Collecting Dolls is passion for young and old

Valpo woman collects and shows dolls and bears them. sew an outfit for her daughter and make a matching outfit for her doll. She also made clothes for Jacqueline’s Barbie dolls. The dolls Jacqueline died, she and Earl lost their only son, who died of

Johnson enjoys these shows and attends doll and bear For Johnson, collecting dolls, creating clothes and accessories By Cheri Shelhart is an enjoyable hobby. She still does some interior design as well, Kankakee Valley Publishing usually she said, she directs people to the places they can go to

At 95 years young, Vera She began her career in interior design in 1962. She took Johnson will happily talk about courses after she and her husband moved from Ohio to her doll collection, bears and Indiana, although she’d been doing interior design before that. her career as an interior designer. She had three locations in Valparaiso over the years, one on She is a member of the Valparaiso Lincolnway, another on Joliet and her last location was on Doll Club. Most years, she is busy Calumet St. “Now I just help people using my brain,” she preparing for the annual Doll & said. “I don’t sell things any more but I enjoy being around Bear Show at the Porter County Expo people.” Center in September, but this year the Vera met Earl in Chicago while she was in high school. event has been canceled along with She went with a friend to pick him up. He was in the Air many others. Force during World War II. She said they all went bowling

Johnson said she and her husband together and she said she went straight up to him and Earl, gave their daughter, Jacqueline, a asked him about airplanes, and they became instant doll every year for Christmas. The first doll they gave her was a “flirty-eyed” doll, whose eyes seem to follow you as you walk around the room. The doll, made in Italy, has a torso that twists and the hands are movable but friends. After marrying in Ohio and moving to Indiana, a friend of theirs, a home builder from Kouts, was talking about his need for help with a model home. She said Earl “blurted out” that she could help with that. “It’s Vera Johnson holds her own doll she has saved since childhood. the knees don’t bend. It was a unique doll in its day. funny how life works,” she said. After that, she took up her career

As an interior designer, Johnson loved to sew and she would and hasn’t really left it since. had accessories, including miniature furniture and props and the In Training, Inc. collection grew. Jacqueline passed suddenly in 2001, leaving her dolls to Vera. College Of That was when she began a collection of her own, adding to those her daughter had already collected. Six short weeks after Adult Education cancer. Three years later, Earl was gone and Johnson was left with 1330 E. Commercial Ave., Lowell, IN 46356 her memories and her collection. Ph. 219.696.0444 Fax: 219.696.1443 This is the 26 th year for the Valpo Doll & Friends Club, and the club has about 30 members. She said there are a couple men who www.intrainingcollege.com attend on occasion. The meetings are informative and interesting. “It’s educational,” she said. “There’s so much to learn.” The club sponsors the Doll & Bear Show each year, and it has Health Careers Since 1995 CNA Day Class become the largest of its kind in northwest Indiana. The show EKG Technician features antique and vintage dolls and collectibles. After the show, the club decides where the money they raise from it will go in the form of grants. They have given money Pharmacy Technician Medical Billing & Coding to the Hilltop organization, World Vision Club and the Boys & Phlebotomy Girls Club. The club began lining up collectors and vendors for the doll show in January and the booths fill up fast, she said. Medical Assistant

get the best deals. conventions across the country. She explained some of the conventions require a certain kind of doll. She will enter one or CLASSES STARTING SOON! more of her dolls that fit in the correct category and she has won some awards. She said there are also doll vendors who sell items and give her new ideas on how to make dolls and accessories for Call for more information 219.696.0444

GOVERNMENT, continued from page 5 • Board of Public Works and Safety meets the second and fourth Friday of each month at city hall at 10 a.m. • Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) meets the third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. • Economic Development Commission meetings are held at city hall as required. • Plan Commission meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at city hall. Commission members are • Redevelopment Commission meets the second Thursday at 4:05 p.m. immediately following an executive session, whichever occurs later, at city hall. • Park Board meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Forest Park Golf Course Clubhouse, Welter Room, at 1155 Sheffield Dr. • Valparaiso City Utility Board meets the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m. at the Valparaiso Water Dept. board room, 205 Billings St. • Ethics Commission meetings are held as needed at city hall. The commission’s mission is to uphold the

highest standards of integrity in city government. • Historic Preservation Commission meets on the third Thursday of each month or as needed. • Human Relations Council’s mission is to advance and support community inclusion. The purpose of the commission is to counsel and assist the mayor in the status of human relations in the city and identify special needs or opportunities to enhance relations. The commission is

also charged with acting as a resource to the mayor when racially or ethnically motivated incidents occur, suggesting and promoting events designed to promote a better understanding of minorities and improve the human relations of residents of Valparaiso and serving as liaison between the mayor’s office and minority groups. The commis

SALES • REPAIR • INSTALLATION

sion was established in 2008. • Mayor’s Advisory Council on Disability meetings are held as needed. The advisory council was established to foster public awareness and education of the needs and abilities of citizens with disabilities. It provides a forum for community issues and activities affecting the disabled. • Site Review meets at 9 a.m. as necessary at city hall. All city departments in development and permitting reviews process are represented at the meetings every Tuesday. • Traffic and Safety Committee meets the third Friday of each month at city hall at 10 a.m. The committee addresses traffic issues within the community including traffic control devices, parking concerns and street lights.

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