This past year was especially busy at the Edwardsburg Museum.

Here are some more highlights for this past season.

Donald Duck delighted the audience with stories of businesses that once thrived in Edwardsburg and are no more. Stephanie Ballew, who lives in the oldest house in Edwardsburg, told stories of the Pokagon band of Native Americans that lived in this area.

The Museum hosted the Lioness Club, the Class of 1951, the 4-year-old pre-school class.

Major purchases this year included signage inside and a new outdoor sign. Children size mannequins; a bookrack and a microphone stand were purchased also.

The year began with a potluck lunch for all of the volunteers. Currently there are 37 volunteers.

Volunteers have done more than just be a presence in the museum. They have cleaned the building, made cookies for evening functions, contributed candy for the Halloween give-away, helped outside at the plant sale and yard sale. They worked inside at events greeting guests, answering questions, preparing and setting up refreshments and developing displays. New volunteers added this year were JoAnn Mackling, Sandy Ryder, Sandy Meyers, Owen and Sharon Wright, Judy Montgomery, Lynn Christensen and June Disher.

Many items were donated to be added to the collection along with items to be sold at the yard sale. Contributors were the families of Dick Slack, Norma Boone, Mary Rau, items from Larry Follmer donated by his wife Diane, tools, books, maps, games, photographs, more than 100 school trophies, flower pots and potting tables and an aviary from the high school

Julian Dhoore, John Dalrymple, Dick Boepple, Ray Smith, Lynn Christensen and Duck supervised maintenance of the facilities. They took care or supervised the heating and air conditioning, painting, repair of siding, mowing the lawn, removal of the bushes, replacement of windows and repair of the shed. Shelf building for storage and filing and organization of articles and papers are an ongoing activity.

Because there are no paid employees everything is done by volunteers.

It takes a village to raise child and it takes a village to run a museum. Think about adding your time and commitment to a good cause.

The museum is closed to the public until May, but Wednesday morning gatherings continue through out the winter at 10 a.m.

The public is invited to the meetings.

 

JoAnn Boepple works at the Edwardsburg Area History Museum.