"Both of our families thought we were crazy for taking on such a project," said Brent Clauson. "In some
places the weeds were taller than the buildings that were still standing. However, that didn't stop them
from joining in and helping with the project. We all worked daily to bring the old place back to life."

Brent continued, "Grandpa worked hours on the original wood windows and restored the stained glass picture
window in the front of the house.

In 1997 the house was finally finished and the Clauson's moved in. Restoration of the outer buildings has been
an ongoing project since 1991 and the barn was finally finished with the help of many friends
in May of 2002.

"My Amish friend, Glen Yoder used his woodworking expertise to help the many obstacles that seemed
insurmountable when we were trying to get various parts of the barn to look like they did originally but still have
a place where an audience could sit comfortably and enjoy our performance. Glen is the mastermind behind
our circular stage," said Brent. "Doug Neddo Construction helped incredibly with interior restoration and Mark
Butler Construction worked on the restoration of the exterior. We couldn't have done it with out
their expertise."

"The restoration of the barn started three years ago," said Brent. "There was a poem in Elaine Reetz's
Argus column "Along the Highways and Byways" that describes exactly what the barn was like before
the restoration. It read:

"I saw the old barn, its roof
covered with moss and sagging.
The windows were dirty and
cracked with age.
And the door lay on the ground
rotting,
The inside held a thousand
sounds of people
And animals from the past.
It made me feel sad to see such
a majestic building dying."

"My wife Cheryl's Uncle Dwayne said
years ago when a new barn was put
up the first thing they did when the
barn was finished was to have a barn
dance," said Brent. "So my wife and
I decided when the barn was finished
we would have a barn dance. It was
around Halloween so we made it a
costume party as well. For the first
time in many, many years the barn came
back alive again with the sounds of
music and laughter.

"At the same time our Clauson Family
Music Show was continuing to grow in
popularity. That's when we began to
think that folks might like to see a
show here on the farm in the barn.
This is when step two of the
renovation began. We began to plan
how we could make the barn open and
easily accessible to the public for
our shows."

Now when you visit the barn, the first thing you hear as you are walking up the ramp (no stairs, so the
barn is handicapped-accessible) are the strains of a Ragtime piano playing and the smell of popped popcorn.
With a circular stage up front and plenty of seating, an enthusiastic crowd can enjoy the ambiance of the
rustic wood interior as they listen to good old fashioned fiddle music, accordion playing, and banjo ringing.
Sprinkled into the mix for good measure are comedy and a great variety of costumes.

"We have tried to create an environment of a time era from the 1900's on up to the present day with the antique
tractors, cars, and trucks we have on the farm," said Brent. "We have plenty of parking close to the barn and an
added special attraction is a tractor hay ride that shuttles folks right to the door. There are no steps to climb when
you get to the barn and the barn itself is insulated and screened in to keep it as cool and comfortable as possible."

Groups of 30 or more can book a concert in the barn or visit on one of the scheduled dates. In August their will be two
shows on Aug. 17th at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. These are the last scheduled shows in the barn for the summer.

"After August we start to get ready for Christmas. Our Christmas shows are getting bigger every year," said Brent. "This
will be our fourth year of doing a big Christmas dinner show at CJ's in Ripon on Dec. 7th. It is our only Christmas
dinner show this year. Then on Dec. 14th we will be at McComb/Bruchs Performing Arts Center in Wautoma and
then on to the Westfield Auditorium on Dec. 15th.

If you would like a color brochure that explains more about their shows, you can write to:
Clauson Family Music Shows
W13412 County Road CC
Coloma, WI 54930
or visit their website at www.clausonfamilymusicshows.com.

Reservations for shows are appreciated
but not necessary. If you are
interested in booking a barn show for
your group, call (715)228-2951.

When the summer barn show begins
you are invited to kick off your
shoes and stay awhile as they play
your favorite music. So come on
out and enjoy some old time memories
while you make some new ones and
experience great music on the farm.