Pat Mulso, Preserving the Past

I am a member of the Freeborn County Extension Committee and therefore was invited to attend the Freeborn County 4-H Annual Recognition Night Banquet that was held Oct. 21.

It was a pleasure to be present with 4-H families as the youth of our county were recognized for their achievements during this past year. The evening brought back memories of my years in 4-H and the fun that I had completing my projects and the leaders who made a difference in my life.

We need also to say thank you to all the 4-H leaders, young and old, who have made an impact on the youth of our community. The countless hours they have volunteered to keep such a wonderful and vital organization strong in our community is certainly worthy of our recognition.

This is just one example of another great opportunity that is available in our community because we have residents who care. A special thank you also to all the business sponsors that support 4-H throughout the year.

The printed program stated that there are 23 clubs, 202 adult leaders, 134 junior leaders and 676 members. My praise to all of you for making this a great 4-H year!

If you were in 4-H, think back to the first ribbon you received. I remember my first project; in fact, I still have it. (I was a member of Buttons and Bows 4-H Club in Liberty, Montgomery County, Ohio). I remember attending the first recognition banquet and I was pretty young. It was held in the Grange Hall that was located near our home, and I was so impressed with all the different awards that were presented that night and was anxious to plan what projects I would do for the next year. My first project was a dish towel and my last project was a formal gown. I loved attending the fair and participating in the style revues. As you have figured out, the club I was a member of was a sewing club.

We have many youths participating in worthwhile organizations and learning how important it is to give back to the community. Please remember they are the future of our community and need our support for a competitive education. We as a community need to pull together and give our support and set the example for future generations as our forefathers did for us.

Speaking of our forefathers, we are launching a new project with youths to help them learn about the history of their families. We are offering after-school classes, classes through Girl Scouts, and some local elementary school classes. What a wonderful way to start a new interest in history that really is up close and personal and that can continue to grow as they do through their entire life. You can&8217;t tell that I am passionate about this, can you?

I was visiting with a friend during a visit a week ago and found that she and her husband really did not know very much about their family histories. I asked her some specific questions to give me some leads and I began their research. I was able to find information in several states from sources such as census records, death records, Social Security records, draft registrations and the list goes on and on. She was delighted with the report after my first week of detective work and made a few calls to known relatives to ask a few questions that may lead us to additional information. Some of the news brought up questions but also helped her to understand possibly why her relatives did not speak much of the past. Life was not easy for most of our forefathers, but they persevered!

Just a reminder, the museum will be hosting another AARP Defensive Driving class on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This is the four-hour refresher class and the cost is $13 per person. You do need to pre-register. Please call 373-8003 or stop by the museum. We are open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You do not need to be a member of AARP or the museum to attend the class.

We had a wonderful time on our Historical Mystery Bus Tour and plan to have another bus tour in the spring. Thank you to those of you who participated and to Roger Lonning for being our tour guide host.

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum in Albert Lea.