The Citizen, 1997-07-23, Page 44PAGE 24. HOMECOMING '97, WEDNESDAY, JULY 23,1997
Memories of yesteryears
Judy La Marsh demands retraction from Jack
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23
into serious trouble.
His widow, Annie, remembers
that at one lime Judy La Marsh, a
colourful character in her own right
in federal politics in the late 50s
and early 60s, wrote to Jack in
Brussels demanding that he retract
something he had said about her in
one of the popular columns he used
to write for the now-defunct
Brussels Post.
"It didn't bother Johnny at all, but
I can tell you, I was pretty scared
for a few days," Annie said. "I used
to say 'Johnny, you're going to get
hung if you keep on writing stuff
like that,' but he'd just say, 'heck,
they'd be disappointed if I didn't
write about them'."
And it was true. Many local
people remember him best for the
weekly column he used to write for
the village newspaper when he
finally quite travelling and settled
down in his home-town in his early
70s, and there are many who said
they took the paper just to see what
he had to say about his fellow
townsmen from week to week, and
there are some who were convinced
that some of the truths he exposed
about the town with cornball
humour even changed the face of
Brussels, always for the better.
"You couldn't get upset about the
things he said," one Brussels old-
timer remembered. "You see, he
wrote the truth. If he says
somebody got drunk too often,
well, it was true, and maybe people
would even change their ways
because of him.
And yet neither The Kansas
Farmer's weekly -pennings or his
comic monologues on the stage
were even slightly sordid. It was all
good, clean fun, with never even
the hint of a smutty line or story to
mar his reputation as a family
entertainer. People may have been
outraged at the first sting of some
of his wit, but it never lasted, and
everywhere Jack appeared, he
played to a packed house.
A nephew in Brussels still has a
letter from the secretary of the
Rockton, Ontario agricultural show
where Jack had appeared for many
years, begging him to return in a
year when other commitments
made it impossible. "Please
reconsider," the letter pleaded.
"The Fair just won't be the same
without you."
Born on the third line of Morris
Township in 1897, Jack Thynne
only helped out on the family farm
when he absolutely had to. ("Never
seen a Thynne that liked farming,"
his wife says). Completely self-
taught on the fiddle, with never a
lesson in his life, Jack began
entertaining at an early age, playing
on his own at local parties and
weddings to earn a little extra cash,
and, of course, to escape the farm.
Jack and Annie (Little) were
married in 1920, when he was only
23, but it wasn't until about eight
years after the marriage that Jack
decided to take his show on the
road, leaving Annie to raise four
children virtually alone, through
what must have been some lean and
lonely times, although Mrs.
Thynne, a quick wit herself was
reluctant to talk about them.
"He was always home for
Christmas, never missed a year,"
she said, adding that he would then
stay on the Morris Twp. farm for
the rest of the winter, but would be
back on the road again at the first
hint of spring, leaving the family to
carry on alone. One of his
daughters, Barb inherited much of
her father's talent, and in later years
the pair developed a witty act
called "Crossfire," which they
performed locally a number of
times, but Mrs. Thynne was always
adamant in that she'd never let the
children go on the road with The
Kansas Farmer, nor would she go
herself.
"Heavens, no," she said. "I'd have
never been neither useful nor
ornamental out there."
Led by Jack Thynne and his
dancing fiddle, The Clover Hullers
consisted of five other young men
on the guitar, ukulele and
mandolin. The group became
widely known, but disbanded after
a few years when Jack wanted to
go father afield than did the other
members, and struck out on his
own.
He travelled widely in the
Canadian west, and also spent
much of his time in the Maritimes,
performing a vaudeville act with
the famous Don Messer. He was
indeed related to Don Messer,
although Mrs. Thynne says she was
never sure of the family
connection. The Kansas Farmer
even appeared once on the Charles
Templeton television quiz show, in
which the panel of experts failed to
guess either his name or his
occupation in the allotted time.
Mr. Thynne gave up travelling in
the late 1960s, coming home to
stay. But he remained The Kansas
Farmer to everyone, entertaining to
packed audiences at local fairs and
other occasions, even after his
health began to fail in the early 70s.
He was diabetic, and he was nearly
blind towards the end of his career;
but he played on, although he often
had to be led to the stage and seated
before he could begin to fiddle.
His last public performance was
at the Brussels Legion in 1974, and
people had to be turned away at the
door, so great was their demand for
the entertainment that only their
"Johnny" could provide.
Shortly afterwards, he suffered a
stroke, and spent nearly 11 years in
the Callander Nursing Home in
Brussels, where he died in 1985.
Mr. Thynne is buried in the
Brussels Cemetery, home at last.
