By Mary Bargdill

The Community Post

FORT LORAMIE — Area residents gathered Sunday afternoon to honor four of their own for the contributions they have made to their community and school.

Paul Amann, Marie Quinlin, Sister Constance Zimmerman and Frank Turner were officially inducted into the Fort Loramie Schools Wall of Honor during a ceremony held in the high school gymnasium.

The event was sponsored by the Fort Loramie Education Foundation.

"Today we will be honoring four outstanding individuals," Superintendent Daniel Holland said. "My hope is the inductees and their families know the power of their influence."

The induction ceremony began with a slide show of the inductees and their families as they were growing up and throughout their careers.

The first nominee to be inducted was Paul "The Rock" Amann, a World War II veteran who flew 35 combat missions as a tail gunner in the European Theatre.

Amann began his teaching career in one of the last remaining one room school houses in Ohio, Walkup School. He began teaching at Fort Loramie School in 1953, where he taught many subjects, including English Composition, English Literature, American History, Economics, Psychology and American Government.

Amann is credited with creating the first semester courses in English Composition and establishing the first High School Remedial Reading Program in Shelby County.

Throughout his career at Fort Loramie, Amann coached girls' high school basketball, volleyball, varsity golf and boys' junior high basketball. He directed 40 high school plays. He was a co-founder of the Fort Loramie Education Association and was dedicated to community service.

He served on village council and was active at St. Michael Catholic Church as a lector, CCD teacher, parish council member and vacation Bible school volunteer.

Amann's daughter, Pricella (Peach) Cleary and son, Tony Amann, accepted the award on his behalf.

"He was certainly the rock in our family and the community of Fort Loramie," Tony Amann said. "He was much more than a teacher - he was an educator...He often left life lessons to his students."

Marie Quinlin, a well known teacher in the halls of Fort Loramie for 62 years, retired from teaching first graders at the age of 82, having been absent only 10 days in more than six decades. She also taught music.

Quinlin was the second student from Fort Loramie to graduate high school. As her home town did not yet have a high school, Quinlin traveled to Sidney High School where she graduated in 1908.

After passing her Boxwell test accepted her first teaching position in a one-room schoolhouse at Uno, along Ohio 705, six miles east of Fort Loramie, for a salary of $45 a month. When she came to Fort Loramie to teach first and second grade students, she received a salary of $50 per month.

Quinlin directed the choir at St. Michael Catholic Church for 20 years.

The nieces of Marie Quinlin, Mary Kathryn Mescher and Sheila Quinlin, accepted the nomination on behalf of their aunt.

"Aunt Marie truly enjoyed teaching children," Sheila Quinlin said. "She taught approximately 2,000 children."

The siblings of Sister Constance Zimmerman, Treva Barhorst, Annette Haraburda and Matt Zimmerman accepted the award on behalf of their sister.

Zimmerman was the 1948 Valedictorian of Fort Loramie High School. She joined the order of the Medical Mission Sisters in later that year, and made her vows to the sisterhood in 1951. She studied pharmacy and pre-med at George Washington University, Catholic University and the University of Maryland. She earned her medical degree from Georgetown University, where she specialized in surgery.

After completing her internship at Misericordia Hospital in Philadelphia, Penn., and a four year surgical residency at City Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., she moved to Patna, India in 1965, as a diplomat of the American Board of Surgery. Here she was the first sister/doctor to be so highly specialized in surgery. She was appointed chief of surgery at Kurji Holy Family Hospital and in 1966 was made chief of the medical staff of a 200 bed general hospital.

"I think she must have accomplished a lot out of sheer determination," Haraburda said.

Frank Turner was honored for teaching music and English at Fort Loramie School for 30 years. He taught instrumental and vocal music, and helped prepare students for solo and ensemble district competitions, band competitions, parades and concerts.

The year he retired, more than 100 students participated in the Fort Loramie High School Marching Band. The band received a rating of I at district competition.

Turner also started the annual Fort Loramie High School Pop Concert, during which local students perform. In 1991, he organized the Fort Loramie Alumni Band, which eventually evolved to become the Fort Loramie Community/Alumni Band.

Turner was a member of the Fort Loramie Education Association, and was the Fort Loramie representative to the Western Ohio Education Association. He was a member of the Ohio Education Association and the Ohio Music Education Association, and served as president and treasurer of the Shelby County Music Teachers.

He also served as choir director and part time organist at St. Michael Catholic Church.

In 2009, he and his wife, Bonnie were named Grand Marshals of the Annual Liberty Days Parade.

Frank Turner received his award from his son Brad Turner, who noted the many hours his father dedicated to the school band.

"Dad took a lot of pride in his marching band," Brad Turner said. "To be one of the first seven inducted is quite an accomplishment."

As the lone surviving inductee of the Wall of Honor ceremony, Frank Turner reflected on his years at Fort Loramie School and thanked his family and the community for their support.

"I can't think of a better place to be than here at Fort Loramie...the pride of the community is reflected in this school," he said.

Nominations for next year's Wall of Honor induction will be accepted until June 1, 2011.