The local chapter of the General Federation of Women's Clubs Intermediate League of Butler is readying for its biggest event of the year.

The 69th annual Antiques Show and Sale opens March 15 at the Tanglewood Center, 10 Austin Ave., Lyndora, and plays host to 42 antiques vendors from three states.

The dealers come to show, sell and educate about a wide array of antique treasures.

New dealers this year are Nancy Curley with folk art and vintage photos, George and Mary Jane Jones with primitives, Brandon Riggins with glassware and Paul Riggins with estate jewelry and high-end antiques.

The show chairman this year is Kris Bearer. Becky Plymale is the co-chairman.

Debbie and Glenn Howard of Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, will bring a furniture collection from the 18th and 19th centuries.

This will be the Howards' third trip to the Butler show.

“We will bring smalls from the same era,” said Debbie Howard. “We will also bring 19th and 20th century quilts, antique guns and powder horns, and a variety of other items,” she added.

They operate Howard Antiques and Primitives.

Debbie Howard said she has been in love with antiques since her childhood. “It was something I enjoyed with my father,” she said. “My father bought and sold antiques and guns. We did gun shows at Mountain View Inn back in the '70s.”

Howard has spent much of her life learning the business. “I have read books, attended countless auctions, antique shows, and learned from other dealers,” she said.

The first antique she purchased is a fond memory. “I bought a green Depression oil lamp from my Dad back in the early '80s from the neighboring village of Humphreys,” she reminisced.

She and her husband, Glenn, are retired and have been in the antique business for more than 35 years. They collect what they love because they enjoy it. “I always tell new collectors to buy what the love,” she said.

The Howards started dealing in antiques in 1984.

“We built our own log home, at that time, and I needed to add furniture to the house. We previously lived in a trailer with minimal 'used' furnishings,” she said. The couple had two sons and a larger living space, so buying started out of necessity.

“I needed to get rid of some of the contemporary pieces I had and that started my business,” she said.

The Howards have been working with their youngest son, Aaron, who began dealing antiques after his high school graduation.

“He enjoys the business and went to auctioneering school to advance our clientele,” Howard said.

The family only attends shows within a 150-mile radius, but sometimes ventures to Richmond, Ind., and Liberty, N.C. They also move items through Aaron Howard's antique auction each spring.

This year, the Howards will bring a painted blanket box from Lehigh County with them to the Intermediate League's show. They purchased it in 2017.

“Blanket boxes were an integral piece in early times for storage of clothes, linens, blankets and other valuables,” said Debbie Howard. The locking system of the three lower drawers is unique.

“The hinges and lock were cut and removed to open the box at some time and then replaced. Evidently, the original key was lost. The date on the box is 1822,” she said.

Their Elgin National coffee mill features original paint with complete parts. “It has that great red paint and an industrial look. It's not too large but impressive looking,” she said.

Grinders like this date from around the 1800s, she added.

One of the many quilts the Howards will feature is a red-and-green feathered pinwheel quilt from the 1800s.

“I have had this quilt since 2017,” Howard said.

Their quilt offerings date from the 1800s and 1900s.

“My mother quilted, and I appreciate the time and joy she had working on and finishing a quilt. They can be a piece of art, as well as the most used piece in an early household,” said Howard.

There are things Howard will not part with, she said, and those items include the family pieces and items she's gathered from friends and neighbors.

“I hope to keep them in my family and local area. I have my Grandmother's blanket box, high chair, trunk, glassware and much more,” she said.

For Howard, it is not solely about appreciating the beauty of the item.

“I love the history and purpose of early pieces. The creativity and talent these people had at that time, and knowing they had to create everything they needed is astonishing to me. The 'primitive' is a cherished thing of beauty,” she said.

Grace Shields, the show's publicity chairman, said, “The annual quilt raffle features the LeMoyne Star Pattern. The quilt boasts a cream-colored background with shades of navy, burgundy and some shades of brown and green.” It was quilted by the First Methodist Church Quilters.

“Attendance for the show has remained steady for many years, usually between 1,200 to 1,400 for the weekend,” said Pattie Donaldson, antiques chairman.

Typically the show nets about $8,500 to distribute to community organizations. Recipients in 2018 included the Alzheimer's Association, Butler County Alliance for Children, Butler Public Library, Butler County Historical Society, Butler Little Theatre, Community Health Clinic, Don't Stop Dreaming, Fishbone Ministries, Kid's Weekend Backpack Program, Lighthouse Foundation, Maridon Museum, Musical Theater Guild, Penn Theater, Tanglewood, Visiting Nurses Association and the YWCA.

WHO: GFWC Intermediate League of ButlerWHAT: 69th Antique Show and SaleWHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. March 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 16, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 17WHERE: Tanglewood Center, 10 Austin Ave., LyndoraTICKETS: Call 724-287-7959 or 724-283-3033