning, un
til June of this year when he was
transferred to a camp at Rokurishi,
from which he .was liberated when
the Japs surrendered.
Assisted Doctors in Camp
With the aid of Navy doctors in
the Zentsuji camp, Lieut. Kliewer
applied himself to studies in medi
cine, preparing himself for enroll
ment in a medical school in this
country. He assisted with the work
of the doctors and told of several
operations performed.
“An appendectomy was performed
in a room that was bitterly cold.
Altho we were permitted to operate,
the Japanese would not provide us
with charcoal for heat. Despite
these conditions the patient sur
vived,” he said.
Lieut. Kliewer was credited with
sinking a Japanese submarine off
Wake island in the heroic but short
lived defense of that tiny Pacific
outpost, and also probably downed
two Jap aircraft in battles over the
island.
Gets Demolition Task
When the last of Wake’s planes
returned a shattered wreck, he was
assigned with three men to blow up
the airfield in the event the Japs
attempted to land planes on it.
During the last night of defense,
he and his men, armed with tommy
guns and grenades, turned back sev
eral Jap charges. On the following
ipoming he was given the surrender
order by Major James P. S. Dever
eaux and turned himself over to a
squad of Japanese.
They used Lieut. Kliewer as a
hostage and seated him on the roof
of a truck to prevent the truck be
ing fired upon by Marine infantry,
who still were resisting.
Hold Lutheran Rally
Service In Findlay
A Lutheran Reformation Rally
service will be held in the Findlay
high school auditorium, Sunday
night at 8 o’clock, it is announced
by Rev. W. L. Harmony, pastor of
the Bluffton church, inviting parish
ioners and friends of this place.
Speaking will be Dr. H. L. Yoch
um, president of the Michigan dis
trict of the American Lutheran
church. A chorus of 125 voices will
be under direction of Prof. Ellis
Snyder of Capital university, Co
lumbus.
Orange Twp. Girls
4-H Club Winners
Two Orange township girls, Jean
nine Stewart and Esther Wolber,
won first place as a dairy food dem
onstration team in the state 4-H
club elimination contest held at Ohio
State university, Saturday. The
girls are members of the Orange
Township Gold Star 4-H club. Each
was presented with a $50 war bond
by a cheese manufacturing company.
Former Resident
Dies In Toledo
Word of the death of J. N. Plats,
62, of Toledo, at that place was re
ceived here this week by his cousins,
W. H. and Chester Huber. Years
ago his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Israel
Plats, resided on the* county line
road south of Bluffton. For many
years he was traveling salesman for
a stove manufacturing concern.
Bible Lecturer
I
'4
...
TYR. William M. Beahm, dean
of Bethany Biblical seminary
in Chicago, will be the lecturer
appearing during Bluffton col
lege’s annual Bible lecture week,
opening on Sunday, November
11, this year.
Navy Dental Officer
To Do Graduate Work
Lieut. Commander DeLos Kirvin,
dentist in the Navy medical service,
will spend the winter in graduate
work in a California dental college.
Lieut. Commander Kervin who is be
ing discharged next month after four
and» one-half years of service has
been visiting here together with his
wife, the former Dorothy Rae Trip
lett and two children at the home of
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. A.
Triplett of South Main street.
He will leave the last of this week
for California to make arrange
ments for his graduate study. Mrs.
Kervin and children will leave in
several weeks to join him on the
west coast.
Before enlisting in the Navy, Lt.
Commander Kervin was a practising
dentist at Port Huron, Michigan.
Pfc. William Amstutz
Released From Army
Pfc. William Amstutz, Jr., son of
Mr. and Mrs. William Amstutz, of
this place, has received an honorable
discharge from the army and ar
rived home last Friday.
Af|er serving one and one-half
years overseas as a medical corps
man, Pfc. Amstutz was returned to
this country and for several months
was assigned to Crile General hos
pital at Cleveland as a Military
Policeman. He was in the army two
and one-half years.
