Margaret Miller retires after 38 years as Kalona Historical Society treasurer

By Molly Roberts
Posted 11/24/20

On any given spring or summer day, chances are good that Margaret Miller could be seen out walking, often stopping by the Kalona Historical Village to pull weeds – just one of the things she …

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Margaret Miller retires after 38 years as Kalona Historical Society treasurer

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On any given spring or summer day, chances are good that Margaret Miller could be seen out walking, often stopping by the Kalona Historical Village to pull weeds – just one of the things she did behind the scenes to keep the village running.

Miller is retiring from the Kalona Historical Society board of directors after 38 years as the board’s treasurer, a post she has held since 1982.

“Margaret wore a lot of hats over the years,” said Nancy Roth, managing director of the Kalona Historical Society. “She did the books, she was the treasurer, she was always there to help with cleaning projects. She would volunteer for whatever came up. There are a lot of things Margaret does that many people probably don’t realize—a lot of behind-the-scenes work that is so important, even if it’s not front-and-center.”

Although cancelled this year due to the pandemic, in years past, Fall Festival has been one of the busiest times of the year for the Kalona Historical Village. But for Miller, the work started in the summer, when she’d start organizing and distributing the Fall Festival Buttons all around Kalona.

Then, come festival time, Miller was indispensable.

“I don’t know what we would have done without her for Fall Festival,” Roth said. “She kept track of all the gates. We had three gates that nonstop needed buttons, nonstop needed money. Margaret does not walk slow. You’d look across the grounds and she’d be booking it from one gate to the other.”

Miller said her favorite memories of working with the historical society are of Fall Festival, seeing such a big celebration of the town enjoyed by so many.

During her years volunteering at the village, Miller kept a running list of where people were visiting from.

“People have come to Kalona from all over,” Miller said. “I kept track during a certain period and I think we had 40 different countries and most of the states and Canada… It’s special that we have something here that people from everywhere want to come and see.”

Miller said the village’s collections of antique glass, quilts, and spool cabinets are among her favorite items exhibited. Even though she has seen them all before, she enjoys taking a few moments to look at them every so often, just to sit back and appreciate their beauty and uniqueness and the role they have played in Kalona.

Despite living in Kalona nearly her entire life (she was born in Wellman), Miller continues to learn about the city’s history through the historical village and society.

“A lot of people in Kalona don’t come out to see everything we have here at the village,” Miller said. “Some would only come during Fall Festival, but there’s so much more to see other times, too.”

When seeing the village’s new quilt display, Miller’s eyes lit up brighter with every quilt she looked at.

“Look at the colors there,” she said. “So beautiful, from so long ago.”

Roth said that even though Miller’s tenure as treasuerer is coming to an end, Miller will likely still be around the village frequently to help with special projects and visit with friends.

“She’s a very special person who is near and dear to everyone’s hearts here,” Roth said. “We feel lucky to know Margaret and we’re very grateful to everything she’s contributed over the past 38 years.