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Vol. 3, Issue 4

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THE

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Contents VOLUM E 3 // I SS UE 4

A New Chef 8 Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s In Town Written and Photographed by GLENN WHEELER

Discoveries 14 Timeless In Blanchard Springs Caverns

Written and Photographed by NATE JORDON

23 Decoration Days Gone By Written by BEVERLY COTHRAN

Photography submitted by ERIC AND HEATHER KNAPP

30 Summer Treats to beat the Heat COME HOME KITCHEN

Prepared by HEATHER HINRICHS Photographed by KERRIE SZABO

18 Going Loco at Loco Ropes COME HOME KIDS By INDY HARRIS

Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

neighborsmill.com 1012 Highway 65 N. I Harrison, AR 72601 I 870-741-6455

922 HWY. 65 N. HARRISON, AR 72601

4 Come Home / Volume 3, Issue 4

& ACCESSO-

Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

Letters TO YOUR 15 YEAR-OLD SELF

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4

PUBLISHER & EDITOR

Heather Hinrichs ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Monique Wilson COPY EDITOR

This month my youngest son, Kinder, was among the last Freshman class to walk the halls of HJHS. He was asked to write a letter to his future self to be placed in the time capsule to be opened in 25 years. After he dropped off his letter, he let me read his final draft. In a one page letter I learned several things I did not know about my youngest son. His letter made me laugh, cry and swell up with pride. His letter got me to thinking and I wondered if tomorrow I received a letter from my 15 year-old self, what it might have said. Would I have written about how we were all glued to the TV in 1987, as Robert Stack shared the worlds Unsolved Mysteries with us, everything from UFO’s to missing children? Would I mention that for days we watched and prayed as Baby Jessica was stuck in the well? Would I mention the American top 40 and how we “walked like Egyptians”, we dreamed of fast “dancing with somebody who loved us”, and slow dancing cheek-to-cheek wearing a “red dress”? Would I have mentioned how we kept the “Faith” and “Opened our Hearts”? Never for one minute dreaming it would ever be over. Would the countless hours we spent at the twin cinema make it in the letter because that year we went Overboard, spent some time with lost vampires and Vietnam radio DJ’s? We watched funny cops in California and three men try to take care of a baby. At the time I wanted to be the coolest baby sitter taking kids into the city and I begged my parents to vacation in up state New York. I was even willing to carry the watermelon. What would our 15 year old selves tell us today? Here are some things I wish my letter to myself would have said. You are prettier than you think. He is not worth it, someone will come along so much better. Being smart and being funny are both great, don’t hide it. Never miss the opportunity to kiss your granny and papa. Hold your little brothers hand every chance you get. Your parents are brilliant and they love you, give them some credit. Always remember what you learned in Sunday School, it really is important. And finally, when you find your home, it’s ok to want to be there. It’s always good to Come Home and love it.

Donna Kay Bell GRAPHIC DESIGN

Sarah Knight/Wheelhouse Design CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Glen Wheeler Nate Jordon Indy Harris Beverly Cothran CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Glen Wheeler Nate Jordon Kerrie Szabo Eric and Heather Knapp

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Black Bear Publishing LLC All content is protected by U.S. copyright law and may not be reproduced without permission. MAILING ADDRESS

Black Bear Publishing 128 W. Stephenson Street Harrison, AR 72601 ADVERTISING OR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES

contact Heather at: comehomemagazine@hotmail.com 870.688.6561

Heather Hinrichs PUBLISHER & EDITOR

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ROBERT R. HUBBARD, DDS Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

There’s A New Chef In Town Chef Rick Gollinger, the Executive Chef and restaurant manager of Gaston’s White River Resort WRITTEN AND PHOTGRAPHED BY Glenn Wheeler

8 Come Home / Volume 3, Issue 4

Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

Since 1958, Gaston’s White River Resort has sat on the banks of the White River near Lakeview, Arkansas, offering world class trout fishing, lodging, hiking and much more. But, one of the star attractions at Gaston’s is their award-winning restaurant. Situated on support beams literally over the edge of the White River, the restaurant offers views unlike any other dining establishment. Over 6500 square feet of windows, going nearly to the floor, allows diners to take those views in as they enjoy culinary delights unequalled in the region. Watch great blue herons fish the river’s edge while enjoying your appetizer, then witness bald eagles soaring by, on their way to their nest within sight of your table, as your entrée arrives. I’ve watched record sized trout swim below the lights of the docks after dark and during daylight hours have witnessed everything from songbirds and squirrels on the feeders just outside the windows to waterfowl, deer, large flights of butterflies and much more. All while dining in the restaurant. If you tire of watching nature, the inside of the restaurant itself is pretty amazing as well. The late owner, Jim Gaston, collected all sorts of items that are now on display in the dining rooms. Over 80 bicycles hang from the ceiling, as do many antique outboard motors, tools, guns and other treasures. “I’ve said this many, many times, but Jim Gaston made my job very easy,” says Executive Chef and restaurant manager, Rick Gollinger. “He made a beautiful restaurant that people want to come to, all I have to do is give you good food. What I tell people is that I’ve got plenty of eye candy, both inside the restaurant and outside. You can sit here and look up at the walls and ceiling and spend hours, literally, and find new stuff all the time. Frankly, I’ve been here about a year and half now and I

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see new stuff all the time. I mean, we have tens of thousands of items hanging on the wall” Gollinger said with a chuckle. “They are very intriguing. It’s a bit captivating, actually.” The restaurant features a wonderful breakfast buffet and a great little salad bar made from an old White River jon boat. They also feature a full menu with a variety of options from amazing burgers and sandwiches to steak and lobster, pasta, salads and more. Each weekend, several more exotic specials are offered. Just a few examples of recent offerings include; Braised Bison Short Ribs, Rum Runner Grilled Swordfish, Tournedos of Beef Ala Saint Andre, Flounder Berry-Berry, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Duck Confit and other cool dishes one would be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the region, especially for the price. A price that is usually comparable to a good steak at a decent steakhouse. But, one of the real reasons to visit the restaurant is because of the man now in charge of it. Chef Rick Gollinger is the Executive Chef and restaurant manager and the reason the restaurant is able of offer such dishes. Chef Gollinger moved with his family to the area when he was fourteen and later graduated from Mountain Home High School before going on to Washborn Trade School where he finished with a degree in The Culinary Arts. After getting his degree, Chef Gollinger became an Executive Chef at the young age of 23, working at an exclusive country club in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. He went on to work as a chef in high-end restaurants and country clubs in the Chicago area, Milwaukee and Detroit. Chef Gollinger eventually became the owner-chef at his own place, the Miami Bar and Grill in the River North area of downtown Chicago.

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Along the way, Chef Gollinger helped found the Wisconsin Club Chefs’ Association and won a silver medal at the prestigious Chicago Culinary Salon. He is also an avid outdoorsman and fly fisherman and has even produced and appeared in a full length, instructional DVD with step-by-step instructions on caring for venison from the time it is harvested through preparing the meals. The DVD was well received and won two “Telly” awards for excellence. He returned to the area and took over the restaurant at Gaston’s in March of 2016. Although Chef Gollinger’s talent allows him to create just about any culinary experience he wants, he loves using fish and game such as venison and waterfowl. His fish dishes range from seafood such as swordfish and mahi-mahi to local freshwater offerings like walleye and crappie. The latter being one of his favorite species to fly fish for. Of course, with Gaston’s being famous as a trout fishing destination, trout is naturally a big seller as well. Gollinger is also making a name for himself with his desserts. He says “I’ll put my key lime pie up against literally anyone’s.” And the pie speaks for itself. It is truly amazing. My favorite, thought, has to be his version of Crème’ Brule. Rich and creamy with just the right, sugary crust toasted on top. When he tops it with fresh strawberries or raspberries, it in itself is worth the visit. Having grown up in the area and having a love for the outdoors, Gaston’s was a great fit for Chef Gallinger and he was a great fit for the resort. “Bringing Chef Rick on board was one of the first things I did (after taking over ownership of the resort after the passing of his grandfather, Jim Gaston) and one of the best.” Said resort owner, Clint Gaston. “He has been great, not only greatly improving the food and experience in the restaurant, but he has helped reduce turnover in the restaurant staff. They enjoy working there and take pride in what is being offered.” Gaston added. It’s obvious the respect Gaston has for Chef Gollinger is

