Midwest Civil War Civilian Conference Schedule


	Andreas Allcock Andreas Allcock was recently medically retired from the US Army after 2 tours in Iraq as a Staff Sergeant in the Indiana National Guard. As such he has personal understanding of the joys and pains of being a civilian soldier with one leg in each camp, so to speak. Andreas has been a reenactor for over 16 years, covering both civilian and military roles. He lives in Fort Wayne, IN, with his wife Kelly and 3 children. Karen Lohman Karen Lohman is the retired Director of Programming for Hale Farm & Village, a 19^th-century living history museum located in Bath, Ohio. She has been a professional historical interpreter for more than a decade. Karen lives with her husband, Robert, in Hinckley, Ohio—the town to which the buzzards return every year on March 15 (Take that Capistrano!). A former high school French teacher, she took a hiatus from teaching to raise two children. Returning to work when her children entered college, her career path veered from the classroom when she answered a want ad for Hale Farm that declared: “Time Travelers Wanted!” Karen began her career as a craftsperson, dipping candles and wrapping brooms, but soon discovered her true calling: first-person historical interpretation. She has portrayed an Ohio pioneer in 1814; a widow during Ohio’s canal years; and, most recently, the wife of Union Colonel Lewis P. Buckley of the 29^th OVI. Karen has conducted workshops in first-person interpretation for her staff at Hale Farm, as well as for the staff of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron, Ohio; the Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York City; and twice for the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition in Springfield, Illinois. She has written original first-person museum theater scripts for programs as diverse as Shall We Keep Christmas? and Escape on the Underground Railroad. She has also appeared as publicity spokesperson for Hale Farm on numerous television and radio broadcasts. Kim & Paul Caudell Paul & Kim Caudell, both lifelong musicians, began their involvement in living history in 1995 and quickly branched out into period music. Since then, they have performed at 18th & 19th century historic sites in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Paul's historical interests include brewing & wine making, while Kim enjoys knitting & collecting murder ballads. In addition to performing, Paul and Kim have presented programs on brewing, wine making, music & musical instruments, historical clothing, and knitting to various groups. They live in Nashville, TN with a large goofy dog and two mischievous cats. Jim Ruley Jim Ruley got involved with living history by joining Co. B, 30^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1991. In addition to his military activities he dabbled in sewing through the 90’s, but things got serious when he and fiancée Kay decided to have their wedding in period costume in 2000. Jim’s task was to make a frock coat for the best man (brother John), which led him to delve into period tailoring books when none of the commercial patterns available produced a good fit. The result fit so well that it led to numerous requests for custom tailored garments and patterns. It also led to more serious research into historical garment materials and construction techniques which continues today. Jim served as a company and battalion commander for a number of years but is now concentrating on his tailoring impression. In addition to reenactment events he has worked on a number of movie projects, notably the “Chancellorsville” episode of the “Civil War Combat” series and “Soldiers All” with Historical Films, Inc. He is a member of the Sons of Union Veterans and the Company of Military Historians. In his “21^st-century impression” Jim works as an aerospace engineer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, OH. Jim and Kay enjoy sharing their circa 1845 home with their three cats when not away reenacting. Marta Vincent Marta Vincent was born and grew up in Upstate New York and moved to Illinois after her marriage. She and her husband Henry now live in Hampshire, IL. Marta’s mother taught her to use a sewing machine when she was about 7 years old, and she’s not stopped sewing since. When she and her husband started Civil War reenacting in 1998, she transitioned into period sewing techniques. As the sole proprietor of Mrs. Vincent's Parasol Emporium, she collects, studies, repairs and recovers period parasols. She has had articles on parasols published in the Civil War Historian Magazine, and the Citizen's Companion. Marta also is a seamstress as part of Originals by Kay where she specializes in children's clothing; and is a partner in P. Palmer Dry Goods, a traveling Civil War Mercantile. She also hosts workshops in her home. Marta is Treasurer of the Midwest Civil War Civilian Education, Inc. which presents its annual Conference in Springfield, IL in January. She has presented at the Conference on the subjects of Parasols and Children’s Clothing, and is currently doing research for a talk on Fashionable Older Women. Mary Bogumill Mary Bogumill became interested in Civil War era Victorian clothing while visiting the Benninghofen House Museum in Hamilton, Ohio as a child. Due to a close family connection to the Benninghofen family and the historical house, Mary and her sisters were allowed to go behind the ropes of the displays and into the attic of the home to examine and even try on the clothing in the collection. Her first experience with Civil War reenactments came in 1999, when she and her husband Mike, visited their first reenactment, Grant vs. Lee, while living in Virginia. Being a National event, there were approximately 90 sutlers and she visited each one at least twice – she was hooked. This is where she decided to learn how to create the wonderful garments and millinery she saw at the event. She began researching the clothing, took period sewing lessons and began her collection of original garments and CDV’s (Carte De Vistas) to study. Mary also worked with a sutler for several years before creating her own business, Victorian Treasures by Mary in 2003. Mary currently resides in Mishawaka, IN with her husband Mike and grand-daughter Kenzi. Nanci Gasiel Nanci Gasiel has been involved with historical interpretation and reenacting for over twenty years. Her career in history and museums began at he age of twelve when she began to serve as a volunteer interpreter at Naper Settlement Museum Village in Naperville, IL. This volunteer position lead to BA and MA degrees in History from Culver-Stockton College and the University of Illinois at Springfield. Nanci currently works for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation in Evanston, IL where she serves as the fraternity Archivist, runs the fraternity's scholarship programs and manages long term fund raising campaigns. Nanci and her husband, Alek, live in Downers Grove, IL. In addition to Nanci's passion for Civil War reenacting, together they also reenact the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Sue Pfeiffer Sue Pfeiffer is from Fort Wayne, IN. She is currently working as an Acquisitions librarian with the Allen County Public Library. She holds a BS degree in Social Work/Mental Health Therapy and has worked as a family therapist and juvenile probation officer. In the last couple of years, she and her husband John, have become empty nesters, but have filled their "free" time trying to breathe life back into a recently inherited 80 acre family farm. Sue has been involved in the hobby of American Civil War reenacting since 1991. Her interests in Civil War histery have rn the gamit from military laundress, camp cook, public house proprietress and bar maid to grand ball dance mistress. Sue's favorite activities regarding the hobby are doing research, collecting 19th century etiquette books, original ball and dance ephemera nad keeping up with friends mad in the hobby over the years. She also particularly enjoys participating in 19th century dance and finding a dance partner that can actually waltz and polka.