Looking Back

Through the pages of the Wapakoneta Daily News

JANUARY 20, 1923

■ Impressive funeral services were conducted for the late August Smith, former sheriff of Auglaize County, the rites being conducted by the Elks Lodge in charge of Bert Blume, past exalted ruler. About half a hundred Elks attended.

The service opened with prayer by Chaplain W.H. Crawford, followed y a selection by the Elks quartette. Attorney C.A. Stueve delivered the funeral oration, and this eulogy of the dead was followed by another number by the quartette. The remains were conveyed to Fairmount Cemetery north of Uniopolis, where they were interred at the side of the deceased’s late wife, following the Elks ritual service and eulogy by Mr. Blume. Pallbearers were John Heinrich, William Kreitzer, William Lear, Ed. Zink, Harry Shannon, and Frank Zofkie.

■The City Water and Light Department has a brand new Ford truck for use in that department now. The new truck was ordered by Service Director Benner before he left for California last Tuesday. The truck it is said has been needed for use in that department for a long time.

■ County Coroner Walter Stuckey was called into service to act as sheriff when Sheriff Bob Ewing was named as defendant in a suit filed y the Timmerman Motor Sales company of Lima, seeking to replevin an automobile that had been sold to Ernest Campbell, this county. The sheriff last week levied on a Ford automobile, in execution of cognovit judgment taken against Campbell by one of the local banks, and brought the vehicle to Wapakoneta and stored it in the county garage. He Lima car agency had a mortgage on the Ford, 1922 model, it is claimed, and in the suit filed seeks possession of the machine. The company as asks for $100 for use of the car in addition to possession. Coroner Stuckey, who by law must serve as sheriff in such cases, was called into action. He started out on the hunt for the sheriff and the Ford car, and eventually cornered the machine at the county garage. It will be moved to other quarters where the coroner can “keep one eye on it.”

JANUARY 20, 1948

■ A United Christian Youth Service will take place at First English Lutheran Church Sunday evening. Sponsored y the Ministerial Association of Wapakoneta, headed by Reverend Kenneth Foulke, and by all Protestant church youth organizations, the meeting is open to all related groups, such as boy scouts, girl scouts, HI-Y. Y Teens, and 4-H clubs. The highlight of the evening is to be the appearance f Dr. Tennyson Guyer .... [who] is widely known and is considered one of Ohio’s best speakers.

JANUARY 20, 1973

■ If you’ve driven by at night and noticed many of the blue landing strip lights out, don’t blame Museum personnel for being slipshod in their caretaking duties. Kathy Minkin, museum curator, said that airports are switching to a different lighting system and supplies for the other are hard to come by. An order had been placed for the original blue bulbs, but they haven’t been received. The Museum is switching to the new system which entails replacing the present fixture bases.

■ A large quantity of drugs of various types was taken from Herwig’s Drug Store sometime during the night. The theft was discovered this morning an the Wapakoneta Police Department was notified. Police sad the exact amount and type of drugs taken was not yet determined.

JANUARY 20,1998

■ Vernon Weimert, 92,formerly of Perry Street, died on January19. He was born in Wapakoneta in 1905. Mr. Weimert was an assistant auditor for Auglaize County until his retirement in 1979. He had previously delivered groceries for local stores for many years. He was a 1922 graduate of St. Joseph High School. Mr. Weimert performed as Vernon the Magician from 1928 to 1960. He played clarinet and saxophone in several dance bands in the areas. He was a life member of the Brotherhood of Musicians and the Lima Federation of Musicians.

■ Barbara Cummins-lee, MD, family physicians, was recently honored for 30 years of membership in the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Cummins-lee was recognized during the opening ceremony of the organization’s 49th assembly in Chicago.