70% + GAMES

Wini Morsches, Columbia City & John Aumiller, Fort Wayne — 77.08% August 8

Joe Chin, Highland & John Goring, Frankfort, IL — 75.00% October 7

John Aumiller, Fort Wayne & Al Patton, Wolcottville — 77.00% October 15

Marci & Keith Meyer, Long Beach — 73.00% October 15

Joe Chin, Highland & George Roeper, Homewood, IL — 71.99% October 21

Lena Howard, Elkhart & Jim Feinstein, South Bend — 70.20% October 26

Bill Blauvelt, South Bend & George Cramer, South Bend (299er game)— 74.11% October 28

Glen McGeady, Long Beach & Dan Cunningham, LaPorte — 70.24% October 31

Ed D’ouville, Hobart & Dan Simon, South Bend — 75.00% November 4

John Kohne, Fort Wayne & John Aumiller, Fort Wayne — 72.00% November 5

Ilse & Karsten Grove, South Bend (599er game) — 70.00% November 14

Ren Singleton, South Bend & Marian David, South Bend — 71.31% November 21

Lena Howard, Elkhart & Jim Feinstein, South Bend — 72.22% November 22

John & Tricia Killeen, Mishawaka — 71.53% November 25

John Aumiller, Fort Wayne & John Kohne, Jr., Fort Wayne — 74.00% November 26

RISING IN THE RANKINGS

Junior Masters: Aaron Rhymer, Decater; Mary Schwartz, Kokomo; Leonard Yarsh, Hobart

Club Masters: Douglas Booth, Long Beach; Eleanor Miller, Elkhart; Helen Thiros, Schererville; Sara Bir, LaGrange; Camille Cooper, Kokomo; Karen Nagy, South Bend; Donna Penn, Portage; Owen Sherwin, Fort Wayne; Phyllis Sherwin, Fort Wayne; Keiko Storin, South Bend

Sectional Masters: William Flanagan, Granger; Joan Purvis, Kokomo; Janet Crull, Granger; Mary Jaicomo, South Bend; Lyla Lockhart, Notre Dame; Nancy Love, Fort Wayne; Lindy Moss, Fort Wayne

Regional Masters: Ivye Benson; Michigan City; Christopher Clarke, South Bend; Bill Blauvelt, South Bend; John Ginzel, Hammond; Dolores Marshall, Portage; Alton Patton, Wolcottville

NABC Masters: Joan Aldrich, South Bend; Geoffrey Hadlock, Warsaw; R. Patton, Fort Wayne

Life Masters:  Emory Jeffers, Fort Wayne; James Kart, Fort Wayne; Michael Mellinger, LaGrange; Patrick Oetting, Fort Wayne

Bronze Life Masters: Emory Jeffers; Fort Wayne, E. Tim Carl, Elkhart; Leon Neuzerling, Kokomo; Patrick Oetting, Fort Wayne

Silver Life Master: Robert Ruble, Mishawaka

SILVER LIFE MASTER

South Bend’s newest honoree, Bob Ruble, plays at the club several days a week. He said that, in getting the 1000 points to become a Silver Life Master, he probably played with about that same number of partners since 1950. Well, he brought a lot of points and fun to his partners.

Bob was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1926 and describes himself as a Super Senior at 87. His education includes receiving a BS from Aurora (Illinois) University in 1950 and an MBA from Michigan State in 1964. We thank him for his service in WWII when he served in the Navy (part of Brokaw’s Greatest Generation). Bob is proud of his son, Robert, and his daughter, Connie, who have given him three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Bob’s hobbies over the years have included golfing, driving Indy-type race cars, flying private planes (Cessna 150 & 172’s), Lake Michigan Charter Fishing, and, of course, duplicate bridge. He remembers early games at the West Side Democratic Club (50’s) when he played with Edna Mae Warren and Ed Singleton. His memorable moments are when he played three boards in the Nationals against Meckstroth and Rodwell. He says he didn’t do too well, but later against Zeke Jabbour and a client, Bob did very well. Not many of us can say the same. 

