The caption under the newspaper photo read &uot;An Iraqi soldier walks on the rubble outside the Tikrit museum Saturday. The museum was hit the night before by a U.S. missile…&uot; The word &uot;museum&uot; jumped out at me, and I thought, &uot;Wouldn’t you know &045; a museum.&uot;

Several years ago, when I was in England, I wandered around the ruins of the Coventry Cathedral with its walls rising to the sky and empty framework where the stained glass windows used to be. The destruction of World War II was there for all the world to see. A new cathedral rose skyward beside the ruins, a new design, with a modem beauty that accented the sadness of the remains of the old Gothic edifice. And I thought, &uot;So that is a part of war &045; a cathedral.&uot;

We hear stories of Hitler’s men stealing masterpieces from museums all over Europe and hiding them in salt mines to preserve them. Many of those priceless items are now in museums in Germany. That too is war.

I searched the Internet for information on the Tikrit museum, and didn’t find anything that was helpful. There were lots of sources on Tikrit, but mainly in conjunction with the birthplace of Saddam Hussein. The museum doesn’t rate very high on media lists.

This wandering is all leading up to the question, &uot;What if the Freeborn County Historical Museum were to be hit with a missile, or more likely, a tornado?&uot; What would it mean? What would we do? Where would we begin?

In spite of the thousands of artifacts displayed in the museum and village buildings, my first thoughts go to the library. The paper and microfilm records there reveal to us the personalities of the people who braved the harsh Minnesota weather and landscape to make a home for their families and the generations that followed who believe that Freeborn County is a great place to call home. The library records explain their fortitude, their homes, and farms, businesses, churches, organizations, schools, recreation, the good times, and the bad times of 150 years of recorded history.

The many displays and exhibits show respect for the donors and the donations made over many years, donations that are often family heirlooms.

The Ruble bed, the Denzene trains, the Civil War slave poster, the velvet hat, the ox shoes, and the Dick and Jane book are all items that define who we are, what we are about, and where we come from. These artifacts are protected with acid-free paper wrappings, acid-free boxes or folders, filters over the light bulbs, and heat and motion sensors, and they are given the best care that our staff and volunteers can give them.

We spend a major amount of time asking for donations and museum memberships so there is enough money to properly care for the artifacts and the library archives. Our museum exists because of the residents and former residents of Freeborn County who care enough to help to support it. They realize the value of the museum and library and they are willing to send $20 a year to make sure that their history is preserved.

I don’t know how museums in Iraq or England or Germany are funded, or how the artifacts are protected or what precautions are taken in case of major destruction. I do know that people all over our world recognize the value of preserving their stories, and that when a museum is destroyed, a significant piece of life is lost.

Like I said before, we don’t really expect a missile to hit our museum, or even a tornado, and flooding is unlikely, but there is one more thing that could destroy the collection.

That is apathy. If no one cared enough to donate some of their time or their resources, our museum would not survive. This is not a doom and gloom picture. This is reality.

We need your help to ensure that our children and grandchildren and the next generations will all be able to research their family trees, to wonder at the people who first settled this beautiful prairie land, and to enjoy popcorn and sarsaparilla while they watch a parade. The Freeborn County Historical Museum belongs to all of us, and God willing, it will be here for many generations to come.

Call the museum at 373-8003 or send your membership to the Freeborn County Historical Museum, 1031 Bridge Ave., Albert Lea.

Bev Jackson is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum.