and-true recipe with white and dark meat on plump buns and finished with butter and Miracle Whip salad dressing. Requests from folks who wanted turkey sandwiches yearround led Wayne to establish a small dining facility with several milk cans for stools and a couple of tables. The makeshift dining area quickly expanded, and a second dining room was added to accommodate crowds. “The sandwiches are still popular, but the real star is our turkey dinner with all the trimmings,” says Patti Cornwell, director of marketing and granddaughterin-law of the founders. “We also have the best turkey Reubens and burgers.” Turkeys are no longer raised or processed at the property, but there is a flock of resident turkeys that strut around the grounds, much to the delight of adults and children. The birds apparently enjoy classic rock ’n’ roll, as they showed up for a bike night and gobbled along with the music. “Turkeyville has grown, thanks to lots of good ideas from family members,” Cornwell says. “Sometimes I think we have too many good ideas.” Among those good ideas: the old-fashioned ice cream parlor, where homemade confections include regular ice cream flavors plus decidedly Turkeyville offerings like Turkey Trax and Jolted Turkey. This is also the place to purchase homemade fudge and caramel corn.
The restaurant’s signature turkey sandwich.
In 1968, the Cornwells introduced their dinner theater, complete with top-notch productions and bountiful buffet meals. With the current show, Dashing Through the Snow, playing through Dec. 18, plans are underway for the 2022 season, which will include The 39 Steps, Honky Tonk Angels, The Odd Couple, Church Basement Ladies, and Still Dreaming of a White Christmas. COVID-19 ushered in a new idea with the kitchen turning out frozen dinners to prepare at home. Still on the planning board are a children’s theater and an outdoor farm adventure.
Turkeyville, 18935 151/2 Mile Road, Marshall, Michigan. 269-781-4293 or www.turkeyville.com.
Turkeyville introduced dinner theater, complete with top-notch productions and a full buffet, to its menu in 1968.
NOVEMBER 2021 • OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING 27
