1900
VOLUME LXXV
(X? 3
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Live
BOY RIDING BIKE
ON FISHING TRIP
FALLS IN QUARRY
Jerry Yoakam Pitched Into
Buckeye When Bicycle
Strikes Washout
Lester Hahn Racing Boat to
Scene Plunges Overboard
to Effect Rescue
Quick action of a motorboat oper
ator saved an 11-year-old youth
from drowning in water of the
Buckeye quarry where he had gone
to fish Sunday afternoon at 2:30
o’clock.
While riding his bicycle on the
dike, a narrow ledge between the
quarry and Big Riley creek, Jerry
Yoakam, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse
Yoakam, living two miles northwest
of Bluffton, struck a small gully
washed out by spring rains and was
thrown headfirst into 30 feet of
water at the north end of the quar
ry opposite the shelter house.
Clothes Weigh Down
Although only about 10 feet from
the bank, young Yoakam weighed
down by his clothing was unable to
swim when his struggles attracted
attention of Lester Hahn taking off
from the opposite bank in an out
board motorboat.
Racing his boat across the quarry
to the scene of the accident Hahn
dove overboard, grasped the youth
and swam with him tt the bank.
The bicycle which failed to go into
the quarry when the rear wheel
caught in the limb of an overhang
ing tree, together with his fishing
tackle were retrieved by Hahn who
returned the youth to his home, ap
parently none the worse for the ex
perience.
COLLEGE PLANS
FESTIVITIES FOR
50th ANNIVERSARY
Special Observance to be Held
June 2 to 5 During Com
mencement Week
Seventy-one Seniors, Largest
Class in School’s History,
to Graduate
Bluffon College’s Fiftieth anni
versary commencement, with an em
phasis on gains made by the insti
tution during the last half-century,
will be featured by a program of
many features in a four-day observ
ance opening Friday, June 2, and
continuing through the following
Monday.
In addition to the traditional May
Day program, baccalaureate, com
mencement, and other events related
to college graduation week activity,
an expanded program will be this
year’s Golden anniversary observ
ance.
One of the new features of the
season will be a Swiss Day, set
aside for all persons of Swiss des
cent, which is expected to draw visi
tors here from Swiss communities in
all parts of Ohio and surrounding
states. Swiss Day activities are
scheduled for Friday, June 2, and
will include a noon luncheon on the
campus.
May Day
Program for Saturday, June 3,
will include Varsity breakfasts
the aluinni baseball game class re
unions, the box ceremony, and an
afternoon anniversary program, fol
lowd by the colorful May Day ex
ercises featuring crowning of the
May Queen.
In the evening, the alumni ban
quet will be held, followed by an
open-air presentation of Shakes
peare’s “Macbeth.”
In addition to the baccalaureate
on Sunday, June 4, at which Presi
dent L. L. Ramseyer will speak on
The Golden Age,” the day’s pro
gram will include an anniversary
rendition of Handel’s "Messiah” in
which graduates will join with this
year’s Choral Society in singing of
the traditional Christmas offering in
an outdoor night concert.
Commencement exercises Monday
Continued on page 10)
Honoring Bluffton’s soldier-deaa of
four wars, Memorial Day exercises
here next Tuesday will include the
traditional parade and outdoor cere
monies at Maple Grove cemetery,
under auspices of Bluffton post,
American Legion.
Opening the holiday observance,
the parade will form at the town
hall at 9:30 a. m., and move to Maple
Grove cemetery where* ritualistic ser
vices will be held at 10 a. m. over
the grave of Jos. P. Owens, veteran
of World War I and former Mayor
of Bluffton.
Weather permitting, the Memorial
Day address will be made at the
cemetery by Rev. Paul Cramer, post
chaplain. In case of rain the address
will be in the Legion hall.
Enroute to the cemetery, the Me
morial Day parade will move down
Main street from the town hall to
Grove street, and thence on Grove
street to the cemetery.
Band to Lead Parade
Bluffton High school’s uniformed
band will lead the line of March, fol
lowed bj' members of the Legion and
Legion Auxiliary, other war veterans,
Bluffton Boy Scouts, members of
civic organizations, etc. Grade school
children are urged to decorate their
bicycles, and also join in the pro
cession.
