May 19, 2009 RADNOR – The Radnor / Radnor Area Buckeye Valley Alumni Association will honor two of its own during their 102nd banquet
that will be held May 30 at All Occasions Catering in Waldo. The 2009 Alumni Honorees are 1944 graduate Gene Wheeland former school district and township employee, and 1947 graduate Alice Davids Walter, former Deputy County Auditor. Both will be honored for their contributions to the school and community. Gene Wheeland was born in October, 1925, to parents of German ancestry, Leroy and Tessie Myers Wheeland in Mad River Township in Champaign County. The family engaged in farming until a tragic traffic accident took the lives of both parents in 1936. Gene, one of 7 children, with 2 sisters and 4 brothers, came to Radnor as an 8th grader and lived with several families including Bill and Florence Marks, Verna Davis and John Lane. During his school years, he played basketball, baseball, played the drums in the marching band and was president of the graduating class of 1944. After graduating, he served in the U.S. Army during WWII as a Signal Corpsman, returning in 1950 and married Ruth Edna Coonfare. He farmed until 1960, was hired by the Radnor Union School District, and moved to Buckeye Valley in 1963 as their first custodian, retiring in 1988. Mr. Wheeland was involved in forming the Radnor Volunteer Fire Dept and was named Chief in 1961, Deputy Chief in 1987 and served until his death in 1994. He was also the Sexton of the Radnor Cemetery where he unearthed an Indian Skelton that was on display at the high school for many years. He enjoyed coaching Youth Baseball and working with Harold Watkins and Dick Meyer. Wheeland was a member of the Radnor United Church of Christ for 52 years and held numerous positions. Gene and his high school sweetheart, Ruth Edna, were married on September 3, 1950. They had one son, David. He and wife Judy, have 2 sons, Jeff and Greg, all were Radnor and Buckeye Valley graduates. Gene was always grateful of the families who took him in as a young boy and guided his life and he was very proud to call Radnor his home. Alice Davids Walter was born in Richwood to parents of German and Welsh ancestry, Paul and Avis Martino Davids in September, 1929. Her parents were involved in farming and moved to the Radnor area in 1936. Alice started school and was taught by first grade teacher, Miss Mary Price, graduated in 1947. She has one brother, John.
School activities included, 4H, FHA, Band, Cheerleading and Class Plays. She started working in Columbus for Grange Mutual Casualty Insurance. She married Avery Walter August 31, 1948 and took up farming on the Walter family farm until the death of Avery in 1961. They had 3 daughters, Rebecca Walter Jackie (Charles) Miley Donna (Mike) Wells: 4 grandchildren, Christa, Kim, Susan, Rebecca: 2 great grandchildren, Brooklyn and Briannon.