Highland County Historical Society to enshrine five more in Hall of Fame

NOTE: This is Part 1 of a series leading up to the Highland County Historical Society inducting five more members into its Hall of Fame on Aug. 17.

By Steve Roush
HCP columnist

Ladies and gentlemen, many years ago the Highland County Historical Society created the Highland County Hall of Fame to recognize, honor and celebrate those who have made invaluable contributions to the county and/or the world beyond. 

By honoring and recognizing these people, the Hall of Fame serves to stimulate an interest in – and appreciation for – the value of the history of this county and its citizens. 
Further, the Hall reinforces to our youths that they can, and should, strive for excellence in any endeavor they may undertake.

In August, the Highland County Historical Society will induct five more members into its hallowed Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees include Bill and Janet Butler, the late Alvin and Alice Cassner, Mary Muntz, Dayne “Woop Woop” Puckett and the late Virginia Bell.

The ceremony will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Hillsboro on Sunday, Aug. 17 at 2 p.m., with a reception and social hour immediately following at the Highland House Museum. The Highland County Historical Society cordially invites the public to attend and honor this outstanding group.

The five to be inducted expands the number of those enshrined to nearly 80. So, before we delve into profiling each of those to be honored in the coming weeks, let’s take a few moments to take a brief look at each inductee:

• Bill and Janet Butler: For more than 50 years, Mr. and Mrs. Butler have been an integral part of the local agricultural community as owners of the Union Stock Yards in Hillsboro. Bill was in the livestock business in Belmont County before coming to Hillsboro in 1969, to assume management and eventually full ownership of the stock yard.

Janet had been working for the former owners since 1962, starting right after high school. In 2001, after years of operating in uptown Hillsboro in facilities built in 1931, the Butlers moved the enterprise to their property on state Route 138. The Butlers have been enshrined in the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame, and Mrs. Butler was inducted in the Highland County Women’s Hall of Fame.

• Alvin (1913-2002) and Alice (1914-2000) Cassner: Al started Rotary Forms Press in Michigan in 1952 and relocated the business to Hillsboro in 1957. At the time of his passing in 2002, he was founder and president of Rotary Forms Press, Inc. in Hillsboro, Unit Sets Inc. in Wilmington, Computer Stock Forms, Inc. in Greenfield, and Quality Computer Forms in Naples, Florida. 

Alice was a member of the Board of Directors for Rotary Forms and was also on the Board of Directors for the Cassner Foundation. She worked as a volunteer at Highland District Hospital. The Cassner Foundation, established by Alvin and Alice Cassner as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 1962, is still giving to the community. 

In 2023 alone, more than $200,000 was donated in scholarships and gifts to the community. Over the years, there have been generous donations to the Athletic Buildings at Hillsboro and McClain High Schools (A.B. Cassner Athletic Building at HHS and McClain Athletic Complex), the Highland District Hospital Foundation and the Highland County Society for Children and Adults; contributions to the local police and fire departments and Samaritan Outreach Services, and much more.

• Mary A. Muntz (1910-1997): Miss Muntz became something of a living legend in the area because of her many, many years of hard work and dedication to music. She taught school in Hillsboro, Lynchburg, Mowrystown and other local schools, she taught English, French, Band and Chorus, she directed the band in Lynchburg, she directed the choir at the Presbyterian Church in Hillsboro, she directed Handel’s “Messiah,” and she gave piano lessons for many, many years in Hillsboro. 

Miss Muntz was a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, where she majored in piano.

• Dayne Puckett (1940-2022): Dayne “Woop Woop” Puckett, a native of Sinking Spring, was the sales manager for the band "The Van Dells" for 30 years and traveled all over the country with them and several other Country Music Stars including Steve Lake and The Swingmasters Band, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. Dayne had a picture with him and Dolly Parton standing by the Sinking Spring village sign, one of many pictures with Nashville Stars. 

Dayne liked to say, "from Sinking Spring to Nashville, Hee Haw." Dayne performed on the Grand Ole Opry where he sang his famous song, "I'm A Nut" and made Sinking Spring famous when he gave the population of the village during that episode of “Hee Haw.” 

Dayne loved sports and assisted with the Peebles High School basketball teams, never missing a game whether boys or girls when he was not on the road. Dayne also was on the Cincinnati Reds charity Softball Team during the Pete Rose era traveling all over Southern Ohio doing charity events.

• Virginia Bell (1906-1971): Virginia Bell Thompson Telfair was a longtime president of the C.S. Bell Company in Hillsboro, which was founded by her grandfather, C.S. Bell (1829-1905), in 1858. Bells produced at the C.S. Bell Company are still ringing throughout the world. During World War II, bells were made for the United States, British and Russian navies. From C.S. Bell, the business passed into the hands of Charles E. Bell (1849-1929), Virginia’s father, and then to Virginia and Charles B. Bell (1903-1978), her brother, in 1934. 

Throughout the 110 years the Bells ran the foundry, they contributed generously to Hillsboro and its people. Bell’s Opera House was built in 1895, the Bells helped start a library in 1887, and they helped bring the railroad to town in 1880. Virginia Bell was generous to the Highland County Historical Society, helping buy the Highland House. She gave the Historical Society money and one of the largest and last C.S. Bell Company bells that were produced which still sits in front of the Historical Society’s Highland House.

For more information on the society or the upcoming Hall of Fame ceremony, please call (937) 393-3392 or email the society at hchistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
 
Steve Roush is president of the Highland County Historical Society and served as chairman and vice chairman on the HCHS Board of Trustees for two terms, a board member of the Highland District Hospital Foundation, a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.