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Herington was a railroad town in the early 1900’s, with trains arriving and departing every few minutes at the Herington depot. Dennis was a great artist who paid much attention to detail. He spent a year doing research for the painting that was to be his “masterpiece”. He lived and breathed trains, while pouring over information at the historical society. Many hours were spent walking around the limestone building, taking in every angle and how the sun hit it and the shadows fell across it at different times of the day. Lying awake many nights with the masterpiece in his minds eye, he continued to study about how it was going to come together. Dennis had been giving private lessons at a studio apartment in Herington. He worked on the painting in between lessons and at night. Business was slow, students were getting fewer, the economy was bad so he closed “Studio 6” and stopped giving lessons, took a job, and moved the tribute home. We had 4 children and a busy lifestyle so his contribution was a godsend to the family but I always had dreams that he would someday be able to make a living at what he did best and really loved to do. The painting evolved in a tiny upstairs bedroom where he stole away every moment he could. If we wanted to see Dad we went up the stairs to the art studio. He enjoyed the company and welcomed it. I used to love sitting and watching him work and talking with him after the kids were in bed. Not an artist myself I was in awe of his talent. He also wrote poetry, worked
in clay, carved out of bone, was a storyteller supreme, and an inventor.
He made every gadget that I needed and didn’t have the money to
buy. We were poor but it didn’t seem to matter. I am so grateful
that we were allowed to be a part of the Tribute as it ever so slowly
came to life. His own worst critic, he was forever striving to perfect
the painting. He painted over each and every limestone brick 4 times
to raise the surface of the building to show depth, and for more realistic
shadowing. Dennis wanted to get “The Tribute to the Rock Island” reprinted. We took out a second mortgage on the house and went for it. He had great faith that the painting was going to provide for all of our futures. The first print, singed a numbered was donated to the Historical society. We had an unveiling ceremony for the painting in Herington on November 4th 1984 and offered prints for sale to the public. A signed and number print was purchased by the headquarters of the Rock Island Lines in Chicago. It has been twenty-five years since Dennis started working on The Tribute to the Rock Island. The Herington Depot is gone. It was imploded and removed in 1989. Dennis Genteman was killed in February 1988 in a one-vehicle accident. Mrs. Dennis Genteman Mr. Genteman’s son Donald is the young boy playing with the hoop in the painting. His son Brian is the child with the red hair leaning against the building. The family dog Maggie is in the painting. The artist himself is portrayed in the painting as the trainman hanging off of the side of the engine. If you would like to buy
a print of The Tribute to the Rock Island, please leave your name and
phone number at the front desk. |