Wade Lape Promoted
To Lieut. Commander
Promotion of Naval Lieut. Wade
W. Lape to rank of Lieutenant Com
mander was announced this week
from the Naval Air station at
Hutchinson, Kansas, where he has
been on duty since last June.
Last week Lieut. Commander Lape
and his wife visited at the home of
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. S.
Lape, of Grove street.
Prior to reporting to the Kansas
station, Lieut. Commander Lape
served for 21 months in the South
Pacific as a flier attached to the
USS Louisville.
Woman Dies At Son's
Orange Twp. Home
Mrs. Ella Hiestand, 94, died Tues
day night at the home of her son,
N. M. Hiestand in Orange town
ship. Her death occurred on the
26th anniversary’ of the death of
her husband, Daniel Hiestand which
occurred October 23, 1919.
Born in New London, Ohio, she
lived for many years in Findlay.
Besides her son at whose home she
died she is survived by two other
sons, O. G. Hiestand of St. Peters
burg, Florida, and K. G. Hiestand
of Honolulu.
Rev. Irvin Kaufman of Mt. Cory
Evangelical church will officiate at
funeral services, arrangements for
which are incomplete. Burial will
be in West Millgrove cemetery.
Bluffton Girls Are
Leaving For College
Nine Bluffton girls are leaving to
attend various colleges opening for
the fall term.
Those who left the first of the
week for Bowling Green State uni
versity are Dorothy Anderson, Helen
Greding, Geneva, Janice and Ruth
Hankish, Juanita Bame and Eileen
Haller.
Alice Jean Bixel will leave Friday
to enter Oberlin conservatory.
Beverly Biery will leave next Wed
nesday for Oberlin college.
MENNONITE FOOD
FOR EUROPE TO BE
GATHERED OCT. 31
Meat, Vegetables, Fruit Will Be
Processed Next Wednes
day at Cannery
Five Mennonite Churches Send
Food to Famine-Stricken
Families Overseas
Collection of food for the famine
stricken families of war-torn Europe,
sponsored by five Mennonite churches
in the Bluffton-Pandora-Lima area,
will get under way next week with
the preparation of a shipment of
meats, vegetables and fruits.
Donations of foodstuffs left next
Wednesday at the Amstutz Cannery,
north of Bluffton on the College road,
will be canned that day free of
charge.
In preparation of the food at the
cannery, members of the First Men
nonite and Ebenezer churches of
Bluffton Grace and St. John churches
of Pandora, and First church of Li
ma, will assist. These churches are
sponsoring the food project.
The canned food will be consigned
to those sections of Europe where
food shortages are especially acute,
it was announced.
Next step in the famine-relief pro
ject will be gathering of wheat do
nations at the Bluffton Milling Co. on
November 5, where a car of grain
will be loaded and started on its long
trip to Europe. Contributions of
money to buy wheat for inclusion in
the shipment also will be welcomed.
Donations may be given to Harvey
Gratz of Bluffton, or Noah Soldner,
of Pandora.
Bred heifers needed to re-establish
depleted dairy herds in Europe will
oe obtained later in cooperation with
the Church of the Brethren.
Dr. Clarence Lehman
College Head, Dies
Dr. Clarence O. Lehman, 50, an
early graduate of Bluffton college
who later became prominent as an
educator, died Monday at Geneseo,
New York, where he had retired
two months ago from the presidency
of the State Teachers college at
Potsdam, N. Y., because of failing
health.
His death came a day before a
testimonial dinner was to have been
given in his honor by presidents of
other New York colleges.
Funeral services were held Wed
nesday afternoon in the Geneseo
Presbyterian church of which he
was a member of the session.
Born in Berne, Ind., the son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Lehman, he was
graduated from Bluffton college in
1916. His father was for many
years president of the college board
of trustees.
Later he received the Ph. D. de
gree from Ohio State university and
the LL. D. degree from St. Law
rence university. He became presi
dent of Potsdam State Teachers col
lege in 1939. He was a member of
Phi Beta Kappa and other learned
societies.
