Darrell E. Kent, 77, died at 1:01 a.m. May 14, 2012, at Lima Memorial Health System.
He was born Sept. 26, 1934, in Uniopolis to Russell and Dorothy Miller Kent, who preceded him in death. On Aug. 7, 1955, he married D. Jacqueline Sampson, who survives in Ada.
Mr. Kent retired as a machinist from General Dynamics, Lima, and ran his own shoe repair shop in Ada. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Ada. He was a graduate of Waynesfield High School. He had served as chief of the Ada Fire Department.
Two Bluffton police officers, who died in the late 1920s, were recognized in a special service of remembrance held by the police department part of of a National Police Week.
Rick Skilliter, police chief, presided over the service, which followed the Monday evening council meeting.
Honored were Officer Owen Grandstaff and Officer Frank Herrmann.
On March 26, 1927, Grandstaff arrested a suspect for writing a bad check and was in the process of walking him to the Bluffton jail when the suspect escaped custody.
The congregation of First United Methodist Church, Bluffton, will hold an unusual block party on Sunday, May 20, according to Bryant Miller, pastor.
A worship service is at 10:30 a.m. A block party followed the worship.
"We celebrate the day that the Holy Spirit was poured out and the Church of Jesus Christ was born," he said. "During the 10:30 a.m. worship service persons have an opportunity to be baptized or to remember their baptism by coming forward to be immersed in our outdoor baptismal."
Eight Bluffton University baseball players were recently honored by the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference for their play on the diamond this spring.
Jake Dowling, a junior attending the University of Findlay, is an Icon feature writer intern this summer. Dowling, a journalism/public relations major, is a reporter and columnist for the University of Findlay campus newspaper The Pulse. He is also a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America.
His first stories on The Icon covered the Fortman Insurance Medicare Seminar, the Bluffton Public Library summer reading program and BFR's tee-ball program. The Findlay native will write for The Icon until August.
Rockport United Methodist Church will hold its annual Memorial Day service on Monday, May 28. The service will start at 11 a.m. in the cemetery and will progress to the church.
The guest speaker will be Greg Coleman, pastor of Cairo and Rockport United Methodist Churches. The church is located at 5505 Rockport Road, Columbus Grove.
Kristi's Music Studio reminds Icon viewers that summer music sessions start June 18. The studio, located at 334 S. Main St., offers classes in piano, guitar, voice, theory and composition.
Bluffton University will offer six summer mathematics workshops for middle and high school teachers beginning June 12.
The 24th annual workshops, hosted by adjunct faculty member Duane Bollenbacher, are all three-day sessions, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. Each workshop may be taken for 22.5 contact hours of Local Professional Development Committee credit, at a cost of $125, or, on a pass/fail basis, for one semester hour of graduate workshop credit, for $275. Lunches are included; other meals and housing are available.
Students who have completed grade seven or eight and an accelerated pre-algebra course are invited to attend the fourth annual Bluffton University Junior High Mathematics Enrichment Camp Monday-Friday, June 11-15.
Led by Dr. Donald Hooley, professor of mathematics, participants will explore topics such as graph theory, knot theory, topological surfaces and non-Euclidean geometry using pencil and paper, pebbles, string and rope, paper strips and computer software in group settings.
The 2012 Bluffton High School baccalaureate service, coordinated by the Bluffton Area Ministerial Association, will take place at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, May 20, at the home of Jon and Janice Basinger, 4080 E. Hook-Waltz Road (corner of Hook-Waltz and Mayberry).
The order of service, with student participants includes:
