Five On Four

If there is one word to describe my dad it would be the word generous especially at Christmas! Much planning went into gathering boxes of wines and liquors that he would give out as gifts to say thank you. Two couples that stand out that were just as generous as my father. One couple was the Wassmer’s from Bearsville, NY and the other were the Pitcher’s from Rhinebeck, NY. They were one of our most loyal and generous customers. Both Judy and Theodore Wassmer were artists that would take the trip to Poughkeepsie to enjoy a meal with their best friends Mr. and Mrs Ralph Pitcher. Every Christmas they brought our family gifts. The Pitchers brought bouquets of anemones and the Wassmers with beautiful framed paintings. In fact the anemones made their appearance several times a year!

The Pitcher’s had greenhouses in Rhinebeck where they grew anemones for the whole North East. Did you all know that Rhinebeck is considered the anemone capital of the world. The Pitcher’s have had their farm for over a 100 years. Ralph Pitcher started growing anemones from seeds imported from Holland in 1936. Mr. and Mrs. Pitcher were so proud of their flowers that every time they came in would bring my mom a bouquet of flowers and later on when my brother and I got married they would bring 3 bouquets. Such beautiful flowers that bring back so many memories!My brother now lives in North Carloina and whenever the family comes to town one of the stops is to Ralph Pitchers and Sons farm to pick up a couple of bouquets of anemones.

As a little side trivia: Mildred Pitcher said “Anemones were a favorite flower at the Kennedy White House. Jackie sent pictures to the Pitcher family, of tables decorated (for a state dinner) with anemones. Jackie was very specific in asking for pastel bouquets.”

Let me tell you about Theodore Wassmer. He was born in Salt lake City Utah. His wife Judy Lund and himself resided in Bearsville, NY for 30 years before they moved back to Salt Lake City, Utah. Mr. Wassmer and Mr. Pitcher were best friends. Mr. Wassmer never came empty handed either. Every Christmas he would bring my dad one of his paintings and as we got older he would bring my brother, my sister and I paintings as well. A painting just wasn’t enough to Mr. Wassmer he always made sure they were framed too! He is described as a prolific painter. With all the Wassmer paintings in our family I think there has to be a better word than prolific.

After Theodore and Judy moved to Salt Lake City I continued to keep in touch with him. His Christmas cards were hand painted and a long letter of his thoughts and feelings for the year was included. Even after his wife Judy passed away he continued to write to me. His was always the first Christmas card of the season that I received.

In 2006 I didn’t receive a card so I looked him up in the Salt Lake City newspaper only to find out that he died at the age of 96 on his wife’s birthday Nov. 26th. He was a wonderful generous man who never forgot us. One of my favorite paintings is the one where he combined the portraits of him and his wife along with Mr. and Mrs. Pitcher overlaid with 5 anemones.He called it “Five on Four”. After he and Judy moved away to Salt Lake City he sent each of us in my family that painting to remind us of the Wassmer’s and the Pitcher’s weekly Saturday lunches at Coppola’s. That painting hangs in the center of my family room as well as all his other works. It’s like I have my own Wassmer gallery!

Wassmer’s prolific body of works attest to his artistic commitment. Over 2,000 of his paintings, watercolors, and drawings are in the hands of private collectors, museums, colleges, and schools in the United States and Europe. I don’t think anyone knows about all the paintings we have hanging up in my house. Anemones and Wassmer paintings another memorable tradition at Coppola’s Restaurant!