10 Years Ago Former Warsaw Community High School varsity boys basketball coach Al Rhodes, now in his second season at Logansport High School, has been selected to coach the West Team in the 28th annual McDonald’s All-American Boys High School Basketball game March 30 at the Joyce Center at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. Pete Smith, his long-time friend, former Warsaw assistant and Penn High School coach, will be his assistant. Rhodes was named Northern Lakes Conference Coach of the Year eight times while at Warsaw, winning 49 championships, including 14 sectional titles, seven regionals, four semistate titles and the 1984 state championship. 25 Years Ago Dean and Sharon Hoffman had always wanted to restore an old house, so they bought the old Dutch colonial on South Main Street in Bourbon, once referred to as “the mansion.” The 3,200-square foot house was built by Matthew Erwin 114 years ago and is still structurely sound. The Hoffmans and their children, Amy, Angie and Brad, took possession last spring and spent the summer making “emergency” repairs. They are committed to maintaining the historical aspect of the house. 50 Years Ago Warsaw’s 30-year teachers honored Jan. 25: Mrs. Eudora Hively, third grade, McKinley; Giles Hoffer, social studies, Senior High School; Mrs. Mary Reece, home economics, Senior High; Dane Snoke, Latin, Senior and Freshman High; Robert Stafford, librarian, Senior High; and Russell Harman, principal at Adams School. President of the Classroom Teachers’ Association of Warsaw is Mrs. Julia Boles, first-grade, Madison. Mrs. Donald Hogan, elementary music director, led group singing. Mrs. Lewis Luckenbill, director of volunteers for Murphy Medical Center, presented a transistor radio to the Kosciusko County chapter of the American Red Cross in appreciation of services performed in the institution by the Gray Ladies. Accepting was Inez Devenney, executive secretary of the chapter, a United Fund agency. 75 Years Ago Dr. Joseph M. Byler, 92, Warsaw physician for over 60 years and descendent of one of Kosciusko County’s pioneer families, passed away Jan. 24, at his East Main Street residence. He was born in Lancaster, Ohio, and came to Kosciusko County with his parents at age 5, settling three miles west of Leesburg, known as Turkey Prairie. Dr. Byler was among the first college graduate doctors (Hanemann in Chicago) to practice in this county, starting practice in Warsaw in 1875, and inventing a formula for a hand lotion still used by his family. He taught at the old Webster School for two years, served two terms on the pension board for soldiers during the Cleveland administration, and was a member of the Warsaw Christian Church and Eagles’ Lodge. His hobby was racing horses at the fairgrounds between Scott and Bronson streets. He would have been 93 March 5.