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reciprocated. “I’ve said it many times, but I think Clint is the best thing that’s happened to Gaston’s in years. He is a breath of fresh air and a fine young man that has a vision of what he wants to do with the place. And, I think he’s going to be very successful for a very long time.” That mutual respect and admiration allows Chef Gollinger and Gaston to have a working relationship that allows for good things for diners. “One of the things I try and do is to create new dishes quite often. Being at Gaston’s allows me to do that.” Gollinger said. “With my background in the high-end country club world, I had a captive audience, so I had to keep trying new things to keep it fresh. I try to do the same thing at Gaston’s. I think that helps to keep our locals coming back.” And he continues to “keep it fresh.” The day I called to complete the final interview for this piece, Chef Gollinger told me he had created two new dishes from scratch that day. Although he didn’t say what they were, he did indicate they will soon begin to appear on the featured specials from time to time. Local and regional customers are a group that both Gaston and Gollinger want to appeal to. “I want the local folks to think of Gaston’s when they want a nice meal.” Gaston told me. “We want to create an experience that brings locals back again and again. We love our resort guests and value their business in the restaurant, but we also love the local community and want those folks to have a good experience here as well.” Gollinger echoed that sentiment; “Our resort guests are kind of like the country club members in that, while they are staying at the resort, they are somewhat of a captive audience. While there are other places in the area to eat, the guests are typically going to come here.” Gollinger said. “While that is great, we also want this to be a dining destination for people in our local area as well. And, we are starting to get quite a few regular visitors from the Harrison area, Mountain Home and other places that are fairly close by. We are now starting to get quite a few folks from Springfield, Fayetteville

and Little Rock. We’re even getting a few from Memphis. Those folks come over for an evening, have dinner then stay the night at the resort. They’ll get up the next morning, have our brunch and turn around and go home” he says. To Gollinger that is a great reward for the hard work. “To me that the quintessential compliment to the restaurant, and it’s not just to me it’s to my entire staff, that we now have people that are coming to Gaston’s because they want for to spend time inarea. the restaurant, the dining The result not necessarily on the river.” hein said. is a stunning elegance an Whileindustrial Gaston’s will probably always be meets natural design. a fishing resort first, helping to make it Amidst all the amenities of a a dining destination is part of why Chef modern resort suite, guests Gollinger is there. can actually climb around in One means to that end is the “Gasthe many little alcoves, takevisa ton’s Dining Club.” When a customer steaming hot shower mixed its the restaurant, they can fill out a card cold drips from the to getwith updated information sent to their above, slidespecials into phonestalactites or email about weekend and other news. “That’smovie-star our avenue for dithe glamorous bed rect communication with our beneath the faux fur customers. throw, We have a beautiful restaurant, and it’s a relax in the soft recessed place light, that people love to come in and sit and sense the energy of and gaze out the window and look at all the rock formations just out the antiques and do all of that. So, we just of reach. This is as close to try to give the diner that full experience caveman as you want to go. here. We try to give them good service and a good, quality meal with plenty of adventurers have food -Of forcourse, a reasonable price. We don’t gone further, exploring try toalready be the cheapest game in town, we and half reallythe can’tone afford to, abut we miles believeof we have athe good value for the meals that -wea Beckham Creek Cave put out. Our localofcustomers labyrinth tunnels,perceive caverns, value in different ways, but certainly, we have to earn their business every day. Our local customers have lots of options.” Gollinger said. He and Gaston hope to make their restaurant one of the first options the local customers choose. There is a long and storied history at Gaston’s and with Clint Gaston and Chef Rick Gollinger at the helm, the future promises to be just as bright. With Gaston’s vision for the overall resort and Gollinger’s talent for running a restaufor The cuisine, result it’s rantthe anddining creatingarea. world class is a stunning an If you definitely worthelegance the drive toin visit. make it once, chances are you’ll be back industrial meets natural design. again and again. CH Amidst all the amenities of a

modern resort suite, guests For more information visit www.gastons. can actually climb around in com. Click the “Menu” link to see an updated the many version of thelittle menu alcoves, and to readtake about a Check steaming hot shower mixed Gollinger. with cold drips from the stalactites above, slide into the glamorous movie-star bed beneath the faux fur throw,

870.741.1600 870.741.1600 101 Roberta • Harrison, AR

claymaxeymotorsports.com Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

TIMELESS DISCOVERIES IN BLANCHARD SPRINGS CAVERNS WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY Nate Jordon

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Located in the mystical wilderness of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest near the tiny town of Fifty-Six is a federally protected Recreation Area that inspires magic and wonder in all who visit. It is the first natural place I explored when I moved to Arkansas and I’ve returned several times since, and I’ll keep coming back. Blanchard Springs Caverns has something for everyone who loves adventure and relaxation and whether you’ve never been or been there before, you’ll keep coming back because there’s always something new to discover. The first time I visited Blanchard Springs

Caverns was when my friends Nooch and Momo came to visit from New York. Nooch was assisting me with a publishing venture I was running at the time, a project I brought with me from Colorado, and he and his girlfriend came out for a three-week visit where we were planned to hunker down and get a head start on our production schedule for the following year. It was my first fall in the Ozarks and that particular late October was an absolute stunner. The autumn foliage was in full bloom and after taking

HOW TO GET THERE

Head west on AR 14 at the junction of AR 9 in Mountain View, drive 12.3 miles and turn right onto FR 1110 and drive till you reach the entrance station.

