NV Class of 1948, Huffman Clothing and Bill Huffman

[Note: this post was previously published in the Uible blog on 4/22/2011]

The recent discussion of Bill Holmes brought lots of comments and questions about the history of the store, most of which were answered by the following ad/article from a 1960 clipping from the Wilmington News-Journal.  [Transcription follows.  To read the full article on Bill Holmes, click here.  (Comments are at the bottom of the article.]

Huffman Clothing (History) New Vienna Ohio  - WNJ 1960

1960 [exact date unknown]
Shown above is one of Clinton County's most famous clothing stores.  For 62 years, this store was known as the Phillips Bros. Clothing Store.  Owned first by Harley Phillips.  Later Harley and his brother Cliff formed a partnership.  People from all over the county came to buy their clothes at this store.  In 1958, this store was purchased by William Huffman, former star athlete for New Vienna High School.  "Bill" as he is known by his many friends, is married to the former Gretchen Fullerton and they have two fine sons, Mark, age 3 [or 8?] and Scott, age 4.  A staunch figure since 1917 in the store has been Bill Holmes, who has been associated for 43 years, with both Phillips and Huffman.


From this article we learn that the Phillips Bros. store opened for business in 1896 and that Bill Holmes started working there in 1917 when he was 33 years old, prior to that Bill was a clerk at the M.R. Harris Grocery in the Iron Building [later Daye Hardware].  Bob Johnson later bought the store from Bill Huffman.  Not sure when it closed.

Moving on to Bill Huffman, he was a 1948 graduate of New Vienna High School and an athlete as mentioned above.  The following pictures are from the New Vienna High School Memory Book 1881-1963.

New Vienna Ohio High School - Class of 1948.
Top Row: Margaretha Baumann-Fac, R.W. Fenwick-Supt, Thomas Rudisill-Fac and Kathryn Tolle-Fac.
Fourth Row: Daryl Hunter-Fac, Sara Swartz-Fac, John Hughes-Fac, and Martha Tolleson-Fac.
Third Row: A.F. Roush-Fac, Richard Carey-Pres, Jean Rolfe-V.Pres, Mary Lou Berwanger-Sec'y, Robert Streber-Treas and Glenn Bernard.
Secord Row: Harold Burns, Donald Hite, Jack Hoopingarner, Bill Huffman, Jacque Laymon, June Pence and Kathryn Mobley.
First row: Jean Rachford Barrett, Joellen Rulon Streber, Carolyn Saunders Thornburg, Betty Smith (Hoffer?), Harold Thornburg and Della Turner.

Many of these names are familiar.  I know there were at least two weddings – Joellen Rulon married Bob Streber, and Carolyn Saunders married Harold Thornburg.  Please help me out with who else married who and what happened to them.  Here are links to obituaries: Jean Rachford Barrett (2010),  Glenn Bernard (of Parkinson's in 2010), Carolyn Saunders Thornburg (2011)

1946 Basketball Team - Homecoming Queen & Attendants - New Vienna Ohio High School.
Top Row: Bill Flint ('49), Glenn Bernard ('49), Carey Streber ('49), Donald Hite ('48), Carrie Custis ('47), Carolyn Saunders Thornburg ('48), Esther Roush ('47), Raymond Walls ('50), Oren Butcher ('x-49?), James Akers ('49), Robert Minzler ('49) and Glenn McElwee-coach.

Middle Row: David Blackburn ('49), Jack Preston (x-49?), Herbert McKenzie ('49), Harold Burns ('48), Tom Carey ('49), Dan Fox ('47), Andy Cluxton ('49), Roger McKenzie ('47), Lowell Prickett ('49) and Bill Huffman ('48).

First Row: Dale Cluxton ('50), Donald McKamey ('50), Hugh Heizer ('50), Hoyt Penn ('50), Jimmy Allen-manager ('52), Leonard Sword ('50), Howard Thompson ('47) and George Stevenson('x-49?). [Picture from the NVHS Memory Book 1881-1963, page 76]

1947 Baseball Team - New Vienna Ohio High School.
Back row: Glenn McElwee-coach, Lowell Prickett ('49), Dale Cluxton ('50), Glenn Bernard ('48), Roger McKenzie ('47), Raymond Walls ('50), Howard Thompson ('47), David Blackburn ('49) and Hoyt Penn ('50).

Kneeling: Tom Carey ('49), Herbert McKenzie ('49), Jim Mongold ('47), Dan Fox ('47), Jim Allen-manager ('52), Bill Huffman ('48), Bill Flint ('49) and Donald McKamey ('50). [Picture from NVHS Memory Book 1881-1963, p.76]

1946-47 Track Team - New Vienna Ohio High School.
Standing: Lowell Prickett ('49), Glenn Bernard ('48), Bob Streber ('48), Mr. McElwee-coach, Alfred Kendall ('47), Melvin Rhoades ('49) and Danny Fox ('47).

Kneeling: Andy Cluxton ('49), Harry Allen ('47), Don Hite ('48), Bill Huffman ('48), Harold Burns ('48), Tom Carey ('49) and Roger McKenzie ('47). [Picture from NVHS Memory Book 1881-1963, p. 75]