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October 23, 2023 at 10:41 PM

          A cool, crisp late afternoon and early evening did not discourage the highest adance at the DuBois Area Historical Society’s 15^th Spirit of DuBois Lantern Walk in five years.

            When the evening ended, 205 people had participated in the walk, the most since 270 attended in 2018. It was the eighth time in 15 years that the walk had exceeded 200 in attendance.

            “The Society was pleased with the turnout,” said Tom Schott, chair of the event. “COVID cancelled the walk in 2020 and the attendance has slowly increased since 2021. There were a large number of first-time participants and there were a good number of children and students, too.”

            The walk was themed around “People You Should Meet” and featured eight stops where people from DuBois and the area talked about their time and experiences.

            Performing were: Sue Stapleton as DuBois High School theater director Esther Hawkins, part researched and written by Barb Emmer; Darius Clement as painter Richard Burfoot, and Grace Prontock as his patron, part researched and written by Ginny Schott; Leah Crosley as pioneer settler Aunt Katy Shaffer Reasinger, part researched and written by Ginny Schott; Tom Shade as Elias “Woody” Kelly, DuBois’ first game warden, part researched and written by Tom Schott; Donna Chollock as Native American outdoorswoman Anna Johnson, part researched and written by Tom Schott; Steve Way as theater developer A. P. Way, part researched and written by Tom Schott; Rocco Shahayda as newspaperman Jason Gray, Sr., part written by Jason Gray Jr.; Brian Leech as McCrory’s store founder John McCrory, part researched and written by Tom Schott; and in the annual animal role, that appeals so much to the young who attend, Darla Brunnquell as Bella the Bat, part researched and written by Gene Aravich.

            Steve Way was the first person in Lantern Walk history to perform as one of his ancestors, great-uncle A. P. Way, while Jason Gray Jr. was the first to write part about an ancestor, in this case his father, Jason Gray Sr.

            Leading the tours were: Galen Kilmer, Carolyn Rhoades, Tom Rubritz, Ginny Schott, and Tom Schott. Accompanying the tours were: Gene Aravich, Ginny Brown, Kathleen Clement, Jerry Watson and Wendy Way.

           The committee, which started planning this event in January, were:  Gene Aravich, Paul Bojalad, Darla Brunnquell, Donna Chollock, Darius Clement, Barb Emmer, Galen Kilmer, Carolyn Rhoades, Tom Rubritz, Ginny Schott, Sue Stapleton, and Tom Schott.

           Over the first 15 years of the Spirit of DuBois Lantern Walk, 3,306 people have enjoyed an evening of learning about the area’s history in a fun and entertaining way.