Citizens honored for making a difference in Wood County

By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN

BG Independent News

 

Wood County honored its best on Sunday – a farmer who shows his love for the land by putting agronomics ahead of economics, a teacher who pushes his students to achieve goals they never believed possible, and a volunteer who helps connect people with ancestors they never knew existed.

The Wood County Commissioners continued the annual tradition of handing out the Spirit of Wood County Awards on Sunday afternoon in the courthouse atrium. The following people were recognized:

• Mark Drewes for Agricultural Leadership.
• Robert Pollex for Liberty Through Law/Human Freedom.
• Charles Cox for Education for Civic Responsibility.
• Richard Adams for Religion and Liberty.
• Tom Oberhouse for Industrial/Economic Development.
• Millie Broka for the Lyle R. Fletcher Good Citizenship Award.
• Michael Sibbersen for the Lyle R. Fletcher Good Citizenship Award.
• Ann Harris Householder for the Lyle R. Fletcher Good Citizenship Award.
• David Chilson for a Special Spirit of Wood County Award.

Drewes, a grain farmer from the Custar area, is a recognized steward of the land who always has a tractor seat to share with people who want to learn about farming the land.

“My dad preaches the term agronomics over economics,” said Drewes daughter, Darcy Krassow.

Drewes is part of a multi-generational family farm partnership that has farmed in the Black Swamp area since the 1880s.

Drewes’ farm model and mission encompass important conservation principles. And he shares his knowledge with others, having been a member of many national and state agricultural associations that work to find solutions to problems. He has been a strong advocate for farm issues and for the people who dedicate themselves to making their living off the land.

Drewes has an open door policy at his farm – welcoming anyone to ask questions and discuss farming. He has hosted many crop tours, FFA tours, and bus tours of his farmland.

When agriculture needed research on reducing the impact on the environment, Drewes offered up his farm as a research laboratory. He is unafraid of results and willing to lead by example in implementing new practices and technology to better his farm and the environment, according to the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association.

Pollex, of Perrysburg, served as a Wood County probate/juvenile judge from 1984 to 1998, then as a common pleas judge until retiring in 2016.

“He had an impact on generations of juveniles in Wood County,” said current Juvenile Court Judge Dave Woessner.

Pollex took a winding road to the judge’s bench. After earning a degree in physics, he worked as a research physicist for Libbey-Owens-Ford. It was there that he invented a device that measures the curvature of glass as it it being heated in a furnace.

At night, he went to law school. He then worked in the firm of Charles Kurfess and as a part-time prosecuting attorney.

Pollex brought his science background to the bench when he took part in a national program that trained judges in the use of science and technology in the courtroom. He then took that knowledge to train other judges in handling cases involving scientific matters.

“Judge Pollex earned a reputation of being a fair, open-minded and just jurist,” said Wood County Common Pleas Judge Matt Reger. “He understood that each case was important to the litigants and afforded them his patience and fairness no matter the circumstances.”

Cox, of Rossford, is in his 36th year of teaching social studies at Rossford High School – where he sets high goals for students and fellow teachers.

The message posted on his classroom wall advises students: “If you treat the work like a task to be completed, instead of a lesson to be learned and explored, you will probably not fare well in this course.”

“He embodies all the qualities that are found in an effective teacher, including being passionate and driven to educate students, the skill to push students to heights they never thought they could attain, the ability to raise the bar for other educators, and most importantly, to reach young people in a manner that goes well beyond the normal student-teacher relationship,” said Tony Brashear, Rossford High School principal.

In addition to teaching, Cox has coached basketball and baseball for many years, and was the district’s athletic director for eight years.

The most telling detail about Cox’s dedication to students is the number of times he has been selected by his students to attend their “I Make A Difference” banquet.

Despite all the accolades, Cox remains a very modest and driven person, Brashear said.

“He is a mentor to many staff members and has the respect of his peers, not only at the high school, but throughout the district.”

Adams, retired from the Methodist churches in North Baltimore and Hoytville, was described as a fine preacher- but an even better pastor. Prior to coming to Wood County, Adams and his wife served as missionaries in Haiti at a children’s hospital.

Adams’ greatest strength, according to those who nominated him, is his compassion for others.

“If someone was scheduled to have surgery at Cleveland Clinic at 6 in the morning, he would be there. If someone’s heat was shut off for nonpayment, he would be searching for a solution,” one nomination stated. “If someone suffered the loss of a loved one, he would be there, offering whatever care he could give.”

In presenting his award, John Cheney said Adams initially earned a business degree and tried to sell cars. But “the Golden Rule got in the way,” Cheney said.

While ministering in North Baltimore and Hoytville, Adams became chaplain for both of the fire departments. And he worked with people of any faiths.

“He worked in harmony with all the other churches,” Cheney said.

“I was always able to pastor in an ecumenical setting,” regardless of the faith, Adams said.

Oberhouse, the owner of North Branch Nursery in Pemberville, was recognized for keeping his roots planted in his hometown while planting trees throughout the region.

