The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 20, Milford, Kosciusko County, 1 July 1987 — Page 16

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., July 1,1987

North Webster News

• BY MARY LEE WILLMAN '.. ■ " L Readers living in the North Webster area are encouraged to call their news items to Mary LeeWillman at 834-4544 for publication in this column

What is freedom ?

By VIRGINIA BOCKMAN J Guest Writer ■- Freedom is America and America is Freedom. However, freedom isn't free We must work at it as a nation and trust in God if we would keep it. It is a sacred trust embracing our ideals and our heritage: Our founding fathers came here as pilgrims to find a place with

Historical landmark destroyed by fire

On May 19, a historic landmark at Barbee Lake was destroyed byfire. Staley's Hilltop Grocery was founded in an old barn during the early 1920 s by Marion Reiff, father of Helen Staley. At first, Reiff raised garden produce and sold it to vacationers during the summer months. The family lived in a house located across the road from the store on a portion of what is now "Windy Hills" farm. During the winter months. Reiff did custom butchering. «e»quicentenni«l 1837-1987 A few years later, gasoline pumps were installed in front of the bam. There was no electricity and gas had to be pumped by hand. Next, cigarettes, candy, cigars, and a card room were added to the establishment by popular demand. According to Mrs. Staley, “There were three tables in the card room and a game called ‘pedro’ was played. It is similar to bridge only a lot more fun. Our family stillTikes to Play.” A building about 30x30 feet eventually replaced the old bam. Bread and milk was added to the inventory. Mrs. Staley continued, "As the demand grew, piy mother raised chickens and baked pies to sell in the store. We had an old Ford and mother would load it with produce and drive down through Barbee. We got electricity about 1936 when REMC came through here. ” There was a three-room house located next to the store and the family decided to move across the road. Mrs. Staley’s father added another three rooms to make the place big enough for a family of four children and two adults. The house has been enlarged several times and now has two stories and 16 rooms. Mrs. Staley shares the home with her son, Rex Hathaway, his wife, Beverly, and their daughter, Laurie. The Hathaways’ three other children also grew up in the house and they are all married now and have homes of their own “The store was built onto four or five times,” said Mrs. Staley. “My husband, Wayne, and I took over the business after my mother died in 1949. We did away with the card room, enlarged the building, and made some improvements. We started making donuts in the late 19605. At the request of this reporter. Mrs. Staley began to reminisce. “There was a little boy who often

Ervin's drug store favorite loafing place

Ervin’s drug store was, for many years, a favorite loafing place at North Webster for lakers and natives alike About the first of May, the soda fountain would be opened. There were tall stools in front of a high counter and wire back chairs around “candy store” tables. On the back' bar behind the ice cream counter were colorful jars, bottles, glasses, tanks and faucets. In each front window hung a large glass tank of colored liquid. Arthur Ervin was a druggist from the old school. He smoked small, very thin cigars. By spring each year, he had accumulated enough empty cigar boxes to store several varieties of fish hooks. He was quite talkative and could and would explain how to fish, camp, row a boat, hunt, cook or paint. The natives were. familiar with his stories and the lakers were entranced to hear him spin a yarn. Candy cases filled with penny candy were eventually removed

freedom to worship God in their own way. ' 1 Our Great Lady has stood in New York Harbor since 1886 holding, high in her right hand, a golden torch, proclaiming to the world: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores. Send the homeless, tempest tossed to me I life my lamp beside the golden door."

came into the store with his mother. He became very fond of me and told his mother. Alky' Staley knows everything' He gave me a small toy bear. It was still on a shelf in the store, where he had put it, when the place burned. He is a grown man now. " She laughed, “We had a summer customer that was. really tight with a nickel. I had cut a watermelon in half and this woman started taking samples She kept eating and finally decided to buy half a melon But she took the half she hadn't eaten out of." Mrs. Staley noted that. "Every once in awhile, someone would come into the store that really gave me the creeps. But we never had a holdup We did go through a period when we had some nighttime breakins and thefts. We knew who was doing it but couldn't prove it Sure enough, when a certain family moved out