PLANNING YOUR VISIT For information and to plan your visit, contact Sylamore Ranger District at: 1001 East Main Street Mountain View, AR 72560 870-269-3228 (or the Caverns at 870-757-2211)

ONLINE RESOURCES

There are also several resources on the internet to research. I suggest starting with the USDA Forest Service at: www.fs.usda. gov/recarea/osfnf/recarea/?recid=43431

Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

an afternoon to absorb the landscape from atop Sam’s Throne, which looked like a giant bowl of Fruity Pebbles from our high vantage point, we decided to take a break from our grueling work schedule and go camping. After a quick Google search we decided to check out Blanchard Springs Caverns. After a scenic drive through the Ozarks of north central Arkansas, along with a quick stop in historic Mountain View, Folk Music Capital of the World, we found ourselves driving beneath the high limestone bluffs along the pristine waters of Sylamore Creek within the Recreation Area. After setting up tents and hammocks we ventured off to one of the swimming holes along the creek. Nooch wasted no time proving I was chicken and dove right into that cold spring water. Not even my Australian Shepherd Ollie ventured in too deep, sticking to the rocky creek bed instead. Then it was back to the campsite for a night of gazing at the campfire and stars. Besides one other group camping a short distance away, we had the entire campground to ourselves. At one point Momo went to the restroom and came back to report that not only did it have hot water and showers, it was heated. This impressed me to no end and isn’t the first time I’ve bragged about such amenities found in Arkansas’ state parks and other managed natural areas. The next day we hiked 4.5 miles along North Sylamore Creek Trail to the turnaround point at Gunner Pool Recreation Area. Along the way we passed overhanging bluffs, springs, and tributaries. We came across a turtle which made us say, “A turtle?” Not knowing Three-toed Box Turtles inhabit the state, it seemed very peculiar to us. We spent the majority of the day on that hike observing the ferns, cedars, and caves speckled amongst the glades and hollows. We simply ran out of time to tour the caverns, which we vowed to explore the next time Nooch and Momo came for another work pow-wow. But I couldn’t wait that long. On my next visit I brought Chelsea with me. Not only did we camp and hike, discovering the beauty of Mirror Lake and Blanchard Springs itself, a spectacular waterfall gushing from the base of a mountain, we dedicated half a day to taking the official

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ranger-guided tour of the caverns. Blanchard Springs Caverns is the only tourist cave owned by the United States Forest Service and the only one owned by the Federal government outside the National Park Service. With 8.1 miles of surveyed passage, it is the second longest cave in Arkansas and the largest in volume. It is a three-level cave system, two of which are open for guided tours via two trails to choose from. The Dripstone Trail runs through the uppermost level of caverns for about a half-mile. The Discovery Trail loops through a 1.2-mile section of the cavern, descending about seventy feet below to the Natural Entrance then another 300 feet underground to the lower level of the cave where it follows the stream bed of Blanchard Springs which created the cavern. For more adventurous visitors there is a third option. The Wild Cave tour allows access to undeveloped sections of the cavern, following the upstream section of the cave in the lower levels and continues beyond where the Discovery Trail ends. The discovery of Blanchard Springs Caverns and its subsequent development has an intriguing history. It opened for public tourism in 1973 but was known to locals for much longer. John Blanchard owned 160 acres of land which contained the caverns and surrounding area. He died in 1914. By the 1930s the caverns were wellknown, locals calling it Half-Mile Cave. Exploratory analysis of the cave began in 1955 and went on for five years. During that first year remains were discovered of one of the cave’s earliest explorers, a 1,000-year-old Native American. The skeleton had a fractured skull, fractured ribs, and a fractured leg. In 1963 development of the Dripstone Trail began. Upon its completion ten years later, Blanchard Springs Caverns opened to the public. The Discovery Trail opened four years later. More intriguing history is contained in the geology of the caverns. The limestone rock from which the caves and interior formations developed was deposited in an ancient sea more than 350 million years ago. The cave contains middle Odovician and lower Mississippian rocks, 100-foot thick Plattin limestone, Boone chert, Carson