Thirty-six years after Oberhouse planted the first Christmas trees, the nursery has grown to approximately 300 acres in production with more than 60 greenhouses – reaching sales of $6 million a year.

The business provides plants and trees for homeowners, landscapers and municipalities. The nursery has 383 varieties of trees, more than 500 varieties of shrubs, and more than 1,000 varieties of perennials.

North Branch ships its plants as far east as the Atlantic Coast, as far west as Minnesota, and everywhere in between.

The nursery currently employs 76 people – providing beginning jobs for local youth and long-term employment for many.

Pemberville Mayor Gordon Bowman said Oberhouse is more than a businessman.

“I found that Tom not only had a thriving business, but is dedicated to his community,” Bowman said, noting his service on the board of public affairs, his sponsoring of the village fair, and the donation of plants for town projects.

No matter how big the nursery has grown, Oberhouse has never strayed from his original mission to improve lives with trees.

Broka, of Bowling Green, was recognized for being an ordinary person who manages to do extraordinary acts through hard work and a willingness to speak up.

Since retiring from BGSU, Broka committed herself to serving the Wood County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, and the Wood County Historical Center. She spent years looking through old newspapers to find details about people who once lived in the former county home, and helped make decisions about collections at the historical museum.

“Millie’s story is not particularly extraordinary, but her contributions are interwoven into the fabric of this community and collectively those contributions have made a difference,” said Holly Hartlerode, curator at the historical center.

“Millie has not only made her community a better place, she is giving a voice to the everyday person, with her continued dedication by providing community members with tools and resources to learn more about their ancestors,” Hartlerode said.

In some cases, Broka is the person able to break through the “brick walls” in their research.

Broka was also recognized for her ability to “speak her mind.”

“Millie’s outspoken desire to disprove a stereotype, that people who required public assistance are bad, helps the community better understand that we all have fallen on hard times and sometimes people need a little help,” Hartlerode said.

Sibbersen, served many years as Wood County auditor, but he was being honored Sunday for his work as a citizen in his community.

Sibbersen, of Bowling Green, has served the Wood County Historical Center, Wood County District Public Library, Children’s Resource Center, Kiwanis Club, Black Swamp Humanitarian Awards, Community Reads and St. John’s Lutheran Church. He has also served the Wood County Republican Party for many years.

“The level of involvement of Mike Sibbersen in virtually every part of our civic life is most unusual and deserves recognition and thanks,” Mike Marsh said in his nomination of Sibbersen.

It is also fitting, Marsh said, that Sibbersen receive this award since he was a friend of Lyle Fletcher.

“I think Lyle would agree that Mike is most deserving of your recognition,” Marsh said.

State Senator Randy Gardner agreed in his nomination letter.

“I can think of no Wood Countian more deserving of this award, as Mike embodies the ‘spirit of Wood County’ and Mr. Fletcher’s passion for active citizenship,” Gardner stated. “A long time and dedicated county employee, Mike went on to become one of the finest elected officials I have known in my more than 40 years of government and political involvement.”

Householder, whose award was presented posthumously, was recognized for being a subtle force with a “special spunk.”

Born in 1929 at the start of the Great Depression, her youth was heavily influenced by thrift and determination. She held many jobs and raised three boys. She retired in 1993 from her last job as a BGSU police dispatcher.

That was not, however, the end of her work. Householder continued to be a “sparkplug” for worthwhile causes.

As part of the Wood County Historical Society, she helped form the “Tea Bags,” a group of volunteer women who introduced a series of tea parties in the 1980s as an effort to create awareness of the museum. Their plan worked. Today those tea parties have grown into a 10-tea annual speaker series, drawing 600 guests each year.

Householder and the others called themselves the “Tea Bags,” based on Eleanor Roosevelt saying, “Women are like tea bags, you never know how strong they are until they get in hot water.”

In her 80s, Householder continued to serve others by delivering Meals on Wheels and acting as a caretaker for the elderly.

Householder died on Sept. 26.

Also being honored posthumously was David Chilson, a former faculty member at BGSU and Naval officer.

“David was a person of numerous contributions,” Emmy Hann said in her nomination.

He served in Bowling Green Kiwanis, BGSU Retirees Association, Civil War Association of Greater Toledo, and First Presbyterian Church.

As a Naval officer, Chilson dedicated efforts to the Honor Flight program, and to the Honor Pets program linking therapy dogs with wounded veterans. He also helped older “military widows” with burial arrangements.

He served the historical society, as one of the “Barn Bums” and helped with the annual Living History programs.

Chilson was known for his ability to combine his two skills of compassion with efficiency. That could be seen each Christmas season as he organized ROTC members to disperse boxes of food from his church to many community families.

And Chilson always made time to talk to young people considering the military for a career, and to visit older people unable to get out of their homes.

“Dave departed too soon, but he leaves us with examples of what one person can do for their community,” Hann said.