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from the
EDITOR
EDITOR Andrea Howe ahowe@mtcarmelregister.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Maegan Saalwaechter
CONTRIBUTORS Kim Bayless
Independence Day is around the corner, with good food, good music and all the other ways we celebrate the birth of our nation in our 618 neighborhoods. Maybe you like to barbecue. Or, maybe you like barbecue but don’t want the hassle of doing it yourself. Check out Corey Woolsey’s cover story featuring Beer Bones BBQ of Mount Carmel, ready to hit the road with a new food trailer this summer. Barbecue always makes me think of the blues…and you can learn more about the National Blues Museum, a passion of Carmi native Rob Endicott. Mona Warrick shares the story of how Endicott’s love for music formed in elementary school and evolved over the years. If you’re looking for a good summer dessert for that Independence Day picnic or cook-out, you’re in luck. Kim Bayless shares some of her favorites: strawberry pie, blueberry cupcakes and peach cobbler! Don’t miss Erin Zinzilietta-Pennington’s column, where she shares how a love of dolls turned into a sewing side hustle! And, on the other side of the sewing seam, you’ll learn why I never wear plaid! Each month, it’s our joy to plan and highlight some of the many good stories to be told in the (618) neighborhood. If you have a story idea, we’re happy to share it with readers. As a reminder, nonprofit organizations and churches are encouraged to share information about upcoming festivals and family-oriented events in our monthly calendar. This month, we’ve got the dates for several county fairs, fireworks, outdoor concerts and more. Please email event information to news@mtcarmelregister.com. Remember, we work a month ahead, so the earlier we receive your information, the better! Happy reading, we’ll be bringing more stories of your (618) Hometown Magazine neighbors to you next month!
Andrea Howe Editor
Mona Warrick Corey Woolsey Erin Zinzilieta-Pennington
TO ADVERTISE Courtney Shuttle courtney@pdclarion.com 812-220-4861
CONNECT WITH US Find us on Facebook @618HometownMagazine P.O. Box 550 Mt. Carmel IL 62863 618-263-1005 Email: news@mtcarmelregister.com
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Photo by Corey
Woolsey
Community Events JULY 1-4
Fantastic 4th Celebration – Mount Carmel
JULY 22
JULY 26-31
Edwards County Fair – Albion
Sounds of Summer ft. The Ashes – Olney
JULY 29
JULY 4
Independence Day Fireworks
– White County Fairgrounds in Carmi
JULY 3-10
Richland County Fair – Olney
JULY 15
Sounds of Summer ft. Garrett Biggs – Olney
JULY 23
Clayton Mann at Merchant’s Park – 5 p.m. – Mt. Carmel
Sounds of Summer ft. The Hagans – Olney
JULY 30
JULY 24-30
Wabash County Jr. Fair – Mt. Carmel
JULY 24-31
Crawford County Fair – Oblong
2021 Olney Chamber of Commerce Golf Scramble – 4:30 p.m. – Olney
HCC-Wendelin Sesquicentennial Wine Tasting and Food Trucks – 6 p.m. – Newton
GET ON THE CALENDAR
JULY 22
West End Summertime Cruise In
Want to see your event on the (618) Hometown Magazine Event Calendar? Send us an email at: news@mtcarmelregister.com
– 6 p.m. – Newton
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(618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021 3
BEER BONES
HITS THE ROAD THIS SUMMER WRITER: COREY WOOLSEY
Brandan Patterson and his Mount Carmel-based Beer Bones BBQ business hits the road in style this summer in his new trailer. Beer Bones was developed when Brandan’s wife Jessica was working on her education in nursing school. “I was looking for something to do and I always liked grilling,” said Brandan. “I had always done that with my dad.” Brandan had friends in the BBQ competition game, but success did not come instantly for Beer Bones. “When I first started I thought it was awesome, but it all sucked,” laughed Brandan. “The brisket was shoe leather. I mean I don’t know how you mess up a pork butt, but I did.” In his first competition, Brandan’s offerings
4 (618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021
came in last place across the board.
the potential in everything.
Not to let a poor showing get him down, Brandan studied his craft, worked and tested to improve and came back a year later, and was Grand Champion, winning first place across the board.
