Remembering Rennerdale: In-progress book features Collier artist’s watercolors of homes
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The sudden disruption of everyday life two years ago meant that practically everyone had to come up with a coping mechanism.
For Kathleen Zimbicki, that was especially pertinent.
“First, my husband died in ’19,” she said about Mike, to whom she had been married for 64 years. “I’m grieving over that, and then covid hits.”
She responded by employing her artistic talents.
“I started painting neighbors’ houses,” the Collier resident said. “I’d drive around and paint another, and sketch sometimes. And it kept me sane.”
Her artwork is serving as the focal point of “Remembering Rennerdale,” an in-progress book specifically addressing the area of Collier that initially was platted as Rennerdale in 1896.
The publication will follow three others about the township’s history co-written by Rand Gee, who now lives in Seattle. Along with Zimbicki, Gee is collaborating on the latest project with Rennerdale native Doug McLaren and Margie Feitt, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood.
Their aim is to connect Rennerdale’s past and present with the help of their neighbors, asking for stories of a couple of paragraphs to accompany each of the 200-plus watercolor portraits that Zimbicki has produced.
An early draft of the book includes examples of what has been written so far, and Feitt will have it ready to show as she visits folks throughout Rennerdale.
“My plan is to go door to door, like the Fuller Brush salesman,” she said. “I’m going to say, look, this is your page in the book. And look. It’s empty.”
The book’s organizers have been getting the word out in other manners, in an attempt to avoid being told: “I wish we had known.” For example, the Rennderdale Volunteer Fire Department has been including fliers with dinners during its seasonal fish fry, with information about the project and a map detailing the area of interest.
While some reluctance among local residents is expected, Feitt mentioned one consideration that shouldn’t be an issue.
“They think they don’t know how to write, and that is fine,” she said. “Some people have come here and told me their story, and I’ve written it for them.”
The stories may end up generating some laughs, such as Zimbicki’s recollections of what happened when trains passed by boys swimming at the nearby quarry.
“My dad used to drive the Burgettstown local, and the kids would moon it,” she said. “All these women were shocked. But they couldn’t wait ’til they got to Rennerdale so they could see the kids mooning them.”
Also regarding her father, she recently found G.J. Cochran’s copy of “G.L. Parsons’ Standard Railroad Time-Book for Trainmen,” dated 1920.
“He was 23, working on the railroad: time, pay, how much money he made,” Zimbicki said. “My dad, in April 1920, made $54. Two dollars and fifty-five cents went to relief contribution, whatever that is.”
Artifacts of Rennerdale history, including a sizable collection from members of the locally prominent Walker family, are planned to be on display during a summer book launch at Rennerdale United Presbyterian Church, which also will feature an exhibit of Zimbicki’s paintings.
In the meantime, Feitt is seeking a more memories for the publication’s text.
“In some instances, we’ve gotten three stories for one house because three different families lived in it. And in some cases, we have nothing for that house,” she said. “And you can’t really put something on a page if it doesn’t pertain to that house.”
Streets on Rennerdale 1896 plat map are Elwyn, Sunnyside, Columbia, Linden, Maple, Walnut, Elm, Home, Suburban, Arlington and Sylvan avenues, along with State Street, now Noblestown Road. Walkers Avenue was added later, and Prospect Avenue never was opened.
Residents of the applicable area who would like to be included in the book can contact Feitt at rdalegirl@yahoo.com, McLaren at doug.mclaren@uky.edu or Gee at randgee@comcast.net.