Attend the 2012 Annual MeetingAttend the 2012 Annual MeetingAttend the 2012 Annual MeetingAttend the 2012 Annual Meeting The 2012 Gene Stratton-Porter Memorial Society, Inc. Annual Meeting was postponed to Tuesday, July 17 due to lack of a quorum for the earlier meeting date. This rescheduled meeting will be a business meeting with a light dinner being served for the first 35 members and is courtesy of LouAnne Pillers and Jim Gust. Please RSVP by calling the Site at (260) 854-3790. Bios for the proposed slate of officers as well as potential new Board members can be found on pages two and three. All Society members are encouraged to review this information and vote by mail or by attending the July 17 meeting. A ballot to return by mail (or email) can be found on page five. Four Board members will be elected to fill vacancies. In addition, a full slate of officers is presented for your review. Different memberships are entitled to more than one vote, please check the ballot for info.

As we prepare for the Gene Stratton-Porter Memorial Society, Inc. Annual Meeting in July, the time has come to say farewell and thank you to some of our Board members. Leaving the GSP Board in 2012 are Janet Cook, Beth Green, John Kessen, and Carolyn Linsenmayer. Janet Cook was a GSP Board member for several years and quickly established herself as the force behind the delicious and elegant food at the GSP teas. Janet selflessly shared her culinary skills to dazzle guests at the annual teas as well as Chatauqua Days. Beth Green was a GSP Board member for one year and assisted with various events, along with her husband Jack. A retired home economics teacher, Beth brought invaluable information on education to the Society. John Kessen was a GSP Board member for many years, serving as First Vice President and

President for the last 12 years. His leadership and dedication to the Society and the Site helped set the stage for growth of events and attendance. Carolyn Linsenmayer was a GSP Board member for several years, serving as Secretary most recently. She was the driving force behind GSP’s incredible Owl-oween program and could always be counted on to lend a hand wher- ever needed. Carolyn was also instrumental in organizing the annual Volunteer Trainings. These outgoing Board members will certainly be missed but have been part of an organization which will carry on supporting the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site. We thank them for their generous service and leadership during their time as GSP Memorial Society, Inc. Board members and look forward to seeing them at future GSP events.

Slate of Officers & Bios 2

Bios of Potential Board Members

3

Naturalist’s Corner 4

Ballot & Membership Forms

5

Upcoming Events 6

From Gene’s Kitchen 7

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

T h a n k Y o u a n d F a r e w e l l t o O u r

O u t g o i n g B o a r d M e m b e r s

Summer 2012

Gene Stratton-Porter Memorial Society, Inc.

Friends in Feathers

President - John Bry First Vice President - Kathy Dues

Second Vice President - LouAnne Pillers Secretary - Tracy Fox

Treasurer - Dennis Noak Member At Large - Jim Gust

BIOGRAPHIES: John Bry is the Executive Director of the Noble County Convention and Visitors Bureau. A resident of Auburn and DeKalb County native, John has previously served as First Vice President for the GSP Me-morial Society. He is an avid historian and also serves on the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites Board of Trustees. Kathy Dues is the General Manager of the Best Western in Kendallville. Actively involved in the com-munity since relocating from Buffalo, New York, Kathy also serves on the boards of the Noble County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Stone’s Trace Historical Society. She and her husband, Terry, reside in Kendallville. Kathy has previously served as Second Vice President for the GSP Memorial Society. LouAnne Pillers is a substitute teacher and the school marm for the Wayne Center One Room School-house. She is involved in several organizations focused on education and the community including the Kendallville Apple Festival. LouAnne has previously served as a Board member for the GSP Memorial Society. Tracy Fox is the Communications Manager for the American Red Cross. She has been an active volun-teer for the GSP Memorial Society for more than three years and currently edits the newsletter, maintains the website and Facebook page as well as assisting with other Society projects. Tracy also serves on the Noble County Convention and Visitors Board. She resides in Rome City. Dennis Noak is the retired manager of the Fort Wayne Botanical Gardens and has previously served as Treasurer for the GSP Memorial Society. He is an active volunteer in the GSP gardens and enjoys spend-ing time with his growing family. Dennis and his wife, Nancy, live in Rome City. Jim Gust has spent a career in printing and is now enjoying a partial retirement after running Bird House Printing. He is an active volunteer with LaGrange County parks as well as previously serving as a Board member for the GSP Memorial Society. Jim and his wife, Terri, live in Wolcottville.

