10 Years Ago Former Leesburg resident Mark Tarner heads one of the fastest growing businesses in the nation. Tarner is president of The South Bend Chocolate Co. and he recently traveled to Boston to accept an award from ”Inc. Magazine.” The magazine says the business is in a group of the top 100 fastest growing companies in the nation. In fact, Tarner was told his company is 17th on that list. Tarner lived in Leesburg in the 1960s and ’70s and attended elementary school there when his parents (Don and Ruth Tarner, who now reside in South Bend) owned and operated Tarner’s Market. 25 Years Ago Four students from Warsaw’s Freshman High recently brought home the school’s first-ever first-place award in area poultry judging, following competition in Goshen. Winning first overall among students from nine teams was Matthew Poe. He was joined by fellow student Kevin Montel as second overall. These two judgers, along with Jesse Creekmore and Dan Hawkins, earned the first-place team award during their first effort in competition. The team next advances to state finals at Purdue University. 50 Years Ago “I wish every mother could go back to school,” says Peggy Wagner (Mrs. Mervin), who will graduate from Leesburg High School May 24, two days before her 33rd birthday. Educational as the past year has been, the dividend that really made it worth-while is that she’s now better equipped to understand her own children. Peggy always longed to go to college. She missed getting a diploma from Warsaw High School by half a credit, so that the lack had to be overcome. She can now register at Goshen College, and is deciding on a major in art and minor in languages, or vice versa. 75 Years Ago Considerable ill feeling has been created among striking factory workers at the Claypool Machine Shop who 10 days ago struck for better working conditions, by the return to work of part of their numbers. Starting out as a harmonious group, the strikers are disorganized and the strike definitely broken. Returning workmen were reluctant to resume their duties and abandon their co-workers, but pointed out that their families demanded an income or starvation. The factory is operating with a skeleton force.
