File photo

James H. “Pee Wee” Martin is interviewed by Greene County Archivist and Records Manager Robin Heise at his home in Spring Valley Township. Martin died in 2022 and willed his property to the township, which is now selling it to Martin’s granddaughter.

SUGARCREEK TOWNSHIP — Sugarcreek Township is planning to sell the property that belonged to James “Pee Wee” Martin to his granddaughter after Martin’s trust willed the property to the township for free.

A resolution signed by all three trustees and the fiscal officer shows that the township will sell the property on Stewart Road to Jodi Puterbaugh for $401,000 cash.

A renowned World War II veteran who was one of the last remaining Airborne “Toccoa Originals” of 1942, Martin died Sept. 11, 2022.

Under terms of the trust, the township was to sell the property if it no longer had a use for it and put the money in the general fund, according to Trustees Vice-Chairperson Fred Cramer.

“We are doing what he asked us to do,” Cramer told the Gazette, adding that Martin also specified “who he didn’t want to have it.” Cramer did not wish to reveal who those people are.

He said the township did not put the property out to bid and had three other offers all about the same price. Puterbaugh approached the township about acquiring the approximately 37-acre property.

“We didn’t solicit her bid,” Cramer said. “She came to us and said this is what I’m willing to pay you for this property. We said OK and we accepted her bid, even though it wasn’t the lowest bid. At the end of the day we wanted it to stay with the family.”

Cramer acknowledged that there has been some pushback regarding the township selling something to a member of the Martin family when it was willed it for free. But he defended the township’s action.

“Some other folks have gotten involved that don’t know all the facts,” Cramer said. “That’s their speculation. We like to hear what other people have to think, but at the end of the day, our responsibility is to do what’s written, his desires. If (Martin) wanted his granddaughter to have his property, he could have included in the will that she gets the property. He did not do that.”

Cramer also said that Puterbaugh — who as of press time did return a message seeking comment — indicated that she wants just five acres of the land. He said Puterbaugh told Township Administrator Barry Tiffany that the rest of the property would be sold, with the proceeds going to pay for the statue she wants erected in her grandfather’s honor.

The sale has not been completed yet as the township is waiting for the deed. Once the property is in the township’s name, it has 60 days to close on the sale and convey the deed to Puterbaugh.

Contact Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.