70% + GAMES

Steve Watson, Schererville & Lou Nimnicht, Crown Point — 70.65% April 2

Ilse & Karsten Grove, South Bend (599er game) — 72.50% April 18

Dan & Donna Simon, South Bend — 70.83% April 23

Lillian Armentrout, Fort Wayne & Gary Chaney, Sherwood OH — 71.30% April 24

Jo Ann Steigmeyer, Granger & Barbara Myers, Edwardsburg, MI — 70.37% April 24

Dave Bigler, Hobart & Wayne Carpenter, Chesterton — 71.99% May 13

Bud Parshall, Mishawaka & Fred Binder, South Bend — 71.29% May 22

Carl Minick, Fort Wayne & Matt Fultz, Fort Wayne — 71.43% May 28
 

RISING IN THE RANKINGS

Junior Masters: Bill Hahn, Hobart; Edgar Lucas, Gary; Donna Penn, Portage

Club Masters: David Bercot, Fort Wayne; Daryl Fraley, Crown Point; Doris Shafer, Granger; William Flanagan, Granger; Joanne Sobol, Fort Wayne

Sectional Masters: Jane Krueger, Schererville; Sharon Snyder, Chesterton; Donna Beach, Valparaiso; Carol Miller, Valparaiso

NABC Masters: Patricia Skelton, Kokomo; John Teshima, Trail Creek

Bronze Life Master: Keith Meyer, Long Beach

Silver Life Master: Donald Valiska, Highland

Gold Life Master: Leroy Boser, Elkhart
 

GOLD LIFE MASTER

A very special fella, Leroy Boser, became South Bend’s newest Gold Life Master this past month. He brings so much enthusiasm and excitement to the game, and his fellow bridge players are very proud of him.

Lee was born at home (no hospital) in the town of Frankfort, Wisconsin on August 6, 1940. He grew up in Marathon, was active in sports, football, baseball, etc., and then he spent four years in the Navy serving as a hospital corpsman. Afterwards he went to the University of Illinois where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1967. Because he is a recognized expert in thermoforming plastics, he does some consulting work. Even though sports was his first love, he found that his skills were beginning to wane. He turned to duplicate bridge in 1979. “I wouldn’t say I was addicted, but I do seem to play a lot”. He became a Life Master in 1990 and says he is still trying to get better at this game, especially the bidding aspect. Lee has been a game director since 2005 and really enjoys the people at the club. That’s evidenced by the fun and laughter we find when we are at his table. 

SILVER LIFE MASTER

Don Valiska became a Silver Life Master during the Gatlinburg Regional, where he and his teammates, Pat Valiska and Carol and Gale Osgerby, scored a crowning achievement — winning their knockout for 8.93 points!

Don writes — My wife and I started playing duplicate after retiring and taking lessons with Carol Osgerby. We joined ACBL and the South Suburban Bridge Club and have been playing for about 7+ years. We got most of our early points traveling to tournaments and playing together. After three or four years we started playing with other partners in order to learn new conventions and techniques. I owe much of my success to the great partners I've had over the years. The Gatlinburg Regional was fun and a neat place to get my final points to become a SLM. I look forward to the challenge of getting to the next level.

From Carol and Gale Osgerby — Don is always a pleasure to play with — win, lose or draw.  We enjoy our games and always have a good laugh or two. Don is always willing to accommodate any change in schedule that occurs. He is always willing to help others with a smile on his face and joy in his heart. We are honored that he is willing to play with both of us!!! We were very pleased to be with him when he made Silver Life Master in Gatlinburg.

From Pat Valiska (Don’s bride) — Though my 'life" partner and I don't often partner at the bridge table, it was special to be partnered with Don and the Osgerbys in Gatlinburg where he became a Silver Life Master in a knockout. For the last several months Don was on a "mission" to get the needed points to put him in the silver category — a goal that began for both of us after taking classes from Carol in 2005. Don is a steady and serious partner and easy to play with. 

At last count there were 84 Silver Life Masters in our Unit 154. Now we are up to 85 (the largest group of all the categories) with the inclusion of Don Valiska. We congratulate a sound player and an always congenial guy in having attained this milestone moment in his bridge career!

