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Bits ‘n’ Pieces: Vancouver couple take ‘cemetery tour’

The Columbian
Published: June 7, 2010, 12:00am
3 Photos
Paquita and Jim Rupp
Paquita and Jim Rupp Photo Gallery

Paquita and Jim Rupp of Vancouver recently returned from a 5,500-mile, 13-state trip that their family jokingly called their “cemetery tour.” They took gravestone rubbings all over the Midwest for genealogy research.

The stops included a spot near Springfield, Mo., where Jim’s great-grandfather fought in the Civil War at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek.

Jim, 69, retired in 1998 after 17 years of teaching and coordinating the athletic program at Mountain View High School. Paquita, 66, also retired from the Evergreen School District that year.

She has since delved into Civil War research. She put together a project interpreting a bloody battlefield diary, on display at the Pearce Civil War Museum at Navarro College in Texas. The Rupps have been married for 48 years. For their anniversary present to each other two years ago, they bought a small A-frame trailer, which provided their lodging on their recent trip.

Going to the dogs yields book for couple

Last fall, Heidie McCall was jonesing for a dog fix, so she went to the Doggie Dive at Lake Shore Athletic Club. She photographed the dogs swimming, a fundraising event for the Humane Society for Southwest Washington. Now she’s pulled those photos together into a gift book with captions written by her husband, Doug “D.A.” McCall.

The Vancouver couple self-published the book, titled “Invasion of the Club.” It’s available at the Walgreens on Main Street in Vancouver, and through the website for their production company, Factory West Studio (http://www.factoryweststudio.com).

“It’s just one of those projects that evolved and came together with a lot of joy,” said Heidie, 56, an artist. “It was just fun.”

The couple also are having fun and keeping busy working on a television series called “Patrishaa’s Workshop.” Heidie McCall described the 13-episode series, about an agoraphobic artist, as “‘Seinfeld’-ish.”

She and Doug, a 66-year-old writer, are doing all the writing, filming and editing. They also play all the parts. So far they’ve filmed one episode, and hope to have the remaining 12 shot by the end of the year.

Bits ’n’ Pieces appears Mondays and Fridays. If you have a story you’d like to share, call Erin Middlewood, 360-735-4541, or e-mail features@columbian.com.<I>

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