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Bud & Betty Plank

Edward (Bud) Plank was a native of Ashland whose ancestors settled here in the 1850s.

Betty Hood moved to Ashland with her family in 1939. Both graduated from Ashland High School and Ashland College five years apart. The couple married in 1952 and in 1960 took their two nieces to raise following the death of their parents in a private airplane crash.

After a stint in the Air Force during WWII, Bud returned to AHS where he taught Physical Education and later Driver’s Education for 30 years. He also coached baseball for 24 years and was an assistant basketball coach for 18 years. He had been named Teacher of the Year and had the baseball diamond named Bud Plank Field in his honor.

Betty taught at Polk and Wadsworth before being hired to teach American Literature and Journalism at AHS. She also was the advisor to the school paper. She taught here for 16 years and substituted for 18 more. Due to their association with young people in the classroom and gym, as well as their relationship in after school activities, the couple enjoyed their years of teaching.

As a member of the board of the Ashland County Historical Society, Betty became interested in local history. This led to her writing a column for the Ashland Times-Gazette and incorporating these into three books for the benefit of future generations.

She has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus of Ashland High School.

Because of their combined years of more than 55 years as teachers and their association with the students they taught, they have established a scholarship available to young people entering the field of education in the hope that they will enjoy teaching as much as they did.

Betty has designated the Ashland County Community Foundation as the recipient of her Assurity Life Insurance Policy to be designated for the Betty and Bud Plank Scholarship because they feel this will be beneficial in carrying out this objective.

Prepared 2013