Cincinnatus honors six for their service

The Cincinnatus League celebrated six senior citizens Wednesday for their commitment to volunteerism and service during the Jay County Fair.

Those honored were Eric R. Rogers, Randy Miller, Betty Haffner, Tom Dunn, Oma Scruggs and Julia Schwomeyer.

Rose Snow explained social capital — “a set of shared values that allows individuals to work together in a group to enable them to achieve a common purpose” — is something all of Wednesday’s honorees have in common.

“Each of these honored here today will tell you that they didn't set out to promote social capital,” she said. “They didn't see what they were doing as anything special, but the fact is, they did (promote social capital). They saw a place where they could help and they stepped up.”

Rogers grew up on a dairy farm in rural South Bend. An Indiana University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in music piano performance, he worked with Indiana Arts Commission for about a year before settling down in Jay County in 1976.

“I figured out I would really like to go back to a rural community,” he said.

“I learned that there were three communities in Indiana that wanted to have an executive director as their first staffer, and one of them was in Portland.”

He secured a grant for his first year with what is now Arts Place — at the time, the organization didn’t have enough to sustain his salary — and he continued as executive director for more than 45 years. Arts Place now has centers in Portland, Hartford City and St. Marys, Ohio. Now retired, Rogers serves as president of Arts Connect and various other arts boards. He also served eight years on Jay School Board. He’s a recipient of the Indiana Governor’s Arts award, Jay County Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award and Selina Roberts Ottum Award for Community Arts Leadership.

Miller, the Portland Rockets head coach and manager, is a 1972 graduate of Portland High School. He joined the Rockets after graduating and has been a part of the group ever since, taking the manager role in 2004. He coached the Rockets when they played at the National Amateur Baseball Federation World Series tournament in 2012 and 2017. A licensed Indiana High School Athletics Association umpire and referee for football, basketball and baseball, Miller was inducted into the National Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 and Indiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

“Sixty-four years we’ve represented amateur baseball and semi-pro,” said Miller. “Nobody gets paid, it’s for the love of the game. We play wood bat baseball, and we dare to be a champion and take on the metropolitans.”

A Jay County native, Haffner has been involved in community activities all her life. She’s been a member of Jay County Hospital Auxiliary for eight years and currently serves as treasurer. For more than 20 years, Haffner has delivered more than 100 eggs from Minnich Poultry. She served as president of the local bowling league for 35 years and coached junior league bowling. Haffner also drove a bus for Jay School Corporation for 26 years.

Snow pointed out Haffner also drives cancer patients to their treatments.

“Anytime you need a friend, Betty’s there,” Snow said. “She goes above and beyond, all the time.”

Dunn served in the United States Air Force as a captain for two years. He learned about Jay County from a classmate who lived in Decatur. A 1966 Indiana University School of Dentistry graduate, Dunn decided to set up his dentistry in Portland.

He practiced dentistry with his son, Tom Dunn II, until retiring in 2001. He served in a variety of roles for the community throughout the years, including on boards for Portland Chamber of Commerce, Jay School Corporation and Arts Place. Dunn helped give Jay Schools teachers access to dental insurance and initiated the fluoridation of the Portland municipal water supply to improve dental health for local children.

Scruggs moved to Jay County from Alabama in 1955. Her father worked for Miller Pipe Line, and they settled in Dunkirk, where she has remained ever since. Scruggs, a former Girl Scout, joined as a leader while her daughters were in the program and volunteered with the organization for about 25 years. An active member in her church, she’s involved with Jodell’s Closet Clothing Ministry and was a mentor for Kids Hope. 

She previously served as a member and president of Dunkirk Park Board, a member of Glass Days committee and chairperson of the Dunkirk 4th of July parade and activities. A member of the Dunkirk Sesquicentennial Committee, Scruggs also created a book compiling the city’s history from 1985 to 2003, which is available at Jay County Historical Museum.

Born and raised in Jay County, Schwomeyer taught for 20 years in the local school system, with a dozen years in special education. She’s an active member of her church, serving in a variety of roles including on the church choir. She assists with American Red Cross blood drives in Jay County and has been a member of Cincinnatus League for 19 years, serving as the chairperson of the philanthropic committee.

Schwomeyer also serves as president of the American Association of University Women and Portland Foundation Women’s Giving Circle, and as moderator of Presbyterian Women.

“I worked with the Women’s Giving Circle, and their mission is doing together what you can’t do alone, and I think that epitomizes the volunteers in Jay County,” she said. “We’re very blessed … to have all the volunteers that work in this community, and that’s what makes it what it is.”

Cincinnatus League has recognized more than 140 senior citizens since 1993.

For 35 years, the group has provided more than $240,000 to Jay County civic and charitable organizations.

“Our main purpose is to better Jay County through works designed to strengthen and enrich the quality of life for families and the elderly,” said Snow.