Society News
New Board Member
Scott Fischer joined the board in December to replace Nancy Wiltgen, who has moved after her retirement from Saint Mary’s University. Scott grew up in Lewiston on the family farm and now lives in Winona. He has one daughter and two grandsons. He served 6 years in the Navy and attended several business classes while in service. He is currently the Minnesota Market Manager for Real Estate at Altra Federal Credit Union and still assists as he is able on the farm. Scott is very active in the community and the local YMCA. He enjoys spending time with his grandsons in Florida along with volunteering, fishing, running, and an occasional triathlon. Welcome Scott!
Quilt Winner
The annual raffle quilt donated by the Winona Area Quilters Guild was won by Sue Burnett of Winona. Sue said she has never won anything and absolutely loves the colorful Orion Star quilt.
New Event Coming this Summer
In 2004 a new festival started in Winona, the Great River Shakespeare Festival. To welcome the new group to the community, the Winona County Historical Society created Chocolate Shakespeare and Champagne. This summer fundriaser event for the WCHS has been an annual tradition since. After 16 years, the committee decided to liven it up again. GRSF has grown to have a year around presence in Winona and had an after-party event following the first performance of the season. We decided to mesh the two parties into one new WCHS fundraiser.
Moonlight Revels: Shipwrecked at the Museum with be held Friday, June 26 at the Winona County History Center following the opening performance of The Tempest. Tickets will cost $15 for WCHS members and $20 for non-members. Moonlight Revels will also change annually based on the theme of the first GRSF performance for each season. Watch for more details this spring!
Family Christmas Festival Thank You
Last year, shortly after an amazing Christmas House Tour, we sat down to think of what we could offer on the off-years now that the Christmas House Tour is semi-annual. We decided on something with crafts, Santa and treats geared to young families, but fun for all ages. The new event was developed over the past year and debuted December 7. It was a ton of fun and we saw many new faces and young families enjoy the museum and all the activities of the event. We would like to thank the wonderful volunteers that made this possible. Faye Schoen and her crew for the crafts; Janis Vose and Mary Nelson for the refreshments and more; Santa for making the trip during a very busy time of year and Mary Farrell lending her photography skills; plus Lori Ortega for creating a festive atmosphere with her trees of ornament collections and leading the cookie decorating; Cheri Weaver for the stories and the area educators who read, Aurdey Gorny for selling admission and the other volunteers who helped that day! It was so fun and we look forward to 2021 for another Old Fashioned Family Christmas Festival. Watch for the Christmas House Tour on December 6, 2020!
Welcoming All
In December the board approved a Welcoming Statement as part of a community leadership initiative led by Project FINE. The welcome statement reads “We are committed to building a community where all are welcomed, respected, and valued.” Project FINE is a non-profit that welcomes immigrants and refugees and helps them integrate into the community. WCHS joins over two dozen other local organizations in making this pledge. WCHS will put this welcome commitment into practice by continuing to provide inclusive programming, partnering with organizations to build relationships with diverse populations, and thoughtfully reviewing policies and practices to ensure they are welcoming and non-discriminatory.
Scott Fischer joined the board in December to replace Nancy Wiltgen, who has moved after her retirement from Saint Mary’s University. Scott grew up in Lewiston on the family farm and now lives in Winona. He has one daughter and two grandsons. He served 6 years in the Navy and attended several business classes while in service. He is currently the Minnesota Market Manager for Real Estate at Altra Federal Credit Union and still assists as he is able on the farm. Scott is very active in the community and the local YMCA. He enjoys spending time with his grandsons in Florida along with volunteering, fishing, running, and an occasional triathlon. Welcome Scott!
Quilt Winner
The annual raffle quilt donated by the Winona Area Quilters Guild was won by Sue Burnett of Winona. Sue said she has never won anything and absolutely loves the colorful Orion Star quilt.
New Event Coming this Summer
In 2004 a new festival started in Winona, the Great River Shakespeare Festival. To welcome the new group to the community, the Winona County Historical Society created Chocolate Shakespeare and Champagne. This summer fundriaser event for the WCHS has been an annual tradition since. After 16 years, the committee decided to liven it up again. GRSF has grown to have a year around presence in Winona and had an after-party event following the first performance of the season. We decided to mesh the two parties into one new WCHS fundraiser.
Moonlight Revels: Shipwrecked at the Museum with be held Friday, June 26 at the Winona County History Center following the opening performance of The Tempest. Tickets will cost $15 for WCHS members and $20 for non-members. Moonlight Revels will also change annually based on the theme of the first GRSF performance for each season. Watch for more details this spring!
Family Christmas Festival Thank You
Last year, shortly after an amazing Christmas House Tour, we sat down to think of what we could offer on the off-years now that the Christmas House Tour is semi-annual. We decided on something with crafts, Santa and treats geared to young families, but fun for all ages. The new event was developed over the past year and debuted December 7. It was a ton of fun and we saw many new faces and young families enjoy the museum and all the activities of the event. We would like to thank the wonderful volunteers that made this possible. Faye Schoen and her crew for the crafts; Janis Vose and Mary Nelson for the refreshments and more; Santa for making the trip during a very busy time of year and Mary Farrell lending her photography skills; plus Lori Ortega for creating a festive atmosphere with her trees of ornament collections and leading the cookie decorating; Cheri Weaver for the stories and the area educators who read, Aurdey Gorny for selling admission and the other volunteers who helped that day! It was so fun and we look forward to 2021 for another Old Fashioned Family Christmas Festival. Watch for the Christmas House Tour on December 6, 2020!
Welcoming All
In December the board approved a Welcoming Statement as part of a community leadership initiative led by Project FINE. The welcome statement reads “We are committed to building a community where all are welcomed, respected, and valued.” Project FINE is a non-profit that welcomes immigrants and refugees and helps them integrate into the community. WCHS joins over two dozen other local organizations in making this pledge. WCHS will put this welcome commitment into practice by continuing to provide inclusive programming, partnering with organizations to build relationships with diverse populations, and thoughtfully reviewing policies and practices to ensure they are welcoming and non-discriminatory.