Kim M. Ebner,  was first nominated to the Minerva High School Hall of Fame in 1996 by Donna Hafer. Since more information was needed to continue with the nomination, she was not inducted at that time. Linda Hanson has since added more information. We find that Ebner makes an excellent member of the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame.

While a student at Minerva High, Ebner was active in both symphonic and marching bands. She was also active in pep and ski clubs all four years. After graduation she enrolled in the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. She received an associates degree in 1979, and achieved the deans list in visual communications.

After graduation she accepted a position with Hallmark Cards Inc. in Kansas City. During her years at Hallmark (1979-2008), Ebner was a Senior Artist with the creation and product development team for all Hallmark products, including Shoebox greetings, Fresh Ink, package design, gift wrap and party. She also worked in the typography design/layout, and created and developed a Fresh Inkstore concept and merchandising prototype.

From 2008 to the present, Ebner has been active in her freelance Graphic Design business, Modern Interior Design and her Fine Art. Her graphic design business includes logos, t-shirts, product labels, postcards, banners, greeting cards, magazine layout/design and illustrations.

In her interior design business Ebner creates modern interior architectural design for clients. Her design acumen has been recognized in national media. In 2000 her personal home was featured in the Better Homes and Gardens"Remodeling Ideas” magazine. In 2009 her design for the “Ebner/Connelly" residence was featured in Spaces magazine and the Kansas City Star. She was also awarded the "Design Excellence” Bronze award from Kansas City Home and Garden magazine. In 2010 she won a second "Design Excellence” Bronze award from Kansas City Home and Garden magazine for "Kitchen Design” at the Fleming/Foos residence, Fairway Ranch, Kansas. This design was also featured in Spaces and Kansas City Home and Garden magazines in 2011.

Ebner then moved to Santa Fe, NM, to explore her fine art. During this time, she acted as an Art Advisor for Mark White Fine Art Gallery on Canyon Road, Santa Fe, in addition to working on her art. Her art pieces have been exhibited and sold in both Santa Fe and Kansas City.

Ebner returned to Kansas City, Missouri, in 2012 and continues to create her artwork and architectural designs. She has also resumed her charitable activities such as donation of art pieces to organizations focused on animal rescue and AIDS prevention and education.

Working for Hallmark was a dream Kim shared with her family and, after completing her education, she headed to Kansas City and made the dream a reality. Within a few weeks of her move from Minerva, however, her father, Cyril, died suddenly. Kim returned home and was very aware that her responsibilities as a daughter might require her to remain. Her mother, Shirley, would have none of it. Kim's dad was very proud and supportive of Kim's move to Hallmark. He wouldn't have wanted her to give it up. The dream remained alive.

Kim is an excellent role model for young women. Donna Hafer, who first nominated her for the Alumni Hall of Fame, felt it would be "beneficial for young people to realize that artistic abilities can be as worthwhile as others that people may consider to be more lucrative.”

Bradley J. Henninger was nominated by Carol Whiteleather Thomas. While in high school, he was active in quite a few organizations, including golf, track, basketball, MHS Leader of the Month, Congressional Council, district science fair and National Forensic League.

In 1985 he received two Bachelor of Science degrees from Bowling Green State University: a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in geology and a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in Comprehensive Sciences. He also received a Masters of Science in Education from Cleveland State University in 1992.

Henninger began his teaching career in Florida, teaching biology, earth science and astronomy at Miramar High School in 1985. He was named head swim coach at Hollywood Hills High School and was offered a teaching position there the following year. From 1986-1990 he taught honors earth science, oceanography, marine biology, and physical science while at Hollywood Hills High School.

In 1990 he moved back to Ohio to teach at Eastlake North High School. He taught earth science and coached the 9" grade girls volleyball team. During the next twelve years, Henninger added biology, chemistry and physics to classes he taught. He started and coached the school's first girls varsity golf team, initiated and advised the school's Model Rocket Club, Science and Robotics Clubs.

From 2002 until retiring in 2015, Henninger taught at Perry High School in Lake County teaching physics, including college physics, and was a Science Olympiad advisor. He developed Perry's first girl's varsity golf team and then was named head boys varsity golf coach and head varsity swim coach.

His many awards and accomplishments were:

2008-2013 Coached state qualifiers each year in DII swimming and diving at Perry High School, Lake County. His teams had 50+ students on them in a school with an enrollment of 600.

2007 Coached a state qualifier on his boys varsity golf team at Perry High School.

2000-2013 Advised Perry's Science Olympiad team that qualified for state competition each year.

2001 He was a national finalist for a Toyota Tapestry grant.

2000-2002 His robotics team swept first place overall at NEORC (Northeast Ohio Robotics Championship)

annual competition held at Kent State and Youngstown State Universities.

1999 He developed and initiated Advanced Placement Chemistry & Advanced Placement Physics programs at North High School

1999 He was recipient of a U.S. Space Camp scholarship sponsored by Rockwell Automation. He was recognized by Cleveland Crain's Business for his use of a “research and development” approach to physics labs and research projects.

1996 He was the Lubrizol Corporation's Lake County High School Science Teacher of the Year award

Winner.

1989 He had the best swim team record since the progam’s inception in 1967 at Hollywood Hills High

School. He had state qualifiers on his team beginning in 1985.

1976 He received his Eagle Scout Award completing several community service projects around Minerva.

Over the years, Henninger's community service focused on young adults. As a member of the Minerva First Christian Church and Calvary Fellowship Baptist Church in Painesville, Ohio, he has been a Sunday school teacher. As a faculty member, he mentored, influenced and guided high school students in varsity sports and in pursing engineering careers. In 2015 he was recognized by the Lake County credit Union with the presentation of an award recognizing his service to his community.

Henninger and his wife Judi live in Perry Township (Lake County). Judi is founder/owner of Always Honeymoon Travel. They have two daughters and two sons-in-law, Ashley and Kevin Hegarty and Aimee and Aaron Simon. They also have a grandson, Miles, and a granddaughter, Lila. When the couple is not visiting their family, they enjoy traveling the world. Henninger is the son of Mrs. Joan Henninger and the late William Henninger and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Hart of Minerva.

William J. Martin was nominated by John Michael Hoopes with additional information by Vern Wadsworth. In his nomination of Martin, Hoopes said, “William Martin is worthy for recognition in the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame for his long and distinguished legal career beginning in 1973 in Carroll County and for his 24 years of service as Judge, Carroll County Common Pleas Court, General and Domestic Relations Divisions.”

While a high school student Martin's activities included student council, Hi-Y, National Honor Society, golf team and head manager for varsity football and basketball. He was the editor of the 1965 MHS CRESCENT.

In 1969 he graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts degree. He continued his studies graduating from Case Western Reserve Law School in 1972. He was admitted to the bar in the state of Ohio in 1972 and also to the U. S. District Court (N.D., OH) and the U. S. Supreme court.

His many offices and appointments include:

Carroll County General Law Practice (1973-82) Carroll County Assistant Prosecutor (1973-80) Village Solicitor, Dellroy, OH (1981-82) Carroll County Reserve Deputy Sheriff (1975-82) Member Carroll City Airport Authority (1980-82 Judge, Carroll County Common Pleas Court-General and Domestic Relations Division (1983-2006) Judge, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy Court (1985-2006) Visiting Assigned Appellate Judge (1986-93) Visiting Assigned Common Pleas Judge (1983-2006) Visiting Retired Assigned Judge (2007-12) Adjunct Professor, Akron University Law School (1985-93) Lecturer, Ohio Judicial College, Ohio Peace Officer Training Council

Martin's community service included his work with the Ohio Bar Association, the Carroll County Civic Club and the Lions Club. Among his awards were, in 2007, the award for Honorable, Dedicated and Distinguished Service from the Carroll County Republican Party; The Golden Gavel Award from the Ohio Common Pleas Judge's Association in 2006; and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy Court.

In his letter of support about Martin, Vern Wadsworth wrote, "Bill has spent a lifetime in study, service, and the law. Judge Martin's strength, fairness and wisdom were fixtures in Carroll County courtrooms for many years.”

Martin and his wife, Barbara J. (Dennis) Martin live in Carrollton. They are the parents of four adult children.

Dr. Palmer Cook, class of 1957, was nominated to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by Joan Hart Henninger, also of the class of 1957. Dr. Cook definitely fills the definition of what a member of the Minerva Alumni Hall of Fame should be . . . someone who has brought honor and distinction to Minerva High School through his career or his community service or both.

Dr. Cook's mother, Bryda Cook was a first grade teacher in Minerva, and his father owned Cook's Tire and Repair on S. Market St. where young Palmer enjoyed spending time listening to the discussions among the customers. His mother and one of his favorite teachers, Mrs. Dorothy Heath, particularly encouraged his love of reading. Other Minerva teachers that he remembers with high regard are Mrs. Hammond, and Miss Hogue in eighth grade and Wendell Smith in high school chemistry and physics. "Mr. Smith," Dr. Cook recalled, “had a sense of humor and an honest and enduring quest for doing the best possible job of teaching.”

After high school graduation he was an apprentice printer for the Canton Repository, then worked as an ad compositor at the Ravenna Record Courier, and at a printing shop in Kent. In 1959, he became a full time student in pre-optometry at Kent State and married a high school classmate, Linda Hawn from the New Franklin area. He remained a student at Kent State, Ohio State, or the University of Houston from 1959 through the spring semester of 1965. During those years they had a daughter Susan and a son Christopher.

Dr. Cook received his B.Sc. in physiological optics (OSU 1963), B.Sc. in Optometry (OSU School of Optometry 1964), and his O.D. degree (U.H. College of Optometry 1965). He was licensed to practice optometry by the Ohio State Board of Examiners in Optometry in 1964. At the University of Houston he served as a clinical instructor while pursuing his graduate studies. Upon returning to Ohio he entered private practice in Eaton, near Dayton. In addition to private practice, he began teaching as a part-time clinical instructor and lecturer at OSU's College of Optometry. He taught at OSU 1965-1985, and today occasionally returns to guest lecture.

He built a small clinic in Eaton in 1970, which still remains an eye care facility. In the 1980's the Ohio optometry law was changed, and he undertook the additional education and the state board examination that licensed him to treat eye disease and diagnose and treat eye problems medically. His primary interest in practice was pediatric eye care.

“My first prescription lenses," he said, “were designed by Dr. Fred Jamison who formerly practiced in Minerva in Dr. Weir's medical building."

In 1985 Dr. Cook discontinued his regular teaching at OSU to seek additional challenges outside the field of eye care. In 1989, along with a good friend and partner, he opened what was then a new concept in bookselling- a bookstore café - named Nickleby’s after Dickens' character, Nicholas Nickleby. The store had an indoor café, an outdoor café, a stage with an upright grand piano, and a stream of events and book signings. In 1992 he and his partner were featured on the cover of Publisher's Weekly Magazine as the first booksellers-of-the-year they had ever honored. His partner left Nickleby's in 1992, and shortly after she left, Dr. Cook retired from active practice to turn his full attention to the bookstore. Ultimately he closed the bookstore in 1995. "Nickleby's," he remarked, “was an interesting part of my life. I enjoyed it greatly and still miss it today."

Upon closing the bookstore, Dr. Cook accepted an invitation to join an ophthalmic laboratory, Cincinnati-based Diversified Ophthalmics, as a consultant. Today the company, founded in 1977, is the 9th largest privately owned ophthalmic laboratory in the US. Dr. Cook is a member of the company's Board of Directors and continues to work full time as their Vice President of Professional Education and as a technical consultant. The company supplies optometrists from coast to coast with prescription lenses, ophthalmic equipment, and nearly every kind of product that an eye care office might need.

Dr. Cook has written a monthly column for optometrists and optometric technicians for more than 18 years. He also writes a weekly news bulletin for The ECP Network, a group of more than 1,000 optometrists interested in new developments in vision care. Since 2003 he has been writing technical features related to lens design and vision care for 20/20 Magazine, a global publication produced by New York-based jobson Publishing, Inc.

Books and reading are still an important part of his life, and he enjoys traveling to the UK to visit his daughter Susan who lives in Richmond, a suburb of London. Although he is nearly 76, he actively enjoys woodworking. “Sometimes," he said, “it’s a race between adding books to my library and building more bookcases to hold them.” He tinkers with 0-gauge trains, and hopes to write some fiction when he retires.

Dr. Cook lives in Cincinnati with his partner of many years, Mary Kay Denny – a graduate of Miami University and who is retired Procter and Gamble. “We both,” he said, "believe that life presents a kaleidoscope of challenges and opportunities. Mary Kay and I encourage today's students to use education as their key to meeting life's challenges and the many opportunities that will be available to them as a result of their efforts."

William “Bill” Russell, class of 1949, and Karen “Kay” McArtor Russell class of 1954, were nominated to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by Rosemary Vandegrift, class of 1957, and the Russells' family.

William is the son of Albert and Emma Russell, whose family moved to Minerva in 1944. During high school Bill was active in the Future Farmers of America Program. He played on various fast-pitch softball teams in the area before he graduated. Kay is the daughter of the Frank and Virginia McArtor of Minerva. She participated in Minerva High School band, choir, yearbook staff, and the Quill and Scroll Honorary Society for Journalism.

Bill served in Korea as a corporal with the U. S. Army during the Korean War. Upon his return to the states, he worked with his father in construction. Bill and Kay were married in 1954 by the Rev. Arthur Poll. It was at the First Christian Church that Bill became Sunday School Superintendent and served on the church board while Kay worked as the church secretary. Five years later the couple moved to Wisconsin, where Bill began studying at Milwaukee Bible College. The latter part of his college experience took place at Grace Bible College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1967 Bill was invited by Grace Missions International to use his knowledge of construction to build a dormitory for the Caribbean Grace Academy and the WCGB radio station on the mission property in Ponce, Puerto Rico. While living in Ponce, the couple conducted Bible classes and church services.

Returning to Minerva in 1969, Bill reestablished his construction business and the couple began a youth ministry at the Bayard United Methodist Church. Community films were sponsored and youth rallies were held at the former Minerva Jr. High School on Market Ave. A rally with professional football player Tom Barrington drew nearly 600 attendees. Bill established and directed Ohio Grace Youth Camp for over ten years using facilities at Camp Conestoga, Bob Boards Park, and Quaker Canyon Camp. Youth activities were made available to Minerva High School students in the basement of the skating rink after the football games. During those years, the Russells traveled with the Glory Singers. The group consisted of 20 young people who performed at various churches and organizations throughout the Midwest. Of the sixty appearances, a highlight was the national Grace Gospel Fellowship Convention at Sawmill Creek near Cleveland.

In 1975 Bill founded the Berean Bible Church of Alliance where he pastored for seven years. The church purchased the original Roxie Theater in Minerva and met there for several years before relocating in Louisville. In 1982 he accepted a call to the Grace Bible Church of Newaygo, Michigan.

Kay enrolled at Jordan College in Fremont, Michigan in 1985. She served on their Student Retention Committee graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1988 as Salutatorian with an Associate of Science degree. That fall she received a presidential scholarship to Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. There she studied public relations and advertising while becoming a member of the Student Public Relations Society of America.

Her internship was served at the Advisory Center for Teens in Grand Rapids. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts in communications.

Upon graduation, Kay began working as executive secretary for the pastor of the United Methodist Church in Muskegon, Michigan, supervising publications and office management. When the couple moved to Cadillac in 1990, Bill continued his ministry at the Grace Community Bible Church of Cadillac. Kay became clearing house coordinator for Love in the Name of Christ and served on their board of directors for five years. There she became a reporter and columnist for the Waterfront newspaper, taught Spanish at Heritage Christian School, and played clarinet in the Cadillac Symphony Orchestra.

The Russells moved to Fairhope, Alabama, in 1997, where he built new homes and served on the church board of Grace Bible Church. Kay taught Spanish, English, Science, journalism and government at Victory and Central Christian High Schools where she managed the newspapers and yearbook staffs. After her retirement, she conducted Spanish and writing classes and seminars. She was a member of the Baldwin Pops Band and Baldwin Christians Writers Association.

Kay is an author and editor who designs and develops fundraisers, creating printed materials for various non-profit organizations. In 2006 she published her first book From Christmas to Christmas, a family history. They retired in 2007, and the couple relocated to Holland, Michigan in 2011, where they now reside at 181 East 37"Street.

On June 21, 2014, nearly one hundred family and friends honored the couple at the Minerva Senior Center for their sixty years of marriage. Congratulations were received from “Focus on the Family,” “Family Talk Radio” and the Ohio Senate.

The Russells have six children: Cindy Lippincott of Fairhope, Alabama; Kimberly (Troy) Haynam of Alliance; Pastor William (Tricia) Russell of Allendale, Michigan; Lisa (Harold) Kimbel of Zeeland, Michigan; Terry (Jodie Marie) Russell of Wayland, Michigan; and Jody (Sue) Russell of Cadillac, Michigan. They consider their nineteen grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren among their finest accomplishments.

Dr. Craig M. Baudendistel, class of 2001, was nominated by his parents Sherly and Jack Baudendistel. Since graduating high school, he has earned his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctoral degrees in the ñeld of Mechanical Engineering from Wright State University (WSU). His dissertation during his graduate studies focused on energy-based methods for fatigue crack growth along bimaterial interfaces.

Baudendistel graduated from Minerva High School at the top of his class, earning a full tuition valedictorian scholarship to WSU. As class president and senior captain of the football team and a member of numerous school clubs, his most notable achievements included the WHBC Scholar Athlete of the year in Stark County, the Robert H. Hines award for academics, and one of the first to march in the band dressed as a member of the football team his sophomore year. He was also able to excel in his pursuit of an engineering degree by interning at PCC Airfoils his senior year and attending Kent State and Walsh Colleges for post-secondary college credit.

Upon graduating from WSU with his Bachelor’s degree, Craig was awarded with the Outstanding Student in Mechanical Engineering and Dean’s Commendation for his senior design project involving the Society of Automotive Engineer’s Offroad Mini Baja Competition. Inducted into the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society as a sophomore, he completed his undergraduate career Summa Cum Laude.

Baudendistel continued his higher education at WSU after turrning down scholarships at Virginia Tech and Clemson Universities for the chance to teach at the college level during his graduate studies at WSU. Upon earning both a competitive fellowship and research scholarship through the Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute, he was given the opportunity to take classes from, not only WSU, but the University of Dayton, the Air Force Institute of Technology, and Sinclair Community College. While doing so, he performed experimental research at the Air Force Research Labs RL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAF B). He has since been published in national journals and conference proceedings.

Craig’s love of teaching has been fostered since junior high where he was a karate instructor at the local YMCA. During his undergraduate years, he was employed by WSU as a calculus/algebra tutor in addition to his co-op job at WPAF B. In graduate school, Baudendistel earned two Outstanding Teaching Awards in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) as the instructor for Mechanical Design I and teaching assistant for Introductory Engineering Mathematics, Finite Element Analysis, and Strength of Materials classes.

Since graduating with his PhD, Craig has continued teaching as an adjunct professor in multiple capacities. In addition to WSU he instructs a college level course at local high schools supporting the dual enrollment program at Bellbrook High School and the Dayton Regional STEM School.

Craig is currently employed by Universal Technology Corporation as a research engineer at WPAF B working for the Structural Analysis Group in the Engine Integrity Branch.

Married to entrepreneur photographer Erika Jane Ingebo, the Baudendistels volunteer through their local house church affiliated with Apex Community Church in support of the Xenia Women’s Center, Xenia Famiy Violence Prevention Center, and other local Xenia families. They also support Apex through the coffee ministry and media team operating the sound system for the praise band. Both are extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve others and give complete credit for any and all successes to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Rudy Evanich, was nominated by Barbara Reider, class of 1979.  In her nomination letter, Reider wrote, "I am pleased to nominate Rudy Evanich, Minerva High School Class of 1978, for membership in the Minerva High School Hall of Fame. I hope you will agree that his personal integrity, commitment to the community, and business success are worthy of consideration.”

Evanich graduated with a degree in accounting Case Western Reserve University in 1983, where he also received four collegiate letters in football. That same year, he opened his business, Evanich Accounting & Tax, LLC. His firm has created jobs for eight employees. During a recent year, his firm prepared tax returns for over 1,000 individuals and businesses. He processes payroll and payroll taxes for over 50 companies, and prepares the books and financial statements for over 75 companies. Rudy also meets with clients to discuss tax planning and business consulting. He prepares necessary government documents for the creation of new businesses. His entrepreneurial talents have provided much-needed services for local residents.

In 2002 Evanich first ran for public office and was elected as the Paris Township fiscal officer. He continues to hold this position with elections occurring every four years. Obviously the citizens of Paris Township trust him. Among his many duties are to receive and distribute township funds, create the annual budget, prepare bank reconciliations, sign contracts on behalf of the township, work with the state auditor to ensure the township’s financial statements are in good form, and keep all meeting minutes.

