Preserving the past by Pat Mulso

I recently returned from Montana where I spent a few days with my son and his family and celebrated our youngest granddaughters’ third birthday. She may live in the mountains and off the grid as they call it, but she is quite the little princess. She loves animals, being outdoors, playing in mud puddles and anything else she can do outdoors — but she always has a dress or tutu on over her leggings or pants and takes after her grandma when it comes to loving jewelry, music and being the boss. When I described Kepler to one of my older sisters, she said, she’s just like you were when you were that age. Imagine that! We visited the children’s museum in Missoula, the carousel to ride the pony, story hour at the library, gymnastic class, shopping and of course, there was the birthday party — pinning the tail on the donkey, reading numerous books, putting puzzles together and watching a Dora the Explorer movie. We had a great week, we made many memories and then grandma had to go home — but the memories are close to our hearts.

We are busy preparing for our annual “Autumn in the Village” at the museum and hope you will plan on joining us next Sunday for an afternoon full of fun, food and activities for the entire family. The event is from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $2 for students and is free for children 11 and under and for all Freeborn County Historical Museum members. There will be food, music, demonstrations, exhibits and children’s activities throughout the afternoon.  The Grapevine Square Dancers will be dancing in the museum meeting room, the Freeborn County Genealogical Society will have an exhibit and talk with you about DNA and how it can help with your family research; there will be children’s activities in the Children’s Learning Lab at the old washer in the village and in the one room school house. There will be candy and trinkets for sale in the general store, demonstrations in the woodworking shop, the mill and spinning and weaving on the porch of the parsonage. A group demonstrating making sauerkraut and an exhibit of hardanger and one with Indian artifacts. There will also be wagon rides, photos in the photography shop and special exhibits celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Albert Lea Community Theatre. The food will include crumble burgers, hot dogs, chips, Mrs. Gerry’s salads, apple pie, ice cream, pop, water and our favorite sarsaparilla. The food is donated by Hy-Vee, Mrs. Gerry’s and Trails Travel Center. We are also receiving matching funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Albert Lea Chapter.

The museum will host a four hour defensive driving refresher class from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 3. The cost is $20 for AARP members or $25 for non- members, which includes the class materials and administrative fee. You must pre-register for the class and will need your driver’s license to do so. The refresher course is needed every three years after the initial eight hour class is taken to continue receiving a discount on your auto insurance. Call or stop by the museum to register during regular business hours.

The theme for our “Historically Speaking Lecture Series” for this fall will be around the Presidents of the United States. The first of the series took place on Saturday and was presented by Gary Schindler. The lecture will review the religious beliefs of the Presidents of the United States from Truman to Obama and will also include the relationship they have had with Rev. Billy Graham. Admission is free to museum members and $5 for non-members.

We are accepting 2016 museum memberships. If you are not currently a member of the museum, buy your membership now and get the rest of 2015 as well as all of 2016. Individual memberships are $25 and family memberships begin at just $35. Gift memberships are also available.

 

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village, 1031 Bridge Ave.