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Thursday, December 23, 1999
Harold L. 'Shorty' West
Whirlpool Corp. retiree
Harold L. "Shorty" West, 83, of CR 212, Fremont, died Wednesday, Dec. 22, 1999, in the Veterans Home, Sandusky.
He was born April 8, 1916, in Green Springs, to George and Dora (Grubb) West. His wife, Inez J. (Giles) West, survives.
Other survivors include: a son, Joseph L. West of Clyde; two daughters, Ruth Ann Rakes of Clyde and Catherine A. West of North Miami, Fla.; and a brother, Robert West of Clyde.
Preceding him in death were a sister, Charlotte Mohn and a half brother, Jessie Palm.
Mr. West, who received his education in the Green Springs Schools, retired in 1981 as a transfer person from Whirlpool Corp, where he had been employed for 35 years.
A life-time Fremont area resident, he was a member of Clyde Eagles and the China Burma India Veterans Group.
He served as a medic for four years in the U.S. Army during World War II and helped build the Burma Road..
Services will be at 11 am. Monday in the Mitchell-Auxter Funeral Home, Clyde. Interment will be in Greenlawn Memory Gardens, where military graveside services will be provided by the Clyde American Legion and VFW.
Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Garmon George Myers
Retired farmer
Garman George Myers, 92, of 18934 CR 157, Mt. Blanchard, died at 12:20 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, 1999, in St. Vincent-Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, of burns sustained from an accidental fire from a kitchen stove.
He was born in Mt. Blanchard June 30, 1907, to Bert and Ethel (Cole) Myers. He had never married.
Survivors include: a brother, Robert Myers of Daytona Beach, Fla.; and nieces and nephews.
His sisters and brothers, Addie Myers, Dorothy Shuck, Cletis Fields, Clifton "Tip" Myers and an infant brother and sister, also are deceased.
Mr. Myers, a retired farmer, was a member of the Mt. Blanchard Nazarene Church..
The Rev. James Shrider will be the officiant at the 10 a.m. Friday service in the Beach Funeral Home, Carey. Burial will be in Lee Cemetery, south of Vanlue.
Visitation is 2-8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the church, Delaware Township Fire Department or the donor's choice.
Edna Jane Gilhuly
Fostoria centenarian/retired
teacher
Edna Jane Gilhuly, 100, of Burnham Drive, Fostoria, died at 4:55 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, 1999, in the Good Shepherd Nursing Home, Fostoria.
She was born in Fostoria Aug. 3, 1899, to John C. and Lulu A. (Lindsay) Longacre. On June 28, 1947, in Fostoria, she married James W. Gilhuly. He survives in Fostoria.
Several nieces and nephews also survive.
Mrs. Gilhuly, a 1917 graduate of Fostoria High School and a 1941 graduate of Bowling Green State University, received a bachelor's degree in education. She also attended Heidelberg College and the University of New Hampshire.
She retired in 1966 as a teacher from the Fostoria City Schools, where she had been employed for 37 years.
She was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church, Fostoria, where she was an honorary board member and former teacher of the Alpha Delta Sunday School class; an 80-year member of Fostoria Chapter 94 Order of Eastern Star and Westminster Circle of Kings Daughters and served as a former trustee of Wesley Village.
A charter member of the Seneca County Retired Teachers Association and Fostoria Heritage Glass Association, she was a life member of the Ohio Education Association and National Education Association, and a member of the Fostoria Teachers Association, of which she was a past president; and Delta Kappa Gamma.
She also was a member of Fostoria Historical Society, Rachel Circle, Council of Ministry, Shepherd Center, XYZ Senior Group at the church, Fostoria Antique Study Club and the Fostoria Woman Club.
The Rev. Branson Hawkes will conduct the 11 a.m. Monday service in Wesley United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Fountain Cemetery, Fostoria.
Visitation will be 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Sunday at the Harrold Floriana Funeral Home, Fostoria, where Eastern Star memorial services will be at 6 p.m.
Memorials may be made to the church.
M. Christine Biddle
Retired teacher
M. Christine Biddle, 92, of Bluffton, died at 4:15 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, 1999, in Richland Manor, Bluffton.
She was born in Bluffton March 31, 1907, to Russell B. and Margaret (Cunningham) Day. Her husband, Donald J. Biddle, whom she married April 15, 1955, died Dec. 27, 1989.
Two brothers, Dr. Allan R. and Elbert Day; and a sister, Marjorie Basinger, are deceased.
Mrs. Biddle, a retired teacher, taught school for 34 years in Tiffin and Old Fort.
A member of the Bluffton Presbyterian Church, she was a graduate of Bluffton High School and attended Bluffton College, Miami University and Ohio Northern University.
Private graveside services will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Bluffton. A memorial service will be at a later date.
There will be no visitation. The Chiles and Sons-Laman Funeral Homes, Bluffton Chapel, are in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to Blanchard Valley Regional Health Center, Bluffton Campus.
Edward B. 'Ed' Cline
Long-time Tiffin Santa
Edward Bliss Cline, 84, of 229 Mohawk Street, Tiffin, died Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 21, 1999, in Akron City Hospital where he had been a patient for the past several days.
Born on Jan. 23, 1915, to Russell and Ella (Van Steenburgh) Cline in East Orange, N.J. He married Lenore M. Egler Aug. 21, 1937, in Cleveland. She survives.
Also surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Ernest (Bonnie) Estep of Akron, a son William M. Cline of Monroe, Mich.; sisters Mrs. Martha Mundy, of Dover, N.H., and Edith Cline, of Albany, N.Y.; and a grandson Christopher Cline and a great-grandson.
Preceding him in death were a brother, Arthur Cline, and sister Mildred Cline.
Mr. Cline, a retired executive who was called "Big Daddy" by most of his friends, graduated from Spencerian Business College, Cleveland, and then was employed at CCC Trucking Company. The Clines moved to Tiffin in 1945 where he served as Mohawk Motor Freight Co. secretary-treasurer until 1970.
After Mohawk closed, he was Webster Manufacturing assistant treasurer until his 1980 retirement.
A First Christian Church member, Mr. Cline was a Tiffin Lions Club member for almost 50 years. He was a past Lion president and secretary, a member of the Tail Twisters, and was presented with a lifetime membership and the prestigious Melvin Jones award for his humanitarian services as a Lion.
He was a member of Tiffin Masonic Lodge 77 and lifetime member of Tiffin Eagles and Tiffin Elks. He was also a past Shriner member, charter member of the Seneca County Safety Commission, and charter member of the Last Man Club.
He once served on the Tiffin City Council and was active in Tiffin youth baseball for 20 years. He also was a past United Way chairman, past AAA director and past Tiffin Community Development Corp. president.
Until recent years, he and his wife, Lenore, would dress up as "Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus" and pass out Lion popcorn balls to children all over Tiffin and visit with Mercy Hospital and nursing home patients. For more than 35 years, they mailed out Christmas cards with "Mr. and Mrs. Claus" in humorous situations. Their last cards were mailed last Christmas.
Mr. Cline also received some notoriety by receiving mail addressed simply to "Big D, 44883" from all over the world. He received his nickname, "Big Daddy". from the role he played in many Lion Minstrels.
A private funeral for immediate family members will be today at the Hoffmann-Gottfried Funeral Home with the Rev. David Mills officiating, followed by private burial services at Fairmont Cemetery. There will be no calling hours.
Memorials can be made to the Tiffin Lions Club, Box 812, Tiffin, OH 44883, or to the First Christian Church, 2016 S. Co. Road 19, Tiffin, OH 44883.