Torchbearers Selected For Sept. 29 State Relay
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
The names of the selected Kosciusko torchbearers were officially released today. They include:
Willis Alt Jr. was nominated by his daughter, Sarah Garcia.
Alt served as assistant county agent for Kosciusko from 1967 to 1970, directing the 4-H program. He was a banker at First National Bank of Warsaw, retiring as president. From 1999 to 2007, he was the first executive director of the K21 Foundation. He’s been a member of First United Methodist Church and Warsaw Kiwanis Club since 1967, and was the past director and president of the Greater Warsaw Chamber of Commerce, among other community service positions.
“I enjoyed all those jobs and met a lot of wonderful people in Kosciusko County, and it was an honor to be nominated by my daughter,” Alt said.
He said Indiana is where he grew up. He was a farm kid and participated in a lot of activities from the state fair to 4-H.
“I’ve been blessed by so many things here, and the northern part of Indiana where I came from,” he said. “We have a lot to be thankful for in this state so it’s good to have a celebration for 200 years.”
Carolyn Baker was nominated by her niece, Nikki Harter, who also nominated her mom, Cathy Lemberg.
The women took part in water skiing tournaments growing up and joined the Wawa Show Skiers, which went on to be the Webster Ski Bees. Baker won the state championship in the women’s overall skiing division in 1965 and 1967. Lemberg won the same title in 1971. Both were inducted into the Indiana Water Ski Association Hall of Fame in 2010.
Ron Baumgartner was nominated by Joellen Free and Susan Stump.
He is the publisher and general manager of The Mail Journal and The Papers.
The late Scott Bibler was nominated by Joe Secrist.
In his nomination of Bibler, Secrist wrote Bibler “was a huge part of Tippecanoe Valley football as a player, coach and fan. He was killed in a plane crash this past year and deeply affected the Tippecanoe Valley team. It would be a great honor for the team to run a leg of this relay as a memorial to Coach Bibler. These kids, especially the seniors, had a great emotional tie to Bibs and will remember this for the rest of their lives.”
Bibler will be represented by the Valley football team with coach Jeff Shriver as the torchbearer.
Shriver said everyone was familiar with the tragic plane crash in October that took the life of Bibler, Charlie and Scott Smith and Tony Elliott. Secrist identified Shriver to represent Bibler in the torch run as he was close to Bibler.
“We’re going to include the football team, some of Scott’s colleagues at the high school as we walk together in unison with the torch,” Shriver said
“Scott was so much more than a football coach. He was a mentor to hundreds of young people, not just on the football field but in the school as a counselor, a teacher and what a great representative of our community with regard to, family man and a man of God, a man of faith, just a great opportunity for him to be selected to represent really what I think most of us would strive to be in regards to somebody who is kind, caring, puts family first, puts religion as a priority, was a role model for a lot of people and was someone who represents the best in Hoosier values,” Shriver said.
Elizabeth Parker nominated Marlin Carr.
Carr has volunteered tirelessly for the Silver Lake community for the last 40 years, she wrote. He volunteered as an EMT for South Central EMS, Silver Lake Lions Club and in planning the annual Silver Lake Days, as well as with other organizations.
“I was shocked. It’s an honor. I don’t do this stuff (volunteer) for a pat on the back. I do it to help out my community and make it a better place to live,” Carr said.
Linda Cochran was nominated by Alice Keirn, who said Cochran is very active in the Mentone community.
Cochran serves on the Bell Museum Board of Directors, is a member of the M&M’s Extension Homemakers Club and is called by some as the town historian and tour guide. She was the Mentone School librarian for many years and is active in the Mentone Church of Christ.
Martha Stoelting nominated Gladys Culver, saying Culver is “the personification of the spirit of North Webster.”
Except for her years at Ball State Normal College, Culver has spent her 104 years in the North Webster area. The oldest living graduate of Ball State’s School of Education, she taught elementary school for decades at North Webster Elementary. Culver is one of the oldest living residents in the county, and her son, Bart Culver, will carry the torch for her.
The youngest torch bearer will be Camille Kerlin, who was nominated by her mother, Diane Kerlin.
