July 2011

Two community meals are planned for July by the Bluffton Inner Church Board. The meals are Thursday, July 7, and Thursday, July 21. Both are at 6 p.m. in the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center, North Main Street.

Admission is free; donations are accepted and will go to the Bluffton Community Assistance Program food pantry.

Bluffton Presbyterian Church will sponsor the July 7 meal; St. Mary's Catholic the July 21 meal.

Icon viewers:

I've begun reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, a book that changed Dad's life. You might find this paragraph interesting:

July comes in like a heat wave. Here's the weather summary for the first four days of July from Guy Verhoff, Pandora weather observer.

Date Max temp Min temp Prec
July 1 88 64
July 2 92 71 0.09
July 3 90 68
July 4 89 68

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Here's Hiram Kohli in his classic baseball catcher's position. Paul Diller took this photo with the series of Main Street business men. Here's some observations from Charles Hilty about this photo:

Hiram Kohli was an excellent baseball player. He was Ziggy Burcky's catcher in college days and played later on good sand lot teams. I think that A. C. and Hiram used to have a nostalgic game of pitch and catch every spring down on the old college baseball diamond.

1954 - Roger Bannister ran a mile under 4 minutes, Rosa Parks was arrested. Sports Illustrated had it first issue. The Icon spotted this 1954 Ohio license plate at the Wheels Fest.

Has the Bluffton sesquicentennial struck your family history bone. If so, the Bluffton Public Library can help your quest for information.

The Bluffton Public Library has made a flyer available to persons interested in local history and genealogy material. The flyer lists all materials housed in the Shannon Room, which are non-circulating. Persons with questions should ask the library staff.

Over 2,000 views. That's the total number of clicks Icon viewers have made to view the 25 Bluffton Icon sesquicentennial videos. The videos continue to be available by clicking here.

Videos range from the sesquicentennial parade (we've not yet posted the entire parade, watch for it this week), Wheels' cruise, opening ceremonies, the outdoor band concert and several of the afternoon lectures.

By Mary Pannabecker Steiner
I've never really understood the fascination that some people have for cars. I'll blame this one on my parents. Unlike other families, we didn't get a new car very often, nor did we have multiple cars....despite the fact that we had five kids.

Click for more columns by MPS.

Eugene Basinger

L. Eugene Basinger, 92, of Bluffton died 8:35 a.m. July 1, 2011 at Memorial Memorial Home, Bluffton. He was born on his family farm south of the Ebenezer Mennonite Church on Phillips Road in Bluffton on Feb. 14, 1919. He was the sixth of seven living children of Daniel J. and Elizabeth Bixel Basinger.

FDR was elected president of the United States in 1932. He became the 32nd president. You are looking at the Ohio license plate for that year. The Icon spotted the plate at this year's Wheels Festival.

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