Bob and Carolyn Mizer are planting 300 pine trees on their property on the south shore of Pleasant Lake. Anyone need a Christmas tree?

leasant Lake's own Amy Oberlin is now a published author. Her novel, "Aquaferno," was just released. It is available at Amazon. Congratulations Amy. Now for the movie!

Tis The Season.

Activity is picking up over in the cove.

Herschel Erwin of the Modern Woodmen of America presents a check for $2,500 to the Pleasant Lake Historical Society. The money comes as part of a matching grant provided by The Modern Woodmen based on profits from the recent Pleasant Lake Lions Club variety show. Pictured from left are:

Jeff Erwin of the Pleasant Lake Lions Club, Herschel Erwin, Elten Powers, President of the Pleasant Lake Historical Society and Bob Erwin, PLHS Board member. Bob and Jeff are Herschel's cousins.

The Penick family celebrates the 73rd annual family reunion at the Steuben Township Park.

Famed Golfer Once Visited Pleasant Lake

Marilynn Smith, one of the founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association passed away on April 9. This newspaper article from 1954 details her visit to our community. It reads, in part:

"Relaxing after engaging in an open golf tournament in Toledo, Marilynn Smith, noted national golf pro, found most delightful recreation a few days ago at the Lake View Court, Pleasant Lake. Miss Smith was traveling with her companion, Fay Crocker, also a star pro in her own right... The couple first learned of the Pleasant Lake auto court when they took part last year in a tournament at the Auburn Country Club and came here for a little relaxation between engagements. So delighted were they with the surroundings that they availed themselves of the opportunity to relax on a few days interim...The automobile in the rear is among the current seasons winnings of the star golfer."

Marilynn Smith Obituary: The Washington Post

https://wapo.st/2G5QqqB?tid=ss_mail&utm_term=.738903936a13

Last October a home in Pleasant Lake owned by Alex Mills blew up. Fortunately he was not home at the time and no one was injured. Most P. Lake folks remember the house as the home of Don and Dorothy Anstett. The Anstetts had built the house themselves in 1949.

 Don and Dorothy are remembered as prominent long time residents of the community. They had the concrete block and vault business near their home. Dorothy worked for fifty years in food service for the schools and was active in the Baptist Church. She also had P.Lake Daily before I did as she wrote a weekly column about Pleasant Lake for the Steuben Republican. Their children, Bob, Butch, Cindy and Steve, carry on the family tradition of being active, vital members of our little village.

Who remembers the Ginnavans? From 1897 until 1942 the Ginnavan Dramatic Company put on theatrical shows all over the Midwest. Brother and sister Frank and Norma Ginnavan each had their own traveling tent show. The company was based in Ashley but Frank lived in Pleasant Lake and created what later became known as Bud’s Shell Camp.

In the last part of the 19th century, most towns of any size had opera houses such as the Croxon Opera House in Angola. The advent of railroads made it easy for performers to travel from town to town. But it was difficult for people in more rural areas to travel and opera houses were hot and uncomfortable in the summer time so some entrepreneurs created traveling tent shows.

By the 1920s most opera houses had shut down and tent theatre became the new trend.

The Ginnavan shows were very popular. A history of Butler, Indiana states that “It was always a great day when the Ginnavans came to town.” Usually after the tent was set up the company would stay for two or three days and there would be different performers each night. A playbill from the Norma Ginnavan Dramatic Co. from 1925 lists six different plays, vaudeville acts, a band concert and “electrical effects’ as part of the show along with “entertainment that is clean, instructive and amusing.”

“We would do a family oriented three act play and then do some vaudeville skits in between acts,” said Buddy Walker of his time with the show. Buddy’s father was a drummer with the show and helped set up and dismantle the tents. Buddy started in the show at the age of 4 in a two-man comedy sketch.

A 1922 issue of The Bilboard says “not a single adverse criticism has been heard from any quarter regarding any play in their repertoire. The members have received numerous compliments on their personal conduct on and off the stage  At one performance, a minister stood up during intermission, complimented the troupe and asked everyone who wanted them to return to stand. Every man, woman and child present stood and applauded- there were approximately one thousand people in the tent.”

“He has endeared himself to the Citizens of Indiana by his distinguished Humanity in Living, his Loyalty and Friendship, his Wisdom in Council and his Inspiration in Leadership.” Or so it says on the Sagamore of the Wabash award recently presented to life long Pleasant Lake resident and former state representative Dick Dodge. The photo shows Dick being presented the award by State Representative Denny Zent and Governor Eric Holcomb.

