The Bluffton news. [volume], December 28, 1950, Image 1

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VOLUME LXXV
PARENTS TO SHARE
WITH LUCKY CHILD
IN LAVISH AWARDS
Hospital Announcement to De
termine Hour of Birth of
Infant
Bluffton’s Baby Derby to Start
at Midnight on Sunday
Night
Gifts by the truckload will be
showered on the first 1951 baby
from the immediate Bluffton area
born in the Community hospital here,
as a result of a gigantic New Year’s
Day Baby Derby in which more than
60 local business places are offering
prizes. j-
The greater part of The windfall
of gifts will be to the baby, but the
lucky father and mother also will
share in the awards, with a wide
variety of offerings including every
thing from ice cream to coal.
The first baby bom in the Bluffton
hospital after the stroke of 12 Sun
day night will be the King or Queen
of the Baby Derby if his parents
live within a 10-mile radius of the
town, participating merchants an
nounced.
Complete derby rules are as fol
lows:
Rules of Award
1—The baby must be born in
Bluffton Community hospital.
2—Parents must live within a
10-mile radius of the hospital.
3—The 1951 baby’s birth certi
ficate will be used to determine
the winner, together with a
statement from the attending
physician and hospital.
4—Parents must notify Silas
Diller, president of the Bluffton
Business Men’s association.
Extra Awards
In addition to the multitude of
prizes for the first 1951 baby born
in the hospital, there will be addi
tional gifts for both the first boy
baby, the first girl baby and the first
set of twins. The 1950 derby gift
lor twins never was claimed.
Gifts included in the Baby Derby
jackpot this year include cash and
merchandise of every conceivable
form and variety.
Last year’s first baby, born in the
hospital under the same rules apply
ing for this winter, was a girl born
to Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Habegger,
of Elm street, on January 8, after
the longest babyless stretch in
history at the Bluffton hospital.
Complete listing of Baby Derby
gifts appears on Page of this
issue.
Will Romey, Former
Resident, Succumbs
William H. Romey, 72, Bluffton
native and for many years promin
ent in the business and civic life in
Richmond, Indiana, died in Reid Me
morial hospital in that city Satur
day, following a heart attack. He
was a brother of E. C. Romey and
Mrs. Elizabeth Badertscher of this
place.
Mr. Romey was bom in Bluffton,
the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. H. L.
Romey, March 9, 1878, and gradu
ated from Bluffton high school in
the class of 1897. His wife, who
survives, is the former Cotta Minter,
whose father, Rev. Ellis Minter was
a Lutheran pastor in the early days
of the church here.
For the past forty-five years he
was engaged in the furniture busi
ness in Richmond, his establishment
now occupies one of the city’s larg
est mercantile buildings.
He was also a director in the Peo
ple’s Home and Savings association
of Richmond former vice president
of a Richmond bank and formerly
served as a member of the board of
trustees of Wittenberg college. Dur
ing the war he was county chairman
of the Savings bond committee and
was active in city and state retail
ers association.
He was also a member of the board
of trustees of the Richmond Luther
an church.
Besides his wife and brother and
sister he is survived by two sons,
William and James, and a brother
Fred who are associated with him
in business, and another sister
Mrs. J. C. Welty of Phoenix, Ariz.
Five grandchildren also survive.
Funeral services were held at
Richmond, Tuesday afternoon with
burial in the Earlham cemetery.
Allen McCltier’s East Jefferson
street home, brilliant with holi
day lights and an illuminated
Yuletide greeting, won first prize
in the Junior Chamber of Com
merce residential Christmas dec
oration contest.
Other award winners in the
competition included: Nelson
Steiner, 201 N. Lawn avenue,
second Ray Hilty, 186 W, Kibler
street, third F. T. Lauriat, 137
W. Kibler, fourth, and Harry
Bogart, 180 W. Kibler, fifth.
Judges of the Jaycee contest
included Mayor W. A. Howe,
Grover Soldner, Mrs. Gordon
Bixel, Prof. John Klassen and
Mrs. Russell A. Lantz.
On the Jaycee committee spon
soring the contest were Robert
Hamman, chairman Robert
Stratton, Richard Augsburger,
Harry Minck and Clyde Som
mers.
