On a sunny afternoon in June, Illinois Alpha Carol Kreider stands in the kitchen of Holt House. She’s positioned herself at the end of the bright, open room next to a buffet. It displays a collection of floral Haviland china that once belonged to the Holt family, the original owners of Holt House. In between serving guests lemonade and cookies adorned with wine and silver blue icing, she’s answering questions about the home.
Carol is volunteering on this particular afternoon because nearly 100 Pi Phis have arrived in Monmouth, Illinois, to tour Holt House, Pi Beta Phi’s founding home, and other nearby sites as part of the 2015 Post-Convention Tour. Carol learned about the tour from a Pi Phi friend who works at Monmouth College and signed up to volunteer as soon as she heard the news.
She’s traveled from Avon, Illinois, a 30-minute drive from Monmouth. The two towns are similar: small farming communities — Monmouth has a population of less than 10,000 — located near the Iowa-Illinois border, reached via the state highway system. The two communities are rich with history, and today the old wood buildings stand alongside new strip malls and chain restaurants.
When describing her hometown, Carol is quick to note that Avon was the home of Founder Libbie Brook Gaddis. (Coincidentally, the founder for whom I’m named!) Even more of a coincidence, Carol is President of the Avon-Bushnell-Macomb Alumnae Club, which was originally called the Libbie Brook Gaddis Alumnae Club in our founder’s honor. “My town is very Pi Phi,” Carol said. “In fact, most of my mother’s friends were Pi Phis and I have two Pi Phi cousins. I kind of grew up with Pi Beta Phi.” So when Carol left to attend the University of Illinois, she knew she wanted to be a Pi Phi too.
Carol spent many years working as an admissions counselor at Monmouth College and comes back to the town regularly to see friends. Though she’s visited Holt House many times in her life, she admits she still feels reverence and excitement to stand where our founders stood nearly 150 years ago. “It’s a beautiful house,” Carol said. “It’s very awe-inspiring no matter when you come. I feel fortunate that I live so close because we’ve ben able to have our alumnae club meetings here. It’s always a treat to come.”
Most of the Pi Phis visiting this afternoon have never been to Holt House before so touring the home is the highlight of the trip. They’ve just spent four hours aboard a coach driving from Chicago and eagerly explore the two-story house, stopping to take pictures in each room. Carol visits with Pi Phis from across the country and even a mother and daughter from Canada. “This has been a really nice experience,” she said. “It’s always fun to meet Pi Phis from other places. And I was also admiring all the jewelry! So many variations of the arrow have come through and that was fun to see.”