Mona Nelson

MONA NELSON... she will be missed, and remembered.

Mona dedicated the best years of her life to preserving the history of Kandiyohi County. She began her career at the Kandiyohi County Historical Society in 1975 through a CETA government grant. She was employed through the grant program as Coordinator; Mona organized the library, archives and artifact collection, and administered programs and activities. In 1979, when the Historical Society became financially able to maintain a professional staff, the position of Program Director (later known as Executive Director) was offered to Mona.   

Mona was instrumental in conducting many projects and programs. Mona took over as editor of the Kandi-Express newsletter and served in that position from 1983-2007. Over the years, the KCHS membership quadrupled and society programs greatly expanded. Mona planned and administered public programs, membership activities and special interest group meetings. By including area businesses, artists and crafters, a broad participation of people within the county was attained by Mona. Mona began the tradition of “Terrific Tuesdays,” with a fun program at the museum every Tuesday night throughout the summer months. Also, Mona headed Heritage Days programs, annual meetings, Festive Forests, Christmas at the Sperry House, book signings, and a diverse selection of other educational programs.

Throughout the years, Mona changed exhibits frequently. With a variety of exhibits in the museum, children and adults had the opportunity to observe much of the history of Kandiyohi County. The three-dimensional collections and exhibits in the museum represented the early settlement, Native American Culture, and turn-of-the-century periods as well as the 20th century, further educating people on the history of the county.

In addition, Mona organized the yearly school tours each May. Involving the children of the community in Kandiyohi County history created a sense of belonging in the young adults. It was Mona’s hope that tours would impact children, creating more participatory and knowledgeable future citizens of the county. Mona hoped to leave a lasting impression in the minds of children, installing a sense of pride in them for Kandiyohi County.

The winter of 1996-1997 was hard and cruel. KCHS was one of the first to bear the brunt of it, literally, when the roof of the meeting/multipurpose room collapsed under the weight of ice and snow on December 30, 1996. Mona, with the help of MHS, volunteers, and other organizations, rebuilt the museum from the ground up. The collections were moved to the Sperry House before construction on the museum began, and construction took approximately one year to complete. However, it took much longer for the archive rooms and research library to be organized and restored. During the summer of 1997, Mona led volunteers and staff members in repacking artifacts, cataloging and doing inventory. The museum kept running smoothly throughout those years, with new exhibits and programs despite the cave in. The collapse allowed Mona and the KCHS board to make some necessary changes to storage, electrical facilities, etc. Afterward, the museum was just as spectacular as before the collapse, possibly even more so.

Mona has led fund raisers for the Sperry House for years, using these funds to restore the home to it’s magnificent original beauty. The year 2003, the 110th anniverasry of the house, marked a “new beginning” for the building, as a five-year restoration project began. The asphalt roof was replaced with cedar, as it was in 1993, and the project continued with tuckpointing, chimney repair, window sill replacement, sidewalks replacement, handicapped accessability, UV protective window covers were added and porch repairs all were done under the watchful eye of Mona.

Engine #2523, a main attraction at the Kandiyohi County Historical Society, was given a shelter in the year 2006. By advertising the importance of preservation and through grant writing, Mona and the Engine Preservation Committee were able to raise approximately $75,000. The shelter protects the engine from heavy rainfall, snow, and hail. On Sunday, August 20, 2006 a special program to dedicate the new shelter was held. Thanks to Mona’s hard work, this symbol of the community of Willmar will be preserved for future generations to enjoy.  

In recent years, Mona was assisting the Willmar Design Team with historic presrevation and downtown revitalization projects. Mona wanted historic downtown Willmar to remain the beautiful downtown Willmar she had lived in for so many years. She belonged to several national and state public history associations and was a board member and officer of the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums.