El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection - El Quartelejo Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection

February 2017 Newsletter

February is zipping along - it will be March before we know it! Hopefully we’ll soon get the moisture we need so badly.

First a little recap of December activities.  In spite of a blustery winter day (do we ever get a break on that Sunday?) we had a good turnout for the Sugar Plum Sale.  Proceeds were better than the past couple of years, bringing in just over $1,000.  A HUGE thank you to all who furnished cookies and candy – and to all who braved the cold day to come out and support our only yearly fundraiser.  Big plates of leftover goodies were taken to City Hall, The SC Record, and to Park Lane.

Raffle prizes were won by Karen Compton (Tava See’s German Chocolate cake) Steve Schmitt (Christmas tree plate of goodies) and Velda Thomas (a Raggedy Ann doll).

In the November newsletter, I asked for responses to this statement (in two or three words) “When I was a child, Christmas was . . .”  I explained that I wanted to use your responses in the foyer holiday display.  Well, only two responded, and their answers were far more than two or three words, but they were so interesting I wanted to share them with you.  Patricia Palmer Schroder wrote: “. . .a time for writing thank you notes.  Dad (Dr. Palmer) wrote thank you’s every Christmas afternoon.”  And Art Gomez wrote a long account of the happy task of making tamales for the holidays at his grandmother’s house in Garden City.  He wrote about having to switch arms during the long grinding process of making boiled corn into the filling of those tasty tamales, which were shared with family and friends.  And that although his grandmother and mother came from Mexico, they rapidly assimilated to American ways and decorated for Christmas with Santa and his reindeer in the front yard – figures made by his grandfather.  He said he cherished holiday memories and has handed them down to his five children and his grandchildren.  When I wrote back and asked if he could come up with two or three words, he wrote simply “ Love of family and friends.”  And that says it all, for all of us.

We have received some interesting donations to our collection recently – a set of 69 picture postcards from early Scott County.  Some were J. W. Lough cards which we already had, but many were Main Street photos we had never seen before.  Those have all been cataloged and stored, but some will be enlarged and printed off for displays in the future.

We have also been given two pocket transistor radios, one with instruction booklet and the original box, which will make it much more interesting when it shows up in a display someday.

We also received a box of odds and ends from an estate, which included a pair of men’s wool spats, a silver cigarette lighter, some fancy hat pins, a little jewelry, and one set of what might be cuff links.  (Sometimes we have to guess what an item is!) We’re always glad to receive items of interest, especially if they have a story to tell – or one we can imagine.

The Gallery Enhancement Project (LED fund) got some nice donations towards the end of the year, and we are continuing to exchange LED bulbs for the halogen bulbs in the Jerry Thomas Gallery.  When that gallery is completed, we’ll start on the museum gallery.  We’ve recently found a source that saves us nearly $3 a bulb, with free shipping.  When you’re looking to purchase hundreds of bulbs, that is a considerable savings.

We are grateful to recently be named as recipients of two memorial funds.  Let me encourage you to consider the Scott County Historical Society for memorial and honorary gifts as a lasting, meaningful way to celebrate a loved one, while supporting the work of the historical society.  These memorials and honorariums are permanently displayed on our donor plaques.

Our next special event will be the Annual Meeting of the society on Sunday, April 23^rd, at 2:00 p.m. at El Quartelejo Museum.  Following a short business meeting, guest speaker, Greg Mills, will present a program on the activities at Lake Scott State Park.  That should be most interesting.  Reminders will be sent out closer to that date, but you can pencil it in on your calendar now.

And looking on down the road, we will again participate in the June Jaunt, with a guest speaker, and the Historic Sites Guided Bus Tour.  More on that later.

Tara Williams’ delightful Raggedy Ann collection was enjoyed through the holidays, and we’re looking at a couple of ideas to fill the temporary gallery now.  We would really appreciate knowing about collections any of you might want to share for a few months.  Please give us a call at 620 872-5912.

We regret the recent loss of long-time members, Todd Steele, Dorothy Fouquet, Marilee Cramer and Maurine Dirks.  We welcome new members, Sue Heifner and Edward and Suzanne Frock.

As I write today, the temperature is headed for 83 degrees.  Tomorrow’s forecast – 47!  Only in Kansas!  Oh well, whatever your preference – enjoy!