May 13, 2010

by CarlaJordan 13. May 2010 21:58

WHAT a productive day at the museum.  We made wonderful progress with the Memorial Walkway lighting in honor of Shorty and Leona Kaempfe.  Thanks to Delbert Schmidt, Bob Schmidt, and Kim from DeCota Lighting.

A special thanks to Arleen Schlichting and Erica Schmidt for helping out with everything today, and getting the museum spiffed for the weekend.  Erica wore her wonderful 1839 era period outfit that she created from an authentic pattern.  Her dress and apron looked like she stepped out of a photograph from the late 1800's in Perry County.

We had a wonderful visit from two classrooms from Immanuel Church, Olivette.  What a fantastic group of kids!  Bob Schmidt gave them the full tour, and I was so impressed with their polite behavior, the teacher/student interactions, and their interest in the museum, church, and Log College.  Bob is FANTASTIC with these school groups.

Dr. Poston from SEMO dropped in with our dear friend, Josephine Barro, from Berlin.  Josephine is completing her thesis on our Lutheran Immigration History, and Dr. Poston will be presenting a paper on Martin Stephan for the October Conference.

A busy, bustling, wonderful day.

Hope all is well with all of you.  Take Care, Carla Jordan

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Wed. May 12, 2010

by CarlaJordan 12. May 2010 14:45

German Language Summer Club!!  Our historical society and museum will be hosting--along with Southeast Missouri State University--the 2nd Annual German Club.  Erica Cooper will be returning as our teacher!  She has a great summer school planned--with many new and exciting activities.  Adults and children of all ages are welcome to attend.  Classes will be held on Thursday evenings--two sessions--one at 5pm and one at 6pm.  Class Dates are:  June 3, 10, 17,24, July 1, 8, 15, 29 (no class on July 22.)  Tuition is $20/individual and $30 for a family unit (this can include a grandparent and grandchildren.)  The classes will be filled first come first served.  Let us know if you want us to mail you a registration form.  It is going to be a WONDERFUL opportunity.  Call us if you have questions:  573-824-6070,

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Monday, May 10, 2010

by CarlaJordan 10. May 2010 20:41

A special thanks to Arleen Schlichting and Caroline Littge for covering the museum today. I worked on tax credits and helped my two college kids study for finals.  It was a full and productive day.

Tomorrow I will be working with Erica Cooper on the Second Annual--German Language Summer School--to be held at the museum soon.  It is for ages 2-92 (or older).  We had such a wonderful turn out and terrific experience last summer.  We are fortunate to have Erica Cooper returning as our expert teacher.  Thanks, Dr. Jedan, for making this possible.  Gerard Fiehler will be helping Erica with the sessions.  I will have full details after my meeting with Erica.

We received four wonderful hats on loan today from our dear friend, Miriam Kramer.  They are classic examples of historic hats.  They will be displayed on top of the "Educating a Colony" exhibit to extend our "Hats Off to Perry County" exhibit.  This exhibit has already brought in so many wonderful people. 

I just spent a wonderful weekend celebrating birthdays, and having a visit from my sister-in-law, Wren Taylor, and two of my three nephews--Ace and Tucker.  It was great to have them in our home, and to have some time to catch up on far away family.  Wren is a brilliant and lovely person--and a very good mom.

Mothers' Day was a big day at our house.  Doc wrote me a song, Carla's Waltz.  I was very touched when he performed it with our friend, Terry Wright. It is beautiful, and everyone should say that someone wrote a song for them--it feels good.  I am blessed.  Lilly and Jacob filled my porch flower boxes with different varities of Lillies!  Mick and I spent a special day together, and I had a wonderful phone chat with my son in the Air Force, Beau.  My mom and I sat on the deck soaking in the sun and visiting.  It was a great day.  Gerard held down the museum for the day--thanks!--so that all of the museum moms could be with their families.

Take Care, Carla Jordan

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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

by CarlaJordan 5. May 2010 21:20

We had a wonderful visit from the Andersons from Upper-Michigan today.  They enjoyed our museum.  Susan Anderson is a pipe organist, and enjoyed the church tour very much.  She played a 20 minute pipe organ concert--Will Degenhardt, Erica Schmidt, and I enjoyed it VERY much.  We have made some wonderful new friends.

We had wonderful progress on tax credits today.  I hope to work all day on Friday with our contacts.

The Starzingers from Jackson spent most of the morning with us.  They are wonderful repeat visitors, and came over to check out what was new at the museum.

Our visitors from Maryville University postponed until tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to their visit tomorrow afternoon.

Take Care, Carla Jordan

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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

by CarlaJordan 4. May 2010 15:02

I never have a day at the museum that something amazing doesn't happen.  Today Kristi Henkel--2nd Cousin to Gerard, Tim, Carla, Ellen and Susan Fiehler--came for a visit from Bayard, Nebraska.  I lived in Nebraska for 13 years, and have never met a Nebraskan that I didn't like!  Kristi is a genealogist extraordinaire.  She has been traveling across the mid-west visiting the cemeteries where her ancestors have died.  She was delighted with our "Fiehler Family" archives.  Kristi said that visiting Altenburg was on her "Bucket List" of dreams.  What an honor to be considered on someone's list of things they want to do before they die.  We are blessed.

