Vickers 45th Apple Butter Festival – 2017

Gary and Shirley Vickers hosted the 45th Vickers Apple Butter Festival at the site of the late Gaylord and Nadine Vickers home near Harwood the first weekend in October 2017. Those attending were blessed as the sun shone brightly despite a forecast of rain. The scent of apples cooking over an open fire, a tinge of cinnamon and wood smoke drifting in the air along with an occasional leaf created a beautiful setting for the apple butter festival.

The first two kettles of apples were cooking by 7 a.m. and finished by 1 p.m. After the apple butter was jarred, Gary called the guests together to see a completed project which he had “Dreamed of for two years.” The tribute to veterans began with Gerrad Vickers singing the National Anthem.

Gary Vickers, a Viet Nam vet, said, “What an honor it is to have 45 years of apple butter making and to have all of you here. We started out with Mom, Dad, Roxie, myself, June Netta, Stanley, Bradley, Mark, Connie and Gae Dene and some spouses. Boy has our family grown. Mom and Dad would be so happy they would be dancing in the streets. They loved people and liked to see them have fun. That’s what we’ve tried to continue to do. Stanley, Bradley, Shirley and I plan for the event off and on all year. We have apple butter in many states – Virginia, Vermont, New York, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Montane, Colorado, California, Florida, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas and now Michigan. Mom and Dad would be 97 this year and Dad was a WWII veteran. Because of our vets, we have lots of freedoms to be thankful for. Their sacrifices are what have made us such a great nation today. We have several vets here today, two from WWII, one from Korea, and 12 Viet Nam vets. Each has made their mark on this land and way of life.”

“The memorials in Washington, D.C. are a great tribute to these men and women, but we are a long way from there. We want to honor them here for their service.”

“What is a vet? They are men and women who have given time out of their lives to serve our country in a military way. They were trained and pushed harder than they ever thought they could be and were able to do things they never thought they could. There are a lot of jobs in the military and some are very tough and some not, but they both must be done. As vets, we went and did what we were asked to do for our country. Those we left behind can’t tell their story – it’s our responsibility to tell the story for them. We must encourage one another and help our people be strong and patriotic. We still have a job to do. I have the privilege to serve with a small group of vets known as the Honor Guard. We honor those who have served. As the leader of our team, VFW 257 once said, ‘It’s our last chance to pay tribute to this vet on an individual basis’. A young man once asked how we stood there like that for so long. My answer in my mind was, It’s not easy, but to him is said, ‘It’s what soldiers do.’”

He introduced WWII Vets-Gene Lowe and Gene Dale and Korea Vet-Charles Foreman before calling up all the Viet Nam vets present. When the 13 vets assembled themselves before a large covered object, Gary and his sons, Jason, Gerrad and Justin, unveiled three metal sculptures of Viet Nam Soldiers in their uniforms. They stood about nine feet tall. After the unveiling of the sculpture, the Honor Guard fired a volley of shots and Brent Beckman played Taps.

After the tribute, Tim Bartkoski spoke. “The guys here were drafted 60 years ago and you may have seen a prettier job done by an honor guard, but you won’t find one more sincere.” He went on to tell of a trip to the western part of the country and how few came to him and told him thanks for serving our country, but there was one who came to him and thanked him and gave him a bracelet. The inscription said: MIA Lance Corporal Richard H. Dallas 27 April 1967. “My son checked this out. The man was a helicopter mechanic who went down in the South China Sea. I’ve worn this bracelet to every honor guard event in which I’ve participated to keep that vet’s memory.”

The sculpture will be placed in a place of honor in the community.

Attending the weekend apple butter making event were: Ken Pearson – New York; Len Bertoli – Illinois; Jes Raley – Yeilsville, AR; from El Dorado Springs – Natholie, Kash and Kreston McConnaughey, Brenda Parsley, Gracie, Trouper and Angie Arnold, Tim and Linda Bartkoski, Kyle and Debbie Vickers, Gene Lowe, Rosalee Handley, Gene Dale, Chance, Angel and Lauren Bain, Mike, Tater and Brinley Janes, Hank Leonard, Eillien Gooden, Wilda Hall, A.B. Spencer, Barb Lunday, Josh Gervin and friend, Blake Noway; from Walker –  Stanton and Casseille Gammon, Brent and Sherley Beckman, Charles and Neoma Foreman, Christine and Corey Graham, Chet and Marla Foreman, Marty Patton, Christine Eaton; from St. Peters –  Ryan, Erica and Hailey Vickers Mike, Lauren and Luke Erdelen, Brad Vickers and Nancy Miller; from Carthage –  Sydney, Clayton, Blake and Katie Switzer, Jason and Wren Vickers and Gabe; from Sedalia –  Tom and Mary Beatty; from High Hill –  Janet and Spencer and Heredia Hicks; from Pierce City –  Gary and Sarah McLain; from Galena, KS –  Earl and Glenna Spiva; from Stockton – Gary Click and daughter, Lauren; from Wichita, KS – Mike and Chris Buser; from Lawrence KS – Stan Vickers; from Nevada – Joyce Wallace, Ray Skillman, Kendall, Susan, Jaden, Shyler and Jacob Vickers, Chris and Christine Goddard, Justin and Karri Vickers, Brittany Vickers, Kadie Vickers, Sierra Deer, Konoin Smith, McKenzie Lockhart, Garrett Vickers, Gerrad Vickers, Hunter Seaver and Rozella Gammon; from Ventura, CA – Jim Compton; from Chicago –  Calvin Armstrong and Sadie Lancrete, Chicago; from Michigan – George and Krisna Welte; from Texas –  Gary Pearson; from Lamar –  Nadine Pattison; Colorado Springs, CO –  Dot Sphuler; from Springfield – Michael and Kendra Boonyakiti and daughter, Ella Rose; from Harwood –  David and Bonnie Hines, Allen Hines and Barb and Ronald Elliott.