Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 62, Number 1, Decatur, Adams County, 2 January 1964 — Page 1

VOL. LXIL NO. 1

Mrs. G. J. Kohne Dies Wednesday Os Auto Injuries

Decefur Lady ! Is Dead From Crash Injury Mrs. Margaret E. Kohne, 56, well known Decatur lady, and Wife of Dr. Gerald -J- Kohne, prominent Decatur physician, died at 3:30 o’clock Wednesday afternoon at the Lutheran hospital, Fort Wayne, of injuries suffered in a head-on collision of two autos last Friday afternoon. Mrs. Kohne had been in critical condition from a skull fracture and other severe injuries the collision shortly after 4 o’clock Friday afternoon on U. S. highway, 27, one mile north of the Adams-Allen county line. The accident occurred when the“ car in which Mrs. Kohne was riding was struck by B|ne driven by Miss Annita Mendez, also of Decatur. as the latter was passing an unidentified vehicle. Mrs. Kohne’s daughter, Miss Kathleen Kohne, in the same car

Pres. Johnson Concerned On U nemployment

JOHNSON CITY, Tex. (UPD —President Johnson headed into 1964 today deeply concerned about chronic unemployment and convinced that the sll billion tax reduction bill before Congress was a “inust” for the ‘economic vitality of the nation. The Chief Executive applies the same “must” label to the pending civil rights bill. He also wants the medicare program for the aged enacted by the Congress which resumes its deliberations Jan. 7. In the international field, the President plans an “unrelenting peace offensive” in the new year to improve relations with Soviet Russia. According to associates, Johnson says the United States cannot “drag its feeta year until after the election” before pressing the peace offensive and exploring the peaceable promises held out in a yearend exchange of messages with Sov ie | Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev. Familiar With Thinking It. is possible to report these and other viewpoints of Johnson at the start of the year on the authority of a key White House official intimately familiar with his feelings and thinking about official matters. This account does not represent an interview with the Chief Executive, but it does reflect his attitude as reported by an authoritiative member of the White House staff. The unemployment problem has figured frequently in Johnson’s planning-for the new year and legislation which he will recommend to Congress. Walter Heller, chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, saw the President earlier this week. While Heller’s emphasis was on the upward trend of the American economy in 1963, he called the unemployment’' situation the most Serious problem on ,the current economic,, horizcft. 4 Million Jobless. The unemployment rate is around 5$ per cent of the work force with ..rppre than 4 million persons out of work. According to the government, automation is displacing about 1.2 million workers annually and to com* plicate the situation further, about 12 million persons also are being added to the work fprce each year.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY , - ' •

Mrs. G. J. Kohne with her mother, escaped with a severe laceration to her right knee and multiple bruises and cuts of the face and head. She was dismissed from the Lutheran hospi-tal-over the weekend. MisS Mendez, a receptionist for Dr. R. E. Allison ot this city, ’ was dismissed from" the Adams county memorial hospital Tuesday after treatment for cuts over the right eye and of the right leg. Mrs. Kohne’s death was the 34th traffic fatality in Allen county for 1963. Funeral Friday The accident victim was born in Oak Park, 111., April 29, 1907, a daughter of Edward A. and

The President feels . a substantial effort must be put forth on unemployment problems for the future. He is dissatisfied with present cures and programs that have been suggested. ■ “We may be underestimating what lies ahead and I am calling for new solutions and I am demanding new thinking on this entire problem,” Johnson has been quoted as saying. As part of his overall approach to economic improvement, Johnson wants more labor leaders and business executives actively participating in government. - 1 " He thinks the jxiblic service field in Latin America is particularly promising for U. S. labor leaders. And he thinks the government should draw more heavily on the reservoir of tal- ’ (Continued cm Page Six) Willshire Man Dies Suddenly At Home Ralph W. James, Sr., 56, a resident of Willshire, 0., for the past 20 years, died suddenly at 1 , o’clock Tuesday afternoon at his home in that towp. He was born in Lamar, Colo., Felj. 15, 1907, a son of Jason and Nellie Jackson-James, and was married to Lillie Aumiller July 26. 1938. Mr. James, an employe of the International Harvester Co. in Fort Wayne for 20 years, was a member of the Eagles lodge at Rockford,. O. Surviving are his wife: two daughers, Mrs Robert (Ruby) Lovellette of -Decatur, and Mrs. George (Virginia) Fiqlds of Wentzville, Mo.; three sons, Ralph W. James, Jr., and Fred L. James, both of Fort Wayne, and Jimmie .L. James, with the U. S. Ajr Force at Lakenheath, England; seven grandchildren, and one sister, Mrs. Retta Eddleman of Lamar. Colo. Two brothers are deceased. Funeral rites will be held at 1:30 p. m. Saturday at the Zwick funeral home, the Rev. Lynn Mefford officiating,' with burial in tha. Willshire cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p. m. today until time of the services.

Lida Attle-Sheley. She was married to Dr. Kohne in Hammond Sept. 26, 1931 . Mrs. Kohne graduated from the University of Chicago and taught school prior to her marriage. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic church, the Rosary society, the Catholic Ladies of Columbia, Tri Kappa sorority, the Ave Maria study club, and the Adams county medical society’s auxiliary. Surviving are her husband; three daughters, Mrs. John (Dorothy) Hegeman of Somerville, N. J., Mrs. Paul (Marjorie) Deßosa of Speedway, and Miss Kathleen Kohne, of Berwyn, IB.; and two sons, Michael and Anthony Kohne, both of Decatur. One daughter preceded her in death. Funeral services will be conducted at 9:15 a.m. Friday at St. Mary’s Catholic church, with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Simeon Schmitt officiating. Burial wiU be in the Catholic cemetery. The body was removed to the Gillig & Doan funeral home, where friends may call after 4 p.m. today until time of the services. The rosary will be recited it 8 p.m. today. The casket wiß remain closed.

Station Attendant Is Beaten, Robbed A New Year’s Eve bandit who knocked a local service station attendant unconscious and made off with nearly $l5O in cash, is being sought today by the city police department. The city police were notified of the “strong-arm” robbery at 10:02 p.m. Tuesday after two Decatur men had seen Alan Terry, 1233 Master Drive, lying unconscious on the floor of the Pure Oil Station, at Five Points. Manager W. B. Baumgardner, 213 W. Adams St., notified the police, who immediately dispatched a car to the scene. Terry was found on the floor of the servicing room of the building, located on the west side. Phone Torn Loose Police found the cash register looted and the telephone torn loose from the wall. Terry was taken to the hospital by-ambul-ance and later regained consciousness to detail the robbery to the police. He explained thjt while he was working on a pick-up truck someone entered the station and advised him not .to turn around. He said he did not know if there were more than one bandit. Terry though someone was just joking him and when he started to turn around, he was struck on the head with either a fist or a hard object. Kicked while Out Whi'e lying on the floor of the station, he was also kicked in the ribs on the left side of his body and his left hand was kicked. He was later x-rayed at the hospital to discover whether or not any ribs were fractured or if he had received any head injuries. The x-rays were negative, however, and he was later released. The only thing that was found missing was the money that had been in the cash register, which amounted to $148.03. Investigating the robbery were officers James Borders and, Tom Hoffman and state detective «sergeant Alan D. Coppes. The investigation was continuing today. TWO SECTIONS INDIANA WEATHER Rather cloudy and a little warmer tonight. Friday cloudy and not much temperature change. Low tonight 24 to 30 north, 27 to 36 south. High Friday in the 40s. Sunset today 5:32 p.lm. Sunrise Friday 8:06 a.m. Outlook for Saturday: Cloudy and mild south and central, cloudy and a little colder north.

a Decatur, Indiana, Thur sday, January 2, 1964.