BRONZE LIFE MASTER

Keith Meyer of Long Beach, IN arrived at the St. Louis Spring Nationals in March needing 16 masterpoints to attain Bronze Life Master status. Going into the B/C/D/ Side Swiss Game on the third night of his play, he still needed two-tenths of a masterpoint to reach this level. On the first board Keith and his wife and long-time partner, Marci, bid and made 4S. In the replay at the other table their teammates in five previous nationals and several regionals — Ken and Mary Cornelius of Portland OR — bid and made 6D. That helped the Meyer/Cornelius team to a first overall and plenty of masterpoints for Keith’s rank advancement.

Keith was introduced to bridge in college in 1960 and immediately fell in love with the game. He earned his first masterpoints at club games in Norfolk, Nebraska in 1962 while playing a homemade bidding system that he and his partner had dreamt up. Of course, he didn’t know at that time that most of the bids should have been alerted, and no one ever said anything. His college years were mostly spent at the bridge table in the Student Union earning his spending money, sometimes forgetting to go to class if the cards were running right. Fortunately, he met the love of his life and his best friend, Marci, at college and taught her how to play bridge, which has led to nearly 50 years of marriage and a lot of bridge.

No more masterpoints were earned after graduation from college and during the years of work and raising a family, but Keith and Marci joined ACBL upon retirement in 2000 and went to their first sectional in Garland, Texas for a Swiss Team game. Some gracious person agreed to play with them and introduced them to tournament play. Keith then began playing infrequently and, after a few years, with increasing regularity.

After Keith retired from IBM and Nortel Networks, he set three goals — to become a Life Master, to earn a teaching certificate since he had an Education/Math degree but had never taught, and to attain Enrolled Agent status with the IRS. All three goals have been achieved. Keith earned a teaching certificate in 2003 and taught middle school math for two years, until he figured out that that is way too hard a job for a retirement job; he achieved Enrolled Agent status in 2010 and prepares tax returns in McKinney, Texas every tax season; and, after all the quarters and tenths of points, attained his Life Master in 2010. Reaching the Bronze Life Master was icing on the cake, but simply fueled the desire to reach Silver Life Master.

Bridge has added fulfillment to his retirement years. Keith treasures the people he has met and the friends he has made over the bridge table. It has also added the continual challenge of improvement in all aspects of the game – bidding, play of the cards, and concentration. Thanks are offered to the many people who have put up with his mistakes and the people who have helped him with his progress so far. Special thanks to his wife, Marci, for her commitment to remain best friends no matter what happens at the bridge table.
 

IN  MEMORIAM

Marjorie Wilson    December 6, 1918 - March 5, 2013

It was a happy occasion on December 6, 2010 when we presented Marge Wilson with a bouquet of flowers and a cake to celebrate her 92nd birthday. It was wonderful to wish her a happy birthday for the next two years, but it will not happen this year.

It is with much sadness that we say good-bye to a very dear lady and a delightful bridge player who graced the South Bend Bridge Center with her smile and friendliness. Although she played bridge for sixty years, she only tried duplicate in the last five years. We are so glad that she spent time with us.

Our condolences to her family and friends. She will be missed.

Dr. James Farner    January 5, 1923 - March 6, 2013

For many years Jim Farner played at the South Bend Bridge Club, bidding aggressively, defending with toughness and generally making it difficult for the rest of the participants to play their optimum game. But he always did it with a smile.

Later in life, after losing his lovely wife, Alice, he found he wasn’t feeling in tiptop shape and went to live with his daughter in Michigan. During that time he continued to play bridge in Petoskey.

Jim has left us with many fond memories, and his absence is felt greatly.
 

Linda Ebeling Hammes April 29, 1941 - April 18, 2013

The South Bend Bridge Club sends its deepest sympathy to the family of Linda Hammes. Memories of her friendship, great sense of humor, and warmth will be treasured by all of us. She brought a smile to the room when she arrived, made her partners feel comfortable, continued to smile even when the cards went against her, and enjoyed being with people she cared about. She brought that same caring to her husband, Bill, and to her children and grandchildren.  We shall miss her.

SOUTH BEND BRIDGE 2nd ANNUAL SPRING SECTIONAL

Bill Searcy (far left) and his tournament team -- Paul Silberman (left), Mary Adams, Myra Anthony, Leroy Boser, JoEllen DePaepe, Elaine DeLaney, Carol Kraabel and Maureen Trubac --  are to be congratulated for the very successful sectional enjoyed by attendees from April 12-14. Attendance was 137.5 tables, up slightly from last spring.