Surviving are his wife the former
Carol Betzner of Bluffton and daugh
ter Marjorie Jean, a student in the
Yale University School of Nursing
Administration, New Haven, Conn.
Also surviving are his mother of
Berne, Ind. two brothers Prof. G.
A. Lehman, director of music at
Colgate-Rochester Divinity school,
Rochester, N. Y., and Clinton Leh
man of Chicago, and three sisters,
Mrs. Rose Baumgartner of Berne,
Ind., and Mrs. Gertrude Albrecht of
Columbia, Mo. A third sister, Flor
ence, lives in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Sgt. Robt. Cooney
Home From Army
Sgt. Robert Cooney who served
with the Army Air Force in the
European theatre of war has re
turned home after receiving his
Army discharge. He is the son of
Mr. and Mrs. R. K. Cooney of South
Jackson street, and husband of the
former Joan Patterson of this place.
Sgt. Robert Deerhake
Gets Army Discharge
Sgt. Robert E. Deerhake has been
discharged from the Army after 21
months service in the European war
theatre. He arrived home last Wed
nesday and is residing with his wife
and son at 207 S. Lawn avenue.
Recent doubling of points paid for
salvaged fats is one more indication
of the great need for saving every
possible pound.
THE BLUFFTON NEWS, BLUFFTON, OHIO
I HE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, OCT. 25, 1945
Site Faces North Main Street
at Bridge Spanning Big
Riley Creek
Completion of Formalities Will
Clear Way for Park
Next Spring
Establishment of a state highway
department roadside park facing
North Main street on Buckeye Lake
grounds was proposed this week as
an addition to Bluffton’s expanding
park facilities.
With location of the park here
looming as a distinct probability, the
municipal council will take up the
matter at its regular meeting next
Monday night, following which a for
mal application is expected to be
made to the state.
Proposed site of the park is on the
strip of land between the Riley creek
bridge over North Main street and
the former Faze filling station. It
w’ould be separated from the picnic
grounds at Buckeye lake by a small
stream which empties into the Riley.
Endorsement of the project also
will be considered by the Community
Sportsmen’s club and the Lions club.
Willingness of the state highway
department to establish a park here
similar to that at the Foust farm,
south of Beaverdam on the Dixie
highway, has been communicated to
Bluffton officials, and there is every'
likelihood the park will be built next
spring.
Landscaping and maintenance of
the grounds would be done by the
state highway department, and picnic
tables, drinking water and other faci
lities also w’ould be provided.
The site proposed for establishment
of the park is included in grounds
leased by the own from the Central
Ohio Light and Power Co. for park
purposes. The municipality has a
five-year lease on the property, sub
ject to renewal, which has approxi
mately four years to run.
A park can be made available here
because of the fact that the state
highway department has none of its
recreational facilities in the Bluffton
patrol district, which extends from
the Foust farm, two miles south of
Beaverdam, to the Allen-Hancock
county line, north of Bluffton.
Melvin Lora At
Air Base In India
Flight Officer Melvin (Bud) Lora,
son of Mrs. B. R. Herring, has ar
rived at the Army Air base at
Chalria, India, a station in the
Asam valley at the foot of ‘the
“Hump”.
F/O Lora made the trip from this
country by air, following the same
route taken by the' Globester. His
w’ife and son are at the home of her
parents in Bethlehem, Pa.
Ralph W. Garlinger
Gets Navy Discharge
Ralph W. Garlinger, whose wife
resides at 109 Riley street, the form
er Troxel property, was discharged
from the U. S. Navy Separation
center at Great Lakes, Ill., last
week.
Ex-Bluffton Barber
Is Home From Navy
Gerald Sw’ank, former Bluffton
barber, has been discharged from
the Navy and returned here. Swank
enlisted early’ in the war and at the
time of his discharge was operating
a barbershop for the Navy at Miami,
Florida.
