Community members including the family of Bluffton teacher Katrina Riepenhoff, who passed away while awaiting a heart transplant in 2024, and the Village of Bluffton have scheduled an event celebrating the creation of the Bluffton Community Dog Park on Lake St.
At 5:15 p.m. on Friday, March 14, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony including remarks by Matt Ellerbrock and comments by the Riepenhoff family, Assistant Village Administrator Bryan Lloyd and Mayor Rich Johnson.
Erwin Othmar Schwieterman, age 91 of Maria Stein, died on Saturday March 8, 2025, surrounded by family, at Mennonite Memorial Home, Bluffton after a period of declining health. He was born on December 17, 1933, in St. Sebastian, the son of Clemens H. and Lauretta M. (Kuess) Schwieterman. On June 16, 1984, he married the love of his life, Louise Schaublin. On that day Erwin’s family grew immediately as Louise had five children, four grown and Gary, age 13. He was a wonderful dad to Gary and loved by the entire family.
Gerald William Glick of Arlington entered the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on March 8, 2025. Gerald was born on July 12, 1941 in Bluffton, Ohio to George William and Alfrieda (Bosse) Glick who both preceded him in death.
Gerald married the love of his life Nancy Kay Zuber on December 26, 1964. Nancy went to be with Jesus on June 14, 2020 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease.
It is with heavy hearts (and reJOYCEing in Heaven), we announce the passing of Joyce Ann Badertscher, beloved Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma (GG), at the age of 93, on March 10, 2025 at the Mennonite Memorial Home surrounded by her loving family. Joyce was born on August 22, 1931 in Van Wert County, Ohio to Charlotte L. Coffman and raised by her grandparents, Elsie and Henry "Pop" Kline. She graduated from Lima Central School in 1949. On May 2, 1953, Joyce married Maynard R. Badertscher at the Elm Street Church of the Brethren in Lima.
Cheryl "Cherl" A. Cook, 66, of Fostoria and formerly of Findlay, has gone home to be with her savior, Jesus on March 9, 2025, at Bridge Hospice Care Center of Findlay.
Cheryl was born to Carl "Duke" and Carol (Fruchey) McKitrick in Findlay on April 28, 1958. Cheryl married Steven Cook on May 27, 1989 at the First United Brethren Church, and he survives.
For persons with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), they may know more about their surroundings and what is said to them than people think. They ought to be treated in conversation just as though they don't have AD, but have awareness and recognize what is being said, even if they don't reflect it. And they, like all of us, appreciate warmth and friendliness.
According to current research, we have 86 billion neurons in our brain. Whether we have dementia in AD or not, some of our neurons are constantly dying, just as cells in our bodies are constantly dying, but new ones are also being produced. There are neurons that transport information to parts of the brain involving memory and reasoning. This part of the brain is like a factory. When certain elements of a factory shut down, confusion and inefficiency occurs. But some of the images stored in this factory in the brain remain, although they may be mysteriously hidden. Sometimes they may surface like the sun breaking through the clouds on a dark day.