Brandan and his friend Tim Kolb drove down to take a look at it, and ultimately brought it home. “I knew it was going to be a lot of work, and we had to gut the whole thing,” said Brandan. “But it
In the past five years, Brandan and Jessica have
had a solid steel frame; it had good bones.”
made Beer Bones BBQ a family business, includ-
One appeal to working with a trailer that need-
ing their two daughters JaLynn and Brylee as an
ed work for Brandan and Jessica was the fact that
important part of the team.
they have never borrowed money for the business,
Beer Bones is constantly booked up for special
they put what they make back into the business.
events, such as the summer concert series at Mer-
Brandan’s dad and friend Tom Goodman did a
chant’s Park in Mount Carmel, as well as catering
majority of the work to get the trailer from “trash”
many private events in the community, such as
to “treasure.”
weddings.
“We supplied the materials and they made our
But as the business grew, Jessica knew that Brandan was looking for a special addition to the business; a new trailer to travel to events in.
dream come true,” Jessica said. The trailer has the rustic look that the Patterson’s desired, but it’s completely new and commer-
“I knew I didn’t want to vend under tents again,” Jessica said. “But we were looking around and trailers are really expensive.”
cial food grade on the inside. The Patterson family will have Beer Bones BBQ and their new trailer out at many events this
Jessica then found a possible trailer near Alabama in Tennessee on Facebook, which was very rough, or as Brandan called it, “trash.”
summer, as events open up for business. “It has been a long five year journey from that early competition to being the only BBQ provider
But Jessica said that her dad had always
in Wabash County,” Brandan said. “We wouldn’t
worked with his hands, and always said to look at
be here if it wasn’t for the people who got us here.”
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Couture in miniature WRITER: ERIN ZINZILIETA-PENNINGTON
My daughter received her first American Girl Doll when she was six
lecting. Antique dolls can be purchased at all price points from $50-$3,000
years old. She always loved dolls, and typically took two with us every-
or more. Rhoda taught me about make, model, clothing, hair and eyes. She
where we went. They were very real to her and all had names and their
also taught me about costuming.
own personality. Shortly after moving to Carmi, we met Mrs. Rhoda Wade,
Initially, I purchased the dolls to learn how to costume them so that I
owner of Rhoda’s Doll Emporium, and this started my fascination with
can sell their outfits online for profit. It is mind boggling what collectors will
antique dolls.
pay for clothing. Most ladies change the doll clothes seasonally for display.
As a child I wasn’t as into dolls as most girls; I blamed this on being
As Rhoda said, if I can learn to make the hats and shoes, I can “name my
raised with two brothers. I did love Barbie and I had one vinyl baby doll that
price.” Those articles are challenging to make and even more difficult to
I named “Baby Carol.” I received Baby Carol for Christmas when I was in
find. With Rhoda’s expertise I was off and running on a new venture. She
the first grade. Santa brought me a playpen, high chair, and a big stack of
gave me a free doll pattern which I accomplished after about three tries. I
diapers and a bottle of real baby powder. Baby Carol is about 20 inches long
have made and sold numerous doll dresses on EBay since that time. I also
and has blonde rooted hair and big blue sleep eyes. I loved her with every-
make clothes for modern dolls like American Girl and I sew clothing for vin-
thing I had in me. I fed her, changed her, and put her to bed numerous
tage dolls like my mother’s 1950’s Shirley Temple and the 1950s Cissy doll
times a day. The reason I liked her more than any other baby was because
by Madame Alexander.
she seemed real, being soft in the middle, but rather heavy on top. I still have Baby Carol and considering her age, she has survived fairly well.
So what is the purpose of all this? It is pure enjoyment. I like owning a piece of history and value the workmanship in vintage and antique dolls. I
I consider myself a Victorian at heart and seeing the antique dolls for
also love to sit down and take a pile of materials and sew something beauti-
the first time at Rhoda’s was very enchanting. I couldn’t get over their beau-
ful. To see my finished work on a doll that someone will love and cherish is
ty, scale, and workmanship. I knew that at some point I wanted to start col-
the best feeling of all.
