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["Eleanor Betler was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1940 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She spent her summers in Helvetia at the farm of her maternal grandparents, James and Anna Merkli McNeal. She married Howard Bud Betler in 1961. The couple moved to a hilltop farm in Helvetia and raised four children. All the good cooks, many of them relatives of Mr. Betler taught Mrs. Betler about canning, preserving, cooking and baking. She was especially interested to learn the skills of butchering and preserving meat, and making sausage. Mrs. Betler loves the Swiss traditional baking but also Appalachian ways of some neighbors. She grinds her own flour for baking bread. At Fasnacht time she invites neighbors and friends to make the hozablatz and rosettes just to keep the tradition alive. She also preserves this history by collecting stories, music, and photographs for The Helvetia Archives.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

37. Powdered sugar is sprinkled on fried rosettes for Fasnacht

Identifier:
4224.BetlerEleanor.Photo.028.2.5.16
Title:
Powdered sugar is sprinkled on fried rosettes for Fasnacht
Date:
2016-02-05
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Food habits, Helvetia (W. Va.), foodways, Cooking, Swiss, Carnival, Swiss American women, Bakers
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Eleanor Betler was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1940 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She spent her summers in Helvetia at the farm of her maternal grandparents, James and Anna Merkli McNeal. She married Howard Bud Betler in 1961. The couple moved to a hilltop farm in Helvetia and raised four children. All the good cooks, many of them relatives of Mr. Betler taught Mrs. Betler about canning, preserving, cooking and baking. She was especially interested to learn the skills of butchering and preserving meat, and making sausage. Mrs. Betler loves the Swiss traditional baking but also Appalachian ways of some neighbors. She grinds her own flour for baking bread. At Fasnacht time she invites neighbors and friends to make the hozablatz and rosettes just to keep the tradition alive. She also preserves this history by collecting stories, music, and photographs for The Helvetia Archives.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

38. Freshly fried rosettes

Identifier:
4224.BetlerEleanor.Photo.030.2.5.16
Title:
Freshly fried rosettes
Date:
2016-02-05
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Carnival, Food habits, Helvetia (W. Va.), Cooking, Swiss, Swiss American women, foodways, Bakers
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Eleanor Betler was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1940 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She spent her summers in Helvetia at the farm of her maternal grandparents, James and Anna Merkli McNeal. She married Howard Bud Betler in 1961. The couple moved to a hilltop farm in Helvetia and raised four children. All the good cooks, many of them relatives of Mr. Betler taught Mrs. Betler about canning, preserving, cooking and baking. She was especially interested to learn the skills of butchering and preserving meat, and making sausage. Mrs. Betler loves the Swiss traditional baking but also Appalachian ways of some neighbors. She grinds her own flour for baking bread. At Fasnacht time she invites neighbors and friends to make the hozablatz and rosettes just to keep the tradition alive. She also preserves this history by collecting stories, music, and photographs for The Helvetia Archives.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

39. Fresh rosettes fried by Eleanor Betler and Sharon Rollins

Identifier:
4224.BetlerEleanor.Photo.031.2.5.16
Title:
Fresh rosettes fried by Eleanor Betler and Sharon Rollins
Date:
2016-02-05
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Bakers, foodways, Swiss American women, Helvetia (W. Va.), Food habits, Carnival, Cooking, Swiss
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Eleanor Betler was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1940 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She spent her summers in Helvetia at the farm of her maternal grandparents, James and Anna Merkli McNeal. She married Howard Bud Betler in 1961. The couple moved to a hilltop farm in Helvetia and raised four children. All the good cooks, many of them relatives of Mr. Betler taught Mrs. Betler about canning, preserving, cooking and baking. She was especially interested to learn the skills of butchering and preserving meat, and making sausage. Mrs. Betler loves the Swiss traditional baking but also Appalachian ways of some neighbors. She grinds her own flour for baking bread. At Fasnacht time she invites neighbors and friends to make the hozablatz and rosettes just to keep the tradition alive. She also preserves this history by collecting stories, music, and photographs for The Helvetia Archives.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

