Preserving the Past by Pat Mulso

It certainly was nice to have a break in our winter weather, but regardless of the weather conditions, we are busy at the museum. Plan to join us for a soup and dessert fundraiser March 30 to raise money for a new PA system for the museum meeting rooms. We will host the fundraiser at the museum and will serve from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for dinner that night. You may purchase tickets in advance from any Freeborn County Historical Museum board member, at the museum during our regular hours, at the Convention and Visitors Bureau office or at the door that evening. Tickets are $7.50 and include, soup, crackers, dessert and a beverage.  Supplemented funds are provided by the Freeborn County Chapter of Thrivent Financial 31190. Donations for this event were given by Market Place Foods of Albert Lea, Diamond Jo Worth, LLC, Mona Hobbiebrunken, Sportsman’s Tavern, TST Catering, Lund Food Holdings Inc./Byerly’s. A special thank you to all our sponsors and donors.

The last of our spring lecture series will be at 9 a.m. April 11. The title of this lecture is “World War II Aircraft Carriers named HORNET: Doolittle Raid — Midway — Guadalcanal” presented by John McGaughey, former Hornet crew member 1953-55. Our lectures are free to museum members and $5 for the general public.

Due to a schedule conflict, our April defensive driving refresher class will be from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. April 16. The four-hour class is required every three years after the initial eight-hour class is taken to continue receiving a discount on your auto insurance. The cost is $20 for AARP members and $25 for nonmembers and includes class materials and an administrative fee.   You must pre-register for the class by calling the museum at 507-373-8003 or stopping by during our regular business hours, which are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

The dates for our annual research trip to Salt Lake City, to the world’s largest genealogy library, have been reserved. We will depart Oct. 19 and return Oct. 25. A $100 deposit is required to reserve your spot for this unique trip. Whether you are a seasoned genealogist or just beginning, this is a trip of a lifetime that you won’t want to miss. Stop by the museum for details or to reserve your spot for this trip.

We are busy preparing for tour season and Discover History Days at the museum and will have our village clean-up day from 8 a.m. to noon April 18. We are looking for volunteers to help with this task. We will provide all the cleaning products. If you are able to help, give us a call at the museum at 507-373-8003 and let us know what hours you will be able to help. If we get enough volunteers the job can be completed in just a few hours.

Later that day, at 2 p.m. April 18 we will host “Timeless Tea” in the FCHM meeting room. Join us for a relaxing afternoon with tea, refreshments and entertainment by Joan Muschler. Tickets are $7.50, and seats are limited. Pre-sale only, so don’t delay. Stop at the museum or the Mary-Go-Round Shoppe for your tickets to this event. Dress up attire is encouraged. Hope to see you.

We are also hosting two library lock-ins, one from 5:30 to 11 p.m.  April 17 and another from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 20. The cost is $30 for members and $40 for nonmembers. The registration deadline is April 10 and class sizes are limited. Have you have always wanted to work on your family history but just didn’t know where to start? If so, attend this class, You will receive one-on-one help to start you on your way to researching your family history. We will help you organize, plan and begin and/or work on your research.

 

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum in Albert Lea.