The Passing of a Long Time Hobbyist

The formalized, organized model horse hobby had its beginning in the late 1960s when Ellen Hitchins and Simone (Simi, back then) Smiljanic organized their club,  IMPHSA (International Model Photo Horse Show Association.) While backyard/in-home shows had been going on for some time, and collecting model horses had been, too, it was these two women who really made the hobby happen by pulling early collectors together from across the country (and later, the world) into organized hobby clubs.

I started collecting in 1963 and had done in-home live shows with my two friends, Carol and Bobbie, in the 1960s, but I still remember that heady feeling of discovering that there were other people like the three of us who were doing the same thing, and that I could join them by taking pictures of my horses and mailing them to shows. Such fun days those were!

Fast forward fifty odd years or so and many of us who were part of that scene are still here. But, we are aging, and the hobby has begun to lose some of its earliest members. Ellen passed away some time ago as did Marney. Simi is still with us but has serious health issues. (She is still active in Facebook hobby groups, though.)

Very recently we lost another early hobby member, one who customized and made beautiful tack. Carol Howard passed away in March.

Carol and I are both members of the same faith - Mormons. There are a fair number of us in the hobby, and that double bond of religious beliefs coupled with our love of model horses has made for some wonderful friendships.

Carol made contributions to the early hobby that continued on to current times. She will be missed.