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Core, Col.
Grove, a boy, Loren Dale, Thursday.
Mrs. Core is the former Vera Gratz
of Bluffton.
Bluffton May Get State Highway
Roadside Park At Buckeye Lake
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Reichen
bach, Bluffton, a boy, Jack Grant,
Thursday’.
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Tripnlehorn,
Leipsic, a bov, James Lynn, E■ :day
Mr. Tripnlehorn is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Harry Trippiehorn of
Bluffton.
Mr. and Mrs. Francis Stevens,
Lafayette, a bov, Darrell Lee, Sat
urday. Mrs. Stevens is the former
Faery Matter of Bluffton.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hixon, Leip
sic, a girl, Sharon Louise, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Farns
worth, Ann Arbor, Mich., a girl,
Ann Leone, at University Maternity
hospital, October 22. Mrs. Farns
worth is the former Mary Alice
Geiger of Bluffton.
•r
TWO TYPES OF
SEWERS VOTED
ON IN BLUFFTON
Complete Sewerage System Re
jected Three Times by
Voters
Intercepting Sewers, Less Cost
ly, Also Turned Down at
Polls
Editor’s Note: This is an
other in a series of articles deal
ing with the history of Bluff
ton's sewage disposal problems,
for which an answer must be
found early in the post-war
period.
Five sew'age disposal bond issues
which have been rejected by Bluff
ton voters since the first proposal
was presented at the polls in 1927
are divided into two major classes.
Three of the five proposals pro
vided for a complete sewerage sys
tem, and the other two proposed
solution of the problem by means of
intercepting sew’ers.
As its name implies, the complete
sewerage system w’ould entail con
struction of an entirely new’ system
of sewers thruout the town, which
would carry only sanitary sewage.
Under this method, storm water
from rains would be handled by the
present sewers and discharged into
Big and Little Riley creeks. Storm
water is drained off streets thru
catch basins and comes from down
spouts which take the water from
roofs of buildings.
Separate Handling
Individual lines in the separate
sewerage system would merge into
trunk lines carrying the sew'erage
to a disposal plant on the edge of
town, and there w’ould be separate
facilities for the handling of sewage
and storm water.
An intercepting system, proposed
in two of the bond issues, would con
tinue to use present sewers in carry
ing sewage from homes of the town.
However, instead of the sewers
emptying in Bluffton’s two streams
as they now do, their outlets would
be in trunk lines laid along the
banks of Big and Little Riley creeks.
These intercepters would run to the
sewage disposal plant.
One intercepting line would be
laid along the course of each stream,
with connections of sewers on the
opposite side of the creek made by
tunneling under the water bed. It
is estimated that each intercepting
line would be about three-fourths
of a mile in length.
Interceptors Less Costly
Construction of an intercepting
system would be more economical,
for it utilizes the present system of
sewers within the town proper.
Engineers, however, have always
pointed out that difficulties in op
eration would result from use of an
intercepting system, since there
would be a wide variation in volume
which the disposal plant would be
called upon to handle because of the
storm water factor.
A disposal plant handling sani
tary sewage only has a steady aver
age volume, with comparatively lit
tle variation to be considered. How
ever, when storm water is mixed
w’ith the sanitary sewage, a heavy
downpour of rain may double or
triple the total volume, and if ca
pacity of the plant is exceeded some
of it must be by-passed into the
creek without treatment.
Bluffton Woman's
Twin Sister Dies
Mrs. Ettie Victoria Pugh, 73, of
Arlington, died Saturday afternoon
in Bluffton hospital. Death was due
to cerebral hemorrhage with which
she was stricken ten days previously.
She was a twin sister of Mrs. W. W.
Carder of South Main street.
A native of Arlington where she
taught music for more than fifty
years, she was also a member of the
Methodist church and the Garden
club of that place and the Order of
Eastern Star of Findlay.
Besides her sister of this place
she is survived by a son Stanley
Pugh of Texas another sister, Mrs.
