Feature on Ralph Baumann. Topic: SPORTS
& PEOPLE
Written by Rich Wallace in November, 1997
MAN GIVES LIFE IN FOOTBALL GAME TO RAISE FUNDS FOR WILSON MEMORIAL |
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Recently, the Wilson Memorial Hospital celebrated the opening of its new outpatient care center. In recent articles in The Sidney Daily News, the major events in the history of the hospital have been recalled. Chief among those was the donation by Judge Harrison Wilson's family of the 27 acre parcel of real estate on which the present building is now located. The name of the hospital constantly brings to mind the charity of the Wilson family. Long forgotten by most was the ultimate sacrifice made by the Baumann family of Sidney in supporting the same cause sixty-six years ago. This is the story of Ralph 'Pee Wee' Baumann.
In 1928, members of the late Judge Harrison Wilson's family donated 27 acres of the family farm as a site for the future hospital, with the hopes that their efforts would spur support for the building of the hospital the community sorely needed. Prior to that time, what passed as Sidney's hospital was located above the county's boiler room, adjacent to the county jail. Two years would pass before sufficient funds were raised to build the facility.When the hospital opened, C. M. Fogt, president of the board, stated at the dedication ceremony on September 7, 1930: "How well this institution will succeed in carrying out its only purpose, that of relieving human suffering, will depend upon the support we all give, the amount and kind of effort we all put forth and the good will we manifest from this time on..."
As the board and staff learned, raising operating funds for the fledgling enterprise would be an oft-repeated exercise. In the very next year, volunteers organized an effort to collect money.
Earlier in the fall of 1931, a football between the semi-pro Sidney Merchants football team and a team composed of Sidney High School alumni and ‘old timers’ had raised money for the city welfare fund. The events was staged by the IUTIS Club. The fund was used to assist those unemployed as a result of the Great Depression.
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