By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
As Bradner, Ohio, turned 150 years old, the community turned out to celebrate over the weekend.
From Friday night’s Name That Tune and music in the beer tent through Saturday night’s musical concerts, people came together to honor the town’s heritage and enjoy what makes Bradner a hometown gem.
The 64-unit parade that wound through the streets of Bradner and ended at the town’s main downtown intersection was a true highlight of the weekend.
Families lined the streets in wagons and chairs, and the kids stood by with their bags ready to gather the candy thrown from the parade participants. One young girl, standing near the end of the parade route, eagerly peered down the street waiting for the parade; she squealed with delight when she saw the lights of the Bradner police car approaching by 4 p.m.
Local businesses, revered residents, antique tractors, and plenty of politicians and fire departments comprised the parade units. Naomi Lentz had the honor of riding in the parade as Bradner’s oldest resident. At 92, she had the parade wave and smile down to a T.
Ohio Rep. Haraz Ghanbari was all over town as the parade’s chosen grand marshal for his support in securing state funding for the fire department’s new fire station that is currently under construction. He also honored the village’s 150th anniversary by presenting an Ohio House of Representatives commendation.
He praised the residents for their “cooperation, integrity, willingness to work hard” for the past 150 years, adding that those “exemplary qualities still are manifested by citizens today.”
Current residents “take great pride in the community and its rich heritage and their efforts have certainly made the area a pleasant and friendly place in which to live and work.”
Thanks to the village officials and the people who organized the celebration, “Bradner offers its citizens the opportunities to share memories and experiences built on the best traditions of the past to ensure a future filled with hope and promise,” he said as he presented the commendation to Mayor Mike Gudakunst, Fire Chief Tom Wildman and Village Council member and one of the event organizers Linda Wildman.
Linda Wildman was thrilled with the turnout for the parade. “We got lots of positive comments about the parade” that lasted over an hour.
“We’ve had a good turnout” for the entire weekend, she added.
The children’s activities, hosted jointly by the five churches in Bradner, were a big hit, Tom Wildman said. “We were pleased that the churches worked together to offer free ice cream and popcorn, games and inflatables for the kids.”
At the same time the village celebrated a century and a half, the fire department proudly touted its 132nd anniversary. The town’s first motorized fire truck had a premium spot on Main Street and in the parade.
When the Model A Ford triple-combination pumper truck was delivered by train from Prospect, Ohio, in 1929, it cost $3,000, said Fire Chief Wildman. “We have all the original paperwork for that truck.”
All of the station’s fire and emergency vehicles were shined up and on display. “The fire department has been around for a lot of the village’s history,” the chief said. While many of the “old-timers” are gone, the department’s history is still important in the town.
As the department makes way for a new fire station, Wildman said, they still like to remind residents of the department’s rich history. Also on display was an old penny pitch board that had been part of the department’s history for a hundred years, he added.
Cars of all makes and models were featured downtown for the annual car show, hosted by the fire department.
Dave Mason, of Dave’s Running Shop fame, showed up with his ultra-shiny green and black 1936 Plymouth Coupe. Though he didn’t drive away with an award this year, he was a previous Fire Chief’s pick.
He enjoys attending car shows with the car that has a family history, he said. When his wife was a young girl, a woman from their town used to drive the car and honk at the kids with its distinctive “a-ooga” horn. Many years later, after a second owner had owned it for decades, Mason bought it and had it completely refurbished and decked out it its flashy coupe colors.
Bill and Sue Wensink of Millbury also participated in the car show, showing off the 2021 Corvette owned by their Renewal by Andersons’ boss. “We take it to two to four shows a week,” Bill said, “And we like to let the kids who are looking at it sit inside to get a feel for the car.”
About a dozen tables were set up for the craft show. Curt Berfield of Perrysburg set up hundreds of crafted bottles ranging from a Christmas Grinch to bottles featuring military imagery. It’s a craft he picked up from his mother, who passed away in 2025.
He registered for the Bradner 150th celebration craft show to help commemorate the significant milestone. “I like to spread out where I go with the decorated bottles and meet people from all over,” he said.
Winners of the car show included Best of Show, Kenny Walliser; Fire Chief’s Choice, Roger Schultze; and Mayor’s Choice, Danny Roth.
