Theodore Webster (Ted) Cunningham, age 88, died on December 13, 2025, at Lima Memorial Hospital after a brief illness, surrounded by his nieces. Born July 5, 1937, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Theodore and Betty (Baumgartner) Cunningham. A graveside service was attended by family and many friends packed together and supporting each other on a cold day on December 20, 2025, in Maple Grove Cemetery, Bluffton, Ohio. Ted filled his 88 years with curiosity, humor and the rare quality as a good listener to make every person he met feel like a friend.
Carolyn J. Brown, 94, passed away on January 2 at the Mennonite Memorial Home in Bluffton. Private graveside services will take place in Resthaven Memory Gardens in St. Mary's, Ohio.
MEDIA RELEASE—Ohio will receive more than $200 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Rural Health Transformation Program to strengthen health care across Ohio's rural communities.
MEDIA RELEASE__The following opportunities and services for January 2026 have been shared by the Bluffton Public Library, 145 S. Main.
Events and Programs Winter Read is for all ages and runs from January through March. Pick up a Winter Read Challenge Bookmark, complete it, and stop by the front desk to pick up a small prize!
Hot Tea Tuesdays! In January and February, stop by the library between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and get yourself a cup of hot tea to warm up with during your library visit!
Mobile Health Clinic: The next Mobile Health Clinic will be held on Thu., Jan. 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. All services are provided by individuals with the Ohio Northern University Healthwise program.
In December 2025, when we shared Bill Herr's article Unforgettable: The Stearns brothers, we struggled to find a photo of Ralph Stearns. Fred Steiner came to our rescue with the photo above, which shows the older Stearns brother giving a tour of the Bluffton Post Office. Ralph was postmaster from 1956-1965.
