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Show 10 Vtemd Express WadTBsday October 19, 1994 O WeDrouaD womroami ffiiinirils Dove dud tiDue "3 Pateh- Calbtoagn by Melanle Morrison Lifestyle Writer When Betty Clark isn't cooking one of her famous breakfasts at the Last Chance and Supper Club, she can be found sitting and talking to her 375 babies. No, Betty doesn't have 375 children but she does have that many Cabbage Patch dolls. "You're just in time," Betty said when called about her collection. "I just cleaned their bedroom." The 375 Cabbage Patch dolls "live" in a room designated as the "Cabbage Patch room" in Betty's home in Vernal. They are hung three and four deep on chains from the ceiling. They sit on wicker shelves; on wood shelves; and on the floor in official Cabbage Patch toys. Besides the dolls themselves, she also has Cabbage Patch curtains, a Cabbage Patch bed spread, jewelry. Cabbage Patch playpen, high chair, cars, and table and chairs. In addition, addi-tion, each one has its original box stored in various locations and their birth certificates (a trademark of the doll) arc numerically tucked away in a night stand. "I've never had a hobby or collection collec-tion but I fell in love with the Cabbage Patch line. Each one has its own personality; that's what I fell in love with," Betty said. She also said that many of the dolls relate to other children. As an example, one has the measles; two are wearing eye glasses; she has Hispanic, black and white dolls. She has a cowboy, t Santa and Easter bunny, an astronaut and two sharing tea (in their Cabbage Patch china) at a birthday party. Betty bought her first Cabbage Patch doll at Christmas, 1984. The dolls were scarce and hard to come by. Long lines of customers filled i lores across the country wailing to buy a doll to fill Christmas wishes of bale girts and boys. Since (hat initial Cabbage Patch purchase, a Utile black baby boy. Betty has inverted in-verted clow to SI 2,000 for the adorable doll. 1 bought my first doll the Christmas when they wot in short supply and everybody was u wf to i one." ahe etptaincd. 1 beard an ad on KNEU and contact ed a UJy who had two doiU for vale- By the time t reached her, one of thrro had been sold and ihe had '4 K4 ftpmittd the other one to a man to m4 he would return later to jfti it. I had a frtend pktt it up far tttc in RocmtcJi and bnng M back, t paid ISO for the tittle boy in a jog Sorensen by Uslani Uorrtton .cr?w-wJ at As luck would have it, when the dolls were hard to find, Betty was the recipient of a drawing at K-Mart, K-Mart, which netted her one of the dolls. "I've never won anything," Betty said. "But this time I guess I was lucky." A little girl wanted the doll Betty had won desperately. "I said a little prayer that she would win the doll, but when she didn't I made myself a promise to see that she would get a doll for Christmas and kept checking check-ing with her mother. Santa found a Cabbage Patch for her and I felt better." Betty's Cabbage Patch room is the talk of her family. Her husband Billy oftentimes takes guests to the Cabbage Patch room first to show it off. She says rarely does her grandsons grand-sons bring a new girlfriend to see her. They bring the girlfriend over to see grandma's dolls. And what of her three grown daughters, Linda, Lynne and Maria? They contribute to their mother's collection. Maria keeps an eye on a Texas market for her mother and finds dolls and accessories ac-cessories not available locally. Linda and Lynne contribute by buying buy-ing tiny furniture and miniatures for the doll room. Betty's two granddaughters never "really played" with the dolls when they were younger, but often times she would find them in the room admiring and discovering new and exciting Cabbage Patch wonders. However two-year-old great-granddaughter, Jade Martinsen, has a great time playing with Grandma's babies. Like most other collectors, Betty has a favorite. She is a rather plain little dishwater blond with green eyes, wearing a pink dress with white ruffle, accented by a pair of white sandals. Thelma Jayrne was born Sept 1, 1984. "I don't know why she is my favorite; I just like her the best," Betty said. She hasn't had many visitors to the doll room, mostly close friends and Kighborhood children. But during a recent yard sale at her home, a little girl "caught my heart" and I just had to show her my dolts. "She fell in love with them just like me, I know bow much kids love these dotls." There are a few guest dolls in Deay'i room that are not from the patch. One of these belonged k) her cuter who was killed in an accident at the afc of 1. This special 0 yearold doll nU be handed down to her eldest granddaughter, Abby OaVt. crowned Kn Jwrwwrn, Ao?vrt ff IU4 and Oad $orwir of Vernal, at tumrd TH ilifttah Ctwwy dorir-4 a Hmalt and tfimae '( I til IVnaf vm Scft fa) feftf-n P J. Two-year-oW Jade Martinsen has Betty CUrk holds on ol hor lavorte Cabbago Patch babies; a little lit-tle di&nwatef btond with pink oYess and white sanrjes. dotls xn given sway. WiO Betty ever pp her cotkc tk7 "No, tfc Mr- N w 0ec iuiJe puyi too much." And be- tides, ewre'i sutl space in the CabbaePakhroomiorJt Miss Uiritfalh County during pageant p jwfwrt la-4 Saturday Wst, fWM tsefidafl M ta "bfc, danfhtcf of CUH and Tu UTlft of Vernal, and ntnr4 IP fag rf . Nv j vm Hi T 1f fits 4-:JW'!m ft tea and cookies with the Cabbage Patch Dolls at her great-grandmother, Betty Clark's home. Betty yt she was not fond of dolts whera ihe is a child but acta- preferred teddy bean, tier djuhtm, htnoevcr, had a comfk coOcctton of Barbie doOi and all the cnortci fry played with coo- urt!y, Over the fc the Barbie tmiant it Amy ftcm-rn. dawtvirf of iatk and Ckfyi tk of ftoMrnli. M Sonmaen l a l??J pn4e Of Uitttaft JUKrwl 4 ha trMfd (he Ck8ff$ f lA-suTm a TV., Twle iSmdi 11(4. 'ti w wv tvmdt (Weil mi AViit Vc to dart t??M99) Klv4 fm, P H w h a fcs Klr4 s4 tMW al h twrtfy frl Pf Tfl torn m 9t f IHI ifti fit iaMt "-il "-il wt a?w rr ftvH btR ftt a4 N f 6Vr. lAm pffritt n few wi Hf, trt!sp tin cVnw Ht tJ AH t. fwr'"1 Crt. rf1 l ! sHI t- w lrt t frrt fl lr w ttna OibmI ffnrt, H?f t-ft tti ril h a tr r fn-t ft tJM M s- t sfefc fnrt sfti i-wn an! - 'Hi i hi i m i i i 'i 1 h P.1 I H 1 . , A 1 , t Kinging on Ctum trom Iho C2ing and Sling on IheVei. EktTy Clark has efetgrttfed 4 b&ctoom. in her home as the Cabbage PaiCftfOom. 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