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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 hosablatz 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/"]](/thumb/4224BetlerEleanorVideo0012516 "Audio slideshow of Eleanor Betler talking about making rosettes and hozablatz for Fasnacht in Helvetia")
- Identifier:
- 4224.BetlerEleanor.Video.001.2.5.16
- Title:
- Audio slideshow of Eleanor Betler talking about making rosettes and hozablatz for Fasnacht in Helvetia
- Date:
- 2016-02-05
- Creator:
- Betler, Eleanor
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Helvetia (W. Va.), Doughnuts, foodways, Folk dancing, Swiss, Food habits, Cooking, Swiss, Swiss American women, Bakers, Farms--West Virginia, Square dance music--United States, Carnival, and Carnival masks
- 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/"]](/thumb/4224HelvetiaCommunityFairVideo00291016 "Helvetian children performing Swiss folk dance at the Helvetia Community Fair, 1 of 3")
- Identifier:
- 4224.HelvetiaCommunityFair.Video.002.9.10.16
- Title:
- Helvetian children performing Swiss folk dance at the Helvetia Community Fair, 1 of 3
- Date:
- 2016-09-10
- Creator:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Folk dancing, Swiss, Helvetia (W. Va.), and Swiss Americans
- 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/"]](/thumb/4224HelvetiaCommunityFairVideo00391016 "Helvetian children performing Swiss folk dance at the Helvetia Community Fair, 1 of 3")
- Identifier:
- 4224.HelvetiaCommunityFair.Video.003.9.10.16
- Title:
- Helvetian children performing Swiss folk dance at the Helvetia Community Fair, 1 of 3
- Date:
- 2016-09-10
- Creator:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Swiss Americans, Folk dancing, Swiss, and Helvetia (W. Va.)
- 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/"]](/thumb/4224HelvetiaCommunityFairVideo00491016 "Helvetian children performing Swiss folk dance at the Helvetia Community Fair, 3 of 3")
- Identifier:
- 4224.HelvetiaCommunityFair.Video.004.9.10.16
- Title:
- Helvetian children performing Swiss folk dance at the Helvetia Community Fair, 3 of 3
- Date:
- 2016-09-10
- Creator:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Folk dancing, Swiss, Swiss Americans, and Helvetia (W. Va.)
- Location:
- Helvetia (W. Va.)
