2017 Wausau Possum Festival Program

August 2017

Welcome to ‘One of the Most Unique Festivals in America’

www.WausauPossumFestival.com 48th Annual Wausau Possum Festival Program - August 2017 1

Dedicated To The Memory of Maidelene “Maidy” Carter

Maidy was born April 11,1937 to the late George and Tom Taylor of the Bonnett Pond

Community, graduating from Vernon High School in 1954. Maidy married Dalton Carter

on December 20, 1955, and they had four sons, Dennis (Debbie), Travis (deceased),

Randy (Julie) and Jackie Wayne (Karen) as well as six grandchildren and eight great

grandchildren. Maidy owned and operated Ideal Beauty Salon for over 40 years, practicing

Cosmetology amd gaining a multitude of friends. She served on the Board of Trustees

for the Washington County Hospital and was a member of the Wausau Assembly of God

Church, working in the Sunday School Department for over 25 years.

Maidy was community-minded and believed in trying to make her town a better place

in which to live. She was a member of the Wausau Community Development Club and

supported the Masonic Fellowship, the Wausau Volunteer Fire Department and Wausau

Recreation fundraisers for the needy. She was a dedicated supporter of Wausau Funday

and Possum Festival. Maidy was a loving, caring and compassionate person, and loved

everybody, greeting them with a smile. Her love for her family was her life, and her greatniece

Mary Rosalyn Taylor described Maidy when she said. “She always made you feel

like you were someone special”. Maidy’s family wishes to express sincere thanks and

appreciation to the Wausau Volunteer Fire Department for dedicating this year’s 2017

Funday and Possum Festival program in her honor.

Photos contributed by family members.

Dedicated To The Memory of Greg Schliebener

Greg Schliebener was born on Feb 29,1959 in Ft Lauderdale FL

to George and Faye Schliebener and had one sister, Lisa. The

family resided in Margate FL until relocation to Wausau when

Greg was a teenager. As a young adult Greg became a father to

Scotty, Terri, Hope and Joey. He worked multiple jobs including

several years with Trawick Construction before finding his home

in the log woods. Greg was injured while logging, becoming

disabled, at which time he joined the Wausau Volunteer Fire

Department. He drove the water tanker, flagged traffic, cooked

his famous Boston butts for multiple fundraisers and whatever

else his physical limitations would allow him to do. Once again

he felt like his life had purpose and he thoroughly enjoyed being

a member of the fire department, loving his fellow firefighters like

family. Greg was a good man who was always willing to help a

person in need.


Terri and Hope would like to thank the Wausau Volunteer Fire

Department for welcoming their Daddy with open arms. They

truly believe that his life would have been much shorter had he

not had his fellow firefighters to lean on during the difficult times.

‘Thank ya’ll for keeping him in line and thank ya’ll for always being

there for him and thank y’all for being there for us when we had

to say goodbye to him on August 7, 2016’, say Terri and Hope.

2 48th Annual Wausau Possum Festival Program - August 2017 www.WausauPossumFestival.com

Dedicated To The Memory of William E. “Woody” Bollinger

Chaplain William E. “Woody” Bollinger was

born in Altoona, PA on January 20, 1951 and

died November 23, 2016 at Flowers Hospital

in Dothan, Alabama. He was a member of

East Mount Zion Methodist Church in Holmes

County.

The Wausau Possum Festival Program

is produced and published by

Now in Print, on Radio & TV and Online


Woody was a true ‘Professional Volunteer’

and a man that gave to others anyway that

he could. He was a prayer warrior, and if

someone asked to be put on a prayer list,

he would stop whatever he was doing and

pray with them, no matter where he was at

the time.

Woody loved Emergency and Fire Services

and volunteered with several fire departments

over the years as Chaplain. The last

department was Wausau Fire Department but

prior to Wausau he volunteered as Chaplain

with Holmes County Fire Department, where

he formed a Chaplain Corps, Panama City

Fire Department and he served as Chaplain

with the Florida Fire Marshals Association.

He also, volunteered with the American

Red Cross, helping fire victims, Emergency

Management in Washington and Walton

counties, ans as Disaster Director for 7

counties with the United Methodist Church.

After 9-11 he was Civilian Chaplain at the

Navy base in Panama City and he also

served as Hospital Chaplain with various

hospitals in Holmes and Bay Counties. We

will miss you, Woody.