In 2012 the Sandy Creek Joint Fire District was created to provide services to the Village of Minerva, residents of Paris Township and residents of West Township. A levy was passed in November 2012 to help fund the fire district. He created a budget of $700,000 and now manages the funds for the fire district.

Evanich is busy as he serves as a director of the Paris and Washington Township Homer Insurance Company, and he is a grain farmer, growing many acres of corn and soybeans each year. He and his wife Judie live in the Minerva area and are members of Minerva United Methodist Church.

Several years ago, he worked with the Minerva School Board members Jan Kishman and Susan Crawford, Athletic Director Don Spinell, and then Superintendent Doug Marrah to start the MHS Girls’ Golf Team. After only three years of competition, in 2009 the golf team advanced to the Ohio State Tournament. Three Evanich daughters--Ashley, Heather, and Melissa--have competed on the Minerva Girls’ Golf Tearn and continued their golf careers in college.

Evanich is a Past Commodore of the Point Yacht Club located at Cedar Point Marina where he served as trustee for four years. He has served as Fleet Captain, Rear Commodore, Vice Commodore, and in 2009 as Commodore. He is also a member of the Huron Yacht Club in Huron, Ohio.

Reider summarized her nomination of Evanich by writing: “I could name many other contributions Rudy has made to the Minerva community and the Minerva High School athletic program, however, they do not begin to measure his personal character, integrity and devotion to his family. In life these are his greatest successes.

John R. Aller, class of 1983, was nominated by Margery Crowl Aller, Class of 1957.  Since his high school graduation, he has received his BA in psychology from Kent State University.  In 1994, he received his MA in education with a focus in community counseling.  He is currently certified as a licensed professional counselor and a licensed independent certified addiction counselor.  He is currently pursuing his doctorate in public health with a concentration in health policy and management.

John has served the community in addiction and mental health services for 21 years in client care, supervisory, and administrative capacities.  While he was the director of the Alcohol and Drug Board of Stark County in 2008, the decision was made to combine with the Mental Health Board of Stark County.  Although fiscal considerations and efficacy drove the decision, John’s track record of successful program development, administrative skills and innovation made him the obvious choice to take over the merger of the two boards.  He has been in this position of Executive Director of the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Stark County (MHRSB) since.

Under his leadership, the Stark MHRSB has been recognized at both state and federal levels as being at the forefront of behavioral health.  His team is responsible for obtaining millions of dollars in grants to assist those in need.  Aller directly oversees the distribution of all funding and services provided to those in need of substance abuse or mental health care through MHRSB’s providers.

John has received numerous awards including:  Distinguished Alumni of Kent State’s College of Education and was appointed by the governor to serve as a member of the Council of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Advisory Group.  He has also served on various state and local committees and currently is on the executive committee of the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities.  He is also a federal grant reviewer for federal behavioral health applicants.

Recently MHRSB has awarded Quest Recovery Services with a grant to begin to offer services in Minerva with the opening of an office.  This is in additions to the funding currently provided to ensure access to Minerva students in prevention and treatment in the schools.

Aller’s philosophy is based on “leaving the community where he lives better off than he found it.”  He also feels his drive for community service and civic responsibility were nurtured during his developmental years in Minerva.

He currently resides in Green, Ohio, with his wife Loretta, and children Kelsey and Sean.

Joan Hart Henninger, class of 1957, was nominated by Rosemary Lutz Vandegrift, class of 1957.  She is a retired teacher from Minerva Local Schools with 32 years experience.

She is currently a resident artist at the Market Street Art Spot in Minerva.  Joan, Michelle Mulligan and Marty Chapman initiated the idea, which came to fruition in 2011 with the additional help of Laura Donnelly and Sally Lytle.  An art gallery in Minerva was something that she “believed in.”

She was born on her grandfather’s farm in rural New Harrisburg to Kate and Ed Hart. Joan grew up in Minerva. She began art lessons at 14 with local artist Jean Calerdine Browne, her mentor for forty years.  Her favorite subjects were barns, since she was always around them.

While in high school, Joan was on the Crescent staff, National Honor Society, Y-Teens, GAA, Diary staff, Quill and Scroll, and was the American Legion essay winner her senior year.  She also worked in her parent’s drug store, Hart Drug.

In 1957 she entered Kent State University’s teacher cadet program and began her teaching career in September 1964.  She taught grades kindergarten, first, second, and sixth at Minerva Elementary.  Her favorite grade to teach was first grade because she taught her students how to read.  After the birth of her son in 1962, she taught private kindergarten for five years with Mona Theobald.  She often used art to motivate her students.  Summertime gave her time to paint locally and during her travels.  Painting on site is her favorite thing to do.

In 1960, she married William Henninger, an engineer at Good Roads Machinery.  She has one son, Brad.  Brad lives in Perry Township in Lake County, Ohio.  He is married to Judi and has two daughters, Ashley Hegarty of Virginia Beach, and Aimee Simon of Perry Township.

Joan has been a member of Minerva First Christian Church for 65 years.  She taught Sunday school and was chairman of the Home Department.  She created a memorial garden there for her husband, who died in 2000.  A painting she created of the church is hanging in the Narthex.

Joan’s community is very important to her.  She is past-president of the Entre Nous service club and continues to be an active member.  The club has planted flowers and shrubs in the cemetery, created the Minerva welcome signs and installed flower planters along Market Street.  She has participated in the Minerva Junior Women’s Club, Minerva Chamber of Commerce, OEA, Sans Souci, bridge clubs, and Calligrapher’s Alliance.

Besides painting, Henninger’s hobbies include swimming, knitting, golfing, gardening, and cooking for which she has received numerous awards.  She taught swimnastics for 12 years at the Great Trail Golf Club.

Joan has traveled to many European countries such as Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, Turkey, Greece and Ireland.  Those places have served as subjects for her art.

She often does commission work and always has a project on the easel in her studio.  She has exhibited at the Butler Art Institute of America, Salem Art Show, Algonquin Mill Festival, Massillon Museum of Art, Stark County Fair, Minerva Arts and Craft Fair, Lost Gold Festival in Minerva, Steam Railroad Museum and the Carroll County Commission for the Advancement of the Arts.  She has had a solo art show at the Market Street Art Spot.  She exhibits work in her private studio, the Oil Slick.

Minerva has been good for Henninger to grow up, prosper, and enjoy!  It is her hometown, and she wouldn’t trade it for any other place.

Walt Shaw, class of 1957, was nominated by Rosemary Lutz Vandegrift.  While a student at Minerva High School, he was active in band and dramatics.  After graduation attended Asbury College and graduated in 1963 with a bachelor’s of arts degree in chemistry.  He received his master’s of science in physiological chemistry from The Ohio State University in 1966.  In 1973, he received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Alabama.

Walt worked as a research associate at the Medical College of Virginia after receiving his master’s degree.  He served as president and owner of Avanti Biochemicals, Inc. in Pelham, Alabama.  In 1980 his growing company moved to Alabaster, Alabama. As president of Avanti, it became his responsibility to provide suitable equipment and allocate resources to facilitate completion of projects in a timely manner.

From 1992 through 1995, Shaw was chairman of the Alabama Section of the American Chemical Society.  He also served as an officer of the International Lecithin Society.

Shaw was a finalist in the Birmingham SBA Person of the Year in 1990.  In 2004, he received the Novel Approaches in Oral Drug Delivery Award from CRS-Eurand.  He has authored many research publications relating to cancer and cystic fibrosis.

He feels that the best business training he received was from his paper route in Minerva when he was a teenager.  “A paper route is a microcosm of a business.  You have customers whom you have to satisfy, you have to make a profit, you have to handle finances.”

Walt met his wife, Rowena, at Asbury College.  They moved to Ohio when he attended Ohio State.  When they moved to Alabama, Rowena took on management of Avanti’s daily operations and is currently the vice president.

Avanti now has 75,000 square feet of manufacturing and office buildings on over 25 acres.  The Shaw’s son Trevor has jointed the family business, but daughters Renee and Melinda have chosen other careers.

Because of Avanti’s commitment to quality and willingness to help customers, lipid researchers view the company as “more collaborator than supplier,” says Daniel Raben of Johns Hopkins University, who heads the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research.  In line with its philosophy of always thinking of customers, Avanti is a generous supporter of the ASBMB.  Beginning in 2013, the ASBMB’s Lipid Research Division presents an award in Walter Shaw’s name.

Fundraising for Asbury College’s science department, contributing funds to worldwide scientific organizations, and First Nazarene Church of Birmingham are some of Shaw’s community interests.

The Shaws are grandparents of Addison, Savannah, and Preston Underwood; McKenzie and Mason Lowry; and Bennet, Mae, and Caroline Shaw.

Ruth Ann Englant Betz, class of 1948, was nominated by Michael Gallina, class of 1978, and Lynnette Gallina, class of 1982.  Betz' family moved to the Minerva area from Canton a month before her tenth birthday.  Ruth Ann has been a loyal fan of Minerva--the town, the schools, and the people.  She is intelligent, compassionate, and generous.  These traits have served her well throughout her life.

Betz was a good student showing promise early in life.  She bypassed the last half of fourth grade and skipped to the middle of fifth grade.  In high school she showed leadership by serving as a cheerleader.  She was also the lead in the senior class play and served as class secretary.  During high school she worked during summers at the Minerva Dairy.  After graduation, she was employed by the Minerva office of the Natural Gas Company of West Virginia.  In 1955, she entered Kent State University's cadet teacher program.  While attending Kent summers and nights, she began her teaching career at West Elementary in January of 1958.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Kent in 1964.  While there, she was inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society for educators.  Her interest in art led her to taking classes at the Canton Art Museum.  At West Elementary, she taught seventh and eight grades, and was advisor to the cheerleaders, Jr. Hi Y and Jr. Tri Hi Y.

With the building of the new Minerva High School, the seventh and eighth grades in Minerva moved to the old high school building on North Market Street.  This became Minerva Junior High and later, Frances Hazen Junior High.  At the junior high, Betz taught eighth grade and continued advising the seventh and eighth grade cheerleaders.  She served as cheerleader advisor for seventeen years.  During this time she taught several subjects, but her main teaching assignments were English and Ohio History.  For a time, she served on the negotiating committee of the Minerva Local Teachers' Association.  She was also secretary of the Minerva High School Band Boosters.  She retired from teaching in 1986.

For years Betz has served our local community.  For the past twenty-two years, she has volunteered at the Haas Museum of the Minerva Area Historical Society where her main duty is cataloging new acquisitions.  She also serves as trustee of the organization.  Since 1991 she has been the treasurer and trustee of the Minerva Education Foundation and Alumni Association where her duties are many.  She has served as the Minerva High School/Dr. William Powell Scholarship liaison for Tiger Woods Foundation.  She has also served on the Alumni Hall of Fame Construction Committee.  As a member of Kappa Delta Pi, she was secretary of the Stark County Chapter, and served in many other capacities.  Her work with the Church of God over the years has included initiating a church library, serving on several fund-raising committees, and creating floral arrangements for the church's Basket Shop.

She lost her husband to a brain aneurysm in 2003 after fifty-two years of marriage.  Her daughters, Diane Granger and Debby Wolpert, son-in-law, David Wolpert, grandchildren Andy (Sheri) Wolpert, Melissa (Shawn) Eaton, Doug and Matt Granger, and great-grandsons, Trent and Calvin Wolpert and Grant and Alec Eaton are the joy of her life.

While such a list of activities would be enough to keep anyone more than busy, it does not capture even half the ways in which Betz continually helps people.  Above all else, she is a true giver.  She constantly provides love, support, and affection to her family, friends, and acquaintances.

Lee Ann Johnston Thorn, class of 1979, was nominated by Diane Walker Evans, also of the class of 1979.  Thorn is a senior financial executive with over twenty years of management excellence and career success ranging from financial advisory and restructuring consulting services, executive management in health care, specialty retail, information management and higher education to providing audit and tax services with an international accounting firm.

While in high school, even though Thorn always had a job, she remained at the top of her class and participated in extra-curricular activities such as cheerleading, Crescent staff and National Honor Society.  In 1983 she received a bachelor’s of arts degree in accounting, Summa cum Laude, from Mount Union College, and in 1985 became a certified public accountant.  In the 1980’s, she was employed by Ernst and Young.  In 1998 she became the CFO and treasurer of Camelot Music, Inc.  This company was a national specialty retail company with 485 locations and $660 million in annual revenues. 

In 2000 she was elected to the board of trustees of Mount Union College where she served as interim Vice President of Business Affairs and Treasurer.  During this time she reorganized and restructured the business office, and directed a reallocation of a $130 million endowment resulting in capital preservation, improved investment returns and reduction of management costs.  From 2000 to 2005 she became executive vice president and treasurer of GBS Corporation, a company involved in manufacturing distribution and development of document management and technology solutions.

In 2006, Thorn established her own company, LAThorn Consulting, LLC in North Canton.  Her recent projects were representing lender interests totaling $4.9 billion relative to evaluation of strategic alternatives for $6 billion REIT; advising agent lender in resolution of inter-creditor concerns relative to a $140 million credit facility for a newly formed diversified media and sports marketing company; and representing secured lender interests in forced bankruptcy of a beverage manufacturing and distribution company with allegations of massive accounting fraud.

Since 2007, she has been the executive director of Atrium OB-Gyn, Inc. & Spa at Atrium, LLC in Canton.  She reports to the board of directors on the overall operation of the organization.  She serves as the liaison between legal, financial, and other entities within the community and the healthcare delivery system in matters pertaining to future growth and strategic planning.

Lee Ann has a proven track record of exceptional financial management and leadership skills throughout all phases of corporate business cycles including:  substantial growth and profitability, leveraged buyouts, aggressive competition, corporate downsizing, financial restructuring and industry consolidation.

In addition to all of her business activity, Thorn is actively involved in many community and professional associations.  She has served as trustee of Mount Union College from 1992 to present, and was chairperson of the board from 2004 – 2010.  Since 1992 she has served on the Stark County Community Foundation Investment Review Committee and is a trustee of the Mercy Medical Center Development Foundations.  The list of her activities is never-ending.  She has served as trustee of both the Stark Development Board and the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce.  Since 1985, she has been a member of the American Institute and Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants.  In 1989, she was chosen as Woman of the Year by the Stark County Women’s Network for which she served as president from 1985 – 1989.

Lee Ann Johnson Thorn fulfills the definition of a member of the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame . . . she is someone who has brought honor and distinction to Minerva High School through her career and her community service.

Dr. Darrel Scott, DDS, class of 1970, was nominated by Tim Tarbet, class of 1971.  While a student, at Minerva High School, Scott was active in football and named the MVP in 1969.  He was a district qualifier for wrestling in 1970.  He was captain of both football and wrestling teams and a member of the National Honor Society.

After graduation, he enrolled at Kent State University.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1974 and married Debbie Emmerling that same year.  He went on to The Ohio State University's College of Dentistry and graduated in 1977.  From 1977 through 1980, Scott served in the United States Air Force and obtained the rank of captain.  He received the Air Force Accommodation Medal as well.

After serving in the Air Force, he purchased an existing dental practice in Loudonville, Ohio.  The practice had three employees and 800 patients at that time.  Over the years, the practice has grown to employ fourteen people and care for approximately 6,000 patients.

Scott has served his profession well by serving as president of the Ashland County Dental Service, president of the Central Ohio Dental Society, and vice president of the Ohio State University Dental Alumni Association.  He is currently a delegate to the American Dental Association and has represented sub-district 6 of the Ohio Dental Association covering Delaware, Ashland, Morrow and Stark Counties.

He has volunteered in many civic and community projects.  These include:  president of the American Cancer Society, board member of the Loudonville Recreation Department, and member of The Ohio State University President's Club.  Dr. Scott also started and academic boosters group to recognize outstanding students.  As president of the Loudonville Booster club, he managed a fundraiser for the construction of an all-weather track, which raised $175,000.  He also developed the "Asylum" (Adult/Student/Youth/Loudonville in Motion) program which functions as an after-school youth center.  Scott participates in the "Options" program and in the "Give the Kids a Smile Day," providing free dental care to qualifying patients.  He is a member of both the Minerva and Loudonville United Methodist Churches.  Tim Tarbet wrote in his nomination letter, "Doctor Scott is committed to his patients and his community."

Dr. Scott and his wife, Debbie, have two sons, Travis (Jennifer) Scott of Medina, and Tyler (Paola) Scott of Wooster.  They also have five grandchildren.  Tyler completed dental school and joined his father's practice in 2009.

Michael D. Yeagley, Class of 1961, was nominated by his aunt, Marie Koch, class of 1936.  A number of people wrote letters recommending Michael's induction including:  Tim Shetzer of the YMCA of Central Stark County, Margaret Ann Egbert of the YWCA, Gerard Mastroaninni, President of the Alliance Ventures, Inc., and Dennis Biery of Biery Cheese Co.

After graduating from Minerva High School, Michael earned an architectural degree from Kent State University in 1969.  He completed graduate work at Harvard University School of Design.  In 1971 he became a licensed architect and was certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Board.

In 1972 the Minerva Rotary Club sponsored him as one of the young businessmen from the area to be a member of an international study exchange group and he spent several months in Austria studying architecture.

He joined Lawrence, Dykes, Goodenburger, and Bower Architects upon completing his degree.  He later worked at AEP as the Architectural Design Supervisor.  He established his own firm, Michael D. Yeagley & Associates, Architects.

In 1997 he established the Architectural Building Corporation, which designed and built four-family condominiums for senior citizens.  Beau Chemin, located in Louisville, consists of 28 units, and Patriots Point, in Alliance, consists of 44 units.

His experience includes designing numerous buildings in Belden Village, Alliance, Louisville, and Akron.  He designed the Regal Metals building and the YMCA in Minerva.  The new Louisville football stadium complex is also an example of his creativity.  The YWCA Gateway House II, and the new Canton YMCA are two of his recent designs.

Michael is on the Stark County YMCA board of directors along with the Louisville YMCA board of managers.   He belongs to the American Institute of Architects, and the Architects Society of Ohio.  In 1990 he was the Louisville Rotarian of the Year.  In 1997 he was the Stark County YMCA Red Triangle Award recipient, which is the highest award in the organization.  He also has led the architectural efforts for numerous YMCA projects throughout the country.  

Yeagley lives in Louisville with his wife Cynthia.  He has two children, David and Jennifer, and seven grandchildren.  He is a member of the Paradise United Church of Christ in Louisville.  His recreational activities include golf, tennis, running, skiing, bicycling, sailing, and traveling around the world.

Ellen L. Donaldson Brown, class of 1963, was nominated by her cousin, James Donaldson, also of the class of 1963. A native of New Franklin, she attended school there, then attended Minerva High School where she sang in Leonard Welch's Choirs and played piano with the Stage Band.

She began her formal piano lessons with Beth Hoobler Bates of Minerva at age 7, then at age 13 transferred her classical music studies to Mount Union College, where she studied piano, music theory, and pipe organ with Fred Williams and Arthur Lindstrom. Her first choral experiences were in her mother's choir at St. John's Lutheran Church in New Franklin. Her career as a church organist began as a teenager, and later advanced to studies in organ, choral conducting and arranging with David N. Johnson at Arizona State University. In 1967 she received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Mount Union; in 1974 the Master’s of Music degree from Arizona State University; and in 1992 the Arizona Community College Lifetime Teaching Certificate.

Brown is an exceptionally versatile director, teacher, pianist, organist, accompanist, and arranger with an enthusiastic outgoing personality. In his nominating letter Donaldson wrote, "Ellen is a person of exemplary character and talent. She has a passion for life and is loved and respected by all who know her."

Brown's life has been a happy collection of musical activities. She says that no life is truly complete without an art with which to express oneself--and she's chosen the Art of Music! She was a choral arranger, accompanist, music theory assistant and college chapel organist while a student at Mount Union College. She was an elementary music teacher for Lorain City Schools from 1968 to 1971. She was and a pianist and singer with Glenn Brown's Jazz Ambassador Band from 1984 to the present. While teaching in Lorain, she and Glenn played with a Puerto Rican Band and presented 17 two-piano jazz concerts for the Lorain City Elementary Schools. From 1996 to 2001 she was a concert organist for the American Guild of Organist annual scholarship benefit marathon, and entertainer for Fiesta Bowl Events at the Arizona Biltmore and the Phoenician Resorts from 1995 until the present; and worked as a freelance accompanist and arranger for the McGuire Sisters Singing Trio and New York City Opera stars Robert Hale and Richard McKee. Brown has been pianist for various shows including My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, The Fantastiks, and West Side Story. Concerts with her husband Glenn as a two-piano jazz team have included being the opening act for The Mills Brothers at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Her work as a church musician has included playing and/or directing at The Christian Church in Lorain, Ohio; St. Peter Lutheran in Mesa, Arizona; The First Church of God in Phoenix, Arizona; Beautiful Savior Lutheran in Tempe, Arizona; and the United Methodist Church of Paradise Valley, Arizona. In addition she has served as accompanist to the Desert Foothills Chorale, the Phoenix College Chamber Singers, and the Phoenix Police Department Honor Chorus, which included performances in Washington D.C.

