Today's date: September 3, 2010
| News | |
| Top Stories | |
| Sports | |
| Ag Issues | |
| Fulda 125th | |
| Community News | |
| Police/Courts | |
| Editorial | |
| Obituaries | |
| Announcements | |
| Notices | |
| Columnists | |
| Legals | |
| Classroom | |
| Weather | |
| Search | |
| Classifieds | |
| Top Stories | |
|
|
| Odenbrett Emblem Chosen for 125th Celebration |
|
| |||
|
|
By: Norma Dittman, staff writer |
December 2, 2005 |
|
|
| |||
maurice odenbrett with his logos | Twenty-five years ago, in 1981, Odenbrett's design was chosen to represent the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Fulda. |
|
Maurice Odenbrett's carefully drawn design depicting 'the old and new" of the City of Fulda has been chosen to represent Fulda's 125th Anniversary Celebration. Twenty-five years ago, in 1981, Odenbrett's design was chosen to represent the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Fulda. "I've had the ability to draw since I was little," Odenbrett shared. "I just doodled on paper and always had perfect "A's" in art. " Although very modest about his talent and skill, Odenbrett has shared his talents in various ways with the community of Fulda. The colorful mural that graces a wall at the Fulda Swimming Pool was drawn and painted by Odenbrett. He also was commissioned to paint "The Old Soldier's Monument" at Prairie Hill Cemetery, north of Fulda, prior to the city's 100th anniversary celebration. When the Fulda International Club traveled to Germany for their first visit, it was Odenbrett who designed the emblem that was worn on the clothing of the travelers. At one point in time, Odenbrett painted a mural at Maple Lawn Nursing Home. Over the years, Odenbrett has watched the shape and size of Fulda change as well as events that happen within the city. "As a child, we lived in the house where Ed and Jeanette Wieskus now live. I'd always go to watch the steam engine trains pull into the depot," Odenbrett stated. "That depot was built in 1879. It has been so much a part of Fulda." The fact that the depot is a building of historic importance and was instrumental in the growth of Fulda in its early years of development, is why Odenbrett has incorporated the building in both of his emblems for the 100th year and 125th year celebrations. At the top of the center of the emblem for the 2006 celebration, is featured the east and north sides of the depot. In Odenbrett's detailed drawing, the angle of the depot clearly shows the characteristics that are unique to the Fulda Depot. To the west of the depot stands the water tower that was erected just a few years ago to service the town. In the bottom half of the center of the emblem, a male and female wood duck pair rest beside the edge of a lake. (Mind imagery places the pair at a quiet, undisturbed location of Seven Mile Lake.) Cozied together, the male is alert and watchful, as the female rests near a tree stump. The distinctive, festive lettering placed between the outer circles of the emblem identify that it is for Fulda's 125th anniversary. "I was at the gas station one morning, and I looked across toward the depot and noticed, not only the depot, but the water tower behind it and thought 'that's it, that is what the emblem needs to show to depict past and present'," Odenbrett stated. Odenbrett then spent time at the street corner, sketching the depot and the water tower. "I tried about four different drawings before I finally got it just the way I wanted it to be," he recalled. "I wanted the top of the emblem to show landmarks of the town, and the bottom to show the mascot of the town's celebrations now." "We used to have the Fulda Water Festival. I believe that the last year for that celebration was 1981, at the 100th celebration," Odenbrett said. "It's been since that time that the Fulda Wood Duck Festival has come to be." To separate the structures from the animals in the emblem, Odenbrett added a curved line that creates definition between the two drawings. The creation of the emblem took Odenbrett about four days to complete. "The hardest thing was getting the wood ducks in the drawing. Getting their gorgeous colors to transpose into black and white was rather difficult," he stated. The ability to draw is just one of Odenbrett's talents. With his woodworking abilities he has made bedroom sets, quilt racks, and "anything else that the kids come up with, as long as they are willing to wait until I get it done for them." Regarding the 125th Celebration of the incorporation of Fulda emblem, Odenbrett is proud that the 125th Celebration Committee chose his drawing to be used to distinguish this celebration from all of the others. "I'm proud that mine was chosen," he stated. "Only one emblem can be used and I thank God that the committee chose mine." |
©Fulda Free Press 2010