MAGAZINE STAFF

Publisher- Real Florida Media

Editor- Paul Goulding

Production Manager- Debbie Goulding

Photographers- Ryan Ward, Debbie

Goulding, Tona Skipper, Ashley Canter

Advertising Sales- Debbie Goulding

CONTACT INFORMATION

Real Florida Magazine

PO Box 615

Chipley, Florida 32428

850-258-2546

Debbie@TheGouldingAgency.com

NEWS & EDITORIAL SUBMISSION

News@TheGouldingAgency.com

GENERAL INQUIRIES

Info@TheGouldingAgency.com

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2010-2017

REAL FLORIDA MAGAZINE

Please contact us if you would like to showcase

your business in ‘Real Florida Magazine’.

Real Florida Media offers consultation, design,

public relations & production of photo, video

and print and we specialize in corporate imaging

and political campaigns. We also offer a

full line of brochures, programs and full-size

magazine periodicals, for corporate, political,

business & special events.


Wausau Celebrates Northwest Florida Beauty with ‘Miss Funday’

One of the highlights of the Wausau Possum Festival is the ‘Miss Funday’ Pageant

(not to be confused with the ‘Possum King & Queen Contest’, held on the Friday

evening prior to the actual festival). The pageant is held on Saturday evening, one

week before the festival, and this year entertains a ‘Denim & Plaid’ theme. There

seems to be an unlimited supply of local beauties (and handsome young men) in

the area, and this pageant event draws several hundred attendees, all vying for the

coveted trophies, ribbons, crowns and bragging rights in several categories. Entire

galleries of these photos, as well as video clips and interviews from the last several

years, can be viewed at www.WausauPossumFestival.com.








Welcome to the 48th Annual Wausau Possum Festival

Commencing in the early morning hours with a pancake

breakfast , progressing to a parade of seldom-seen size,

feature or quality, then moving to musical entertainment,

food and craft vendors and the world-famous Possum

Auction, the Wausau Possum Festival literally offers

something for everyone. Enjoy the history of the Possum

Festival in several photo galleries and video clips online at

www.WausauPossumFestival.com.





Wausau Quilters Contribute to the Possum Festival

Here is the showpiece quilt produced by the Wausau Quilters (shown in photos at RIGHT) as part of the 2017 Festival fundraising effort.

Each year our Washington County Property Appraiser Gil Carter bids on and typically wins the prize-winning quilt, so help us out and bid

against him this year- amd you can be sure that all proceeds go for a great cause!


Wausau Quilters Contribute to the Possum Festival




SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AUGUST 5, 2017

6:00 - Pancake Breakfast at Wausau Masonic Lodge (Wausau, FL)

9:00 - Invocation and Welcome (Possum Palace)

9:15 - 10:15 - ‘Faithful Servants’- Tifton, GA (Possum Palace)

10:00 - Big 48th Annual Fun Day Parade- (Downtown Wausau)

10:15 -11:30 - Corn Pone Baking- Winners Announced (Possum Palace)

11:30 - 12:00 - Flag Raising and National Anthem- (Possum Palace)

12:00 - 12:30 - Big Possum Auction and Quilt Auction- (Possum Palace)

12:30 - 12:45 - Political Guests - 3 minutes each (Possum Palace)

12:45 - 1:45 - ‘Trugrass” - Pensacola, FL (Possum Palace)

1:45 - 2:15- Hog Callin (adults & kids) (Possum Palace)

2:15 - 3:15 - ‘Faithful Servants’- Tifton, GA (Possum Palace)

3:15 - 4:15 - Billy Lipford - Marianna, FL (Possum Palace)

FESTIVAL COMMITTEE

Founder: Mr. Dalton Carter

Chairman: Mr. Joe Tharp

Parade ChairPerson: Mrs. Margaret Riley

W.V.F.D. Chairman: Mr. Sam Rudd

Arts & Crafts Contact: (850) 638-1781

Entertainment Chairman: “Bunk” Corbin (850) 638-5023

Information at www.WausauPossumFestival.com


Welcome to the Festival!

Welcome to the 48th Annual Funday and Possum

Festival. The Wausau Volunteer Fire Department

and the Wausau Development Club celebrates yet

another year of the festival that was conceived by

Dalton Carter in 1970. This year we add another

feature as we take a step back to a more relaxed

time and enjoy a ‘Denim & Plaid’-themed pageant

on July 29, the Saturday before the festival

activities. This adds another element to the ‘retro’

effort of the festival, reviving some of the former

attractions of the event, from greasy pole to sack

racing to cross-cut saw competition. Woman’s Day

Magazine named the Wausau Possum Festival ‘One

of the ten most unique festivals in America’ and

we have garnered national attention. We have

been joined by Florida Governors, including most

recently, Rick Scott. We have been fortunate to

be highlighted in media- both print and electronicand

people are getting to know and recognize our

small town with the BIG festival, held on the first

Saturday of August.