An adjunct faculty member at Phoenix College since 1999, she has taught piano, organ, music theory, and aural perception. She is also accompanist for the Phoenix College Concert Choir and the McConnell Singers Women's Chorus, with whom she tours annually. She is a member and past dean of the Central Arizona Chapter of The American Guild of Organists and has been a featured presenter in two Pipe Organ Encounters, and AGO national educational project promoting the pipe organ to teenagers.

In 1971 she assisted her husband establishing his business, Glenn Brown Piano Rebuilding, and for many years has been an active member of the business. The Browns live in Tempe, Arizona, and are the proud parents of two adult sons, Aaron and Matthew.

Martha Jean Hawkins Gartner, class of 1949, was nominated by Carolyn Nape. In her nomination, Nape said, "Martha is a gracious, generous, humble woman who is dedicated to her God, husband, children, friends and community of Minerva. She is constantly bringing joy, love, friendship and food to her many friends in the surrounding communities where she and Carl live and serve. Just like the Martha in the Bible, she is always busy working and preparing wonderful food to help brighten up someone's day. She is a person who has never forgotten where she was born and grew up. Yet Martha is very capable of communicating with the First Lady of the United States, congressmen, people of many various prestigious positions and her hometown friends in rural Ohio."

In high school she served as editor of the Diary and the Crescent. She was active in many organizations including Y Teens, Girls Athletic Association, and National Honor Society and was an attendant to the May Queen. After graduation she attended Dyke College in Cleveland where she received an associate degree in Business. In 1953 she married Carl Gartner and moved from New Franklin to Minerva.

Gartner's community service includes St. Paul's Lutheran Church, the American Red Cross (Minerva Chapter), the Minerva Historical Society, Blossom Music Women's Committee, Malone College, St. Luke Lutheran Community, Salvation Army and a Rotary Exchange Host family.

Her church work is never-ending and includes being director of vacation Bible school for many years, a Sunday School teacher, assisting with the monthly food distribution, and she has held any number of offices in the Woman's Club. She volunteered as a Gray Lady for the Red Cross at Minerva Grade School, spent many hours distributing funds and goods to local citizens in time of need, led the annual fund-raising door-to-door campaign, and encouraged volunteers to give to the community Blood Bank.

Gartner is a charter member of the Minerva Area Historical Society. What started on the top floor of the City Hall has progressed to the Haas Museum. Gartner has been an integral part of the growth of the museum serving in most offices, and presently is the secretary and a trustee. In 1995 she was selected for the Community Service Award, presented by the Minerva Service Clubs and Chamber of Commerce.

She is the chairperson for the St. Luke Lutheran Community Minerva Steering Committee. She is involved with a new building being constructed on Woodale Avenue in Minerva. This will be a thirty-unit assisted living facility that should open for residence later this year.

She values education. In the 1980s she was involved with the Malone annual fund drives. Also she and Carl have been active with Carl's Alma Mater, Mount Union University.

In 2009 they were honored by having the Gartner Welcome Center named in their honor for their many years of service to Mount Union.

The Gartners have four children who have all graduated from Minerva High School:  Beth, Molly, Keith, and Seth.

Charlene C. Ossler, Class of 1966, was nominated by Penny Marriner Frederick. She attended Robertsville Grade School and belonged to 4H. During her four years at Minerva High School, she was active in French Club, Debate, Y Teens, Yearbook Staff and National Honor Society. She was salutatorian of her graduating class. She received scholarships to enter St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing.  It was there where she was named Miss Student Nurse in 1968. After receiving her certificate of nursing, she studied nursing at the University of Maryland and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing in 1972. During the next few years, she attended Howard University and Catholic University of America and became a nurse practitioner. In 1986 Ossler earned her Ph.D. in Occupational Health and Safety with Health Administration.

While living in the East and Midwest, she served as an assistant professor at the Catholic University of America, taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was a visiting associate professor at the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin.

Since 1996 she has served as Medical Consulting Director for Industrial Indemnity in San Francisco, Director of Health Care and Risk Management in Concord, California, and was Vice President of Clinical Services of Total Health Advocacy Partners in Emeryville, California.

At present Ossler serves as vice president of the Zenith Insurance Co. in Woodland Hills, California. She is a corporate, senior executive and manages a national team of nurses and supervisors. She has presented many professional papers covering occupational health concerns. Publications that she has either authored or co-authored include such titles as Quality Assurance in Occupational Health, Nursing Clinics of North America, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Essentials for Clinical Practice.

Ossler's research and funded projects include Compliance with OSHA, Standard for Cadmium Exposure for Masterlock, Inc., and an occupational health program evaluation for Pitney Bowes in Danbury, Connecticut.

She has had numerous publications and professional presentations on a wide variety of topics nationwide and internationally. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau and Delta Omega and the recipient of awards and honors in nursing, public health and community service.

She currently volunteers at a martial arts studio which offers a clinic for traditional Chinese medicine, martial arts, and teaching Taoism. She has mentored both men and women in the health care professions.

She is the daughter of the late Charles and Dorothy Sommer Ossler.  She and her husband, Dr. Alex Feng live in San Leandro, California.

Gary L. Ray, class of 1960, was nominated by Robert Gallina. After graduation from Minerva High School, Ray enrolled in Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana He graduated, with honors, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1965. He was selected as Mr. Tri-State of his graduating class. In May 1970 he received a Master’s of Business Administration in Industrial Management from the Wharton Graduate Division of the University of Pennsylvania.

From 1965 to 1968, he was employed by Caterpillar Tractor in the quality and production departments. He worked as an auditor and consultant for Price Waterhouse in Atlanta. He then went to Reliance Electric of Cleveland where from 1972 to 1986 he served in several capacities including Plant Controller, Manager of Casting Purchasing in the motor division, Operation Controller, Product Marketing Manager, and Manager of Standard Drives Division in Electrical Drives Group. His responsibilities included marketing, engineering and manufacturing. Ray then became president and minority owner of Elmec, Inc. in Cleveland. Elmec was a primary supplier to the military. The business then moved to a subsidiary, Argo-Tech in Arizona. Ray then became the president and owner of Transformer Engineering Corp. in Cleveland until he sold it in 2008. Prior to that, TEC was established in 2006 as a wholly owned foreign enterprise in Suzhou, China. He now works as a consultant with TEC. Ray's honors from Tri-State University include a Distinguished Service Award in 1980, and an Honorary Doctor of Engineering in 1996. He served on the Board of Trustees from 1991 to 2002, chairing several committees. From 1981 to 1993 he was on the Alumni Board of Governors, serving as president, vice president, and chairing the Distinguished Service Award Committee. His involvement with Wharton School includes Wharton Graduate Executive Board, co-chairperson of four reunions of the Class of 1970, and the Wharton Club of Northeast Ohio.

His community involvement includes service with Sigma Phi Delta Fraternity's Council of Small Enterprises, as a division of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. He is affiliated with the Medina Presbyterian Church where he chaired the preliminary planning committee for the educational wing. In Burnsville, North Carolina, he chaired the major capital campaign for the First Presbyterian Church. He is president of the Greens at Weymouth Homeowners Association.

He and his wife Rose live in Medina. They are the parents of one son Michael, an electrical engineer, and the grandparents of three grandsons, Stephan, Sydney and Samuel.

Steven L. Tibrea, class of 1978, was nominated by Michael Gallina. In his nomination letter Gallina quotes Benjamin Disraili, "Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think." This is what Gallina believes has led Tibrea to levels of ultimate distinction in his field of engineering. Gallina goes on to write, "There is not a more reflective, studious, nor humble person in this world than Steve Tibrea. His work with DuPont, Westinghouse, The Washington Group, URS, and Northrop Grumman is simply amazing. He has literally overseen work that has affected Homeland Security (nuclear materials detection and shipping/storage containers for legacy nuclear materials), the National Security Agency (ultra secure wireless communication), and the National Institute of Justice Law Enforcement Agency (standardized law enforcement technologies with regard to data systems). In a word, Wow!"

Tibrea holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University. He has over twenty-eight years of engineering and technical management experience, and is currently the Director of Research and Development Engineering at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) research community. He is past manager of the SRNL Robotics Section, and the Instrumentation Development Section. He is a co-inventor of a patented innovative encapsulation method for nuclear waste materials, and was featured on a segment of the television's History Channel episode of "Modern Marvels" highlighting technology associated with canning nuclear materials.

At SRNL, Tibrea directs and oversees the activities of over 115 engineers, technicians and specialists who design develop, integrate, and deploy unique systems to serve the U.S. Department of Energy and other Federal Agency programs in the areas of national and homeland security, energy security and environmental cleanup and nuclear materials disposition.

Some highlights of his accomplishments during his management tenure with SRNL engineering are: He developed and deployed automated equipment to safely isolate and store Plutonium for future processing into fuel for U.S. nuclear reactors; developed first response capability to address characterization and attribution needs for a domestic nuclear terror event, deployed unique precision instrumentation for the measurement and accountability of Plutonium in Japan, Austria, and Russia; developed and deployed custom imaging systems to NASA White Sands, Oak Ridge National Lab, and the DOE's Hanford facility in Washington State; and deployed SRNL engineering experts to the International Thermonuclear Reactor projects in Japan and France.

In his local community, Tibrea serves on the Advisory Board to the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Deptartment and is a Board Member for the non-profit organization, Enabletech, which provides unique devices to assist the handicapped. He is a founding organizer of the Aiken County FIRST Robotics program. He has served as School Board Secretary for Mead Hall, the primary and middle school of St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church.

Tibrea and his wife Lisi live in Aiken, South Carolina.  They are the parents of two college-age sons, Andrew and Charlie.

Thomas G. Knight, Class of 1963, was nominated by his sister, Ruth Ann Miller, and Dr. Robert Hines. He graduated from West Texas State University in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. He was able to finance his education by returning home each summer to work for Gibson and Grable Construction Company of Canton.

After his college graduation Knight was drafted into the US Army. He completed eight weeks of basic training at Fort Knox and was then assigned to a 16-week intensive training program at Fort Hood, studying basic Vietnamese language and interrogation techniques. From there he was assigned to the Central Highlands in Vietnam where he was an interrogator of Vietnamese prisoners of war. He received various medals including the Army Commendation Medal for Service and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. By 1969 he had attained the rank of Specialist E5. He was then honorably discharged from the US Army and returned to Minerva.

In 1970 Knight worked as a Stark County social worker under the Aid to Dependent Children Program. Next he accepted a position with the State of Ohio as a State Liquor Control Agent. There he was responsible for all code enforcement of laws pertaining to the sale of liquor in Ohio with emphasis on the sale of alcohol to minors. From 1972 to 1975 Knight continued in government service at the federal level with the FBI. In 1976 he transferred to the Department of Energy where he worked as a budget analyst in the Comptrollers office until his retirement in December 2001.

After retirement he worked part time as manager of a health and fitness center. Then in 2002 he accepted a part-time position with Dunbar Armored as a courier.

Knight has also had time for community service. He is a member of the Alexandria Old Town Civic Association, the Carpenter Shelter, and participates in food delivery to the city homeless shelter.

Ruth Ann Miller said that Dr. Robert Hines has been a great influence on her brother's life. That Knight has been a wonderful brother and son to his four sisters and his mother Jane Knight Anthony. He is a very giving and generous person as is his wife Colleen. He and Colleen now live in Alexandria, VA.

The Reverend Dr. R. Eldon Trubee, class of 1962, was nominated to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by Samuel M. Bemstine.  He wrote that Reverend Trubee is a credit to his alma mater having maintained good character, integrity and dependability.

Dr. Trubee was two years old when his family moved to Minerva. At the ages of seven through twelve, he lived in Canton. The family then returned to Minerva and Dr. Trubee to attended and graduated from Minerva High School. While in high school he was a member of the band, the varsity debate team, a delegate to Boys' State and the Kent State University Institute in Speech. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wooster College in 1966, his Master of Divinity from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1969, and his Doctor of Ministry from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1994.

Along with his pastoral duties, he has served in three different communities as a volunteer fireman. As a Rotarian, he worked in four different communities organizing and expanding activities. He has been a Boy Scout leader, and served on the county mental board of health. He has served in different churches as a pastor and member of the ministerial association, as well as working with various committees dealing with development and placement of clergy. He developed a plan for harmonious relations where two or more churches share the same ministry. Also, he has established programs providing care for the needy.

After serving the Millersburg First and Clark Community Presbyterian Churches for twenty-five years, Trubee officially retired in 2009; however, he currently serves as an interim pastor in Cambridge, Ohio. His current activities include: membership on the Pomerene Hospital's Medical Ethics Board, the Holmes County Probate Court's Volunteer Guardianship Board, the Millersburg Police Auxiliary, and the Holmes County Habitat for Humanity's Family Selection Committee. He published Like as a Fire, a devotional book for fire and rescue personnel and currently writes a column for The Farm and Dairy.

The communities in which he has lived have always been very supportive of his work. The many abilities he possesses have been shared through his generosity and kindness. He often returns to contribute to the businesses and professional people in the Minerva Community. Bemstine wrote that Minerva is proud of the things Reverend Trubee accomplished while representing this community.

Dr. Trubee and his wife Bonnie, who live in Millersburg, Ohio, have two adult children, a daughter Heather and a son Kenton.

Robert Zaugg, Class of 1939, was nominated by his daughter Nancy Zaugg Cooper. While in high school he played football for a short time, but after an injury was not able to play again. After graduation Zaugg attended Salem Trade School and became a tool and die maker while working for C. B. Hunt and Son.

Zaugg joined the US Army in 1942. After basic training he served in both France and England as a machinist, achieving the rank of Sergeant. When he came home, he worked at Taylorcraft Aviation and later at Bliss in Canton. While working at Bliss, he was approached to become foreman of the tool and die shop for the new company coming to Minerva named Kolcast, now PCC. As a foreman in the tool and die department, Zaugg was a respected leader. He had the knowledge of his trade and the ability to use it beyond the ability of someone with a college degree. Many times he wished he had a college degree and often stated he felt inadequate without it.

In 1960, while working at Kolcast, he started working part time a Monarch Products in Minerva. He was happy to do the "hands on" tool and die work rather than just the managing of other workers. By 1966 he left Kolcast to become the shop manager at Monarch Products. At that time he worked for Carl Summer and Glen Lautzenheiser, co-owners of the shop. In 1976 Zaugg became a co-owner of Monarch Products. It was his duty to see that Monarch was involved in the community affairs of Minerva and the surrounding areas. They were proud sponsors of ball teams in the area and of the Minerva and East Rochester Homecomings.

Through the years, Zaugg was involved in several community activities: Boy Scout leader, Clerk of the West Township. School Board, and Junior Achievement. He was an active member of the East Rochester United Methodist Church serving in many leadership positions. He was a member of the Tubal 551 F and AM Masonic Lodge in Minerva. He became a 32nd Degree Mason, and later became a member of the Tadmor Shriners of Akron.

Zaugg married Wanda Frazier before serving in World War II. They were married for fifty-nine years and the parents of three daughters: Nancy Cooper of Hanoverton; Caryl (Glen) Thompson of Dickinson, Texas; and Barb (Perry) Vick of Minerva. There are four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Many of the things that Zaugg could be noted for will never get disclosed. He was not self-serving and never looked for praise. He quietly did things for people that only those people would know about. To many he gave emotional and spiritual support as well as constructive advice. On the lighter side, one of Zaugg's favorite statements was to, "Kill them with kindness." Being firm and kind when dealing with others was an invaluable life lesson he taught his family.

Sadly, Zaugg died of pancreatic cancer in October 2001. His family is thrilled that he was chosen for this award and know that he would have been proud to receive it.

James A. Donaldson, Class of 1963, was nominated by Dr. Robert Hines.  Mr. Donaldson is a native of New Franklin where he attended school in grades one through seven and then came to Minerva.  His home is presently in Naples, Florida.

Upon graduating from Minerva High School, Donaldson entered the United States Air Force.  He did his basic training in San Antonio, Texas, followed by various specialty training schools in Mississippi and Texas.  He completed a two-year tour in Misawa, Japan, and a one-year tour in Samsoon, Turkey. His position was in Security Service working under the National Security Administration.  He was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant on December 7, 1966.

In January 1967, he began employment at Timken Roller Bearing in Canton as a time clerk on the night shift while working for William Powell during the daytime at Clearview Golf Course doing general labor and grounds keeping.  In the spring of 1967, he moved to Chicago to attend DeVry Institute of Technology.  He obtained a part-time position at the Chicago Board of Trade as a runner on the trading floor to the Archer Daniels Midland Corporation.  His position soon became full time, and he began to attend DePaul University.

In 1971, Donaldson left Archer Daniels Midland to open the commercial commodity department for Kohlmeyer & Co.  During this time, he also began trading and filling orders as a broker in the soybean oil pit.  A year later, he joined the Kelly Grain Co., and was named a partner within a year.  Upon incorporation of the firm, he became executive vice president and secretary.  He remained in those positions until the sold the firm in 1986, but continued to trade for himself in the ensuing years.

He was elected to the Board of Directors of the Chicago Board of Trade in 2004.  While on the board, it went from a member-owned institution to a for-profit entity and went public with their IPO in October of 2006.  They then merged with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange creating the CME Group, the world’s largest futures exchange.  Donaldson now sits on the newly formed Board of Directors of the CME Group and has recently been slated for another three-year term.

Among his memberships and affiliations are The Union League Club of Chicago; Pelican Isle Yacht Club of Naples, Florida; Naples Grand Golf Club; Youche Country Club of Crown Point, Indiana; The Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago; and the First Presbyterian Church of Naples, Florida.

Lawrence K. Hanna, class of 1962, was nominated by Joe Knight, Richard Walker, and Tom Kishman.

Having graduated from MHS, he attended Embry Aeronautical University, where he received a bachelor's degree in professional aeronautics and associate of science degree in aviation management. He entered the U.S. Army in 1965, completed his basic training at Ft. Jackson, S.C., and was accepted to the warrant officer flight program in 1966. He saw action in Vietnam for 19 months and was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Purple Heart, 47 air medals and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation.

After Vietnam, Hanna was stationed in Savannah, Ga., at the Army's Aviation Center, training other pilots for duty in Vietnam. He left the Army in 1969 and returned to Minerva. While working at Republic Steel, he joined the Army National Guard, but returned to the active Army in 1972 and served tours in Korea, Ft. Knox, Panama Canal Zone, and Honduras, to name just a few. While stationed in Honduras, he was deployed for the invasion of Panama and the capture of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

While assigned at Cameron Station, Va., with the U.S. Army Aeronautical Services Office, Hanna served on the tri-service committee to redesign the Flight Plan, Department of Defense Form 175. At his last duty station in Virginia, he was the operations officer for the largest VIP support unit in the U.S. Army, which served the Army's senior leadership, Department of Defense senior executive civilians, and Congress. He supervised and directed detachment flight operations with assets in excess of $30,000,000. During this time he was deployed to Saudia Arabia to support the patriot missile batteries of the Gulf War.

During his 28 years in the military, Hanna has amassed more than 12,000 hours in helicopters and airplanes and is an FFA-certified flight instructor in both. He also received the Legion of Merit and three Meritorious Service medals for his service.

He retired from the military in 1994, and was accepted into the Virginia State Police Academy. He worked as a state trooper in Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia for three years, and then he was trooper-pilot for another five years, retiring in 2002.

Hanna moved to Enterprise, Ala., in 2002 and accepted a position as helicopter flight instructor with Lear Sigler Services at Ft. Rucker, where he trains Army and foreign student pilots. He continues in that position today. He is active in sports, mainly basketball, softball, soccer and racquetball, and has coached in these sports for many years as a way to fulfill his commitment to his community.

In 1974 he married the former Janis Lowmiller. They have two children, Sherri and Jeffrey. Both Hannas are active in their church, St. Luke Methodist. Whatever the task, they can always be counted on to assist.

Thomas M. Kishman, Class of 1967, was nominated by Mike Hoopes, Class of 1965, with supporting letters from Linda Unkefer Simms and Mike Simms, both from Class of 1967.

