Each Spring, as part of our Volunteer Appreciation event, the Museum announces a Volunteer of the Year. In March, the Museum staff met to nominate volunteers that they felt were deserving. With the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff saw example after example of amazing volunteers demonstrating flexibility, dedication, and an incredible ability to adapt. Volunteers took on extra shifts, gave tours to large groups through cloth masks, and provided support to the staff in more ways than we can count. Most importantly, their work was key to the fulfillment of our mission to preserve and share our cultural history. There is no way we could even begin to recognize just one Volunteer of the Year – and even opening this honor up to two individuals did not feel like enough. We hope our incredible team of volunteers knows how much we appreciate them and how much we value their talents and the time they share with us each and every day.
PLEASE JOIN US IN RECOGNIZING THE 2021 VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR:
Shirley Kempcke
Shirley Kempcke began volunteering for the museum in 2004. Over the past 18 years she has assisted three different archivists: Leah Davis Witherow, Stephanie Prochaska and Hillary Mannion. With Shirley’s help, archival collections have been arranged, described, and preserved – making them more accessible to researchers.
Shirley is dedicated to even the most tedious projects. She has arranged and rehoused papers into acid free folders and boxes, interleaved photo albums and scrapbooks with archival tissue, and has helped to inventory and describe materials. Notable collections include those of General William Jackson Palmer, Lulu Evans, and Sarah Cartwright Jackson Loomis.
Currently, Shirley is reading and describing the collection of Agnes Thomas’s daily diaries. The first diary was written in 1902 and the last in 1970. This valuable collection gives us a peak into everyday life in El Paso County, and also of women’s work of the twentieth century. Many of the diary entries record mundane daily chores. However, scattered within these entries are details that provide windows into family relationships and that record important family events. Shirley began this project with past volunteer Evelyn Helm in late 2019 and continues her work. She has now covered nearly five decades!
Thank you and congratulations Shirley!
John Orsborn
John Orsborn began his service at the CSPM in 2015. He has worn many hats (including a conductor hat!) over the past 8 years – from collections and exhibit work to museum education, John has done it all.
John’s background as an interpreter at Mesa Verde National Park and experience working with young people in schools has proven a great asset to our Education Department. In his time with the CSPM he supported our school programs – leading interactive stations such as the Cultural Crossroads Hands on History cart. He is a skilled interpreter that can engage audiences of all ages – from 2nd graders to adults!
In 2020-21, he worked with our Curator of History, Leah Davis Witherow, as a community contributor to the new COS@150 exhibit. He wrote text on topics ranging from The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind to the history of the Automobile Sociability Tour for the virtual exhibit. Not only can you find his writing featured in CSPM exhibits, but if you visit the City of Sunshine you’ll even see his face! John graciously volunteered to portray a train conductor in film for the exhibit that welcomes guests as they enter.
If you have enjoyed the Colorado Springs Gazette back pages section lately, you can thank John! In 2020, he joined the team of volunteers who select Gazette articles from 100, 75 and 50 years ago to be shared in the daily paper.
Thank you and congratulations John!
