Growing up in the Village of Yesteryear

Instead of having visions of sugar plums, Emily Fleenor and Sara Gatilogo dreamed of making corn shuck dolls and painting eggshells throughout their childhood. Fleenor and Gatilogo are the granddaughters of Jim Trantham, an instrument maker in the Village of Yesteryear who served as director for many years. At a young age, the kids and their father, Doug, formed a family band using Trantham’s handmade banjos, guitars and ancient instruments such as dulcimers. Their booth in the Village featured these items for sale, along with CDs they had made of their music. When the girls were seven or eight years…

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Village of Yesteryear toasts Jim Trantham

After 38 years in the Village of Yesteryear, Jim Trantham is hanging up his tools and calling it a day. The musical instrument maker is retiring after this year’s fair, passing the reins of leadership to Pam Earp, a crafter who creates corn shuck dolls. On Saturday morning before the Village opened, the crafters gathered to honor the Tranthams. Jim’s son Doug and Doug’s children have been fixtures in the Village. With Jim’s retirement, all of the Tranthams will take a break from the Village. The Village crafters have a tight bond, nurtured through years of a shared love for heritage crafts and the annual gathering for…

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