Among his achievements in high school, Kishman served as vice president of his senior class and participated in football all four years. He was selected as a tackle on the Tri-County League's Football All Star First Team. After high school he worked for his father, George Kishman, who opened Kishman's Grocery in 1954. In 1989 Tom and his wife Jan purchased the store at its present location. A few years later they enlarged the store and now employ approximately eighty people.

In his letter of nomination Hoopes wrote, "Tom has distinguished himself as a nationally recognized independent grocer having successfully operated Kishman's IGA for over twenty years. He has been and is a devoted supporter and promoter of everything Minerva. Tom and his wife live on a fifty-acre farm at the edge of Minerva with future hopes of expanding the business. Tom is married to Jan (nee Kiko) and they have three children: Thomas II, Matthew and Kristin."

Kishman's awards are many including: IGA International Retailer of the Year in 1994, Ohio Grocer’s Hall of Fame Inductee in 2005, National IGA Retailer of the Year Finalist in 2009, Minerva Service Clubs' Minerva Man of the Year in 2002 and the YMCA Red Triangle Award.

Kishman has an outstanding record of service to his community. He chaired and directed the first Lost French Gold Festival, he is a past president of the Minerva Chamber of Commerce, past president of Rurit ans, a member of the Lincoln Highway Association, past director of the Ohio Grocer’s Association, and is on the Laurel Grocer’s IGA Advisory Board. He is on the Board of Directors of Consumer’s Bank and has served in service capacities for the YMCA, the Special Olympics, the Salvation Army, the Minerva Boosters Club, and the PTO annual rigatoni dinner.

Hoopes concluded his nomination by writing, "Tom is an outstanding alumnus with a distinguished career and long record of community involvement and has significantly contributed to the support of Minerva. I believe his record of consistent service, successful business operations and love of family reflect his character and is worthy of recognition and proudly place his name in nomination."

Lynn Molen was nominated by Richard Mikes, who wrote of Molen's many honors during his 42 year teaching career as well as his coaching ability with five AP state-ranked teams and his 32 game winning streak from 1986-1989.

While in high school, Molen was an honors student, class president, Buckeye Boys State delegate, student council president, and was listed in Who's Who in High School Leaders of America. After high school he attended Kent State where he received a 4.0 in his major, Education, and graduated cum laude in 1968. Later he received certification from the Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction in Utah.

The late Carl Vandegrift wrote of Molen, “He points with pride at being an educator of young people first, then a coach. I worked for the school many years and can appreciate the dedication Mr. Molen has for the children. Many times as I passed his room I would see his lights on late at night on Saturday or Sunday. He would be preparing lesson plans. He is always available to young people who need help or a confidential ear for listening.”

During his teaching career Molen has received many honors. A few of these are: National Science Foundation Grant in 1979, Jennings Scholar in 1981-82, Phi Delta Pi Educator of the year in 1984. He is a member of Kappa Delta Pi, a national education honorary, and was chosen the Minerva service clubs' Man of the Year in 1990. Both the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame and the Minerva High School Athletic Hall of Fame have chosen Molen to be the presenter of their inductees each year.

He has received many awards for his coaching ability which is underlined by his induction into the Minerva High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He was Minerva's head football coach for 12 years and assistant coach for 19 years. During that time he had 93 wins, the most in Minerva history. His teams were the AP State Poll Champions in 1987 and 1997; AP State Poll Runner Up in 1989; AP ranked number 4 in 1988; and AP ranked number 6 in 1998. His teams were undefeated in 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1997. Among his numerous awards was the Victory Award from the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association. His freshman teams had 35 wins and only one loss, and his varsity teams' winning streak of 32 speaks for itself.

During Molen's 42 years of teaching and coaching, his greatest supporter has been his mother Mabel Molen. Carl Vandegrift once referred to her as the “First Lady of Minerva Football' and Mr. Lynn Molen as “Minerva's Greatest Winning Coach.”

Todd A. Crowl, Class of 1978, was nominated by Jeff Betler. His education includes a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, cum laude from The Ohio State University; a Master of Science in Zoology, a Master of Arts in Statistics, and a Ph.D. in Ecology, all from the University of Oklahoma.

Crowl's teaching assignments have included Utah State University, Otago University (New Zealand), the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Notre Dame. He currently sits on twenty-two graduate committees in the College of Natural Resources, Biology, Mathematics and Statistics, and Engineering at Utah State University.

He has chaired four committees: Millville Advisory Board (2003-present); CNR EPC and Graduate Education Committee (2003-2006); Curriculum Committee (2003-2006); and the Graduate Academic Review Committee (1997-2001); and served on many more.

Some of Crowl's professional committees include: Program Chair of the North American Benthological Society, Co-chair of the Consortium of Regional Ecological Observatories, and Ecological Society of America (Program Committee).

Crowl's awards include the Harvard University Bullard Fellow and the University of Notre Dame Environmental Sciences Visiting Fellow, both in 2006; in 1995 he was named Researcher of the Year by the American Fisheries Society; and in 1988 he received the Best Student Presentation by the North American Benthological Society meeting, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

There are fifty seminars that he has given between the years of 1988 and 2007, and he states that he has presented 123 lectures/seminars at scientific conferences in addition to those fifty. He and his students have written over fifty Federal and State Agency reports. He has received thousands of dollars in research grants.

Crowl is the son of Margery and Francis Crowl of Minerva. He has two sons:  Andy, and Ben. Recently he resided in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as a fellow of Harvard University, but now he has begun a new detail in Washington, D.C., in the National Science Foundation, setting science objectives and funding research.

Gordon E. Evans, Class of 1953, was nominated by Jeff Evans and the Evans family with supporting letters from Donald E. Rutledge, Ed McNabb, Lee and Sally Heston, and the Board of Directors of the Carrollton Farmers Exchange Company.

In 1957 Evans, who had earned college money by working summers at Metropolitan Brick, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics Degree from Wooster College. After graduation he entered the Navy via the Aviation Officer Candidate Program. He received his commission as an Ensign in October 1957, and joined the fleet serving with Air Anti-submarine Squadron twenty-one. Aboard the U.S.S. Kearsarge, he completed two cruises to the Western Pacific over the next three years.

In 1960 he married Sue Thomas of Minerva, Class of 1955. The next two years he attended Aviation Safety School in Southern California and reported to Advanced Training Squadron 151 in Texas as the Aviation Safety Officer and flight instructor.

Evans then transitioned to jet aircraft deploying to the Mediterranean area aboard the U.S.S. Shangrila and the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy. His next assignment was in Washington, D.C. and then back to Florida and on to the Mediterranean for seven months aboard the U.S.S Franklin D. Roosevelt. During his years as a Naval Aviator, Evans amassed nearly 5,000 hours and 800 carrier landings.

In the fall of 1976, Evans was assigned to the Commander of Light Attack Wing One as Chief Staff Officer. During this period, the Evans family of five, including children Holly, Whitney and Will, ages 14, 12 and 7, decided to leave his promising career and concentrate on raising the children.

On January 1, 1978, Evans retired from the US Navy to become a farmer.  Evans has been a member and past president of the Carrollton Board of Education, serving from 1980 to 1992. He is also a member and past president of the board for Carroll County Farmers Exchange, and has served on the Carroll County Regional Planning Commission and the Carroll County Cattlemen's Association.

"During the time that Evans served on the Carrollton Board of Education," Donald Rutledge wrote, "he (Evans) was always considerate in listening to any problem and approached a solution with common sense . . . During the decade that Gordon served on the Board, the Carrollton Exempted Village School District grew both educationally and academically thanks to his vision for better schools."

The Evans family wrote, "Gordy is the eldest of seven children of Lynn and Sue Evans. As the eldest, he was called upon to lead and teach the younger ones as Mom and Dad directed. When Dad enlisted in the Army to serve in World War II, Gordy served as 'the man of the house.' As we grew and followed him, we became aware of the high standards he set for us in school, church, and the community.

The Evans Family is proud of our brother Gordy for his long history of service and leadership. We love and respect him for the strong force and positive example that he provides for his siblings, our children and our grandchildren."

William R. Mease, Class of 1966, was nominated by Lynn Molen and Robert Gallina. Mease achieved success in high school as an athlete, leader and scholar. While maintaining a high grade point average, he played on the basketball and baseball teams, and as a senior served as student-body president.

In 1970 Mease graduated from Kent State University with honors, then began his career in public education as a math and physics teacher at Oakwood High School. He earned a Master’s of Education degree from the University of Akron. During the next several years, he served as Curriculum Coordinator for Plain Local Schools and Curriculum Director for Louisville Schools.

In 1984 he became assistant superintendent of Plain Local and in 1995 was named Plain Local's superintendent where he served until 2001. After that Mease became the assistant superintendent of Stark County Schools and served in this capacity until his death in 2003.

During his thirty-three year career in public education, Mease gained a reputation for his strong convictions, unsurpassable work ethic, and his courage as a leader throughout the county and the state. While at Plain Local, he was instrumental in creating, designing and implementing many innovative programs for students. Some of those included:  the first area magnet school, discipline-based art education and a district vocational compact.

An example of the respect and recognition from fellow educators and community members is evidenced by the R. G. Drage Vocational School's Math and Science wing being named in Bill's honor. He was known for his remarkable, untiring commitment to "do what's best for kids."

Bill's community service was extensive. Some of his work included: Plain Township Rotary, Mount Union College of Education Advisory Board, and Habitat for Humanity Board.

Mease was married to the former Cynthia Kibler. He is survived by children Allison and David.

James B. Waller was nominated by Richard L. Everett with supporting letters written by Michael R. Gallina, Gregory B. Horn, David Harp and George Horvath. Jim worked as a machinist at the Timken Company in Canton, retiring after 37 years service to that company. After high school graduation Jim married the former Shirla Crawford They have two children, Sharri and Mike and four grandchildren. During the time he and Shirla were raising their family, he was involved in many community activities. He coached Hot Stove/Little league baseball for 14 years. He has been active for many years in Minerva Lions Club and Athletic Booster Club, and promoted and assisted in the development of the Minerva Senior Center. He served as village councilman for fourteen years and mayor for sixteen years, and has been re-elected mayor for another four years.

Minerva's former Village Administrator Gregory Horn said, "Mr. Waller was one of those rare individuals who was able to balance full time employment with the needs of a growing and active family, while maintaining a strong passion for his community. Mr. Waller stood by his convictions and was not noted for taking the easy way out.”

George Horvath in writing on behalf of the Minerva Lions Civic Club enumerated the many ways Waller has helped the club and added, "Jim is a good listener, he cares, he always gets the job done and is a good friend.”

David Harp, Minerva’s Village Administrator, said that what Minerva has accomplished over the past 30 years would not have been realized had it not been for Waller's unselfish dedication of his time and efforts in service to the community. To name just a few improvements: the renovation of the downtown area, park improvements, Minerva’s Industrial Park, a new fire station, a new sewage treatment plant, water improvements, a new police station, creation of over 300 jobs for our community, and many more.

Richard Everett in his nomination of Waller said, “James B. Waller may not have a master's degree and he may not be rich, but he has accumulated a wealth of gratitude from the residents of Minerva and surrounding communities. The accomplishments that have taken place in Minerva during the past 30 years have been many....I believe that a lot would not have happened, except for Mr. Waller's constant persistence and leadership.”

Michael Gallina said, “Jim will not compromise his values ... Rather, he wills those values into all facets of his life so that you truly have the word priceless when you define his character...The community of Minerva is a better place because of Jim's service, his unwavering passion for doing the right thing, and his deep love for the overall good of the community.”

Colonel David R. Wolf, U. S. Army Retired, Class of 1974, was nominated by Delilah "Dee" Arnold, Carol W. Thomas, James Filliez, and Gregory Mills.

While in high school, he was a four-year member of the National Forensic League, and a four-year member of the Debate Team, qualifying for the Ohio State Debate Tournament in 1972 through 1974. He was one of two boys chosen to represent Minerva High School at Buckeye Boys’ State in 1973. He was a charter member of the Minerva DeMolay Chapter, serving as its first Master Counselor and as Ohio State Marshall of DeMolay in 1973 to 1974.

In her nomination of Colonel Wolf, Dee Arnold said, "In the fall of 1970, Dave was one of 190 students enrolled in my freshmen science classes during the first year I taught at Minerva High School. During the remainder of his years at MHS, I was impressed with his scholastic achievements and his involvement in activities at MHS and in the community."

Wolf graduated summa cum laude from Bowling Green State University in 1978 earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in History/Political Science from the College of Education, and an Army officer's commission in the Regular Army from the BGSU Army ROTC program.

Much of his Army career was summarized in the June 14, 2007, edition of The News Leader. After completing the Air Defense Artillery Officer's Basic Course, he returned to Bowling Green to marry the former Joan Deagan. He then departed for his assignment in Korea where he stayed until 1980. He and Joan then lived in El Paso, Texas, where he held several positions and completed the ADA Officer's Advanced Course at Fort Bliss. From there it was back to Bowling Green as an Army ROTC Instructor. He and Joan lived in Bowling Green as university faculty from 1984 to 1987.

Having been promoted to major, he and Joan lived in Germany from 1987 to 1990, at the time the Iron Curtain fell. From Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to Saudi Arabia; Germany to Bosnia; and then back to the United States in 1998, where he attended the National War College at Fort Leslie J. McNair, Washington, D. C. He earned a master's degree in National Security Strategy in 1999. He was promoted to Colonel on March 1, 2000.

In August 2004, Wolf was selected to serve as the Chief of Staff, Missile Defense Agency. He held this position until his retirement in May 2007.

In April 2005, he was inducted into the Bowling Green State University Army ROTC Alumni Hall of Fame.

He and his wife now live in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Dr. Barbara Powell Reider was nominated by her mother Gaye Powell and her sister Cheryl Campbell.

While in high school, Reider was a four-year member of Symphonic Band. She also served in Marching Band, where she was a majorette for four years. She was a delegate to Girls’ State, and valedictorian of her class. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Kent State in 1983, her Master's Degree in 1986 from The Ohio State University, and her Ph.D. from Kent State in 1991.

Reider's business career has taken her to the University of Montana as a professor of accounting and finance and as a former professor of accounting at the University of Alaska at Anchorage. She is a certified public accountant, and is also certified in management accounting, internal auditing, financial management and government financial management.

While at the University of Alaska, she initiated a program to assist Native Alaskans in remote fishing villages with their income tax compliance. Before she developed this program, these native Alaskans were in danger of losing their fishing licenses because of non-compliance with tax regulations, and because of corrupt income tax preparers.

Reider, while at the University of Alaska, was involved with an exchange program with educators in Magadan, Siberia. With the breakup of the Soviet Union, citizens were able, for the first time, to develop businesses of their own. She traveled to Siberia on numerous occasions to teach their educators to instruct the people in running these businesses.

Her career awards include the Most Inspirational Teacher by her students and the John and Kathy Connors Faculty Fellow, both in 2006. From 2002 to 2004 she received the Outstanding Faculty Award and in 1998, the Teacher and Advisor of the Year award.

She has had numerous professional journals published and has been proofreader of numerous college textbooks. Reider has volunteered at the Women's and Children's Abuse Center in Anchorage, has advised numerous student groups, including Beta Alpha Pi (Business Honorary), Christian Student Fellowship, and the Accounting Club. She is also a member of the Scholarship Selection Committee and the Library Advisory Committee at the University of Montana.

Dr. Reider now lives in Missoula, Montana, and is married to outdoor adventurer, Bob Reider.

Leroy Vandegrift was nominated by Linda Hanson, Class of 1958. While in high school, he was senior class president, a member of National Honor Society and a delegate to Boys' State.

Vandegrift received a Bachelor's of Architecture degree from Western Reserve University in 1963, and his Master's of Architecture from Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972. From 1963 to 1968 his career took him to Firestone & Motter Architects in Canton. While pursuing his master's degree at Illinois Institute of Technology, he was an associate with Perkins & Will Architects where he was job captain on the eighty-story Standard Oil Building in Chicago, now known as the Aon Center.

Since 1972, Vandegrift has been with Lawrence and Dykes Architects of Canton. He was named executive vice president of the firm in 1999. Among the many jobs he worked on in his career, one notable project was the 1995 London Candies Building, for which he served as designer and project architect. He is currently involved with the Minerva Schools' building program.

Vandegrift's community service is extensive. He has been a member of the North Canton Lion's Club since 1972 and has served twice as president, vice president and secretary of that organization. He has chaired their major fundraiser, "Rose Day," and has chaired various other committees. He received the Melvin L. Jones Fellow award, a commendation given to a Lion's Club member for many years of dedicated service to the organization.

He has served on the Board of Builders Exchange in Canton. At Grace Brethren Church in Canton, he has served as Sunday School teacher and Children of Grace Day Care Board President. Currently he is a board member of Pathway Caring for Children and the Meyers Lake Planning Commission.

He married his high school sweetheart, Rosemary Lutz, in 1960. They are the parents of four sons: Gary, Stephen (Kim), Mark (Kim), and Scott (Danielle), and six grandchildren: Ashley, Justin, Madison, Klaire, Caiden Matthew and Landon Scott.

Theodore Isue, Class of 1960, was nominated to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by Debra Czekanski Silverio, Class of 1969. In her nomination she said, "I have known Theodore Isue for more than forty years, and it is my pleasure and privilege to nominate him for the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame.

During the years that I have known him, he has been a professional, confidant, mentor, advisor, and very dear friend. His integrity, honesty, and morality are impeccable and his virtuosity in all his professional accomplishments is above reproach. His dedication, perseverance, and determination to be the best at what he pursues are only superseded by his love and devotion to his family."

While in high school, Isue served as class president his sophomore, junior and senior years, as well as being involved in music and sports. After graduating from Minerva High School, he attended Kent State University where he graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in French. In the summer of 1967, he studied in France, and then received a Master’s of Education in 1969 from Kent. He did post-graduate work at the University of Akron.

After graduating from Kent in 1965, Isue taught French in the Fairless Local School System where he also served as Chairman of the Foreign Language department.

After five years at Fairless, he went to the North Canton City Schools where he served first assistant principal of North Canton Junior High, followed by principal of Portage Grade School, principal of Hoover High School, and then administrative assistant to the superintendent.

Beginning in 1995, Isue's career took him to Mount Union College where he first served as an adjunct professor. In 1999 he became a full-time instructor, and since 2000 has served as field placement coordinator while also serving as education department co-chairperson and chairperson from 2002-2005.

During his career, Isue has been affiliated with many education associations including the American Association of Teachers of French, the National Association of Secondary School Administrators, Phi Delta Kappa, and Mount Union College Teacher Education Advisory Council.

Isue has been honored by being one of five national scholarship recipients to study and travel in France, appearing in Who's Who Among America's Teachers, being a Martha Holden Jennings Foundation Scholar, and being chosen North Canton Endowment Fund Educator of the Year.

His community affiliations include: North Canton Rotary Club, also serving on the North Canton Rotary Club Board of Directors; North Canton Library Board of Directors; and the North Canton Heritage Society where he served as president and was on the board of trustees.

Robert J. Davis, Jr., Class of 1945, was nominated to the Alumni Hall of Fame by his sister-in-law, Rose Marie Davis. During his childhood he was employed in and around Minerva as a milkman for the Lippincott Dairy, a delivery and stock boy for Brown's Grocery, a YMCA counselor, a custodian at R. C. Smith's Dry Goods, a laborer at Good Roads Machinery, and a postman.

After graduating from Minerva High School, he attended The Ohio State University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Personnel Management. In 1972 he received a Master’s of Arts degree in Urban Studies from Akron University.

During World War II, Davis served in the U. S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. Mercer APB 39-Hospital Corps.

From 1949 to 1951, he was employed by the Minerva Wax Paper Company as assistant to the vice president of operations. In 1951, he went to the Ford Motor Company Forge Plant in Canton where he stayed until 1992. There he was Manager of Human Resources, and as such he had many different titles and jobs: Employment Interviewer; Suggestion Coordinator; Training Coordinator; Supervisor of Personnel Services; Labor Relations; Hourly Personnel; Salaried Personnel; and when Ford left Canton in 1988, he was named Coordinator of the Reemployment Assistance Center.

