Reunion at Coloma's Washington School planned for June 2013

On Saturday, June 15, 2013, an Open House Reunion will be held for all Alumni of Washington School in Coloma, Michigan.  The event will run from 1:00 to 4:30pm at the school, which first opened to students in 1937.  Alumni from any year are welcome to attend.  Visit the Washington School Reunion Facebook Page to browse old pictures and articles, converse with fellow alumni, or share your own memories and images.

No RSVP is required for the Reunion, but the cost is $2 per individual that attended Washington School. (If you want to bring along family, they are free.) All Teachers current and retired are free.  Locate your class year display and the sign-in sheet with it. Meet and reminisce with classmates, as well as current and retired Teachers. View historical pictures and information set up by the North Berrien Historical Society. Share your stories or copies of pictures you have. At 4pm there will be a short closing ceremony (weather permitting).

For more information, please contact:
Rick Rasmussen, 269-463-3450, rick (at) swmichiganstore.com
Char Megna, 269-468-3027, cmyrtie (at) att.net
Tracy Gierada, 269-468-3330, nbhs2 (at) sbcglobal.net
Karla Smothers, 269-468-3170, karla.smothers (at) chemicalbankmi.com
Kandyce Hays, 269-468-3170, kandyce.hays (at) chemicalbankmi.com

Applications available for 2013 Youth Internship volunteer program

Students currently in grades 7-12 are now invited to apply for the Youth Internship program at the North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma.  Youth Interns get the exciting opportunity to work on real projects that support our mission to preserve and promote local history.  To obtain a schedule and Application for the 2013 Youth Internship program, stop by the museum or click here to download a copy via Scribd.com.  Applications must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the museum no later than Thursday, January 10, 2013.

The Youth Internship is a commitment to volunteer time every other week from late January through May 2013, in which students will get to know the museum and practice new skills.  Participants will be trained by the museum’s professional staff to do activities such as caring for artifacts and sharing local history with the public.  Youth Interns will also learn more about career possibilities related to museums, history and culture, all while gaining quality volunteer experience to list on their resumes and college applications!

For more information about this program contact Tracy Gierada, Director of the North Berrien Historical Museum, at (269) 468-3330 or info@northberrienhistory.org.

Take a walk through history on free Halloween Cemetery Tours

The North Berrien Historical Society invites the public to attend our free Halloween Cemetery Tours on Saturday, October 27.  Fascinating personal stories of past residents will captivate you on a fun walk through our beautiful and historic city cemeteries in Coloma and Watervliet.

Discover some of the oldest gravestones, dating back to the 1840s, see photos of people from the past and hear interesting tales of their lives.  In Watervliet Cemetery, visit the resting places of the town’s last living Civil War soldier, a Michigan Secretary of State, a Big Ten head football coach, and a nationally published author.  In Coloma Cemetery, learn about a beloved undertaker, a couple who once lived in slavery, an unsolved wedding night shooting, and a veteran of the War of 1812.  These are just a few of the fascinating stories that will be told.  The tours will also bring in local tales of UFOs, mobsters, shipwrecks, and other mysterious events from the past.

On Saturday, October 27 the Watervliet Cemetery Tour begins at 11:00am and Coloma Cemetery Tour begins at 1:00pm; each tour will last about one hour.  Both tours are free of charge and parking is available at each cemetery.  The tours will go on in rain or shine, so please dress appropriately for the weather.  For more information call the North Berrien Historical Museum at (269) 468-3330.

NBHS Annual Meeting to feature program on German POWs

On Tuesday, October 16, the North Berrien Historical Society will hold its Annual Membership Dinner and Meeting.  The Dinner begins at 6:00pm at the North Berrien Historical Museum.  Members and the general public may attend with a pre-payment of $15 per person for the meal.  To make a reservation for the dinner, contact the museum at 468-3330.  The Annual Meeting at 7:00pm is free and open to the public. It will include a brief review of activities in the past year and the election of Board Directors.