40. Finished rosettes to be served at Helvetia's Fasnacht celebration

Identifier:
4224.BetlerEleanor.Photo.032.2.5.16
Title:
Finished rosettes to be served at Helvetia's Fasnacht celebration
Date:
2016-02-05
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Helvetia (W. Va.), Food habits, Swiss American women, Bakers, Cooking, Swiss, foodways, Carnival
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Eleanor Betler was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1940 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She spent her summers in Helvetia at the farm of her maternal grandparents, James and Anna Merkli McNeal. She married Howard Bud Betler in 1961. The couple moved to a hilltop farm in Helvetia and raised four children. All the good cooks, many of them relatives of Mr. Betler taught Mrs. Betler about canning, preserving, cooking and baking. She was especially interested to learn the skills of butchering and preserving meat, and making sausage. Mrs. Betler loves the Swiss traditional baking but also Appalachian ways of some neighbors. She grinds her own flour for baking bread. At Fasnacht time she invites neighbors and friends to make the hozablatz and rosettes just to keep the tradition alive. She also preserves this history by collecting stories, music, and photographs for The Helvetia Archives.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

41. Freshly fried hozablatz cookies on Eleanor Betler's kitchen counter

Identifier:
4224.BetlerEleanor.Photo.033.2.5.16
Title:
Freshly fried hozablatz cookies on Eleanor Betler's kitchen counter
Date:
2016-02-05
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Bakers, Cooking, Swiss, foodways, Swiss American women, Helvetia (W. Va.), Carnival, Food habits
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Eleanor Betler was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1940 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She spent her summers in Helvetia at the farm of her maternal grandparents, James and Anna Merkli McNeal. She married Howard Bud Betler in 1961. The couple moved to a hilltop farm in Helvetia and raised four children. All the good cooks, many of them relatives of Mr. Betler taught Mrs. Betler about canning, preserving, cooking and baking. She was especially interested to learn the skills of butchering and preserving meat, and making sausage. Mrs. Betler loves the Swiss traditional baking but also Appalachian ways of some neighbors. She grinds her own flour for baking bread. At Fasnacht time she invites neighbors and friends to make the hozablatz and rosettes just to keep the tradition alive. She also preserves this history by collecting stories, music, and photographs for The Helvetia Archives.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

42. Fried hozablatz, sprinkled with sugar

Identifier:
4224.BetlerEleanor.Photo.034.2.5.16
Title:
Fried hozablatz, sprinkled with sugar
Date:
2016-02-05
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Carnival, Cooking, Swiss, foodways, Swiss American women, Bakers, Helvetia (W. Va.), Food habits
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Eleanor Betler was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia in 1940 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She spent her summers in Helvetia at the farm of her maternal grandparents, James and Anna Merkli McNeal. She married Howard Bud Betler in 1961. The couple moved to a hilltop farm in Helvetia and raised four children. All the good cooks, many of them relatives of Mr. Betler taught Mrs. Betler about canning, preserving, cooking and baking. She was especially interested to learn the skills of butchering and preserving meat, and making sausage. Mrs. Betler loves the Swiss traditional baking but also Appalachian ways of some neighbors. She grinds her own flour for baking bread. At Fasnacht time she invites neighbors and friends to make the hozablatz and rosettes just to keep the tradition alive. She also preserves this history by collecting stories, music, and photographs for The Helvetia Archives.This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted with foodways practitioners in Helvetia, West Virginia, as part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

43. Hozablatz made by Eleanor Betler for Helvetia's Fasnacht celebration

Identifier:
4224.BetlerEleanor.Photo.035.2.5.16
Title:
Hozablatz made by Eleanor Betler for Helvetia's Fasnacht celebration
Date:
2016-02-05
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Swiss American women, Cooking, Swiss, Food habits, Helvetia (W. Va.), foodways, Bakers, Carnival
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["The Helvetia Community Fair, located in the Swiss community of Helvetia in Randolph County, is one of the oldest agricultural fairs in West Virginia. Activities include a parade in Swiss costume, alphorn music, Swiss folk dancing and singing, fahnenschwingen (flag twirling), a crafts, food, and canning exhibition, field events, an archery shoot, and more.Learn more in Emily Hilliard's Bitter Southerner piece on Helvetia's seasonal celebrations, including the Community Fair: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginiaAnd in the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project conducted by the West Virginia Folklife Program in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/"]%