Davis has an extensive history of community service. He has served as deacon at Christ United Presbyterian Church and as an elder at Northminster Presbyterian. He was appointed and served four years on the Presbyterian Synod of Ohio Personnel Committee. Besides being on the board of directors of the United Way of Central Stark County, he served on the budget committee and as a campaign worker. From 1956 to 1962 he was on the board of directors of the Community Rehabilitation Clinic at Aultman Hospital. Davis has served six years on the Stark County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and currently is an advisor on the Personnel Committee. He was a member of the Canton Toastmaster’s Club, and the president and founder of the Ford Toastmaster’s Club. He was a member of the North Canton Rotary and served on the United Cerebral Palsy Board. He was elected for two years as President of the North Canton Clearmont Elementary School's PTA. In 1959 he was elected President of the Canton Jaycees and served his term into 1960. At that time he was elected Chairman of the Canton Jaycees Board of Directors. During his presidency the Canton Jaycees received the Henry Giessenbrier Award as the Most Outstanding Jaycee chapter in Division IV in the state of Ohio. In 1960 Davis was inducted into the Jaycees International organization as a Lifetime Senator. In 1964 he received the "Town Crier's Bell" when he was elected Ford Citizen of the Year, awarded for outstanding service to the community.

Following his retirement from Ford in January 1992, he was elected president of the Ford Salaried Retirees Luncheon Club, and in 1999 he was appointed to the Hartville Meadows Human Rights Committee as a parent/guardian advocate. Davis is currently serving as treasurer of the Hartville Homes Inc. Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, providing housing and total care for the Mental Retarded and Developmental Disabled.

In May 1950 Davis married Wanda Park. They are now the parents of four daughters: Wendy, Heidi, Gigi, and Polly Anna, and they enjoy spoiling six granddaughters and one grandson.

Michael R. Gallina, Class of 1978, was nominated to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by his father, Robert Gallina. While in high school, Gallina received many athletic honors as well as being an excellent student. He was valedictorian, senior class president, captain of his football, basketball and baseball teams, and was honored as an All-League player in football and baseball and All Northeastern Ohio Honorable Mention in football.

After graduating from Minerva High School, he attended Mount Union College where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education in 1982. While at Mount, he was a four-year baseball letterman and captain of the team his senior year. He earned the Ethel Mellenger Award as the outstanding senior in elementary education. Again he was an outstanding student academically. Gallina obtained his Master's degree in 1988 from Ashland University with a 4.00 GPA where he also was granted his Elementary Principal's Certificate, his Assistant Superintendent's Certificate, and in 1994 his Superintendent's Certificate. He is a member of the Ohio School Leadership Institute for Superintendents.

Professionally, Gallina has served as teacher, coach and administrator. He taught the learning disabled at Stanton Middle School in Alliance where he also coached ninth grade basketball. In Minerva from 1983 to 1988, he taught grade five and was an assistant coach in both football and basketball. From August 1988 until November 1993, he was the principal at West Elementary where he was honored with an Effective Schools Grant. He left West Elementary in November 1988 to become the Superintendent of Minerva Local Schools. While Gallina was superintendent, the Minerva Local School District went from a 1.6 million dollar debt to being debt free in eleven years, and he left the district with a great strategic plan in place for our future schools.

Although the people in the Minerva Local School District were sad at losing him, they wished Gallina well as he became the Superintendent of North Canton City Schools in 2004. At age 33, Gallina was the youngest person to become a school superintendent in the state of Ohio.

Even with his busy life, Gallina finds time for community service. He formerly was a member and past president of the Minerva Chamber of Commerce, member of the Minerva Area YMCA Board of Directors, the Minerva HOPE Foundation for Economic Development, and the St. Gabriel Catholic Church Parish Council. He currently serves on the Family First Foundation Board of Directors in Canton, the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, the North Canton YMCA Board of Directors, the Walsh University Advisory Board, the Lincoln Way SERRC Board, and the North Canton T.A.P. group for economic development.

Among Gallina's awards and honors are his nomination as a Jennings Foundation Superintendent of the Year by the Minerva Board of Education; Man of the Year for the community of Minerva in 2000; chosen as the graduation speaker by the graduating Minerva High School classes for the past fourteen years; chosen to present to the Ohio Conference on Teaching and Learning, and has been a guest lecturer at Ashland University, Mount Union College, Walsh University, Youngstown State, Kent State and Stark State College of Technology.

Gallina and his wife, the former Lynnette Walter, are the parents of a son Kiel who is a Minerva High School Alumnus and a student at Youngstown State University.

Dr. Paul M. Sutton, Class of 1939, was nominated to the Minerva High School AlumniHall of Fame by Dorothy Hawkins Cole and other members of the MHS Class of 1939. Upon graduation from Minerva High School, he attended Harvard University on a four year full-expense National Scholarship, graduating Magna cum Laude with a Bachelor's of Science degree in physics. War duty in the U. S. Navy followed, then a return to academics. From 1946 to 1951 he continued his education at Columbia University where he earned both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in physics and served as a graduate instructor and research associate in the physics department.

On active duty for three and a half years, during and after World War II, Sutton served a total of eleven years in the U. S. Naval Reserve, culminating in service as Training Officer for Division 3-72, 3rd Naval District, New York City, during the Korean War. In World War II, following officer's training, he spent five months learning the operation and maintenance of a Top Secret acoustic homing torpedo, a successful weapon used against German submarines. He and his crew operated from Ascension Island, a volcanic cone in the center of the South Atlantic. The crew served a Naval B-24 squadron, VB-107, and, in 14 months, demolished four submarines with these torpedoes.

As the war wound down, the B-24 squadron was transferred to England, and Sutton and crew were sent to North Carolina, where, just before V-E Day, off Norfolk, Virginia, the only lighter-than-air (blimp) squadron with torpedoes sank another enemy submarine.

After the war Sutton was assigned to Inspector of Naval Materials at 30 Church Street, New York City. (Today this spot is known as Ground Zero.) After six months, he was assigned to serve as Instrumentation Coordinator for the Ordinance Evaluation Group at the Bikini Atom Bomb Tests where he witnesses the 4th and 5th atom bomb explosions.

Upon return, and entering Columbia, Sutton married Doris Nichols, a published poet and Associate Editor of the Fine Editions Press. (Today she is known as D. N. Sutton, and is the author of several books of poems.) They are the parents of two daughters. Pamela M. Sutton, M.D. worked abroad with the World Health Organization and is now Director of The Barbara Ziegler Program of Palliative Care and Hospice at the North Broward Hospital District in Broward County, Florida. Valerie J. Sutton invented the system for writing sign languages, and is Executive Director of the Center For Sutton Movement Writing, Inc., a California non-profit organization.

In the 1950s Sutton was employed as a section supervisor and research associate in the Research Laboratory of the Corning Glass Works in Corning, New York. In California from 1959 until 1987, he held the titles of Department Manager, Research Laboratory Manager, and Development Manager at the Ford Aerospace Corporation's California division at Newport Beach. His work at Corning involved theory and experiment on transmission of electricity and ultrasound through glass and development of techniques to measure stress in glass. His work at Ford Aerospace was chiefly optics and laser related, proposal preparation and research project administration.

From 1974 until the present he has been involved in management and planning for the Center for Sutton Movement Writing, Inc. founded by his daughter. The Sutton notation system permits writing of any of the world's many signed languages and has been proven as an excellent tool for teaching those who are born deaf. The system is being studied in thirty countries and is in effective use in Germany, Denmark, Brazil, Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, Malta, Canada and the U. S.  For a person skilled in a particular sign language, anything written in that language in Sutton notation is easy to read. There are no other sign language writing systems for everyday use.

The Suttons have been residents of California since 1959 and live in the La Jolla part of San Diego. They tend to spend winter months in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they are active in poetry circles.

Jesse J. Jones, Class of 1941, was nominated by several people, including Laura S. Brown, Susan B. Crawford, Michael R. Gallina, Brenda Johnson, Robert Kastelic, Bill Martino, C. Louise Rose, and Carole A. Stein. Jones was a U. S. Navy veteran of World War II and was involved in many community service organizations.

As a child, Jones lived in Minerva on Murray Avenue with his parents, one brother and six sisters. He worked for Jake Shiffman delivering groceries on a bicycle throughout Minerva. He continued working for Shiffman after Jake opened his store at the comer of Market and High Streets. After high school, Jones was employed at Taylorcraft Aviation making aircraft for both the military and private sectors. Because of his job, he was exempt from the military draft; however, after his best friend was killed in military service, he enlisted in the United States Navy. He served on the destroyer escort U.S.S. Price in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. He held the rank of Radarman Second Class.

His sister Edna introduced him to U. S. Navy service woman Dorothy Gollus, who was stationed in the secret mail and file room in Washington, D.C.  Jesse and Dorothy were married in 1944. After their discharge from the navy, they came back to Ohio and Jesse became an instructor in aviation hand tools and as a aircraft draftsman. He and Dorothy became the parents of five children and eleven grandchildren.

After Jones left Taylorcraft Aviation, he was employed by E. W. Bliss Co. in Salem. He served as the company’s first-aid man since he had extensive training in first-aid and was a certified American Red Cross first-aid instructor. He volunteered with the American Red Cross for twenty-five years. His many years of volunteer service included: twelve years with the Hospice of Stark County, Scout Master and assistant Scout Master of the Boy Scouts, and Minerva Community Meals. He was an enthusiastic member of American Legion Post 357 and served as Commander as well as chairperson for the Americanism Scholarship Committee.

After Dorothy Jones died, Jesse, who suffered from heart problems, had open-heart surgery. His nurse was Harriet Miller who was a family friend, an ex army nurse and had recently retired from Aultman Hospital. Their friendship grew and they were married in 1992.

Harriet and Jesse enjoyed traveling, but mostly they spent a great deal of time volunteering. During Operation Desert Shield, they prepared and shipped many care-packages to Minerva area service personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf. They personally purchased and dried bushels of apples, which they bagged and sent as a taste of home to our service personnel so far from home.

Laura S. Brown said of Jones when he volunteered at Alliance Community Hospital, "When Jesse came to volunteer, he came to serve others.

"Brenda Johnson of Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron said of Jones, "As a Respite Care Volunteer, Jesse went to families' homes to care for people who had a terminal illness while the caregiver took a break away from the home. This job could at times be very challenging emotionally, physically and even spiritually. However Jesse was dependable and cheerful as he went to each family."

Bill Martino, Director of The Minerva Public Library, called him a true friend of the library.

C. Louise Rose and Susan Crawford also wrote of Jones' work with the library, and especially his making and teaching others how to make origami figures.

Michael Gallina wrote, "As part of our alma mater states, 'oh worthy art thou of fame,' yes, Jesse is worthy of this recognition. He has been involved with our great school's heritage for the past sixty-three years!"

Robert Kastelic told of working with Jones in the Community Meals program and the Don V. Cross, American Legion Post 357.

Carole A. Stein, who worked with Jones teaching CPR and First Aid for the North Columbiana County American Red Cross, told of their work forming a First Aid Mobile Unit and the many hours spent in providing care to the community.

Carol Costello was nominated to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by William Palmer. She is an anchor and reporter for the CNN News Group. Based in CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta, she anchors "CNN Daybreak," the network's early morning news program.

Costello graduated from Minerva High School in 1980 where she was active in speech and debate, Congressional Council, National Honor Society, and school plays. She qualified for the state speech competition two times. She attended Kent State University and has an honorary doctorate from Thiel College.

Costello joined CNN in October 2001 from WJLA-TV in Washington, D. C. where she had worked five years as an anchor and investigative reporter. Before that, she spent three years at WBAL-TV in Baltimore, as an anchor and co-anchor. She began her career as a weekend anchor and reporter for WAKR-TV in Akron. She then moved to WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio, to work as the station's principal weeknight anchor.

During her time with CNN, Costello has reported on numerous events, including providing live coverage of the D.C.-area sniper case and interviewing former President Jimmy Carter about his 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. She has also guest hosted on America Morning with Paula Zahn, Newsnight with Aaron Brown, and the network's former daily talk show, TalkBack Live.

In addition to President Carter, Costello has interviewed three other former U. S. Presidents:  President Ronald Reagan, President George H. W. Bush, and President Bill Clinton.

Costello's work has been honored numerous times, including a 1991 Emmy Award for a special on crack cocaine, a UPI award, several Associated Press awards and an Emmy nomination in 1993.

As for community service, Costello says, "I have tried to give back to the many communities in which I have worked. I've served on the board of an alcohol recovery center and a rape crisis hotline." She has volunteered with United Way and a domestic violence center. Now that she has a national forum, she hopes to do much more.

When asked for advice to teenagers interested in broadcast journalism, she said, "You should keep in mind that it took me 13 years to get to CNN. When I was in Minerva, I never would have thought that I would end up at CNN. Don't take anything for granted. You can do anything you want to do with hard work. Be as smart as you can be. That, more than looks, will get you where you want to be."

The two teachers that she mentioned who were major influences in her life are Paul Vaccani and Carl Michael. She credits them with helping her overcome her fear of speaking in public and always giving her good advice.

Costello said that her work at CNN is her dream job, and that her years at Minerva High School gave her the confidence to give TV news casting a shot.

Helen LeBeau Freed Whiteleather, Class of 1924, was nominated to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by her daughter Carol Whiteleather Thomas. Additional nominations were received by Ruby and Arthur Guy, Bertha Hawn, Martha Gartner, and Robert McMillan. Carol says of her mother, "She was a credit to her Alma Mater, her community and her church."

Helen was born August 23, 1907, to Elmer and Emma Lebeau Freed. She died October 1988 in Minerva.

While attending Minerva High School she was involved in many extracurricular activities, including debate, Glee Club, and Crescent staff. Helen was also an accomplished pianist, and was salutatorian of her graduating class. She then became a student of the College of Wooster where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with a major in French and a minor in English.

She returned to Minerva High School to teach French and English.  She also coached debate from 1928 to1934. Carol wrote that she must have been an excellent teacher because she was able to encourage Eddie Niuman to quote Shakespeare from memory. Helen was the Patroness of the Class of 1932 and the 1932 Crescent was dedicated to her.

On June 24, 1932, Helen secretly married Plirmey Scott Whiteleather, and taught at MHS for two more years to help Scott through medical school. Scott began his medical practice in 1934. Helen and Scott became the parents of two children, Richard and Carol.

Besides being a full-time bookkeeper of Scott's records and being his assistant in the medical office, she was active in many organizations. Helen's church and community involvement was outstanding. Although she was handicapped with a hearing loss, her accomplishments were great. A member of the First Christian Church, she was a Sunday School teacher for forty years, Sunday School superintendent for many years, organized a small church youth orchestra, served on the 1949 church building committee, and was church historian for many years.

Her community work included helping to organize the Minerva Grade School PTA, and becoming a member of the library board to help make her dream of a separate library building for Minerva come true.  She was a member of Eastern Star and Past Matron’s Club.  Woman’s Club, Minerva Garden Club, Entre Nous, Chairman of the Red Cross, DAR, and the Minerva Area Historical Society.

When her children attended Wooster College, she because district president of the Woman’s Club.  She gave many speeches and visited many clubs in her district.  She gave book reviews as a member of the College Book Club in Canton and was also a member of the Canton Medical Wives’ Auxiliary.

Roby Guy wrote that Helen strove for excellence, which was her way of life, combined with her love of family, community, God and her church.  Martha Gartner added that she found Helen to be, “intelligent, compassionate, patient and always ready to serve.” 

Carol said that her mother’s motto could have been, “Bloom where you are planted.” Helen enjoyed being with people and was interested in learning throughout her life.  Carol concluded by saying, “She was a wonderful mother.  She was the ‘wind beneath my wings’ as I was growing up.  I miss her very much.”

Robert S. McClester, Class of 1931, was nominated by Maxine K. Keenan, also a member of the Class of 1931. She said that her fellow classmates are pleased that she submitted his nomination to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame.

"I was always interested in Agriculture," stated Robert McClester, "and that has made a difference in my life." He was ready for high school at age 13, having skipped the eighth grade at his one-room school. When he learned that Augusta High School did not offer Vocational Agriculture, he decided to attend Minerva High School where he enrolled in the agriculture program under O. D. Barker. This decision made it necessary to ride to school with another student who had a car. At that time, in 1927, not one school bus transported students to Minerva Schools. By 1929, he had a car but the roads were so bad he usually left it at a neighbor’s whose road was paved. He hiked the two miles to his car before the nine-mile drive to Minerva. Having his own car enabled him to engage in sports.

In high school he lettered in track and football, playing every minute of every football game his senior year, he served as both President and Vice President of the Class of 1931, was active in Hi-Y, yearbook staff and Future Farmers of America. He was valedictorian of his graduating class.

Robert never forgot his MHS roots and served as chairman for several class reunions. In 2001, ten class members were present for their 70th anniversary class reunion, which was organized by the McClesters.

Robert was awarded a scholarship to the Ohio State University College of Agriculture. This was at the time of the Great Depression and additional funds for college seemed remote, but Robert met the requirements of the scholarship program. During his college career, he worked at many jobs to help meet expenses. Among other occupations he summarized farm account books for the Department of Rural Sociology. At Ohio State he was active in Grange, achieving the 7th degree, the University 4-H Club, and was elected to Alpha Zeta an agriculture honorary fraternity. He supports his alma mater and is a life member of the OSU Alumni Association.

In 1983 Robert retired from the United States Department of Agriculture. Over the years he worked in several agencies: The Farm Security Administration, Farmer's Home Administration, the Soil and Water Conservation District, the Agriculture Stabilization Conservation Service, and taught agriculture to returning veterans of World War II.  In 1943 he moved to Kenwood Farms, the family farm since 1920, where he initiated many innovative ideas such as strip farming, spring development, no-till corn and pond development.

Over the years the McClesters have been very active in the community. In 2000, they were the first family in Ohio to donate the development rights of their farm to the State of Ohio, ensuring that the land will remain a productive farm for the future.

Robert was a long time Sunday school teacher for the adult class and served as Chairman of the Board for Herrington Bethel United Methodist Church. After retirement, he went on thirteen work crusades with World Gospel Missions. Countries he worked in included Honduras, Chile, Kenya, Spain, Tanzania, Barbados, Argentina, Bolivia, Japan, Hungary, and Russia.

He was twice named "Goodyear Farmer of the Year." He has served as board member and president of the Carroll County Farm Bureau, Carroll County District Library and the Carroll County Board of Health. For the past nine years, the McClesters have hosted Country Living Field Day sponsored by the OSU Extension. About 5,000 people attended the 2002 event.

Robert and his wife Bernice, who taught Home Economics at Minerva High School for twenty years, celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary January 1, 2003. The McClesters have four children: Jean Swartz, Reid, Scott, and Neil.

Nancy I. Klippert Parker, Class of 1955, was nominated by her brothers, Dr. John Klippert, and Frederick Klippert, M.D. Nancy has had an outstanding career as a secondary school teacher of English for thirty-five years, culminating in her selection by the Maryland Council of Teachers of English in 1995 as Maryland's English Teacher of the Year. In his nomination John, included over thirty pages of material extolling Nancy's abilities not only as a teacher, but also a caring human being who gives freely of her time and abilities to her students as well as her favorite charities.

After graduating from Minerva High School, Nancy received a bachelor's degree from Mount Union College. She taught English in schools in Ohio, Florida and Virginia during the next few years.  Nancy earned a master’s degree from Marshall University where she met her husband, Kenneth Parker. They were both hired at South Carroll High School in Sykesville, Maryland. Nancy was an English teacher and Kenneth as a football coach and physical education teacher. They taught there from 1966 until their retirements in 1995.

Nancy said that she always adopted a strong approach to teaching, "probably because the English teacher who influenced me was always this way. In high school, Cornelia Whitacre taught me how to write a term paper and, ultimately, how to teach English by demanding the best from my students."

Nancy is a member of the National and Maryland Councils of Teachers of English, Delta Kappa Gamma International Society of Professional Women Educators, and Marks Twain Circle. She is passionate about the writings of Mark Twain and assigned term papers to her expository writing classes on the subject of “Huckleberry Finn" which meant she graded 90 term papers on the subject each year.

Nancy served her community by volunteering for the Leukemia Society, participating in the Walk for Life as a breast cancer survivor, and through Delta Kappa Gamma helped provide scholarships for women majoring in education. She sponsored South Carroll High School cheerleaders for 21 years; volunteered as secretary for the football team, monetarily helped a deaf student through college; arranged for dental care for a needy high school student and helped a student who was paralyzed in an automobile accident through his rehabilitation.

“Nancy Parker is the kind of professional one wishes could be cloned and turned out to fill every vacancy in a school.  She loves to teach and conveys her enthusiasm for both her subject and her students in every lesson.  Her wit and humor balance a serious determination to draw the best from her students. 

Mrs. Parker’s experience, expertise, service to her school and dedication to the principle that all students can succeed have served as inspiration to teachers throughout our school system for nearly three decades,” said Barry D. Gesinger of Carroll County Schools.

Joseph Mazzaferro, Class of 1946, was nominated for the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by Thomas Shaffer. Joe excelled in sports, served in the armed forces, and held positions with B. F. Goodrich from 1956 until his retirement in 1990.

