Preserving the Past by Pat Mulso

The museum staff and volunteers are busy getting ready for Discover History Days and school tours. On April 19, 21 volunteers worked to clean and prepare the village buildings for our busy season that is quickly approaching. The cumulative hours for this group of volunteers were nearly 65 hours for this one morning. Thank you so much for helping us prepare the village for our students and other visitors. We couldn’t have done it without you!

We want to say a special thank you to all of our volunteers for all they do for the museum and our programs. We appreciate their dedication and willingness to share their time making our museum complex the best in our region.

We again this year will be a Blue Star Museum, which means all active-duty military personnel and their families can visit the museum at no cost from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It’s our way of being able to say thank you to those who serve our country and protect our freedom!

International Museum Day will be May 17. In honor of this special day, we will have reduced admission. Admission will be $1 for nonmembers, and members may visit for free.

The museum will be hosting a four-hour refresher defensive driving class from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. May 20. Registration is required. Please call or stop by the museum to register for the class. The cost is $20 for AARP members and $25 for nonmembers. This includes an administrative fee for hosting the class. The refresher class is needed every three years after the initial eight-hour class.

We are planning several one-day bus trips for this summer and fall. The first trip will be June 10. We will be going to Forest City, Iowa, to tour a historic mansion, the 1903 Waldorf Hotel and Heritage Park, along with having lunch. Watch for details concerning cost and registration soon.

The Freeborn County Genealogical Society will have a Swiss steak fundraiser from 4:30 to 7 p.m. May 1 at the American Legion in Albert Lea. You may purchase tickets at the door or from any member of the society. We have tickets available at the museum.

I mentioned in my last column that I thought I would have the answer about Gerhard to share with you this week, but there was a problem with the DNA test that was submitted and so another test had to be taken. So, as soon as I hear, I will tell you the rest of the story.

Happy May Day, and, remember, what happens today is history tomorrow!

 

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