Issue 2 Monroe County Our Volunteer: Kathy Mcfall History Center by Gayle Cook
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Monroe County Historical Society, Inc. presents Monroe County Historian Apr. 2009 Exploring Our History Vol. 2009 Issue 2 Monroe County Our Volunteer: Kathy McFall History Center By Gayle Cook Museum Any event or committee that is lucky establishment called Upland Wool and Genealogy Library enough to have Kathy McFall on board, Sheepskin. It was an exciting retail Museum Gift Store will have the perfect role model for pep, experience for Kathy, and an experience Educational Facility speed, good humor, accuracy and that soon led her to the History Center. organization. The History Center has been History Center lucky many times. Kathy arrived in Monroe In 1979 Dick was given an offer he 202 East Sixth Street County in 1979, just in time to help open couldn’t refuse at I.U., Director of the Bloomington, IN 47408 our brand-new Museum in 1980, where she Clinical Psychology Training Program. 812-332-2517 has served as Museum Store manager, With the chance to come to Bloomington www.monroehistory.org Museum Board president, Society Board and be closer to family, Dick and Kathy member, and countless years on sold their home and headed south. The Hours committees and as co-chair of garage sales Monroe County Historical Society Museum Tuesday — Saturday and auctions. was just getting underway, and because of 10:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. her retail experience, Kathy was recruited Kathy was born and grew up in Aurora, Museum Admission Illinois. Her father was from the Greek Continued as ‘Kathy’ on page 3. $2/adult island of Mykonos, and her mother was the $1/child (6-18 yrs) child of Greek immigrants. She attended 5 yrs. & under free DePauw University for two years, and it Members are always free. was there she met future husband Dick Highlighted Articles McFall of Bloomington. He is the son of the former long-time minister of in This Issue Bloomington’s First United Methodist 2 - Calendar of Events Church, Merrill B. McFall. After Kathy 3 - Update from the Director finished her degree in history and English 4 - Highlighted Programming at the University of Illinois, she and Dick 5 - Crosstown Laundry 1953 married and moved to Columbus, Ohio, 6 - Endowment Goal 50K where Dick completed a doctorate in 8 - Monroe Co.’s Poor Clinical Psychology and Kathy worked for 9 - New/Renewed Members Ohio Bell Telephone as a service representative. 10 - Baby: A New Exhibit 11 - News from the Library Their next move took them, for fourteen years, to Madison, Wisconsin, where Dick Monroe County taught at the University of Wisconsin, and Historian two children arrived, Adam and Julie Beth. Kathy McFall in dock room reviewing Editor: Jill Lesh Later Kathy and Dick opened a small retail Design: Lisa M. Simmons donations for possible accessioning. History Center Events Schedule Exhibit Schedule MCHS Purpose Statement All meetings and programs will be held at the “Red & Green Study Quilts” The purpose of MCHS shall be to History Center unless otherwise stated. Opens: January 30 collect, preserve, research, interpret and Closes: May 2 exhibit the genealogy, history and General Board Meeting The national traveling artifacts of Monroe County, Indiana, as 2nd Thursday of the month, 4 pm exhibit features 25 well as research and interpret the rela- “study quilts” from the tion of that county’s genealogy, history, American Quilt Study and artifacts to the State of Indiana and Civil War Roundtable Meetings the United States, and thereby to foster a 2nd Tuesday of each month from Sep.-Jun. Group. Each quilt is an deeper understanding and appreciation of from 7-8:30pm. For more information, please interpretation of an Monroe County’s history, culture, and contact Steve Rolfe at 336-0757. historic quilt pattern. natural environment by all. One of the antique quilts used as a study pattern is also on display. It was made 3rd Thursday Series c1850 by the grandmother of 100 year-old 3rd Thursday of the month from Jan.-Nov. a free program is held, usually at 7pm. local resident Alma Deckard. Genealogy Group Every 1st Wednesday of odd months. “Hello Ma Baby: A View of Us in Staff Infancy” Jill Lesh: Managing Director April Opens: March 6 [email protected] THR 2 Annual Meeting & Seward Portrait Closes: June 13 This new Lisa Simmons: Education/ Celebration; dessert served, 7pm exhibition features Membership/Volunteer Coordinator TUE 14 Civil War Roundtable, “General baby photos of [email protected] Isaac R. Trimble,” w/ Tony Trimble, 7pm well-known Erica Kendall: Collections Assistant THR 16 “Hello Ma Baby: A View of Us in Monroe County citizens, historic [email protected] Infancy” Exhibit Reception, 5-7pm infancy-related artifacts, and compares traditions from around the world. Dara May: Office Manager THR 16 3rd Thursday, “Monroe County Outdoors: Reservoirs & Forests” [email protected] w/ Martha Miller & Teena Ligman, Crystal Matjasic 7pm, see page 