He and Joanne, his wife of 46 years, live in Akron and are the parents of two daughters, Lynda Miller of Fairlawn and Lisa Wainwright of Akron.

While in high school, Mazzaferro was awarded three varsity letters in each sport of football, basketball and baseball. He was captain of the football team his junior and senior years, an all Tri-County Guard his junior and senior years and was awarded the title of All Stark County Guard his senior year. He was the youngest of the four Mazzaferro brothers to play football for Minerva High. After graduation, he enrolled at Akron University.

As a member of the Akron Zips' football team, he played both offense and defense as a guard-linebacker. Although he played on three losing teams for the Zips, he became their first football player to be named to the All-Ohio or All-Ohio Conference football teams for three seasons. He was named All-OC in 1950 and 1951 and was named to the All-Ohio honor squads in both 1951 and 1952. During his junior and senior years, he served as co-captain of the football team and was voted the Touchdown Club Trophy as most outstanding lineman both seasons. As a member of the Zips' football team, he set a record of 21 tackles in one game and 93 tackles in nine games. This last record held until 1975. Mazzaferro was also a three-year letterman in baseball for the Zips as catcher. He hit .370 his senior year and had a college career average of .349.

Mazzaferro played two years for the Minerva Merchants semi-pro football team and has also played on a variety of baseball teams, including the Carrollton Eagles semi-pro team. He played softball for B. F. Goodrich and American Electric Switch. In 1954 he coached the Akron University freshman football team. He was a registered football official from 1960 through 1970, lifetime member of Akron U. Varsity "A" Association, a charter member of the Cleveland Browns' Boosters, Akron Chapter and was inducted into the Akron University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1976. In 1990, he was inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame.

Mazzaferro received his Bachelor's Degree from Akron University in Industrial Management. During his junior year he was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership and academic fraternity, and he graduated as a distinguished military graduate in ROTC. He received a Master's Degree in Personnel Management from Kent State.

Mazzaferro served in the military as a 1st Lieutenant in the USAF-Northeast Air Command and was stationed primarily in Newfoundland as Air Direction Officer.

He joined B. F. Goodrich in 1956 as cost analyst in the tire division, and became manager for new systems development for that division in 1964 and project manager in 1966. In 1967 he became manager of inventory and distribution methods and manager of products and materials in 1969. In the corporate division he served as Director of Management Information Services, Director of Distribution Services and ended his career with B.F. Goodrich as Director, MIS/Telecommunications. 

He was a member of the National Association of Accountants and of the American Production and Inventory Control Society.

Today Mazzaferro lives in Akron spending time with his four grandchildren, his children, his family and enjoys vacations in Myrtle Beach.

Patricia Lutz Miller, Class of 1960, and Ronald C. Miller, Sr., Class of 1958 were nominated by William Palmer. Pat and Ron have worked together to build a business and have given tirelessly to their community, especially its youth.

Ron, who was affectionately called R.C. by his mother, moved to the Minerva area in 1952 with his mother, step-father, and five siblings. His mother died from leukemia five years later. At the age of 16, Ron began his career in the trash-hauling business as a way to help provide for his family. He also found time for sports playing football, being a captain of the Minerva Lions his senior year, and playing Hi-Y basketball. After graduation from high school, Ron worked for the Minerva Waxed Paper company in the afternoon while continuing to form the customer base for his trash-hauling business mornings and weekends.

Pat and Ron met in high school in 1956. In high school Pat excelled academically and musically, becoming a member of the National Honor Society, the Minerva High Band, Y-teens, and Crescent staff. She graduated as salutatorian of her class. She also shared Ron's love of sports, supporting Ron and her five older brothers in sporting events. After Pat graduated in 1960, she and Ron were married and raised three sons, Ronald, Jr., Timothy, and Richard.

As the trash hauling business grew, Pat and Ron became partners in this venture as well as in marriage. Ron was able to devote full time efforts to the operations side of the business while Pat maintained an office, initially out of their home. From the beginning, it was clear that they were an effective team complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses. Pat was conservative with an excellent mind for the accounting aspects of the business. Ron was an innovative, risk-taker with a keen sense of what was needed to expand the business.

Together they accomplished many firsts in the solid waste industry. In 1962 R.C. Miller Refuse Service was the first hauler in the area to invest in a compaction type truck. Other notable achievements were the entrance into automated collection systems and the construction of a recycling center. The automated collection system is something that Ron is particularly proud of.  It afforded his drivers to do their work from the comfort of the cab of the truck and eliminated much of the back-breaking labor associated with the job.

R. C. Miller Refuse Service was rated in the top 100 waste-hauling companies in the United States for four consecutive years, reaching all the way to number 42 prior to the sale of the company in 1998. At the time of the sale, the company employed 215 workers, many of who were Minerva area residents, serviced 40,000 residential accounts, 350 industrial accounts and 2,500 commercial accounts. The recycling facility was among the top in the country in retrieving usable products from the waste stream. To further conserve landfill space and enhance the recycling process, R.C. committed much time and effort towards developing fuel pellets from the waste. Although this effort never came to fruition, it demonstrates R. C.'s desire to be a good steward of the earth's resources.

R. C. Miller Refuse Service, Inc. was featured in several trade magazines, including Waste Age and Recycling Today. In 1994 the company received the SCOPE award from the Canton Chamber of Commerce, which honors Stark County Owned Private Enterprises "In Recognition of Outstanding Business Achievement in Stark County." Ron served as Ohio Chapter Chairman of the National Solid Waste Management Association for many years and received the Association's prestigious Distinguished Service Award in 1996.

In 1996 Ron and Pat along with approximately seventy employees, family members and friends worked several weekends to paint the entire interior of the three story Belden Grade School in Canton. Among their many saved mementos are letters from the children of the school expressing their appreciation. Ron and Pat are active supporters of the Habitat for Humanity program. Until the sale of the company, R.C. Miller Refuse Service worked closely with the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Canton by supplying the organization with refuse removal services at no charge. For this the company was awarded the "Golden Hammer Award" in 1996 and had a Habitat home built on 25th Street in Canton in honor of the company. Ron and Pat continue to support the Habitat movement by participating in home building, donating land for homes, mentoring homeowners and serving on committees.

Throughout their lives Ron and Pat have unselfishly given back to the community in countless ways. Ron coached little league baseball and football, helped build a football field at Bicentennial Park, helped build the high school football practice field, now the band practice field, and has been a member of Rotary for thirty-three years, serving as president in 1978-79. Pat was instrumental in organizing and building the YMCA in Minerva. In recognition of her efforts, Pat was honored with the YMCA Red Triangle Award. When her boys were in school, she headed a parent-teacher group aimed at eliminating drug activity, and she was a member of the football mothers club. Both Ron and Pat are strong supporters of the Minerva schools.

Pat and Ron have both been active members of the Minerva United Methodist Church for many years. Ron served as chairman of the church trustees. Pat has taught both youth and adult Sunday school classes most of her adult life and is a member of the church's community outreach program, the Worship Committee and the Shepherd's Staff.

In retirement Pat and Ron, besides enjoying their five grandchildren, continue to give of their time and resources. Ron recently completed two years as President of Alliance Country Club and currently serves on the board of the Tri-County Area Habitat for Humanity, the SPR Committee of his church, and is a member of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of Central Stark County.  Pat is a member of the Entre Nous, the YMCA of Central Stark County Board of Trustees, as well as working part time in her son’s business in Canton.  Both Pat and Ron continue to give resources to their church, the YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, the Minerva Public Library, the J. R. Coleman Center in Canton and the Kent State University Stark Campus.

Victor E. "Pat" Gray, Class of 1918, was proud to be a life-long resident of Minerva. He was nominated by his daughter, Beverly Gray Tarbet, Lillian Dietrich, George Kishman and Robert Davis. Pat served over twenty-five years as Minerva Village Treasurer, was a member of Minerva's Tubal Lodge and the Nazir Grotto of Canton, and a member of Minerva's Volunteer Fire Department. He was plant superintendent at Minerva Wax Paper, and kept books for Barber Trucking of Minerva and Temple Trucking of Malvern. Robert Davis said, "Through my observations of and work experiences with Pat Gray, there was no doubt in my mind that he was the 'heart beat' that made the 'wax works' work. Following my graduation from The Ohio State University in August of 1949, I was fortunate to be associated with Pat Gray when I was hired by Minerva Wax Paper company. It was there and then that I received a 'hands-on-education' into the real world of manufacturing under the coaching and guidance of Pat Gray."

George Kishman said, "I served on the Minerva Village Council in the late fifties when our budget was extremely meager. Mr. Gray guided us through these trying times, and with his wise advice, we were able to keep the village operating as well as making certain improvements--including initiating a fund for off-street parking. He spent many hours of volunteer time keeping the village financial books in a very professional manner.”

Lillian Dietrich said, "Pat Gray is an excellent choice to be nominated for the Minerva High School Hall of Fame. He deserves recognition as a revered alumnus of Minerva High School. Pat spent most of his life promoting the welfare of the Village of Minerva. In his almost 30 years as a supervisor at Minerva Wax Paper, he always had some wise saying such as, 'Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of you.’ "

Beverly Tarbet said of her father, "Education was very important to him, and he always had time to visit his grandchildren's classes at least once a year."

Robert Davis added, "If I were asked by the artist commissioned to paint Pat Gray's portrait for the Hall of Fame, I would suggest these characteristics would best portray him: absolute aggressiveness, complete control, dogged determination, dedicated devotion, exceptional energy, endless enthusiasm, intense integrity, keen knowledge, longtime loyalty, outstanding organizer, precise planner, and then touch up his face with his customer satisfaction smile.”

Dr. Frederick N. Klippert, who was nominated to the Alumni Hall of Fame by his sister Nancy Klippert Parker, has dedicated his life to the medical profession. He graduated from Mount Union College in 1962, The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1966, served his internship at Midland Community Hospital (1966-1967), served at Akron City Hospital (General Surgery, 1969-1970), and the University of Michigan Medical Center (Residency-Otolaryngology 1970-74) and received his American Board of Otolaryngology certification in 1974.

Fred served as captain in the U. S. Air Force at Grand Forks Air Force Base, Grand Forks, North Dakota, from 1967 to 1969. He has had private practices in Michigan and Ohio. He and his wife Julianne are presently living in Evans, Georgia where he serves assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, Section of Otolaryngology, Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia, and is section head in the Deptartment of Surgery, Section of Otolaryngology at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Augusta.

Fred has had many administrative responsibilities, committee assignments and training grants. His biography includes presentations at national, regional and state meetings, many professional exhibits and audiovisual programs, abstracts, publications in both non-refereed and refereed journals.

From 1988 to 1997 he took one resident a year at his expense to provide them with exposure and experience in providing humanitarian service at the Midwest Medical Mission-Volunteer Medical Service in the Dominican Republic. Another community service was his service on the Board of Trustees, Midwest Medical Mission from 1990 through 1991.

His awards and honors include the American Academy of Family Physicians for participation as active teacher of family practice residents in 1986; St. Luke's Hospital Medical Staff for service rendered as Section Head in 1990; and in May 1998, he was singled out by the Medical College of Georgia for contribution to patient care, education and research.

Nancy Parker said in her nomination of her brother, "From the time he was a little boy, Fred knew he wanted to become a doctor. He followed his dream and has shared his knowledge and skills with hundreds of residents and has helped countless patients with reconstructive surgery, restoring their self-worth and esteem. Fred has dedicated his life to the medical profession. He is a skilled otolaryngology surgeon, providing very satisfactory results in all manner of reconstruction of the head and neck. He regularly is called upon to lecture at physicians' conventions, and he has served as an instructor in various symposiums and hospitals.

Dr. John C. Klippert was nominated by his sister Nancy. In her nomination Nancy wrote, "John has always been skilled in mathematics. Whereas I struggled with Miss Irene Wachtel's algebra and trigonometry, he was one of her star pupils."

John received his Bachelor of Science degree from Case Western Reserve and his Ph. D. from The Ohio State University. He began his teaching career at The Ohio State University while he was working on his doctorate degree. Next he went to Wittenburg College, then to James Madison University where he has remained as a full professor of mathematics. John resides in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

In addition to mathematics, John has a passion for mountain climbing. As a member of the Ohio State Mountaineering Club, he climbed Mount McKinley in 1978. He has climbed almost every mountain in Colorado over 14,000. He twice climbed Mount Rainier and has climbed extensively in Europe.

The Klippert Family was devastated in 1995 when John was diagnosed with acute promyalocytic leukemia. He fought back and returned to teaching after months of intensive treatment at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute in Seattle. However, in 1997 he relapsed and a bone marrow transplant was inevitable. His sister Nancy was a perfect match and became his bone marrow donor. After another extensive illness and rigorous cancer treatments, he once again returned to teaching at James Madison University. In March he celebrated his fourth year of remission. Last summer he did some mountain climbing in the state of Washington and plans to once again climb in Switzerland this summer.

John is highly regarded as an outstanding educator as evidenced by his James Madison Distinguished Teacher Award. He has served on committees that directly affect either the education of students or the well being of the faculty. He has served for many years on the Honors Committee, which serves in an advisory role to the director of the honors program of James Madison University. Within the mathematics department his primary service has been (1) chair of the calculus committee where he has guided the department through the maze of calculus reform and (2) as a member and sometimes chair of the personnel advisory committee in the department of mathematics and statistics. This committee oversees peer review and evaluation for all tenure and promotion decisions in the department. John has directed several students in honors thesis work to achieve honor graduate status in mathematics. In some cases the work those students did were a direct outcropping of research John himself had done in his publications. He has authored or co-authored articles in his area of expertise in several publications.

When discussing her brother John's community service, Nancy remarked, "Having spent 37 years in the classroom myself, it is my strong belief that anyone in the teaching profession renders the ultimate community service. In addition to John's professional services, he participates in cancer support groups encouraging others who are suffering the emotional and physical effects of cancer."

William and Beverlee Harsh Palmer of Minerva, both members of the Minerva High School Class of 1958, have been a team since high school. They celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary on January 30 of this year. They are the parents of three sons, Gregg, Bradley and Kevin who have continued to work in the same mold as their parents.

Bill is the son of Clarence and Betty Palmer. He has two sisters, Judy Bryan and Sharon Palmer, and a brother Ron Palmer.

Beverlee is the daughter of Karl and Marjorie Harsh and has one sister, Sandra Andrews. Karl and Marjorie Harsh owned and operated Harsh Billiards and Lunch until Marjorie's death in 1960. Then Bill and Beverlee took over the operation of the business until they sold it in 1972. They have owned and operated Minerva Bowl since 1975 when they purchased it from Dick and Sue Mount.

Gregg, their oldest son, is a member of the Minerva High School Hall of Fame and was a very special child. Gregg had spina bifida. Beverlee was once asked how they stood the burden of his care. She replied, "Gregg has never been a burden, but a blessing to us." Bradley, Kevin and Gregg all worked with their parents in the Minerva Bowl.

Bill and Bev work for the youth of the community. Trying to keep young people from getting hurt after the prom and giving the young people an alternative to post-prom activities, they, along with other businesses, clubs and individuals, were pleased to provide the students with community-sponsored entertainment.

A member of Rotary Club of Minerva with 32 years of perfect attendance, and a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, Bill has been involved with all the activities of the club. He has served in every capacity from committee chairman to club president and representative of the District Governor. Beverlee as a Rotarian is always a step ahead to make certain all plans run smoothly.

Bill has been active in the Minerva Community Association for many years. He and Beverlee oversaw the Minerva Homecoming, arranged for the rides and entertainment, and for many years the parade.

The new look of the Community Building was the vision of the Palmers, and they have been instrumental in its continued improvement. At the present time, Bill is putting together plans to put new kitchen facilities in the building.

Bill is in charge of the games and prizes for the Minerva Rotary Club’s Christmas party for special children.

The Palmers have kept alive the memories of The Minerva Merchants Football Team by hosting their annual awards.

The Palmers donated the land for Mayor Park at the corner of Line and Main Streets.

William and Beverlee Palmer were nominated to the Hall of Fame by Marilyn Bartley, and seconded by Bernard Marcinkowey. In her nomination Marilyn said that Bill and Beverlee Palmer have the same qualities of caring about the well-being of the town as Dr. Hines, Dr. Weir and Dr. Whiteleather. They work with the students and teach them the qualities of courtesy and the need to work to become better persons as did Hall of Famers Lee Jackson and Bob Gallina.

Bill and Beverlee Palmer are Minerva High School Alumni who work quietly, leading by example and multiplying limited means to achieve extraordinary things.

Twila Stackhouse Carman, Minerva High School Class of 1924, was nominated for the Hall of Fame by her son, Dale, and by Marilyn Bartley. Dale listed her occupation as wife, mother, nurse, writer and broadcaster.

Twila was born on her family's fruit farm near Kensington. After her marriage to Chalmer Carman, who was also a member of the Class of 1924, she worked for Dr. Taylor at his clinic in East Rochester. Following the birth of her two sons, Dale and Don, and during World War II, she assisted Dr. Whiteleather when he performed home baby deliveries.

Next, Twila became the Minerva correspondent for The Canton Repository and continued this until her death. She also wrote feature articles for publications such as The Ford Times. She published a book of poetry called A Miracle for Breakfast that was published in 1948 and a pamphlet called "Buried Treasures in Ohio? Yes." As a newspaper writer, she made the AP news with "Miracle, the Asbestos Cat."

In 1953 she became affiliated with radio station WAND in Canton. Later she moved to WSOM of Salem and did a daily newscast from Minerva and about Minerva until her death in 1986. As a broadcast journalist, she turned out 100,000 words per year. Three of the people who substituted for Twila in her broadcasts, Richard Brock, Thomas Carnahan and Roger Bartley, all second her nomination, as does Carol Whiteleather Thomas.

Two tributes to her life were and are as follows: "Our number one citizen," said former Mayor Dick Mount, "she was not only active in developing the city, but in boosting all our citizens.”

“She was the most caring and understanding person I ever knew," said Harold Wunderle.

"Twila was an innovator, a journalist, a writer of prose and poetry, one never afraid to scan new horizons, a world traveler who would never foresake her modest home, her hometown, and her myriad friends," said Bartley.

Her interest in flying dated from her childhood on her father's Carroll County farm. When she would see planes flying overhead she wished they would land and take her with them. Her first flight was in 1927 in a barnstormer's plane, and she went on to log more than 127,000 air miles traveling to Alaska, Africa, the Holy Land and Hawaii. In 1983, to salute her interest in the frontier of the sky, two hundred of her friends surprised her with $1,645 to go to Florida to cover the launch of the first woman into space, Sally Ride, on the Challenger STS-7 for The Canton Repository.

In all her travels and experiences, Twila said, "My favorite place is right here. This is what gives me my biggest thrill." The Canton Repository chose her as the first person in the series of important contributors to the area. Twila was an institution in Minerva. A visit to her home could be something of a tour of an art gallery (she was an oil painting student of Jean Callerdine Browne), perhaps a history lesson, or it could mean the perusal of a chapter of the latest book she was putting together.  You could count on it being a porch swing, apple pie, and ice cream type get together.

Twila is very proud of Minerva and her roots in Minerva, pointing out that the town was founded by the Whitacres and Taylors.  Her mother was a Whitacre.

Carl Felger, Class of 1938, was nominated by Captain Robert Hart along with recommendations by Minerva area citizens including Dr. Robert Hines, Leroy Bartley, Carl W. Gartner, Homer Unkefer, James Waller, and P. R. Hart.

After high school, Felger attended Canton Actual Business College. He covered most of his business college expenses working the afternoon shift at Superior Ice Cream, Inc. of Canton. He then was employed as a bookkeeper and weight master for Lloyd Vandegrift Excavation, Inc., Beginning in 1942, he was a clerk for the New York Central Railroad yard in Minerva. In 1941 he joined the U. S. Air Force but was placed in Class C due to a perforated eardrum. In 1942 he was drafted by the U.S. Army and sent to Camp Maxey, Texas, Company K, 405th Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division for basic training. He attended communication schools in Texas and Louisiana and then was stationed at Fort Dix and Camp Kilmer, New Jersey; Weymouth, England; Cherbourg, France; and the north Paris area (Red Ball Express--Patton Division). With additional communication training and acquired knowledge, he attained the ranks of Sergeant and First Sergeant.

In 1944 Felger received the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement on November 29, 1944, in Germany. Among his other medals were the European Theater with two Battle Stars and a Presidential Citation for action at Boslar, Germany, on February 23 and 24, 1945, when German Tiger Tanks counter-attacked after being driven out by the 405th Regiment. He was honorably discharged from the U. S. Army, and he served as a Master Sergeant in the Army Reserve from 1946-1953.

