During the month of May, more than any other time during the year, the museum rings with the sounds of children’s laughter and questions. Some of the volunteer tour guides escort their groups quietly from site to site and other guides corral their rather boisterous bunches into position for another demonstration. It’s a challenging month for all of us.

However, the thank you notes that we receive from the students make all of the effort worthwhile. Occasionally, the letters are designated for a specific guide, but usually they are addressed to the “Museum Volunteers” or to the “Museum Staff.” I’d like to share some of these notes with you.

“Dear Museum Volunteers, Thank you for letting us come. Thank you for telling me about Itaska. Thank you for letting us look in the building. Thank you for letting us all see the buildings. Thank you for everything. Sincerely, Wyatt”

&uot; … Thank you for inviting us to that cool place on the 22nd. I had so much fun. I liked the jail part. Is thought it was awesome getting shut in there. And the fossils were cool too. Actually I liked everything. The docter guy is really really funny. I hope I get to go there again sometime. Well, I have to go now. Bye. Sincerely, Adam”

” … Thank you for teaching me about how pioneers lived. It was awesome. I liked the log cabin. From, Trevor”

” … I really enjoyed the trip to the historical site. I was my favrite field trip. My favrite parts were the agriculture, and the jail, and also I kind of liked the General store. The reason I liked them were because they gave a lot of info on the place they were taling about. They also were very fun to be around and of course they used there time very well. Sincerely, Mackenzie”

” … Thank you for letting us come to your museum. I really liked the church and toys. At the curch I got to stand where the preacher stood and at the toys we played a button on a string. I also liked the jail, the school, and the general store. Something at that store only cost 5 cents or even less! Thank you again for letting us come! Sincerely, Emily”

” … My favorite part of our tour was learning about agriculture. I didn’t know that they had that advanced technology. I thought the had to do everything by hand with not even the slightest help by machine. The guide’s did a great job telling us facts and giving great answers to our questions. I learned lots about our county and had a gret time. Sincerly, Jordan”

” … Thank you for tacking us On a toer. It was fun looking at the stuff in the store. Sincerely, Gaige”

” … You guys were all so great, but the most fun was the church. Paul told us a lot of things like the women sat by the heater, and the men sat on the other, and they had a bell to ring before church. Then the school was fun too. Jon showed us the lunch boxes that they broght to school, and the water fountain. We all thank you so much! Emily”

” … It was really interesting and educational and I really enjoyed the black smith. I enjoyed it because I like metal and swords and stuff like that. Oh yeah, that school one was pretty interesting too. Sincerely, Isaac A.K.A. lzwik”

” … Thank you! I had a lot of fun at the museum. I especily liked the Dr., he was funny. He showed us his needels, and his medicine that looked like candy. I also liked the church. I got to stand in the pulpit. We also got to look at all the old bibles. It was fun rining the bell at school, but I can’t decide what was my favorite. I liked it all. Thank you! Sincerely, Alyssa”

This letter was accompanied by a drawing with a caption &045; ‘These are the hand cufs of Henry ——-. He was the first white man to be hung.’ Then the letter stated, “I really injoyed the school, church, genrel store, jail, the toys, fossils and the doctor. Oh! Agriculture. Thanks for volutering to show us a trip threw the past. The museum was a great trip so I’d really like to again someday. My favrite thing of all was the jail I thought of that one guy so hers a pitcher of the hand cuffs. Sincerely, Ryan7

” … Thank you for showing the thing about Long ago. I liked the school. I think that you worked very hard. When my mom was my age she was scared of the wicker casket, now I am. Some time I will come again. Sincerely Haley”

” … Thank you for letting us come to your museum. I had a lot of fun. I wish we could have stayed longer and saw more. I learned a lot during my stay. I liked the church the best. I’m luthern and norwegian. Thank You Sincerely yours, Samantha”

&uot; … Over the last few years that I’ve gone to the Historical Museum I really enjoyed it. I’ve learned a lot of different information about Albert Lea. I’ve also learned things about the olden days and how people used to live. Sincerely, Missy”

” … Thank you for singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. l had a good time. I want to go with you again. You were very nice to us. I liked the jail. It was very neat. I liked you a lot. Sincerely yours, Larissa”

” … Thank you for the great tour on Friday May 23, 2003! We love our books, too! Your friend, Trevor” (A special thank you to the Travel Class of Albert Lea and Alpha Delta Kappa, Lambda Chapter for providing free books to the first graders who visit the museum.)

” … Dear Museum Volunteers, Thank you very much for letting us come and learn and having a good time. The best things I really like are Jim Pilgrim who told us about Marion Ross and Eddie Cochrane … I learned a lot from Jim Pilgrim like Marion Ross went to college in San Diego CA, and that’s where I was born! I was so surprised. Also surprised to see the exellent outfit Eddie wore at a concert I enjoyed others too! I learned a lot of stuff, and would Re to learn more, maybe I’ll go there during the summer. Sinerely, Chelsie … P.S. Thanks again!&uot;

“Dear toy lady, I had a really fun time at your staition. My Great Uncle Jerry has one of the teddy R bears, it was his Father’s, the bear is about 80 some years old. And the botton things was my favorite, I made one at home. Thank You! Sincerely, Ali&uot;

” … Thank you for letting us visit the museum. It was a blast. I want to go aigan some time. Sincerely, Josh”

And now it’s our turn to say thank you! These tours are all possible because of the museum volunteers who devote many hours during the month of May, the teachers who encourage the children’s interest in history, and all of the aides and parents who also take time from their days to accompany the tours. This is truly an example of “It takes a community to raise a child.”

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