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Kriegbaum family accepts HCCSC settlement on field

The family of John P. and Anna Kriegbaum has announced it will not appeal the Huntington Superior Court’s ruling to quiet the title to Kriegbaum Field in the name of the Huntington County Community School Corporation.

The announcement was made Monday, April 20, about two hours after the HCCSC Board of School Trustees accepted the settlement with the Kriegbaum family during a special session. A joint statement was released by attorney William Ramsey of the Fort Wayne firm of Barrett McNagny, on behalf of both the Kriegbaum family and HCCSC, stating the two parties “amicably resolve the Kriegbaum Field Lawsuit.”

During the short, remotely held meeting, Superintendent Chad Daugh- erty explained the settlement agreement includes two provisions. One is that HCCSC will continue to use the Kriegbaum name on the corporation’s football facility, regardless of whether the football stadium remains in its present location.

In the second provision of the agreement, Daugherty said if the real estate where Kriegbaum Field is currently located is ever sold by HCCSC, the school corporation will endow a local scholarship in the Kriegbaum name through the Huntington County Community Foundation.

The agreement was accepted 6-0, with Board Member Gary McClellan absent.

The land upon which the stadium sits was originally deeded to the Huntington City School in 1927 by John P. and Anna Kriegbaum, and was later transferred to HCCSC in 1968 when the county’s township and city schools were reorganized into one corporation. In February a special judge ruled in favor of HCCSC’s suit to quiet the title.

In the press release from Ramsey, the Kriegbaum family stated that the “goal of opposing HCCSC’s quiet title action was to preserve the usage of Kriegbaum Field made possible by John Philip Kriegbaum and Anna Kriegbaum’s contribution in 1927 and to continue the Kriegbaum legacy associated with the athletic facility.”

“This was never about becoming the actual owners of the land or taking away title from HCCSC. HCCSC has agreed to continue the recognition of the Kriegbaum name as part of the outdoor stadium facility, regardless of where the facility may be located and also to establish a scholarship fund in the Kriegbaum name if the land is ever sold,” stated Anne Meier Jones, who is a descendant of John and Anna Kriegbaum and who made the statement on behalf of the Kriegbaum family. “We will not be pursuing an appeal.”

Board President Mathew Roth said he was thankful that an agreement has been reached with the Kriegbaum family.

“I’m also thankful for the hard work of everyone involved in bringing that agreement together,” he added. “I do want to point out that the terms that we’re agreeing to are terms that have been acceptable to the board ever since the quiet title action was filed. So I’m glad that we’re able to resolve this amicably and continue to recognize the contribution of the Kriegbaum family, both now and in the future.”