I had a nice visit with Evelyn Meyr today.  She is always a breath of fresh air for me.  We scheduled a couple of tours, and had a fun visit with our buddy, Wil Degenhardt.  He brought some small manuscript collections for our archives and a thesis about the immigration.

We received an accession of wonderful Thuringian dialect books from Ken Craft, today.  I can't read a word in them, but our scholars are going to eat them up.  What I did notice, as a former archives person, is how beautifully the books from Germany are bound.  Germans publishers really understand "the book as art form."  These books are lovely to look at.

A special thanks to Erica Schmidt for donating cleaning supplies today--and putting them to good use.  Erica, you are a valuable resource to me and our site.

I also had an interesting conversation with the Salt Lake City Mormon archives today.  They are doing a research project on how archival programs promote themselves.  I answered their questionaire, and hope that we have MANY researchers visiting our Zion Roots library this year.  It has already been popular with our guests.

I can't wait to see who is going to walk through the door tomorrow.  I already know that my friend, Dr. John Wickersham, is bringing university students from Maryville.  Until then, take care, Carla Jordan

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Monday, May 3, 2010

by CarlaJordan 3. May 2010 22:06

It was a great day of progress on museum projects.  I spoke with Ken Craft and he has made tremendous progress on obtaining additional records for Dresden and other parish records.  He has also being doing some extensive research on a family case study that he will present as a part of his workshop on Zion Roots at the October 28-30 Immigration Conference.

I want to thank Del and Dolores Schmidt for covering the museum today.  The Tour de Sem has been cancelled this year due to budget cuts at the seminary.  Dr. Kloha and his team will work on fundraising for next year.  We will attempt to participate in those efforts.

I'm back at the museum tomorrow.  Take Care, Carla

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Sunday May 2, 2010

by CarlaJordan 2. May 2010 13:55

What a fantastic and productive day at the museum.  We had Andrew, Justin, and Henry--our translation students from SEMO--here.  They worked hard.  Thanks guys!

Gerard and I worked on a few little projects, and he ran some museum errands for me.  Susan Fieher-Gerard's sis--gave a tour to some folks originally from Farrar (who now live in Steeleville.)  We also had guests from Kentucky.

The weather cleared a bit, and it was a lovely day.

We have a busy week planned:  Del and Dolores Schmidt are covering the museum tomorrow while I work on the tax credits project.  We have the Tour de Sem next Saturday.  Some of the Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, students ride the 90+ miles from the St. Louis Sem. to our Log College Seminary.  It is a great tradition at our museum. 

I'm going to Altamont, Ill. on Friday with Gerard Fiehler and Carolyn Schmidt to help the Wright Mansion historical group work on development of their site.  It is a wonderful opportunity to share ideas with other historical groups. 

Take Care, Carla Jordan

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April 30, 2010

by CarlaJordan 30. April 2010 11:23

A special thanks to Florence Gruenwald and Caroline Littge for holding down the museum operations for today.  I just talked with them, and there have already been quite a few people visiting, and they have only been open for about 45 minutes.

I will be at the museum all day on Sunday. I'm working on spiffing up some captions on exhibits that have aged a bit.  I hope to have many visitors. 

Dorthylyn Evans, from Cape Girardeau, brought in an amazing collection this week.  It is a set of the confirmation pictures of Trinity, Altenburg, from 1950-1962.  Her father was a former pastor of Trinity.  More bio. on him, SOON.

Take Care, Carla Jordan

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April 29, 2010

by CarlaJordan 29. April 2010 13:16

Today was a "catch up loose ends" day at the museum.  I captioned a few pictures in the main gallery that needed to be completed and worked on returning some long over-due correspondence.

We are receiving abstracts for papers to be presented at the conference.  Dr. Jedan said that there are currently 5 presenters from Germany, and eight from the United States.  The topics range from land transfer situations in 1830's Saxony/Thuringia to family case studies.  I'm more excited everyday about this wonderful opportunity.  Dennis Rathert, historian extraordinarie from Historic Trinity, St. Louis--will be giving a presentation on Thursday night (Oct. 28th) at the museum.  The plans for Friday at Saxon Lutheran Memorial will be firmed up soon, and Saturday at the Immanuel Church Hall will be splendid with folk dancing, presentations, and the Perry Co. Lutheran Chorale.

I'll be working in Cape Girardeau on Friday.  I'll be back at the museum all day on Sunday.  The translation interns will be here on Sunday, also.

Take Care, Carla Jordan

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April 28, 2010

by CarlaJordan 28. April 2010 15:07

We could not have had a better day at the museum.  I got here at 10:00 to greet my friends, Charles and Shirley Berry.  Charles is our wooden bowl maker.  We also have beautiful bowls from our friend, Bob Schuessler.  We received an amazing accession from Dorthylyn Evans.  It is all of the Confirmation class pictures from Rev. A.O. Kaltwasser, from 1950-1962.  What a treasure!

We had two guests from Mississippi, and the Schoenherrs brought in family for a visit.

I'm working vigorously on tax credits--it's the countdown for our program, and these 70% tax credits are a wonderful thing, and will provide our museum with much needed additional accessible bus parking, additional climate control, and an accessible restroom in the basement.

The translation interns from SEMO just called, and they are on their way over to work.  I'm not sure what we would do without all of their efforts.

All I can say is that it was a day full of blessings.

Take Care, Carla Jordan

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