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This column is a speech given at the November 15, 1991, Bluffton High School pep session by math teacher Bill Herr. Bluffton High School yearbooks may be viewed here.

By Bill Herr

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By Bill Herr

If you live long enough, you will someday meet a person who lives life to the fullest, and then some. I met several residents at Mennonite Memorial Home (MMH) like that when I was chaplain there.

One of them was Harold Lehman. During his short time as a resident, he made a deep impression on me and on all the members of staff and the other residents.

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By Bill Herr

The theme of love finds its way into many songs over the years. In 1955, the popular hit "Love is a Many Splendored Thing" was first recorded by the group The Four Aces. Later, it became even more loved when recorded by Nat King Cole and Andy Williams. The first lyrics are as follows:

Love is a many splendored thing,
It's the April rose that only grows in the early spring,
Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living.

When Valentine's Day approaches, love comes to mind in many men's thoughts. They take a long time browsing over Valentine's cards in stores, looking to find the perfect expression of their love for the recipient.

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PHOTO from Bluffton High School Wall of Fame

By Bill Herr

Bluffton High School has had many outstanding teachers. One taught there for only four years, but coached a team that won an Ohio State Championship. He was Mr. Paul Stauffer. He taught forensics (Debate), drama and speech. He was very knowledgeable in all three because he had actively participated in them at Blufton College. Stauffer also directed class plays, both at the high school and at Bluffton College.

Bluffton High School students used to have interclass debates. In 1931, Mr. Stauffer's first year teaching at Bluffton, a girl qualified for individual debate in the National Tournament. Mr. Stauffer took the girl and her mother to Racine, Wisconsin, where the tournament took place. She didn't win, but in Mr. Stauffer's words, "We learned what to do and what not to do."

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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.

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Editor's note: I've combed Bluffton University's Memory digital archive, but only found written, not photographic, records of Ralph Stearns' time at Bluffton College. 

By Bill Herr

I'm writing several columns on the most unforgettable characters I have ever met. The first is on the Stearns brothers, Telsa (Tubby) and Ralph.

When I came to Mennonite Memorial Home as chaplain, these brothers were getting older (Ralph was in his late 90s) but they were of good mind and spirit and participated in all the activities at the nursing home. This included spending time at the pool table with fellow residents. Tubby was much younger and kind of looked after Ralph.

How Tubby got his nickname, I never found out. He was big and athletic-looking, not at all overweight. He had played football and basketball at Bluffton High School. After he graduated, he played on a local semi-professional football team. He told me that, unbelievably, his team had scheduled a game to be played at Bluffton against Jim Thorpe and his semi-professional team. Jim Thorpe was a legend in American athletics. He was a Native American who was ranked by an ABC Sports poll as the greatest American athlete of the 20th century.

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