Rev. Cramer, the Memorial Day
speaker, served as chaplain with the
U. S. army for four years in World
War II. He was overseas in the
European theatre. For the last four
Births
The following births at Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Cuppies, Mt.
Cory, a boy, Jack Bruce, Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Scoles, Bluff
ton, a boy, Raymond Lehr, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Huston,
Bluffton, a girl, Linda Kay, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Rymond Crawford,
Findlay, a girl, Patricia Ann, Sat
urday.
Mr. and Mrs. Keith Kirtland,
Bluffton, a girl, Kathleen Ann, Sat
urday.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Schneider,
Bluffton, a boy Christhomas Paul,
Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Williamson,
Benton Ridge, a girl, Eloise Pearl,
Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Cansto Castillo, Pan
dora, a boy, Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Basinger,
Findlay, a girl, Barbara Joyce,
Wednesday morning.
Mr. and Mrs. James Griffith, Ken
ton, formerly of Bluffton, a girl,
Kimberly Ann, bom Saturday at
McKitrick hospital, Kenton. Mrs.
Griffith is the former Zitella Get
ties, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred
Getties.
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Reynolds,
Kermit, Texas, a boy, Roger Gene,
bom Monday in Kermit hospital.
Mrs. Reynolds is the former Jose
phine Augsburger, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Albert Augsburger.
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Augsburger,
Lima, a girl Joan Marie, bom last
Wednesday at St. Rita’s hospital,
Lima. Mrs. Augsburger is the form
er Virginia Neuenschwander of Pan
dora.
Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Farns
worth, Seattle, Wash., a girl, Eliza
beth, bom Friday at Swedish hos
pital, Seatie. Mrs. Farnsworth is
the former Mary Alice Geiger,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Millen
Geiger. Mrs. Geiger left Tuesday
by plane for Seattle where she will
spend several weeks.
John Owens Dies
At Home Near Ada
John Owens, 63, died at his home
3 miles west of Ada, Wednesday
morning at 2 o’clock. Death was
attributed to a heart attack.
Surviving are his wife, Blanche
Thomas Owens daugher Mrs. Eliza
beth Seig and granddaughter Mary
Jane Seig of Kenton.
Also surviving are three sisters:
Mrs. C. D. Fisher, Pandora Mrs.
Thos. Conway and Mrs. Esther
Wagner of Eustis, Florida.
Funeral arrangements are incom
plete.
Col. Grove Pool Opens
Col. Grove municipal swimming
pool will open Memorial day for the
summer season Maily from 1 to 10
P. M.
Motorboat Operator Rescues Drowning Youth
Bluffton to Honor Departed Veterans in
Memorial Day Exercises Tuesday Morning
years he has been pastor of the Bluff
ton Methodist church.
In preparation for Memorial Day,
graves of war veterans will be dec
orated by Bluffton Legionnaires in
Maple Grove and Jefferson street
cemeteries in Bluffton Zion and
What action, if any, on the propos
al for increased telephone rates in
Bluffton was undetermined here
Wednesday.
Hearing on the application for
higher rates filed by the Bluffton
Telephone company was scheduled to
come before the Utilities commission
in Columbus, Tuesday.
Maurice Mahoney, local manager
of the company said Tuesday night
that he had no information as to
what had transpiied in Columbus.
Likewise, no representative of the
town administration attended the
meeting following an airing of the
matter at a meeting of the town
council in which City Solicitor John
Romey informed council that the
commission’s decision on rates would
be based entirely on results of a
study of invested capital of the
utility and its rate of earnings.
Romey’s opinion came following
circulation of petitions through the
business section by the Merchants
association opposing increased rates
on the basis of unsatisfactory serv
ice. Silas Diller, president of the
association said no plans had been
made to have the organization rep
resented at the hearing.
HIGH SCHOOL TO
GRADUATE CLASS
OF 45 THURSDAY
Commencement Exercises for
Graduating Seniors to be
in Gymnasium
Former Detroit Minister and
Newspaper Columnist Is
Class Speaker
Climaxing a week of varied com
mencement activity, graduation exer
cises for 45 Bluffton High school
seniors will be held Thursday night
at 8 o’clock in the school gymnasium.
