MARIES COUNTY — Maries County Collector Jayne Williams has done it again. 

She has put together a group of Maries County barns to make a very attractive and interesting Historic Maries County Barns calendar for 2022. 

This year’s calendar features a photograph of the Maries River Valley farm, west of Vienna, owned by Sylvester “Vessie” Buschmann (1929-2020). The cover also has a small photo of Buschmann on a tractor plowing the land of his farm, and a smaller, professional photo of him. 

Williams, who was raised on a farm, has a special reverence for those who continue the agriculture tradition of working the land in Maries County. She wrote the following about Buschmann in her calendar tribute to him:

“Sylvester Buschmann, known to all as “Vessie,” lived his entire 90+ years in Maries County. He was a devoted farmer on the family farm along the Big Maries River west of Vienna, in the beautiful Maries River Valley. His parents moved to this farm when Vessie was a young man. He loved his farm and each day looked upon it and realized the beauty of where he lived. He was a sincere community man that served as a past member and President of the National Farmers Association. This membership proved Vessie’s passion for Maries County farmers and the contributions farmers and ranchers have made to our county’s heritage. Farmers and ranchers like Vessie have shaped our county, state and nation. Behind every barn door and in every soiled and calloused hand lie stories of those who feed our nation, and Vessie was proud to be a part of this ongoing heritage. Vessie would pray for Mother Nature’s gift of rain and sunshine even after he was able to farm, so that the farmers and ranchers could harvest their crops and feed their livestock. Maries County lost a sincere citizen who through the years has given real meaning as to why people enjoy living in our rural community and stand proud of our farming heritage. Vessie was proud of his Maries County roots and we are proud that he devoted his entire life to us in such a kind and sincere manner.”

The following barns are featured in the 2022 calendar: Butler Farms, Kurtis and Kayla Butler; Ernest and the late Mary Lou Mertz; Bassett Construction, Robert and Patricia Bassett; Bradley Prenger; James and Cindy Engelbrecht; VP Ranch, Vern and Mary Hutchison; Carl and Phyllis Sandbothe; Jami Rigsby-Jenkins; Running W Ranch LLC, Leonard Weidinger; Corey Waidelich; McDaniel Redel Farm LLC, Cynthia Redel; and Steven and Barbara Zernicke. 

Williams said she has had “an overwhelming” response to her 2022 calendars. Each year they become more popular. She originally ordered 300 calendars and recently placed an order for an additional 200. Thus far she’s sold 400 calendars either in person or by mailing to individuals who saw the article in the Rural Missouri Magazine.

Through her work with the calendars Williams said she has rekindled some friendships from years passed and has met a lot of new, nice people. Her calendars have been sent to Cassville, Colorado and many were purchased as Christmas gifts. 

She received some nice thank you notes from people she sent the calendars to, such as “It reminds me of our great times in Vienna,” and “Thank you for making this art.” Williams said, “It is truly a small world when you get out in it.” 

Now that local people know about her calendars, some are suggesting an old barn on their farm or know of someone with a historic barn. She appreciates this and is always up for leads to photograph barns. “I’ll be heading to one I’ve heard about and see four more on the way,” she said. “No barn is too old or run down for a picture. As they say, ‘Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”