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(618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021 7
94th Crossville Tigers celebration Sept. 4 WRITER: MONA L. WARRICK There are some very excited Tigers on the loose in the 618! The Crossville High School Alumni Banquet has been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 4! To the dismay of many alumni, who look for ward to this event all year, the alumni bash was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. Chris Hatcher, president of the CHS Alumni Association, confirms the 94th annual celebration is a go! An action-packed weekend begins Friday, Sept. 3, at 6 p.m., with a weiner roast at the home of Carol and Larr y Cox, 1936 County Road 2250 E, Crossville. In keeping with tradition, on Saturday morning, Crossville Community Club will serve the alumni breakfast from 7:30 to 10 a.m. in the high school. Cost for breakfast is $8.
lows this schedule: at 5:30 p.m., the alumni
Saturday afternoon, Carol and Larry Cox host
check‐in and social hour begins in the gym.
planned at the banquet. Get tickets at the door. From 9 p.m. until midnight, there will be a
their homemade ice cream social beginning at
At 6:20 p.m., classes line up and grace will
dance in the high school gym. Entertainment
1 p.m. at their home.
be said prior to the meal. The banquet and
will be provided by DJ Ed Sullivan.
The Class of 1970 will celebrate its 50th
business meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The
On Sunday, Sept. 5, Crossville United
anniversary this year. Better late than never,
menu includes chicken and ham, green beans,
Methodist Church will host their annual home-
say organizers! They have reser ved the
cheese potatoes, rolls, dessert and drinks, pro-
coming event at the church, with a meal to
school’s English room. Efforts are being made
vided by Little Giant Catering. Crossville Mis-
follow.
to contact everyone prior to the reunion.
sionary Baptist Church Youth will be servers.
The main event, the alumni banquet, fol-
8 (618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021
A 50/50 drawing and other giveaways are
Annual dues for those not attending are $5 per member. Dues for those attending the ban-
quet are $17 per member. Guest admission, including a meal for non-members, is $12. All alumni may bring one guest. Letters have been mailed to Crossville Alumni Association members. Reser vations for the Alumni Banquet are due by Aug. 14. If you did not receive a letter, check the website for more information, http://crossvillealumni.com/ or go to the Crossville Community High School Alumni Association Facebook page.
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(618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021 9
Celebrate summer fruits WRITER: KIM BAYLESS PHOTOS: TIM MARTIN July is a month of celebration! The birth of the U.S. as an independent nation and the birthday of my Uncle Dale as well. We are also celebrating a few of the many summer fruits in the recipes I’m sharing with you. One of my family’s favorites is Strawberry Pie.
The Blueberry Muffins I
prepare are so moist and tasty, I make extras for the freezer. Lastly, I’m including my Peach Cobbler recipe, which is super easy and so very yummy. Enjoy summer — One fruit at a time!
STRAWBERRY PIE Crust:
1 ½ Tbsp sugar
1 ½ cups flour
2 Tbsp milk
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
BLUEBERRY MUFFINS Makes 1 dozen
Mix all ingredients together; press mixture evenly and firmly up sides and in bottom of 9 inch pie pan. Bake at 450 for 8 to 10 min.
2 cups flour
Filling:
3 Tbsp dry strawberry jello
1 qt whole strawberries
1 cup sugar
½ cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
Dash of salt
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed 1 egg 1 cup milk ¼ cup butter, melted
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add blueberries. In another bowl, beat egg and milk; stir in butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moist. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 for 20-25 min or until muffins are done.
10 (618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021
Wash 1 qt of berries; add ½ cup powdered sugar. Set aside. Put 1 cup of water, 1 cup sugar, dash of salt and cornstarch in saucepan; boil until thick and clear. Add jello. Cool. Add berries to the mixture. Fill the cooled pie shell with the filling. Refrigerate. Top with whipped cream. *I always double this recipe and use a 13x9 pan.
PEACH COBBLER 8 cups sliced fresh or frozen peaches 1 cup sugar ½ cup butter (no substitutes), soft 1 cup flour Cinnamon-sugar Place the peaches in an ungreased 13x9 baking dish; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add flour and mix well. Sprinkle over the peaches. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 325 for 1 hour or until the topping is golden brown.
