Paul E. Bluemle

Beloved husband, and caring father and grandfather, went to God February 27, 2013 at the age of 87. He was born September 9, 1926, in Springfield, OH, to Carl and Mary (Wolbert) Bluemle. Following his 1943 graduation from Catholic Central High School at the age of 16, he was hired as a reporter and business page editor for the Springfield Daily News. Paul was processed into the U.S. Army at Camp Atterbury, IN, in early February, 1945, and trained as an infantry rifleman at Ft. McClellan, AL. He often joked that when he was on a troopship on it�s way from San Francisco to the Philippine Islands in early August to prepare for invading Japan the Emperor Hirohito heard he was coming and surrendered. In the Philippines and Japan he then served short periods of time as editor of the 41st Divistion daily newspaper, Front Lines, and the Tenth Corp daily, the Corps X Press, and wrote a weekly news review for the Armed Forces Radio Service station. Paul visited Hiroshima in October, 1945, and often commented that when people asked him what it looked like he replied, �there was nothing left to see.� He assumed his 8th Army duties in early 1946. For the world press he provided daily coverage of the Yokohama War Crimes Trials of Japanese prison camp commanders and guards who committed atrocities against Allied prisoners of war in World War II. This was his duty while serving in the U.S. Army Headquarter, from which he was honorably discharged in the late 1946 with the rank of Technical Sergeant and the Army Commendation Ribbon for his trial coverage. After his discharge Paul returned to work for the Daily News for a year and then worked for its morning counterpart The Sun while attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, from which he received a B.S. in Business Administration magna cum laude in 1951. At commencement he received the Mermaid Tavern Prize Key for his writing. Paul received an M.A. in journalism in 1953 from the University of Oregon, where his thesis was given the T. Neil Taylor Award. In the mid 1950�s he was Public Relations Director of Thomas More College in Covington, KY, where he met his future wife. From 1956 to 1959 he was a journalism instructor at Michigan State University, where his concurrent studies resulted in Ph.D. Candidate status. On September 13, 1958, he married Helen Jean Smain, �the best thing I ever did� he often told his children and friends. Paul�s subsequent career prior to his retirement in 1990 included university teaching, administration and consulting. This included 18 years as a tenured associate professor and assistant dean at the Ford Foundation-sponsored experimental Monteith College of Wayne State University in Detroit. He was a regular book reviewer for Choice, publication for university librarians, for which he also wrote a bibliographic essay. In retirement he and his wife travelled overseas, home-schooled grandchildren for five years, and researched and wrote five volumes of family history. Paul was deeply involved in the Catholic activities during his entire life. He was a national leader of the Young Students movement, served on the Synod Implementation Committee of the Archdiocese of Detroit, taught evenings in the Adult Education Center program of the Archdiocese of Chicago and wrote for Catholic magazines. He and his wife were active in the Christian Family Movement. Paul is survived by his widow, Helen Jean (Smain) Bluemle; and five children, Joy (Mrs. Andrew) Frank, Christine (Mrs. Todd) Ussery, Jude (Mrs. Kelly Carr) Bluemle, Laura (Mrs. Stephen) Bluemle-Smith and Peter Bluemle; as well as 14 grandchildren. A Mass of Celebration will take place Saturday, March 9, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. at Holy Spirit at Geist Catholic Church, 10350 Glaser Way, Fishers. Memorial contributions can be made in Paul�s memory to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203. Arrangements are entrusted to Shirley Brothers Fishers-Castleton Chapel.

Tributes

Paul E. Bluemle

September 9, 1926 - February 27, 2013