44. Cornbread and bread entries in the Helvetia Community Fair

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaCommunityFair.078.Photo.9.10.16
Title:
Cornbread and bread entries in the Helvetia Community Fair
Date:
2016-09-10
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Bakers, Helvetia (W. Va.), Agricultural exhibitions, Food habits, Bread, Festivals, foodways, Corn bread
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["The Swiss community of Helvetia, West Virginia began hosting its annual ramp supper sometime between 1946-1948 (Helvetia native Ernest Hofer who has been working at the supper for at least 40 years, wasnt sure of the exact date). The event is a fundraiser, benefiting the Helvetia Community Hall Association and the Farm Womens Club. For weeks prior, volunteers, including local 4-H kids, work to wash and freeze 60 bushels of ramps, some of which are dug and donated by locals, and the rest are bought from a digger. On the Friday before the event, male volunteers gather outside to cook 400 lbs. of potatoes in iron kettles over a wood fire, while drinking homemade wine. Women volunteers work in the kitchen, cutting 300 lbs. of ham, making cornbread, cooking Navy beans, and defrosting ramps. The Helvetia Ramp Supper is always held the last Saturday in April and draws visitors from across the state and region. The dinner includes fried and fresh ramps, beans, ham, fried potatoes, applesauce, cornbread, coleslaw, drink, and dessert, which guests eat at long tables in the basement of the Helvetia Community Hall. After dinner, a square dance is held upstairs. The documentation of the Helvetia Ramp Supper is part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/Also see Emily Hilliards piece on Helvetias seasonal celebrations, including the Ramp Supper, via The Bitter Southerner: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginia and read her piece on the Ramp Supper via the West Virginia Folklife blog: https://wvfolklife.org/2016/05/27/rampfingerprints/For more information, visit: http://www.helvetiawv.com/Events/Helvetia_Ramps/Helvetia_Ramps.htm"]%

45. Preparation of cornbread for the Helvetia Ramp Supper

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaRampSupper.Photo.026.4.28.16
Title:
Preparation of cornbread for the Helvetia Ramp Supper
Date:
2016-04-28
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Corn bread, foodways, Wild leek, Food habits, Bakers, Festivals, Helvetia (W. Va.)
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["The Swiss community of Helvetia, West Virginia began hosting its annual ramp supper sometime between 1946-1948 (Helvetia native Ernest Hofer who has been working at the supper for at least 40 years, wasnt sure of the exact date). The event is a fundraiser, benefiting the Helvetia Community Hall Association and the Farm Womens Club. For weeks prior, volunteers, including local 4-H kids, work to wash and freeze 60 bushels of ramps, some of which are dug and donated by locals, and the rest are bought from a digger. On the Friday before the event, male volunteers gather outside to cook 400 lbs. of potatoes in iron kettles over a wood fire, while drinking homemade wine. Women volunteers work in the kitchen, cutting 300 lbs. of ham, making cornbread, cooking Navy beans, and defrosting ramps. The Helvetia Ramp Supper is always held the last Saturday in April and draws visitors from across the state and region. The dinner includes fried and fresh ramps, beans, ham, fried potatoes, applesauce, cornbread, coleslaw, drink, and dessert, which guests eat at long tables in the basement of the Helvetia Community Hall. After dinner, a square dance is held upstairs. The documentation of the Helvetia Ramp Supper is part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/Also see Emily Hilliards piece on Helvetias seasonal celebrations, including the Ramp Supper, via The Bitter Southerner: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginia and read her piece on the Ramp Supper via the West Virginia Folklife blog: https://wvfolklife.org/2016/05/27/rampfingerprints/For more information, visit: http://www.helvetiawv.com/Events/Helvetia_Ramps/Helvetia_Ramps.htm"]%

