By Bill Herr

John Gilbert had an amazing life. He went to school at Rawson and played football. Bluffton High School had an all-state player named Howard Triplehorn, who was an outstanding athlete as a running back. He received a scholarship from Michigan. Triplehorn was also a sophomore on the basketball team in 1928-1929, which won 23 straight games and lost to Akron St. Mary's in the state championship game, 28 to 26. Howard was the second leading scorer on the team.

John and Howard were from different schools, but became good friends. The two schools always had a pre-season scrimmage. It was always on a pasture field near Rawson. One year, it rained all day the day before the scrimmage. The field was a muddy quagmire. As the teams warmed up, John walked over to Howard and said to him, "Triplehorn, I'm going to shove your face in the mud." As John told me this story, there was a pause. I asked John, "Did you do it?" "No," said John, "I couldn't catch him.”

After high school, John joined the army and served in the 82nd Airborne. He was in the Battle of the Bulge. He received the Purple Heart. He made the mistake of standing directly under the big gun of an American tank. The tank fired the gun, and the sound shattered John's eardrums. He was to be deaf the rest of his life. Not to be defeated by this disability, John learned to read lips. Many people probably didn't know he was deaf at first. I was one of them when we met.

John returned to Bluffton and worked for the Triplett Electrical Instrument Company, which made electrical meters. Triplett had two buildings for its business. John eventually became  plant manager of the one across the street from the stadium at Harmon Field. John was a natural leader and was very intelligent. 

Although he was deaf, he led an active life. He farmed with his wife Ruth and daughter Karen until 1950. He went to Bluffton Presbyterian Church, was a member of many clubs in Bluffton, including the Bluffton Masons, where he was a past master. In 1976 he incorporated his own molding business known as Associated Plastics in Pandora. I learned that he was a "home spun inventor" who was very clever with his hands and sometimes was a practical joker.

In retirement, John became a resident at Mennonite Memorial Home, where his brother Bob was also residing. John kind of looked after his brother. When I visited John, he was almost always working on his computer. He was a very interesting man. At MMH he became known as an expert at raising tomatoes. MMH always had a little garden, and John would plant his tomatoes and when they were ripe, he gave them to the residents and staff members. They were the best-tasting tomatoes I ever ate. I askedJohn if he would write his secrets to raising his tomatoes. He did and I will now share what he gave me:

"It is very important to plant the right tomatoes. "Big Beef" is my favorite. "Big Boy" is good too. You can buy the seed anywhere, but you have to start them. On April 10, I have Brinkman's in Findlay start my

tomato plants indoors. On May 20 we plant them in the MMH garden. I sprinkle around each plant one-half cup of Epson salts. If the plant later looks bad, sprinkle more around it. I use 6-24-24 fertilizer. Spread one-half cup to each plant. Spread it all around to about one and one-half feet from the plant. Put water on it right after planting. Put the fertilizer on in the evening and then water the plant. You have to build supports to hold the tomatoes up. Don't let them stand naturally. Don't trim any foliage. They need foliage for shade."

Now you know why John Gilbert was unforgettable to me. He led such a fruitful life and showed that a serious disability doesn't have to interfere with a joyful life. I was blessed to know him.

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