Now Available at: 107 E. Main St., Carmi 618-384-7266 Mon.-Thurs. 11-4 Sat. 10-2 (618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021 11
PLAYING THE
BLUES
National Blues Museum board chairman’s love of music first cultivated in Carmi WRITER: MONA L. WARRICK
If you’ve spent any time at all in the 618, you’ve heard of Rob Endicott. When I interviewed Mike Croghan, retired Carmi Community High School band director, I asked him for names of former students I might talk with to learn about their high school band experiences. One of those names was that of Endicott. A corporate lawyer in St. Louis, Endicott was so generous with his time as he shared stories about Croghan. As I learned more about Endicott, I realized he is a story. If you don’t believe me, Google him! A native of Carmi, Endicott was valedictorian of Carmi Community High School’s Class of 1982. Four years later, he graduated with highest honors from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in music. A classically trained musician, Endicott graduated in 1988 from The Juilliard School, New York City, with a master’s degree in trumpet performance. Even if you aren’t a musician, you probably know Julliard is a world leader in performing arts education. Admission into The Juilliard School is extremely difficult. Typically, only five applicants, gleaned from 100 applications, are accepted. Two degrees. Two prestigious institutions of higher learning. That should be enough for anyone, right? Not Endicott. After playing music professionally for several years, he pursued a degree in law and received his J.D. from New York University, in 1994, graduating magna cum laude. He is a member of the Order of the Coif (an honorar y scholastic society the purpose of which is to encourage excellence in legal education by fostering a spirit of careful study.) “My uncle was a lawyer, my grandfather was a lawyer and a judge, my great-grandfather was a lawyer, and my sister also got her law degree,” said Endicott. In 1995, after working at a leading international law firm in New York, Endicott joined a St. Louis law firm, now Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, where he became a partner in 2004.
12 (618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021
While in law school, Endicott “put his horn away” knowing that a law degree would ensure a career, unlike counting on making a career of his music. The move to St. Louis created an opportunity for Endicott to play his trumpet again… but now, simply for the thrill of playing. While duly impressed by Endicott’s musical talent, accolades, and education, I was excited
to learn that he is Chairman of the Board of the National Blues Museum, which opened on April 2, 2016 in St. Louis. “I got involved, with the National Blues Museum, through playing at the Sunday jam session with my blues band, the Voodoo Blues Band. One of the guys who had been germinating the idea, Dave Beardsley, was in the
club talking to our lead guitar player and I literally overheard the conversation, and interrupted, offering to help,” said Endicott. “I don’t know if Dave knew I was a lawyer. He said, ‘Sure, would you like to meet some people?’ I met with Dave and another guy instrumental in the museum, Mike Kociela, and that meeting led to another meeting with the real estate developer of the entire area, Amos Harris. Amos and I hit it off, and the rest is histor y, as they say. Amos and I are still good friends, I just had coffee at his place last week. Terrific guy. “The blues touches something deep in the American soul,” said Endicott. “I am thrilled that we, through the National Blues Museum, are telling the entire story of the blues, nationally and internationally, with appropriate shout-outs to St. Louis. I am also excited that St. Louis chose to put a stake in the ground around this particular music, which we have a deep heritage in, but sometimes seem to not fully grasp and embrace. There is such a vibrant blues scene here, and the museum helps put that into focus for both locals and out-of-towners who visit the museum.” Endicott explained why St. Louis is the perfect city for this museum, “We are centrally located, both geographically and in the more spiritual sense, of the blues story. Many parts of the national story will have elements of ‘did you know this piece of the story happened right here, in St. Louis?’ Sometimes, it happened just down the street.” Visitors to the museum learn the entire story of the blues and the role of St. Louis in that story, said Endicott. “We highlight artists and other events that are illustrative of styles, or developments, in the blues story. For example, how Chuck Berry took the blues, modified it a bit, and gave us rock and roll. How jazz artists like Miles Davis and Clark Terry (both hailing from the St. Louis area) took the blues and kept up the traditional intertwining with jazz.” A 501c3 non-profit institution, the National Blues Museum explores the blues and celebrates the genre as the foundation of all modern American music. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. For more information on the National Blues Museum, visit the website https://nationalbluesmuseum.org/ Endicott began playing the trumpet at a very young age. His talent was first recognized by the late Don Peel, Endicott’s elementary and junior high music teacher. Peel encouraged Endicott’s parents to take him for private lessons, which is exactly what they did, thinking he’d take lessons