■ • •-<•-■5 ~~ * . . AN HISTORIC LANDMARK — In the top photo is Staley’s Hilltop Grocery, a historic landmark at Barbee Lake, as it will be remembered by several generation of friends, customers and summer visitors. In the bottom photo, firemen from North Webster and several surrounding communities are fighting the fire that destroyed the groceryon May 19 of this year. The family business was started by Marion Reiff in the early 19205. (Top photo was provided by Helen Staley and bottom photo by Beverly Hathaway. >

from the drug store for the sake of sanitation, faster service and • economy. Store owners" were always very patient while a youngster pressed his nose against the case, gripped his pen ny, and agonized over what kind of candy to choose. The candies were made to look like bananas and watermelon slices. There were also suckers, jaw breakers, light and dark caramels, sour balls, cinnamon hearts, jujubes, candy corn, and licorice whips’

TRINITY LUTHERAN (Missouri Synod) 4th & Martin In Ligonier Invites You To Worship Sunday jails' Church 9 A.M. Bible Classes 10:30 A.M.

Many of our brave country men who have come here from foreign shores, as they- embark, have kneeled down and kissed the ground of their Blessed America which is the birthplace of freedom and justice. When Old Glory is unfurled to the breeze, it makes tyranny tremble. May God Bless America and let freedom ring

of the neighborhood all our problems stopped and we haven't ” been bothered since " She continued. "One time, some children came into the store who seemed to.have a lot of loose change and money . We found out later they had broken into a house and robbed the place “We have a section of road just west of the store that some times floods out The newspaper delivery man came through the flooded place one day and when he got to the top of the hill, raccoons started dropping off his car They had evidently climbed on his vehicle to get out of the rising water" It was determined that the fire that destroyed the store was caused by an electrical malfunction "We won't rebuild." said Mrs. Staley. "It just isn't profitable. Our customers have been good to us over the years, but we can t compete with the large supermarkets."

Little wax bottles, pipes and guns filled Mth a sweet red or green liquid fordial were favorites. The drug More burned in 1953 and a landmark passed. (Portions of the information' for this article were by Mary Sullivan and Kip Sullivan's history book of North Webster.)

Excerpts from Angel's diary

Following are excerßts from Jasper Angel’s diary for the months of July and August, 1889. July 2 — Helped Parry harvest wheat on the Swihart place. Used a binder. We all went to a show in Webster in evening. Light shower. July 10 — Mowed the grass in the orchard. Repaired the barn and went to Webster later to attend a Republican meeting and get flour. July 21 — Went to Warsaw. Filed my trustee bond. Got my Miller deed recorded and renewed my note at the bank. A nice little rain. July 26 — Went to Parry's to get prospecting auger and bored for water at N.E. corner of the yard. Put cook-stove out in the smokehouse. Returned auger. Repaired roof on house. Wife and I went fishing. No rain. August 2 — Cradled oats for about two hours in a m. Finished haying for this year. Ben Greider here to trade a mare colt for cow. Bad weather. August 3 — Attended church at Tippecanoe house. Went to old Mr. Buckman s funeral in afternoon. Frank Swiharts came home with'us. August 5 — Went to P. Arnold to get township records library and brought them home.with me. Fixed pump and prepared for threshing in afternoon. August 8 —®My first office day in Webster. Wife helped Mrs Hammap cook for threshers. A Mr. C. H Guild, agent for the Teacher's Anatomical Aid. was here overnight August 11 — Jake Himes here before breakfast. Wes Weimer stopped in. C. H Guild left at noon Threshed in afternoon then went to Ben Yohn’s. then back to Webster and on home Jake Himes came back to contract for teaching school »1 August 12 — Went to S. Eagles to look at some horses. Lifted a note for s2l held by him. Went to R. F. Koher's sale. Bought a horse for S2B and a plow for sl. Went to Jake Mock's, negotiated with him for a buggy and harness. August 13 — Helped thresh at D. Rothenbergers. Wife went fishing. C. Weimer, J Mock, and