shale, and Fernvale Limestone. One of the outstanding examples of formation growth is the Giant Flowstone. At 164 feet long, thirty-three feet wide, and thirty feet thick, it’s one of the largest in the United States. Other magnificent formations include the Rimstone Dams, which create pools along the stream bed, and the Ghost Room with its huge white flowstone. During the cave’s formation active streams cut through one level of the cave down to another without much vadose erosion occurring. The present stream currently rises from the cave at Blanchard Springs itself and remains at the same temperature as the cave, a constant 58 °F (14 °C) year-round. Blanchard Springs Caverns is known as a “living” cave because the formations inside continue to grow as calcite is actively deposited by seeping and dripping water. It remains this way thanks to the care given by visitors and conservation management provided by United States Forest Service. Two years later Chelsea and I returned with the kids. It was late spring and we had just finished an exciting day at Loco Ropes, a ziplining-tower-climbing- tree-top-ropescourse near Ozark Folk Center State Park. The kids were hot, hungry, and tired so we grabbed a few snacks at Mellon’s Country Store and dipped into Blanchard Springs Caverns Recreation Area for a shaded, breezy picnic. Once the kids saw those swimming holes along the creek, all exhaustion leaped off them as they begged us to let them get in the water. This time there was no one in the camping area and we had the place to ourselves. After the kids had their fill of swimming and exploring the creek banks loaded with rocks and shells, we headed for home. The kids were zonked out before we hit the highway. We can’t wait to come back and take the kids on one of the cave tours. Every time I’ve visited Blanchard Springs Caverns I’ve been fortunate to experience relative solitude. However, this can be a rarity, especially in the summer months. If you’re going for a day trip, then I invite you to go on a whim. If you’d like to camp and stay for a night or more, I advise you to do some research and plan ahead. Fortunately, I’ve done a little bit of that for you. CH

Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

COME HOME KIDS

Going Loco at Loco Ropes BY Indy Harris

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“Whoa!” I yelled, I thought I was going to fall! I had just started the rope course at Loco Ropes. The first task was to walk across a big wooden beam. It swayed back and forth. I thought I was one hundred feet in the air! When I got to the top I didn’t come down. I was scared to. We were at Loco Ropes because it was me and my brother’s birthday. Before we started the rope course the workers laid out harnesses and helmets. First they had to fix the helmets to fit on our heads and fit the harnesses to our waists. My harness felt tight around me. Then we took a little walk to the Instruction Course. We had to practice latching and unlatching our harness a lot. We walked

a little farther and met up with a huge group of people. It smelt like oak and cedar outside. We all walked a little bit farther and got to a big tower. The tower looked like a log cabin. There were lots of stairs. When I got to the top I could see most of the ropes course. I thought, How am I going to do this? My dad went first, then I did, then my little brother Cooper, and then my mom. When I took my first step I felt the beam shake. I got scared and froze in my steps. The worker that was leading us had to come back over and help me across. There were lots of other different varieties of rope challenges. When I

finished the first challenge the first thing I thought was “I did it!” At the end there was a short zip line. The whole time I was riding it I was screaming in excitement. I felt so happy and proud that I finished! I had to help my brother up to the landing platform of the zip line. If it wasn’t for me my brother would have fallen! Next, Dad and I went to the big zip line. It was very high. I started to say under my breath,” I can’t do this,” over and over again. But then I said out loud, “I can do this! I can do this!” I ended up doing it. It was so long, I think it was at least one hundred yards! It was about two miles in the air.

Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

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Then we went over to the freefall. The tower was the same height as the zip line tower. It was extremely hard to step off the edge and drop. But I toughed it out and did it. The freefall was straight down and made my tummy tickle. When I landed I said, “Wow! I thought I would never step off that edge!” Then I said to Dad, “I wanted to chicken out very bad. But this time I didn’t!” There was one more task that needed to be tackled: the Climbing Tower. I went as fast as lightning going up. When I gripped on tight to the plastic rocks, it stung the cut on my hand. Some rocks were sharp and some were smooth. They felt like real rocks. The thought of coming down made shivers go down my back. I was frozen in fear. While I was up there Cooper went up and down about five times! I was so mad and scared at the same time. Mom said, “You can come down, the rope will hold you.” I thought about how many times I had really rock climbed on real rocks at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch and I had let a person hold me up and bring me down because I didn’t trust the equipment. Earlier I had seen another little girl fall down with the rope on her and that discouraged me more. I stayed up there on the rock wall for about ten minutes before I came down. Then I tried again. Each time I went up I said I would come down, but every time I got up there I would get scared again and stay up there longer. I felt so embarrassed when we moved on. But Dad said I’ll do it again next time we go and I’ll conquer that wall. To wrap up our day we had a well deserved picnic. The place we picnicked at was the Ozark Folk Center. Afterwards we went to Mellon’s Country Store and we all got sodas. Dad got a cream soda, Mom got a cream soda, and Cooper and I got Root Beers. Finally, we made a surprise stop to Blanchard Springs Caverns. We were not planning on swimming, but after begging and begging my mom finally said, “Fine, but you will have to swim in that.” With a smile on my face I ran into the water in my T-shirt and shorts and started splashing. After a tiring but adventurous day, I drifted off to sleep as we drove home. I can’t wait for our next Ozarks Adventure! CH

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Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

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The dawn of another Decoration Day season is upon us, but like the forgotten flowers faded from the sun, Decoration Days of today pale in comparison to their namesakes. BY BEVERLY COTHRAN

PHOTOGRAPHED BY ERIC AND HEATHER KNAPP

Decoration Days Gone By

Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

For decades in the rural south, Decoration Day was the most important day of the year. It was the one day women would be afforded the luxury of a new dress. On the day of the festivity, the entire family, from the tiniest tot to the elderly, sported their “Sunday best,” including broad brimmed hats, colorful bonnets, bow-ties or suspenders for the men and shiny hair ribbons for the girls. After weeks (sometimes months) of canning, baking and flower making, families made the pilgrimage to the land of their roots. They traveled days and weeks by horseback, walking or in wagons loaded with kinfolk, baked goods and handmade flowers. Lea (Keithley) Robertson, a longtime resident of the Anderson Flat area recalled the days of her youth, “People would come from far and wide on horses and in wagons. There was always singing, preaching, dinner on the ground, and more.” Throughout the Ozarks dozens of local cemeteries host Decoration Day celebrations from the month of May through August. The month of May is a popular month for decoration celebrations At the Love Cemetery in St. Joe Decoration Day is the first Sunday of May. At the tiny Pea Ridge Cemetery, folks gather on the second Monday in May. Anderson Flat Cemetery in Marion County holds their celebration on the third Sunday in May. Several cemeteries in Newton County (Compton, Jasper and Mount Hersey) hold their ceremonies on the last Sunday in May. Stone Cemetery in Searcy County is the 1st Sunday in June, Bruno’s Decoration is the 2nd week of June. Celebrations are liberally spread through the calendar to allow community members to honor lost family members who settled in neighboring communities and also just for folks to be able to visit and celebrate together. (County newspapers generally post schedules of

24 Come Home / Volume 3, Issue 4

area Decoration Day activities). Although the celebrations at many cemeteries have ceased or have diminished in length and participation compared to those of the past, others have evolved into grander galas. Vicki Martin, Genealogist of the Searcy County Library, described events she annually attends in Searcy County. “The Witts Springs Cemetery is cleaned by volunteers two weeks before Memorial Day Weekend.” In years past the “volunteers” were local children, but more recently the duties shifted back to adults. Vicki stated that over the past thirty years, Decoration Day at Witts Springs has evolved into a town celebration known as Hillbilly Daze, “The day starts out with the kiddie parade at 11:00 a.m. then (is) directly followed by the big parade,” Vicki described. “Everyone comes out of the woods with 4-wheelers, tractors, floats, horses, buggies and antique cars and trucks.” The day’s events also include turtle races, stick horse races and horseshoe contests. She said the day still includes some traditional elements. The Extension Homemakers Club spoons out heaping servings of beans and cornbread and at a specific time in the day, “new flowers are put on the loved ones graves with a moment of silence and respect.” Edna Lou Grinder of St. Joe, Arkansas, has been associated with more than 75 years of Decoration Days at Tomahawk and Bruno Cemeteries. Her family orchestrates a three day homecoming event (Grinder-May-Watts Reunion) that involves scheduled meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner at local restaurants, float trips on the Buffalo River and gatherings at the Tyler Bend Recreation Center. Relatives from California, Memphis and Tulsa frequent the event. The

cumulating activity is the assembly of relatives at the Cemetery on Sunday. In my tiny community of Anderson Flat, Decoration Day remains the central community event. Tammy Spence of the area stated, “Everybody always looked forward to decoration at the Flat. It is a homecoming: a time to celebrate heritage and ancestry.” Kathy Reeves, resident of the area shared, “Family and friends would come from far and near to visit, decorate graves, and have dinner on the ground.” Celebrations at Anderson Flat occur in three distinct areas of the property; the old church/schoolhouse, the community building and the pavilion. Visitors of the Anderson Flat celebrations paths cross on their strolls through the cemetery where they pause to pay respects to the memories of special friends and family members. Prior to the event, family members groom the graves, (trim grasses, sweep the dust off tombstones, and garnish the graves with fresh flowers or new arrangements of silk flowers that are often deposited in urns or posted on displays surrounding the site.) Three essentials for Decoration Day festivities are flowers, family and feasts.. Generations ago, folks gathered in the cemetery and spread their blankets, laid out their food, and dined amongst the graves, thus the phrase “dinner on the ground” was coined. Edna Lou reflected on the significance of home-made flowers. She said that few people had access to florist and so most had to make flowers from crepe paper, egg cartons or tissue paper. Women would work through the winter nights folding, curling and stretching crepe paper into roses. A vase would sometimes be kept on a high shelf (out of the reach

of little hands) in the room to collect the flowers. The flowers were dipped in hot paraffin wax to help them be more resilient. As the days edged nearer to the event, the flowers were wrapped or boxed for the transfer to the cemetery. Edna Lou said that, when available, fresh flowers, especially roses, were cut from yard. Decoration Day celebrations sometimes included “flower girls” who would be given fresh flowers that the assembly had gathered, and whose duty it was to distribute flowers throughout the graveyard on the cemetery plots. Kathy Reeves said that some of the

flowers she remembered were made with Kleenex tissue paper. She said the women would line the edges with lipstick to add color. Today graves are decorated with bight silk flowers, treasured mementos or even small trees. A few still pick fresh flowers as they did in years past. Kathy Reeves recalled a special privilege Decoration Day afforded her as a young girl, “My grandmother, Ada (O’Daniel) Robertson, would never allow me to pick the flowers in her yard, but on decoration Sunday, we would snip flowers until her apron was full. She would then box

them up for the trip to the cemetery.” It is always been important for all the graves to be adorned with flowers. An abundance of mouth-watering home-cooked dishes are an obligation of every successful Decoration event. In the depression era, many folks attended simply for the food. Reeves, said of her early years at the Anderson Flat event, “At noon, everyone would come together to eat. There use to be lines of tables between the trees at the Flat. Everyone would put their food out and most everyone would share.” She described a time her grandmother recollected before the

Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

tables were available, in those days folks would bring their old quilts or heavy spreads and throw them on a patch of grass in the cemetery. About the spreads of food, Kathy shared, “There was always plenty of fried chicken, potato salad, deviled eggs, fried pies, black berry cobbler, and many other country favorites.” Eventually, like many area cemeteries, a pavilion with picnic tables was constructed near the cemetery and the phrase dinner on the ground evolved to dinner on the grounds. “The garden was producing at that time,” Lea Robertson shared, “green peas, lettuce, green onions and radishes were commonly served. Some would bring homemade canned sausage, canned in stone jars with hot lard poured over it. They would make sandwiches out of it.” Families pooled resources together to create these flavorsome loaves. One family would bake one or more layers, and another family would contribute the spread (applesauce, fruit filling or apple butter) that was distributed between the layers. Stack cakes were also popular choices because they traveled well on long trips. Decoration Days of by-gone-days were deeply entrenched with Christian values. Kathy Reeves and Tammy Spence said that Decorations at Anderson Flat would be both preaching and singing in each of the buildings. At most cemeteries, the day was packed with short sermons from preachers or speakers from various denominations. Meals were blessed with prayer and hymns were sang from the old church hymnals. “In the sweet by and by. We shall meet on that beautiful shore”. Edna Lou Grinder recalls singing those encouraging words and many others from hymns with the

