Wednesday, May 16, 2012

FOR THE LOVE OF DONKEYS -- PART 3


A TRIBUTE TO FRANK J. BARTHEN

Barthen was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, which is just north of Eau Claire.

He came to Columbus at age 16 in 1942, looking for wartime work.

To his great disappointment, a heart murmur and flat fleet disqualified Barthen from military service.

He ended up working in a Pearl Harbor naval yard as his way of contributing the war effort during World War II.

By the time Barthen made it back to Columbus in 1947, he decided he wanted to become part of donkey basketball.

Barthen bought into Donkey Ball with his brother-in-law, Spicer, for $700 in `47.

Spicer died at age 85 in 1997.

One of his sons, Jack, has four donkey ball teams in trucks traveling the country and more than 100 burros at his ranch in Marengo, Ohio.

Although paralyzed on the left side and slowed by the effects of a severe stroke he had in late 1995, Barthen still helps tend to the house that donkeys built. 

TRIBUTE CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MAY 17

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