Welcome Home to
CLEARANCE PRICES ON NEW 1997 CARS, As Low As
TRUCKS AND VANS. IF WE DON’T HAVE IN
STOCK WHAT YOU NEED ... WE’LL GET IT
FOR YOU. GET GMAC FINANCING ... 48 MO.
__________________________________________
0)
0)
CD
O
c
‘<D
cn
CDL_
cu
c
t5
3
3
O
3
(/)
C
CO
CD
O
CD
CD
3 x.
CD
0)
>X.
O
CD
O
■o
3
O
0.
1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM SE - 4 dr., V6, fully loaded,
spotless red, only 38,000 km. Balance of fac. warranty.
1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM SE - 2 dr., V6, fully loaded,
spotless green, only 41,000 km. Balance of fac. warranty.
1996 CHEV LUMINA - 4 dr., V6, auto, loaded,
blue, only 29,000 km. Balance of fac. warranty.
1995 PLYMOUTH NEON - 4 dr., 4 cyl, 5 spd, air,
AM/FM, spotless red, one owner, 71,000 km.
1995 OLDS CIERRA - fully loaded, 4 dr, V6, only 79,000 km.
1995 CHEV LUMINA - 4 dr, V6, auto, air, cruise, tilt, cassette,
red, 82,000 km.
1995 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX SE - fully loaded, 4 dr, V6,
spotless white, only 56,000 km. Balance of warranty.
Homecoming
By Betty Graber
It's time for reminiscing - time to review the years,
To ponder our history and the past,
Emitting sighs, laughter and tears.
For Brussels is a fun town - with things to do and people to see,
Friends to catch, buildings to check,
A history lesson easily!
We gather now to celebrate Homecoming '97
The main street, the churches, the schools - our own little bit of heaven.
We're celebrating Brussels and its place in history
The celebration involves Morris and Grey - ah, what a three.
For in the past we've worked as one - to the betterment of our place.
For municipal lines get fuzzy as we celebrate home space.
Many projects come to mind - parks, a medical building and school
By working as one we've gained a community centre and a pool
So August 1 weekend we'll celebrate our story
As we gather to chat, celebrate and sing.
Recalling the Brussels of our glory days
We'll let all the bells and whistles ring!
We’re ready for the future; taken on as in the past
With people and commitment - Brussels is sure to last.
So enjoy your time of celebration,
Swap stories, hopes and dreams,
Be part of the fun and laughter,
Enjoy the Homecoming theme.
125th Anniversary!
’9,650
’23,500
’14,900
’16,950
‘13,450
’13,900
’11,350
"0
o
c
Q.
1994 GMC SONOMA S15 - 4 cyl, 5 spd. AM/FM, tinted glass,
sharp green, 97,000 km.
1994 GMC 2500 EXT. CAB 4X4 - fully loaded, 350, V8,
auto, air, c/w 5th wheel hook-up, only 60,000 km, silver.
1994 CHEV CHEYENNE 4X4 - Ona^ner, mint condition, red,
V6,5 spd, boards, rear slidB^^WtaJmjq deflector, doth seat,
AM/FM, only 68,000 km. Reduced to
1993 CHEV BEAUVILLE - fully loaded, one owner, 8 pass, van,
excellent condition, med. silver, luxury full size. Reduced to
1993 CHEV CHEYENNE - V6, auto, AM/FM cassette,
rear slider, med. green, 114,000 km, one owner, excellent condition.
1993 CHEV CHEYENNE - 305, V8, auto, air, tu-tone red & silver,
cruise, excellent condition, 111,000 km, one owner. Reduced to
1993 DODGE 150-318 Magnum V8, auto, cass, 183,000
highway km, looks & drives like new, spotless red, topper.
1992 DODGE 150 4X4 LE - V8, auto, silver grey, boxliner,
rear sliding window, 187,000 km, looks and drives great. Reduced to □,<7uU
1992 CHEV ASTRO VAN 4X4 - air, 7 pass, excellent condition, $
spotless, burgundy, custom visor, 101,000 km. Reduced to 10,%/3U
1991 AEROSTAR XLT - fully loaded, 7 pass, mint condition,
red, 151,000 km.
1991 SUBURBAN SLE - fully leaded, 350 V8, auto, air, tu-tone
charcoal & silver, 169,000 km.
1991 CHEV SILVERADO - fully loaded, 350, auto, air,
2 tone red/siker, looks and drives like new, 213,000 km.
1991 CHEV ASTRO EXTENDED - air, cruise, tilt, cass. tinted
glass, mint cond, 179,000 km, tu-tone black & silver. Reduced to
1991 SUBURBAN SLX - full size, 4 dr, 350, V8 auto, six pass,
new CFC-free air, blue/grey, 93,000 km, excellent condition.
