Battle Creek Enquirer from Battle Creek, Michigan • Page 35

CREEK SECTION THREE PACES 1 TO 12 COMMUNITY CLASSIFIED ENQUIRER and NEWS BATTLE CREEK. MICHIGAN. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1949 FIFTIETH YEAR PRICE 10 40 in Calhoun To Show Stock Making Traditional German Holiday Cookies Is 95-Year-Old Custom of Woodland Family Plans Underway For Polio Drive 'Messiah' to Be Heard at Albion Barry Chapter Funds Depleted By Heavy Case Load. Four-H Club Members to Participate in Detroit Exhibit. College Choral Society To Give Work December 11.

THE BATTLE HASTINGS Barry county hasn't ALBION Two special soloists will MARSHALL Forty Calhoun county 4-H club members, both boys and girls, will enter steers and feeder lambs in the 4-H Club Junior Livestock show December 6-8 at the state fair grounds in Detroit, Maurice Hubble. 4-H club agent, has announced. Steers and Iambs will be loaded Tuesday morning. December 6. at two loading points.

Mr. Hubble stared. The loading points will be the Marshall stockyards and the Rosenau farm near Albion. Enquirer and News Photos. CHRISTMAS TRADITION Mrs.

Caroline Baitinger oT Woodlan carries on 95-year-oid holiday season tradition in her family as she makes the familiar German Springerle cookies. At left, the rolled out dough is tamped with bird, animal and flower designs with a wooden block. At right, the finished product is of the most interest to the youngest generation of the Baitinger family, three-year-old Mary, Mrs. Baitinger's great-great-granddaughter, who picks her favorite design as the hot cookies come out of the oven. the design so it will not disappear in the baking process.

Although the kitchen is modern electric range, habit is strong and cookies are baked in the oven of the old wood range which still occupies a portion of the room. The finished cookies, with tiny half inch thick, flavored with anise. Mrs. Baitinger gives her recipe as follows: SPRINGERLE 4 eggs 1 lb. sugar tsp.

anise oil 1 lb. flour Vz tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder (scant) Beat eggs with beater or electric hv two and one- half inches and are a generous mixer. Add anise oil and then add sugar gradually, beating until light about 10 minutes.

Sift the remaining ingredients and fold into egg mixture. Too much baking powder makes holes in cookies. If eggs are extra large, use an extra tablespoon of flour. Roll out. Press design in top, cut in desired shape and let stand overnight, covered with a towel.

Bake in a slow oven until done, about 12 minutes. Cookies should rise in baking but not be brown. Stored for Months These may be stored in a cool place, in a covered crock, small cookie barrel or other suitable container. They are often kept for months, the last being eaten at Easter time. Another popular holiday cookie is the Honey Lebkuchen leb-koo- Community Sidelights From the State Editor Notet be among those featured when the Albion college Choral society of 120 voices presents part one of "The Messiah" by Handel at 4 p.

m. Sunday, December 11, in the First Meth odist church. They are Sara Jane Hornung. soprano, or Grmneil, la, a 190 Albion college graduate, and Reid Shelton, tenor, a graduate student at the University of Michigan. Other Soloists Listed Other soloists will be Syver Thing- stad of Detroit, bass: Jacqueline Maag of the Albion college faculty.

contralto, and Paul Humiston of Marshall, organist. Among those making up the choral group will be college students, faculty members and Albion resi dents. David Strickler, a member of the college music faculty since 1943. will direct. He also will the presentation of the two remaining parts of "The Messiah" when they are given by the college choral society Sunday afternoon, March completing the performance of the entire work.

Soloist Is Teacher The soprano soloist. Miss Hornung, now an instructor of vocal music at Grinnell college, received both her bachelor of music and master's degrees from Chicago Musical college. A former member of the Chicago Opera she made her debut there in May. 1946. Mr.

Shelton is a graduate of Willamette university, to which he returned after service during the war in the South Pacific. At the University of Michigan he has Just appeared as Frederick in their Gilbert and Sullivan society production of "The Pirates of Penzance." Mail Carrier Closes 40 Years of Service UNION CITY Charles V. Wessel retired as rural mail carrier of the Union City postoffice last Wednesday at the age of 66. He could have retired four years i having reach- the required age limit and term of vears. Mr.

Wessel vas born in Bethel township and has ived his entire life nn Branch county. He married Miss vlabel Mowrey in 905 and hree and they have children, Ward of Girard WESSEL and Mrs. Morris (Woodena Booth and Mrs. Carl (Marjory) Gottschalk of Union Citv and three grand-children. Mr.

Wessel has always served the patrons on Route 2, although the route today Is much longer than it was 40 years ago. At that time there were five rural routes out of the Union City post-office, and today they have been consolidated to two. Six families on the route Mr. Wessel has served continuosly are Frank Hagel-shaw, George Burley, Frank, Converse, David Cook, Lewis Sevey, and Frank Dovey. Mr.

Wessel has seen the passing of the horse and buggy days when the mud was so deep to make travel almost impossible, to the automobile and the well-kept gravel and paved roads. Mr. and Mrs. Wessel have gone to the home of their son. Ward, for an indefinite stay, to take care of their grandson Richard, and keep house for their son, whose wife, Marie, died last week while north deer hunting with her family.

Homer Club Members Will See Travelogue HOMER Mrs. C. B. Cook of Hillsdale will give a travelogue and show pictures of Guatemala at the meeting of the Homer Woman's Monday club tomorrow afternoon at Fireman's hall. This will be guest day and tea will be served.

Mrs. A. E. Allen is chairman on the program committee. Hostesses for the afternoon are Mrs.

Howard Andrews. Mrs. Clifford Grimes, Mrs. Willis Williams. Mrs.

Thomas Smith and Mrs. Herbert Neitzka. Iff -VI had a polio case for well over a month, but that doesn't mean that residents have forgotten about infantile paralysis. After an epidemic season in which 18 persons came down with the disease and two died, members of the Barry county chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis are making plans for the 1950 March of Dimes drive. Funds Depleted Early And they are starting early the drive doesn't begin until the middle of January for a gjod reason.

The local chapter's funds were depleted early in the year by the high cost of caring for the victims, and two emergency calls were made to the national foundation for additional help. After spending the $1,508 received fromthe March of Dimes drive last January, the local chapter in August receivd $1,800 from the national foundation and then the following month received an additional $5,875 much more than was contributed to the national foundation from this county. The chapter retains half of the money contributed during the annual drives. A considerable sum was raised here during the emergency polio drivel wnicn went to tne neadquarters to supplement national foundation funds. Total amount of money spent this year was $5,947.40, according to Bernard Gardner, chapter treasurer who is already spending many hours preparing for the 1950 campaign which will be headed by Don Taffee of the Hastings Manufacturing Co.

The amount spent this year includes spent for the care of polio victims of other years iitill recuperating from the ravages of the disease. Mr. Taffee, in making plans for the campaign in which leaders in all of the townships, villages and city will be asked to helpL said that the need for money will continue to be great and that much will be needed to even care for this year's victims should Barry escape without any new ones next year. Mr. Taffee pointed out that the Barry chapter has cared for all polio cases, with one exception.

The exception was in a case where the family wanted to assume the obligations itself. While victim care has been stressed, Mr. Taffee said that the research program of the national foundation is stUl as important as ever as money must be raised if medical science is going to conquer the disease. Model Airplane Club Formed in Coldwater COLDWATER Boys whose hobby is constructing and flying gas model or rubber propelled model airplanes have organized a new club at the high school. They call themselves "The Propbusters." The model plane enthusiasts meet each Sunday morning at 8 a.

m. at the Branch county Memorial airport with their models. Although the new club has only 11 members at present, "Propbuster" officers anticipate that their membership will increase as the club comes to be more widely known. Anyone who has constructed a regulation gas model plane or one procured by a rubber band and Is a member of Academy of Model Aeronautics is eligible to join, according to Club President Norman Martin. Other officers of the group are: Vice president, Robert Corless; secretary, Norman Hawk, and treasurer, Jerry Helmer.

faces light up when I wave to them individually," he added. In addition to the Parkersbourg parade, Mr. Butters and his rein deer have participated in Christmas celebrations at Wheeling, W. Traverse City and Ludington. He will appear in Ferndale, Albion, and other Michigan cities.

Although his red sleigh is equipped with rubber rollers beneath the runners, Mr. Butters expressed SARA JANE HORNUNG Soprano REID SKELTON Tenor Workshop Set On Ref inishing Old Furniture CHARLOTTE "How many of you have an old piece of furniture around the house with good construction and perhaps nice wood but with the paint or varnish worn, chipped or peeling?" asked Miss Anne Field, home demonstration agent of Eaton county. And how many times have you wished you could refinish the furniture to bring out all its natural beauty? Here's your chance to transform your "white elephant." A refinishing school will be conducted during the latter part of March consisting of preliminary meeting and two all-day workshops. If there are more interested than can be accommodated at this time, additional workshops will be held at a later date, Miss Field said. Any piece of wooden furniture, small enough to be transported easily, can be used, such as a chair or small table.

