<strong>Waseca</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Historical</strong> <strong>Society</strong>P.O. Box 314, <strong>Waseca</strong>, MN 56093CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTEDNON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGEPAIDWASECA, MN56093PERMIT 41HOLIDAY EXHIBIT & OPEN HOUSEJoin us on Saturday& Sunday, December 4 & 511 a.m. to 7 p.m.315 2nd Avenue N.E.<strong>Waseca</strong> <strong>County</strong> MuseumChristmas cookies, bars, ciderand coffee!“Under the Christmas Tree:Special Toy Collections”Membership Renewal DateMembership will be extremely important in 2011With support for WCHS Operations shrinking from the City of <strong>Waseca</strong>,your support through membership, donations and volunteerismwill be needed. Staff size and hours have been frozen for the last two years.No raises in sight.Everything else we have done is “cut to the bone”. The only way to keepthe museum viable is controlling staff hours, slowing all that we do and accessibilityfor you. The rest of the budget maintains the buildings that housethe entire WCHS collections of artifacts, archives, papers, photographs, microfilmbooks, computers, readers, etc. We are however, very grateful toPLRAC and the E.F. Johnson Foundation for grants for our annual Chautauquaat Maplewood Park.In 2011 the Spring Luncheons will be offered again maintaining the sameticket prices; and the Annual Ice Harvest, where we will ask for $2 donations.We are happy to answer any questions you may have about howWCHS is funded. We do not get funding from the Minnesota State <strong>Historical</strong><strong>Society</strong>. We pay them a membership fee. We do not get operational funding from the Legacy Amendment.That is reserved for NEW programming and some capital projects. We do intend to request fundingfor a lift and mainfloor bathroom for the museum in 2011. That does not help with Operations. The Boardof Directors will be planning a major fundraiser in 2011, we hope that you will support it!8
WAGS RAGWASECA AREA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETYThe Baily-Lewer Research Center is open for Research Tuesday - Friday 9-12 and 1-5Protecting Family MemoriesBy Genealogy.comOur last Wags Rag insert talked about causes ofdeterioration of your family photographs. Thefollowing information will share with you ProperlyStore your Photographs.Proper Storage Methods and MaterialUsing specialized storage methods and materialswill help prolong the life of your family photographs.Since prints and negatives can stick together, it isbest to store them in separate envelopes or plasticsleeves. When storing mounted prints, be sure toplace a sheet of paper or plastic between them.Within these enclosures, your prints and negativescan be stored in acid-free storage boses on a shelfor in steel file cabinets.Photo albums are convenient and popular ways tostore (and share) your memories. When choosingyour album, make sure the album pages are acidfree. When shopping for albums, be sure the albumis “archival” and that “PVC” was used in themanufacturing process.Finally, consider making copies of your familyphotos or storing them electronically. You can dothis by scanning photos or by taking negatives to aphoto processor and having them put them inelectronic format for you.As you can see, there are several relatively simplethings you can do to help your photographs lastlonger. By carefully choosing the mountingmaterials, storage materials, and storage locationfor your photographs, you canpreserve memories fro generations toenjoy.Be sure to check out the gift shop atthe <strong>Historical</strong> <strong>Society</strong> as they have anumber of storage containers, photosleeves etc. for you to help protectyour precious photos.Gathering Family MemoriesBy Maureen Taylor, reprinted from Genealogy.comBy following a few easy steps you can collect familymemories at holidays and family reunions. Unfortunately,too many of us think that the right opportunity should beplanned. However, if you try to wait for the perfect momentit may never happen. If you tarry too long, busy schedulesand sudden illness can interfere. Instead, be prepared forthose unexpected opportunities to collect your familyhistory and traditions. A little preplanning can help yougather family history where and when it happens. The bestway to start is to create a family history kit that you cancarry with you or keep in your car when you visit withrelatives. The following equipment can be held in a smallstorage container and will fit in even a small suitcase.Family History Gathering Kit• Pencils, notebook• Pedigree charts• Copies of an assortment of family photographs• Camera with film• Tape recorderThe contents of your kit can vary based on the materialsyou have on hand, as long as you have the essential toolsto document your family history. For instance, pencils anda notebook are mainstays of genealogical research, butmore computer-savvy individuals can use a handheldcomputer device to record information. The pedigreecharts and photographs act as prompts when you aretrying to encourage a reluctant relative to share theirmemories, and keeping a camera and a tape recorderhandy helps preserve the details of the visit. Camcorderscan be used, but it is usually not practical to carry one withyou everywhere, while the new digital recorders thatdouble as a still camera are nice, but expensive.Now that you have the basic materials ready, follow thesefew steps to gather your family heritage in small,manageable pieces without becoming overwhelmed bythe taskWrite Down What You KnowThe first step in any family history project is to record on apedigree chart or family group sheet what you alreadyknow, including full names (maiden names), dates andplaces for births, marriages, and deaths. This outline ofyour known family history is a vital part of your collectingplan for the future. It provides you with a starting place.More next issues of Wags Rag. . .