In 1944 Felger retired from Conrail after serving more than 42 years as clerk, trainmaster and trainmaster supervisor with the New York Central, Penn Central and Conrail.

Today Felger is probably best known for his community service. He has been an active member of Minerva Grade School (M. I. Day) PTA, Minerva Community Association officer, AARP officer, Community Meals, Salvation Army, and American Legion Post #357. He did much in acquiring the railroad caboose and restoring and beautifying the old Wheeling Lake Erie Railroad depot. From 1985 to the present, he has served American Legion Post #357 as adjutant, and he has served as chair of Veteran’s Day programs, emcee and guest speaker, and organizer of the committee for construction of the Veteran’s Monument at East Lawn Cemetery and other local cemeteries. He is the recipient of the Life Membership Award from the Minerva Legion Post. In 1997 the Minerva service clubs gave him their Special Recognition Award for years of service to the Minerva community. Presently, he is chairman of the Homecoming Parade Committee for the American Legion, which is a co-sponsor with the Community Association.

Felger is an active member of the Minerva United Methodist Church where he is a trustee and has served as a youth group advisor, chair of the building committee for the educational building, as well as being involved in other committees.

Captain Hart stated in his nomination, “Carl Felger’s job-practical-knowledge and skill acquired through self-earned education and long-hour working experience is outstanding.  He is able to grasp old and new ideas in developing job techniques and perform all tasks and community projects with drive and enthusiasm.  Of most importance, he constantly and actively seeks additional work and ways to accomplish work projects for the Minerva community and its people.”

Karl Summer, Sr., Class of 1927, was nominated by Dr. S. L. Weir and Marilyn Bartley. Summer was a person who helped many people, both financially and spiritually. After high school graduation, he furthered his education at McKinley High School machine shop classes and attended Akron University, taking courses in plant and employee management. Later he was awarded an honorary degree in tool engineering.

In 1930 Summer worked the entire year at Liberty Bell Manufacturing for nothing but the experience. In 1958 he was able to purchase the Liberty Bell building.

During World War II, Summer was called to Washington, D. C., and worked at the Navy yard where he was involved in making torpedo tubes. After three and a half years in Washington, he was called home to set up the tool shop at the E. W. Bliss Co. in Canton to make more equipment for the U. S. Navy.

In 1937 Summer became a member of the Minerva Masonic Tubal Lodge. He also belonged to the Scottish Rite in Canton and the Tadmor Temple Shrine in Akron.

The Classic Travelers Club was an important part of his life. Along with his family, he made several trips across the United States in his 1913 Overland. They made the trip from Seattle to Philadelphia in the 1908 EMF.

Summer was a member of the Bayard Methodist Church and served on the finance committee, was a trustee, and as a member of the building and improvement committee.

It was well known that if you needed money, Summer would give it to you, but in return, you were required to give something. This he called, "good faith." Karl Summer, Jr. tells how his father would go to someone whose house had burned and give that person the money in his wallet. That was during the Great Depression when not many people, including his father, had much.

Summer co-founded Monarch Products Company with Glenn Lautzenheiser. This company made precision tolerance parts which were made for the automotive industry, and Superior Tool Company which was the die plant.

An exchange student from Norway, Borge "Bud" Yetterstad, became part of the Karl Summer extended family. The Summer family attended Bud's wedding in Norway, and Bud came back to Minerva twice.

In her nomination Bartley states, "Karl took his influence in the manufacturing and tool and die business into the community. From the beginnings in a backyard garage in Bayard to three companies employing local people, Karl has make an impact on the economy of the community With the three corporations operating today and his guidance to those he helped with his Christian conduct and belief, he has made the Minerva area a better place for us to live today.

Romain F. "Bud" Fry, Class of 1932, was nominated by Donna Hafer with seconding nominations by Dick and Verna Wadsworth, Dr. Robert Hines, Mark S. Kelly, Gerald R. Grimes, and Harry W. Smuck.

Fry has been a hard working businessman, a tireless worker for both the Booster Club in the 1950s and the Rotary Club since 1957, and a member of The Minerva Area Historical Society where he was a founder. He served as the Society's treasurer from January 1968 until his retirement on January 1, 1997.

Fry and his brothers formed the Fry Brothers Partnership, building over thirty homes in Minerva. They also built several commercial buildings, including a strip shopping center, which housed Bud Fry's primary business--Lincoln Way Furniture which served the community for fifty years. Even with the long hours in the furniture business, he had time to develop and operate Great Trail Gulf Course. He was founder of the Minerva National Bank, now Consumers National Bank. He made many trips to Washington, D.C., to meet with Representatives Frank T. Bow and Wayne Hayes to obtain the bank's charter.

Recently he received a certificate of appreciation and a lifetime membership to The Minerva Area Historical Society because of his dedicated service as its treasurer and for his membership on the steering committee that was responsible for organizing the area historical society.

Richard Hetherington, Class of 1953, was nominated by his brother Robert Hetherington and Tom Kishman. In their nomination they stated, "The Minerva High Alumni Hall of Fame is composed of men and women who have set their goals and aspiration in life to the highest standards. Dick Hetherington has done this and has excelled in leadership, business, family and life. Dick truly deserves a spot on the Wall in the lobby of Minerva High School."

Hetherington started in the food business working for the Lippincott Dairy and the Minerva Food Market (Jake's Market) during his junior high and high school years. He spent eight years with the A & P Company and six years as owner of a Piggly Wiggly Supermarket in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.

In 1971 he became the president of East Central Ohio Food Dealers and in 1975, while still serving ECO, became president of the Ohio Grocer’s Association. When he took over this leadership, the association was nearly bankrupt and had a very non-active membership. Twenty-six years later it has snowballed into a proactive organization with many services for its members, which holds almost a million dollars worth of real estate, and started a coupon-clearing agency to generate profits. He transformed the OGA's fledgling annual convention and trade show into one of the largest of its kind.

Hetherington was instrumental in developing the two-year accredited supermarket food program at OSU's Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, and started a grass-roots effort in the early 1970s evolving ECO and OGA members meeting directly with their congressmen and senators on both the state and federal level. This program was so successful that it became the prototype for other state food associations and eventually the National Grocer’s Association adopted it.

He received several awards including: The Grocers Spotlight Award in 1978; The Charles T. Barnum Award in 1984, which was the highest honor awarded to an individual in the food industry in the state of Ohio; the Spirit of America Award in 1985 (a national award); and was inducted into the National Grocer’s Association Hall of Fame.

Hetherington served with the U. S. Air Force from 1954 to 1957. He was active in service clubs and his church in the North Canton area. We are saddened by the fact that he did not live to receive this latest honor.

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Jake Tarbet, Class of 1946, was nominated to the Alumni Hall of Fame by his daughter Wendy Tarbet. Jake served in the U.S. Navy in 1945 and 1946. During World War II, Jake, just like many other high school boys did as soon as they were old enough, enlisted in one of the armed services for the duration of the war.

Jake was a Boy Scout leader, a Little League coach for ten years, a member of the MHS Athletic Boosters Club, and served as the "Voice of Minerva High School Football" before Doc Snively became the announcer. In 1962 he served on the first Minerva Park Board. He is a member of the Community Association where he once served ten consecutive years as president, in 1946 he served on the MHS Class of 1946's 50 year reunion committee.

He is the public address announcer for the Christmas Parade, and for the last twenty years, has been the public address announcer for the Homecoming Parade. He has twice been Marshall of the Homecoming Parade.

Although not a member of one of the local service organizations, he was named "Man of the Year for 1997.” At present he serves on the zoning commission, is an active member of the Train Station Committee, and is caretaker for he Community Building. He is a deacon and elder in the Presbyterian Church.

A Salvation Army bell ringer, he also serves several charities including the Cancer Daffodil Drive and the Heart Association.

Whenever Minerva needs a volunteer, Jake Tarbet is one of the first people contacted. Born in Minerva and a life long resident, Jake has spent a large portion of his life working for the good of the village. His dedication and interest in his hometown and its people make him a worthy member of the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame.

Dr. Donald J. Kintner, Class of 1943, was nominated by Dr. Robert Hines. Kintner has been on a professional management council and a Chief Executive Officer for more than forty years.

One of his corporations deals with the reorganization, merging and/or liquidation of corporations and governmental agencies internationally. His other corporation operates simultaneously and is involved with the development, management and brokerage of high-rise office buildings. He has served many lawyers, banks, governmental agencies, bankruptcy and superior courts in evaluating reorganizing and negotiating on behalf of these clients.

In his earlier years, Kintner created the first supermarket check out system, the first self-service variety store and the first computerized department store. Kintner has served as an officer, board member and committee chairman for over thirty civic organizations and as an executive coordinator for a presidential inauguration. He was selected as the first non-lawyer to serve on the California State Bar court as a referee where he served for nine years.

As a member of Rotary, he has served as club secretary, board member and board of director of International Committee and a chairman of the East District Foundation Committees. He is a six-time Paul Harris Fellow and a Rotary Benefactor. He has been awarded the highest civic honors given in the Freedoms Foundation, the city of Los Angeles, the county of Los Angeles and the Boy Scouts of America, where he served as Council President. In 1968 he was selected as the Outstanding Alumni of Kent State University.

Kintner and his wife Sally have been married for forty-eight years and are the parents of three children. Their son is a nursing Captain in the Air Force and a daughter is a primary teacher in San Diego.  Kintner uses his retirement time to pursue his interests in writing, music, portrait painting and civic activities.

Doris I. Lutes Dennis, Class of 1935, was nominated by Lois Kimble, a 1930 graduate of MHS. After high school graduation, Dennis attended Kent State University, Indiana University and Sierra College along with military training at Hunter College. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Southern California.

After teaching two and one-half-years, she joined the U. S. Marine Corps and was in the first class of women Marines. Dennis became a supervisor of aviation stock control in El Centro, California. She remained in that position until her discharge from the Marines in 1945. The following day she was hired as a civil service employee to do the same job she had done in the Marines. She married a fellow Marine, and they had one son.

Dennis retired from teaching in 1983, having taught in California for 33 years. Since her retirement, she has volunteered her time as an assistant leader in the Boy Scouts, Sunday School teacher and superintendent, library aid, Welcome Wagon, secretary of Widowed Parents Services, secretary and treasurer of a church group, president of AARP in Auburn, California, as well as working in many other organizations. In addition to all of her community activities, she had returned to school to engage in self-growth classes and Bible study.

Frederick J. Pocock, Class of 1941, was nominated by his niece, Susan Hilverding Scharf. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Mount Union College in 1950. Previously, he had graduated from Lincoln Aeronautical Institute and studied at Akron University. He did his post-graduate work at Akron University in 1953.

Pocock is an accredited NACE corrosion specialist, consultant and engineer. He has been in the water technology business for 38 years with Babcock and Wilcox Company in the Research and Development Division. He is a member of Who's Who in America.

He was a technical leader in the development of the water conditioning system for sub and supercritical fossil fuel plants and for light water reactor systems. His experiences include water technology research, start-up and operations for the first commercial nuclear ship, the NSS Savannah, as well as the first commercial nuclear plant utilizing once-through steam generation.

Pocock has received numerous awards for his engineering expertise and has held many leadership positions in his field. He has authored and co-authored more than 40 publications concerning the water technology of thermal power systems, both nuclear and fossil fuels. He has consulted on water technology projects in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

Currently he is a consultant to several clients in the United States in Water Technology.  He and his wife Lois have two children, Kathleen and David. They live in Casselberry, Florida.

Gregg Palmer, Class of 1980, was nominated by Bernard Marcinkowy, retired Minerva High School teacher. Palmer graduated from Wright State University in 1985. He is currently employed by the Minerva Local School District as a seventh and eighth grade English teacher at Hazen Junior High School and is also the advisor and coach to The Power of the Pen Team. For the past five years, he has coordinated and directed all facets of the high school dramatic productions and musicals. He formed the MHS Dramatics Club in 1989 and has been the advisor to the club since that time.

From 1990 to 1993 Palmer was the Commissioner of the Officials for the Northeastern Buckeye Athletic Conference; from 1991-1992, he taught American Literature History, American Literature Contemporary, Creative Writing, and freshman English at Minerva High School.  From 1986-1988 he was the Athletic Director, Yearbook Advisor and taught Advanced Composition and junior and senior English as well as Communications at Malvern High School.

Palmer was named "Teacher of the Year" at Malvern High School. He directed a community theater musical through the North Canton Playhouse for the Very Special Arts this past year. At St. Paul's Lutheran Church, he taught Sunday School from 1976-1980. He also taught Sunday School at the Abiding Christ Lutheran in Fairborn from 1980-1986.

In 1986 he was the coordinator of the Public Awareness Campaign for Ohio Public Images. From 1980-85 he was the sports and business writer for the Minerva Merchant and from 1976-80 he was the sports writer for The Minerva Leader.  He is currently pursuing his master's degree through Ashland University.

In his nomination letter, Marcinkowy wrote, "Gregg Palmer is a fine example of determination and courage . . . Gregg is a gentleman, educator, and a person who has served his community, school, and his fellow educators."

Dr. Plinny Scott (or P.S. as he was known) Whiteleather, Class of 1924, was nominated by his daughter Carol Thomas and fourteen other friends and relatives. He was born and raised in the Minerva area and spent his entire life in the Minerva community. After completion of undergraduate studies at Wittenberg College, he obtained his medical degree from Ohio State University, and returned to Main Street to practice medicine. The old red brick Victorian house where he and his family lived also served as his office. He was a dedicated doctor in Minerva for over forty years.

Dr. Whiteleather always held education in the highest esteem and encouraged many to receive a good education. He married Helen Freed, and they had two children. His son Richard became a doctor and his daughter, Carol, holds a music degree from Wooster College. He was open to learning everyday of his life.

There are many acts of kindness and deeds that Dr. Whiteleather completed that would serve to merit his induction into the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame. He knew the importance of education and, being from humble means, he and his parents and ten siblings worked very hard at truck farming to help pay his expenses through college. That hard work enabled him to relate to many patients who would come to him practically penniless, and their fee was often reduced, waived or put on the long-term payment plan. He delivered many babies (with Twila Carmen as his assistant nurse) and took an interest in each as they grew up. One winter night during a blizzard, he rode a neighbor’s farm tractor back a snowbound lane to deliver a baby because his auto could not get through. He even had to bring wood and coal into the home to keep the new mother and baby warm by keeping the fire going.

During the terrible scare of polio in the late 40s and 50s, he, along with Drs. Weir and Hines, was instrumental in bringing the polio vaccine to the Minerva Elementary Schools.

He had an interest in farming and livestock. He was known for helping area farmers in more ways than one. Short-term notes of money were loaned to start some farm operations, and he always had words of encouragement and advice and wisdom for area farmers.

Dr. Whiteleather was active in the community by serving in his church, The First Christian Church, and in area service clubs. But mainly he was active with his patients. He was an old fashioned doctor that gave beyond 100% to know the family, care about them, and follow up on their care and well-being. There are many people in the Minerva area that hold Dr. Whiteleather in high esteem and as truly a remarkable friend and individual who was their helper in times of sickness and despair.

Leatrice Jackson, Class of 1947, was nominated by Robert Gallina, Mary Lou Bertolucci and Marie Wolf. She taught for 38 years: one year at a grade school in Canton and 37 at Minerva High School as a Social Studies and English teacher.

She was a charter member of the Great Trail Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a member of The Minerva Public Library Board of Trustees for 17 years, co-chairman of the American Cancer Society for ten years, a member of the Booster Club for 37 years and a member of the First Presbyterian Church for 50 years.

She was advisor for many junior and senior graduating classes. She was also advisor to many extra-curricular clubs during her teaching career. Those activities, supervised by Lee for many years, had no stipend involved. Many people may not be aware of the fact that Lee helped many needy students and people in the community with donations of her time, money, and talents when the need was brought to her attention. For example, when a student needed a winter coat or a pair of glasses, the items were given to the student or adult anonymously. Many times the money was sent to the needy individual, family, or group in a typed envelope with a whitepaper wrapped around the money. No name or return address was typed on the envelope, but the postmark was Minerva. Since her death, parties close to Lee have confirmed many of her gestures of generosity.

Lee was a quiet, positive, compassionate loving person who extended financial and emotional support to all those in need. She was an excellent listener who never spoke ill of anyone. She sought out and nurtured the best qualities in every student, not just the top, easy-to-teach, easy-to-love individuals, but every single student. Her quick wit and ready humor delighted all those who knew her and enhanced her ability to achieve instant rapport with total strangers.

Despite the fact that she achieved many top, exemplary awards for her achievements, for example, having been valedictorian of her MEIS graduating class, and later at Mount Union College, having achieved the distinctions of Civil War Award for the highest grade in Civil War History classes, and graduating cum laude with honors in English and history, Lee was able to identify with all students in her classes, even the slower students who needed extra tutoring. She gave unstintingly before and after school days and even over school vacations, all free of charge, and often because she did it so quietly, free of praise and recognition that was due her.

In his nomination, Gallina wrote, "Lee Jackson was a native and life-long resident of Minerva. She dedicated her entire life to Minerva High School and the Minerva community as a whole. Her total focus revolved around her family, her job, and the town of Minerva."

William J. Powell, Class of 1936, was nominated by Gloria "Dodie" Klee. Throughout his high school career, he excelled in sports. He participated in football, basketball and golf. In 1932 he played on the Minerva High School team that scored 332 points to opponents 0. During his four years of football, he captained the team, played position of fullback, called signals from fullback, excelled in punting, passing and place kicking, and was selected All Tri-County most valuable player two years. Powell captained and coached the golf team and also played basketball.

After high school Powell attended Wilberforce University where he played on the great Wilberforce University Green Wave football team. They were undefeated in 1936. He organized the first golf team at Wilberforce University with his brother Berry. The team was quite successful.

He was employed 23 years at the Timken Roller Bearing Company where his service was interrupted with three years of military service in England. He received a certificate of merit from his commanding general in recognition of outstanding performance of military duty. The citation reads, "Technical Sergeant Powell displayed sound judgment in allotting the limited transportation available. The success in this area of truck movements of personnel and equipment from concentration and marshaling areas for overseas shipment for the continental invasion was in great measure due to his fine efforts.” This award is one of his proudest possessions.

Powell hosts the LPGA Pro-Am for Special Olympics, the Celebrity Tournament to benefit the United Negro College Fund, the Minerva golf team and the East Canton golf team.

After returning from military service in 1946 and while working at the Timken Company, he purchased an old dairy farm in the East Canton area where he designed and built Clearview Golf Course. Clearview is the first public golf course in the United States designed, owned and operated by an Afro-American. In 1992 the National Golf Foundation named the Powell Family the Jack Nicklaus Golf Family of the Year.

He married Marcella Oliver and they have two children, Renee and Larry. Golf World Magazine honored Powell with an article entitled "Plotting His Own Course," April 1993, tracing his love of golf from the age of nine to the present.

Robert Q. Gallina, Class of 1954, was nominated by his son Michael Gallina. Bob is a life resident of Minerva. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Mount Union College and a Master’s degree in Secondary Education Administration from Youngstown State University. At Minerva High School he was a teacher for twenty-one years and a baseball coach for twenty of those years. He served the Minerva Local School District as assistant superintendent for 12 years and as interim superintendent for a half year before his retirement.

As Director of Curriculum and Special Education, Gallina was responsible for many educational innovations at Minerva, including adult education and volunteer programs, gifted education, computer education, Math Olympics, new teacher orientation, The Minerva Education Foundation, cable TV to each building in the Minerva District, and many others.

At present, Gallina is an instructor in the Department of Education at Mount Union College, serves as coordinator of field placements, and supervises student teachers. His community service includes serving on the Parish Council of St. Gabriel's Church. He is the newly elected president of the Carnation Northeast Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa International Education Fraternity. He has been the park/recreation coordinator and has participated in many charitable fundraising efforts.

In his nomination letter Mike Gallina wrote, "He has been a strong father and teacher image, endured the test of time, and committed his entire life to Minerva in one way or another."

Dr. J. Richard Grunder, Class of 1955, was nominated by his sister S. Ann Grunder. His parents were John Grunder, Jr., a long-time Minerva businessman, and Ruth Grunder, a Minerva elementary school teacher. Dr. Grunder received a pharmacy degree, with highest distinction, from Ohio Northern University in 1959. In 1964 he earned his doctorate in medicinal chemistry from Purdue University. During the next year, he did post-doctoral work and research in the Department of Chemistry at The Ohio State University. At present he is retired from Oklahoma University as an Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Director of Student Services.

Dr. Grunder's many honors include receiving The Oklahoma University Outstanding Instructor award in 1969; the Sooner Pharmaceutical Association's Outstanding Faculty Award in both 1977 and 1979. Twice he has received the Outstanding Faculty Award from Kappa Epsilon, a pharmacy sorority, and in 1978 was named Professor of the Year by Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. In 1983 he was awarded the Amoco Foundation Good-Teaching Award.

