FROM 20 MINUTES TO 20 YEARS -- HEE HAW, APPLE CREEK STYLE

Twenty years ago, the St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School at Apple Creek burned. Area residents decided a talent show would make a good fund raiser. Ray Sauer decided to provide the audience with a Hee Haw skit.

"It kept the crowd laughing the entire time," said Sauer.

Little did he know that one 20-minute skit would turn into 20 years of entertainment. Organizers of the original talent show liked the skit so much they wanted it to become a yearly event. Sauer and his wife Evelyn agreed to produce the show, which takes place in the Apple Creek Hall.

Through the years, the performance has grown from that one skit to a two-hour production. Many area residents were members of the original cast and continue to perform today.

"There are many second generation performers," said Judi Wibbenmeyer, who has been with the group for nine years.

Fashioned after the popular Hee Haw program, Apple Creek performers adopt the identify of the television celebrities for their own brand of humor. Kevin Engert, Leo Balsman, Rick Matthews, Bobby Klaus, Glen Brown and Kevin Grimsley make up the Hee Haw Band. The group opens the show and provides background music for the singers.

"This is just a lot of fun. They're a good bunch of people," said Kevin Engert, the band's lead guitarist. Engert plays with the band Little Rock but takes time each year to play with the Hee Haw group.

When it came time to cast the parts, people were just put where they fit, according to Evelyn Sauer. Donald Welker, who portrays the Apple Creek version of Junior Samples, agrees.

He plays Junior "'cause I'm heavy." "I fit the bill," he said.

Gus and Mae Buchheit have been with the cast since the beginning. In one act they play the Swedish Oly and Lena.

"He (Gus) had a stroke, but he still had to come out and perform," said Mae Buchheit.

It's that kind of dedication that makes the event so special. What began as a community effort to rebuild a school has become a much more. Everyone in the community eagerly awaits the annual performance.

"The biggest thrill for me," said Richard Baer, who plays Elrod, "is that people come with their families and for two hours they can forget all their problems."

Baer grows a beard each year just for the production. He was with the original cast but missed a couple of years due to an injury.

The Sauers spend much of the time from one year to the next planning the skits and looking for new material. Some of the actors come up with their own material and of course there are those ad-libbers who surprise everyone.

You never quite know what to expect when Rose Welker takes the stage. This year her rendition of Harry the Hairy Ape came complete with an "ape" who acted out the lyrics of the song.

Sunday's audience was made up of local residents and some from as far away as Oklahoma.

"The audience is so faithful," said Dotty Meyer. "They're what makes it so wonderful."

As the crowds grew through the years an effort was made to meet the demand. The group went on the road for a few performances but found it just wasn't feasible.

"It was hard hauling all that stuff around and the acoustics are so good here," said Evelyn Sauer.

The show ran this past weekend and will run again this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m.

All good things must come to an end, however.

"It's a lot of work," said Dotty Meyer, "but the last show is kind of a let-down."

In addition to the show, sandwiches, pie and refreshments are also available. Tickets are sold only at the door.