46. Homemade desserts for the Helvetia Ramp Supper, 1 of 2

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaRampSupper.Photo.035.4.28.16
Title:
Homemade desserts for the Helvetia Ramp Supper, 1 of 2
Date:
2016-04-28
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Wild leek, Cake, foodways, Helvetia (W. Va.), Festivals, Bakers, Food habits
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["The Swiss community of Helvetia, West Virginia began hosting its annual ramp supper sometime between 1946-1948 (Helvetia native Ernest Hofer who has been working at the supper for at least 40 years, wasnt sure of the exact date). The event is a fundraiser, benefiting the Helvetia Community Hall Association and the Farm Womens Club. For weeks prior, volunteers, including local 4-H kids, work to wash and freeze 60 bushels of ramps, some of which are dug and donated by locals, and the rest are bought from a digger. On the Friday before the event, male volunteers gather outside to cook 400 lbs. of potatoes in iron kettles over a wood fire, while drinking homemade wine. Women volunteers work in the kitchen, cutting 300 lbs. of ham, making cornbread, cooking Navy beans, and defrosting ramps. The Helvetia Ramp Supper is always held the last Saturday in April and draws visitors from across the state and region. The dinner includes fried and fresh ramps, beans, ham, fried potatoes, applesauce, cornbread, coleslaw, drink, and dessert, which guests eat at long tables in the basement of the Helvetia Community Hall. After dinner, a square dance is held upstairs. The documentation of the Helvetia Ramp Supper is part of the Helvetia Foodways Oral History Project in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. Learn more: https://www.southernfoodways.org/oral-history/helvetia-west-virginia/Also see Emily Hilliards piece on Helvetias seasonal celebrations, including the Ramp Supper, via The Bitter Southerner: https://bittersoutherner.com/my-year-in-helvetia-west-virginia and read her piece on the Ramp Supper via the West Virginia Folklife blog: https://wvfolklife.org/2016/05/27/rampfingerprints/For more information, visit: http://www.helvetiawv.com/Events/Helvetia_Ramps/Helvetia_Ramps.htm"]%

47. Homemade desserts for the Helvetia Ramp Supper, 2 of 2

Identifier:
4224.HelvetiaRampSupper.Photo.036.4.28.16
Title:
Homemade desserts for the Helvetia Ramp Supper, 2 of 2
Date:
2016-04-28
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Helvetia (W. Va.), Cake, Food habits, Festivals, Wild leek, Bakers, foodways
Location:
Helvetia (W. Va.)
["Wheelings Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church has been hosting its annual Mahrajan Festival at Oglebay Park for over 85 years. The festival began in 1933 as a fundraiser to rebuild the church, which had been lost to fire the year prior. Activities at the Mahrajan festival include a vast spread of Lebanese food--including kibbee, tabbouli, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, saj bread, and various Lebanese cookies and desserts, a sale of handcrafted Lebanese items, live music, Lebanese dancing, and a liturgy.To learn more about Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church, visit their website: http://www.ololwv.com/Also see interviews with church elders Carol Dougherty and Nick Ghaphery in the West Virginia Folklife Collection. The Dougherty interview is excerpted here: https://wvfolklife.org/2017/02/23/field-notes-carol-dougherty/"]%

48. Lebanese cookies and pastries for sale at Our Lady of Lebanon's Mahrajan Festival at Oglebay Park

Identifier:
4224.MahrajanFestival.Photo.002.8.11.18
Title:
Lebanese cookies and pastries for sale at Our Lady of Lebanon's Mahrajan Festival at Oglebay Park
Date:
2018-08-11
Creator:
Hilliard, Emily
Subject:
Festivals, Wheeling, W.Va., Food habits, Bakers, Oglebay Park (Wheeling, W. Va.), foodways, Lebanese Americans, Cooking, Lebanese
Location:
Wheeling (W. Va.)