’ Fleeters come face to face in book
As 30 or so ’ Fleeters filled a room at Wainfleet Public Library, one of the most recognizable faces in the room was Owen Wohlsclagel.
With his trademark hat and long white beard, Wohlsclagel stands out no matter where he is. But Saturday he stood out for another reason.
His face is the cover photo on Wainfleet resident Griz Witlib’s book, We Are Wainfleeters, launched at the library.
“It’s a real honour to have something like this,” he said.
Wohlsclagel said many people take photos of him at Marshville Heritage Festival, so when Witlib asked him to pose, he had no problem with it.
“I’m used to it.”
Witlib’s book has photos of 315 Wainfleet residents, in both colour and black and white, compiled into 78 pages.
During Saturday’s launch at the library, she told people present that it took five years to put the book together and that she was just a vehicle in the process.
As she displayed the book on a screen, Witlib said people get emotional seeing themselves in it.
A number of people featured in the book were at the library to see it for the first time.
Ken Dayboll, another familiar face at the annual Marshville festival, is in the book at least three times.
“I’m quite proud to be in it,” the
88- year- old lifelong Wainfleet resident said.
Stan and Doreen Dilts are also featured. The couple, celebrating 60 years of marriage, can be found in the book’s beach section.
The pair are posed with their bicycles and said they love the “gorgeous photo” Witlib took of them.
Other sections in the book, which also celebrates Canada’s 150th, include Highway 3, farm/ rural life and the village.
In the Village section, library programmer Carrie Mayr can be found on one page, along with her sister, niece, nephews and her son and daughter, Mayr was among the very people to have their photos taken for the book.
“Griz tried to take my photo forever, but we were never able to find a moment where we could do it. On one of the very last days of putting the book together, she came in and said, ‘ OK, Carrie, it’s time.’”
The photo of Mayr was taken with the book The Bad- Ass Librarians of Timbuktu.
“We were able to get a great shot.”
Mayr said one copy of Witlib’s book will be in the library’s special reference section. The book, she said, is a way to maintain the township’s past and show people in the future what Wainfleet was like.
Witlib was happy with the turnout at the launch of her book and said it fit in with the character of the township.
“It’s another part of the whole system in Wainfleet … community involvement. People support each other … people being demonstrated that.”