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Duane Keith Farmer, 68, of Seymour, Indiana and formerly of Pandora, Ohio, passed away December 14, 2025, in North Vernon, Indiana. Duane was born April 21, 1957, in Detroit, Michigan, to the late Albert and Katie (Germanovich) Farmer. 

Duane was a tool and die maker for many years before becoming a landlord and property manager. He was a member of the Kentucky Colonels. Duane enjoyed martial arts and held a black belt in Taekwondo. He also enjoyed traveling and watching sports, especially the Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings and the Michigan Wolverines.

Happy Monday, Blufftonites! Here are BlufftonIcon.com's top stories from the week that was, December 8-14. For a chronological look Icon content, visit blufftonicon.com/archive

DECEMBER 8

Pirate girls swimming 4th, boys 5th at Celina Sprints

The Icon features a "big picture" listing of events in Bluffton, Ohio at What Brings You to Bluffton? on the Classifieds. 

Haven't scheduled your event yet? Check it out to look for what's happening on key dates.

Send us your 2026 events by emailing [email protected].

MEDIA RELEASE__The children of Trinity Lutheran Church and school in Jenera are looking forward to presenting their Christmas service "The Carols of Christmas" on Tuesday, December 23 at 10:00 a.m. and again on Wednesday, December 24 at 7:00  p.m.

By Paula Pyzik Scott
Bluffton and Ada Icon editor

Words of the day
Semiquincentennial and Bisesquicentennial. A.k.a. 250 years. The United States will be celebrating its Semiquincentennial in 2026. Most event organizers are using the shorthand “America 250.” I learned these vocabulary-builders at America 250-Ohio.

MEDIA RELEASE—The Swiss Community Historical Society of Bluffton and Pandora is pleased to announce it has hired Neil Allen, a native of Ada, as its first-ever Museum Director. Gary Wetherill, president of the SCHS, stated, ”On behalf of the Swiss Community Historical Society, I’d like to welcome Neil Allen as our director of the Swiss Heritage Center. We look forward to working together with him as we enter a new era for the Society. His expertise and professionalism are already apparent in the first exhibits he has developed for the Society.”

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