In nominating her daughter, Diane said Camille was born 2-1/2 months early and weighed only 2 pounds. She had extensive heart problems and was given only a 5 percent chance to survive her first day at Riley Hospital for Children. Since having a lifesaving procedure that day, she’s had open-heart surgeries at 2, 7 and 13 years old.
In high school, she played tennis at Warsaw Community High School, organized an original tennis fundraiser for Riley and was selected to be a Riley Champion in 2015. She’s now attending Indiana University and studying marketing.
“I was nominated for my community service in Warsaw, and I was a Riley Champion for Riley Hospital,” she said. “I’ve done a tennis fundraiser, which this will be the third year, called Racquests for Riley.”
Being nominated to be a torchbearer was an honor, she said.
“I think it’s really cool that, especially being so young, I was thought of as someone in the community. I just love Warsaw, and I just think it’s an honor that someone thought of me,” Kerlin said.
Mike Kissinger was named by Erin Smith, who nominated him for being an “absolute one-of-a-kind person” and “the most selfless and giving man who donates large amounts of his time to the North Webster Community Center.”
He also is the county surveyor and “a pillar in our community and great family man. It is privilege to call him my friend,” Smith wrote.
The late Robert Lichtenwalter was nominated by Josie Ryan. The torch will be carried in his honor by the American Legion Honor Guard.
Lichtenwalter died in 2015, but Ryan wrote that Lichtenwalter’s commitment to the community is still felt. The local boys and girls club is named after him, and he was instrumental in the placement of the Veterans Circles at Oakwood Cemetery.
Salvation Army Community Ministries Director Ken Locke was nominated by Woody Zimmerman.
“He offers a listening ear, good counsel and material goods like food, clothing and financial assistance. The fact that Ken has dedicated his life to serving the poor speaks volumes about his priorities,” the nomination states in part.
Locke also has made a commitment to never letting others forget about the sacrifices America’s servicemen and women have made.
Locke said, “When you think of all of the people who aren’t here anymore, that made up Indiana history, just to be a part of honoring them, people in Kosciusko County, especially ... a lot of people from the past, it’s pretty amazing that you’re going to be honoring them as you’re walking.”
Dick Pelletier nominated Larry Martindale for his 40 years of volunteerism in Syracuse.
Martindale began getting involved with the baseball and softball programs in the community with his children, but didn’t stop there. He joined the local Kiwanis Club and helped build local sports fields.
Barb Martz was nominated by seven people, including her daughter, Madison Martz.
Barb works in the special needs department at WCHS. She helped start My Team Triumph in Northern Indiana and the unified track and field teams at the high school. She has run the Boston and Chicago marathons.
Jamie Gill nominated Scott McClintock, a teacher at Jefferson Elementary School for 37 years. He coached basketball, volleyball and track for 31 of those years and has been a Boy Scout leader for 20 years.
He was nominated for “Who’s Who in America Teachers” and was an applicant for the Teacher in Space program. He was named a 1996 Community Hero and was an Olympic Torch runner.
Don Miller was nominated by Paul Berkey and Dawn Vanneste.
Miller served on the Claypool Town Board for 18 years, choosing to retire from both public and private service this year. He oversaw the construction of the Louis Dreyfus Commodities soybean plant, aided the completion of several major infrastructure improvements and “led the community of Claypool with compassion and wisdom,” the nomination states in part.
“It was a tremendous honor and humbling, because if you think of decades of people that have been leaders around communities, there’s a whole lot of worthy people, much more than me,” he said of being nominated.
Jeremy Marsh nominated Mary Louise Miller, stating, “If you are from the area where Mary Louise lives, then this nomination speaks for itself for what she and her late husband, Dr. Dane Miller, have done, not only as humanitarians but in the business world as well. Millions of dollars have been spent in not only making Winona Lake what it is today, but making this county and state a better place for everyone on behalf of the Millers.”
Miller died Feb. 10, 2015.
Nominated by Tyler McLead, Richard Pelletier moved to Syracuse in 1989 and “has been a tremendous asset to his community.”
Pelletier actively served in the Wawasee Kiwanis Club for nearly 20 years and became a board member of the Syracuse-Wawasee Park Foundation in 2011. In 2013, he became a board member for the Lakeland Learning Center Preschool. He has volunteered for many local organizations such as the Syracuse Food Pantry and Lakeland Youth Center.
