Kudos to "The Stick People" of 56572

By Tom Hintgen Fergus Falls Daily Journal

Few husband-wife volunteer teams at the County Museum in Fergus Falls can match the labor of love exhibited by Budd and Marguerite Andrews of Pelican Rapids. Budd has been active in the Otter Tail County Historical Society since the 1980s, following his retirement as a teacher, and Marguerite's volunteerism at the museum dates back to the 1970s.

Marguerite served on the Historical Society's board of directors in the 1970s and 1980s. She's currently volunteering with labeling and organizing oral history tapes. Marguerite was among the first volunteers to conduct those interviews after the museum moved in the early 1970s from the courthouse to its present location along West Lincoln Avenue.
“Our card files now are on computer, and this is really appreciated by people who come here to do family history research,” pointed out Marguerite.

Budd, who retired in 1982 as an adult farm management instructor in Pelican Rapids, joined Marguerite as a volunteer at the museum. Staff members quickly learned that Budd was a jack of all trades. He did carpentry, worked with displays, and maintained the homemade wooden and metal tools on display in the agricultural wing of the museum.

These days Budd, an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, organizes personal biographical files at the museum.

“One family's information goes on one or two pages,” said Budd, who organizes news clippings, obituaries, and other information about families who lived in Otter Tail County. His final works are preserved on acid-free pages.

“We're appreciate of our volunteers like Budd and Marguerite,” said museum executive director Chris Schuelke. “The museum belongs to everyone in Otter Tail County, and residents and former residents are the ones who benefit from the work of our volunteers.”