Cash prizes awarded were as
follows: First, $10 second, $5
third, $2.50 fourth, $1, and, fifth
$1.
“TIDE OF TOYS”
COLLECTION TO
OPEN THIS WEEK
Aim to Surpass Last Year’s
Record of 2,000 Toys from
Bluffton
Collection Depots Designated
Where Toys May be Left
by Donors
Bluffton kiddies,, made happy by
the magic of Christmastime, are
asked to share their playthings with
the less fortunate youngsters of war
ravaged Europe in the American Le
gion’s second annual “Tide of Toys”
campaign, opening in the Bluffton
community this week.
In the drive to collect toys for
needy European children, Bluffton
Legion Post, No. 382, is cooperating
with 17,300 other Legion groups
throughout the United States.
To make the “Tide of Toys” cam
paign a success, every boy and girl
in Bluffton is urged to contribute one
Christmas gift for the less fortunate
youngsters overseas. With each con
tributed toy should be a signed note
of greeting to a child in Europe.
Bluffton Legionnaires, aided by
women of the Auxiliary, will pack
the toys and send them to Philadel
phia, shipping point for the TOT op
eration. Overseas distribution of the
toys will be handled by CARE.
Committee Named
On the committee sponsoring the
Bluffton collection of toys will be
Gamette Foltz, chairman Burdell
Huber, co-chairman Earl Stober,
Clyde Klingler, James Benroth, Den
ver Augsburger, Al Ingalls and
Charles Main.
In last year’s drive, Bluffton kid
dies contributed 2,000 toys, and the
goal has been upped for this win
ter’s campaign. The collection drive
is to be closed here on January 20.
During the campaign, toys may be
left in the following business places:
Community Market, Swank’s Barber
shop, Bluffton Meat market, C. F.
Niswander Implement store Farm
Bureau Co-op, Bluffton Implement,
Swank’s Meat Market, Marshall &
Bixel, Bixel Motor Sales, Triplett
Electrical Instrument Co., Boss
Mfg. Co.
Special Services
For Prayer Week
Two special evening church serv
ices will mark Bluffton observance
of the Universal Week of Prayer,
to be held from January 7 through
14.
Opening service of the series will
be held at 7:30 p. m. Sunday, Jan. 7,
in the St. John’s Evangelical & Re
formed church and the second will
be at 7:30 p. m. Thursday, Jan. 11,
at the Presbyterian church.
Bluffton’s participation in the
week of prayer is sponsored by the
Bluffton Ministerial association.
Mr. and Mrs. T. E. Stepleton and
family of Van Wert and Mr. and
Mrs. J. M. Springer and family of
Princeville, Ill., spent Christmas
with Mr. and Mrs. Sam Stepleton of
North Lawn avenue.
Winners Announced In Bluffton’s
Christmas Home Lighting Contest
Mayor W. A. Howe will continue in
office as the executive head of the
village administration," with Everett
Sutermeister remaining *as president
of municipal council.
Standing council committees also
will remain unchanged, consisting ot
Fiance—Frank A. Todd and Donald
Ream Street—Everett Sutermeister
and Clay Henderson Fire and Light
—Ed Badertscher and William Gaiffe.
Board Unchanged
Membership of the board of public
affairs also will be unchanged, with
President Forrest Steinman, Harvey
Beidler anh Joel Kimmel continuing
to serve. i
A. J. B. llongsdorf will remain in
office as municipal clerk Don Augs
burger will icontinue as clerk of the
board of public affairs, and Eli
Hostettler will serve another year
as village treasurer.
Municipal appointments made a
yec.i ago byfMayor W. A. Howe are
expected to show little change in
1951. Now serving are John Romey,
solicitor Guy Corson, fire chief H.
L. Coon, street commissioner James
Benroth, town clock caretaker, and
members of the volunteer fire depart
ment.
Personnel of the board of educa
tion will remain unchanged with
terms of incumbents continuing
through the coming year. They are:
Levi Althaus, Carl Derringer, Rev.
V. C. Oppermann, P. W. Stauffer and
Dr. B. W. Travis.
