By BARBARA
BARBIERI
This year’s recipient of the Lance Hunter humanitarian has taken a leap from “behind the page” for many years into a public-facing role as part of the main story, announced A.J. Reynolds, president of Ossian Days Inc.
Honored during the opening evening of Ossian Days, Glen Werling is the newest recipient of the local honor.
A lifelong resident of Northern Wells County, growing up on a farm in rural Tocsin, Werling attended Bethlehem Lutheran School through eigth-grade, then attended Norwell High School graduating in 1982. He attended IPFW and pursued a degree in communications, graduating in 1987.
Werling has held several positions, including a disc jockey and news director at the Bluffton radio station WBGT. He briefly was a staff writer for Trine State University, and also a local news reporter for WEZV-WEZR out of Fort Wayne. Reynolds noted, however, “It is his career with The Bluffton News-Banner and with The Ossian Journal that he made his household name.”
In April of 1989, he started as a photojournalist, eventually rising to the rank of managing editor. Specifically, he covered the day-to-day happenings for Ossian, including the council, police commissioners, storm water board, park board, and Ossian revitalization meetings and Norwell Community School board meetings.
He also covered many different meetings and events throughout Wells County and various high school sports at all three Wells County schools, including football, baseball and basketball. The largest events he covered were the Wells County 4-H Fair, Bluffton Street Fair, and Ossian Days.
In March, he transitioned to serve as social media coordinator at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. He still takes an interest in Ossian, however, as he has taken a new seat in the main room he covered for years, by becoming one of Ossian’s newest Town Council members.
Werling has been a life-long member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, where he has served as church secretary and currently serves as head elder.
His hobbies include model trains, antique shopping, hiking, collecting vintage farm toys and train photography. He has won multiple photography awards from both the Associated Press and the Hoosier State Press Association, including HSPA Photographer of the Year in 2019.
On Oct. 17, 1998, he married his wife Julie and together they have two sons, Jacob, 21, and Nathaneal, 19, who all call Ossian home.
Concluding the presentation of the award, Reynolds said, “On behalf of Ossian Days Inc., it is my absolute honor to present the 2023 Lance Hunter Humanitarian Award to Mr. Glen Werling.”
Accepting the award, Werling explained, “I’ve always been a better writer than speaker, so I usually avoid talking when I can. But I would like to thank the Ossian Days Committee for presenting me with the Lance Hunter Humanitarian Award. I am honored and humbled to receive it. I can think of at least a dozen people more deserving of it than me. It brings to mind a Bible passage: Luke 17:10. Ossian is a wonderful community and I’m blessed to be part of it. We have the best people living here who care so deeply about this little town of ours. I only hope that I can continue to serve this community for many years to come.”
In announcing the award, Reynolds, also noted that it is the first year that the award has not been presented by Lance’s mother Joyce, who died in January.
barb@news-banner.com
