By Heather Hagedorn
Geary County Historical Society
Geary County Historical Society Executive Director Heather Hagedorn has announced that on April 12th and 13th, the Historical Society welcomed nearly 70 visitors to their second annual murder mystery fundraiser, an event that raises funds for the Historical Society's general budget each year.
This year's mystery took place in a 1950s diner after a local car dealer and event sponsor was found murdered. The event featured actors Tom Brungardt, Jan Gray, Curtis Gray, Bill Powers, Heather Strafuss and Patti Walker, who were interrogated by event participants throughout the evening. The "crime scene" was also open for participants to look for clues, while actor Andrew Liebau led them through the investigation with a series of evidence for them to consider.
On April 19th and 20th, the Historical Society welcomed visitors to their Spring Valley Historic Site for a weekend of living history. On Friday, 8th graders from Junction City Middle School had the opportunity to explore the buildings, participate in pioneer chores like laundry and chopping wood, play pioneer games and learn from an encampment of reenactors organized by Scott "Moose" Jury. On Saturday, the site was open to the public with similar activities available, along with the addition of the "Merry Cranks," who taught how to use hand-crank sewing machines. The weekend garnered nearly 400 visitors to the site.
Upcoming events for the Historical Society include the next Memories at the Museum on April 27th. This Memories at the Museum is open for anyone who has worked in secondary education in the county, past or present, to come share their memories during the round table discussion. Memories at the Museum will be held at the Museum at 3pm on April 27th. Conversations are recorded and entered into the archives to benefit future historians.
On May 11th from 10am-2pm, a special cemetery cleaning workshop is being held at St. Joseph's Historic Church in partnership with the Riley County Historical Society and Stones of Honor. The cost for the event is $25 and will cover the cost of materials and lunch. Registration is required and limited. Those interested can go to https://www.rileychs.org/calendar.cfm?t=events&i=2966 Registration closes on May 1st or when full.