P a g e 2

P r o p o s e d S l a t e o f O f f i c e r s

Garden Work Days are Back!Garden Work Days are Back!Garden Work Days are Back!Garden Work Days are Back!

Bring a pair of gloves and a willingness to get your hands dirty while helping maintain Gene’s beautiful “tame” gardens and the grounds of the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site.

No gardening experience is necessary and all help is appreciated!

Saturday, July 7, 9 a.m. until Noon Saturday, August 11, 9 a.m. until Noon

Saturday, September 8, 9 a.m. until Noon Saturday, September 22, 9 a.m. until Noon

P a g e 3 2 0 1 2 P r o p o s e d B o a r d M e m b e r s

Tracy Fox A Noble County resident since early 2011, Tracy is currently the Communications Manager for the In-diana-Ohio Blood Services Region and Northeast In-diana Chapter of the American Red Cross. While her office is located in Fort Wayne, she travels the North-ern half of Indiana as well as parts of Northwestern Ohio for her work. She has been a dedicated volunteer with the Gene Stratton-Porter Memorial Society since 2008, when her husband was named as Site Manager. During that time, Tracy has assumed responsibility for many of the promotion and marketing activities for the Society including the quarterly newsletter, Fa-cebook page, email messages to visitors, updating the new GSP Memorial Society website and other pro-jects as needed. Her education and work experience are heavily focused on public relations, marketing, and communi-cations but also include event planning, public speak-ing and training, retail management and fundraising. Tracy recently graduated from Leadership Fort Wayne. Tracy was recently appointed to the Board of the Noble County Convention and Visitors Bureau and is a member of the marketing committee for that county-wide organization. Prior to moving to Noble County, she served on the Amos W. Butler Audubon Society Board. Tracy has also volunteered locally with the Rome City Chamber of Commerce, assisting with Facebook and website development. Darci Gaff Born and raised in LaGrange County and currently residing in Steuben County, Darci has lived in North-east Indiana all her life. She is married with four chil-dren and is currently working as a volunteer on sever-al projects in the area. For the past seven years, Darci has worked for and been involved with several non-profits, primarily the United Way. Her work with the-se organizations has given her appreciation for collab-oration and partnership…teamwork is key! Through her work, Darci has developed strong relationships in the tri-county area. She enjoys history, reading, travel and volunteering. Darci is proficient in Microsoft Office applica-tions, social media and QuickBooks and has extensive experience in event planning and written communica-tions. She has previously served with the following non-profit organizations: Steuben County Literacy Coalition, 21st Century Scholars, Steuben County Industrial Guild, Steuben County Chamber Associ-

ation, LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce, and Arts United. She currently serves as an officer for the Angola Elks Lodge 2398, 4Ever Friends Scholarship Fund and the Noble County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Alexandra Maxwell Alexandra Maxwell is a resident of Noble County Indiana. She attended IPFW where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Public Commu-nications. She is actively committed to non for prof-its, working for the American Red Cross in Donor Recruitment. She also worked for Black Pine Animal Sanctuary where she still volunteers and holds a spot on their Fundraising Committee. Alex enjoys the performing arts and volunteers as an actress for the Fort Wayne Civic Theater, her last performance was in Chicago the Musical, in which she was nominated for an Anthony Award. She has held many titles including; Miss Noble County 2005,

Miss Limberlost 2008, and an ambassador for the In-dianapolis 500 and 500 Festival as a 500 Festival Princess. Andrea Sowle Andrea is a junior history major at IPFW with a concentration in historic preservation. Last fall she worked as an intern with ARCH Fort Wayne, a histor-ic preservation firm. Andrea worked under the direc-tion of experienced historic preservation profession-als, where together they organized and planned fund-raising events. She learned how to take historic photo-graphs, record electronic surveys of historic places for the Indiana DNR Historic Preservation Survey of Al-len County, in addition to expanding her knowledge about architectural styles and features. Andrea was responsible for researching and giving West Central Home Tours to elementary students of St. John’s Lu-theran School. Andrea has received a number of awards and scholarships during her time at IPFW. She has been named to the Dean’s List and semester’s honors list for five consecutive semesters. She received the Wal-ter S. Penfield Scholarship, which is granted to the student who exemplifies leadership skills, as well as the IPFW Caldwell Scholarship, given to the student who excels academically, and in the area of design and architecture. Andrea also works part-time at DeK-alb Health in the Emergency Room.

