~ Ardonna Bucher
Description
When I started collecting Carrival Glass I knew no one who collected. I could find very little information. Finally, on my own, I found out about Marion Hartung books and they were my bible. I also took the Antique Trader. I read about Don Moore and wrote to him to see if he would identify a pattern for me. He suggested I join a club if I was serious about collecting. He sent me an application to join ICGA.
Lee Markley signed me up and told me about a club that was just getting started in San Diego. Dean and Diane Fry were instrumental in getting that club started and Diane wrote me and invited me to their next meeting at the La Jolla Village Inn. San Diego was only 120 miles from where I lived. I was really excited to go to a meeting.
My first meeting was really an eye opener. I had never seen so much Carnival Glass. It was beautiful. Members brought glass for sale so I was like the kid in a candy store. Diane and Dean were the first ones I met and I'm sure Dean had a good laugh at what I told him. I had lots of misinformation. That's when my education began. I learned so much from both of them. They were so helpful and so enthusiastic about promoting CG. They spent hours working for the good of the club. They took me to my first out-of-state convention, in fact my first convention, in Witchita.
There, they introduced me to so many that I had read about, John & Lucille Britt, Tom Mordini, Bob & Fay Allaire, Don Kime & Roland Kuhn, Mickey Reichel, Dick & Jennie Hostetler and I met many Witchita club members.
I would say Diane is still my mentor. She still has the wonderful website with so much information. Don't know how she does all that. I have enjoyed their friendship for many years. We lost a great Carnival Glass promoter and friend when Dean passed on."
~ Ardonna Bucher