Huldah Turner of Greensboro, N. C.
and a brother Charles Riegle, Find
lay attorney. Her husband died in
1939.
The body was removed to the
Coldren funeral home in Findlay
w’here sendees were conducted by
her pastor, Rev. Charles Grant,
Tuesday afternoon. Burial was in
Maple Grove cemetery, Findlay.
Last Rites Saturday
For Christian Schnegg
Funeral services were held Satur
day afternoon in Ebenezer Mennon
ite church for Christian Schnegg,
74, a native of Switzerland, who
died suddenly of a heart attack last
Thursday afternoon at his home on
South Lawn avenue.
Rev. John Esau officiated at the
funeral rites, and burial was in the
Ebenezer cemetery.
A retired farmer, Schnegg had
been in ill health for two years.
Born Jan. 14, 1871, in Canton
Bern, Switzerland, he came to the
United States in 1888, the rest of
his parental family following in the
next year. On May 15, 1905, he was
married to Cecil Neukom, who sur
vives.
In addition to the widow, surviv
ors include four daughters, Mrs.
Anna Wakins, Columbus Grove Mrs.
Martha Parish, Arlington Mrs.
Della Hitchcock, Ada Mrs. Naomi
Lhamon, Convoy two sons, Homer
and Walter Schnegg, both at home
a sister, Mrs. Leonard Stager, Bluff
ton, and three brothers, Jacob and
Peter Schnegg, both of Bluffton, and
Gottlieb Schnegg, El Monte, Calif.
There are 15 grandchildren.
He was a member of Ebenezer
Mennonite church.
William G. Fridley
Dies Funeral Friday
William George Fridley, 81, re
tired farmer living in Riley town
ship east of Pandora died in Bluff
ton hospital Wednesday morning at
9:30 o’clock following a five montns’
illness.
Funeral services will be held at
Pleasant View U. B. church of which
he was a member, Friday afternoon
at 2:30 o’clock. Rev. Hilliard Camp
will officiate and burial will be in
the Clymer cemetery. The body is
at the Paul Diller funeral home
from where it will be taken to his
late residence Thursday afternoon.
He was born June 11, 1864 in
Davenport, Iowa, the son of James
and Amena (Schumann) Fridley.
He was married October 20, 1892
to Gertrude Varner, who survives.
He was for many years a resident
of Riley township and served for
eight years as township trustee.
A daughter and two sons surviv
ing are Mrs. Ethel Schumacher and
Clarence Fridley, both of Pandora,
and Charles Fridley of Lima.
Funeral For Mrs.
Ella Long Friday
Funeral services for Mrs. Ella
Long, 78, were held Friday after
noon in the Basinger funeral home
with Rev. C. L. Remaley of Arling
ton officiating.
Mrs. Long died at her home here
last Wednesday following a two
years’ illness. Burial was in Maple
Grove cemetery.
Three Year Old Polio
Victim Is Improving
Rodney Keith Habegger, three
year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. New
land Habegger residing four miles
southwest of Bluffton is improving
at Lima Memorial hospital where he
is undergoing treatment for infantile
paralysis, it was stated the first of
the week. This is the only case of
infantile paralysis reported in Allen
county.
Thos. Conaway Gets
Release From Navy
Thomas Conaway, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Edgar Conaway has arrived
here after receiving his discharge
from naval service, much of which
was spent in the Pacific war zone.
He and his wife will occupy their
home, the former Byron Anderson
property at West Elm and Spring
streets.
Back From Tokyo
Verl Reichenbach of the Navy,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Reichen
bach of near Bluffton who recently
was at Tokyo bay, is expected to
return with the Third fleet for Navy
day observance this week. He was
recently promoted from fireman first
class to water tender third class.
Real Estate Deal
Frank Todd, Bluffton grocer, has
purchased from Mrs. Martha Flick
the two story brick business room
on South Main street occupied by
the City Market, it was announced
the first of the week. Altho Todd
who operates a grocery in the ad
joining Hankish block, is vacating
the location at the end of this month,
he said there would be no change in
the tenants of the building which he
has purchased.