1990 F150 CUSTOM - red, excellent condition, 302, V8,
4 spd, auto, cloth seat, 150,000 km, box liner.
1989 FORD BRONCO 4X4 - fully loaded, Eddie Bauer pkg,
302, V8, auto, trailer tow pkg, 170,000 km.
1989 AEROSTAR XLT-7 pass, p.w, p.d.l, air, cruise, tilt,
tu-tone silver/grey, excellent condition, 21^,000 km. Bargain
1989 F150 XLT - 302, V8, only 98,000 km, tu-tone red,
fully loaded, p.w, p.d.l, 5 spd, topper, like new. Reduced to
1988 ASTRO - fully loaded, V6,7 pass, silver, excellent condition.
1988 CHEV 3/4 TON - 350, V8, air, auto, p.w, p.d.l, cassette,
blue, looks and drives like new, 180,000 km.
1988 F150 4X4 XL - tu-tone tan & brown, V8, auto, box liner,
excellent condition, AM/FM, 129,000 km. Reduced to
1988 CHEV BLAZER TAHQE4M O auto, cruise, tilt, p.w,
p.d.l, cassette, blue, like bra^W."* Reduced to
1987 F150 XL - V8, auto, tu-tone tan, only 122,000 km,
one owner, like new. Reduced to
[ 1986 CHEV 1 TON CHASSIS CAB - 350, V8, dual rear wheels, }
i 12 ft. rack, excellent condition, white, 123,000 km. D,yOU i
l_____ ___—------------——-—i
“WE SERVICE * WARRANTY WHAT WE SELL"McCutcheon motors ltd.
Downtown BRUSSELS 887-6856 OR 1-888-351-9193
’16,450
’15,950
’17,950
’8,450
’14,750
’14,950
’15,950
1994 OLDS 88 LSS - fully loaded, 4 dr, luxury sport, $. Q Q-n
mint condition, complete with leather. Only 65,000 km. Reduced to I
1994 OLDS ACHIEVA - fully loaded, 4 dr., V6, auto, p. seat, $ . Q_n
spotless white,red interior, excellent condition. Reduced to II ,3OU
1993 TEMPO GL - 4 dr., auto, cruise, tilt, cass, trunk rack,
cast wheels, red, only 101,000 km, one owner, like new. Reduced to I
1991 CHEV CAVALIER RS - 4 dr, V6, auto, air, cassette,
spotless silver.
1991 FORD TAURUS - 4 dr, V6, auto, air, cruise, tilt, cassette,
maroon, 120,000 km.
1990 LUMINA EURO - sporty, 4 dr, V6, auto, cruise, tilt,
cassette, 169,000 km, silver, grey, excellent condition. Reduced to
1988 CHEV BERETTA - 2 door, V6, auto,
excellent condition, 195,000 km.
1988 CELEBRITY EURO - 4 dr, white, V6, auto, air, cruise,
tilt, cassette, excellent condition.
1987 CHRYSLER LEBARON - 2 dr, 4 cyl, auto, loaded, silver,
air, cassette, like new condition.
1987 PONTIAC GRAND AM - 4 dr, 4 cyl, auto,
only 119,000 km, spotless burgundy, like new condition.
1984 OLDS 98 REGENCY - fully loaded, rear drive,
incl. power sun roof, excellent condition, 153,000 km.
1995 LUMINA APV - 3.1, V6, air, cruise, tilt, cassette, red,
29,000 km, balance of factory warranty.
1995 AEROSTAR XLT EXTENDED - All wheel drive, loaded,
incl. 4 capt. chairs, white, blue int, nice striped pkg, only 78,000 km.
1994 DODGE CARAVAN - 7 pass, air, V6, auto, green,
1 owner, 73,000 km. Warranty to 115,000 km.
1994 CHEV SILVERADO - fully loaded, V8, air, auto,
beige/brown tu-tone c/w matching topper, 53,000 km.
’5,450
’6,350
’6,450
’3,950
’4,950
’3,950
’4,350
’4,950
’16,950
’18,850
’13,950
’18,900
’9,450
’13,950
’10,250
’9,950
’13,950
’7,850
’8,950
’5,995
’8,950
’6,950
’8,950
’8,450
’5,950
’6,850
O
CD
O
T
<
o
□0
c
CD
CD
O
CD
0)
3
Q.
CD
C
“T
o
c
3
Q.
5'
(Q
0)
o
CD
(/)
3
O
O
<o
co
Proud to serve Brussels and surrounding area since 1949