Forty-six Years of Making Apple Butter

by Gary Vickers

Gary and Shirley Vickers hosted the 46th year of apple butter at the Vickers’ Farm. Brothers, Stanley and Bradley Vickers, and their families and friends all worked and contributed to get it done. The three brothers, sons of the late Gaylord and Nadene Vickers, have kept the tradition alive and growing all these years.

Family and friends and extended family, veterans and many of which Gary served with in Viet Nam are all a part of the apple festival. We worked up 30 bushels of apples and cooked two kettles on Saturday and two on Sunday. We started the fires at 5:30 a.m., added apple cider and apples in by 6:30 a.m. Stanley fixed his famous biscuits and gravy and this year had burritos by 7 a.m. along with cinnamon rolls and hot coffee. This set the morning to going along with hickory and oak fire and smoke and added to the crisp morning. The apple butter was finished and in jars by 12:30.

Then it was time to eat dinner. Shirley Vickers prepared a feast for kings of chili, taco soup, chicken and dumplings, vegetable soup and apple dumplings. Several others brought in side dishes.

While cooking the first batch of apple butter, my son, Jason, stepped up to read a story he had written about a farm boy and his goat. The story was about me and my 1969 GTO and my service time. Jason did a great job and really touched my heart.

Then, introduced my youngest son, Justin, and my now new 1969 GTO. What a surprise, and what a beautiful job Justin had done restoring it. Wasn’t sure I’d even ride in her again. She looks a little different but is still the GTO I bought with the money I sent home from Viet Nam. What a thrill.

There were two wagons for hayrides, 4-wheeler rides, and Roger Dade, Jr. brought his horse, Smoky, for the kids to see and ride if they wanted. A good time was had by all.

Around 2:30 Saturday, we had a tribute to our veterans who were attending. We had the pledge allegiance to the flag, and Kyle Vickers’ three sons, Nathan, Andy and Ben, sang the National anthem. They were very good. Next, Tim Bartkoski led the honor guard including beside him, Gary Pearson, Kenneth Pearson, Earl Spiva, Mike Buser and Gary McLain in firing the 6-gun salute. Brent Beckman, who was doing the Soldier’s Cross, stood and played Taps. I presented a proto type of the Viet Nam soldiers that I had built and will be on display in Nevada Nov. 9 at the Elk’s Lodge in a special ceremony at 1:30. The public is invited and urged to attend.

It’s always a special honor for me to acknowledge the veterans that join us at the apple butter festival. Jim Compton of Ventura, California, one of the veterans who served with me in Viet Nam, was able to spend the week with us at the farm. We got to go fishing and what a great time we had. Fifty years ago there wasn’t much chance that would ever happen as we faced death many times.

It was another great weekend even if it did rain Sunday. Stanley, Bradley and the kids helped put up tents and canopies and it worked out great. It’s a lot of hard work. One guest said, “You all work hard to have a great time!” Yep and looking forward to next year.

PEELING – The first step at the 46th Vickers apple butter making days was peeling 30 bushels of apples. Like everything else, it was a party atmosphere around the kitchen table.

Guests attending were from Harwood: Gary and Shirley Vickers, Bonnie White, John and Connie Leonard, David and Bonnie Hines, Mildred Hines, Allen Hines, Roger Dade and his horse, Smoke, and Brent and Shirley Beckman; Jim Compton – Ventura, CA; Bradley Vickers, Mike, Lauren, and Lucas Erdelen, and Nancy Miller – St. Peters, MO; Brant, Racheal, Ester, Jack, Samuel Reed – Bozeman, MT; Stanley Vickers and Vicky – Lawrence, KS; Jason and Wren Vickers – “Red Oak” at Carthage; Clayton and Sydney Black, Barry and Colleen Chorum – Carthage; Garrad, Barbara, Brittany, Garrett, and Kadie Vickers, Chance, Angel, Lauren, and Lydia Bain, Justin and Karie Vickers, Helen Tschanz, Dalton Ogle, Emme Jamison, and Kendall Vickers – Nevada; Warren, Crystal, Clayton, Skylar, and Jannessa Highley – Montevallo; Charles and Neoma Foreman, Marty Patton, and Joyce Wallace  -Walker; Terry and Mary Smith – Schell City; Mike and Brinley and Taten Janes, Montana Hacker, Fred and Juda Wosoba, Kyle, Debbie and Ben Vickers, John Pentecost, Brad England, Ray Spencer, Jason Spencer, Tim and Linda Bartkoski, Nick, Jake, Bradley, Kaeden, Braden, Addilyn Norman, and Blake Williams – El Dorado Springs; Nathan Vickers and friend, Jennifer Blank – Kansas City; Andy and Kristin Vickers – Aurora, NE; Earl and Glenna Spiva – Galena, KS; Mike and Chris Buser – Wichita, KS; Michael, Kendra, Ella and Mia Bonnyakitie – Iowa; Kendrick, Tara, Elliot and Evelyn McCabe – Arlington, VA; Paul, Tracy, Lily and Castie Granneman – St. Louis; Gary and Sarah McLain – Pierce City; Tom and Mary Beaty – Sedalia; Josh Lamb – Sheldon,; Gary Pearson – Texas, and Kenneth Pearson – Texas.