Staying busy

Staff

Published Wednesday, March 30, 2005

By Jennifer Rogers, Tribune staff writer

Fern Urbatsch volunteers for so many different organizations remembering them all requires dividing them up by seasons.

"The organizations I volunteer for continue to keep me in the loop so new things to do keep popping up," said Urbatsch.

She volunteers in the Albert Lea Community Theatre box office, through the auxiliary at the Albert Lea Medical Center, as a Convention and Visitors Bureau Spark Plug, at her church, United Methodist, and with the American Cancer Society selling daffodils.

"Volunteering makes me feel good," said Urbatsch. "It is nice to help people out and learn about the community."

Urbatsch and her husband moved to Albert Lea in 1950 and she spent 27 years as a teacher and director at United Preschool. She started volunteering to keep busy and to learn about new things.

"Albert Lea is a friendly community and there are a lot of things going on, you can keep busy if you just look around a bit," she said.

While Urbatsch has continued to volunteer at the same places throughout the years, she said as she gets older her interests change.

"Visiting with people is important to me now," she said. "My mom lives in Mason City and she is 107 years old. I know the importance of visiting people because my mom appreciates it so much."

Urbatsch recognizes her efforts in volunteering, but is quick to shift the recognition to all of the other volunteers in Albert Lea.

"So many do so much more than I do," she said. "I think so many people volunteer here because we like it to be a good community and the more we can do to promote our community and help others is helpful."

(Contact Jennifer Rogers at jennifer.rogers@albertleatribune.com or at 379-3439.)

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