Clymer TV & Appliance, Vandalia, IL
523 W Gallatin St.
Lewis "Abe" Clymer of Vandalia, Illinois (the "Land of Lincoln"), was a local celebrity as a Lincoln "presenter" (you don't call them "impersonators.") He died in 2021 at the age of 90.
A sign in the window of his shop with a picture of Clymer in full Lincoln costume says:
In Loving Memory
Abe Clymer
Vandalia's Own Abe
April 7, 1931 - April 23, 2021
Now He Belongs to the Ages
www.effinghamdailynews.com/news/local_news/dozens-of-hone...
Dozens of Honest Abe impersonators to gather in Vandalia
By Seth Whitehead For the Daily News Apr 9, 2015
VANDALIA — Illinois is known the world over as the “Land of Lincoln.”
And this month, the site of Illinois’ oldest standing state capitol will become the “Land of Lincolns” — just as it was a half score and one year ago.
Dozens of Abraham Lincoln impersonators will be gathering in the city in which the Great Emancipator started his political career when the Association of Lincoln Presenters Convention returns to Vandalia April 16-19.
The Lincoln Presenters last visited Vandalia for their 2004 convention, and the city’s combination of hospitality and history led to the organization’s return 11 years later.
“We had a wonderful host (longtime Vandalia Lincoln presenter Abe Clymer) and Vandalia was so receptive to us coming the previous time,” said Stan Wertz, President of the Lincoln Presenters and impersonator of the 16th president of the United States since 1969. “We had wonderful hospitality and a very enjoyable conference, so when we received the invite to return we thought it was a good option.”
It will mark the first time in the organization’s 25-year history that its annual gathering returns to a city that has hosted it before. Wertz estimates as many as 60 Lincolns and 20 Mary Todds will attend this year’s convention.
Hazel Dell resident Joe Woodard has been portraying the revered president for more than 20 years and has been a Lincoln Presenter for nearly that long. But don't call Woodard an impersonator.
"The term I prefer is presenter. Nobody is trying to exactly duplicate somebody else's performance," he said.
With no video or voice recordings of Lincoln, Woodard explained each presenter has a different impression of his mannerisms.
"Every Lincoln presenter puts something of his own into it," he said.
Woodard said he has enjoyed every convention he has attended.
"The biggest part for me is renewing old acquaintances," he said.
Most of the activities planned for the convention are private, but the public is invited to join the Lincolns for events Friday and Saturday. Friday night’s “Drinkin’ with Lincoln” event will be held at 8 p.m. at the Copper Penny Bar and Grille, located just across the street from the Vandalia Statehouse.
The title of the event is a bit deceiving, considering Lincoln did not drink, “We just named it that because it’s cute and it rhymes,” noted committee chairwoman Joyce Clymer. However, Lincoln did often accompany colleagues at local saloons to watch others imbibe in spirits. The Lincoln Presenters are much the same, as they will be indulging in cake and punch on Friday.
Most activities on Saturday, April 18, will be open to the public. And fittingly, they will be held in the shadow of the Vandalia Statehouse, the place where Lincoln made his first public comments against slavery and received his license to practice law.
Saturday’s festivities will start with a Lincoln forum at 9 a.m. on the Statehouse lawn. This event will feature presentations by the Lincoln presenters.
“That will be a wonderful educational opportunity,” Wertz said. “It will also be a wonderful chance for people to mingle with the Lincolns and ask questions.”
The public can expect the Lincoln presenters to look the part — decked out in stovepipe hats and sporting chin-curtain beards, with most of them bearing some resemblance to the 16th president. But Wertz notes it is more important for the presenters to capture the essence of Lincoln rather than the appearance.
“Our efforts are to keep the legacy of Lincoln alive,” Wertz said. “We try to be historically accurate in our presentations. Not all of our people are over six feet tall, but I find if you are using Lincoln’s words, people will forget the image standing in front of them and remember Lincoln.”
Several other events are being planned in and around the Capitol building lawn on Saturday, April 18, including live music, Lincoln Wayside exhibits featuring actors portraying period citizens, and a strawberry social for the Mary Todd ladies at Holy Cross Lutheran Church.
The Lincolns will gather for a group photo at 11 a.m., and lunch will be served at noon. A Lincoln-themed parade will be held at 1 p.m., and a cemetery walk at Vandalia’s Old State Cemetery will follow. The cemetery walk will feature guided tours by area presenters dressed in period attire, and the Lincoln presenters will be in attendance.
A Lincoln-themed ball will kick off at the Moose Lodge with social time at 6 p.m., followed by a dinner buffet at 6:30 and a dance at 7:30. Tickets for the buffet and ball are $22, while tickets for the ball are only $10.
Clymer and Wertz agree that the Lincoln Presenters’ last visit back in 2004 was a big success and they encourage area residents to take advantage of the group’s unprecedented return to a prior host city.
“They were very impressed last time with the level of community involvement,” Clymer said. “Hopefully, we’ll get that again this time.”
