Ralls County Historical Society is hosting a program/meeting on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. at Center City Hall in Center, MO. The meeting will begin with a 30-minute program by President Ron Leake which will be focused on preserving and recording Ralls County history. Following the program, a 30 minute business meeting will be held. The public is invited to attend.

Thanks to the support of the entire county, the Ralls County Historical Society’s lasagna supper fundraiser was a success. This was an opportunity for those in attendance to become current members of the Historical Society. Individual, family, and business memberships are available. After enjoying the meal, guests visited with one another until 7:00 p.m., when Ralls County Commissioners Wiley Hibbard, John Lake, and Junior Meuhring drew for the winner of a mystery gun, which was donated by the commissioners. The lucky winner was Ron Lehman.

After offering a thank you to everyone that worked to make the lasagna supper and museum move possible, Historical Society president Ron Leake was recognized for his many years of dedication and service to the entire county and beyond. Ron has spent over 50 years working to preserve and share local artifacts and our county's history.

The auction of donated items was also a success. John Wallace was the auctioneer, and a wide variety of items were auctioned. Thank you to the following individuals for their contributions to the auction:

• Ralls County Groovy Gardners

• The Flower Shack & Farm Country Antiques, Bill & Sharon Wright

• Brian Hodges

• East Edge Express, Bill & Judy Heim

• Linda Hodges

• Mary Kay Weiss

• The Junction, Corey & Alex Fry

• Hannibal National Bank

• Gateway Realtors, Michele Keil

• Greg & Teresa Stuart

• Delores Woodhurst

• Debbie Hodges

• Chad & Meri Williams

• Cannon Dam Opry, Sandy Howald

• Brandy Flynn

• Bill & Debbie Himmelsbach

• IGA, Jordan & Megan Branstetter

• Roy Cummins

• Richard & Janet Berry

• Moon City Antiques

• Terry Bowling

The feature item of the evening was a 1932 Friendship Quilt made by Perry Christian Church ladies. The quilt, which is completely handmade and hand quilted, is filled with signatures of the ladies and other church members, all of which are hand embroidered. The quilt will be on display at the museum, and the owners’ names will be shown alongside the quilt. Below is the list of proud co-owners of the quilt.

• Jon & Pam Barnes

• Corey & Alex Fry

• Bill & Debbie Himmelsbach

• Brian & Linda Hodges

• Scott & Ashley Hodges

• Shawn & Michelle Keil

• John & Sharon Lake

• Drew & Kathleen Barnett

• Brian & Delores Woodhurst

• Tim & Benita Embree

• Marie Lawrence

• Rick & Debbie Baker

• Bruce & Cyndy Coleman

• Wiley & Susan Hibbard

• Jerry & Connie Ketsenburg

• Austin & Sarah Simmons

• Bill & Judy Heim

• John & Mary Wallace

• Ray & Kathy Willingham

To end the evening, many in attendance ventured across the street to the first official public viewing of the new museum location. The first individual to sign the guest book was Dan Carey, a Perry resident that is active in the VFW. Jerry Ketsenburg posed with his 1962-63 FFA jacket, and young Aubryn Simmons signed the guest book. Currently, the museum will be open by appointment only, but soon the hours of operations will become regular. When the hours are established, they will be shared on the Historical Society’s web page (rallscohistoricalsociety.com) and their Facebook Page (Ralls County Missouri Historical Society).

Thank you so much to the many volunteers that have worked with the historical society to make the museum's new home amazing! There were many volunteers that helped to make the project a success. Since July 9, 2021, when straight-line winds damaged the former museum, many citizens of the county have volunteered their time and talents to make sure that our county’s artifacts are preserved for future generations to enjoy.

If you want to become more involved with the Historical Society, please send an email (rwleake@aol.com) or get in touch with Ron Leake (573-248-6147), Linda Hodges, or Delores Woodhurst. We are hoping that volunteers will continue to spend time organizing the museum and keeping it in good condition. Also, it’s not too late to become a member of the Ralls County Historical Society. A membership form is available, and if you have any questions, please contact Ron Leake, Sharon Lake, or Delores Woodhurst.

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One way to support the Ralls County Historical Society is to become a member. Click here to print out a membership form, or if you prefer, click here to complete the form online. Payments and paperwork can be mailed to the following address:

Ralls County Historical Society

PO Box 463

Perry, MO 63462

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Ron, Sharon, or Delores.