The award was created in the 1940’s by then governor Ralph Gates to recognize outstanding achievements and contributions by private citizens to the state. A sagamore was a chief among the Algonquian speaking Indian tribes. 

Dick graduated from Pleasant Lake High School in1948. (Graduation picture is shown). During his time in school, he was a cheerleader for the Spartans.

He also relates the story of the time he and Ron Hutchins rode the bus to school but decided the spring weather was too nice to attend so they hitchhiked to Bryan, Ohio.  When they got back to the school to catch the bus home the principal, Mr. Barton, was there to greet them. They were suspended for three days during which time Dick’s father, Howard, made him clean out the sheep barn.  The day after graduation from high school, Dick and his best friend, Herb Kaiser, followed  Horace Greely’s admonition to “go West, young man.  They had heard of a lumber mill where there was work so they hitchhiked to Oregon. The mill, however, was closed so they hitchhiked to San Francisco to join the Merchant Marine but there were no openings so they decided to go to Seattle to join the fishing fleet. 

They were stopped in Portland, Oregon because of flooding so they stayed a couple of days to help with sandbags. By the time they got to Seattle, the fleet had sailed so they thought they would give Mexico a try.

While hitching they heard of a ranch in Rock River, Wyoming so they went there instead and were hired on. Not long after that, Herb had had enough and went back to Pleasant Lake. Dick liked it there and stayed from June until October helping make hay on 4,000 acres.

When the work ran out, Dick decided it was time to head home. Pleasant Lake farmer Jim Ferris had bought enough sheep to fill two rail cars. If you were traveling while tending livestock you could travel free so Dick joined the sheep in Laramie, Wyoming and was on his way. After arriving in Pleasant Lake, the sheep were unloaded and Dick helped herd them down main street and out to the Ferris farm. After a couple of summers of custom bailing, Dick joined the United States Air Force in 1950 and became a crew chief on the F-94 Starfighter jet.

Dick left the air force in 1954 and joined his father in the heating business installing furnaces. Dick eventually took over the business and sold it in 1990 to interests that would eventually become Masters Heating and Cooling. 

Howard Dodge had joined the Pleasant Lake Lions Club in 1931 and Dick followed him by joining in 1950. At one time or another, Dick held all the local offices in the club and was eventually elected to district offices including district governor. Dick continues to be a very active member of the local club, currently serving as membership chairman

Work is progressing on the new home being built by Phil and Sharon Myer on South Drive. It's going to be nice.

Welcome to Julie Williamson as the new postmaster (postmistress?) of Pleasant Lake. Originally from Warsaw, Julie lived in Elkhart for a number of years where she worked in a variety of retail enterprises and was also a bartender. Early this year she decided to give the postal service a try and has been very happy with the change. She currently lives in Wolcottville. Her significant other, Mikel Fredrick,  is a handyman in Wolcottville. Her son, Sebastian Cameron of Elkhart, will be getting married in October. Say hi to Julie when you stop by the post office. 

The home of Phil and Sharon Meyer on South Drive is being razed to make way for their new home to be built on the same site. This was the former home of Sharon's parent, Ross and Glendora Lacy.

Congratulations to Kevin and Bridget Stoy and daughter Abby who was named Miss Steuben County at the 4H Fair.

The burned out building downtown that was once the post office is being removed by Merritt Demolition..

RETIRING AT LAST

Ron Parker's last day running the interschool mail route for MSD of Steuben County was Tuesday, February 5. It marked the end of a very busy career. Following twenty years of service with the Steuben County Sheriff's Department, Ron, in 1979, went into business with his brother, Ken, with Interstate Farm Equipment. He then ran Job Works in the county for ten years. After that, he was in charge of the Steuben County Emergency Medical Services. In 1997 he went to work for MSD first on the grounds crew than to the bus barn than to the mail route. During that time he also served for ten years as a member of the Steuben County Council. Now, at age 85, he thought it was, perhaps, time to start slowing down. Thank you, Ron, for a lifetime of dedicated public service.