in Evansville for a few months. Endicott, in fact, took lessons in Evansville ever y week for the next nine years! Endicott’s high school band teacher was Mike Croghan. Croghan, also a trumpeter, saw immediately that he had a “super talented trumpet player” in the band. “By the time Rob was a sophomore, you could see other trumpet players begin to play better because of his talent. The other kids wanted to be like Rob,” said Croghan. “His senior year, he was able to play very high parts, things normal high school students couldn’t play. Rob had that gift, he could play anything he wanted.” Endicott recalls, “Mike generously featured me in a lot of jazz band material in high school. In my freshman year, we did Feels So Good by Chuck Mangione. It didn’t sit right with a lot of the upperclassmen, seniors in particular. But by the end, Mike had, very subtly, rallied them to my support. He didn’t make a big deal out of it, but navigated it just perfectly. “Mike had a unique ability to engage high school age kids in the fun of music,” said Endicott. “He could make marching band fun. What kid really wanted to learn how to take eight steps and make sure they went five yards, all before school started? But the band was a family. He was at the same time serious about it – he wanted that band to sound good, look good – while not taking it too seriously either. And his programming was always creative.” Endicott loved pep band even before he was in the band himself. “My brother Bill played trombone in high school, and I am eight years younger than him. Bill would let me sit in the pep band and hold his music for him. He probably thought he had this crazy kid brother who would do something nutty like that (and he was right). But I was in heaven – sitting with the big kids and not only hearing the music, but quite literally feeling it. One of the tunes they played was Vehicle, and I remember loving it so much that I asked Mike to revive it when I was in high school. And Mike didn’t hesitate. If a kid was interested, that was all he needed to know.” Croghan might be best known for Carmi High School’s One-Niters. “He ran the One-Niters so spectacularly, nurturing the abilities of each kid and finding ways to let them shine,” said Endicott. “I will never forget, my senior year, a bunch of us decided to do Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust, with me as lead singer. Although I loved the tune, I didn’t feel super duper comfortable. Who could match the group and the one and only Freddie Mercury? I was worried that the tune was a dud, but that Mike
and Iva Jean Bayley would feel compelled to put it in the show, because if they didn’t, it would hurt my feelings. So, before the auditions I took them off the hook. I went to Mike and Iva Jean and said, ‘Look, we are going to do the audition because we’ve been working on it and I don’t want to let the fellas down, but I know it’s terrible and DO NOT put it in the show.’ I don’t know if the band members ever knew, and they may still kill me! After the auditions, we not only made the show, but were the last act before the jazz band’s closing number – the prime spot in the show. I went to them in horror and said, ‘Don’t you remember what I asked?’ And Mike said, ‘It was so good there was no way we could not put it in the show. Trust us, it will be great!’ And, it was.” Despite his vast accomplishments, Endicott has many wonderful memories of living in Carmi. “My favorite memories, of the 618, are harder to narrow down, there are so many. Right now, I am thinking about summers as a kid, and being “bored” (but not really), and playing baseball from sun-up to sun-down. And later, riding bikes everywhere, goofing around pretending to be a superhero, or the $6 Million Man, or making a spoof of the movie Jaws,” he said. “I also think of making great music, especially in high school, with the One-Niters, jazz band, marching band. Carmi was a great place to have the freedom to be a kid, and we were blessed in a way not to have interesting TV all the time, especially in the summers. We had to make our own fun.” Corporate lawyer, Blues trumpeter, Chairman of the National Blues Museum’s Board, Endicott is beyond busy. He rarely has an opportunity to play in the 618. If you want to hear him, with the Voodoo Blues Band, keep an eye on their facebook page @voodooblues.stl for upcoming performances. Endicott was blessed with natural talent, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t practice. He practices because he wants to practice, not because he “has to practice.” His advice for those wanting to develop their talent? “I think ‘it’ selects you rather than you selecting ‘it.’ For people who have a talent or interest, it has to be something where you find that every spare moment you have, when you’re not doing your day job (and I love my day job), but when I’m not doing that, this is what I’m thinking about. It has to be a passion.” The second thing, said Endicott, “Step back and ask yourself, ‘What is attainable, and then how am I gonna get there?’ What are the steps, and just take those steps.”