Anyone interested may notify the county extension office, including the name of. the article desired refinished. COOKS PRAIRIE CHURCH IS REHEARSING CANTATA HOMER Rehearsals have begun at the Cooks Prairie church three miles northwest of Homer for a Christmas cantata "While Shepherds Watched." The production is under the direction of the pastor, the Rev. William Swihart, and will be presented at the church Thursday evening, December 22. The choir of 20 voices will take pare and Mrs.

Richard Lanphar and Miss Jeanne Crodi will be soloists. There also will be a trio composed of Mrs. Lanphar, Mrs. Harold Elston and Mrs. Donald Crandall.

the hope that snow and cold will I be prevalent during his future ap- pearances. The reindeer now have coats protecting them to 80 degrees below zero, he explained, and when the temperatures range up around 40 and 50 degrees above it causes them to breathe hard. During their two summers here the deer have been kept in underground stalls, where a low temper ature is maintained at all times Officials to Attend Both county agricultural agent, B. E. Henry, and Mr.

Hubble will accompany the group to Detroit. The following 4-H club members will exhibit steers at the show: David Ball of Route 1. Albion. Angus: George and Frank Benham of Route 3. Homer, Herefords; Victor Ball of Route 1.

Albion, Angus; Arthur Farley of Route 1. Albion. Angus; Michael Flynn of Route 4. Marshall. Angus; Gayle Rosenau of Route 1.

Albion, two Angus: Nancy of Route 3, Homer. Hereford: Roland Coats of Route 4. Albion. Pat Flynn of Route 4. Marshall.

Hereford: Robert Vanden-Heede of Route 4, Marshall, Hereford; Richard Geyer of Route 2, Albion. Hereford. Leonard Woods of Route 4. Marshall. Angus: Peter Woods of Route 1.

Ceresco. Hereford: Karl Lagay of Route 2. Albion. Shorthorn; Ed Marshall of Concord. Hereford: Jack WL'son of Route 1.

Albion. Angus; John Langridge of Route 4, Marshall. Hereford; Matthew and Rose Pita Woods of Route 4. Marshall, three Angus; Francis and Bernadine Woods, both of Route 4. Marshall, two Angus; Joe and Robert Bramble of Route 4.

Marshall. Herefords: Elmer Irish. Jr of Route 1. Ceresco. Hereford, and Roger Miller of Route 3.

Homer. Hereford. The following will exhibit feeder lambs. Donald Grundeman of Route 1. Concord.

Shropshire: Maurice Fox of Route 1. Marshall. Southdown; David Farley of Route 1. Albion. Southdown: Katherlne Woods of Route 4.

Marshall, mixed breed: Robert Edding of Route 3. Homer, Southdown: Pat Henry of Route 1, Marshall. Southdown; Mary and Virginia Tech of Route 1. Ceresco. Shr ops hires; Richard Thompke of Route 1.

Marshall, mixed breed: Robert and Ursala Gallagher of Route 4. Marshall, mixed breeds; Marvin Hotchkiss of Route 3. Marshall. Hampshire: Blaine VanSickle of Route 4. Marshall, mixed breed, and Henry Boehmer of Route 4, Marshall, mixed breed.

Calhoun county 4-H club exhibitors at the livestock show will be quartered at the Statler hotel during the three-day show. Deadline for arrival of animals to be exhibited is 2 p. m. Tuesday. December 6.

at the state fairgrounds. The animals will be housed in the beef barn. located east of the colliseum. Exhibitors will check in their animals with the superintendent of entry and will then receive their exhibitors' cards. Judging of lambs and steers will begin Wednesday morning.

December 7. at 9 a. m. Exhibitors will be required to personally exhibit their animals unless permission is obtained from the superintendent to have another club member exhibit for them. Merchants Homer To Consider Classes HOMER Retail merchants of Homer are invited to attend a meeting at the Homer Community school Wednesday at 7:30 p.

The meeting is sponsored by the continuing education department of Michigan State college in cooperation with the Michigan Retailers association, state office of vocational education and the local schools. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss details concerning a series of retail conferences for Homer. The proposed program would include six weekly meetings devoted to topics of interest to merchants. The college will provide speakers and a retail coordinator or consultant There would also bo rouncltable discussions. Bud FARMERS NIGHT PLANNED QUINCY Blaque Knirk will have charge of the Rotary club's annual farmers" night program at 7:30 p.

m. Monday in the church parlors. Carl Buskirk. president of the Michigan An incident that may benefit some people can in reality be a potential disaster to others. Take for instance the case of Koss Winans and his riders, tswh drive down from Hastings each day for work at the Clark Equipment Co.

plant in Battle Creek. Monday because of foggy weather and icy pavements he found himself, already 20 minutes behind schedule, tied up when a train blocked passage from the Clark parking lot to the factory. The train had held up traffic for some 35 minutes, so the company did not deduct time lost by employes who arrived late. But the situation which had worked so well for Mr. Winans and others came near to being a tragedy, for Charles Coleman of Avenue in Battle Creek.