New City Officers Take Over Duties

The city’s new administration and several new department heads began their new duties New Year’s Day. Democrat Mayor Carl D. Gerber took over the maydr’s duties and will conduct his first city council meeting next Monday. The Monday meeting wiß also be the first for three new councilmen. - New councilmen include Dr. Ralph \Aliison, Chalmer Deßolt, Commissioners Terms Change To Four Years A law passed by the 1963 Indiana general assembly changes the future terms of county commissioners from three years to four years, in a rather complicated one-section law. Two commissioners’ seats come up for election this year—that of Delmas (Mike) Bollenbacher and Hugo Boerger. Bollenbacher is completing his first three-year term Dec. 31, 1965, and according to the new law, the third district tehm, that which expires in 1965, will be for three years, and aIK succeeding ones for four years. Fwr-Year Terms Boerger, who is completing his second three-year term on the board, will leave office Dec. 31, 1964, this year. The term in the first district will be for four years. Max Kreps, just elected in 1962, will serve a three-year term, but when his term comes up again in 1966, it will be for a four-year term. However, the first part of the law states that Kreps should have taken office Dec. 2, the first Monday in December, and that Stanley Arnold should have gone Out of office at that time ( Actually, Arnold continued on the board until Dee 31, apparently contrary to the law, except that the law guarantees him three full years! Text of Law The text/of the law reads as follows: “Sec. 1. Acts 1885, c. 38. s. 1, is amended to read as foBows: Section 1. The terms of.office of county commissioners shall_be_ three years, and shaß begin on the first Monday in December and the term of office of no two districts in the same county shall begin in the same year; and the year in which the term of office of each district shall begin, shall be determined by calculating periods of three years from the end of the term for which the commissioner for the same district was elected upon the .organization of the board of commissioners for the county; and each commissioner now holding his office, whose successor has not been elected, and each commissionerelect who shall hereafter, but prior to the end of the regular term, as provided in this act, for the district for which he was begin his service as commissioner, shall serve three years and to the end of the regular term of said district, and until his successor is elected and qualified; Provided, that this act shaß not be construed so as to lengthen the term of office of any commissioner now holding his of- :: fjee, whose successor has been elected and qualified, to the end of the regular term, as provided in this act, for the district for which he was elected, and no commissioner hereafter elected shall, if his successor is elected and qualified, hold his office beyond the end of the regular term of office for his said district: Provided further, that beginning with the year 1964, and all years subsequent thereto, the termlT"of office for county commissioners* shall be for four years and shall commence on the first day of January next following the general election, except that one of the two county commissioners to be elected in the 1964 general election to fill the 'office after the term expiring Dec. 31, 1965. shaß be elected for a term of three years, said term to commence the first dav of January, 1966. In subsequent general elect:nns the number of countv commissioners to be elected will alternate w'fh one being elected, then two bcin” elected in the succeeding cAneral election. Nothing in th’s nroviso contamed shall be construed as a prohibition against commissioners in office When this nroviso. becomes operative s“eking election or reelectmn as countv commissioners in 1966 or thereafter.”

and Harold Miller, while Lawrence Kohne and Clyde Drake will be starting new four-year terms. Both Kohne and Drake were reelected, although Kohne was elected as councilman-at-large and previously had served as the council member from the third district. AB five councßmen are Democrats. Gerber takes over the mayor’s chair from Republican Don Gage, whom he defeated in the November general election. The three new councilmen replace Norbert Aumann, Bernard Clark, and Gerber, who had been a councilman. Plenty of Experience Gerber wiß take office with eight years experience behind him as city councilman under two mayors, Robert D. Cole, Democrat, and Donald F. Gage, Repubßcan. His experienced team will include Kohne and Drake, who have also served eight years. His city attorney, John DeVoss, also has four years experience under Mayor Cole, while his city clerk-treasurer, Mrs. Laura A. Bosse, had four years experience under Mayor Gage. The streqf commissioner, Clark, is wellknown for his fine job during the Cole administration, and apparently expects his department to , do as well this time, having started early this morning clearing the main streets, c shoveling the snow from the curbs in the downtown areas, and salting the slick corners, as it was done four years ago. Ralph E. Roop, city engineer, has many years experience in his job, as does etty auditor Ed Kaufman. The Community Center director, Robert August, has several years experience, too. Grover Odle, new police chief, has been on the force several years, and has been one of two assistant chiefs, during the past year or two, while former chief James Borders continues on the force. New City Attorney • John L. DeVoss, former city attorney, begins a four-year tenure as, the council’s legal counsel; j to which he was reCently appointed by Mayor Gerber. City clerk-treasurer Laura Bosse begins her second four-year term. The Monday meeting, will be an organizational meeting of the new (Continued on Page Six)

Jaycees To Present Award January 22 Mayor Carl D. Gerber issued his first proclamation today, proclaiming January*l9-25 as “Junior Chamber “of‘Commerce” week. In making the proclamation, Gerber said the purpose. of the week is to focus attention on young men and the work they are doing and asked local organizations to cooperate in the observance. During the Jaycee Week observance here, the U. S. Jaycees will be recognizing America’s ten outstanding young men of 1963 in Santa Monica, Calif., with national Jaycee president Richard H. Headlee making the presentations. According to the proclamation the week of January 19 through 25 is set aside to “observe the founding of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and to commemorate such founding by the selection of an outstanding young men in this community eg the recipient of the distinguished service award." \ ■ Banquet Jan. 22 The local Jaycee organization will hold its annual distinguished service award banquet Wednesday, January 22. -An outstanding young man of thisjcpmmunity will receive the D. S. A. pward at the banquet. The week celebrates the founding of the Junior Chamber in 1915, when Henry Giessenbier saw a need for a young men’s civic gro u p and organized the first chapter, explained Ralph Biggs, president of the Decatur Jaycees. The movement spread rapidly, and in 1920. the U. S, Junior Chamber of Commerce was formed with. 24,cities represented. The Decatur chapter was formed in 1960. 220,000 Jaycees Built on the solid foundation of creating opportunities for leadership training through community 'Betterment projects, the Jaycees today, over 220,000 strong, are active in 4,800 communities in the United States. National headquarters are located in Tulsa, Okla. Biggs, the local president, has named Wayne Roahjig, of Indiana & Michigan, as chairman for the events of the week. A committee will later -be sleeted and announced will choose the local young man to receive the D. S. A. award presented by the local Jfiycee chapter.

«-t*/ WfflM|H|K ! >‘‘ : 1 '? .u%*--W < • H **! It X A . »* ||S I JBf« >, Wwfr ■r />, * igtL Ww «T :? IL CHAPTER OFFICERS — Mrs. Richard Huffman, of Geneva, seated, is preskient of the Adams county chapter of the National Foundation, and is also serving as county chairman of the March of Dimes, which is being conducted during January. Standing, left to right—Mrs. James Briggs, Jr., also of Geneva, treasurer;-Herman H. Krueckeberg, Decatur, March of Dimes treasurer, and Mrs. Jerome Keller, Decatur, secretary. Chairman of the drive in Decatur will be Doyle Gehres.

Bloodmobile Unit In Decatur Monday Anyone in good health between ‘the ages of 18 and 59 is eligible and urged to donate blood Monday when the bloodmobile unit visits the Youth and Community Center between 1,0 a m. and 4 p.m., Mrs. Ferris Bower, blood program chairman, said this morning. Transportation wUI be provided by the Red Cross motor service vofiinteers for anyone who needs it to get to the Youth Center. Anyone heeding transportation is asked to call the Red Cross office, 3-3106, or the Community Center on Monday, to make arrangements. Although anyone between the ages of 18 and 59 may donate, persons under 21 years of age must have a release slip signed by their parents. This may be obtained at the Red Cross office. •’-•• Volunteers who have been caßing for donors include Mrs. Robert Johnson, Mrs. Herman Krueckeberg, Mrs. Ed Bauer, Mrs. Francis Ellsworth, Mrs. Ralph Kenyon, Mrs. Laures Meyer, Mrs. Merlin Sieling, and Miss Fan Hammel. Canteen workers Monday wBl be Mrs. Bert Haley, Mrs. Schnepf, Mrs. Lucille Mißer, Mrs. Woodson Ogg, Mrs. Edgar Reinking, Mrs. Walter Bauer, Mrs. Russell Fleming and Mrs. Lee Fleming, canteen chairman; ' t , <n' ' Local Lady's Father Dies At Fort Wayne Aloysius J. Holthaus, 69, father of Mrs. James Kortenber of Decatur, was dead on arrival at Parkview memorial hospitaj late Tuesday morning, foUowing a heart attack suffered at his home, 1034 Northwood Blvd., Fort Wayne. He was a retired toolmaker for the General Electric Co., retiring in 1958 after 37 years of service. He was a native of Beckemeyer, 111., but had lived in Fort Wayne 50 years. Mr. Holthaus was a member of St. Peter’s Catholic church, the Holy Name society, Third Order of St., Francis and the G. E. Quarter Century club. Surviving are his wife, Orah; three sons, Robert of Wheeling, 111., Roy of Huntington, and James of Fort Wayne; three daughters, Mrs. Kortenber of this city, Mrs. Rita Landstnffer and Mrs. Joan Bendorfeanu, both of Fort Wayne; a brother, George of Fort Wayne; a sister, Mrs. William Sch weir john of Perrion, Ill.; five half-brothers, Nicholas of Chicago, Vincent, Henry, Joseph and Leander, aB of Beckemeyer, Ill.; four half-sisters,.Mrs. Walter Laux of Beckemeyer, Miss Louise and Miss Frances, both of Chicago. and Miss Bernadine of St. Louis; and 18 Funeral services will be held at 8:30 a. m, Saturday at the Tom Mungovan funeral hbme and at 9 a. m. at St. Peter’s Catholic church, the Very Rev. Msgr. John A. Bapst officiating. Burial will be in the Catholic cemetery at Monroeville. Friends, may call at the fuhetaJ home after 7 p. m. today. The Holy Name society ■wjll meet at 7:30 p f m. Friday and the Third Order, of St. Francis at 7 p. m.

