Volunteers at the Cultural Heritage Center were recently honored by the South Dakota State Historical Society at a volunteer recognition event at the Capitol Lake Visitors Center in Pierre.
“Volunteers are vital to the success of the Cultural Heritage Center,” said Jay D. Vogt, the director of the South Dakota State Historical Society. “They greet people entering the building, wait on customers at the Heritage Store and conduct tours. They are often the people visitors associate with their visit.”
During the volunteer recognition event, Bill Markley of Pierre told the volunteers about one of the items in the museum: the guidon believed to have been flown at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Volunteers made their own ice cream sundaes before being recognized both for years of service and hours of service in 2015.
Honored for volunteering 100 hours or more in 2015 were: Clara Shelbourn, 14 years; Connie Grittner, 11 years; Art Rezac and Colleen Weiss, 10 years; Carolyn Coonrod, Gail Lyngstad and Betty Meintsma, seven years; Carol Jennings and Gloria Welk, six years; Lila Houck, Marlys Nellermoe and Dorinda Timmons, three years; and Lois Byrum, two years.
Honored for years of service to the Cultural Heritage Center were: Trudy Evenstad, Nancy Thomas and Bob Travis, 25 years; Karen Allan, Jan Deis, Bev Huckins, Sandra Kangas, Sandra Nelson and Clara Shelbourn, 15 to 24 years; Carol Axtman, Connie Grittner, Donna Gutenkauf, Juanita Kangas, Gail Lyngstad, Art Rezac and Colleen Weiss, 10 to 14 years; Mike Baker, Tonnie Collins, Carolyn Coonrod, Andy Deis, Betsey DeLoache, Carol Jennings, Joan Likness, Betty Meintsma, Marlys Nellermoe, Alta Otterness, Doris Powell, Ruth Rehn, Karen Stein, Gloria Welk and Gary Whitney, five to nine years; and Lois Byrum, Laurel Darling, Layna Darling, Ramona Fallon, Lila Houck, Cathi Lester, Marvene Riis, Barb Sogaard and Dorinda Timmons, two to four years.
New volunteers in 2015 were Gary Cutler, Margaret Ellefson, Don Gaarder, Molly Nolte, Conrad Otterness, Ardys Roseland and Judy Rapp.
The Cultural Heritage Center offers several opportunities for volunteering. Volunteers are needed at the front desk, as store clerks, as tour guides, at special events, as educators for classes for area pupils and in the State Archives. For more information about volunteering, contact volunteer coordinator Dorinda Daniel at 773-6006 or dorinda.daniel@state.sd.us.
