Column: Pat Mulso, Preserving the Past

Preserving Hometown Photos is the subject of our Freeborn County Historical Museum open house today. There will be a presentation that will repeat several times between 2 and 4 p.m. this afternoon in the lower level of the Freeborn County Historical Museum, located at 1031 Bridge Avenue, Albert Lea. Please enter through the gate by the fairground arches. The presentation will show you a sampling of the many types of photos that we have in our collection. Our photographs, negatives and slides are being scanned for better access by our staff and anyone doing research at our library. This project is still in progress and was made possible by a Library Legacy Grant. This event is open to the public; please join us for a glimpse of Freeborn County in earlier times.

The Freeborn County Historical Society and the Freeborn County Genealogical Society are co-sponsoring a Brown Bag Lunch Genealogical Lecture Series that will be held at lunch time on Tuesdays in April. The lectures are free to the public, but you must pre-register for each lecture. The speaker will start at 12:10 p.m. and conclude at 12:50 with a question and answer time afterward. Please register with the Freeborn County Historical Museum prior to March 22 at 507-373-8003. You may bring a sack lunch if you like and we will provide coffee, lemonade or water. Please enter through the gate by the fairground arches, the lectures will be held in the lower level of the museum and will start promptly at 12:10 p.m. The speakers are as follows:

April 5: Jay Fonkert, “You don’t have to be a celebrity to find interesting ancestors: Your family history awaits.”

April 12: Tom Rice, “Start at the end: Death, a record rich event.”

April 19: Paula Stuart-Warren, “A baker’s dozen: Easy ways to begin your family history.”

April 26: Cathi Weber, “Publishing your genealogy.” Both of these projects were funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

The museum is also working with the Council of Local Organizations for Volunteer Effectiveness and the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration and would like to encourage all volunteers and volunteer leaders to attend the workshop that is scheduled for March 29 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Senior Center, Skyline Plaza, Albert Lea. The workshop is “A Time to Be Bold: Volunteering in a Shifting Environment.” The workshop is free, but please pre-register with Senior Resources at 377-7433 or stcrsvp@seniorresourcesfc.com as space is limited. The speaker, Mary Quirk, is with MAVA and the workshop is funded by the Otto Bremer Foundation.

As we move into spring we will be hosting many school tours. If you are interested in information about being a tour guide at the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village please stop by the museum at 1031 Bridge Avenue, Albert Lea or call 507-373-8003. The museum usually has between 2,500 to 3,000 students tour during the month of May!

We are busy finalizing dates and events for the entire year at the museum and look forward to many great things happening again this year. Remember to think of us as you do your tax planning and as we continue to preserve the history of Freeborn County and its people, do your part to make that possible by being a member of the museum and by supporting the Freeborn County Historical Museum Building Expansion Project.  There is no gift too large or too small; with your help we can make the building addition a reality. Have a great week and remember what happens today is history tomorrow.

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