Players still seem to enjoy the Waterford and were very patient with all the physical issues at the site. The players were greeted by the Clay Township Fire Department at setup, and then someone hit a power pole, which knocked out the area electricity.

The 299ers were great in supporting the tournament, and all seemed to like the early Saturday start times. Nine 299er tables played both on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

Paul Silberman was terrific in both the arrangements and working the setup at the tournament. His was not an easy job.

Thanks to all who played.  South Bend will be back with another sectional on July 26-28.

FORT WAYNE SECTIONAL

The 2013 edition of the Fort Wayne Duplicate Bridge Sectional is in the books. The arterial highways of northeastern Indiana and the city streets of Fort Wayne delivered well over one hundred bridge players from the greater Fort Wayne area, northern, western and central Indiana, northwestern Ohio and southern Michigan to the Bridge Center for three days of concentrated effort to satisfy the bridge gods on May 17-19. Ninety-one smiling players, led by local players John Aumiller, Carl Minick and Ken Koorsen, mined silver points to add to their totals.

Tournament chair Kimberly Grant (left) and partnership chair Patrick Oetting used their “player-first” philosophy to organize, orchestrate, and successfully conduct this annual event. Player participation was up by over 30%. Fort Wayne Duplicate Bridge Association members provided sweet treats, healthy veggies, and plenty of soothing liquids to keep all participants fully fueled for the card festivities.

Visiting Unit 154 Board members, Dave Bigler, Chuck Briggs, Richard Ellis, and Paul Silberman, along with the Fort Wayne Unit representatives, Michael and Mary Lou Clegg and Kimberly Grant, enjoyed the camaraderie of shared competition over the three-day event. Unit board members complimented Kimberly on the friendliness and efficiency evident in the smooth running of the individual and team competitions supervised by Tournament Director, Bob Wallace.

Highlights of the sectional on Saturday included Sandy Brading of Wapakaneta, OH earning the silver points necessary to become Life Master. This was followed on Sunday by a second Ohioan, Marlene Sigler of Wapakaneta, earning her silver to become Life Master. Congratulations, Sandy and Marlene!

Kimberly thanks all who contributed to the success of this tournament, but especially to the many FWDBA members who came each day to play and enjoy the thrill of making the contract. The tournament can be summed up by quoting a departing player on Sunday, “This was grand slam fun!”

The community of Fort Wayne bridge players hopes to see everyone again next year. Make it even better by bringing a friend.

RECOGNITION AWARDS LUNCHEON

The South Bend Bridge Club held another successful and spirited Recognition Awards Luncheon on Saturday, April 27, to honor their Gold, Silver, and Life Masters for the 2012 year. Presenters of tributes included the honorees’ bridge partners and friends. Also honored were the Ace of Clubs and Mini-McKenney winners. As usual, Joan Tobler and her committee, Ruth Minish and Jo Ann Steigmeyer, offered a tasty lunch.

Following are two of the poetic tributes —

Directions

(A tribute to Tricia Killeen)

North and South — East and West,

    We’ll go together on our quest.

Up and down and all around,

    She helps us out when problems abound.

North and South — West and East,

    She speaks no blame when the hand has ceased.

Far and wide — far and wide,

    I’ll take Tricia on my side.

East and West — North and South,

    We’ve played together since our youth.

Always there when troubles are rife,

    My partner in bridge as well as in life.

 John Killeen
 

Ode to Bud Hinckley

Because of his home state, we can call him a Maine-iac;

    Because of his bridge game, we can call him a brainiac.

He knows Leaping Michaels and the Backwash Squeeze,

    And he plays all those conventions with relative ease.

He considers all options as he ponders what to do . . .

    Mulling over trump splits, end plays & everything through.

First time we played, I made three bids he called insane.

    Second time we played, my bids were on a more even plane.

He’s taught me a lot of ways to handle aces and kings.

    I’m teaching him to hurry and bid before the bell rings.

Even though he’s a great player of national fame,

    He’s usually the youngest guy in every bridge game.

Don’t let the silver hair fool you; he’s not very old . . .

    And we honor him today for his Life Master Gold.

    Cappy Gagnon

LIFETIME TOP MP HOLDERS