P a g e 4

One of the most brilliant women and most clever writers in this coun-try was Mrs. Gene Stratton-Porter. A brilliant novelist, highly educated, her death in an automobile accident was a disaster to good literature. Shortly before she died, Mrs. Strat-ton-Porter wrote: "When I was born, my mother was 48 YEARS OF AGE, and my father was 54. I was the last of a doz-en children, six years younger than any of my elders." All women will be interested in the remarkable mother of the famous novelist. She had eleven children up to the age of 42, then she waited six years, and number twelve was born when the mother was 48. There is no doubt that LATE mar-riages, meaning that mothers and fathers are fully matured, are a good thing for the human race and the

quality of human beings. The father contributes to the child his MENTAL qualities, his physical quality having comparatively little influence. Naturally, if he amounts to anything, he has a better brain to give to his children when he is older and has done more thinking. The mother, on the other hand, gives to the child character, intellect and also PHYSICAL STRENGTH. While it is important for her if possi-ble to have children after 30, prefera-bly at 35, unless she wants a great many, it is also important that her children should be born at the height of her PHYSICAL health. For the child lives upon the health, the blood and the strength of the mother during the most important

months of its existence. The start it then acquires decides to the extent of at least 60 per cent its future oppor-tunities and welfare. This ought to be comforting to young women, stenographers, bookkeepers, managers and others that work for a living. If they must earn money for themselves, they could go to work at 18, save their money, then marry at 35, knowing that their children probably will amount to more than they would

have done had the mother married between 18 and 23. HOWEVER, the right time to marry is when you meet THE RIGHT MAN. Remember that, young la-dies. Don't marry BEFORE that, and don't wait a minute AFTER that, assuming that you are at least 20 years old.

G e t t i n g t o K n o w G e n e

N a t u r a l i s t ’ s C o r n e r B y T i f f a n y C o n r a d

Throughout the years there have been many incarna-tions of the Chautauqua Days festival. During Gene’s time there was the “educational” Chautauqua where people would come from all over the state to listen to lectures and sermons. There was also an entertainment factor with people singing, plays and dances. Then there was Rome City’s version, through the late 1990s, as more of a festival with a parade, rides, a carni-val and fun on the lake. Now here at Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site, we are working towards reviv-ing this annual celebration and combining it with a cele-bration of Gene’s birthday (149 this year for those of you who are counting!) I have been working to get some various demonstra-tors out here, and in partnership with Jim Gust, we hope to get a lot of great “acts” out to showcase their talents. We are look-ing to get people with talents from Gene’s time and even talents she had. For example,

local quilters have been invited to demonstrate hand quilting and I will be knitting one item or another, since Gene was a knitter herself. Fun fact: Gene taught her entire staff to knit so they could send socks overseas to soldiers during World War I. Many other great talents will be on display. I have reached out to the local community to see what talents are under our noses and to help pro-mote a few local businesses. If you know anyone who has a talent/skill that was common in the early 1900s, please let me know! We are always looking for new and interesting ways to spread information about the era and demonstrations are a great way to do that. Or if you have a hidden talent you would like to share you are more than welcome as well. I have had many questions about boat tours in the past and whether or not we will continue this in the fu-ture. As of right now, we do not have a boat. The boat that has been used in the past was sold recently. It is something I am looking into and would love to bring back in the future.

Not a GSP Memorial Society member yet? Join today! Complete and return this form.

Gene Stratton-Porter Memorial Society, Inc. 2012 Annual Meeting Ballot All members in good standing of the Gene Stratton-Porter Memorial Society, Inc. are entitled to vote. Couple

memberships are entitled to 2 votes, Family memberships are entitled to 1 vote for each adult in the household

and Corporate or Organizational memberships receive 1 vote. Please indicate those votes on this ballot or in

your email. Please mark your vote and mail or email no later than July 15. Mail to: GSP Memorial Society,

1205 Pleasant Point, Rome City, Indiana 46784 or send your vote to gspmemorialsociety@gmail.com.

If you have questions, please call (260) 854-3790.

� I vote in favor of the proposed slate of officers and Board members as presented in this newsletter.

� I vote against the proposed slate of officers and Board members

as presented in this newsletter.