Presentation of diplomas symboliz
ing the completion of 12 years of
public school activity will come as
the concluding event of a busy week
for the graduating seniors, including
the baccalaureate last Sunday ,and
the senior class play the first of the
week.
With the exception of the annual
alumni banquet and dance, set for
Friday night, graduation exercises
Thursday will bring commencement
week activity to a close.
Class Speaker
Rev. Edgar DeWitt Jones, D. D.,
Litt. D., a former president of the
Federal Council of Churches in Christ
in America, will deliver the class ad
dress at commencement services. For
26 years Dr. Jones was pastor of
Central Woodward Christian Church
in Detroit, and at the same time con
ducted a column on a Detroit news
paper.
Dr. Jones also is a well known
writer, and is one of the nation’s
foremost Lincoln scholars, his latest
book being entitled, “Lincoln and the
Preachers.”
Ranking scholastic honor students,
John Howard Bauman and Ada May
Oyer, will deliver the valedictory and
salutatory orations, respectively, as
a part of the program.
Ruth Irene Diller, a member of
the graduating class, will play a
piano solo, and Kay Berry, also a
graduate, a trumpet solo, as the
feature music offerings of the even
ing.
Present Diplomas
Rev. V. C. Oppermann, president
of the board of education, will pre
sent diplomas to the graduating
seniors. Rev. O. Merrill Boggs will
ask the invocation and Rev. R. R.
Welch will pronounce the benediction.
Town Awaits Outcome Of Hearing On
Application For Higher Phone Rates
Included in the class roll of 45
Continued on page 10)
Bluffton College Celebrates Golden Anniversary
THE BLUFFTON NEWS
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, MAY 25, 1950
Trio Sought Alter Plane Crashes Here
Ebenezer cemeteries Gratz cemetery
and two cemeteries in Beaverdam.
Business and industry will be sus
pended in the town on Tuesday in
observance of the holiday. There will
be no mail deliveries and windows at
the post office will be closed.
COUNCIL TALKS OF
BUYING THREE NEW
TRAFFIC SIGNALS
Replacements Needed for Lights
Now In Operation Here
On Main Street
Cost of New Traffic Control
Signals Estimated At Ap
proximately $500
Purchase of three new traffic lights
to replace the present signals in
operation on Main street for more
than two decades at College Avenue,
Cherry and Elm streets, was dis
cussed Monday night at a meeting
of municipal councik
Proposal to buy new lights was
made following nearly a month of
trouble with the present traffic con
trol installation. For time lights
were out of commissi* at Cherry
street and College avenue intersec
tions, but the Cherry eet light has
since been restored.
New traffic lights considered Mon
day night by councilmen would cost
the town approximately $500 and
installation could be made by work
men from the municipal light plant,
it was pointed out. They may be set
in here on a trial basis to determine
if they are satisfactory for local use.
Trouble in Cable
Major proportion of traffic light
trouble here this spring has been
caused by breakdown of the cable
which runs to the signals from a
control box in the city building.
New-type lights considered by the
council Monday do not require a
cable, and each signal has its own
control from which connection can be
made to the town’s regular electric
current lines, councilmen said.
On the basis of preliminary
estimates there is indication that pur
chase of the three new lights would
cost less than replacing the cable, it
was pointed out at the meeting.
Bluffton Legion post will decorate
over the week end 177 graves of
veterans in 10 cemeteries in the
Bluffton area, it was announced by
officers of the post.
A flag and marker designating the
conflict in which the veteran par
ticipated are placed on each grave
by a committee headed by Armin
Hauenstein and Ralph Henry who
have been in charge of this project
since shortly after the first World
War.
Graves of two Revolutionary vet
erans are those of Hezekiah Hubbel
on the Andrews farm near Richland
Center and Samuel DeFord in the
Old Cemetery on Jefferson street.
In addition to these there are 120
graves of Civil war veterans six
from the Spanish-American war
40 of World War I and nine from
World War II.
