BARBERTON: The news was enough to make a former professional baseball player cry.
Enough to cause a couple of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to pencil a trip to Barberton into their busy schedules.
Enough to cheer the heart of a widow whose husband’s music brought joy to the world.
At 3 p.m. March 23, the city will celebrate Founder’s Day and kick off its 125th anniversary celebration by inducting eight of its brightest contributions to the world in a new downtown Walk of Fame.
Each name will be etched into a Hollywood-style sidewalk marble inlay in front of the town’s historic Lake Theater, a feature expected to grow by several names each year.
City staffer Missy Shifferly is the reason at least six of the eight honorees will be represented during an event Wednesday that will include public trolley tours of downtown and big-screen viewings of a local 1950s documentary.
With only three inductees still living, it was up to Shifferly to track down relatives of some Barbertonians whose stories reach far back into the 20th century, and whose modern-day ties stretch from New York to California.
Her biggest challenge was Roman Catholic Archbishop John Whealon, who died in 1991 and spent much of his career in Connecticut.
Since Whealon had no children, Shifferly started her search by finding his obituary, identifying a sister, then using a survivor’s list to track down two of her sons in New York.
Although Whealon’s nephews have never been to Barberton, Shifferly said they were overwhelmed to learn their uncle was being remembered and pledged to make the drive for the induction.
“They said he’s met the pope, he’s had all kinds of amazing honors, but this is something truly special to them because it goes back to his roots,” Shifferly said.
Whealon’s family was even moved to pack a box full of keepsakes — including that picture with the pope and letters from presidents — and send it off to the Barberton Public Library’s history room for preservation.
Coming an even greater distance are living inductees David and Tom Kelley, who co-founded a California-based international product design company called IDEO.
While the company name might not be too familiar, its team of 600 thinkers and doers are responsible for many everyday innovations used by products ranging from Apple computers to Pringles potato chips. A 60 Minutes segment on the company called it “the most influential product design company in the world.”
“The fact that they’re willing to come back home for this, it means a lot,” Mayor Bill Judge said.
Other honorees still have close ties to their hometown.
“It was interesting to see who’s still local, who’s still playing a part in the community,” Shifferly said of her search.
Hal Naragon, the only other living inductee, had a 10-year career in the major leagues playing with the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins. He still lives on the city’s west side, and remained a household name long after his career ended as the owner of a local sporting goods store.
Betty Spetich, wife of Frankie Spetich, also remained in the area. Her husband became known as the Polka King during the course of cutting 16 albums, 22 singles, and performing for polka fans on TV, the radio, and in concert throughout America and Europe.
Shifferly said Naragon and Mrs. Spetich were both brought to tears when she told them of the honor.
“That was probably the most rewarding thing,” Shifferly said. “That’s when I realized we’re doing something right, finding a way to honor those who truly deserve it.”
The family of Sgt. Howard Woodford, a Medal of Honor recipient, will also be at the ceremony to speak about their hero. Woodford was killed in action on the Philippine Islands in 1945 after taking command of a company that had lost its leadership and leading an attack on a Japanese position.
After being wounded by a grenade, he continued to fight from a foxhole. When his body was found the next day, he was surrounded by 37 dead enemy.
“We think we’re tough guys?” Mayor Judge said, then answered his question by slowly shaking his head.
Town founder O.C. Barber — an industrialist who created the city to be the seat of his manufacturing companies — will also be honored posthumously, as will former Mayor Catherine Dobbs.
Dobbs served in the city’s top spot in the 1950s at a time when female mayors were exceedingly rare.
“To know we had the first female mayor in any industrial city, that was huge,” Shifferly said.
Barber had no grandchildren, and a great niece who Shifferly tracked down is unable to join the March festivities.
Sidewalk markers
Judge said he’ll introduce inductees or their families and allow them to reveal their stone panels, which will likely be placed into the sidewalk the night before the event.
The public will also be invited to take a free trolley tour of the downtown area, running from 3 to 6 p.m., and to see a Barberton Historical Society documentary about the 1950s on the historic Lake Theater’s large screen. The 49-minute video, coincidentally, is narrated by Dobbs and will be repeated hourly between 2 and 6 p.m.
West Tuscarawas Avenue will be closed in front of the theater.
The street in front of the theater will be closed for the afternoon, and members of the Barberton High School band will provide music.
Some locations will also play CDs of Spetich’s polka music, Judge added.
The Walk of Fame panels will feature the top hat and cane often used to identify the Magic City.
They are being paid for with a $30,000 grant awarded to Neighborhood Development Services from Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing. The funding will purchase 30 marble squares.
A new class of inductees will be installed during this year’s Mum Fest in September, then additional names added each year during the festival.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.