The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 42, Milford, Kosciusko County, 30 November 1988 — Page 2

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL—Wed., November 30.1988

Josephine and Colonel Likens are

parents of world renown son, Gene

(By MARY BETH BILTZ Staff Writer Colonel and Josephine Likens of Pierceton are shown in the accompanying photo sifting through a collection of memorabilia on their son, Gene. This isn’t the typical sort of scrapbook-type collection one would expect even the most doting of parents to have on one of their children. But Gene hasn’t been a typical sort of child. The little boy raised in Pierceton grew into an eminent scientist — the discoverer of acid rain, which has been a world-recognized term for some time now. Obviously, not every child of every parent does this sort of thing, and the Likens have reasons to be proud. Parents file suit in death of son Everett and Patricia Dausman, Leesburg, have filed a negligence suit against Robert Penn, 54, East Market St., and the van’s owner, Ramsey News Co., Inc., Warsaw. On July 14,1987, Penn was driving the van at the intersection of Maple Street and Winona Avenue, Warsaw, and pulled into the path of Glen Dausman, 15, and Jason Conley, riding a moped causing the moped to strike the side of the van. The Dausman youth suffering massive head injuries and died July 25,1987. Conley was also injured. According to police, neither youth was wearing a helmet. Police said Penn apparently didn’t the moped riders after stopping at the intersection. The parents of the Dausman youth recently filed the case in Kosciusko Circuit Court. They are seeking a sufficient amount io compensate them for their ipsses,- including the cost of ' ealth care and hospitalization, and burial costs, miscellaneous expenses, plus ourt costs.

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Gene Likens has a list of honors, accomplishments and duties longer than an entire body, let alone an arm, so you might wonder where exactly he came from. Colonel Likens had a 42-year career as an elementary school teacher. He began his teaching in Atwood, then moved on to schools in Sidney and south of Sidney. He laughs that perhaps he’s a “wrecker” of some sort, for as time has passed, he’s witnessed the schools where he’s taught be demolished. Mrs. Likens will add that she knows he was a good and well-loved teacher due to comments she will hear from his former students. Mr. Likens had fun with his occupation, he says, but remarks that he certainly would not want to go back into teaching these days because of all the changes» wrought on the educational system. Mr. Likens has been actively involved in the Sidney Lions Club for 21 years and is a member of the Spring Creek Church of the Brethren, along with his wife. Mrs. Likens worked as a school secretary for 14 years and says she has played the piano for almost as long as she can remember. She plays for church services and also for the Kosciusko County Retired Teachers group and the Lions Club. She and Likens were married 58 years ago in the house in which they currently live, which is the same house Mrs. Likens moved into when she was 10 ypars old. The Likens have two children, Gene and Steve. Steve is a musician, residing in Los Angeles; Gene is the scientist living in New York. Mrs. Likens was once asked to do a write-up about her son, Gene, for a club meeting. Complying with the request, she made a condensed version of Gene’s

GED class at Milford Library

By B. R. MORRIS Staff Writer

The Milford Public Library is the setting for classes where people who have not gotten their.high school diplomas can receive their General Educational Development certificate. The programs included are grammar, essaywriting, reading, social studies, science, math, literature and art.

life, which included a tidbit about the time he almost drowned as a child and his. father rescued him. Gene’s has been an impressive life ever since — from the early roots of winning awards for 4-H Grand Champion Steer, the Healthiest Boy in the county for 1948, and Star Camper at a 4-H camp at McClure Lake to briefing President Reagan on acid rain and its effects, meeting Pope John Paul II during the Pontifical Academy of Sciences meetings on science and technology for the world’s environment, and being elected to the Royal Swedish Academy. Yet, all these honors are what could be termed a drop in the bucket. Gene Likens earned a BS in zoology between 1955 and 1957 from Manchester College. He then earned an MS and a PhD in the same subject from the University of Wisconsin. Honorary doctorates were awarded to him from Manchester College and Rutgers University. Among his distinctions (aside from his discovery and further research of acid rain) include professorships at Dartmouth College and other educational institutions, the directorship of the Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York, and authorships of numerous textbooks and various other kinds of publications. In other words, his resume is a book in itself, listing each of his 143 professional activities, committees and awards; his seven books, his 264 co-authored publications, reports and tapes and abstracts he’s done, and 42 research grants he has been awarded. Just skimming such a list is enough to wear a person out. — Mr. and Mrs. Likens indeed have reason to be proud. Just a few weeks ago, Gene visited his parents on the old homestead.

The classes meet at 5:30 p.m. each Monday. Or, if a person is unable to make it at 5:30, he or she can come in as soon as is possible after work. All materials needed are provided by the teachers, who work on a volunteer basis. Classes run for a regular school year. Students are started at the level that they are currently at in scholastic development and move up at their own speed. Kosciusko County has an estimated illiteracy rate of 31.5 percent by state figures. Publicly-funded and volunteer programs reach only five percent of the population who stand to benefit by literacy programs. Right now, students for the Milford class are being recruited from the industrial companies. The program is also for people who need a refresher course in the basic areas. The GED program is sponsored by the Warsaw Adult Basic Education Center. The program was established in Milford so as to allow people to go to a closer location than in Warsaw or North Webster, which also has a GED program. For more information, call the Milford Public Library at 269-3721.