(618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021 13
one thing leads to
another WRITER: MONA L. WARRICK
Writing has always been an important part of my life. From a very young age, I loved to write. I spent hours sitting in my grandparents’ living room creating “newspapers.” I would type stories about family members and friends on the clunky, manual typewriter in my Grandpa Cannon’s office. My grandmother never threw anything away, so I still have copies of my earliest “works.” As a third grader, I decided I wanted to be a teacher. Journalism, however, was still in my sights. I relentlessly pestered Miss Cordier until she let us publish a class newspaper, The Third Grade Press. Original, I know, but c’mon, I was only eight! Classmates and I wrote about important issues; making flowers from foam egg cartons, Cub Scout campouts… all the news we could gather from classmates at Wells Elementary in Grayville. I still have mimeographed copies of those gems of journalism. I’ll always be grateful to Miss Cordier, who later became Mrs. Susan Hinderliter, for allowing me to pursue my dreams. When I wrote the 618 Hometown Magazine story about David Snapp, longtime band director in Edwards County, I interviewed Holly Hinderliter Spangler who just happens to be the daughter of the late Susan Hinderliter. Ironically, Holly is executive editor of Farm Progress and editor of Prairie Farmer. Life’s funny that way, isn’t it? When Andrea Howe first spoke with me about her vision for this project, I was instantly transported back to the third grade. Nearly
a year and a half into the publication of 618 Hometown Magazine, I still feel the excitement I had as that eight-year-old who simply wanted to write. That being said, for me the greatest thing about writing is getting to meet “all the people.” I also get to interview people I’ve known for decades; and, every time that happens, I learn so many things about them I didn’t know. In each of the last three issues, there have been stories on legendary band directors. Originally, my idea was for a single story, “Leaders of the Band,” inspired by a song written by Dan Fogelberg about his father. Once
14 (618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021
I began interviewing these men, I soon realized there was no way to fit everything into one story! People who know me well, know that I tend to be long-winded. That’s also true with my writing, but that had no bearing on these stories. Oftentimes, an idea for a story takes on a life of its own. While I find this thrilling, I’ve no doubt Andrea is exasperated by the time I finish. I’m good about staying in contact with Andrea (as I push my deadlines as far as I possibly can) and assure her that she’ll be pleased with the end result! I tell her that without having any idea, myself, how the story will end! That is the beauty of
writing. When I was in high school, so many years ago, my English teacher knew I had lofty aspirations and wanted to write. I never wanted to write the “great American novel,” I just wanted to write to entertain. I told my teacher, Marilyn Bingman, it was difficult for me to come up with ideas. It was then that she gave me the most important advice I’ve ever been given about writing. She shared with me that her best ideas came to her while she was sleeping. Ms. Bingman told me that she kept a notebook and a pen on her nightstand. “When you wake up with those ideas, write them down,” she told me. “If you don’t, you won’t have any recollection of them when you wake.” Ms. Bingman was right, but instead of writing them down, I save them on my phone. I’ve learned to write down complete thoughts. If I don’t, I’ll have no idea what that random collection of words mean! By sharing a bit of my writing process, you can better understand how one story leads to another that leads to another. In the process of writing the story of Carmi’s Mike Croghan, I was lucky enough to interview two Carmians, musicians worthy of their own stories. In the next two issues, I will feature two formidable trumpet players, Rob Endicott and Brian Shaw. When I began writing, I had no idea how their stories would play out (pun intended) but I am pleased with the results. Talk about great guys, these two were more than happy to share their memories of Mr. Croghan and then talk to me about their careers. I’m fascinated by their accomplishments. I think you will be, too!
On a need-to-sew basis… WRITER: ANDREA HOWE It’s a question that my father would never have to ask.
I had a love-hate relationship with Mom’s old Singer. I broke needles. I
“Do we have a thread and needle around here?”
got things tangled up. I took things apart and put them back together — and
That’s what my husband wanted to know, standing in the hallway holding
while the sewing machine worked, I did have a few screws left over.
a white shirt. He needed a button sewn on.
