Letter to the Editor

Your view: Good job

Thursday, October 26, 2006

"Here is a picture of my Dad! I didn't even know he ever had his photo made!" "Here is a picture of my Mother and her sisters when they were young! Look at this!" I have been to the Depot Museum on several different days this month, and have found such joyful comments from visitors as heartwarming as finding photos of my own family and friends.

I want to commend the Depot Museum Director, Mike Marsh, the dedicated board members and all of the volunteers who have sorted through thousands of photos which came for the Dysart Studio and Baugher Studio. This generous donation to the museum offered the opportunity for people from Sikeston and surrounding communities to find photos of family members from the 1940s into the '70s. But first, these photos had to be sorted and arranged so that visitors could conduct their search in a somewhat orderly manner. What a challenging task! They have done a remarkable job for visitors to view the photos and search for images of friends and family.

It's hard to imagine these treasures being made to available to view, but to top that, we are allowed to take these meaningful photos with us to keep, and only asked to give a donation to the museum. In my opinion, this is a community service of the highest order.

I give a hearty thank you to the Museum Board of Directors, the Director, the volunteers, those who donated the photos and all involved in making this opportunity possible. You have brought the gift of joy to many souls!

Rosemary F. Lumsden

Editor's Note: The Sikeston Depot Museum's "Come Find Yourself"exhibit will end Tuesday. The portrait photos will be stored, but it is unsure whether they will ever be offered to the public again, museum officials said.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. The museum is located at 116 W. Malone Ave.