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JOSEPHINE AND COLONEL LIKENS

Relatively speaking:

Books for genealogists' Christmas

By DORIS McMANIS CAMDEN

Genealogists are readers; they have to be. Their reading is very specialized. Sometimes it is hard to find things to read that pertain to our particular researching. Most people in this area had ancestors who came from Ohio, and many lived in West Virginia before migrating west. There are three excellent new books. Angus Baxter’s Do’s and Dont’s for Ancestor-Hunters presents the expertise of one of North America’s most celebrated writers on genealogy — 40 years’ worth. He launches you on your path of discovery, motivates and gets you moving in the right direction to a successful conclusion. The book progresses from an interest in family stories through obtaining information and final compilation of your family tree. A paperback of 115 pages, it contains information not often found in basic genealogical books. Ohio Guide to Genealogical Sources by Carol Willsey Bell, C. G., is a 372-page hardback book and is called a breathtakingly comprehensive guide to the

Thorpe's name finds

I By JOY ASCHENBACH National Geographic How does a U.S. Olympic gold medal winner become a geographic place-name? Sadly and rarely, it seems. Unlike most other tributes bestowed on champion Olympic athletes, naming a mountain, river, or town for them usually doesn’t occur while they are living legends. Geographic immortality comes after death. “It’s sort of a safety factor. Geographic names are lasting monuments, and it’s important to make certain the individual is worthy. A living person could turn out later to be unsavory — someone that local citizens wouldn’t have wanted to honor,” explains Donald Orth, executive secretary of domestic names for the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. One of the few, and undoubtedly the most famous, Olympic heroes to receive geographic recognition was Jim Thorpe, the 1912 gold medalist, who is still regarded as perhaps the greatest all-around American athlete. A year after his death in 1953, a Pennsylvania town changed its name to Jim Thorpe. Why Mauch Chunk, Pa.? The one-time coal town in the Lehigh Valley is not near the city of Carlisle, Pa., where the Oklahoma born Thorpe had starred as a football player for the Carlisle Indian school. Indeed, Thorpe had never set foot in the borough of Mauch Chunk or in rival East Mauch Chunk, which merged with it at the time of the name change.

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genealogical records and sources in Ohio. It gives a county-by-county inventory of records, record repositories and published sources. It contains just about everything you need to know for DORIS McMANIS CAMDEN research in each county of Ohio. She is the author of the red book on Ohio wills that genealogists know so well. West Virginia Genealogy Sources & Resources by Carol McGinnis is a hardback book of 135 pages. She identifies records

But Mauch Chunk, Indian for “bear mountain,” was willing to build a fitting grave site for Thorpe when others apparently refused. He is buried there in an imposing red granite tomb on the edge of town.

Thorpe had died of a heart attack at age 64 in his trailer in Lomita, Calif. His widow and third wife, Patricia, unsuccessfully sought to have his home state of Oklahoma appropriate money for a suitable grave site. While visiting in

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SPECIAL THANKSGIVING SERVICE — The Wawasee Kiwanis Club of Syracuse was led in a special Thanksgiving service by Rev. Richard Bunnell, minister of St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church on November 26. Rev. Bunnell gave a special Thanksgiving litany and spoke on the meaning and reasons for Thanksgiving. He used a number of quotations to base his message upon, most of which touch daily lives of the members. Pictured above are Rev. Bunnell and Larry Martindale, Kiwanis

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FUNERAL HOME CHANGES HANDS — Wade Mishler, second from left, hands the keys for Mishler Funeral Home, Milford, over to the new owner, Gary Eastlund of North Webster, this morning, Wednesday. The new name for the business will be Eastlund-Mishler. Shown, left to right, are Richard Owen, who will be the resident manager; Mishler; Eastlund; and Mrs. Gary (Barbara) Eastlund. Mishler and his wife, June, will continue to spend their winters in Florida and he will help at the funeral home where and when needed in the summers. He stated he started Mishler Funeral Home on May 20, 1946. Raymond Pinkerton, who has been with him for 35 years, with continue to help Eastlund. Eastlund and his wife also own Eastlund-Harris Funeral Home in Syracuse. (Photo by Linda Musselman)

on the state and regional levels and county-by-county, too. There are details for each county, including vital records, Bible records, naturalizations, and more. There is a detailed bibliography of West Virginia genealogical sources. It lists hours of libraries, where to write for information and if letters will be answered. Information about these three books can be obtained from Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1001 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. % 359. Seeking descendants of Rhoda Ann SMITH (1843-1925) and Abraham KERN who resided near Bourbon. Their children were Mary Etta (Molly) who in 1895 married Levi WATKINS, Malissa who in 1896 married Edward GARRISON and Francis who married Leona McCRUMB in 1900. Louella Vaughn Small, 1324 NE 196 Avenue, Portland, Oreg. 97230-7755. 360. Seek information on Catherine MORRISON, probably born in Pennsylvania and probably died near North Webster. She married (1) Thomas RIDDLE and (2) Max MARKS. Came

