Thoughts on blowing out 65 candles
By Fred Steiner
Bear with me as I gobble – care for piece? – a fork full of my birthday cake.
For me, Nov. 9 is the sweetest day on the Roman calendar. And, unlike previous birthdays, this one comes with a nice ring to it.
My Uncle Sam sent me my own Medicare card.
In a birthday wish to appreciate how previous paternal ancestors celebrated their 65th birthdays, please consider the following stories:
Born in Switzerland, Great-grandfather Rudolf Althaus ended up in Shannon, Ohio, signed a petition to change its name to Bluffton, and lived here the rest of his life.
His was an unusual profession: an artist, specifically an oil painter. He painted scenes of Switzerland on large canvases, selling them to his expatriates Swiss friends.
I own several of those paintings.
At age 65 he returned to Switzerland for a fair well home visit.
That’s how he celebrated his 65th birthday.
(He died 50 years to the day I was born. I’ll let you ponder that one.)
My maternal grandfather, Fred Hahn, drilled oil wells in Orange Township starting in the 1890s. His career experienced Bluffton’s Oil Boom from start to finish. As the boom dried up in the 1920s, he capping the empty wells that he originally drilled.
Several of his dynamite boxes used to carry explosives of his trade are in my collection, as is the heavy tool chest he took with him to work in a horse and buggy.
His most learned trait involved retelling unusual Bluffton stories to anyone who might listen. He had lots of listeners.
In the late 1930s he went to the Hardin County courthouse to change his date of birth. Born in the Scioto marsh in 1876, he somehow convinced Hardin County officials that he was really one year younger then records stated.
Pretty clever. He figured out a way to travel back in time and work one extra year.
Apparently he celebrated his 65th birthday by celebrating his 64th birthday.
I’ve never dropped dynamite down a hole.
I never struck oil.
I never painted with oil.
I’ve never visited the Old World.
I never lied about the year I was born.
But, I celebrate my 65th birthday walking the same streets they did – talking with many people who have the same last name as their neighbors and friends.
It’s a pretty comfortable feeling.
I wonder how they celebrated their 70th birthdays?
Stories Posted This Week
Saturday, November 23, 2024
- Pirate football downs Patriots in Region 22 final
- Owen D. Ziessler worked for Accubuilt
- Weekend Doctor: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
- Agenda for Bluffton Council on November 25
- Super Cute Dresses ships 10,000 packages via Bluffton Post Office in 2024
- Volunteer opportunities at Bluffton Hospital
- Invitation to provide monthly display at Bluffton library
Friday, November 22, 2024
- Ticket and livestream info for Bluffton Pirates v. Patrick Henry football
- Service of thanks at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
- Pirate girls basketball beats Hornets in McDonald’s opener
- 100+ voices in Bluffton's Handel's Messiah chorus
- Pirate Worcester named top district defender
- BVHS receives Level 7 achievement in ‘Most Wired’ survey
Thursday, November 21, 2024
- McDonald’s Holiday Tournament, Thursday, November 21
- 2024 Fall Festival in pictures: At the Schumacher Homestead
- Fairy I. Parkins was postmaster of Benton Ridge
- Council committee and residents discuss ADUs, best and worst case scenarios
- BPL hosts Open Crafts and Game Space, November 26
- Women in Business meet November 21
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
- Bluffton Beavers sports roundup, Nov. 13-19
- ODOT prepping for first snow of the season
- Mason named OBL 2024 Banker of the Year
- October 2024 land transfers in Bluffton school district
- November chamber meeting explores member news, Blaze plans and flag etiquette
- Bluffton EMS by the numbers: October 2024
- Children left unattended in running vehicles can lead to abductions
- Icon search function goes from 0 to 30
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
- Tickets and streaming information for Nov. 22 Pirate football playoff game
- Spirit Bus for November 22 football playoff in Findlay
- Tea Bag Exchange & Tasting at BPL, November 21
- Letter: University students learn about Fair Trade
- Join volunteer crew for 2024 Ream Display-Blaze of Lights setup
- Village of Bluffton asks for updated utility billing contact information