Porter recently was honored with the Winona Lake 2014 Bill Reneker Community Service Award.
Toni Derry and Alice Keirn nominated Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer, Indiana Broadcaster Hall of Famer and 2014 Woman of the Year Rita Price Simpson.
Simpson, 74, still broadcasts daily on WRSW FM and is known as the voice of basketball throughout northern Indiana.
Nominated by his grandson Mitchell Reinholt, Donald Reinholt served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956.
Don officiated Indiana high school basketball from 1958 to 1985, including the IHSAA State Basketball Tournament. For 34 years, he served the community through his retail furniture business, and is a Warsaw Breakfast Optimist member.
“I feel very honored to be able to do this. It’s kind of an area where I really have been involved in a lot, exercising, things like that, and an event that I would to be a part of and that I’m going to be (a part of),” Reinholt said.
Another recipient is Layne Warren, 91, who has been a lifelong resident of Claypool, according to James MacDonald who nominated him.
Warren was a Navy Frogman in World War II, where he was involved in the underwater demolition, clearing harbors of mines in the Pacific Islands.
He co-founded Warren Bros. Plastering & Drywalling and has been involved in many services and projects such as Lions Leader Dogs for the Blind and Lions Eye Bank Mission Trips to Guatemala. He was instrumental in building the Claypool Lions Community Building and park and playground.
Warren’s family will be carrying the torch on his behalf.
The relay will pass through all 92 Indiana counties. Indiana became a state Dec. 10, 1816.
The Torch Relay will start at Warsaw Community High School at 10 a.m. Sept. 29. It will head to Central Park, where a bicentennial ceremony will be held, and then proceed to Lakeside Park, Syracuse, before leaving the county.
Kosciusko’s celebration of the bicentennial will be Sept. 29, 30 and Oct. 1.
For details, email [email protected], visit the Facebook page at Warsaw/Kosciusko/bicentennial or the website at 2016KosciuskoCelebrates.com.[[In-content Ad]]
The names of the selected Kosciusko torchbearers were officially released today. They include:
Willis Alt Jr. was nominated by his daughter, Sarah Garcia.
Alt served as assistant county agent for Kosciusko from 1967 to 1970, directing the 4-H program. He was a banker at First National Bank of Warsaw, retiring as president. From 1999 to 2007, he was the first executive director of the K21 Foundation. He’s been a member of First United Methodist Church and Warsaw Kiwanis Club since 1967, and was the past director and president of the Greater Warsaw Chamber of Commerce, among other community service positions.
“I enjoyed all those jobs and met a lot of wonderful people in Kosciusko County, and it was an honor to be nominated by my daughter,” Alt said.
He said Indiana is where he grew up. He was a farm kid and participated in a lot of activities from the state fair to 4-H.
“I’ve been blessed by so many things here, and the northern part of Indiana where I came from,” he said. “We have a lot to be thankful for in this state so it’s good to have a celebration for 200 years.”
Carolyn Baker was nominated by her niece, Nikki Harter, who also nominated her mom, Cathy Lemberg.
The women took part in water skiing tournaments growing up and joined the Wawa Show Skiers, which went on to be the Webster Ski Bees. Baker won the state championship in the women’s overall skiing division in 1965 and 1967. Lemberg won the same title in 1971. Both were inducted into the Indiana Water Ski Association Hall of Fame in 2010.
Ron Baumgartner was nominated by Joellen Free and Susan Stump.
He is the publisher and general manager of The Mail Journal and The Papers.
The late Scott Bibler was nominated by Joe Secrist.
In his nomination of Bibler, Secrist wrote Bibler “was a huge part of Tippecanoe Valley football as a player, coach and fan. He was killed in a plane crash this past year and deeply affected the Tippecanoe Valley team. It would be a great honor for the team to run a leg of this relay as a memorial to Coach Bibler. These kids, especially the seniors, had a great emotional tie to Bibs and will remember this for the rest of their lives.”
Bibler will be represented by the Valley football team with coach Jeff Shriver as the torchbearer.
