TALCOTT, (Hinton News) – The 26th annual John Henry Days Festival is just around the corner, and Louise and Warren Tabor have been chosen as the 2023 Parade Marshals.
Louise and Warren married in June 1979 and are proud parents and grandparents. The pair volunteer with a myriad of organizations, including John Henry Days, Talcott Fire Department Auxiliary and others.
Louise grew up in Boone County. She graduated from Van High School and holds a degree from The University of North Dakota. Before retirement, Louise worked for a local nursing home as a Certifed Dietary Manager.
According to Louise, their involvement with John Henry Days goes back to the beginning of the festival. She says they became involved because of Bill Dillion and Donna Wykle. Bill is at the heart of the festival’s origins and was last year’s, Parade Marshal.
There are many facets of the John Henry Days festival, but Louise said her favorite thing is seeing people, especially kids, coming out and enjoying the events. She said, “I always enjoyed seeing people and kids coming out enjoying it. And to me, that’s what John Henry is about, people coming in seeing each other.” For example, she noted that people come into the museum and talk about graduating from Talcott School. Louise directs them to the Talcott yearbooks they have so they can enjoy some time reminiscing and looking at the yearbooks.
For the Tabors, especially Louise, the passion to work on the festival stems from the individuals who enjoy the events. She said, “It’s [about] doing it for the people.” Additionally, she noted, “It’s for the public, it’s not for us [the committee].”
Like most people from the Mountain State, Louise knew about the John Henry Legend long before the festival came into being. She told stories first told to her by her grandmother. Louise’s ancestor helped her father run a ferry across the Greenbrier River before the Talcott Bridge was built. During that time, a woman spoke to her about John Henry and his wife. She believed that Polly was buried with John.
The Tabors have a message for this year’s parade attendees. Louise said, “Thank you for coming out, watching the parade and enjoying the day.”
There will be a reception to honor Louise and Warren on Sunday, June 25, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at the John Henry Historical Park. Everyone is invited to attend.
For more information on John Henry Days, visit the festival’s Facebook page @John Henry Days.