4 “Community Voices Gallery: [email protected] Red Cross of Monroe County.” May Martha Wainscott: Custodian Opens: April 14 WED 6 Genealogy Group, TBA, 2pm Closes: July 3 Curators & Trustee Officers TUE 12 Civil War Roundtable, “Family This exhibit in the Glenda Murray: President History and the Civil War,” Community Voices Gallery [email protected] w/ Ronald Darrah, 7pm features the history and THR 21 3rd Thursday, “History of the Lee Ehman: VP of Finance current activities of our Female Seminary,” w/ Bridget [email protected] local Red Cross chapter, Edwards, 7pm, see page 4 established in 1917. Dax Collins: VP of Operations [email protected] June David Musgrave: Treasurer TUE 9 Civil War Roundtable, “Traitor or [email protected] Patriot: Lee’s Decision to Go with “Freedom: A History of Us” Virginia,” w/ John Crosby, 7pm Opens: June 20 Tosha Daugherty: Secretary WED 10 “Photo Identification Workshop,” Closes: August 1 [email protected] The traveling “Freedom” exhibit from the 9am and “Photo Housing Jackie Gilkey: Associate Secretary Workshop,” 1pm, w/ IHS paper Indiana Historical Society is the [email protected] conservator Susan Rogers centerpiece of this exhibition FRI-SAT 12&13 Annual Garage Sale Benefit, that features the images and Liz Knapp: Collections Curator, opens 8am, at Cook Pharmica words of men and women Genealogy Library Director TUE 16 Red Cross Blood Drive, 10am illustrating the evolving [email protected] rd principle of freedom THR 18 3 Thursday, “The Cultural Jamee Wissink: Exhibits Designer Landscape of Limestone in Southern from our nation’s [email protected] Indiana,” w/ Laurel Cornell, 7pm founding to 1968. SAT-SUN 20&21 Garden Walk Open House, Rachel Peden McCarty: Historian 1-5pm [email protected] Page 3 Monroe County Historian Apr. 2009 Update from the Managing Director Digitization Grant portraits of Austin and Jennett Seward. Painting The History Center partnered with the Monroe County conservator Margaret Contompasis will tell us how she Public Library in a successful grant application to the restored the portraits to their original 1860 beauty. Dessert Indiana State Library for a digitization grant. The project and coffee will be served. will compile the History Center’s collection of Matthews Brothers Stone Company photos and memorabilia, scan Thanks to Jamee those items, and create a photo history available to the Thank you to Jamee Wissink for volunteering as our public on the web. The title of the online history will be Exhibit Designer. She creates many of the special exhibits “Indiana Bedrock: The Collection of John Matthews, and plans and installs the guest exhibits. The results of the Father of Indiana Limestone.” “The Dog Made Me Buy It” exhibit question, “Which is the creepiest advertizing icon? are compiled. Don (Don’s Annual Meeting & Seward Portrait Celebration Guns) won hands-down over the other five choices: Mr. Join us for a brief Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 2, at Whipple (Charmin Toilet Paper), Burger King (Burger 7:00 p.m. followed by a celebration of the recently restored King Restaurants), Snuggle Bear (Snuggle Fabric Softener), Original Jolly Green Giant (Green Giant Food Company), and Flo (Progressive Insurance). Supplies Needed The Cemetery Committee needs donations of supplies for tombstone restoration: plastic spray bottles; long, heavy duty rubber gloves; rakes or yard brooms; long-handled pruning shears; and handheld soft-bristle brushes. Bring donations to the History Center. Jill Lesh introduces Bill Cook at the Gala, February 6, at the COOK World Headquarters. Kathy — Continued from Page 1 to manage the new Museum store. She asked to have a Mary Lee’s capable hands. In 1992 she “retired” and again partner, Kitch Somers accepted the invitation, and they had became a volunteer at the Center as a member of several a great time setting up the store. Kitch left to begin another committees including Personnel, Collections and Exhibits, business a couple of years later, and Mary Lee Deckard Building and Grounds, and Fundraising Events. She has took over her position. done everything from demonstrating spinning wool to cleaning bathrooms. Her joy is in seeing how far the In the early years, the Historical Society and the Museum Museum, now the History Center, has come, and in had separate but related boards. It was during Kathy’s knowing we have the best staff yet. She treasures the tenure as Museum Board president that the annual garage wonderful friends made there and the memories of good sale was started—now Bloomington’s largest garage sale, times working together to make things happen. and an important source of History Center income. Kathy calls it a wonderful, fun, bonding experience for all the When Kathy is not volunteering at the History Center, she volunteers involved. They look forward to the weeks enjoys tennis year-round at the I.U. tennis pavilion, golf in before the sale when the annual sorting and pricing (and the warmer months, reading, and crossword puzzles.