LINEAGE … Members of the Pummell Family place their hands on a section of the Tom Spiess Community Table that was culled from the Medina Union Seminary Dormitory. Closed in the 1850s, the dormitory was later moved and attached to a house where several generations of the Pummell family have since lived. (PHOTO BY TIMOTHY KAYS, STAFF)
(Story originally appeared September 26th, 2018)
By: Timothy Kays
In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon advised, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” In modern vernacular, it’s called “Go big, or go home.” In whatever wording there might be, those guiding words were practically a personal ethic of the late Tom Spiess of Fayette.
Whatever project Tom set his mind to, that project was going to get nothing less than 100 percent of his capabilities, and whomever else that he could bring in to see it fulfilled. Tom brought to the table the heart and mind of a visionary, along with a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-dive-in work ethic. He sought to preserve the past as a learning tool and a foundation for a brighter future for his community.
He was indeed a blessing to the Village of Fayette, and on the afternoon of September 22 he was remembered in a double dedication ceremony at the Fayette Opera House that he dedicated so much of his time to renovate, restore and preserve.
The first dedication was that of the Tom Spiess Community Table. Composed of materials culled from several historically significant buildings throughout the area, this table, constructed by Brent Holland, was a dream of Spiess, and is situated in the Bean Creek Valley History Center.
Guest speaker Patricia Smith, the former Director of the Allen County Historical Society, spoke about the significance of the table, and the energy that was Tom Spiess. Patricia became interested in museum work while teaching and pursuing a doctorate in American Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University.
Pat has served as the Director of the Wood County Historical Society from 1994 to 1999. Pat has served as the Director of the Allen County Museum and Executive Director of the County Historical Society for the past 18 years.
Pat is a graduate of the Seminar of Historical Administration from Colonial Williamsburg, and has served on the boards of the Ohio Museum Association, and the Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums. She is currently the chair of the Lima Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and serves as one of two Region I representatives for the Ohio Local History Alliance.
Having never met Tom Spiess, Patricia researched him and determined him to be, “…a person strongly committed to his family, to his students, to the arts, and to his community. I learned Tom’s vision, ingenuity and hard work brought the Opera House back to life as a center of cultural and community activity.”
After reading a section of his obituary, Patricia said, “After reading these words, I was sorry that I never knew Tom. But from his many attributes described, I’d recognize the kind of man that he was. The things he valued touch all of us at a level that we know and understand intuitively.”
“Just reading about Tom’s table allowed me to make some very specific connections to my own memories,” Patricia said later, “Memories I hadn’t thought of in years, members that made me smile. If it had that effect upon me, imagine what it would do for all of those who come to visit, sit, share, and reminisce.”
“Objects, whether they are built environments or small personal effects, are symbolic memory devices. That is, they stimulate remembering. Tom knew. Tom understood. He got it. Tom’s table is a community symbol. It has brought together pieces of the past. It is a reflection of collective identity, and as such, it incorporates your aspirations. It will be a focal point of discussion, through which people find common ground.”
The second part of the ceremonies involved the rededication of the Opera House Auditorium. “The reason that we’re here,” said Dee Lawrence, the President of the Fayette Fine Arts Council, “…is because Tom had a vision. He had a dream.”
“The night before he left to go to the hospital in January, he stopped at our house. We had a conversation and laughter, love and a few tears. The last thing he said to me was, ‘Keep the lights on, kid.’ He had a different conversation with Ruth (Marlatt).”
Ruth said, “He said to me when I talked to him in the hospital, ‘Keep those lights on till I come home.” “The lights downstairs in the entrance of this building as you come in the front door,” Dee continued, “…have remained on, and we, the Fine Arts Council, decided that we would rename this auditorium The Ginnivan-Spiess Auditorium.
And the lights will stay on, Tom, and this is how.” At that point, Dee and her husband Al turned to a shrouded easel at the left of the podium. Lifting the shroud revealed a portrait of Tom Spiess, with a directional light mounted into the top of the frame.
“We’re going to take this portrait downstairs now,” Dee said. “We’re going to hang it in the front hall. We’re going to turn the light on, and the other lights will go off. Tom’s lights will remain on, forever.” Tom Spiess has come home.
Timothy can be reached at tim@thevillagereporter.com
