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Home My WebLink AboutZurich Citizens News, 1977-10-12, Page 15SHE KNOWS HER BUTTONS — Verda Moulton of Dashwood has an unusual hobby. She collects buttons. There are hundreds in her home. Some are in frames on the wall behind her in this photograph. She is holding her favourite reference source, "The Button Book", published in 1949 and now out of print. Staff photo Dashwood woman collects buttons For nearly five years Verda Moulton of Dashwood has been collecting buttons. She has hundreds, all sizes and shapes. A few, arranged in designs on dark velvet, hang in frames on the wall. Others are sewn on swat- ches of cloth. Many more are spread out on trays for sorting on the dining room table, or stored away in tins and jars in drawers and on shelves, In one room an old sideboard is full of them. They are made of abalone, rubber, china, pearl, vegetable ivory, glass, jet, ceramic, bone, brass, tin, celluloid, pewter, wood, semi-precious stones and other materials. She buys them from other collectors and at flea markets and auction sales. Neighbours, friends and relatives give them to her too. Her favourites are two of a set of seven large black rubber nineteenth century buttons depicting railway scenes. These came from Crediton. Another unusual type is a Victorian china whistle button, with a single hole in front and two in back for sewing it on. Blow through it and it whistles. She keeps an eye out for "charm strings". These date back to the 1800's. Young women would give each other buttons which would be strung on threads and carried round till they found husbands. Nobody can explain just how this worked, or if it did. The intricacy and variety of button designs boggles the mind of the uninitiated. They range in price, too, depending on scarcity, age and material. A collector will pay $10 or $12 for a single enamel button, for instance. On the other hand, those containing gems may be worth hundreds of dollars. In the course of studying them, Mrs. Moulton has learned much about the substances from which they are made. Vegetable ivory, for example, comes from a South American nut. It was used not only for buttons but also for ships' ballasts at one time. To distinguish jet (a coal byproduct popular among Victorian women) from black glass, drop it into a cup of water. Jet floats, while glass sinks. Mrs. Moulton is a member of Ontario's Trillium Button Club. Most meetings are held in churches and homes in and around St. Thomas. She attends them with her sister, Mrs. Walter Rogers of Sparta, who has long been a button collector and, in fact, interested Verda in the hobby. The house' in which Mrs. Moulton has lived for the past 20 years belonged to her mother's parents, Mr. & Mrs. Fred Gossman. It is more than 100 years old. Both interior and exterior have been renovated, but it retains the charm and character of the past century. She was born in Dashwood in a house on the main street. It's gone now. The grocery store run by her Grandfather Hartleib is still in business, known now as Schatz's. Mrs. Moulton's husband, George, died 15 years ago. A son, George Junior, and a married daughter, Jean Miners, also died. She has five living children - four daughters and a son. Mary, Mrs. James Fee, lives in Birmingham, Michigan; while Hazel, Mrs. Robert Allen is in London. Verda, Mrs. Madley Jenkins, is near Arva, and Dorothy, Mrs. Patrick Gilleece is in Toronto, Harry lives in Aylmer. There are 27 grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren. For convenience -selection -satisfaction Sears SIMPSONS SEARS LIMITED shop by catalogue GRANBEND23$-8471 D We're just a dial away CATALOGUE SHOPPING HOURS Mon. To Sat. 9:00 Until 6:00, Friday TiI.9:00 NEW LOCATION - THE BEEHIVE Grand Bend - 9 Main St. Zurich Fruit Flies The Zurich Fruit Flies held their third meeting October 5. Members answered the roll call by showing labels, samples or pictures of processed fruits and telling one way in which each was served. In the group work session Susan Deichert and Darlene Steckle made strawberry Bavarian cream. Vicki Schroeder and Grace Swartzentruber made peach layer dessert. Jackie made, satice. Members then tasted the fruit desserts. OBITUARIES RUSSELL BLACKWELL A funeral service was held last Wednesday by Rev. Fred Darnell from the Evans Funeral Home, London, for Russell Blackwell, who died in that city October 2. He was 67. Mr. Blackwell was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Blackwell of the Exeter area. He is survived by his wife, Myrtle; two sisters Mrs, (Bona) Lewis Clark of Hensall and Mrs. (Gretta) Dan MacKeilar of Buffalo; and by several nieces and nephews. He was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, London. RITA HEENAN A funeral was held Tuesday, October 4, from St. Patrick's Church, Biddulph, for Rita Margarette Hennan of RR 3, Granton. She died in St. Marys Memorial Hospital, St. Marys. She was the wife of James Heenan, who survives her, along with three children Frank, Joseph and Anne, all at home. Also surviving are a sister, Mary Baker and two brothers Jack and Clement Baker, all of Dor- chester; a sister, (Teresa) Sister Mary Francis of Precious Blood, Hamilton, and another sister, Mrs. Leon Bedard of Zurich. She was predeceased by a brother, Frank. Citizens News, October 12, 1977 Page 15 COMPLETE 24 HR. SANITATION SERVICE PHONE ED LOVIE PHONE JOHN HOTSON AT 238-2776 AT 238-2140 If no answer call 238-8240 for prompt reply. PORTABLE TOILET SERVICE Portable Toilets are available 7 days a week with Maintenance and Delivery included. R.R. 1 o GRAND BEND Loin Pork Chops or Roast Frozen Chicken Parts Baked Meat Loaf Rendered Lard Garlic and Smoked Sausage Specials Start Thursday thru Ib. Ib. Ib. 89s' X1.59 lb. 33{ Available. Saturday Custom Services Offered YUNGBLUT'S. MEAT MARKET ZURICH PHONE 236-4312 THE NAME THAT MEANS ELEGANCE IN FASHION EYEWEAR... Photographed In the gardens of Versailles. W BY UNIVERSAL, THE NAME YOU CAN TRUST IN EYEWEAR. Your eyes are your most precious possession.,. do take care of them. Universal Optical recommends that you visit your eyecare specialist at least once a year, FROM UNICO INC., THE INTERNATIONAL DIVISION OF UNIVERSAL OPTICAL CO., PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, EXCLUSIVE LICENSEE FOR GIVENCHY EYEWEAR. Carpenter Optical Shoppe 405 Main St. Exeter 235-0511