PAGE THREE
BUY
VNrm*
MaTU
NUMBER 27
VICTORY WAR LOAN
DRIVE WILL START
HERE THIS WEEK
Kick-off Meeting Will Be Held
This Friday in High
School Building
Bluffton Is Divided Into 10
Zones for House-to-House
Solicitation
Mobilization of 10 teams of War
Bond solicitors for a house-to-house
canvass of Bluffton in the Victory
War Loan Drive, which officially
opens next Monday, will be effected
at a kickoff meeting in the Bluffton
High school cafeteria, Friday night
at 7:30.
Solicitation of the town will get un
der way early next week, and present
plans call for a completion of the lo
cal campaign by Saturday, Nov. 3, it
was announced by N. A. Triplett and
M. M. Bogart, co-chairmen of the
Bluffton drive.
Campaign material and other ne
cessary information will be placed in
the hands of volunteer workers at the
session.
For the campaign, the town will be
divided into 10 zones, in which*solici
tation will be handled by the same
teams formerly working with cap
tains Edgar Chamberlain, Gene Ben
roth, Charles Aukerman, W. A. Howe,
Charles Gazette, Gail Mumma, N. E.
Byers, Jesse Yoakam, Silas Diller and
C. F. Niswander.
This will be the second War Loan
Drive of this year, and altho actual
fighting has ended funds are required
for hospitalized servicemen requiring
medical attention as as a result of
war injuries.
ATTEND CONVENTION
E. J. Wahlie and Albert Winkler of
the Amstutz Hatcheries organization
are in Columbus attending the con
vention of the Ohio Baby Chick as
sociation, Wednesday and Thursday.
Settlement
Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert Wenger and
daughter, Norma of Salem, Oregon,
arrived here the forepart of the
week to spend several weeks among
relatives and friends here.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Schumacher
and family visited in the home of
Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Amstutz in
Ada, Sunday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Bucher expect
to leave for North Carolina the lat
ter part of this week to visit their
youngest son John who is stationed
at a camp there.
Arthur Schumacher, Ezra Moser
and Hiram Kohli were in Nappanee,
Ind., Tuesday to make contact with
the office of the Relief Service of
the Church of the Brethren who
have for some time done relief work
among the needy and suffering of the
European nations.
Many churches of various denom
inations all over the United States
are manifesting a splendid spirit of
cooperation in this worthy enter
prise. A representation of the ad
ministration office at Nappanee is to
present the cause in our locality in
the near future. Committees from
the various churches of our locality
are being appointed to carry on
this work.
William Fridley, 81, died in the
Bluffton Community hospital, Wed
nesday morning. Funeral services
at Pleasant View church Friday
afternoon at 2:30 o’clock.
Wheat is still being sown in this
vicinity at present. Perhaps at no
time in many years has such large
acreage been seeded as late as now.
Rev. P. J. Boehr officited at the
wedding of Miss Mary Liechty and
Emmet Augsburger Sunday after
noon at the Mennonite church in
Berne. Ind. heir many friends ex
tend their best wishes. The couple
will be at home to their many
friends or the Augsburger farm
across the road from the Menno
Augsburger homestead.
Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Reichenbach
and son Roger and Mrs. Verl Reich
enbach and children Larry and Carol
Sue visited in the home of Mrs. Dan
Steppier near Decatur, Ind., Sunday.
Mr.a nd Mrs. Marvin Dirk of
Evanston, Ill., missionaries who were
interned in the Philippine Islands by
the Japanese for three and a half
years will bring messages at the St.
John church at morning, afternoon
and evening services.
P. A. Suter is spending several
weeks in the home of his daughter
Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Irish at De
Witt, Michigan.
Rev. and Mrs. Erwin Wedel of
Jackson, Miss., are to be at the St.
John church on Thursday evening.