 Bill and Doris Hanna of Emden have been collecting all their married
life. They have collections within collections. Mostly they have
vintage and antique automobiles -- 19 to be exact. There is a lot of
good stuff that can fit into the surroundings with the vehicles and
other interesting objects that create an appropriate backdrop. The
possibilities never end, and Bill and Doris continue to prove that
is true.
"We've been collecting for 50 years, and we just keep finding
things," Bill Hanna said. "It's silly, I guess, but it's fun and we
enjoy it."
Other people enjoy it, too. There are groups from Pekin and other
communities that come every year to see the vehicles and the
incorporated Christmas displays.
During the year other groups and individuals call to see the
classic cars and the assortment of old signs and memorabilia. The
Hannas have been diligent about purchasing signs from former Emden
businesses, and there are newspaper articles and decades-old
automobile and related advertising framed and hanging on the walls.
Most of the pieces are from Emden's glory days, when Main Street was
thriving and there were three auto dealerships. If it was ever in
Emden, Bill and Doris probably have a piece of it on the wall.
The door to the bathroom is the door from a 1930 Model A. Strings
of Coca-Cola-themed lights circle the big display space. Dolls
dressed in their Christmas best are posed in the carefully restored
auto interiors. Miniature replicas of vintage children's toys are
lined up in a glass case and circle a matching burger joint in the
back of a 1938 Packard hearse.
"We mix it up every year," Doris offered. "We have ornaments that
aren't out this year, but they might be out next year. We have
enough to use different ones for two or three years without using
the same ones.
"It's another collection," she laughed. "We just keep finding
things, and if they go with the cars and something else here, then
we buy them."
Elvis is standing in the corner near a giant, never-used
advertising Coke bottle and toy trucks from the 1950s and '60s. A
jukebox with a full load of records faces an open floor space, as if
waiting for the after-school crowd to arrive. Bill turned a former
Coke cooler from an old store into a chair with a matching footstool
made from a Coke ice chest, both with red-and-white-striped
cushions. Marilyn Monroe watches out the front window, and her smile
greets visitors as they arrive.
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This year the Christmas lights, miniature settings and a dancing
snowman that sings "Let it Snow" surround a handful of antique cars
including a 1930 Hudson, a 1936 Ford street rod and the 1938 Packard
hearse, one of Bill's favorites. His professional skills as a body
man came in handy when he bought the hearse 10 years ago and put it
back into working order.
He and Doris drive it around on a regular basis, mostly because
it drives well and gets good gas mileage with the new V-6, but also
because it gets a lot of attention. It's fun to watch people watch
the car.
"It has air conditioning and a V-6 that gets good mileage," Bill
explained, "so we actually drive it quite a bit. It has seating for
other people, too, so we can take family and friends with us." The
more, the merrier, especially at Christmastime.
The Hannas are glad to hear from people who want to see the cars
and take a walk down memory lane. It's a plus to see everything lit
up for the Christmas season. Personal touches, like Doris' frogs,
add whimsy and fun to the tour. Small things hang in unexpected
places, and unconventional decorations are used to enhance empty
spaces. Bill and Doris' explanations and background information turn
the visit into a history lesson of Emden, the automobile industry
and other subjects of interest they like to share.
Christmas decorations are usually in place the weekend after
Thanksgiving. The cars will have Christmas lights and extras until
after the upcoming holidays. After early January, the memorabilia
will remain on display, but the glitter and bling will be gone from
the antique cars until next year.
Bill and Doris Hanna can be contacted for an appointment at
217-376-3268.
[By MARLA BLAIR]
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