Cemeteries are: Maple Grove Old
Cemetery, Bluffton Ebenezer Evan
gelical Mennonite Zion Hubbell
plot Pleasant Hill Beaverdam, and
Woodlawn and Gratz.
Library Summer Hours
Beginning next Monday the li
brary will be open daily from noon
until 5 p. m. and Monday and Sat
urday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00
o’clock. It will be closed on Me
morial day.
Legion Decorates Graves Of 177 Veterans
In Bluffton Area For Memorial Exercises
Piano Recital On
Sunday Afternoon
Miss Ruth Irene Diller will appear
in a piano recital Sunday afternoon
in the College chapel at 3 o’clock.
She will be assisted by Miss Ada
May Oyer at the second piano.
30 Mayors at Aviation Meeting Here
Closed Next Tuesday
The Bluffton News office will
be dosed all day next Tuesday,
Memorial day. AH news matter,
correspondents’ letters and adv
tisements should be in the office
by 3 p. m.. Monday, for publica
tion in next week’s edition.
Orchestra Concert
At Mennonite Church
Because of a conflict in arrange
ments the Bluffton College orches
tra concert will be given in the
First Mennonite church Saurday
night at 8 o’clock instead of the high
school auditorium as previously an
nounced.
With The Sick
Wherevalor Proudly Sleeps
from Concord "Bridge to Sanjuan Hill, from
1* landers Field to Iioo Jima, sleep tke brave
uko fought the gooJ fighF, that this free nation
might remain free.
Proclamation Asks
Support For Poppy
Day Here Saturday
MAYOR W. A. Howe in a
proclamation issued the first of
the week urged public support
for Poppy Day, next Saturday
when memorial poppies will he
sold on the streets here.
Sale of poppies is sponsored
here annually by the Legion
Auxiliary and all proceeds are
used for rehabilitation of veter
ans. The crepe paper poppies
sold here are made by hospitaliz
ed ex-service men.
Cal Steiner of Poplar street is a
surgical patient at Lima Memorial
hospital. His condiion is reported
satisfactory.
Charles Stratton of East Elm
street is a patient in Bluffton hos
pital.
C. D. Hilty of Spring street is a
patient in Bluffton hospital.
Condition of Will Huber, 91, a
patient in Bluffton hospital is re
ported unchanged. He sustained a
broken hip, fractured rib and other
injuries in a fall at his home on
Washington street on May 6.
TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOL DIE FC
Deep in our hearts,on this ATlemorial Day, burns the hope
that, in the future, men need not die that freedom maj live.
"But only if the living are infused with the indomitabli
spirit oj those Americans who have faced death
in war, can the ideals of Our "Democracy hold fast
Displaced European Family Living Here
Appears Before Presbyterian Assembly
A displaced Hungarian family
living in Bluffton who were brought
to this country through good offices
of the Presbyterian church appeared
before the denomination’s highest
governing body, the General As
sembly meeting this week in Cin
cinnati.
The family consisting of Ference
Fulop, 50 his wife Anna, 42
daughter Marianne, 17, and son
Gabor, 8, together with Rev. Leon
ard McIntire, pastor of the Pres
byterian church here were in Cin
cinnati, Tuesday, on invitation from
the Assembly’s committee in charge
of displaced persons.
The denomination has taken an
active interest in bringing displaced
Europeans to this country and the
appearance of the Bluffton fartlily
at the Cincinnati meeting was ar
ranged to promote this movement.
The Fulop family arrived here a
montha go and is making their home
for the present with Mrs. Sidney
Hauenstein of Campus Drive. Fulop
is employed at the plant of the Trip
lett Electrical Insrument company.
STATE LAW SAYS
TOWNS MUST PUT
UP AIR MARKERS
Heads of Three Government
Agencies Address Group
at Airport
Advantages of Compliance with
Statute Pointed Out Tues
day Night
Obligations of municipalities to
erect air markers, and the value of
thea irplane as an aid to agriculture,
were presented to officials and repre
sentatives of some thirty towns at
the Bluffton Airport Tuesday night.
The Bluffton Flying Service, in co
operation with three government
agencies, sponsored the meeting as
a public service.