Clymer TV & Appliance, Vandalia, IL
523 W Gallatin St.
Lewis "Abe" Clymer of Vandalia, Illinois (the "Land of Lincoln"), was a local celebrity as a Lincoln "presenter" (you don't call them "impersonators.") He died in 2021 at the age of 90.
A sign in the window of his shop with a picture of Clymer in full Lincoln costume says:
In Loving Memory
Abe Clymer
Vandalia's Own Abe
April 7, 1931 - April 23, 2021
Now He Belongs to the Ages
www.effinghamdailynews.com/news/local_news/dozens-of-hone...
Dozens of Honest Abe impersonators to gather in Vandalia
By Seth Whitehead For the Daily News Apr 9, 2015
VANDALIA — Illinois is known the world over as the “Land of Lincoln.”
And this month, the site of Illinois’ oldest standing state capitol will become the “Land of Lincolns” — just as it was a half score and one year ago.
Dozens of Abraham Lincoln impersonators will be gathering in the city in which the Great Emancipator started his political career when the Association of Lincoln Presenters Convention returns to Vandalia April 16-19.
The Lincoln Presenters last visited Vandalia for their 2004 convention, and the city’s combination of hospitality and history led to the organization’s return 11 years later.
“We had a wonderful host (longtime Vandalia Lincoln presenter Abe Clymer) and Vandalia was so receptive to us coming the previous time,” said Stan Wertz, President of the Lincoln Presenters and impersonator of the 16th president of the United States since 1969. “We had wonderful hospitality and a very enjoyable conference, so when we received the invite to return we thought it was a good option.”
It will mark the first time in the organization’s 25-year history that its annual gathering returns to a city that has hosted it before. Wertz estimates as many as 60 Lincolns and 20 Mary Todds will attend this year’s convention.
Hazel Dell resident Joe Woodard has been portraying the revered president for more than 20 years and has been a Lincoln Presenter for nearly that long. But don't call Woodard an impersonator.
"The term I prefer is presenter. Nobody is trying to exactly duplicate somebody else's performance," he said.
With no video or voice recordings of Lincoln, Woodard explained each presenter has a different impression of his mannerisms.
"Every Lincoln presenter puts something of his own into it," he said.
Woodard said he has enjoyed every convention he has attended.
"The biggest part for me is renewing old acquaintances," he said.
Most of the activities planned for the convention are private, but the public is invited to join the Lincolns for events Friday and Saturday. Friday night’s “Drinkin’ with Lincoln” event will be held at 8 p.m. at the Copper Penny Bar and Grille, located just across the street from the Vandalia Statehouse.
The title of the event is a bit deceiving, considering Lincoln did not drink, “We just named it that because it’s cute and it rhymes,” noted committee chairwoman Joyce Clymer. However, Lincoln did often accompany colleagues at local saloons to watch others imbibe in spirits. The Lincoln Presenters are much the same, as they will be indulging in cake and punch on Friday.
Most activities on Saturday, April 18, will be open to the public. And fittingly, they will be held in the shadow of the Vandalia Statehouse, the place where Lincoln made his first public comments against slavery and received his license to practice law.
Saturday’s festivities will start with a Lincoln forum at 9 a.m. on the Statehouse lawn. This event will feature presentations by the Lincoln presenters.
“That will be a wonderful educational opportunity,” Wertz said. “It will also be a wonderful chance for people to mingle with the Lincolns and ask questions.”
The public can expect the Lincoln presenters to look the part — decked out in stovepipe hats and sporting chin-curtain beards, with most of them bearing some resemblance to the 16th president. But Wertz notes it is more important for the presenters to capture the essence of Lincoln rather than the appearance.
“Our efforts are to keep the legacy of Lincoln alive,” Wertz said. “We try to be historically accurate in our presentations. Not all of our people are over six feet tall, but I find if you are using Lincoln’s words, people will forget the image standing in front of them and remember Lincoln.”
Several other events are being planned in and around the Capitol building lawn on Saturday, April 18, including live music, Lincoln Wayside exhibits featuring actors portraying period citizens, and a strawberry social for the Mary Todd ladies at Holy Cross Lutheran Church.
The Lincolns will gather for a group photo at 11 a.m., and lunch will be served at noon. A Lincoln-themed parade will be held at 1 p.m., and a cemetery walk at Vandalia’s Old State Cemetery will follow. The cemetery walk will feature guided tours by area presenters dressed in period attire, and the Lincoln presenters will be in attendance.
A Lincoln-themed ball will kick off at the Moose Lodge with social time at 6 p.m., followed by a dinner buffet at 6:30 and a dance at 7:30. Tickets for the buffet and ball are $22, while tickets for the ball are only $10.
Clymer and Wertz agree that the Lincoln Presenters’ last visit back in 2004 was a big success and they encourage area residents to take advantage of the group’s unprecedented return to a prior host city.
“They were very impressed last time with the level of community involvement,” Clymer said. “Hopefully, we’ll get that again this time.”