And then came the summer of 1976. I think it was 45 years ago this
I looked at him, nearly in a fog of confusion.
month that I got the crazy idea that I wanted to make a three piece suit (wide-
I have a kitchen drawer full of nails and tacks and screws and hammers
leg trousers, vest and blazer) from red, white and blue plaid seersucker I had
and levels and hot glue guns and crochet hooks and measuring tape and batteries and glow-in-the-dark sticks (why?) and kerosene lantern wicks. You know, all the things that might come in handy some day.
seen at the L. Haas Store. My 4-H club leader, Helen Sailer, talked to me about the importance of matching the plaid as I cut the pattern, and keeping the stripes matched up
But a needle and thread. Hmm. I pointed to a small wooden chest where I keep crafty things, like more glue and crochet thread and rhinestones. “Maybe in there, but I’m not sure.” As it turned out, I didn’t have a needle and thread anywhere handy, so that gives a great clue as to how often I employ any sort of sewing skills. I keep a stapler at the office just in case a hem comes loose, and a box of tiny safety pins to tack this and that in place. All of my serious sewing gadgets are relegated to the southwest corner of my basement, where, when I set up housekeeping here, I was sure I’d spend so much time using the skills I learned in my 4-H years. In that poorly lit corner, there’s my sewing machine, plus the sewing machine Grandma Thelma White bequeathed to me when she broke up housekeeping about 30 years ago. There’s the fancy electric shears that Grandma Arlene Holtzclaw (the real-deal seamstress who made me so many custom dresses using nothing more than a brown paper sack to create a pattern) gave to me,
on every seam. In the bicentennial spirit, I talked Mom
I still remember walking on the small stage at the show to model my outfit, proud to have finished it, relieved that my plaids matched, my zipper held and my buttons stayed on.
plus a collection of buttons, needles, spools of thread in rainbow colors all waiting for me to get serious. I jumped into sewing 55 years ago, when I received a miniature hand-
into buying nearly a bolt of the fabric. The making of that suit was a battle. A loud battle, with arguments between me and my mother, who tried her best to show me what to do — it was the undoing of any chance of my younger sister having any interest in sewing. I had the fabric spread out on the table, with what seemed like hundreds of straight pins holding the pattern to it. I made all sorts of complaining noises when my fabric shears slipped (they were made for right-handed people, and as a lefty, I learned to use them but ruined them for anyone else). Our old Singer sewing machine didn’t have all the fancy attachments or stitch varieties. The tension was always changing, and I ripped out as many seams as I sewed. I managed to make a decent zipper and decent button holes. I was working late hours to get it finished in time for the 4-H show at the Farm Bureau Building in Carmi, but I had it steam-ironed (with a few burns on my forearm somehow) and ready to go.
I still remember walking on the small stage at the show to model my outfit, proud to have finished it, relieved that my plaids matched, my zipper held and my buttons stayed on.
crank Singer sewing machine for my fifth birthday. That was the year I also
I think I wore the suit several times, but when the whole bicentennial
used window putty to paste wild violets to the porch posts, so I was all-in on
thing passed, the suit was packed up. We still had lots of that plaid seersuck-
most projects I tackled.
er fabric, and Mom made summer shorts for my sister (the plaids didn’t
But sewing took more time, and I put it aside for a while.I created a few cross stitch embroidery pieces, learned crewel embroidery, learned to crochet with help from both grandmas, and begged to learn to knit. Mom found
match, though!). That was the last 4-H clothing project I tackled. It short-circuited something in my brain, all that plaid matching and hollering.
a family friend to help me master two needles, and pretty soon a variegated
From that point on, I used the sewing machine occasionally, cutting legs
green muffler done in garter stitch was my “You Learn to Knit” 4-H fair proj-
off old jeans and sewing it into a purse. I think I cut into a pair of flairs and
ect exhibit. All Mom ever wanted was a pair of knitted socks. I made all kinds
added fabric to make some really full “elephant ear” jeans, but my days of
of sweaters and throws, but I never got around to the socks.
serious sewing were over.
My interest in sewing surfaced again in junior high, when Ruby Lewis
Now, my needle and thread tasks are on a need-to-sew basis. I’d rather
assigned sewing projects in our seventh grade home economics class. I
buy a new pair of pants than put in a new zipper, but I’ll hem something or
bought brown velvet from the L. Haas Store in Carmi and made a shoulder
replace a button if there’s no way around it.
bag, embroidered the initials A.H. on it in turquoise cross stitch, and gave it
Married for nearly 25 years to a man who lives in plaid flannel shirts, I
to Grandma Holtzclaw for Christmas. Then, I made two shift dresses of the
just have to look the other way and pretend I don’t see those mis-matched
exact same floral pattern and material, in preparation for the summer 4-H fair.
seams. Because I’m not about to make him a decent plaid shirt!
(618) HOMETOWN MAGAZINE JULY 2021 15