Member Name (printed) ___________________________________

Member Signature________________________________________

___________________________________________________________ Name ___________________________________________________________ Business or Non-Profit Organization (if applicable) ___________________________________________________________ Street Address ___________________________________________________________ City State Zip Phone Number ___________________________________________________________ E-mail Address

Gene Stratton-Porter Memorial Society, Inc. Membership Application

Single $10.00

Family $15.00

Sustaining $20.00

Non-Profit Org. $25.00

Business $25.00

Life (40 years or older)

Single $100.00

Family $150.00

Please make your check

payable to:

Gene Stratton-Porter Memorial

Society, Inc. and mail, along

with this form, to

GSP Memorial Society,

1205 Pleasant Point,

Rome City, Indiana 46784

Your GSP Memorial Society membership includes 4 newsletters each year, invitations to special events and a 10% discount in the

GSP gift shop. Your membership dues support educational programs, special events and help continue Gene’s legacy!

Cast Your Vote for the 2012 GSP Memorial Society Board of Directors! Complete and mail the form below or e-mail to cast your vote for the

2012 Annual Meeting if you’re unable to attend.

T h a n k s t o O u r

S u p p o r t e r s

We’d like to highlight some of our loyal supporters who help us continue Gene’s legacy. Each issue, we’ll showcase businesses or individuals who make contributions to GSP.

NATURE UNLIMITED Dave Yoder of Nature Unlimited in Tope-ka donates bird seed and suet to keep the feathered residents of GSP well-fed throughout the year. You can visit Nature Unlimited at 219 Nature Trail in Topeka for his selection of feeders, houses, seed, suet and more. They also have Purple Martin houses like the one near the Sowers Barn on Site. Dave’s donations are greatly appreciated by the birds and bird watchers alike!

NOBLE COUNTY DISPOSAL Family-owned Noble County Disposal recently helped beautify Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site by making an in-kind donation of a large dumpster for the Sower Farmstead to be cleared of brush and debris. Thanks for making the Site even more beautiful!

P a g e 6

S u m m e r a n d F a l l F u n f o r t h e W h o l e F a m i l y

Summers always seem to go fast and are gone before you know it but don’t let this summer get away without attending one of the great events at the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site! To get more info or make res-ervations for any of these events, please call the Site at (260) 854-3790.

It’s not too late to wish upon a falling star, or at least gaze at the stars with our annual Star Gazing & Night Hike. Not only will you learn about the con-stellations but our naturalist will lead a hike through the woods where you’ll learn who spends the night looking for food.

You’ve already read about the exciting new demon-strations that will bring Chauatauqua Days to life! This year’s celebration is set for August 18 and 19 from noon to 4 p.m. each day. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon on the lake. Fall brings the Upland Cookout where you can join hunters, conservationists and others to try local wild game. In year’s past, we’ve dined on delicacies such as pheasant, blue gill, puff balls, alligator, dove, goose, and even crickets! This year, we’re hoping you’ll help by bringing your own wild game dish for everyone to try.

The GSP Autumn Tea is always a sell out event so don’t wait to get your tick-ets! This tradition continues with elegant china, locally blended teas to sample and dainty, delicious tea time treats like cucumber sand-wiches, scones and Devon-shire cream. Be sure to wear your best tea time hat! Owl-oween is always a hit with kids of all ages. This two-night event lets you wander the grounds while learn-ing about the creatures of the night, munching on some treats and make great crafts to take home. This event has grown each year and we’re excited to see what 2012 has in store! If you prefer events designed more for the adult crowd, don’t miss the Moonlit Garden Tour on Saturday, August 4, from 8 to 10 p.m. Enjoy live music, Amish cheeses, chocolate dipped strawberries and local wine at this relaxed and romantic event. Tickets are $25 per per-son, all guests must be 21 or older and reservations are required. A complete listing of events can be found on page 8 as well as the GSP Memorial Society website (www.genestratton-porter.com) and Facebook.

D o Y o u L i k e t o

C o o k ?

We are changing the format of one of our fall events. In the past our Wild Game Cookout has been prepared by staff and a few volunteers. It’s always a big success but we are trying something new this year. If you (or someone you know) enjoys hunting and cooking wild game, we want to know about it! We are looking for a few good chefs to prepare some main courses for the event. This year’s event takes place on Saturday, September 29th from 6 to 9 pm. There will be a few things prepared by site staff but we are reaching out to the community to get some different flavors and dishes mixed in. Any wild game is welcome. Whether its venison chili, hasenpfeffer or puffball, we are willing to try it all. Please contact Tiffany at the Site (260-854-3709 or conradt@indianamuseum.org) if you are interested in participating in this event.

Photo by Alaina Carnahan

From Gene’s Kitchen P a g e 7

We are raising funds to restore Gene’s kitchen and invite you to tour the Cabin and see as the restoration progresses, revealing secrets long covered by cabinets and slowly bringing to reality the images described by Gene herself. To check on the progress, please visit our website (www.genestratton-porter.com) where we’ll post photos as restoration work is done. If you are anything like me, cooking in the sum-mer is no fun! But, here are a couple recipes that use some of the best summer has to offer: ice cream and strawberries! Both are very easy to make and even easier to enjoy.

Peppermint Ice Cream Mrs. Percy V. Pennybacker,

President Chautauqua Women’s Club

1/3 pound of red peppermint-candy striped sticks 2 pints of cream

Dissolve candy in one pint of cream. This takes sever-al hours. Freeze partially the above mixture. Then add remaining pint of cream which has been whipped. Freeze very hard.

From “Favorite Recipes of Famous Women”, 1925

Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs

Bamboo skewers Strawberries

Frozen pound cake, thawed Fruit dip (recipe below)

Cut the pound cake into cubes about 1” square. Wash, hull and slice the strawberries horizontally and place on skewers alternately with the pound cake cubes. Serve with fruit dip.

Fruit Dip

8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream

Beat cream cheese and marshmallow cream on medi-um to high until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Refrigerate leftovers. Courtesy www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com.

1205 Pleasant Point

Rome City, IN 46784

(260) 854-3790

G E N E S T R A T T O N - P O R T E R

M E M O R I A L S O C I E T Y , I N C .

VISIT SOON!

2012 Events

Wil

dfl

ow

er W

alk

& B

run

ch

Sat

urd

ay,

May

5,

10:3

0 a

.m.

- 1

2:3

0 p

.m.,

$2

0

Inte

rna

tio

nal

Mig

rato

ry B

ird

Da

y F

esti

val

Sat

urd

ay,

May

12

, 9

a.m

. -

1 p

.m.,

$3

Gen

e S

tra

tto

n-P

ort

er C

abin

Ove

rnig

ht

Sat

urd

ay -

Su

nd

ay,

July

14

–1

5,

8:3

0 p

.m.

- 8

:30 a

.m.,

$1

00

GS

P M

emo

ria

l S

oci

ety

An

nu

al

Mee

tin

g

Tu

esd

ay, Ju

ly 1

7,

6:0

0 p

.m.

Sta

r G

azi

ng

& N

igh

t H

ike

Sat

urd

ay, Ju

ly 2

8,

8:3

0 -

10

:30

p.m

., $

4

Ba

rn S

ale

Fri

day

& S

atu

rday

, A

ug 3

& 4

, 8

a.m

. -

5 p

.m.

Gen

e’s

Mo

on

lit

Ga

rden

Tou

r S

atu

rday

, A

ugu

st 4

, 8

- 1

0 p

.m.,

$2

5

Ch

au

tau

qu

a D

ays

S

atu

rday

& S

un

day

, A

ug 1

8 &

19

, N

oo

n -

4 p

.m.,

$3

Up

lan

d W

ild

life

Co

ok

ou

t S

atu

rday

, S

epte

mb

er 2

9,

6 -

9 p

.m.,

$5

su

gges

ted

do

nat

ion

Ken

da

llvi

lle

Ap

ple

Fes

tiva

l S

atu

rday

& S

un

day

, O

cto

ber

6 &

7

Gen

e S

tra

tto

n-P

ort

er A

utu

mn

Tea

S

atu

rday

, O

cto

ber

13,

No

on

- 4

p.m

., $

25

Ow

l-o

wee

n

Fri

day

& S

atu

rday

, O

cto

ber

19

& 2

0,

6:3

0 -

8:3

0 p

.m.,

$3

V

olu

nte

er A

ppre

cia

tio

n D

inn

er

Su

nd

ay,

No

vem

ber

4,

5:3

0 -

8:3

0 p

.m.

A D

ream

of

Bea

uty

Holi

day

Walk

S

atu

rday

, D

ecem

ber

1,

11

a.m

. -

9 p

.m.,

$3

Fo

r m

ore

in

form

ati

on

on

ev

ents

,

ple

ase

ca

ll 2

60

-85

4-3

79

0