Fraktur Art Occupies New Berlin Dairy Wife BY GAIL STROCK Mifflin Co. Correspondent “He’s my best critic!”, she says with a smile. “We compliment each other”. We are sitting in the kitchen of the Spangler farm in New Berlin, PA. Donna Spangler speaks of her role as an artist and of her husband Dan’s role as a dairy farmer. Each has their own business, but each also enhances the other. Donna credits her present Frak tur Art business to hard work, the encouragement Dan gives her, and her background. She received an Associates Degree in Visual Com munications at the Pittsburgh Art Institute in 1975. Degree in hand, she went to work for a retail chain in Lewistown, PA as Advertising Manager for their four stores. While there, Donna attended workshops on Copywriting, and ) Advertising and Production at New York University on Washington Square. When Donna met Dan, he was District Representative for Ameri can Breeders Service. They mar ried, and moved back to his home farm, a 70-cow dairy in Union County. While helping with the milking, Donna laid plans for her future, a way she could keep her identity as an artist while raising a family on the farm. She started free-lancing at local businesses and substituted for the Commer cial Art and Printing classes at the Sun Area Technical School, a mile from their home. During their children’s pre-school years, Don na also designed farm logos, including stationery. Now that the children, 8-year-old Justin and 5-year-old Kevin, are of school age, Donna has chosen to special MEMBERSHIP ize and is turning her artistic talent into a business. But why Fraktur Art? “I wanted to contribute something more per manent (than advertising) - an art form with a history that I could pass on - that people could cher ish”, she explains. “And Fraktur Art has that history”. Brought to America by German immigrants, Fraktur Art is a Pennsylvania Ger man Folk Art with its meaning deeply rooted in their religion. The symbols of Christ include the Dove, the stem of the vine, and the flower. The heart symbolizes agape, the Love of God, and the leaves are new-born believers. Donna explains that only primary colors are used because “they worked with what they had (dyes)”. This folk art originated as a means of recording special events - to keep records such as wedding frakturs, birth announce ments, and family trees. After seeing a friend’s family tree done in Fraktur, and because of her interest in geneology, Don na turned her attention to Fraktur. By intertwining her personal artis tic style with the Franktur sym bols, Donna creates original designs that are hand lettered. She keeps with tradition by creating family tree Frakturs, and wedding and birth announcements, but also provides verses from the Bible and sayings that people request. Donna’s largest request came from a Philadelphia family - a 150-person family tree dating back to 1501. Each completed Fraktur then gets matted and framed in Don na’s studio on the second floor of their home. Having the tools to mat and flame at home enables Dan to help Donna when his sche dule allows. Donna, speaking of Dan, states that although each is in charge of their own business, each helps the other out when needed, while Dan cuts frames for Donna occasional ly, Donna feeds calves and milks when needed. “We know each other’s business”, she adds. And Dan’s business is dairy farming at Harmony Springs Farm. When Dan moved back to his home farm, he became the fourth gener ation to farm there, at first in part nership with his father, now in MORE ... Money in Your Pocket Dairylea has paid members more than $1 million per month in premiums during the past year plus a 13th check. MORE ... Member Services Dairylea is committed to improving the net farm income of our members through new and innovative services: * Milk Check Direct Deposit * Electronic Bulletin Board (direct computer access) * A Major Sponsor of PRO-DAIRY and other programs designed to increase farm profitability * Member Loan Program * Top-rated Health/Life/Dental Insurance * On-staff Farm Management Consultant. MORE ... Governmental Representation Dairylea has captured the spirit of effective leadership in fighting for dairy farmers and their interests on the national, state and local government levels. The bottom line in your milk check is directly influenced by law makers members can be assured that Dairylea is fighting for the best return for the milk they produce. Find out what MORE Dairylea Membership can do for you. Call Bob Manning at 717/523-0708 or Shirley at 1-800-722-0231 (NY) 1-800-654-8838 (other states) Donna Spangler partnership with his brother. Donna and Dan wanted to raise their children on a farm as they both had been. And now sons Jus tin and Kevin have the advantage of both parents at home and both parents involved in something that is important to them. They feel at home out at the bam or in the stu dio, and are involved in both. Jus tin will be showing a calf in the open class at the Union County Fair for the third year and, as for art, Donna smiles when she says that on the last day of school, Jus tin pulled his desk into her studio (Daajlea) 831 lames St. Syracuse, NY 13203 UnftMttrftrwln}, 9*tarc*t, and three days later Kevin pulled his in. Although working at home has its disadvantages, such as keeping odd hours, Donna emphasizes the importance of full support from the family, a support that comes in many forms - from cutting frames to showing concern - from milk ing cows to making time. Donna and Dan, along with their children, fill the roles of bus iness owners, co-workers, family members, and partners - all indivi duals, yet all interrelated. And the partnership works well here at Harmony Springs Farm.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers