Willshire School News, January 1949

I just could not help myself. A few weeks ago, while at the Brumback Library in Van Wert, looking at William G. Hoffer’s obituary, my eyes strayed to other parts of the Willshire Herald. Actually, I looked at a few other issues of the newspaper while we were at the library. Those old newspapers are just so darned interesting! My time there that day was very limited but I still had enough time to gather some information from one of the papers.

Willshire High School, October 1917, photo postcard.

The 27 January 1949 issue had some Willshire School News and I saw names that I recognize—some names of people that I know. I am sure some of you know some of these students, too. Maybe your name is among them:

WILLSHIRE SCHOOL NEWS

11th Grade Perfect Spellers
Eugene Bienz, Ruth Kreischer, Peggy Clouse.

10th Grade Perfect Spellers
Phyllis Kessler, Wanda Edwards, Beverly Clouse, Patty Black, Phyllis Gunsett, Victor Strickler, Elmer Schumm, Frederick Schumm, Rosemary Weinman, Patty Minx.

9th Grade Perfect Spellers
Beverly Agler, Donna Baker, Carl Fisher, Evelyn Humerickhouse, Tommy June Marsee, Helen Roehm, Katy Stetler.

8th Grade Perfect Spellers
Donald Debolt, James Habegger, Bonnie Harmon, Marlene Harmon, Barbara Merkle, Kay Slusser, Virgil Thatcher, Mary Evelyn Weddle, Yvonne Voltz.

8th Grade Honor Roll
Minor: Donald Debolt, Virgil Thatcher.

8th Grade Perfect Attendance
Jack Bayles, Arley Buckmaster, Donald Debolt, James Habegger, Eugene Price, Robert Roebuck, Lester Strickler, Eileen Black, Marlene Harmon, Anna Miller, Kay Slusser, Virgil Thatcher, Marlene Trisel, Yvonne Voltz, Mary Evelyn Weddle.

7th Grade Perfect Spellers
Vernon Kuhn, Janet Black, Mary Byer, Carolyn Caffee, Colleen Weinman.

6th Grade Perfect Spellers
Wayne Black, Charles Koch, Esther Brandt, Donna Mae Bienz, Martha Fisher, Sharon Baker, Jane Fowler, Bonnie Stetler, Mary Thatcher.

6th Grade Honor Roll
Major: Bonnie Stetler, Esther Mae Brandt, Donna Mae Bienz, Martha Fisher, Jane Fowler, Linda Hoblet, Anna Kallenberger, Leon Jones.

Minor: Sharon Baker, Jan Schlickman, Charles Koch.

6th Grade Perfect Attendance
Walter Baker, Merle Black, Wayne Black, Roderick Bowen, Jim Finch, Tommy Garwood, Leon Jones, Charles Koch, Donald Krall, Richard Marbaugh, Jimmy Martin, Eugene Michaud, Robin Schaffner, Jan Schlickman, Kent Stetler, Lynn Stucky, Billy Walls, Sharon Baker, Esther Brandt, Donna Mae Bienz, Lois Christman, Katherine Dailey, Jane Fowler,
Janice Geisler, Linda Hoblet, Alla Kallenberger, Bonnie Stetler.

Willow year books, 1948, 1950, 1957.

5th Grade Perfect Spellers
Paul Bollenbacher, Alan Clase, John Goodwin, Farrel Krall, Gerald Kuhn, Gilbert Merkle, Larry Miller, Dick Samples, Kyle Taylor, Marcile Byer, Betsy Estill, Linda Finch, Mary Ann Fisher, Vernie Frank, Norma James, Jeanette Voltz.

5th Grade Honor Roll
Major: Farrel Krall, Judy Byer, Marcile Byer, Mary Ann Fisher.

Minor: Alan Clase, John Goodwin, Gilbert Merkle, Jeanette Voltz.

5th Grade Perfect Attendance (One-half year)
Paul Bollenbacher, Bobby Caffee, Alan Clase, Donald Lee Jones, Leon Kallenberger, Max Kallenberger, Farrel Krall, Larry Miller, Kyle Taylor, Norma James, Sonja Shoup.