26 Come Home / Volume 3, Issue 4

general theme of meeting up with loved ones in heaven. Songs were generally sung acapella, but singings and concerts with instruments were included in some instances. In the past decade, a resurgence of interest in area decoration celebrations, the refurbishing of Old Churches and Community buildings and restoration of graves and cemeteries has surged. In a tiny cemetery called Hall Cemetery along the Buffalo River community members united to restore the church and actively engage in advertising Decoration Day Celebrations by posting ads in the Marshall Mountain Wave newspaper. Recently Janice and David Davis of the Bruno area united with neighbors, Vince and Mary Wince to organize a day to clear out the briars and brushes at the tiny Pea Ridge Cemetery that borders the Marion/Searcy County line. Over the past five years, members of the Anderson Flat Community banded together to raise funds to renovate the old Anderson Flat Church and Schoolhouse. To commemorate Decoration Days of Days Gone-By and to spark an interest in the traditional celebration, an afternoon event was organized. The focus of the day was to learn the almost lost art of crepe paper and tissue paper flower-making. Mixed iin with the crafts was a little bit of old-time music and a brief overview of decoration celebrations of the past. Prior to the event, my family led an intense search for someone with experience crafting crepe paper flowers. It began to seem that the art of crepe paper flower making had been buried with the past. Then, through her connections with the Searcy County Library, Edna Lou Grinder introduced me to Vicki Martin. Vicki had always had an interest in

local historical celebrations and events and had recently instructed a course on Death and Dying in the Ozarks. Included in her sessions, was a lesson on decorating graves with crepe paper flowers. I filled Vicki in on our quest to honor the spirit of the Decoration Days of the past through a flower-making celebration with local children. She arranged for a crepe paper flower making session for our tiny entourage at the Searcy County Library. After an afternoon of piecing together a few flowers, we felt competent enough to engage our community members in the process. Tina Keymer of SweetGypsySouls of Harrison agreed to share her creativity and craftsmanship, engaging participants in a session on fashioning colorful tissue paper flowers. Tina displayed a varied bouquet of flowers she created then presented a step-by step demonstration on how to create the delicate decorations. The young boys and girls swarmed the table spread with an artist’s pallet of pastel and patterned tissue paper. Each carefully selected his or her preference as Tina guided them through the process. After patiently piecing together one flower, McKinsey Trammell, one of the children participating in the afternoon event stated that “It must have took the old timers a long time to make all them flowers for the graves.” After the children proudly displayed their colorful creations, we concluded the afternoon with another Decoration Day tradition of sipping lemonade and snacking on buttermilk cornbread muffins with homemade blackberry jam as the tiny assembly settled in for singing. Edna Lou Grinder led the group in a few familiar hymns then shared a tune or two on a psaltery. As we reflected on the experience, our little community decided to hold to the ways of our past and schedule a flower-making celebration day each year during the week before Decoration Day. Tammy Spence summed up the sentiments of Decoration Day by stating, “It has always been about reuniting families.” She said, “it is a joyful and heartwarming link to our pasts.” In July, the grasses on the cemetery grounds wither and brown and the silk flowers fade, but the memories of those marked in the cemeteries live on. CH

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Come home

Bruschetta Ingredients 1 baguette loaf, cut into thin slices and toasted 2 teaspoons chopped garlic 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese 2 1⁄2 cups chopped roma tomato 1⁄3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaf 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions In a medium mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, garlic, basil, vinegar, olive oil, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and let sit for at least 15 minutes at room temperature to let the flavors marinate. Slice the bread into individual pieces and spoon the mixture on top.

BY Heather Hinrichs

30 Come Home / Volume 3, Issue 4

PHOTOGRAPHED BY Kerrie + Stefan Photography & Design

Black Bean and Corn Salsa Ingredients 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed 2 cans of whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed 1 tomato diced 1 purple onion chopped 1/2 cup of olive oil 1/2 tsp of salt 1 tsp of pepper 1 Tbs of cumin 1 Tbs of garlic powder 1 tsp of chili powder

Directions In large bowl gently stir together, black beans, corn, tomato and purple onion. In a small bowl whisk together, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin. garlic powder, chili powder. Green onions can be added if you like. Pour over black bean mixture, chill for one hour and serve with tortilla chips or as a garnish on your favorite Mexican dish.

Volume 3, Issue 4 / Come Home

Simple syrups Simple syrups are a great way to flavor cocktails, top ice cream and add to homemade sodas and are super simple to make. In the summer I like to make blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, mango and peach. Store them in an air tight container.

Ingredients 1 cup Sugar 1 cup Water 1 1/2 cups of the fruit of your choice.

Directions Add all ingredients into a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Mash fruit and let mixture simmer until sugar has dissolved and fruit is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let it cool completely. Strain into a bottle/jar making sure to squeeze any excess juice from the blackberries. Discard any pulp or excess solids.

32 Come Home / Volume 3, Issue 4

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