He, too, had been waiting at the crossing and in the case of others had continued to run his motor and heater in an effort to remain warm. After the train passed he parked his car at the plant and alighted, only to collapse. From the company's first aid station he was taken to a local hospital, where his case was diagnosed as carbon monoxide poisoning. Although he was back at work Tuesday, it was reported that another few moments in his car might have proved fatal. ken, with the accent on the first syllable) which may be kept a year if desired.

These are better if al lowed to "season" a few weeks than if eaten when freshly baked. The following recipe makes 200 cookies HONEY LEBKUCHEN 2 qts. maple syrup (some quite dark or use 1 pt. dark molasses in place of 1 pt. syrup) 2 lbs.

brown sugar lb. strained honey (Stir together, bring to boil and let cool a little. Should be warmer than luke warm.) Flour (Stir in enough flour to to make a thin batter. Cool some more but do not chill.) 3 eggs well beaten 2 tsp. vanilla 1 level tsp.

soda 2 tbsp. salt 1 tbsp. each of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and mace 4 oz. each of candied lemon, 4 oz. coarsely chopped almonds 1 scant teaspoon anise extract or teaspoon anise oil 1 tbsp.cardamon seed pounded to powder with hammer The anise flavor and cardamon powder are optional.

Add enough more flour to handle well. There should be a total of about eight pounds or more of flour in whole recipe. There should be enough (Please Turn to Page 2, Column 5) WOODLAND Christmas cookies are again being made in the Baitinger home for the 95th consecutive year. The first Baitingers came to Woodland in 1854 and each Christmas since has found the Baitinger home, and homes of other families this predominately Ger- man settlement, well-stocked with traditional Springerle, Lebguchen from recipes brought from Germany nearly a century ago. Many German Families The entire Woodland community is predominately German with the members of the Lutheran and Evangelican churches possibly ninety percent of German descent.

As the first settlers came to Woodland in 1837, It may be noted the Bait ingers came only 14 years later and live on the original farm which the German bom John Adam Baitinger cleared to secure farmland. The modernized frame house is on the exact site of the first log house built by John Adam in the summer of 1954. Daniel, the American born son of John Adam Baitinger, married Caroline Reiger in 1894 and brought her to the family home. Caroline was 22 and had come from Ger many, with her parents at the age of 11. making the crossing on the "Philadelphia," which took nine and one-half days.

The young people had three children. Emil. Sarah and Adam. Daniel died 11 years after their marriage. The following years were difficult ones for the young Mrs.

Baitinger, with the farm to manage and the children to raise. She went into the fields to work, harvesting, making hay, milking cows and doing other farm chores with a lack of conveniences that would discourage today's modern farmer. Family Closely Knit The family ties are closely knit. Mrs. Baitinger's two sons, Emil and Adam, and Adam's wife Margaret France Baitinger, live witn her.

Next door, but on the same farm, lives the grandson, Vernon, his wife Phyllis Barnum Baitinger, and daughter. Mary. So there are four generations living and working together. The daughter. Sarah, now Mrs.

Walter Fisher, also lives in Woodland, just three miles from her mother. The other grandson, Edward Fisher, lives at Gull lake. Mrs. Baitinger 'has always been and still is highly industrious in spite of her 77 years. She has a short sturdy figure with capable hands that are always busy.

Every day but Sunday is meant for work, she says. A faithful member of the Zion Lutheran church, she rarely misses a service. Asked if she would like to go back to Germany, she answers emphatically. "Oh. no.

I have never been homesick. Germany is no place for me." Using a wooden mold, at least 100 years old and delicately hand carved with designs of fawn, rabbit, flowers and fruit, Mrs. Baitinger fashions Springerle cookies. The cookies are mixed and shaped This Is the Real Thing Santa Has Red Suit, Reindeer Too The "call of the wild" lured three men away from the congregation of the Bellevue Methodist church last Sunday morning and as a result one family is dining on venison. Dana Beckner was en route to church from his home north of town when he saw two deer cross the road.

He hailed down two neighbors, Donald Kiesser and Jack Conner, both riding in to church in their own cars. The latter two had been north hunting and only Kieser had shot his buck. Beckner had no license. The three of them returned home, changed their clothes and proceeded to trail the deer in the snow. About a mile north of Bellevue Conner shot and v.ounded one of the animals, and the trio caught up with it a mile further east.

