Grace Steele’s decision
to attend ceramic class and
learn to do some pieces for
herself and members of
her family has led to a full-
time business for her and
her husband, John.
Grace was going to
“% classes taught by Louise
James, who then lived in
Vernon, but after her
youngest daughter, Molly,
now six years of age, was
born, she did not have time
to attend as often as before.
She solved that by going to
class, starting a piece and
bringing it home to finish
it.
Before too long, John be-
came interested in her
work and started to help
her. Then he did some on
his own and the Steeles
were hooked on ceramics.
When the James’ house
was put on the market,
John and Grace purchased
ow
Grace & John Steele
and other materials Louise
g
bright sunshine peeking
by Bridgette Correale
Did you ever have a day
when you wished you
hadn’t gotten out of bed?
Saturday was my day.
Woke up at 6:12 a.m. (Have
a digital clock) saw the
through the shades and
bounced out of bed to begin
my thousand and one
chores.
For several hours I
cleaned, scrubbed, cooked
and answered the phone,
which rang every ten
minutes. I was kind of ex-
cited, for my new car was
being delivered; and come
one o'clock I was going to
test it out by going shop-
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James had at the time. In
the small studio in their
home, they - conducted
classes and also made and
sold ceramics to friends.
John, an engineer with
Commonwealth Telephone
Co., began to experiment
with molds and finally
came up with originals
“Captain ‘N’ The Kids’.
He became licensed to use
the characters in ceramics
and still has the original
molds.
Grace bought her own
kiln and she and her
friends fired many pieces
to fill orders. The business
grew until their home at
Vernon was no longer large
enough so they took a big
step and built their Green-
woods Crafts Wholesale-
Retail Studio on Route 118
at Pikes Creek.
The studio opened in
mid-April, 1975, and the
Steeles have kept busy.
John left the telephone
ping.
At’ noon, my husband
pulls in the driveway with
thumbs down.
The car wasn’t working
right, and that was the end
of my shopping spree be-
cause you know how terri-
fic I am with my husband’s
stick-shift car. Knowing
how disappointed I was,
Vin suggested he take me
shopping.
Stopped in Luzerne to
pick-up some pieces of
ceramics, and a policeman
came over and was ready
to give me a ticket for
parking in the wrong
direction. (Vin was driving
and I was getting the
ticket-you figure that one).
As it turned out, the nice
It’s like having
your own private
loan office, open 24
ky g ; of special bargains ...
check is accepted.
Comein...
>
Luzerne County
Bicentennial Medal
AE at our offices
LUZERNE
company and works full
time in the business as does
Grace, now that all the
children are in school.
The Steeles no longer
make their own molds.
They did it for a while but
the other demands on their
time made it impossible to
continue in that direction.
Later, they sold all the
molds, with the exception
of the “Captain ‘N’ The
Kids’, to a local manufact-
urer who specializes in
making the plaster molds.
Grace and John now
specialize in greenware,
selling it and also finishing
pieces on order.
People order ceramics
as gifts for all times of the
weddings, birthdays,
Christmas, or thank you
items are in great demand.
In addition, the Steeles
have classes every Tues-
day night, 7 to 9 p.m. Pre-
sently, they are conducting
officer just gave me a
warning and helped me in
and out of the store.
As I made myself com-
fortable in our “3 by 4”’ car,
I looked at my new rain-
coat and saw the left side
was all marked-up with
blue ink from a pen that
was sticking out through
my pocketbook.
I was so disgusted, I was
nauseous, but on I went.
As the day progressed, I
fell into the car, (most
people fall out, I fall in)
bruised my left knee and
ripped the right knee on my
pants. To top off the day, I
went to a local restaurant
and dropped a whipped
cream dessert in my lap.
Do you blame me for wish-
ing I had stayed in bed?
ings to Red Jones who cele-
brated his big day, April 2.
The Tomaselli’s Fred,
Yolanda, Pete and Joe,
joined the Correale’s for an
old-fashioned Palm Sunday
dinner where loads of food
are mixed with love and
fun.
Friday evening several
Oak Hill youngsters were
awarded prizes for their
outstanding projects and
art displays at the science
fair and art exhibit, an-
nually presented at Gate of
Heaven School. Receiving
awards were: Martha
ceramic seminars, the first
one May 15, 16 and 17; the
second one June 9, 10, and
11. Factory representa-
tives will demonstrate
kinds of paints, newest
techniques, and the blend -
ing or mixing of colors.
