2013 John Wayne Birthday Celebration in Winterset, Iowa

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  • LOL......me too. In the Winterset Super8 hotel house that is.:)


    Paula, we stayed in the Super 8 last year!


    Sad but true, we are not in Winterset this year, though we had very much hoped to be. It was just not a financial possibility for us. We still have kids at home, a daughter in college, and old clunker cars that have taken more than their fair share of our money the past few months. We are happy to hear that the event SOLD OUT - that means a nice chunk of change to go towards the building of the new museum and learning center!!


    Looking forward to hearing all about it, and of course seeing some awesome pictures. Paula, make sure you meet Bill of PA while you're there - he's a great guy!! I hope that we will one day be there the same time as you, so we can meet face to face.


    Chester :newyear: and the Mrs. :angel1:

  • What a day! Beautiful weather.And--I wandered over to the John Wayne Birthplace just as Maureen O'Hara made an unscheduled appearance in front of the statue to symbolically break ground for the new museum.(Construction is supposed to start in late summer or sometime in the fall.) She is frail and uses a wheelchair now, but she is still absolutely gorgeous and definitely Maureen O'Hara. I took a lot of great pics which you will all see eventually. Her grandson, his wife and kids were there too as well as Aissa Wayne.

    I also met a gentleman who told me that his mother-in-law's brother had been a country-western musician and had known Ben Johnson fairly well.The one thing that he could remember his M-I-L's brother telling him about Ben was that he (the brother) used to visit Ben and they'd have dinner and that Ben LOVED pinto beans and cornbread.:)

    Also Rio Grande at the Iowa Theater --they were just projecting the DVD but it was still nice to see on the big screen.Also saw The Wings of Eagles (also DVD).

    Swing Dance tonight!

  • So glad you got there, Paula. I am looking forward to the pictures you post. Have a great time.


    Mark

    "I couldn't go to sleep at night if the director didn't call 'cut'. "

  • WOW! John Wayne's daughter Aissa assisted Mareen O'Hara today to turn the first ceremonial shovelful for the new John Wayne Birthplace Museum next to the John Wayne statue today at the 2013 John Wayne Birthday Celebration "Salute to Maureen O’Hara."



    Hundreds of enthusiastic supporters gathered for the Western Swing Dance this evening at the John Wayne Birthday Celebration--joined by Maureen herself and her family!



    Les Gilliam and his Silver Lake Band got enthusiastic dancers young and old out on the dance floor. A great time was had by all!



    Just wait for tomorrow's festivities!

  • The Museum Benefit Dinner was extraordinary! Lilting harp music by Spenser Hardin during the social hour, as folks pondered the silent auction items. Maureen came alive as the guests applauded when she entered, and was her feisty self. Irish singer Catherine O'Connell brought tears to many an eye. Aissa Wayne presented Maureen with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad's official Proclamation declaring May 25th as Maureen O'Hara Day in Iowa. Garrisons ran a live auction of about a dozen items, including a shirt worn bt Duke in The Cowboys and a jacket he wore in Hellfighters. Maureen spoke, and then the Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band played several rousing tunes, joined on several numbers by championship Irish dancers the Fabulous McKay Sisters. Lots of other stuff going on too. There's more info and photos on http://www.johnwaynebirthplace.org/news.html


  • What a great birthday event! Glenn Frankel signed my copy of his Searchers book and the banquet was terrific as described. I was sitting near the head tables so I had a good view of the stage and could even see Maureen and Aissa Wayne. Maureen has some very good looking nephews. ;)


    I wish I had a spare $5,000 or so so I could bid on those items!


    The most startling aspect of the event was that my husband now wants to watch The Quiet Man! He mentioned to two friends I was at the John Wayne birthday celebration, and one told him The Quiet Man was his late mother's favorite film (his mom had passed away just last week) :( and the other one started going on and on about what a great film The Quiet Man was. So now my husband, who up to now has shown no interest in John Wayne or John Ford (he knows Maureen O'Hara from Miracle on 34th Street) wants to see The Quiet Man. In fact, he even watched Rio Grande with me last night as it was John Wayne's and Maureen O'Hara's first film together and Ford had to make it in order for Republic to finance The Quiet Man. ;) He liked it -- can't wait to see how he reacts to The Quiet Man. ;)


    P.S. As usual with plane trips, I have caught a cold but as soon as I can, I will upload photos. None of them are as good as the ones above (I couldn't get that close) but some are still pretty nice.

  • The most startling aspect of the event was that my husband now wants to watch The Quiet Man! He mentioned to two friends I was at the John Wayne birthday celebration, and one told him The Quiet Man was his late mother's favorite film (his mom had passed away just last week) :( and the other one started going on and on about what a great film The Quiet Man was. So now my husband, who up to now has shown no interest in John Wayne or John Ford (he knows Maureen O'Hara from Miracle on 34th Street) wants to see The Quiet Man. In fact, he even watched Rio Grande with me last night as it was John Wayne's and Maureen O'Hara's first film together and Ford had to make it in order for Republic to finance The Quiet Man. ;) He liked it -- can't wait to see how he reacts to The Quiet Man. ;).



    Congrats, Paula--looks like you've swung another person over to the Wayne side. Did he come with you to the Birthday Celebration? If not, he may join you next time!

  • I wish I had a spare $5,000 or so so I could bid on those items!


    Oh, Paula, I DO know that feeling!! I hope you will tell us more about the auction.


    The most startling aspect of the event was that my husband now wants to watch The Quiet Man! He mentioned to two friends I was at the John Wayne birthday celebration, and one told him The Quiet Man was his late mother's favorite film (his mom had passed away just last week) :( and the other one started going on and on about what a great film The Quiet Man was. So now my husband, who up to now has shown no interest in John Wayne or John Ford (he knows Maureen O'Hara from Miracle on 34th Street) wants to see The Quiet Man. In fact, he even watched Rio Grande with me last night as it was John Wayne's and Maureen O'Hara's first film together and Ford had to make it in order for Republic to finance The Quiet Man. ;) He liked it -- can't wait to see how he reacts to The Quiet Man. ;)


    That is "Wayne-derful" news! It's twice as much fun when both of you are Duke fans!


    P.S. As usual with plane trips, I have caught a cold but as soon as I can, I will upload photos. None of them are as good as the ones above (I couldn't get that close) but some are still pretty nice.


    I'm sorry to hear you got sick, but know that we are very much looking forward to seeing your pics of the event. As I've said before, I hope we get to meet face to face there someday.


    Chester :newyear:

  • Glad you had a great time. And once your husband gets a few Duke films under his belt...another fan will be born! I am looking forward to the pics you post. It eases the sting of not being there myself.


    Mark

    "I couldn't go to sleep at night if the director didn't call 'cut'. "

  • We haven't watched The Quiet Man yet. Hopefully this weekend.


    Here are a few pics from the birthday celebration. My cold is better and I hope to have everything up shortly! I'll post when I do. ;)


    Author Glenn Frankel


    Display in the public library


    The Iowa Theater


    John T. Wayne (that's his name, he told me) looks on while Aissa Wayne poses with a fan behind the statue of John Wayne


    Maureen O'Hara speaks with another John Wayne lookalike. Behind her is her grandson Conor, his wife Elga, and John T. Wayne.


    Maureen O'Hara with Joe Zuckschwerdt, President of the John Wayne Birthplace, Aissa Wayne, and Brian Downes, executive director of the John Wayne Birthplace. He's holding the shovel because they're about to have a symbolic groundbreaking for the museum.


    Winterset storefront window


    The beautiful county courthouse

    Edited 2 times, last by Paula ().