Traffic Toll 9 ( ' .... ' -- -r—c.'.. _ In Nation Is 188

By United Press International New Year’s traffic accidents claimed the lives of more than 180 persons—a new record for death on the nation’s highways during the 30-hour holiday and a toll in excess of the most dire prediction by the National Safety Council. The official holiday period started at 6 p.m. local time New Year’s Eve and ended at midnight New Year's Day. Americans continued to add their names to the tragic toll right down to the waning minutes. A United Press International tabulation showed 188 traffic fatalities. The breakdown: Traffic 188 Fires ’ 29 Miscellaneous 26 Total 243 California led the nation with 18 traffic deaths. Michigan had

Appointments Made By Commissioners

New Year’s day started with a bang that is likely to be heard even louder around election time in Adams county as the county cofhmissioners unanimously made two somewhat controversial appointments. On the surface, the two appointments are innocent enough — Robert Fuhrman, whom the commissioners feel has done a good job as assistant county highway superintendent, was reappointed. Vincent Habegger, prominent Linn Grove employe at the Berne Equity elevator there, was named a member of the Adams county hospital board, succeeding Eli Dubach, of Hartford township. Keeps on Plan Board Max Kreps, new member of the board of commissioners, was appointed as their representative on the county plan commission, succeeding Stanley Arnold, whose term on the board of county commissioners has expired. Lawrence Noll was reappointed county highway superintendent; he was the only applicant. Also reappointed were the county courthouse janitor, Melvin Kohler, and the courthouse matron, Mrs: Edna Werst. David A. Macklin, county attorney, was also reatppointed. as were Hortier Wintered oft the county planning commission, and James K. Stalev as county veterans service officer. Hugo Boerger was appointed to the county evtension committee. Medical Appointments Deferred The appointments of county health officer and county physician presented the usual problem, as- the jobs are usually- not desired by the over-worked doctors of the couritv. Dr. Norman E. Beaver, of Berne, has had to resign as county health officer, as he is now a member of the South Adams school board ,and her; cannot "hold two “lucrative’* positions at the same time. The board is presently contacting other physicians to see whom they can get to take the two jobs, and will make » their appointments shortly. Bollenbacher was named chair-, man of the commissioners, succeeding Boerger, who has held the championship for three years. Kreps was named vice-chairman of the board.

SEVEN CENTS

14. Wisconsin and New York each had 13. Pennsylvania had 10 and Illinois and Florida had 9 each. , Howard Pyle, Safety Council president, said, “We are very disappointed. .. grieved... over the showing by motorists.” The Safety Council had predicted in a pre-holiday estimate that from 140 to 180 persons would die in* traffic accidents during the period. * The normal traffic death toll for a 30-hour midweek non-holi-day period is 70. ' The new year’s toll edged past the previous record — 160 set in 1957 - 1958 — late New Year’s Day. Helping to boost the traffic death count were hazardous road conditions spawned by snow and. ice storms across the eastern third of the nation.

Three applications for jobs-two in the county highway department, and one for county hospital board, were brought to the meeting Wednesday by Bollenbacher. Hospital Appointment Two applications were made for the hospital board appointment. Eli Dubach had submitted a letter asking for reappointment. Last week Bollenbacher had mentioned that it was the only application, and that Dubach would probably be appointed. However, Wednesday, Bollenbacher submitted Habeggferts, letter of application, written in a handwriting differing from that of the signature, and it was unanimously. accepted without debate by the commissioners. It was evident that' the three commissioners had already talked with Habegger abd found him to be acceptable. Background oa Appointment The hospital appointment was somewhat upusual, in that usually the board members are- reappointed. But tjhe present “fight” goes bac£ quite a ways in Demoipblitics.i In Jefferson township a igrtSup Os prominent • Democrats live close together; / one of them, the late Harley “Jake” Reef, serVed two terms on the commissioners board. He announced for a third term, and was opposed by Loren Heller for the nomination, and Heller was nominated and elected. It has been about 35 years since a commissioner has been elected to a third term in Adams county. Heller, during his first term, .did a very creditable job, but did it without the advice of the Democratic party officials, which rankled the precinct committeemen and county Democratic officers. ‘*Mike” Bollenbacher, a close friend of Reefs from Jefferson township, came out in the primary against Heller, and defeated him. in an unusual race. The next year, Heller was still on the board when Henry Rumple, a close friend and neighbor of Reef’s, came up for reappointment : at that time. Rumple had jusf, turned in a bill to the city of Decatur for appraising the light plant, and each of the appraisers had charged, *bn advice (Continued on Page Six)