of wabash county inc. www.thepaperofwabash.com April 23, 2014 Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977 Vol. 37, No. 7
Richard Ford
remembered
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
The gift of blood Exceptional donors to the American Red Cross
Richard E. Ford (photo provided) by Eric Stearley eric@thepaperofwabash.com On Wednesday, April 16, Wabash lost one of its most respected and beloved residents, Richard E. Ford. He was 75. Ford was known throughout the community, state, and country for his propensity to give. While many know of his contributions to the Wabash community, his philanthropic efforts were without borders. With the news of his passing, a somber cloud of mourning seemed to pass over Wabash. It is a rare occasion when a man’s death has such an impact on even those who never met him. The news of his death was the second most read story ever posted to The Paper’s Facebook page, totaling nearly 10,000 views. Those who knew him best understand that Mr. Ford would not have wanted anyone to make a fuss over his death. The same was true of his achievements and charitable contributions. He did nothing for fame; he was often embarassed by the well-deserved recognition he received. As a close friend noted, “Nobody was a nobody to Richard. Everybody was somebody to listen to. Everybody was important.” Ford has been called a modern-day Mark Honeywell. He was a “Distinguished Citizen” of two cities, a “Sagamore of the Wabash,” and a former “Living Legend.” He was an enthusiastic preservationist, a philanthropist, a champion for the arts, and a lover of history and music. He will be dearly missed.
Richard E. Ford’s full obituary can be found on page 18.
by Emily Armentrout emily@thepaperofwabash.com The Wabash County Red Cross is seeking volunteers, not only to donate blood, which is always a great need, but they also are looking for Disaster Action Team members. Tracy Fox, Communications Manager for the American Red Cross, and Heidi Vandermark, Community Outreach specialist at the North Central Indiana Chapter of the American Red Cross, talked with The Paper about the needs here in Wabash County and a few community members who should be commended for their donations. The Paper contacted the American Red Cross, seeking out a few of our county’s top blood donors. Some of the top donors in Wabash County have given between 19-32 gallons of blood, over the average span of 37 years. John Miller, born and raised in Wabash County, has been a regular blood donor over the past 30 years. He has donated 19 gallons of blood in that time, but he believes he still has a ways to go in giving. “It’s been over a 30 year period; it should have been a lot more,” Miller told The Paper. “All you have to do is need a pint of blood at the hospital and then people will realize how great the need is,” added Miller. Patricia Chekouras, long time Wabash County resident, has donated 157 pints over the past 30 years, which equals out
WABASH RESIDENT, DENNY ELSHIRE, along with many other members of the Wabash community, stopped in at the First United Methodist Church on Tuesday, April 15 to donate blood at the Red Cross event. Elshire considers himself a regular donor but believes he has a long way to go before catching up to the top donor in Wabash County. (photo by Emily Armentrout) to 157 donations, as the Red Cross takes one pint of blood per donation. “My parents used to donate and it was something I always wanted to do. I get rejected sometimes because of low iron. I would recommend drinking a lot of fluids. Eat a lot of raisins. A lot of people don’t have trouble with iron, but women do more than men. I always feel better
after I give,” Chekouras told The Paper. Lennie Rose, a Wabash County resident with O negative blood, decided to start giving blood to possibly alleviate headaches. After his headaches were gone, he decided to continue giving because of the great need and his O negative blood is considered a neutral blood,
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Honeywell Center celebrates 20th Anniversary of Ford Theater expansion
FANS WAIT TO MEET MEMBERS OF PARACHUTE, a band that opened for Gavin DeGraw on Monday, April 14. The show was part of the Ford Theater’s 20th Anniversary celebration. (photo by Eric Stearley)
by Eric Stearley eric@thepaperofwabash.com Exactly 20 years ago to the day, the Honeywell Center opened the doors to its new expansion. Known as “The Miracle on Market Street,” the 75,000-square-foot addition included the area’s premier performance hall, the Ford Theater. The 1,500-seat theatre has serves as a cultural center for the community, bringing hundreds of musical and theatrical performances to Wabash over the past two decades. “When Mark Honeywell established the Honeywell Foundation in 1941, he did so because of his love of Wabash and his vision of a single place where the community could come together to enjoy cultural events, as well as enjoying one another’s company,” said Tod Minnich, executive director of the Honeywell
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