Minutes
April 4, 2009
Heisey and Kansas City BBQ - who could ask for anything more? OK, add some homemade pie a la mode. The first 2009 meeting of the Great Plains Heisey Club was at Jean Will's home in Leavenworth, KS on April 4 with President John Mock presiding over a group of 14 members. (Postponed a week due to rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, and wind on the previous Saturday -- ya gotta love weather in the Midwest). We missed some of our "snow birds" still in the South, Bucky who was ill, and the Camerons who were celebrating birthday #2 for their twin grandchildren. We even had an email from a gentleman in Africa wanting to join our club but we dismissed the request since it appeared to be part of a Nigerian fraud scam. He said he was wanting to join if "our eminence empowered us". Our eminence decided not to empower him.
Minutes were approved as submitted and Tom Files reported $813.39 in the treasury. Because of a schedule conflict for our hosts, the group approved changing the September 2009 meeting date from the 19th to the 26th.
Special guest Buck Elliott brought a beautiful peachblow vase. Buck's wife had a link to the Heisey family tree and considerable family evidence linked the piece to possibly being produced experimentally in the Heisey factory. In any event, it was a beautiful, silky piece of glass made with an expensive process using gold. A rare sight for all to see.
Trudy Mock presented her "Martha Moments" showing Heisey featured in Country Living and Paula Deen magazines.
The program for the meeting was Heisey plates. Sounds simple but we had no idea Heisey made so many plates. Eric alone brought about 60 plates and other members chimed in with different styles, sizes, and colors. We had little plates, big plates, plates in most all the colors, plates with cuttings, etches, and carvings, plates with decorations - so many plates we had to bring out more display tables and start stacking the plates to save space. Some of these plates we had only seen in books - it was much more informative to see them in person and study the designs up close.
Since this was our first meeting since last November, members had a long winter to acquire Heisey for Show and Tell. Here's a few of the pieces shown: #393 Narrow Flute orange juice, #150 Banded Flute 3 pint jug with silver overlay, #1511 Toujours Apple marmalade with extensive silver decoration, #493 cologne with cutting, #1567 Plantation candleblocks, #1425 Victorian 2 oz. bar, #12 salt and pepper, #1201 Fandango 8 oz. oil, #355 Bordeau bon bonniere stem, two #1020 Phyllis cream and sugar sets with the same grey cutting (actually one cream was the #1190 piece with the same cutting), Imperial Clydesdale in Salmon, #1413 Cathedral flared vase with #855 Fuchsia cutting, #5048 Rooster Head cocktail, #1170 Pleat and Panel compotier in Moongleam, #325 Pillows salt dip, #1112 Sparta footed sherbet 3 oz, #310 Ring Band tumbler in Custard with decorative picture, #1614 Plume candlesticks, #305 Punty and Diamond Point spoon, and other pieces I was drooling over and forgot to record.
We passed the Heisey hat (bowl) and held an auction to add some money to the treasury. One item sold was a hand-tooled step stool made by John Mock of wood from his father-in-law's barn. We'll sell most anything to raise money for HCA.
A final treat to conclude our meeting was homemade cherry and butterscotch pies served on orchid etch plates. It was a good day of Heisey sights, good fellowship, and good food. Finally, we all hit the road home - figuring if Michael Vick could get out of Leavenworth maybe we should also. Our next meeting will be May 9 at the home of Pat and Rex Lucke in Elkhorn, NE. Guests are always welcome.
Check out the latest information on our website at greatplainsheiseyclub.org.