Minutes
May 8, 2010
How about a hearty chorus of Happy Birthday to Harry Truman! Yes, it was Harry’s birthday but the Great Plains Heisey Club met in the home of Pat and Rex Lucke in Nebraska for our May 2010 meeting; not a party for Harry. Harry would have had a great time but it’s all in the timing and Harry’s time has passed.
The Luckes have their wonderful home bedecked with some of the best Heisey pieces you will ever see and other interesting collections. If we had been there only for a tour it would have been worth the trip for the 24 members from 4 states who attended. A very tasty lunch provided by the Luckes was a bonus before our meeting was called to order by President John Mock. He thanked our hosts and welcomed two veteran members, the “Jerrys”, who were attending their first GPHC meeting. They are regular dealers at the convention show in Newark and made the trip today from Eastern Iowa. They’re busy guys so we were happy they could join us.
The March meeting minutes were approved and Treasurer Tom Files reported a treasury balance of $1,445.43. Tom is also an HCA board member so he circulated an April letter from President Sue Kilgore asking for various support issues from study clubs. Tom covered other HCA issues and the members approved changes to our club bylaws as requested by HCA. He circulated information about the Percy and Vivian Moore event to be held in Panama City Beach, FL in October and encouraged members to attend.
We finalized plans for donations to the hospitality room during the convention and discussed auction donation needs. We’re anxious for everyone to become acquainted with Mary Cameron, our club member who hopes to join the HCA Board. She’s a founding member of our club and a great asset who will serve HCA well. She’s fun too!
We just had to do it – we gave another great big thanks to Pat and Rex Lucke, our club members who funded in full new roofs for the three Heisey Museum complex buildings. The Lucke’s heard of a need and stepped up to fix a major problem that HCA did not have the funds to correct. They provided a long-term solution with quality materials over and above the average roofing job. We can’t thank them enough.
Trudy Mock’s “Martha Moment” was to describe alternate uses for Heisey pieces, such as using punch bowls as salad bowls, etc. She had pictures of doing that for her lady golfer’s luncheon. Mary Cameron brought an article about Eva Zeisel that had been in Antique Week. Bucky Will contributed an article from the Kansas City Star about uses for cake stands (salvers).
Tom Files presented “Heisey’s Functional Figurals” for our program – animals incorporated into the design of functional pieces. There was a table filled with great examples – all almost exclusively from the Lucke’s collection. (Tom’s able helper was Rex Lucke who chose “Buck” over “Vanna” as his assistant alias. That was fitting on Truman’s birthday as Harry’s favorite saying was “The buck stops here”). I think we all learned some things from the program and it was a treat to see some of the rare pieces instead of just looking at their pictures in the books – thank you, Tom, for the good program and the handout.
The Show and Tell table was full – too much to list really but a few things should be specially noted. A coffee pot with California Poppy etch was on display (you can see its picture on page 154 of the 1896-1957 Bredehoft book but, as they say, you had to be there…). Also to see was a #341 1/2 Puritan squat jug – not too uncommon until you noted it had a Zircon handle. Not to be outdone, a #1401 Empress creamer and sugar with Krall cutting was on the table. And we shouldn’t slight other pieces such as the #1245/3970 comport/Flamingo, #1401 Empress tumbler/Sahara, #1229 Octagon bowl with an extensive cutting, #1511 Toujours bowls with Minuet etch, #339 Continental toothpick, #1776 Kalonyal oil, #4225 Cobel cocktail shaker with Tally Ho etch, #411 Tudor mustard, #341 Puritan 9 1/2 inch bon bonniere, #1205 Fancy Loop potpourri jar plus many, many other beautiful pieces of Heisey.
Our auction table to raise money for HCA was filled with temptations of Heisey glass and Jean Will’s homemade strawberry jam. Thanks to everyone who donated and congrats to the winning bidders.
We adjourned for dessert – more delicious treats to enjoy. Thanks again to the Luckes for a great time. Hope some of you remembered Harry’s birthday – a good excuse to party!