Anyone who attended Pleasant Lake School while there was a high school there knows the names Buck and Norma Milhollin. They were an important part of the school and the community for many years and the names will bring back many fond memories. Some may not know that their daughter, Patty, lives in the house built by Julius and Norma in 1955. After graduation from Angola High School, Patty attended Manchester College, International Business College and Ravenscroft Beauty College. She set up her own beauty shop in Pleasant Lake that she called "Vanity Fair" and was in business for twenty eight years. She spent around a decade in Bentonville, Arkansas and became assistant manager at Walmart number 100, a store that Sam Walton had built for his wife, Helen, so she wouldn't have far to go to shop. Patty got to know many members of the Walton family.  Patty's image in a sailor suit was used in Walmart stores around the world as part of an ad to promote hiring new workers. (See below). Patty came back to Pleasant Lake to live with and aid her mother in Norma's last years. She took up crocheting and made afghans and garments for her sons, Jeff, Mike and Brady and their families including six grandchildren. As part of her deep Christian faith, she saw a need and started on what she describes as a "spiritual adventure." Last year she made seventy four afghans. Fifty of them were donated to the Fort Wayne Rescue mission. Another thirteen were donated to Women in Transition in Angola and the rest were given to Lakeland Nursing Home. She is already ahead of the pace for 2018. 

Abe and Nancy Thalls are enjoying the quiet life of retirement in their West Bellefontaine Road home. The house is getting a make over with a new roof and, soon, some new green siding.

Abe (actually Adrian) is originally from Hagerstown and went to Ball State to be a business teacher. He taught for one year at the old Mongo School then for three years at Wolcottville before moving on to Angola High School where he was a fixture for twenty-four years. He retired in 1989. He has been an active member of the Pleasant Lake Lions Club since 1962. Abe, Ron Parker and Floyd Deetz revived the Lions Club minstrel shows in 1980 and he has been on the stage every year since.

There is a tale to tell about how he and Nancy met. Nancy is from Michigan and worked for forty five years for a Smart Shopper type newspaper in Coldwater.  The paper had a "Lonely Hearts" personal ad section and Nancy decided to write one. Sitting in his home in Pleasant Lake, Abe, on a whim, decided to respond to the ad. Nancy and her friends at the newspaper reviewed the twenty some responses she had gotten and picked out Abe's as sounding like it came from a nice fellow so she wrote back.  Some time later,  Abe's friend Paul Schrock and his wife invited Abe to join them for a sandwich and a beer. After they were in the car, Abe asked where they were going. After they got to Michigan Paul and his wife confessed they were taking Abe to meet the lady from the ad. Nancy did not know this and, when they got to her house, she was not home. The neighbor said she would be back soon so they waited. When she got home they explained why they were there. Nancy and Abe started talking. That was in 1980. They have been together ever since and got married that same year.

Between them they have eight children and numerous grand and great grandchildren.

Abe can often be found on local lakes engaging in one of his favorite pastimes.

Older Pleasant Lake residents will remember Gerald and Evangeline Fuller. He was a prominent businessman, owner of Fuller’s Garage and the Chevrolet dealership there and she was a long time teacher in the county. Their older son, Richard, attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and was an ensign in the United States Navy. Robert graduated from Pleasant Lake High School in 1943 and joined the navy taking his training at the Great Lake Naval Station. He was assigned as a machinist on the submarine the USS Kete. In those days submarines were named for types of fish. A kete is a tropical fish.

In early March of 1945, while patrolling in seas south of Okinawa, the Kete torpedoed several Japanese ships. With only three torpedoes remaining, the Kete was ordered to Midway for refueling then to Pearl Harbor. On the 20th of March, 1945, the Kete issued a weather report from an area south of Japan.  The Kete was never seen or heard from again. It may have been sunk from enemy action or because of mechanical failure.

In honor of all those who gave up all their tomorrows so we could have today, this Memorial Day we remember Robert Fuller of the USS Kete. On eternal patrol...

George Libey!

Some of you remember George's parents, Wade and Louise Libey. Wade was a long time teacher in Steuben County.

He also taught for three years in the Phillippines. Perhaps you remember his siblings Jane, John, Mary (Hutchins)

Lurinda or Sarah. After graduating from Angola High School, George went to Purdue and graduated in 1965.

He went to flight school in the United States Marine Corps then went to Vietnam as an F4 Phantom pilot.

He flew 137 combat missions and, The caption in the LIFE article states, he was the last pilot shot down over North Vietnam. He went to graduate school and earned a Ph.D in fisheries biology and was a professor at Purdue.

He then went to Virginia Tech until semi retirement in 2000 but he continued working until 2007.

He now does volunteer work, drives a bus for the local college and visits the children and grandchildren he and his wife,

Linda, have in Raliegh, NC. George says, "Although it has been 50 years, I still think of P. Lake as home." Many of us feel the same.

Who do you know that should be featured in "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO?"