Tuesdays through
Saturdays, the business is!
open to sell merchandise
and work on orders from
customers. -
The couple fire all their
own greenware «nd that of
the: students who attend
Tuesday night classes.
They also do it for others in
the area who have no kiln
of their own.
Grace and John have
four children, Linda, age
15; John 14; Chris, nine;
and Molly, six. All of them
are interested in doing
ceramics but nine year old
Chris seems to enjoy work-
ing with them more than
his older sister and
brother. Six year old Molly
Hession, Ritts,”
Robert Oley, Mike Hession,
Jim Michaels and Maggie
Drapiewski.
Sporting a gorgeous sun-
tan is Joan Gdosky who re-
cently returned from a
vacation in Florida.
Marge Angelicola flew to
North Carolina to help
celebrate her mom’s 80th
birthday.
Pumpkin face, Missy
Yoniski will celebrate her
seventh birthday, April 15.
I can’t believe how fast
these children grow.
Happy to hear that Millie
Espen is recuperating at
home following her stay in
Mercy Hospital.
Returning from an ex-
tended tour of North
Carolina and Illinois is
Lynn
joined other members of
her family for a delightful
vacation.
Somewhere between
March and April is the
birthday of Rock’s father.
Believe me, this has to be
the best kept secret in
town. Will the real Ray
Iwanowski stand up and
accept our happy birthday
greeting.
Congratulations to Mrs.
Robert Cartier who was the
recipient of the ‘Diocesan
St. Anne Medal and
Award” for her work with
the youth of our commun-
is the real artist of the
children, according to her
all of the time.
Among the most popular
pieces during the past year
are planters and, of course
at this season of the year,
Easter items.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred B.
Hoover, Sr., 168 Cedar
Ave., Shavertown will
celebrate their 35th
wedding anniversary on
April 19. The couple was
married April 19, 1941.
They will be guests of
ity, in the field of scouting.
At a reception on Saturday,
Peg received this award
from Bishop J. Carroll
McCormick.
Monday evening, diets
flew right out the window
as women filled their
plates at Gate of Heaven's
Altar and Rosary Society’s
annual covered dish
supper. And you can rest
assured Oak Hill’s repre-
sentatives: Yo Tomaselli,
Helen Kishkill, Rose
Mohen and yours truly, did
their fair share. In fact -
more than their share.
If that dinner didn’t kill
me, Thursday evening
Gate of Heaven's Holy
Name Society sponsored
their annual Sportsman
Banquet where they gave
tribute to the school’s girls
and boys basketball teams,
cheerleaders and res-
pected coaches. Oak Hill
students receiving recog-
nition were: Martha
Hession, Mary Jean Onzik,
Lauren Schleich, Michael
and Walter Blewjas, Louis
Correale, Jim Michaels,
Marty Onzik, Mike Hession
and Ron and Ricky Ritts.
Sincere sympathy to the
Passarella’s upon the
death of Irene’s brother
Joe Gnall of Sheldon, Conn.
It pays to advertise
It pays to advertise
honor at a dinner in their
honor given by their
children at the home of
their daughter, Mrs.
Patrick Connolly, West-
moreland Hills,
Trucksville.
Guests will include the
guests of honor; Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Hoover, Jr., and
son, Jeff; Mr. and Mrs.
Gene Radnovich and
daughter, Tracy; Mr. and
Mrs. Fran Hoover, Sr.,
and son, Fran, Jr.; and Mr.
and Mrs. Patrick Connolly
and children, P.J., Dick
and Molly.
Erbs to
celebrate 508
anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Erb,
Dalton, will celebrate their
golden wedding = an-
niversary, Sat., April 17.
They were married April
17, 1926, in Wilkes-Barre.
Mrs. Erb is a former
Back Mountain resident.
She is the former Nora
Weaver, daughter of the
late Mr. and Mrs. Clarence
Weaver, Centermoreland.
Erb is the son of the late
Mr. and Mrs. William Erb,
Dushore.
A family dinner will be
held at Shadowbrook
Saturday followed by oper’
house at the home of M
Erb’s sister, Ethel Coo
at Centermoreland.
Friends and relatives of
the area are invited to call
between 2 and 4 p.m.
The Erbs are well-known
in the Back Mountain area.
It pays to advertise
It pays to advertise
After 6 P.M.
639-2386
fi %
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Po Tn 2
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7 ’ £ Tp LHI,
Fl Es
$i
by Back Mountain
Shopping Center
Shavertown
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