CONGRATULATIONS, BOB!

LIFE MASTER & BRONZE LIFE MASTER

Patrick Oetting has become both a Life Master and a Bronze Life Master. He is always pleasant and good natured and an asset to the club.

Pat learned to play bridge in 1969 with his first wife and her family. He loved all card games — spades, hearts, euchre and pinochle — he loved them all.

Pat started playing duplicate bridge at the Fort Wayne club in 2007. His favorite partner is Steve Ball. He received the most encouragement from Anna Marie Bonahoom and will always appreciate her for that.

His most memorable bridge experience was during the 2011 Fort Wayne Regional. He and his partner, Pat Kelly, went to the partnership desk for a pair for the Sunday Swiss Team game. There were two flight A players looking for a pair, but they didn’t want to play with Pat and his partner. They preferred a pair with more points. Finally two little old ladies teamed up with the Pats. They had a great day and won the event. Pat earned 15 gold points that day. By the way, the flight A pair didn’t scratch.

Pat thanks all of the bridge members for their help and understanding along the way to this substantive point in his bridge journey.

BRONZE LIFE MASTERS

Leon Neuzerling and his wife, Pat, were introduced to bridge by neighbors in Milwaukee when they were newlyweds — 52 years ago. Ten years later they moved to Kokomo and discovered duplicate bridge. They have enjoyed recreational duplicate ever since, primarily at the    Kokomo Bridge Club — “an absolutely wonderful and friendly organization led by Jim and Char Davis, and regularly directed by David and Judy Cotterman.” Leon extends many thanks to these individuals for all the years of fun and friendship.

Pat, his life partner and favorite bridge partner, is closing in on her Bronze Life Master also. At the rate they're going, however, Leon says, “It will take another 40 years for us to make Silver Life Master.” In the meantime, THEY LOVE BRIDGE!
 

Tim Carl is on a fast track. It was only a year ago that he became a Life Master, and now he is a Bronze Life Master with 500 masterpoints. Tim said that he is really learning a lot about the game and that there is so much more to discover. He was so busy chasing his dream of becoming a Life Master that he is only now discovering the joy and excitement of learning the finer points which make this game more of a challenge. Watch out, bridge players, as Tim is studying the art of good defense, bidding, and play of the hand.

Tim was born in Centralia, IL on December 1, 1940. He is a 1958 Elkhart High School graduate who continued his education at Indiana University, earning a B. A. degree in Political Sciences. From 1962 to 1966 he fulfilled his military service in the U.S. Air Force as a First Lieutenant, working as a special agent in the Office of Special Investigation (OSI.). For 25 years he worked in Recreational Vehicle Management, retiring in 2003. During 2008 through 2010 he taught Special Education at Elkhart High School and is now a substitute teacher.

Tim learned to play bridge in college from Bill Searcy’s dad and older brother, who was in his fraternity. He really discovered duplicate bridge from Bill in 2007 and was hooked from then on, as so many of us are.

Tim and Lenny have three children — Tim Jr., Polly and Christian. His hobbies include playing golf at the Christiana Creek Country Club and, of course, bridge at the South Bend Bridge Club — but only if these activities don’t take him away from his wife too often. 

LIFE MASTER

Friday the thirteenth of September 2013 — not so unlucky for Mike Mellinger as that was the day he became a Life Master at the Fort Wayne Fall Regional. Mike started playing duplicate bridge in the days when Barry Crane was king and when it was not unusual to go to a national tournament and find the likes of Ira Corn and Bobby Wolff seated at your table. (He and his partner didn't do so well against them, as he recalls).

Mike also had the privilege of seeing two college students from Ohio State and Purdue begin to appear on the midwest tournament scene. It was obvious from the start that Eric Rodwell and Jeff Meckstroth were going to be something special. Mike states that we could all learn something from the gentlemanly way they treated each other at the table.

