I recently celebrated my five year anniversary as director of the Hormel Historic Home. When I think of all that I have experienced and all that I have learned in the last 60 months, I am amazed. I now know more about the Hormel and Decker families than I know about my own ancestry. I now know more about commercial insurance, employment practices, marketing, donor development, historic preservation, and the list goes on, than I ever thought I would need to know. I have gained an education in so many areas and I continue to learn new things every day.

My learning curve was steep, but thanks to research done by family members and interested parties, I was able to immerse myself in the legacy of generations of Hormel and Decker family members. Through that immersion I have learned a lesson that would benefit all:

Preserve your own family’s story for future generations.

Another valuable lesson evident through my research is to: Respect your parents and what they have to teach you!

George Hormel had great admiration for his parents. He wrote of the many times he relied on his father to guide him through challenging times. Upon returning home to the peace and comfort of his Toledo home after a difficult period in Chicago, he recognized that his father’s approach to life had influenced him greatly. He wrote of one of the many lessons he learned from his dad. “He was not obsessed with [life’s] problems; he was challenged by its possibilities.”

I am trying every day to learn from a lesson offered by George’s mother, Susanna. In response to seven year old George’s half-hearted attempt to polish the family shoes she said, “Forna ist huey und hinter ist fuey,” which loosely translated means the front of the shoes look fine but the backs do not! She was teaching George a lesson that would influence his future commitment to doing things to the best of his ability. He wrote, “Eventually, I learned, as she intended that I should, that it was quicker and easier to do the chore properly the first time.”

The lesson of taking the time to do a job correctly the first time is one I strive for, but admit I sometimes fail to achieve.  My personality often leads me to rush to complete a task without taking enough care to ensure it is properly finished. Susanna would surely reprimand me, but based on George’s reflections of her, I am sure she would also offer grace and encouragement.

Other lessons I have learned from my time with George and Lillian: Be Patient; Don’t Compromise Quality; Serve Others and your Community; Be Humble. I look forward to spending the coming years steeped in lessons from the Hormels.

History Happy Hour: The History of Chautauqua in Austin presented by Dean Ulland

5:30 p.m. social, 6 p.m. presentation, Monday, Nov. 13

Free for HHH, Mower County Historical Society and Friends of the Library Members. $5 for non-members.