Shriver said everyone was familiar with the tragic plane crash in October that took the life of Bibler, Charlie and Scott Smith and Tony Elliott. Secrist identified Shriver to represent Bibler in the torch run as he was close to Bibler.
“We’re going to include the football team, some of Scott’s colleagues at the high school as we walk together in unison with the torch,” Shriver said
“Scott was so much more than a football coach. He was a mentor to hundreds of young people, not just on the football field but in the school as a counselor, a teacher and what a great representative of our community with regard to, family man and a man of God, a man of faith, just a great opportunity for him to be selected to represent really what I think most of us would strive to be in regards to somebody who is kind, caring, puts family first, puts religion as a priority, was a role model for a lot of people and was someone who represents the best in Hoosier values,” Shriver said.
Elizabeth Parker nominated Marlin Carr.
Carr has volunteered tirelessly for the Silver Lake community for the last 40 years, she wrote. He volunteered as an EMT for South Central EMS, Silver Lake Lions Club and in planning the annual Silver Lake Days, as well as with other organizations.
“I was shocked. It’s an honor. I don’t do this stuff (volunteer) for a pat on the back. I do it to help out my community and make it a better place to live,” Carr said.
Linda Cochran was nominated by Alice Keirn, who said Cochran is very active in the Mentone community.
Cochran serves on the Bell Museum Board of Directors, is a member of the M&M’s Extension Homemakers Club and is called by some as the town historian and tour guide. She was the Mentone School librarian for many years and is active in the Mentone Church of Christ.
Martha Stoelting nominated Gladys Culver, saying Culver is “the personification of the spirit of North Webster.”
Except for her years at Ball State Normal College, Culver has spent her 104 years in the North Webster area. The oldest living graduate of Ball State’s School of Education, she taught elementary school for decades at North Webster Elementary. Culver is one of the oldest living residents in the county, and her son, Bart Culver, will carry the torch for her.
The youngest torch bearer will be Camille Kerlin, who was nominated by her mother, Diane Kerlin.
In nominating her daughter, Diane said Camille was born 2-1/2 months early and weighed only 2 pounds. She had extensive heart problems and was given only a 5 percent chance to survive her first day at Riley Hospital for Children. Since having a lifesaving procedure that day, she’s had open-heart surgeries at 2, 7 and 13 years old.
In high school, she played tennis at Warsaw Community High School, organized an original tennis fundraiser for Riley and was selected to be a Riley Champion in 2015. She’s now attending Indiana University and studying marketing.
“I was nominated for my community service in Warsaw, and I was a Riley Champion for Riley Hospital,” she said. “I’ve done a tennis fundraiser, which this will be the third year, called Racquests for Riley.”
Being nominated to be a torchbearer was an honor, she said.
“I think it’s really cool that, especially being so young, I was thought of as someone in the community. I just love Warsaw, and I just think it’s an honor that someone thought of me,” Kerlin said.
Mike Kissinger was named by Erin Smith, who nominated him for being an “absolute one-of-a-kind person” and “the most selfless and giving man who donates large amounts of his time to the North Webster Community Center.”
He also is the county surveyor and “a pillar in our community and great family man. It is privilege to call him my friend,” Smith wrote.
The late Robert Lichtenwalter was nominated by Josie Ryan. The torch will be carried in his honor by the American Legion Honor Guard.
Lichtenwalter died in 2015, but Ryan wrote that Lichtenwalter’s commitment to the community is still felt. The local boys and girls club is named after him, and he was instrumental in the placement of the Veterans Circles at Oakwood Cemetery.
Salvation Army Community Ministries Director Ken Locke was nominated by Woody Zimmerman.
“He offers a listening ear, good counsel and material goods like food, clothing and financial assistance. The fact that Ken has dedicated his life to serving the poor speaks volumes about his priorities,” the nomination states in part.
Locke also has made a commitment to never letting others forget about the sacrifices America’s servicemen and women have made.
Locke said, “When you think of all of the people who aren’t here anymore, that made up Indiana history, just to be a part of honoring them, people in Kosciusko County, especially ... a lot of people from the past, it’s pretty amazing that you’re going to be honoring them as you’re walking.”