Realizing the importance of identi
fying sky routes, the Civil Aeronau
tics Association, Ohio Aviation
Board, and the Ohio State Highway
Patrol have joined forces in a pro
gram to present these facts to the
public. C. E. A. Brown, Director of
Aviation of the Ohio Aviation Board,
cited a law passed by the state legis
lature in 1945 requiring each munic-
Continued on page 10)
1950
BLUFFTON
A Good Place to Trade
NUMBER 6
THREE MEN VANISH
AS RENTED CRAFT
HITS FARM FENCE
Detroit Plane Damaged in Be
fore Dawn Takeoff on For
rest Herr Farm
State Highway Patrol and Of
fice of CAA Launch In
vestigation
Mysterious disappearance of three
men who vanished after an airplane
crash at dawn on a farm near Bluff
ton is being investigated by the State
highway patrol and the Toledo office
of the Civil Aeronautics administra
tion.
The trio, riding in an overloaded
2-passenger plane rented from a
Detroit concern crashed in attempt
ed take otl at Forrest Herr’s farm
one mile south of Bluffton on Bent
ley road early last Thursday morn
ing. Since then nothing has been
learned of their whereabouts.
The pilot, identified as Michael B.
Benson, 29, and a passenger, Guy
Payne, 35, both of Detroit and a
third unidentified passenger, all ap
parently uninjured, abandoned the
craft after it struck a fence on the
Herr farm.
Rented Plane in Detroit
State Patrolman M. T. Hedleston
of the Lima post said Benton had
rented the plane from the Wolverine
Aviation Corporation of Detroit at
5:30 p. m. Wednesday for an hour’s
local flight.
A forced landing was made on
Herr’s farm that night at 8 o’clock
and the trio asked for gasoline. Herr
said he supplied 8 gallons of auto
mobile gas filling the plane’s 12
gallon tank to overflowing.
After that Herr said he drove his
car into the field so the headlights
would enable the fliers to see to take
off but the pilot decided to wait until
Morning.
The trio spent the night in the
plane and at 4:15 Thursday morning
attempted to take off when tho plane
crashed into a fence and nosed over,
damaging the left wing tip, landing
gear, propeller and bottom of the
fuselage.
Local pilots said following the ac
cident that difficulty in taking off
was due to the fact that the plane
a two-passenger 1946 Piper J-3 was
heavily overloaded.
When it failed to return to the
home airport an all-night search was
begun which ended on Thursday
when the Bluffton airport reported a
grounded plane answering description
of the missing craft.
The damaged plane, bought by the
Bluffton Flying Service, is undergo
ing repairs atth e airport shop here.
High School Alumni
Dinner Friday Night
Annual reunion and dinner of
Rluffton high school almni will be
held in the high school cafeteria,
Friday night at 6:30 o’clock.
Robert Ewing, president and toast
master will welcome the incoming
class with Eugene Hankish giving
the response.
Speakers will include: A. R. Whis
ler of Oceanside,* Calif., speaking on
the occasion of the fiftieth annivers
ary of his class of 1900 and Harold
Bixel speaking for the twenty-fifth
anniversary of his class of 1925.
Supt. A. B. Murray of the class of
1923 also will speak.
Musical numbers will include
group singing led by Julia Burns
Herr piano solo by Ruth Irene Dil
ler vocal solo, Christine Day cor
net solo, Kay Berry vocal duet,
Dean Niswander and oJanne Verc
ler.
Deaths during the past year in
clude: Mrs. U. M. Shappell and Mrs.
E. C. Akerman, wives of former
superintendents Isaac Geiger, ’96,
Sidney Hauenstein, ’98, Elgar Eaton,
’00 J. P. Owens, ’02, Ola Pepple
Murray, ’87, and Marilyn Stratton,
’48.
Following the dinner will be danc
ing in the gymnasium to music of
Dick Ford’s orchestra.
Appraise Nusbaum
Estate At $25,679
Valuation of of $25,679 was placet^
on the estate of the late David Nus
baum of Richland township in an
appraiser’s report filed in the Allen
County Probate court, Tuesday.
The estate consists of $24,161 in
stocks and securities and $1,518 in
accounts receivable.