The Funday Committee provides a wholesome

family event, with entertainment and all the fixin’s,

at absolutely no cost to our guests and we want

all who attend to feel welcome. More importantly,

we want you to leave with an appreciation for

our volunteers. All profits go directly to the

Wausau Volunteer Fire Department and Wausau

Development Club, both non-profit organizations,

and our activities include the Little Miss Funday

Pageant, Possum King And Queen Contests and

much more.

The Fire Department uses these funds to improve

fire equipment and provide fire service to the

citizens of Washington County and the City of

Wausau. The Wausau Development Club primarily

utilizes the funds it receives to award scholarships

to deserving students in Washington County. We

want to thank the Washington County Sheriff’s

Office for their help, as well as all our volunteers

and sponsors. We especially thank you, as our

guest, because without you there would be no

festival. Again, welcome and thanks for attending!


More Than You Need To Know About Wausau, Florida

The small town of Wausau, Florida, population just over

400, holds a very big title- ‘Possum Capital of the World’. To

celebrate this ubiquitous animal, the town holds an annual

Fun Day and Possum Festival, a totally free event on the

first Saturday in August, and the world is invited.

You’re likely to see local, regional and even national political

figures at the Wausau Possum Festival, especially during

election cycles, and the event was recently highlighted by

Women’s Day Magazine as one of the ‘world’s most unique

festivals’.

Admittedly one of the most unusual festivals you are likely

to attend, this event celebrates the Possum, a marsupial

which thrives in this part of Florida and which helped the

local population survive the Great Depression in the early

20th century.

Drawing attendees from all over the Southeast United

States, the event is always held the first Saturday in August,

and the scheduled entertainment includes Bluegrass,

Country and Gospel performers.

Arguably the hottest day of the year, the event includes a

large parade, arts and crafts, food (try the possum stew and

possum ice cream) and a Possum Auction. The annual

Possum King and Queen Contest is held the evening

prior to the Festival and this is something that you have to

experience to believe.

Wausau is in Washington County, Florida, United States,

about 9 miles south of Chipley and Interstate 10. Wausau

has a total area of 1.1 square miles, all of it land, and

there are approximately 170 households, and 110 families

residing in the town. This equates to a population density of

around 352 people per square mile with a racial makeup of

94.47% Caucasian, .50% African American, 0.75% Native

American, 0.25% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and

3.52% from two or more aces. Hispanics or Latinos make

up 2.51% of the population.

The population consists of 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.3%

from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64,

and 16.6% 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37

years and for every 100 females there are 94.1 males. For

every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $21,000,

and the median income for a family was $23,000.

The per capita income for the town is $10,722 and about

25% of families and 29.2% of the population were below

the poverty line, including 35.2% of those under age 18 and

19.7% of those aged 65 or over. Wausau has an elevation

of 85 feet above sea level.

All these (very dry) statistics aside, however, the reality is

that Wausau, Florida, along with the rest of Washington

County, offers what we like to call ‘The Real Florida’- a

pristine, unspoiled slice of a very relaxed lifestyle and a

quality of life sometimes all too hard to find. So enjoy your

time here as our guest during the Possum Festival, but

make plans to visit us again soon. You will find that there is

a quality of life, accompanied by a laissez-faire attitude that

is appealing and a refreshing change from urban or highpressure

areas. You’ll find that this area is a great place to

raise a family, relocate a business or to retire.

For more information about Wausau, Florida and to view

more photos, video clips, and interviews, visit us on

Facebook at Real Florida Magazine, or listen to interviews

on FPTC radio, the voice of Florida Panhandle Technical

College at www.FPTCRadio.com.



A Unique Feature of a Unique Festival

One feature of the Wausau Possum Festival that

truly remains ‘one of a kind’ is the annual ‘King and

Queen Contest’ held on the Friday evening prior

to the festival. Competition is fierce as characters

come from all over the region to compete for the

trophies, bragging rights and cash prizes awarded

to ‘Possum King’ and ‘Possum Queen’. See more

photos along with video clips and interviews at

www.WausauPossumFestival.com.




It’s unusual that we can get them all together and slowed down enough to capture a photo, but here are some of our core Wausau, Florida

Fire Department members. If you see them, thank them for their dedication and hard work as they not only put on this festival, but as they

tirelessly work to improve their abilities tp provide emergency services yo this area.













2017 Wausau Possum Festival Program

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?