The Walworthians: Reybrouck
The Walworthians: Reybrouck
A collection of telephone interviews published in the Wayne County STAR Newspaper and Wayne County MAIL Newspaper, 1994-209
by Kate Chamberlin
Marcia Reybrouck
August 17, 1995, Wayne County STAR Newspaper
Marcia Reybrouck is one of the people in our neighborhood. Perhaps you heard her being interviewed by Deborah Cauvel on WACK Newark Radio last May.
Raising sheep for their wool to spin and weave is just one of the many things this multi-faceted woman enjoys doing. She is an active member of the Spinners Guild. Her demonstrations at the Annual Sheep Shear Fest fascinate the youngsters and bring back memories to the oldsters.
Her family–she is related to a lot of people in Walworth!–and her church, the Second Baptist Church are the appreciative recipients of her carding, spinning, dyeing and weaving talents.
Along with her sheep on the farmette are four ducks, one Angora rabbit, one ferret, two dogs and one cat. I know Marcia has tried to spin the Angora rabbit’s fur, but I’m not so sure about the fate of the others!
Piece-work sewing for the Cross-eyed Sheep Crafts, owned by John and Beckie Kiever, provides pin (or should I say spin) money. The Kiervers make a variety of woven table runners, placemats and mug rugs. Marcia sews all the hems. They are then stenciled and sold at craft fairs.
Marcia thinks nothing of sewing up 400 mug rugs as “something to do this morning”.
Another thing she likes to do is sell Avon. During her 8 years as our neighborhood Avon lady she has reached the President’s Club level of sales. Her goal to make the Honor Society level of sales was thwarted by such a small shortage that she will be redoubling her efforts. That flash around town just might be Marcia making another delivery!
Marcia often shares her unbound energy with the foster children she cares for from time to time.
“Instead of shaking or harming a child, I’d much rather have young parents or an unwed mother put their child in my care for a while,” Marcia said. “It gives the parent a chance to cool down and maybe learn a better parenting technique.”
Marcia’s parents, Grant and Jerry Whitmire, often opened their home to foreign students through the Friendship Program. As teenagers, Marcia and her sister, Terri, spent 5-weeks in Japan visiting one of their exchange “brothers”.
It is no surprise that the Reybroucks have been a Host family for three years. Recently their week-end guest was a Japanese woman attending a summer program at Hobart-William Smith.
The Macedon FISH has her as one of their substitute drivers. She isn’t called often, but you can bet that she’ll be there when you need her.
Music during the annual Vacation Bible School sponsored by the Walworth Council of Churches will never be the same! Marcia is this year’s Music Director and promises to have quite an interesting variety of songs. Her son, Dustin, is insisting on pre-approving her selections and will put them on tape. I can’t wait to hear what they have cooked up!
Marcia and her husband, Mike, live with their two children, Daniel, 14, and Dustin, 11, in Mike’s boyhood home on Macedon Center Road.
Mike has gotten into tree stump grinding as a side-line. He has a small Skid-steer loader that makes cleaning out yards a breeze. Dustin uses it to clean out the barn in 1/4 of the time it took Marcia to do by hand!
Last year, Daniel put a pumpkin out near the sheep pen for the ducks. This year, she has one humongous pumpkin on a luscious vine!
“A couple of years ago,” Marcia said. “Mike and I took SCUBA diving lessons. I’m very nervous on top of the water, but I’m much more comfortable under water. Besides, I thought we ought to have something to do as a family.”
Do you suppose someone should warn Mike that Marcia also thinks dance lessons would be a good “togetherness” venture?
Thank you, Marcia, you add spice to our life. You are a Walworthian with the accent on worth.