College Students
Here For Holidays
A number of Bluffton young people
attending college are home for the
holidays.
Among these are:
Alice Jean Bixel, Flora Stone
Mather college, Cleveland.
Ruth Diller, Wheaton college,
Wheaton, Ill.
Eugene Hankish, John Carroll
university, Cleveland.
James Howe, Northwestern uni
versity, Evanston, Ill.
Beverly Biery, University of Texas,
Austin.
Eleanor Linden, Malcolm Basinger,
Wooster college.
David Stearns, Robert Warren,
Heidelberg college, Tiffin.
Jo Haller, Bonnie Grismore, Bowl
ing Green State university.
Howard Landes, Wanda Hochstet
tler, Miriam Arlene Bixel, Moody
Bible institute, Chicago.
Marilyn Fett, Roger Linden, Rich
ard Urich, Miami university, Oxford.
Mary Jane Garmatter, Verna
Kiefer, Allan and Wanda Tschiegg,
Grace Bible institute, Omaha, Neb.
John J. Althaus, Jean Ann Burcky,
Harriet Burkhart, Byron Fritchie,
Robert Marshall, Robert Oberly, Lois
Oyer, Chas, and Wanda Trippiehorn,
Roy Reichenbach, Jane Risser and
Carold Welty, Ohio State university,
Columbus.
Births
The following births in Bluffton
hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Frommer, Find
lay, a boy, Roger Carl, Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Price, Wharton,
a girl, Sue Elaine, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Guy Fleming, Ada,
a boy, Larry Dean, Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Hauenstein,
Bluffton, a girl, Patty Jean, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Delvin Kirchhofer
of Hagerstown, Md., a girl, Satur
day. Mr. Kirchhofer is formerly of
Bluffton and Mrs. Kirchhofer is the
former Helen Moser of Orrville.
Truckload of Gifts Awaits Arrival of Bluffton s First New Year Baby
NO CHANGES IN
TOWN OFFICIALS
IN COMING YEAR
Bluffton Officeholders Elected
for Two Year Terms Will
Remain
Mayor’s Appointees are Expect
ed to be Continued in
New Year
With Bluffton’s elective and ap
pointive officials, sworn in last
January for two year terms, continu
ing in office, there will be little
change in the pattern of the town’s
governmental organization during
1951.
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
.J
Record Building
One of the highlights in a season
marked by busy activity in many
fields, residential building in Bluffton
during 1950 topped the previous
post-war peak of 14 set in both
1946 and 1947. Construction tempo
was nearly double its 1949 pace
when 10 new homes were started. In
1948 there were only five new homes.
A major scene of activity in the
construction of new homes was the
area on Harmon road from the
Bluffton hospital to the intersection
with Bentley road where six resi
dences were started during the year.
In the imposing list of new houses
were the following: William Mericle
and Dave Risser, Harmon and Bent
ley roads Sam Bixel, Spring street
Everett Sutermeister, Harmon road
Charles Patterson, Garau street Ivan
Johnson, county line road D. A. Mc
Ginnis, Garmatter addition Miss
Dawn Stonehill, South Jackson
street Ross Irwin and John Herr
mann, Cherry street.
Joel Kimmel, S. Main street
Howard Stager, East College avenue,
Ed Steiner, Spring street Dr. B. W.
Travis, West Kibler street E. J.
Wahlie, South Main street Cecil
Fitzpatrick, North Dixie highway
Enimit L. Huntley and Olan Lewis,
Harmon road.
Industrial Activity
In local industrial activity, a
$2,200,000 expansion program launch
ed early in 1949 at the Bluffton
generating plant of the Central Ohio
Light and Power Co. was completed
during the year.
In the project an addition 110 by
43 feet was added to the plant and
a new 12,OOOKva turbo-generator and
a 120,000 pounds of steam per hour
boiler were added. The turbine is
the fifth in the plant and gives it a
total capacity of 45,000 kilowatts.
Business expansion in the town
was marked by two construction
programs, one completed in early
summer and the other now nearing
completion. A new warehouse for
the C. F. Niswander home appliance
and farm implement store was con
structed early in the year, and work
men now are engaged in building a
(Continued on page 7)
BLUFFTON NEWS
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, DEC. 28, 1950
Cold Wave 16 Below Zero Grips Town
3^*
.,•*.**
A*
Bluffton ended 195^^yrth a year
of busy activity murk§®sbi^$ntinua
tion of the ivs ?. dize^WSrastrial,
residential, business and municipal
expansion program which got under
way here shortly after the close of
World War II back in 1945.
General construction expansion
reaching into all four fields, and
denoting the growth of a bigger and
better Bluffton, easily qualified as
the most noteworthy event of the
last 12 months.
A “king-sized” residential building
program set a new all-time record
here during the year when construc
tion of 18 new homes was started
within the village limits.
AZ
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11 i
4
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Bluffton area residents Will usher
in the New Year in traditional
fashion with ringing bells, shrieking
whistles, tooting horns and the usual
midnight watch parties, as the Yule
tide holiday season reaches its cul
mination on New Year’s Eve at mid
night next Sunday,
Adding color and cheerfulness to
the holiday observance, informal
gatherings will be held in many
homes of the town and area theater
parties are planned by some ,and
in other cases the passing of the
old year will be observed by staying
at home and listening to radio
programs in keeping with the season.
Bands of merry carolers are plan
ning their traditional rounds of the
town and countryside, to sing the
favorite Swiss songs of the season,
as another time-hallowed feature
marking the debut of the New Year.
Holiday Monday
New Year’s Day on Monday will be
Four persons were injured, an
automobile, a semi-trailer and a
farm trailer were nearly demolished
and a lumber pile and a tool shed
were damaged in a chain-action mis
hap on the Dixie highway, one-half
mile south of Beaverdam, at 6:55
a. m. last Friday.
Mrs. Elizabeth Bollenbacher, of
Toledo, most seriously injured in the
crash is in the Bluffton Community
hospital this week, suffering from
three fractured ribs and other in
juries. Her condition is reported as
fair.
The multiple mishap started when
Otto Bollenbacher, 30, husband of
the hospital patient, attempted to
pass another car at the crest of a
hill. He was traveling north, and
his auto met a southbound auto driv
en by Glenn S. Huber, 50, of Route
2, Columbus Grove.
The autos of Huber and Bollen
bacher hit headon, highway patrol
men reported. While Bollenbacher
was checking the condition of his
wife, both remaining in the car, a
semi-trailer truck, traveling south,
was unable to stop as it neared the
scene.
The huge truck swerved but hit
Bollenbabcher’s car headon, and the
auto swung around and struck Mrs.
Ruth E. Goetz, of Lima, a passerby
who had stopped to help the Bollen
bachers out of their wrecked car.
Mrs. Goetz was thrown into a barn
yard.
W'
Carolers And Watch Parties To
Welcome New Year In Bluffton
Everything Including A Tool Shed
Got Into This Freak Highway Mishap
Hi
I
observed generally as a holiday
throughout the town and area, with
local business places and industries
suspending activity over the long
holiday weekend.
As usual there will be no mail
deliveries on either town or rural
routes and windows at the post office
will be closed throughout the day.
With the passing of 1950, the
gaiety of the holiday season comes
to a close and the color and cheer
of the Yuletide soon will be absorbed
in the customary rush of everyday
affairs. Christmas decorations will
come down for another year, and the
gaily decked trees will be discarded,
symbolizing the end of another cele
bration of the community’s favorite
holiday season.
Bluffton High and Grade schools
will end their holiday recess next
Tuesday morning, and classes will
reconvene at the college on Wednes
day morning.
The semi-trailer continued off the
left side of the road, plowing over a
pile of lumber and striking a two
wheeler farm trailer which it pushed
into a tool shed. When it finally
came to stop the cab of the semi
trailer also was in the shed.
Mrs. Bollenbacher was the only
hospital case, although her husband
received first aid and Mrs. Goetz
suffered cuts and bruises.
Bluffton’s Business Men’s associa
tion has rounded out a year of busy
activity during 1950 under the direc
tion of Silas Diller, retiring presi
dent of the organization.
