The Beaverdam Bunch held their meeting at the Bluffton Middle School on June 27.
At this meeting we discussed that we are still collecting bars of Ivory Soap to send to Kenya. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone else would like to donate. Demonstrations that were given during this meeting were from Drew Beck, Elizabeth Swisher, Kaitlin Thurmond, Gracie Yarnell, and Caitlyn Zimmerman.
James and Marlene Baumgartner of Bluffton will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary this month.
James and the former Marlene Berry were married Aug. 9, 1951, at First United Methodist Church by Rev. Paul Cramer.
They are the parents of Gregg (Deb) Baumgartner, Findlay, Michelle (Rick) Fennell,
North Baltimore, and Michael ( Amie) Baumgartner, Medina. They have nine
grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Rachael E. Lewis, strings teacher and orchestra director in Bluffton Schools, recently competed in a fiddlers' contest and won the adult fiddling division.
The contest also included youth fiddling, banjo and harmonica contests.
The events were held July 2, at Van Wert County Fairgrounds during the Old Fashioned Farmers Days.
Rachael played: "Possum Up a Gum Stump," "Lonesome Moonlight Waltz" and "Angeline the Baker."
Provided to The Icon by Kevin King
Bluffton High School students along with Spanish teacher Profe King traveled to Costa Rica for 11 days in June.
They traveled with EF (Education First) tours on an immersion-style tour.
Students were encouraged and often forced to speak and communicate solely on Spanish while learning about sustainability practices, a variety of foods, and cultural differences.
There were six Bluffton High School students joined with groups from North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin for a total of 19 students.
Doug Luginbill of Bluffton will become the conference minister of the Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA beginning Aug. 15.
Locally, First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, and Grace Mennonite Church, Pandora, and Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, are members of CDC. The conference includes 42 congregations in 10 states.
The Central District Conference office will remain in Goshen, Ind., and as conference minister, Luginbill will work from an office in Bluffton.
Local author Judy Clemens launches her most recent book “Tag, You’re Dead,” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, July 9, at Book ReViews, 123 S. Main St., Bluffton.
The book will be available for sale and for autograph signing at the party.
Clemens is best known for her Stella Crown series, the Grim Reaper mysteries, and the stand-alone, “Lost Sons.” Her new book goes in another direction from previous books.
