I am enjoying Warren’s historic posts.  They are fantastic!  My post today will catch all of our Museum and Research Library Friends up on the “goings on” at the Heritage Center.  I am so thankful to Ray and Carolyn Schmidt for inviting us to provide the vending at their auction.  The Schmidt’s will be relocating nearby and Carolyn will continue to serve as our faithful board secretary.  She and Ray have been great stewards for our site.  Pictured are the beautiful and talented “team chefs” who prepared the pies and loose meat sandwiches for the auction.  I promised I would not include their names, but I cherish every woman pictured here.  All six of them make this site a better place for our patrons.

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Please click on our conference tab and register for the 2016 Immigration History Conference Oct. 27-29.  All of the information you need to guarantee your participation in this fantastic opportunity is located there, or call us if we can provide additional information:  573-824-6070.

I am having fun working on an exhibit entitled “Children’s Activities in Perry County.”   We have regional historic dolls, and an incredible red and white doll quilt from the collection of Caroline Littge.  There are very unique toys from early Altenburg, MO belonging to Curt Palisch from the collection of his daughter Kathy Palisch Berkbigler.  There is a picture of young Curt with his toys.  There is a unique Loeber family toy that consists of small wooden beads and a mosaic board for creating pictures, called a  Perlen Mosaik Spiel (bead mosaic game.)  This toy is also displayed at the Spielzeug Museum in Munich, Germany.  Our example is from the collection of Betsey Loeber Lukins.  Another incredible artifact that we will include in the exhibit is an “Illuminated Life of Christ” moving panoramic book that is housed in a case with a moving roll of illustrations in a little theater.  They were purchased by German-Americans for home Bible study for their children between 1895 and 1900.  The illustrations in this unique boxed treasure were created by a young illustration artist,  J.C.  Leyendecker.  He became quite well known for his lovely illustrations.  Finally, we will include some of the colorful German-language books for children that were commonly passed out with the “special Christmas sacks” after Church on Christmas Eve in east Perry County.

“Fundraising” is a frightening word for many museum professionals, but I consider it an honor to have it  on my “to do” list for this incredible site.  It costs money to run this great institution and I know that many of our supporters wish to help us with their time, money, and talents.  We have created a link on this website for you to contribute toward our great mission  of documenting, preserving, interpreting and providing educational experiences regarding the German-Lutheran history in east Perry County, MO. Your contributions are tax deductible.  I want to personally thank all of you who consistently give your time:  our docent team, our board of directors, our hospitality team, and all of those who work together to create our site.  I am so thankful for all of the faithful folks in our region and “out in the world” who consistently provide an annual financial contribution as a part of our annual pledge group the Gesellschaft Society  and those who donate in a more casual way.  Please check out the donation place on this website.  Finally, I want to thank all of those who share their talents here: our hospitality leaders, Kathy Schlimpert, Doris Weber, and Betty Weber; our research team, of Lynn Degenhardt, Warren Schmidt, Ken Craft, Fred Eggers, and Gerard Fiehler; our building experts like Del Schmidt, Lynn Degenhardt, Earl Weber who have donated countless hours in keeping our facilities management in check.  My next blog will be focused on another “Meet Our People” segment and will highlight the talents of Diane Weber, and what a blessing she is on our executive board and as a creative and engineering force here.

Take Care, Carla L. Jordan