Officers for the coming year will
be elected in a reorganization meet
ing in the town hall this Wednesday
night. In addition to naming new
officers, the association will map
tentative plans for the coming year.
In addition to Diller, other officers
serving the association during the
last year included Hiram Huser,
vice-president Harlan Swank, sec
retary and Al Ingalls, treasurer.
Special activity promotions of the
association during the last year in
cluded the following:
Special Promotions and Publicity—
Ed Waitermire, Ed Rice and Wil
liam Edwards.
Bluffton Businessmen’s Association
Completes Busy Year Of Activity
Happy New Year
-.............. ......
NUMBER 37
WEDNESDAY’S LOW
MARK BREAKS TWO
YEAR RECORD HERE
Heavy Snowfall on Christmas
Day is Followed by Sub
zero Blast
Heavy Fog Tuesday Night Adds
to Hazards of Dixie High
way Travel
Shivering in a temperature of 16
degrees below zero, a record of near
ly three years standing was shatter
ed early Wednesday movn:ng when
the mercury plummeted to *s low
est mark since March 194K.
The cold wave followed a Christ
i d.?v blizzard on Monday when
a heav\ snowfall covered the town
in the afternoon and brought snow
drifted roads in its wake.
Colder temperatures on Tuesday
were followed by rapidly dropping
temperatures. The thermometer
stood zero Tuesday night at 7 o’clock
and from there steadily went down
at the rate of about two degrees an
hour reaching a low of 16 dogbees
below zero at 2 a. m., Wednesday.
No Wind
The biting cold, however, was made
bearable only by the almost com
plete absence of wind. Thrnout
Tuesday night and Wednesday there
was scarcely any breeze discei-nable.
Not since March 12, 1948 has the
Bluffton area had it so cold. The
reading on that day was 15 degrees
below.
Predictions are that the cold wave
Wednesday night wjU by less severe
with minimum temperatures between
zero and five below.
King Winter’s newest assault had
its inception on Christmas Day just
at a time when it looked as if the
dw^rict was about .due to lose the
sitovfy mantle ft .Jias Worn since the
^2-inch, blizzard of November 26.
Suow aijd Qolder
Onljva* trace of snow remained
carty hrwtnm. mornlhg, but light
snowfall was noticeable' by noon and
before the day had ended more than
six inches of snow’ covered the
ground and icy highways.
Temperatures fell at the same
time, reaching a low of nine on Tues
day morning.
Dense fog in Bluffton Tuesday
night also added to the hazards of
highway travel, already made
dangerous by the slippery conditions
of streets and highways.
Normal holiday travel Tuesday
afternoon and evening w’as slow’ed
to nearly a standstill by the snow
storm and slick highways, but few
mishaps were reported in this area
and there were no serious accidents.
African Missionary
Here On Furlough
Miss Katherine Gratz, missionary
in French West Africa, arrived in
Bluffton Sunday for a one-year fur
lough from her mission duties over
seas. She is at the home of her
mother, Mrs. Peter Gratz of South
Jackson street.
A missionary in French West Af
rica near the Equator, Miss Gratz
last was home four years ago.
She serves under the Missionary
Alliance board, supported by the
Missionary Church association.
Mrs. Viola Hochstettler and daugh
ter Anna Louise of Ezel, Ky., are
spending the holidays here. Miss
Hochstettler is instructor in home
economics in a mission school at that
place.
Fourth of July rodeo—Hiram Hu
ser, Silas Diller, James Szabo and
Harlan Swank.
Cleanup, Paintup, Fixup—Edgar
Chamberlain, Paul Emmert and Paul
Greding.
Education—Walter Gratz, Prof. H.
W. Raid and Ed Rice.
Membership—Morris Fett.
Telephone protest—Rafmond Gred
ing and William Gaiffe.
Peddlers’ Law—Clarence Brunn.
Business Solicitation—Chas. Auk
erman, Ed Chamberlain, Dave Ris
ser.
Parking Expansion Clarence
Brunn.
Christmas Entertainment—Eugene
Benroth, Silas Diller.
Christinas Decorations—Dean Nis
wander, James West, Ralph Ba
singer.
(Continued on page 7)