Homer Rodeheaver’s Trombone Joins Princess Winona
Posted by Terry White on September 29, 2006
The following article appeared in yesterday’s Warsaw (IN) Times-Union newspaper:
Artist Creates Carvings In Winona Lake To Remember Town History
BY JENNIFER PERYAM, Times-Union Staff Writer
WINONA LAKE – Winona Lake will soon have three new pieces of history to add to its community.
Brian Yoder, chain saw artist from Timber Creations, Nappanee, has spent the past two weeks carving three symbolic artwork pieces out of trees in front of Rodeheaver Auditorium.
The trees include one red oak and two white oaks that had died and needed to be cut down when a sewer line was put in a year ago, according to Brent Wilcoxson, managing director for the Village at Winona.
Wilcoxson came up with the idea to use the trees to create visual art and portray the town’s history.
“Art is an important part of the village and these ‘busts’ will represent past and current history in a visible area of the town,” Wilcoxson said.
Yoder constructed a bust of Princess Winona, as well as carvings of a cello and a sliding trombone.
Princess Winona was an image used by Winona Dairy on milk bottles in the 1960s, the cello represents the performing arts Masterworks in the town, and the sliding trombone represents Homer Rodeheaver. Rodeheaver was a singer and music evangelist who played the trombone and toured with Evangelist Billy Sunday and started a summer school of music in Winona Lake.
Yoder constructed three other art pieces in 2001 and 2002 in Winona Lake. He carved an eagle in 2001 located in front of the Artisan Court. He also constructed a pedestal pulpit and base ball and base ball bat busts in 2002 that represent Sunday’s life located by the Billy Sunday Historical Museum.
Yoder took up an interest in woodcarving at the age of 8 and discovered chain saw woodcarving at age 18.
“Being able to use a chain saw to create a bust takes a good imagination and the ability to visualize what the piece of wood will look like after finishing the project,” Yoder said.
Yoder said he is happy to use his skills to represent the town’s history through his woodwork.
“I feel blessed to provide the town with pieces of history and use my passion for woodcarving I have had since I was a child,” Yoder said.
Yoder said Wilcoxson gave him pictures of the three subjects and he drew sketches to prepare him to construct the busts. He asked questions to get ideas how to create the details on the busts while people walked by as he worked.
“I talked to people who were cello players and trombonists and asked them questions such as how many strings a cello has so I could make the busts accurate,” Yoder said.
The three new carvings will be coated with polyerithan and ready for people to enjoy during the Village at Winona’s Fall Festival Oct. 7.
Yoder has attended the festival for the past seven years and will be available to answer questions about the carvings.
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