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John-Miel here in evening. Rained a little. August 14 — Will and I drove Rose over to Stocker's bull. I went over to Swihart place with rhs new horse to get clover seed Insured the new school house this morning. S. D. Junkin and Mr. Farrell, agents. August 15 — Raked up clover seed in a m Wife and Ellen B. went to Vawters Park in afternoon C H. Guild came this afternoon August 16 -— Went to Webster with Mr. Guild for a day at school office. W'ife came down in buggy to take me home. E. H. Upson and wife came over. August 17 — Went to School >*B, then to Webster, then to School »4“ Fred Greider here in p.m John Cable and Clara Blackman, agents for school maps and charters here. I ordered some for each school. Drizzly. August 19 — Went to Warsaw, bought a suit of clothes, got township funds to pay for furniture for School <*4. Jesse Hamman here in<evening. August 20 — Attended an official German Baptist meeting at the Tippecanoe church house. S. D Junkin here and I ordered five reading charts from him. I'm afflicted with terrible diarrhea. In bed part of p.m. August 22 — Diarrhea started to abate after the most violent of my recollection. Ate some toast twice today. (Good rain in the evening. > August 23 — Diarrhea almost finished. Worked half of the day for the township. Wife went to Vawters Park and Webster. W Hoyer. Jess Hamman and Ed Plew here in evening to make a .complaint about dogs killing sheep. August 25 — Went to see JWG about buying harness. Worked on furniture in School #l. Geo. Mock and I on the annual visit. Stayed with Geo. Angel overnight. (Rained plenty). August 26 — Annual visits in the a m Went to Webster looking after school. Met with old trustee. Got an oil can. filled it with oil, got my mail and came home at dusk. Ate supper and threw it up immediately.

Quilt Club has guests

Lakeland Quilt Club members met June 22 at the home of Miriam Mason. Rita Slankard opened the business session.' Jessie Wainscott called the roll. Plans were finalized for working on the grandmother’s fan quilt on June 24 in the quicentennial booth at the Mermaid Festival. The 1930 s vintage quilt was made by Lena Lattire and is owned by Kathleen Naegley. Time was also spent working on the lace baby quilt. Ruth Dunker introduced Helen Testi, Batesville. Ark., and Katie Polomczak, Lawton. Mich. Mrs. Testi has attended workshops at Littlerock, Ark , sponsored by the Arkansas Quilt Guild and Extension Homemakers. She modeled a folk dress with Seminole and patchwork quilted borders on the skirt and front bodice yoke. She also showed a dye painted folk dress with field flowers design on the shoulder yoke and an eggshell colored poplin jacket and matching dress with extensive trapunto quilting. Plans were made for a dinner party on June 25 at Nappanee. Those attending were Mr and Mrs. Bill Slankard, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Wainscott, Mr. and Mrs. Don Plotner. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Fowler. Mr and Mrs. Herbert Dunker. Mr. and Mrs. Everett

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Sowers, Mr. and Mrs. Birnie Beamer, Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Bates, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Maresh, Mr. and Mrs. Brian

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OLD OSWEGO SCHOOL — This picture is of the old Oswego school where children could complete their freshman, sophomore, and junior years. The photo was found on a post card postmarked August 10, 1909.

North Webster youngsters in the picture are: Carl Bockman, Victor Sowers, George Plew, Harry Lewellen, Ray Parker, Jack Brown, Bill Coach, and Bill O'Connell. Harry Lewellen grew up to be superintendent of Kosciusko County schools. (Photo submitted by Virginia Bockman)

Wall, Wahneta Gebhart, Floyd Watrous, Kathleen Naegley, and Maxine McDougal,