Robert "Bob" Phillip Strohl, 57, died Aug. 7, 2015 at his residence. Robert was born May 4, 1958, in Hammond, Ind., to Phillip and Donna (Austgen) Strohl.
Eariler this year I was asked a couple questions concerning the church key belonging to St. Mary's Catholic Church, since I grew up across the street from it. I wrote this brief article for the church history and share it with Icon viewers.
Dick Boehr took this black and white snapshot of the former St. Mary's Catholic Church before it was razed.
The church faced Lawn Avenue. The location of the church is now part of St. Mary's parking lot. This view is of the church's southside. The bell is now in front of the new church building.
The congregation celebrates its 150th anniversary on Aug. 16. This photo was taken in the lat 1960s.
In 1865 the village of Bluffton was four years old.
There was no town hall. There were no Main Street retail buildings.
Bluffton University did not exist, nor did Bluffton schools. There were no railroads here.
A small pox epidemic had ravaged the rural Bluffton settlement from 1861 to 1863. The Civil War was ending. The State of Ohio had existed for only 62 years.
MORE PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF STORY -
An Owens family, living in what is now the Lincoln Highway south of Bluffton, had recently converted to Catholicism.