Dick Pelletier nominated Larry Martindale for his 40 years of volunteerism in Syracuse.
Martindale began getting involved with the baseball and softball programs in the community with his children, but didn’t stop there. He joined the local Kiwanis Club and helped build local sports fields.
Barb Martz was nominated by seven people, including her daughter, Madison Martz.
Barb works in the special needs department at WCHS. She helped start My Team Triumph in Northern Indiana and the unified track and field teams at the high school. She has run the Boston and Chicago marathons.
Jamie Gill nominated Scott McClintock, a teacher at Jefferson Elementary School for 37 years. He coached basketball, volleyball and track for 31 of those years and has been a Boy Scout leader for 20 years.
He was nominated for “Who’s Who in America Teachers” and was an applicant for the Teacher in Space program. He was named a 1996 Community Hero and was an Olympic Torch runner.
Don Miller was nominated by Paul Berkey and Dawn Vanneste.
Miller served on the Claypool Town Board for 18 years, choosing to retire from both public and private service this year. He oversaw the construction of the Louis Dreyfus Commodities soybean plant, aided the completion of several major infrastructure improvements and “led the community of Claypool with compassion and wisdom,” the nomination states in part.
“It was a tremendous honor and humbling, because if you think of decades of people that have been leaders around communities, there’s a whole lot of worthy people, much more than me,” he said of being nominated.
Jeremy Marsh nominated Mary Louise Miller, stating, “If you are from the area where Mary Louise lives, then this nomination speaks for itself for what she and her late husband, Dr. Dane Miller, have done, not only as humanitarians but in the business world as well. Millions of dollars have been spent in not only making Winona Lake what it is today, but making this county and state a better place for everyone on behalf of the Millers.”
Miller died Feb. 10, 2015.
Nominated by Tyler McLead, Richard Pelletier moved to Syracuse in 1989 and “has been a tremendous asset to his community.”
Pelletier actively served in the Wawasee Kiwanis Club for nearly 20 years and became a board member of the Syracuse-Wawasee Park Foundation in 2011. In 2013, he became a board member for the Lakeland Learning Center Preschool. He has volunteered for many local organizations such as the Syracuse Food Pantry and Lakeland Youth Center.
Porter recently was honored with the Winona Lake 2014 Bill Reneker Community Service Award.
Toni Derry and Alice Keirn nominated Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer, Indiana Broadcaster Hall of Famer and 2014 Woman of the Year Rita Price Simpson.
Simpson, 74, still broadcasts daily on WRSW FM and is known as the voice of basketball throughout northern Indiana.
Nominated by his grandson Mitchell Reinholt, Donald Reinholt served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956.
Don officiated Indiana high school basketball from 1958 to 1985, including the IHSAA State Basketball Tournament. For 34 years, he served the community through his retail furniture business, and is a Warsaw Breakfast Optimist member.
“I feel very honored to be able to do this. It’s kind of an area where I really have been involved in a lot, exercising, things like that, and an event that I would to be a part of and that I’m going to be (a part of),” Reinholt said.
Another recipient is Layne Warren, 91, who has been a lifelong resident of Claypool, according to James MacDonald who nominated him.
Warren was a Navy Frogman in World War II, where he was involved in the underwater demolition, clearing harbors of mines in the Pacific Islands.
He co-founded Warren Bros. Plastering & Drywalling and has been involved in many services and projects such as Lions Leader Dogs for the Blind and Lions Eye Bank Mission Trips to Guatemala. He was instrumental in building the Claypool Lions Community Building and park and playground.
Warren’s family will be carrying the torch on his behalf.
The relay will pass through all 92 Indiana counties. Indiana became a state Dec. 10, 1816.
The Torch Relay will start at Warsaw Community High School at 10 a.m. Sept. 29. It will head to Central Park, where a bicentennial ceremony will be held, and then proceed to Lakeside Park, Syracuse, before leaving the county.
Kosciusko’s celebration of the bicentennial will be Sept. 29, 30 and Oct. 1.
For details, email [email protected], visit the Facebook page at Warsaw/Kosciusko/bicentennial or the website at 2016KosciuskoCelebrates.com.[[In-content Ad]]
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