Mike has some excuse for being so slow to achieve life master status, since he took thirty years off to practice medicine in rural northeastern Indiana. One day a couple of years ago a fellow family doc and casual acquaintance called to see if Mike wanted to play at a weekly Tuesday afternoon game in Angola. One session is all it took. Ken, his long-suffering most regular partner, patiently walked Mike through the bidding changes over the past thirty years, explaining that what he thought was a forcing bid was only invitational and waited quietly as Mike fumbled through the bidding box to find his next bid. He hopes someday to be as good a mentor as Ken Bisson has been for him.

Mike states, “The game is different now. Computer scoring, bidding boxes, systemic bidding changes — all of these changes have improved duplicate bridge. However, the most significant change I see is in the demeanor of the competitors. The ACBL must have done something right in the last thirty years, because there is a feeling of collegiality and friendliness that was hard to find before. There are fewer outbursts of anger at the table and the competitors really seem to be having more fun. That environment will do more than anything else to bring (or bring back, as in my case) players to the duplicate bridge scene.”

WINNERS IN THE MERRILLVILLE SECTIONAL

The Northwest Indiana Sectional was held from October 11-13. Thanks to Chuck Briggs and Dave Bigler for all the time and effort they put into making the tournament a success. Table numbers were up slightly from last year, food was plentiful, the setting was beautiful, everything ran smoothly, and we all enjoyed getting our share of the 315.42 mp that were awarded.

Thanks, also, to so many players who brought snacks for the three-day event and who supported the tournament with their attendance.

Congratulations to these event winners:

DISTRICT 8 NORTH AMERICAN OPEN PAIRS

After the South Bend Bridge Club members from Warsaw IN, Michael Heimann and Geoffrey Hadlock, finished in a tie for 2nd place in the National 199er Pairs event in Atlanta (See page 20 in the November Bridge Bulletin), they continued on with their winning ways. 

They were first in Flight C in the District 8 NAOP on Saturday, November 9, in Springfield IL. The South Bend players are so proud to have one of their own qualified to play in Dallas in March.
 

THREE NEW NONAGENARIANS AMONG US

November 13th marked the 90th birthday of Bob Currey. He was honored with a special cake. Tricia Killeen, South Bend club manager, presented him with a gift of the book, Michigan Belgians, which is of great interest to him. Bob has been involved in the study of genealogy for some years.

Bob was born in Mishawaka and after graduation from Mishawaka High School, enrolled at Indiana University. He enlisted in the army in 1942 and was commissioned a lieutenant. In civilian life he resumed his education at Indiana University, graduating from law school in 1949. 

While still a student, he married Virginia Hawley. In 1950 he began the practice of law in Mishawaka, retiring in 2008. During those 58 years of practicing law, he served as a charter member of The City of Mishawaka’s Historic Preservation Commission. He helped found the Logan School and served on various boards of directors. In conjunction with the Lions Club Bob traveled to Mexico and Guatemala to examine eyes of impoverished people and to distribute glasses to them. In the course of his travels he played a part in the establishment of a sister city relationship between Mishawaka and Shiojiri, Japan, where he was made an honorary citizen.

Bob played rubber bridge for many years and only started playing duplicate a few years ago. South Bend players are delighted to have him in their family.

Two players at the Community Bridge Club in Gary celebrated their 90th birthdays in November. Mary Schumm (left) has a November 26 birthday, and Joyce Hoadley (right) has a November 11 birthday.

Mary learned to play bridge at Indiana University in 1947. It seemed that at noon everyone congregated at The Commons and played bridge. Mary hails from Missouri. She is retired from the legal counsel office after 25 years at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

Joyce also learned to play bridge in college in 1944 and would play a few hands whenever there was time between classes. Before retirement Joyce was a claim agent for the FDIC. She started playing duplicate three years ago and is closing in on her Club Master title.

Joyce loves to play bridge and looks forward to playing every Saturday with the many friends she has made during this time. She has discovered that no matter how many books about bridge that she has read, she can never learn everything there is to know in her lifetime.