It was a 13-point buck weighing 154 pounds. One of the speakers at the Albion college symposium forum on the subject, "Must America go the way of Great Britain" last Wednesday evening was Dr. Clare E. Griffin, a member of the University of Michigan faculty for 20 years. He mentioned that the last time he stepped on the Albion college chapel platform had been 35 years before when he was a member of the Albion debate team which defeated Oberlin college.

Another speaker was Herbert T. McCreedy. now assistant regional director of the CIO at Detroit, who once lived in Albion where he was a prominent high school debater and star baseball pitcher. Leonard Malcuit and his sister, Margaret, of Union City spent the Thanksgiving holidays deer hunting near Ludington. On one occasion Leonard got lost and after waiting two hours at their rendezvous, Margaret called state police at Manistee, who later found him in Ludington.

He had arrived at a farm home and hired the farmer to take him into town. Neither Leonard nor Margaret got a deer. George Hoag, Leroy township building inspector, is concerned about fire protection for the Sonoma community. He says that after Battle Creek township refuses to bring its equipment in case of a fire, the only available protection must come from Athens, 12 miles away, and Climax, which has only a volunteer department. Mr.

Hoag, Supervisor Nile Weeks and Jack Nesbitt, owner of the Graham lake store, feel that immediate steps should be taken on the part of Sonoma and Leroy township residents to insure needed protection. At least here's a hunting story that's different! Vera Allerding of Hastings planned for months on his first trip into the north Country in hopes of getting a deer. He carried a new special rifle with him. Once in the woods he got his big chance at a buck, which made a perfect half -circle around him. Vern followed the animal in his "sights" and when the buck disappeared he excitedly went to look for the carcass.

Suddenly it dawned on him that he hadn't even pulled the trigger. Albert W. Flint, who lives five miles west of Homer on M-60, believes he has worked more crossword puzzles than any other 92-year-old man in the United States. He has more than 100 such puzzles, some of them most difficult, which he has assembled and 25 of them are mounted on large cardboards. He is especially fond of colonial picture puzzles.

Mr. Flint, a retired farmer and former Clarendon justice of the peace, was born and has always lived within a few rods of his present home. Postal receipts for the first 10 months of 1949 at Bronson show a grand total of $76,200.07. according to Postmaster Clare Hollister. This amount exceeds by $24,409.82 the total for the first 10 months of last year, which was only $51,790.25, the official states.

RAE S. CORLISS. Farm Bureau, will deliver an address I one day and baked the next, allow-lollowing dinner. I ing them to stand overnight to set COLDWATER Edwin Butters, who operates a buffalo ranch about three miles southwest of here, is probably one of the most convincing Santa Clauses ever to don the traditional red suit, long white beard, and pillow. He has a team of three genuine reindeer, which have been trained to pull him in a bright red shell-type sleigh.

And when Mr. Butters and his three deer appear in parades and other Christmas celebrations, the children are sure that they just blew in from the north pole. Reindeer from Alaska The reindeer, prancing in their gay Christmas harness, are evidence enough for any boy or girl. Mr. Butters acquired the deer about two and a half years ago in Alaska and for the better part of two years has been training them for their current appearances.

The are believed to be the only representatives of their species in captivity in the country. A federal injunction has prohibited the transporting of the Alaskan deer here since 1937; however, Mr. Butters secured a special permit to bring in his. This is the first Christmas that Mr. Butters has made his team available to Chambers of Commerce and other groups all over the country for use in holiday parades, and judging from receptions given him in cities where he has already appeared the experiment is a huge success.

"In Parkersburg, W. children and adults alike crowded around the deer in such numbers that it took us a half an hour to travel a block," Mr. Butters relates. "The kids really think I'm Santa, and it's a wonderful feeling to see their Photo by L. B.

Keller. ALMOND-N UTT Only a few moments apart, babies whose last names are Nutt and Almond were born last Sunday at Community Health Center in Coldwater. Above at the left is Mrs. Ivan Nutt of Route 1. Cold-water, with her baby girl, who weighed seven pounds and six ounces.

Mrs. Harry Claar, day nursery supervisor is at the right in the picture. Upper right photo shows Mrs. Wayne Almond of Route 1. Union City, and her baby boy who weighed nint pounds at birth.

The nurse is Miss Beryl Benedict, supervisor of obstetrics. Photo by L. B. Kellr. HERE COMES SANTA Edwin Butters of Coldwater is Santa himself, with these Alaskan reindeer to haul him in a sleigh at least it isn't hard for him to convince children he's the real Santa on an advance visit.

He and his reindeer have been the hit of many Christmas parades in the area this year..