Goodbye Art

"The past actually happened. History is what someone took the time to write down."   -A. Whitney Brown

I think I've always had an interest in history.  Years ago, in my personal history, my high school American History teacher, Tim Anthes, made history come alive for me.  It was one of my favorite classes.

In 2003, our little community celebrated it's centennial with a large festival. I chaired a committee devoted to publishing a nearly 400 page historical account of the families and businesses in Pigeon. My involvement was from a graphic design side for this event fundraiser.

It was a thrill reading the historical accounts of so many families as I worked on the page layouts. It added to my knowledge of our community's foundation.

Art Woelke

But my local historical knowledge is pale in comparison to that of Arthur J. Woelke.

Art, as he is known to everyone, has roots very deep in Pigeon.  He was born here at the family home in Pigeon, December 4, 1927. I think the only time he lived away from Pigeon was when he attended Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.

He spent a lifetime in healthcare administration, but he had a love for history.  The Pigeon Historical Depot Museum is filled with volumes of three-ring binders loaded with page after page of hand-typed accounts of events, families, businesses and building. There are hundreds of photographs of houses and other buildings with notations to the locations and occupants.

I cannot image the hours of time spent on this collection.  It's impossible to put a value on the information he amassed. I don't want to think about the information still in his head.

Today we say goodbye to Art.  He died peacefully this past Tuesday.

As a charter member of the Pigeon Historical Society, Art was honored by the Historical Society of Michigan with an Award of Merit for his extensive collection of local historical documents, photographs, newspaper articles and artifacts now on display at the Pigeon Historical Museum.

He took the took the Historical Society's mission to preserve history very seriously.

We are all blessed to have known Art and to have called him friend. His life is now history.

"Any fool can make history, but it takes a genius to write it."
-- Oscar Wilde

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Historical Society Membership Drive

Tonight the Pigeon Historical Society is hosting a Guest Membership Meet and Greet, aka: A Membership Drive. It's a bit frightening when I, at nearly 51 years old, is one of the youngest members.

History is one of those things I have always loved.  I liked it when I was young and my high school American History teacher, Tim Anthes, made it exciting and interesting.

I think my life in the newspaper world either added to my interest or was enhanced by love of the past. After all, newspapers are a printed record of events.

I'm not sure who is recording history these days.

At any rate, I hope we have 50 or more people show up at our meeting. I'll be happy if five able-bodied individuals join the group.

We need man-power for the growth vision of the Society.  That vision includes a historical "compound" with a Amish-raised barn for display and storage of antique farm equipment, a small church/schoolhouse, as well as other buildings.

There has been talk about a source for train cars -- including a caboose. (Our museum is a 110+ year old train depot.)

If you're local, please come to our meeting tonight.  If you would like to support the Pigeon Historical Society, any donation is gratefully accepted.

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