His community service includes: past director of Student Services at Oklahoma University which required him to travel across the state promoting pharmacy for career day in high schools and junior colleges. He coached pharmacy students in softball and is an active member of the Cleveland County Pharmacy Association in Norman, Oklahoma. He is national treasurer of the Rho Chi Honor Fraternity.

In her nominating letter, Ann Grunder wrote, "At my brother's retirement dinner, the most moving speeches were made by his former students. As a teacher who loved his work, he touched many lives and obviously made a difference. I guess that's just about the greatest tribute one could receive."

Joseph C. Deck, Class of 1954, was nominated by Jay Clark.  Deck was born in Canton, but grew up in Minerva. Two early developmental milestones stand out in his recollections. The first is that his grandfather, a baseball fanatic, sparked his interest in the baseball rivalry between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox. Ted Williams was the Star of the Red Sox then, and Deck worshipped him.  He dates his abiding interest in Massachusetts to those early baseball memories. The second developmental milestone was a "fantastic" high school mathematics teacher, Miss Wachtel.  She had, very, very high expectations for all of her students. He learned more in that class than any other.

Deck began college at Duquesne University as a pre-med student. Between his junior and senior years, he worked for Gulf Research. During that summer he was accepted at St. Louis University Medical School. After a year and a half of medical school, he really thought he could make more of a contribution in science than in medicine. Since he did not have an undergraduate degree, he returned to Duquesne University and graduated in 1960 with a double major in biology and chemistry.

He attended graduate school as a part-time student at the University of Pittsburgh and then to the University of Illinois where he completed his Ph.D. He accepted a teaching offer from the University of Louisville where later became the assistant dean of health professions, followed by two years as dean.

He was then offered a position at the University of Massachusetts, which he considered the best in New England. He was recently named Interim Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Prior to this selection he had been dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since 1988.

He and his wife, Jo, are the parents of four children. They live near the university. Joe said, "I am not too far from Boston, near all kinds of really great things. One could not have a better combination of events, with all of your life coming together and realizing everything for which you had ever hoped.”

Among his many grants and awards are a $400,000 total in grants; and the Eastman Kodak Award for the Outstanding Chemistry Graduate Student, University of Illinois in1965; the Excellence in Teaching Award, School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois, 1979; and, in 1986, the University of Louisville Outstanding Performance Award for effectiveness in behalf of Affirmative Action.

Ronald Hardman, Class of 1971, was nominated by his parents, Mary Jo and James Hardman. He attended West Elementary School and was very active in sports in high school where he played on the football and basketball teams. He was student-body president when he was a senior. He received his degree in business administration from Miami University in 1975. He is employed as a general manager of Progress Laundry, a division of Mechanics Laundry & Supply in Indianapolis, Indiana. His employer, Roy W. Buthman wrote, "This special recognition of Ron Hardman is very consistent with the effort and accomplishments he has achieved here. We recognize Ron as one of our leading performers with a winning attitude. He has completed several difficult assignments which could only be resolved with a tenacious attitude."

Hardman's community service includes years of coaching the youth of his communities. He has coached pony league and little league baseball teams, YMCA and Salvation Army basketball teams, pee-wee football and several wrestling clubs. He has been a Sunday school teacher, a church trustee, and a church youth coordinator.  He was a member of the Dayton Jaycee’s and has played, as well as been captain, on both baseball and softball teams.

Hardman's nomination to the Minerva Alumni Hall of Fame stated, "Ron has always had a strong belief in athletic involvement as well as academic achievement. This relates to his upbringing in his academic and athletic careers in grade school, high school and college.”

He is a dedicated husband, father of three, stepfather of two, and a grandfather of two. His work with wrestling began because of his sons' involvement, and it has become an eight to ten month obligation for him each year. He has received his class ranking as an Indiana State Wrestling Association referee, he obtained raking as USA Referee in 1990 and that same year received his Senior USA Jacket. He was head referee for Cadet through Masters’ State Championship Free-style Tournament in Indiana. Recently he was chosen as a referee for the 1992 National Olympics in Wrestling.

Janette Henry McAvoy McClave, Class of 1924, was nominated by her daughter Marylee Thompson of Minerva. McClave obtained a bachelor's and master's degree in Education from Kent State University. She also attended the Universities of Colorado and South Carolina. She is now retired from the Minerva Local Schools where she taught at Mary Irene Day Elementary School.

McClave's community service is outstanding. She has done volunteer work for the Carroll County Heart Association and Cancer Society fund drives, she is a board member of the Minerva Chapter of the Red Cross, she was secretary for the village bicentennial committee and early Lost French Gold festivals, and she is past president of the Minerva Senior Women's Club. She has also served as secretary of the Carroll County Retired Teachers Association and is one of the founders of the Minerva Historical Society in 1967, where she served as president, secretary and curator.

She is volunteer cook for Community Meals and a volunteer resource person for M.I. Day Elementary School. McClave served on the Minerva Board of Education for eight years, worked with the Girl Scouts for twenty years and in the children's department of the Minerva Methodist Church for twenty years. She is past vice president and president of the Minerva Education Foundation and Alumni Association. She was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for 1989 at the Inter Service Club Banquet--the first woman to receive this award.

In the nomination of her mother, Thompson wrote, "She is not content to sit idly by but will go out of her way to help others. In between the times she is involved in the community projects, she still finds time to quilt and has taught quilting classes as well as organizing the annual quilt show that is held by the Minerva Area Historical Society. My mother was a single parent during the time my sister and I grew up, my father died when we were very small. She raised us to respect ourselves as well as others. She has been not only as an inspiration to my sister and me, but also to my daughters and now to her great-granddaughter. She has always tried to put 110% into every phase of her life, whether it be teaching, community service, professional organizations or everyday living, and it truly shows in her accomplishments."

Judy Englant Hale, Class of 1958, was nominated by her sister, Ruth Englant Betz. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Kent State University with a major in chemistry and attended graduate school at Case Western Reserve and the University of Kentucky. She also studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Judy is currently employed as manager of technical information with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. This position takes her not only to many cities in throughout the United States, but also to Europe and Australia.

In this capacity she oversees fifty people and an annual budget of four million dollars. Her department is responsible for all technical publications purchased by Goodyear through its libraries. This department is also responsible for the use of computers throughout Goodyear Research and Development and is responsible for assuring that Goodyear Research and Development realizes a return on its thirty million annual investment in computer technology.

Mrs. Hale is active in two professional societies--the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society and the Industrial Technical Information Managers’ Group. She also serves on the Advisory Board for Automation of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. As manager of technical information, she holds the highest position of any woman in the Research and Development Division of Goodyear. She was twice nominated as Akron's Woman of the Year.

Mrs. Hale is the founder of Technical and Business Women of Goodyear whose top priority is working with children as they pass through the Summit County Children’s Services and Akron Public Schools. She has participated in various service projects with Zonta, a service organization for professional women. She has worked with Harvest House, a home for battered women. She is also involved with Kent State University's program to encourage students in mathematics and science.

She has volunteered her time, energy and know-how to Junior Achievement as well as the March of Dimes. Judy is an asset to her community and a loving and giving person. She and her husband, Arthur Hale, live in Stow.

Edna Jones, Class of 1936, was nominated by her sister Charity Jones Peterson. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948 and her Master’s of Arts degree in history from Miami University at Oxford, Ohio. Her coursework was completed at the University of Washington at Seattle and Carnegie-Mellon in Pittsburgh for her doctoral degree in psychology.

Edna is a retired vice president of Synectics Corporation, a high tech firm of which she is one of the founders and a major owner. At Synectics she directed major programs of domestic and international research and has served on the Board of Directors since 1970. Prior to her affiliation with Synectics, she served as a principal scientist and director of the Engineering Psychology Program at the American Institutes for Research in Pittsburgh, was dean of students and director of testing and counseling in the Sidney School system in Montana and held a two-year Ford Foundation Research Fellowship at the University of Washington.

She also held instructorships at Miami University and Carnegie-Mellon University and served as a member of the Board of Directors at L and C Development Corporation and Air-Sea-Land Agency, Inc.

Edna served as a captain in the U. S. Army with the Combined Chiefs of Staff and subsequently as a hospital administrator with a reserve evacuation hospital unit.

Her community service includes volunteering at the Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts at McLean, Virginia, arranging and paying for secondary education for a street child in southern Africa and assisting a northern African girl in gaining her Bachelor of Arts and Master’s of Arts degrees in health service. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Allegheny County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association for Mentally Retarded Citizens for four years and is a ten-year member of the Friends of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D. C.

Captain Robert E. Hart, Class of 1937, was chosen for the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by the Minerva High School Advisory Committee.  He attended Culver Military Academy, studied business and science at Case Western Reserve University, studied journalism at Kent State University, and studied mathematics, sciences, seamanship and ordinance at Northwestern University and U. S. Midshipman School. 

He served during World War II as a junior and then a commanding officer. He was Minerva's senior military officer on active duty during World War II and the Korean War. He has served as a naval aide and a marketing and public relations officer.

Hart retired from the U. S. Navy in 1961 with the rank of Captain following 20 years of active service. He then joined the American Export Lines (AEL) in New York City as executive assistant to the president and the chief executive officer. At AEL he was in charge of marketing, public relations, and advertising for the company's 41 freighters and their three luxury cruise liners. In 1968 he joined the Marine Index Bureau and served as president and chief operating officer from 1970 to January 1989 when he resigned.

He was a professor of marketing at Mount Union College from 1988 until 1994. In 1995 he became director of marine operation, for SWR (a chemical manufacturing company) in Lansing, Michigan.

Hart belongs to many professional organizations and has received many awards and honors. Although he and Jane, his wife of 40 years, claim residence at their new home on their summer property in Ohio, they still maintain their apartment in New York where he maintains his business contacts and commutes monthly to New York City.

He is the son of Minerva's former Postmaster for 25 years, Charles A. Hart and his wife, Alma Mae Hart. He credits his mother, a 1908 graduated of the University of Cincinnati for all his life achievements.

Dr. John Michael Hoopes, Class of 1965, was selected for the Alumni Hall of Fame by the MHS Advisory Committee. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from Ohio Northern University in 1979 and his Doctor of Pharmacy in 1974 from Duquesne University. He served his residency in Hospital Pharmacy at Yale-New Haven Hospital where he presented his thesis. Hoopes served as instructor of Clinical Pharmacy and Family Medicine at the University of Maryland at Baltimore from 1974 to 1976; assistant professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Family Medicine from 1978 to 82; one of the founders of the Physician's Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., in 1985; and is executive vice-president in charge of sales and pharmacy operations for PPS, Inc.

Since 1979, Hoopes has acted as a consultant pharmacist for Arundel Hospice, Inc. as well as consulting for the V. A. Hospital. His research, teaching and consulting led to publications in many journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of American Medical Association, and Journal of Infectious Disease, to name a few.

Hoopes is an asset to his profession, not only for all of his professional accomplishments, but also for his dedication to his family (wife Janet, children Emily, Katy and Aaron), church and community. Since 2006, Mike has funded a scholarship for graduating Minerva High School students in memory of his parents, Bud and June Hoopes.

Dr. Charles Dominick, Class of 1961, was chosen as a member of the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame in 1988 by the Minerva High School Advisory Board. Dr. Dominick was cited for distinguishing himself in the field of education. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965 from The College of Wooster, a Master's degree in 1969 from The Ohio State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1987 from The University of Michigan.

He has held the following positions: Admissions Counselor at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia, and at Mount Union College; Assistant Dean of Admissions and Director of the Commission on Mission and Priorities at Wittenburg University; Admissions Assistant and Research Associate, Project CHOICE at The University of Michigan; Associate Director of University Advancement, Assistant to the President, and Vice President for Institutional Relations of Wittenburg University.

Dominick is affiliated with the American Association for Higher Learning, Association for the Study of Higher Education, Phi Alpha Theta, Pi Sigma Alpha, Young Men's Literary Society, and many other professional and academic organizations. He has also made many presentations and had many articles published in the NACAC Journal.

In his acceptance speech he said, "I am grateful for this award . . . I have to say one thing first. I have never been anything but proud for having departed on my career from Minerva High School. This is where it all began, and I'm grateful for that."

He was accompanied to Minerva by his wife Nancy. The couple has a 14-year-old, Tim. They left the morning after the ceremony for Springfield where Dominick is Vice President of Institutional Relations at Wittenburg University. Dr. Dominick is the son of Dorothy and Joseph Dominick at 409 Stadium Street, Minerva.

Homer Unkefer, Class of 1934, was chosen as a member of the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame in 1988 by the Minerva High School Advisory Board.

Unkefer was cited as a successful businessman for 57 years as a hay and straw broker in the Midwest, and as a top volume dealer in Ohio for Ford, New Holland and Case International Harvester farm equipment. He has won numerous awards in his business, and is an avid supporter of the agriculture program at the high school.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1939 from The Ohio State University. Early in his career he was employed by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. He started the Homer R. Unkefer Farm Equipment Company in 1947. Dr. John Shaffer, high school principal, said, "Not even after a devastating fire destroyed the buildings in 1983, did the business close down. Unkefer simply conducted his business outside until new buildings were constructed."

Unkefer is on the Board of Directors of Consumer’s National Bank and is a member of the Chamber Commerce here. He is involved in the community, helping residents of the area and, each year, he loans tractors and trucks for the Homecoming Parade.

He resides in Minerva. He and his wife Frances are parents of Greg and Linda.  Homer is a doer, not a talker, as evidenced by his acceptance speech for this award, "I appreciate the honor you have given me. Thank you."

Don Cross, Class of 1914, was nominated by Tom Kishman. While in high school, Cross served as the editor of the first Minerva High School yearbook. After graduation he attended The University of Michigan.

Tom Kishman said, "Don can best be described as a first class person on all levels . . . to his town, his country, and his family He has also made a name for himself in pharmacy and retail sales.  He served in World War I, and took over Cross Drug after the death of his father.  He subsequently built a thriving retail business, Cross Wholesale, in Minerva.

Don was a mainstay in Minerva, a charter member of The American Legion, The Community Association, The University of Michigan's alumni clubs, The Masonic Lodge, and Rotary. Also, he played a major part in the formation of the Minerva Merchants semi-pro football team, which was championship-caliber in the tri-state area.

Cross did all this and more, helping people, supporting school projects, and never letting an accident in the 1940’s, which left him sightless, get him down. In 1953 he was named "Man of the Year" at Minerva's homecoming. He made a humble and brief speech of acceptance, “I am honored, and I shall try to keep on being the man you think I am.” 

Cross, who is ninety years of age is currently hospitalized, so he couldn't attend the Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony. Dr. Robert Hines accepted for him stating "Cross is a very worthy honor recipient." He followed with this quotation, "The elements so mixed in him that nature would stand up and say to all the world, 'This was a man.' "

Dr. Samuel L. Weir, Class of 1926, was nominated by Ruth Richardson, a member of his office staff. He grew up on a farm near Mechanicstown. He walked two and one-half miles to the New York Central Railroad and rode the train into Minerva to attend high school. Passable roads were non-existent in the winter in those days. If you could get there, you could go there. There were no boundaries of school districting to worry about.

After high school graduation, he attended The Ohio State University. After one quarter, an attack of appendicitis sent him home, and then in August of 1927, he and his brother developed polio. He suffered on paralysis, but his brother was left paralyzed in the right arm and leg. He returned to Ohio State the fall quarter of 1928 and knew what he wanted o do with his life--become a doctor. In 1935 he received his doctor of medicine degree and began is internship at Mercy Hospital in Canton.

On July 14, 1936, he married his wife Irene, and on July 20 of that year, he set up his first practice in Minerva. A short time later, he moved a few houses down the street where he stayed until 1941. In 1941 he built a home and office at 500 N. Market Street, and stayed there for nine years. In 1950 Dr. Robert Hines joined him in his practice, and Dr. Weir had a new clinic built at 625 N. Market Street. After 36 years at that location, he retired at the age of 77.

Dr. Weir was on the Aultman Hospital Medical Staff for 41 years and a member of the Alliance Hospital Staff from 1950 until his retirement in 1986. He is a charter fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians as well as the Carroll and Stark County Medical Societies, the Ohio Medical Society and the American Medical Association.

He is a charter member of the Minerva Lion's Club. He served as club president in 1947 and 1948. He and his wife adopted and raised her sister's son, Joe Weir, a local businessman.

Dr. Weir is known for his medical charisma, as many patients say that all Dr. Weir needs to do is come into the room and they feel better.

Richardson said that her nominee has truly lived up to his high school class motto, "Give the world the best you have and the best will come back to you."

Leonard Boerner, Class of 1923, was chosen by the Minerva High School Advisory Board as the second person inducted into the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame. "He spoke his mind and stepped on a few toes in his time, but what ‘mover and shaker’ hasn't.  It's an occupational hazard for people who get things done. Add to that, his professional career was spent as the owner-editor of a newspaper, and one can appreciate why Leonard Boerner didn't please all the people all the time. But moving, shaking, or working as editor, the former editor of The Minerva Leader always had the best interests of his hometown at heart.”  “And that is why," as Dr. John Shaffer, principal of Minerva High School said, "Boerner was chosen as the inductee for 1985."

Civic duty has played a large part in the life of the 79-year-old Boerner, and so has Christian duty, as witness the 52 years of perfect Sunday school attendance he's been credited with.

At Minerva High School he played football, basketball, ran track, and was the Stark County foul-shooting champion.  He was also art editor for the Crescent.  As a student, he worked after school as a printer's devil for The Minerva News, and after high school graduation, he continued to work there in various capacities until 1937.  At that time he established his own newspaper, The Minerva Leader, and remained as publisher-editor until he sold the business in 1974 to the Alliance Publishing Co.  For the next five years, he and his wife, Helen, who worked with him at the newspaper, continued to work at The Leader through the transition period. In August of 1979, they officially retired. 

During his business career Boerner continually served the community. He was a member of the Board of Education and served as president for many years. During his time on the board, Mary Irene Day Elementary School was built. He has served as president and secretary of the Minerva Community Association, and was a Minerva councilman.  He was president of Minerva Rotary Club in 1935. Boerner was instrumental in bringing TRW Metals Plant to Minerva, and was a moving force in the sale of the Municipal Power Plant to Ohio Power.

Boerner's Alumni Hall of Fame induction follows other honors in his community-oriented life. Besides being named a Paul Harris Fellow by Minerva Rotary Club, he received the Jaycee Distinguished Service Award, The American Legion Auxiliary Award, an award from the Carroll County Historical Society, and a commendation from the U. S. Navy Department.

In leading to his introduction as an inductee, Dr. Shaffer recalled Boerner's statement to him, "You do what you have to do--what must be done--and you move on," and that, said Shaffer, "is something we can learn from."

The Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame was instituted in 1984 when the Advisory Committee from Minerva High School chose Dr. Robert H. Hines as its first inductee. Hines, MHS Class of 1943, is the attending physician for Minerva High School sports events. MHS Athletic Director Bernard Marcinkowey said, "Dr. Hines has made 9000 visits in the course of his sports event attendance. We are the only Senate League team with an attending physician--and Dr. Hines always makes sure he has a replacement for the times he is unable to attend." Marcinkowey added, "I have been here for eleven years and in that time, I didn't just meet a physician, I met a friend."

In 1941, while in high school, he commenced two years of a special pre-med course at Mount Union College. All this was accomplished with excellence and in addition he was one of the Tri-County's outstanding dribblers and shooters on the 1942 Minerva High basketball team.

Dr. Hines is a graduate of Mount Union College, George Washington University, interned at Akron City Hospital and has been practicing medicine in Minerva since 1950. His focus has been on General Practice and Pediatrics.

He has been a member of the school board, is a Lions Club member, received the Minerva Jaycee Distinguished Service Award in 1966, and the inter-club Man of the Year award in 1983. He has also been honored with an award from the Ohio State Athletic Association. Dr. Hines was the chairman of the citizen's group that helped pass a school bond issue for the present high school.

Dr. Hines confessed that this honor conferred on him was very "emotional, very traumatic." He added in a message to the students present at the Honors Banquet, "What you do and whatever you've done, you owe to your parents and teachers.

Dr. Hines said his favorite writers were Thomas Paine and William H. McGuffy who came from Ohio and wrote the McGuffy readers. He quoted from a reader, "Work while you work, play while you play, one thing at a time. All that you do, do with all your might. Things done by half are not done right."

Dr. Hines has two children, Dixie (Mrs. Glenn Reynolds) of Virginia and Randall of Wisconsin. Dr. Hines and his wife Jean live in Minerva.