Joyful Noise: The history of olde time music featured at Winter Banquet

  • By Teri Stein
  • December 18, 2011
  • 355
                        
Summary: Good wishes and good music filled the air when the members of the Tuscarawas County Historical Society met for the annual winter banquet. In addition to the fun, members of the society enjoy learning about the history of the county all year through the Chronicler newsletter. Attendees at the annual Winter Banquet of the Tuscarawas County Historical Society got a musical history lesson and a chance to stretch their vocal cords when the dinner was held on Dec. 13 at the Tuscarawas County Senior Center. The musical group, Joyful Noise, from the Strasburg area, presented a program of olde time favorites from the 19th and 20th centuries and invited everyone to sing along as well. The music was the type that was enjoyed in many homes during that time. TCHS president Fred Miller related stories told to him where families gathered to play, sing, and dance to olde time music until sometimes four or five in the morning. “It was a most important time for the family to get together,” said Miller. “People couldn’t get out so they gathered in their homes to play these songs.” The group performed a number of memorable melodies including Old Susanna, You are my Sunshine, I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, Red River Valley, Silent Night, I’ll Fly Away, and even Blue Christmas sung by Bob Wallick who used his best Elvis impression. The other members of the group are Joy Diehl and Gary Garber. “I knew several of the songs and I enjoyed the Tick Tock Polka. It brought back memories, it was a song we used to dance to,” said Anna Debevec of New Philadelphia. One enthusiastic attendee, Kathryn Gardner Weber of Strasburg, was thrilled to see her former student, Bob Wallick, at the Winter Banquet. Kathryn said she knew when she taught Wallick in elementary school at Dundee that he would be a musician. “I taught him in the second grade and he was full of music. I bought him his first toy guitar,” said Kathryn, who will celebrate her 97th birthday in January 2012. Kathryn delighted in talking with Wallick following the program and Wallick was honored to pose for a photograph with his former teacher. A brief business meeting was also held to elect officers for 2012. Those elected were Fred Miller, president; Earl P. Olmstead, president emeritus; Jennifer Hobson, vice president; Teri Stein, secretary; and Charles Raffle, treasurer. Trustees elected for the year were: Anna Debevec, Ivan DeWitt, John Fox, Tom Hawkins, Linda Laghetto, Pede Meese, Birdie Metcalf, John Pierson, Patti Strickling, and Thomas Yeager. The Tuscarawas County Historical Society, along with Kent State University Tuscarawas, operates the Kent-Tusc Archives located inside the library at Kent State Tuscarawas. The Archives, which is staffed by members of the TCHS, is filled with history both in written form and in photographs. The archives are open to the public and donations of historic photographs and materials are greatly appreciated. Photographs can be scanned into the archives records and the originals returned to the owners. Members of the society are responsible for selecting the recipients of the prestigious Zeisberger Heckewelder awards given out each year in May and the organization provides cemetery walk programs along with support from Geib in Touch. The TCHS also provides other various programs throughout the year. College and high school students receive free copies and assistance in conducting research thanks to the funds provided by TCHS members. Members of the society enjoy receiving six editions of the Chronicler newsletter each year which feature articles and photographs about Tuscarawas County’s past. For more information on the TCHS call 330-339-3391, ext. 47494, email tuschs@tuschs.org, or visit their website at www.tuschs.org. Nomination forms for the 32nd Zeisberger Heckewelder Awards are available by contacting the society and must be returned by February 1, 2012.


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