January 2016

Susie H. Downing, 94, died on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 3:10 p.m. at the Mennonite Memorial Home in Bluffton.

She was born on Oct. 6, 1921, in Kenton, to Leslie and Cordie (Spradlin) Risner who preceded her in death. On Nov. 29, 1941, she married Clarence E. Downing and he died on March 11, 1963.

Susie was a homemaker and a former medical secretary at St. Rita’s Medical Center, Lima for many years. She was a member of the County Line Church of the Brethren, rural Ada.

Susie is survived by her two sons: Bud (Eva) Downing of Lima and David Downing of Findlay; five grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

This month, Ada High School and Ohio Northern University graduate, Jill Davis, is at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.

She is the daughter of Duane and the late Helen Davis of Ada.

She was invited to design the set and costumes for three short farces by Feydeau. Geoff Bullen translated these scripts from French and is now directing the production he has dubbed “Chez Feydeau.”

Here is one of the three renderings of the set Davis created for the production. “There are three projection screens above the set that have images of Paris at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries,” explains Davis.

By Monty Siekerman

This stylized W is, as all good Adaites know, the logo of Wilson Sporting Goods, maker of the Super Bowl football for many years.

This is the time of year when the media descends on our village to report on the making of the all-important pigskin.

In the past few days, the local factory has hosted representatives from A&E, Kenton, Lima, Findlay, and Columbus....and, of course, your Ada Icon.

Next week more the national media will be here, putting Ada on the map once more.