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This past week I had the pleasure of writing eight stories for the Senior Focus about women of the past from Pipestone County. Their contributions to our community ranged from providing lifesaving medical care, to matriarchs who planted the seed that produced entire generations of artisans who have helped to put our community on the map.
While none of the women I wrote about this week are with us today, their legacies still serve as an inspiration to the people in Pipestone County, and they are fondly remembered by the friends and family who were privileged to have known them.
Writing about people of the past is one of my favorite tasks here at the Star. Conducting research on each individual is like searching for buried treasure. Of course, that search cannot be started without a treasure map. With that, I’d like to thank the following people for helping me to tell these stories. First and foremost, I’d like to thank the staff at the Pipestone County Museum for all of their hard work in putting together the stories of seven of the women I wrote about, and allowing me to retell these stories. Without your hard work in piecing together and preserving the histories of these women and many others who have come and gone, there would be no stories to tell.
I’d also like to thank Dennis Hansen and Dave Rambow for helping me to get in touch with Jim Keyes, the son of Dr. Keyes, who personally met two of the amazing women that are featured in this week’s edition. You have both been fantastic and gracious resources, and it is always a pleasure to get to chat with you. On that note, thank you Jim for sharing your memories of the past with me and giving me a first hand account of what it was like to meet and know two of these historic figures.
I’d also like to express my sincere gratitude to the descendants of Estella Crow, who shared their loving memories of such an amazing woman. Thank you to Dr. Michelle Night Pipe with the Melon Humanities Foundation who shared her extensive research with the family of Estella, and in turn helped me to tell further her story.
Finally, thank you to all of the fantastic women who are a part of this community today, who make a difference every day. Your contributions in the here and now are greatly appreciated, and one day your stories will serve as an inspiration to generations to come.
