By DEBORAH BEHRENDS
Illinois Correspondent

SYCAMORE, Ill. — What started with a single model of a threshing machine has grown to an entire 1930s farm depicting scenes from the life of Joann and Richard Lichthardt of Hampshire, Ill.

“We came to the steam show in 1996 and (Richard) told me to take a lot of pictures, because he was going to build one,” Joanne said.

They hadn’t displayed the diorama – which includes the church where they were married, their own home, the one-room schoolhouse Richard attended and more – since 2005. This year, at the urging of their grandchildren, Danielle and Chris Neisendorf, the Lichthardts took it out of storage to display at the mid-August Steam Show and Threshing Bee in Sycamore. Although it was a lot of work just getting the display set up, it’s a labor of love for Joann and Richard, who discovered many years ago that they like working together. Their first project together was a dollhouse.

Joann’s eyes light up and her excitement bubbles over when asked about the diorama she and Richard created. The display includes some of the tiniest details of their lives. Fun for the casual observer to look at, the stories shared by the couple bring the display to life.

For example, Richard said the black-and-white border collie, present in several places such as the kitchen of their home and the blacksmith shop, represents “the best dog we ever had.” He also pointed out the shotgun next to the outhouse “in case the daughter’s boyfriend showed up uninvited,” and the woodpile where the lady of the house brought in a couple of pieces from after taking care of her business in the outhouse.

“Ladies were very modest about that sort of thing in the old days,” he said.

When working on the schoolhouse, Joann asked Richard if he had ever carved his initials into a desk. He said no, but asked if she had. “No, but these are ours and we can do with them what we want,” she responded.

So, one desk has her initials and another, two seats back, has two hearts and both their initials carved on its surface. “The detail has been the most fun,” Joann said.

She has created many of the most intricate details, from cornstalks on a wagon to the food for her in-laws’ wedding reception. She researched the details of their reception and recreated the German band that played, the banners written in German, the bride’s gown and flowers, the wedding cake and platters of food – down to the seeds in the tomato slices.

Along with the story of their lives, the Lichthardts also created a replica of the historic Teeple Barn. The state’s only 16-sided barn, it was located near Elgin. Built by Lester Teeple around 1885, the barn was destroyed by strong winds in 2007. Architecturally accurate, the Lichthardts’ replica boasts 6,529 shingles created by Joann.

Retired after working as an electrician for 50 years, Richard said he believed setting up the display again this year with their grandchildren helped foster “good family relationships.”