During the first six weeks of 2009 we (The Freeborn County Historical Society, doing business as The Freeborn County Museum, Library & Historical Village) have been busy preparing our annual report. Our annual meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the lower level of the museum. We cordially invite all current members to attend.

The museum staff and board of directors would like to acknowledge those that awarded grants to the museum during 2008 and share what was accomplished with those grants. Grants were received from: Albert Lea Medical Center, Alliant Energy Foundation Volunteer Program Grant, city of Albert Leat, Chuck & Lorna Kenis Donor Advised Fund Grant, Freeborn County Historical Society Foundation, Leuthold Family Foundation, Lloyd and Ardis Peterson Family Foundation, Minnesota Historical Society state grants-in-aid grant, Thrivent Helping Hands Grant, Wal-Mart, and Worth County Development Authority. We also received special donations from the Retired Educators Association and Alpha Delta Kappa Lambda, as well as from many individuals.

With these grants many long overdue projects were completed in the Historical Village as well as several purchases for the museum to enhance our ability to accommodate groups for research and meetings. In the village we replaced roofs on the parsonage, shed, church and school. The parsonage received a new foundation. The church, mill house and shoe shop were all painted. New structures were built over the railroad exhibit, the Livedalen cabin and an extension was made to the structure over the machinery exhibit. We have a concrete patio for our picnic tables, a few trees were removed to make the new structures possible and others were trimmed away from the roofs on the buildings.

In the museum, new chairs and tables were purchased for the library, new tables and chairs were purchased for the lower level meeting area, two 10- foot folding tables with seats were purchased for use with our programs for children and a new table caddy was purchased. Several years of the Albert Lea Tribune on microfilm was purchased to bring our collection up to date as well as several years of newspapers on microfilm of other newspapers in Freeborn County. Volunteers completed many of these projects and we wish to extend a very special “thank you” to them also.

We feel very blessed to be part of a community that is so caring and giving both financially and through the volunteer labor that made all these projects a reality.

I have included some photos of the projects and again wish to thank everyone involved in any of our many projects. We couldn’t have done it without you!

The museum is hosting a four-hour AARP refresher defensive driving class on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the lower level of the museum. The cost is $19 and you must pre-register. Please call us at 373-8003 or stop by the museum Tuesday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to register or with any questions you may have.

We will also be hosting a library lock-In on Monday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The cost is $25 for members and $30 for non-members. The class will provide individual guidance on your genealogical research and full use of all of our collections. Whether you are new to the world of genealogical research or have been doing it for years, you are bound to learn something new. Please don’t hesitate to register, as the class is limited to six individuals to insure one-on-one help.

My granddaughter, Morgan called last week to tell me that her parents had attended her parent-teacher conferences at school and that she was a good listener. She also told me that she had received a $5 gift certificate because she made good choices. he said only one person received this award. (I assume this is one student per grading period.) She was very proud. Are you acknowledging others when they make good choices and decisions? Let’s make this a year of wise choices and concentrate on the good things that are happening in our community — they are all around us — and that is history!

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