The Annual Meeting will be immediately followed by the program "German Prisoners on Southwest Michigan Farms" presented by Howard Poole, PhD.  During World War Two, thousands of foreign prisoners of war (POWs) were brought to temporary camps in this region to fill labor shortages, especially in seasonal agricultural work.  The POW Camp just northwest of Coloma housed nearly 600 German prisoners and other camps were located in nearby communities.  Dr. Poole, a retired Western Michigan University professor, has researched and spoken on this topic extensively.  He will discuss documents and images he has collected as well as fascinating personal stories recorded in oral histories.

The Annual Meeting and program by Dr. Poole are free and open to the public. The Annual Dinner at 6:00pm will require an RSVP and pre-payment, but visitors may choose to attend only the free Annual Meeting and program at 7:00pm if desired.  For more information, please contact the North Berrien Historical Museum at (269) 468-3330.

North Berrien Historical Museum appoints new Executive Director

The Board of Directors of the North Berrien Historical Museum has hired Tracy Gierada to become Executive Director.  The decision was based upon the recommendation of a search committee that received applications and conducted interviews to fill the position.  The new Executive Director officially begins her duties on September 22, 2012, upon the departure of the museum’s outgoing Executive Director Alexander Gates. 

“Tracy Gierada brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm that will benefit the museum and our community,” said North Berrien Historical Society President Scott Young. Gierada has worked as Director of Education at the North Berrien Historical Museum since 2009, implementing new public programs for all ages.  She previously worked at the Newport Historical Society, the Washtenaw County Historical Society, and the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History.  Originally from Saline, Michigan, Gierada holds a B.A. from the History Honors Program at the University of Michigan and an M.A. in Public Humanities from Brown University.  “I am thrilled to accept this new role at the museum.  There are exciting project opportunities on the horizon for the North Berrien Historical Society and I look forward to getting started,” said Gierada, who lives in Hagar Township.

The North Berrien Historical Society, a non-profit organization, was founded in 1966 and opened the museum in 1992.  Its mission is to preserve, promote, and present the history of Coloma, Watervliet, Hagar, and Bainbridge Townships, and Cities of Coloma and Watervliet.  For more information, contact the museum at (269) 468-3330 or info@northberrienhistory.org.

North Berrien Photo Contest Exhibit on display throughout September 2012

Winner - "Hagar Township Park"
Photographer Richard Lyon

The annual North Berrien Photography Contest invites photographers to capture scenes in the Coloma, Watervliet, Hagar, and Bainbridge areas of Berrien County in Southwest Michigan. Two Winners and numerous Honorable Mentions have been selected among the submissions to this year’s Contest. These photographs will be displayed in a Photo Contest Exhibit at the North Berrien Historical Museum throughout the month of September 2012. The museum is open Summer hours through September 29, Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm, and admission is free. (The museum will be closed September 1 for Labor Day.)

            

Winner - "Was will be"
Photographer Stephen Parrigin

Fourteen works by local photographers appear in the North Berrien Photo Contest Exhibit along with the artist’s notes about their image. The Winners of the 2012 Contest are Stephen Parrigin of Covert in the Adults age category, and Richard Lyon of Coloma in the Seniors category.  Parrigin’s photo “Was will be” memorably captures the cellar of a historic barn on Coloma Road and inspires the viewer to reflect on the past and the future. Lyon’s winning photo is entitled “Hagar Township Park,” and depicts a group building sand castles on a remarkably beautiful day of clouds and waves on Lake Michigan. The winning photographers were awarded a local restaurant gift certificate and movie passes to the Loma Theatre courtesy of the Coloma Watervliet Area Chamber of Commerce.

            

The 2012 North Berrien Photo Contest was co-sponsored by the North Berrien Historical Society and the Coloma Watervliet Area Chamber of Commerce.  The historical society is thankful to all the Contest entrants, as their photography directly supports our mission to preserve the local history and culture of North Berrien for future generations. The North Berrien Historical Museum is located at 300 Coloma Avenue, on Red Arrow Highway across from Coloma High School.  For more information about the Photo Contest or Exhibit, call the museum at (269) 468-3330.

Honorable Mention - "Old St. Joseph Church"
Photographer Joseph Littleton

Honorable Mention - "Sparks of Life"
Photographer SteVee Parrigin