Fillmore County Historical Society Museum welcomes two fresh faces

By Katrina Bergey

The Fillmore County Historical Society Museum and Library, located in Fountain, Minn., has undergone some significant staff changes. Sara Sturgis was recently hired as the new director of the Fillmore County Historical Society along with Bretta Grabau who is the assistant director. Both women are thrilled about their new jobs and the goals they hope to accomplish. Although both handle different tasks, there is no doubt they work hand in hand. 

As the new director, Sara spearheads the policies, procedures, and compliance. She is in charge of all the administrative duties and management. Bretta focuses more on the actual artifacts themselves, within the collections and the whole inventory. The visitor experience and visual appeal are other main tasks for Bretta. Together, they both work to promote the museum and continuously grow or enhance the exhibits.

These women both were drawn to this opportunity for a variety of reasons. The history appeals to both women, being Bretta majored in history and Sara received her minor in it. Bretta mentioned, “My family lives on a farm that has been there since 1856 so I grew up with history.” She also mentions how her sister majored in history and her father minored in it. Plus she enjoys visiting different places rich with history. Sara states she had “two loves as a child: history and science.” Growing up, her mother was the family genealogist, which gave her better insight to history.

Their long-standing love for history has transpired into different, yet related, loves. Nonprofit work has always been Sara’s passion. She’s been working in the nonprofit education world for 20 years. Sara stated, “I absolutely love nonprofit work and organizations that are mission-driven.”  Bretta has just as much passion for her work. Her roots are planted right here in Fillmore County, therefore, her ability to share her home’s history is very rewarding for her. Both reasons perfectly fitting the Fillmore County Historical Society’s work.

Along with their backgrounds that contributed to their new positions, there were other reasons. Sara mentioned how the museum truly is a “hidden gem.” Many people in the community don’t know much about it so it is exciting for her to make the place shine and help others realize its potential. Bretta elaborated saying it is interesting when people from the area come in and find out that they have personal ties to the museum itself.

Now that they have their feet in the water, both have started to find some of their favorite tasks at work. Discovering research, figuring out the details, then putting all the pieces together is a favorite aspect of the job for Bretta. Along with all of her research, she also is in charge of the way the museum is set up. She works intensely with how the lighting is set up to help focus and enhance the artifacts with no distractions. Sara adds that Bretta makes the physical surroundings come together as a whole. Sara enjoys helping make the story pop and come alive. The programming and building of all the foundation for the exhibits are other highlights for Sara. 

Looking ahead, they have many big plans in mind or currently in the works. They recently redid the membership benefits, meaning you could also get discounts on potential programs coming to the museum. A mass email blast with details about events and more information on the museum is another fresh, exciting job being done. They’re also hoping to refocus some exhibits to help share more of the unknown stories. Cosmetically, they’re hoping for an update in the paint. The museum is currently looking for volunteers as data enterers and greeters. 

Perhaps, the grandest change is the programs they are hoping to implement. They hope to have a rotating exhibit to incorporate other towns or themes. On Saturdays, a themed, hands-on experience could be available to learn how a day in the life of someone else would be. The ideas of offering genealogy classes and having a speaker series are in the works.

These two extraordinary women are working hard to assist in the presenting of history in Fillmore County. Their determined, progressive thinking will be bringing about a plethora of improvements and new items. Sara and Bretta’s energetic, passionate personalities will definitely intrigue you to learn more and get involved. I invite you to make a stop at 202 Cty. Rd. 8 in Fountain to visit the museum so you can truly see all their enhancements and the wonderful history of Fillmore County and keep an eye out for their new events! You can also reach them at (507) 268-4449, Tuesday-Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or look them up at fillmorecountyhistory.org.