Mrs. Thorpe saw a newscast about a depressed Pennsylvania coal town whose residents were contributing a nickel a week to establish a fund to attract industry. The next day she contacted Mauch Chunk officials. “It was a unique story of a town trying to perpetuate itself and a widow looking for a final resting place for her husband,” retired newspaper editor Joseph L. Boyle, who initiated the nickel-a-week drive, tells National Geographic News Service. In exchange for Thorpe’s re-

Christmas In Brazil Christmas is observed in the summertime in Brazil. Mass is celebrated at midnight on Christmas Eve in courtyards of churches where altars have been set up and Christmas decorations have been hung. One of the special holiday treats eaten outside in a festive atmosphere is small pancakes dripping with honey. y 45M561

to Kosciusko Co. about 1865 with son, John Thomas RIDDLE. The son was born 26 February, 1853, Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, married Mary Elizabeth Moore on 13 December, 1877 in Kosciusko County and died 28 September, 1933 in Syracuse. George Riddle, 225 East 11th St., New York, NY 10003. 361. Would like to hear from anyone with information about the following people who lived in Kosciusko Co. and/or Noble County from 1840 on: James McMANN and his wife, Mary LEE; Perry McMANN and his wife, Maria DEVENEY; Ptollman VORHIS and his wife, Nancy MORRIS; Gilman VORHIS (VOORHEES) and his wife, Honore McMANN; Ephraim, Cunningham, Gilbert, Alvarado, Benjamin and Harrison G. (Harry) VORHIS (or VOORHEES, any spelling). Virginia Voorhees Ward, 15 Beverly Rd., Mt. Kisco, NY 10549. 362. Am trying to find death dates and burial sites of Jonathan BEEBE who died 1845 or 1846, his wife, Lucina, and their son, Danuabeus. The wife and son

home

mains, Mauch Chunk agreed to change its name and to use part of the fund for a mausoleum — with the hope that a sportinggoods manufacturing plant, stadium, and hospital would be built there. “All those great things that were to happen never happened, ’ ’ says tourism director Agnes T. McCartney . .But she says she is happy the commercial ventures never materialized. “We would have lost the beauty we now have.” The town of 5,800 survives today on tourism, primarily because of its fine Victorian houses, dominated by railroad magnate Asa. Packer’s mansion, and its location as a gateway to the PocSno Mountains. Mayor Thomas Wildoner says that, after some initial disenchantment, people are now content with the name. The town threw a “Happy Birthday, Jim Thorpe” party last May 28, believed to be the 100th anniversary of his birth. Thorpe’s daughter, Grace, came from Oklahoma for the festivities. His two gold medals for decathlon and pentathlon events were displayed. Thorpe had lost them in 1913 after it was learned that he had played two seasons of semi-pro baseball. They were restored in 1983 after a long crusade by his family. “I think there’s magic behind the name Jim Thorpe,” says Boyle. But the name does have its problems. Outsiders often ask: Is that a place or a person?

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died before 1846. All appeared in 1840 Fulton Co., Ind. census, and there is a will of Jonathan in that county. Book on Fulton Co. wills states that Jonathan was from Kosciusko Co. Barbara Baum, Star Route, Box 28, Grand Coulee, Wash. 99133. 363. Would like information and photocopy of birth certificate of Alfred HADDIX, born in Clay Township, Kosciusko Co., in November 1858. His father was Isaac, and his mother, Margaret. Oliver H. Muir, 936 Crespi Drive, Pacifica, Calif. 94044. Your queries are welcomed. Please keep them brief, 50 words or less if possible. Print or type names and addresses. Ladies should use maiden and married names. Must pertain to Kosciusko Co. Mail to: Doris McManis Camden, P.O. Box 214, Warsaw, Ind. 46580. Correction on winner at Dairy Queen

Joshua Patterson, the young man who won the mini-helmet collection at the Syracuse Dairy Queen recently, is not an employee as was erroneously reported. He is, at age 9, a fifth grade student at Syracuse Elementary School. New M-J Subscribers R. Vanderveer 8001 E. Broadway 4137 Mesa, Ariz. 85208 Bruce/Darla Routson Apt. 11 900E.Greenhaus Syracuse, Ind. 46567 Karin K. Wuthrich Pickerel Hall Box 412-A Terre Haute, Ind. 47809 Kent/Gloria Mishler R 5 Box 268 Syracuse, Ind. 46567 Edwin/Doris Green Apt. 303 Holiday Hills R 1 Box 1 Cromwell, Ind. 46732 Jeanice Littlefield 12900 Lake Ave. Apt. 1826 Lakewood, Ohio 44107 Jeffrey Long 4527 Red Oak Lane Long Grove, 111. 60047 Mrs. Julia Byrd R 3 Box 28 Owingsville, Ky. 40360