4th Grade Perfect Spellers
Janet Koch, Louise Merkle, Phyllis Goodwin, Teddy Passwater, Emma Marsee, Sondra Schlickman, Sharon Hoverman, Julia Suman, Dana Hoblet, Eugene Huston, Ronnie Lautzenheiser, Anne Heffner, Clara Garver, Buddy Marbaugh, Billy Huffman.

4th Grade Honor Roll
Major: Sondra Schlickman, Phyllis Goodwin.

Minor: Bobby Wechter, Anne Byer, Clara Garver, Darlene Gibbons, Anne Heffner, Dana Hoblet, Sharon Hoverman, Janet Koch, Emma Marsee, Louise Merkle, Marjorie Thatcher, Charmaine Wilson.

4th Grade Perfect Attendance (One-half Year)
Marjorie Thatcher, Julia Suman, Sondra Schlickman, Sandra Marbaugh, Shirley Kuhn, Janet Koch, Buddy Marbaugh, Billy Huffman, Sharon Hoverman, Ellen Harmon, Nada Bayles, Esther Bailey, Janice Bailey, Larry Miller, Larry Huston, Waldo Hileman.

2nd Grade Perfect Spellers
David Byers, Rose Baumgartner, Jimmy Cowan, Mary Goodwin, Ralph Merkle, Karen Hoverman, Richard Merkle, Delilah Kuhn, Larry Dellinger, Marlene Dietrich, Larry Caffee, Richard Delliger, Leroy Ernie, Mary Harriett Eichar, Evelyn Krall, Jimmy Myers, Ronald Kelsey, Edward Garver, Patty Donovan, Vincent Nieto, Betty Allmandinger, Marguerite Dailey, Billy Christman.

2nd Grade Honor Roll
David Byers, Jimmy Cowan, Richard Dellinger, Ralph Merkle, Richard Merkle, Edward Garver, Jimmy Myers, Leroy Ernie, Marlene Dietrich, Mary Harriett Eichar, Mary Goodwin, Delilah Kuhn, Carl Lawson, Evelyn Krall, Betty Allmandinger, Josephine Allmandinger, Rose Baumgartner.

2nd Grade Perfect Attendance (One-half Year)
Wayne Baker, Larry Caffee, Billy Clouse, Jimmy Cowan, Larry Dellinger, Dickie Dellinger, Richard Huffine, Ralph Merkle, Jimmy Myers, Betty Allmandinger, Marlene Dietrich, Patty Donovan, Mary Harriett Eichar, Mary Goodwin, Karen Hoverman, Delilah Kuhn, Josephine Allmandinger.

I have a few old Willow yearbooks, but not the 1949 edition. The oldest I have is 1948.

Just for fun, here are the class photos from that 1948 Willow:

1948 Willshire classes, Junior, Sophomore, Freshman.

1948 Willshire grades 8, 7, 6.

1948 Willshire grades 5, 4, 3.

1948 Willshire grades 2 & 1.

I will post the names that go with the class photos sometime in the future.

 

8 comments

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    • Sondra Samples on May 31, 2019 at 7:39 am
    • Reply

    Karen, 1948 was the first year that Willshire School had a yearbook. There was one every year after that until Willshire consolidated with Rockford after the 1961 class graduated to form the Parkway School. (EXCEPT in the 1955 year, when that class chose not to publish a yearbook, for whatever reason.) It would be interesting if someone from that 1955 class would comment on why they did not do one. It has always sort of been a school mystery.

    1. Thanks for that information. It would be interesting to know the story about the 1955 yearbook.

    • Dawn Strickler Meussling on May 31, 2019 at 8:10 am
    • Reply

    Thank you! How exciting to recognize so many names!

    1. It is fun to think of those people as school children! Thanks for writing.

    • Trude Laffin on June 5, 2019 at 4:00 pm
    • Reply

    Karen, this was enjoyable to read and see names of people I’ve known most of my life. As a retired teacher I found it interesting to read the names, as well. Thanks for publishing.

    1. Glad you enjoyed reading it. Thanks for writing!

    • Mary Goodwin Haddad, Class of 1959 on June 11, 2019 at 1:48 pm
    • Reply

    This was fun to read since I’m one of those kids.
    I always heard the reason 1955 didn’t have a yearbook was their class advisor (Mr. Compton?) talked them out of it because it was too much work. They definitely regretted it it later.

    1. That is pretty much the story I have heard, too. Thanks for writing!

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