RANDOLPH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWS ARCHIVE

News from the History Center and Museum  -  3Nov, 2009

Research

They’re starting to bring in their used Christmas decorations for the Annual Used Christmas Decoration Sale at the History Center. Do you have some that has just been lying around waiting to get pitched? You can bring it to good use by bringing it by and letting us sell it in our sale. The sale is one of the three fund-raisers that the Historical Society has each year. The Decoration Sale, the White Elephant Sale, and the Ice Cream Social help pay our largest expenses at the Center – gas and electricity. Anyway, the sale will be Saturday morning, November 7 and it will continue for a couple of weeks during our normal operating hours. Come on by.

We have been helping Mary Bentz, of Bethesda, by doing research on the family of Glenn Hellensmith. Glenn graduated from Huntsville High School and then enlisted in the Navy in 1942. He was assigned to submarine duty on the U.S.S. Grunion. The Grunion sunk that same year, but no one knew where until 2008, when the three sons of the commander decided to find where their father died. The ship was found and all of kin of the crew were contacted. Mary Bentz, a niece of one of the men is writing a book with information about each of the men that went down with the sub. We’ll have some copies for sale when it comes out.

Dr. Bob Burton from Independence was here for the day a week ago do historical research on his ancestors. He is from the Burton Drug Store Burton’s. The Stinnett’s – Chuck and Carole Anne from California and Nancy Kempner from Omaha were here for a visit and renewed their memberships. Jennie Lou O’Connor Magan was by to confirm some of her family history. Maryland Clark from Orlando, FL came by while she was here for her 1951 class reunion. Maryland has contributed a lot of information to the family history section.

Museum

The Railroad Corner at the museum has been totally redone by J.W. and Linda Ballinger and Ingrid Jones. The diorama depicting the Confederate train robbery in Old Allen built by Neal Block, the Norfolk Southern model railroad, and items recently donated by Mrs. Mike Magown are displayed in an old glassed-in office bookcase that we have had for years. Mike was a Wabash Railroad engineer for many years. Come by for a look.