Museum to feature living history guests

(Photo contributed) Charlotte (Miller) Kruse of Le Mars, pictured here with her parents Ida and Charles Miller, longtime owners of Miller's Lunch on Highway 75 North in Le Mars, will serve up rootbeer floats from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday in the Miller's Lunch display at the Plymouth County Historical Museum in Le Mars. [Click to enlarge]

Five living history attractions will greet visitors to the Plymouth County Historical Museum for "Ice Cream Days" this Saturday in Le Mars.

This year the museum will open immediately after the parade at approximately 11 a.m. Saturday.

Two buckskinners from the past will be at the "Kidz Cabin" on the top floor of the museum.

The two guests at the log cabin will show off some of the new cabin supplies such as various animal pelts which the museum recently acquired through Plymouth County Local Option Sales Tax money.

The first 10 children to arrive at the Kidz Cabin will receive coupons for free rootbeer floats, which will be flowing freely by 11 a.m. in Miller's Lunch on the museum's third floor.

Rootbeer floats are being served every day during Ice Cream Days.

All five floors of the museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

This year, a special guest will appear at 1 p.m. Saturday in Miller's Lunch.

Charlotte (Miller) Kruse, the daughter of Charlie and Ida Miller, who operated Miller's Lunch, will greet visitors from 1 to 2 p.m.

The diner was open in Le Mars from 1943 to 1990 on the north edge of Le Mars in a building that is no longer standing across from the old Wal-Mart.

Charlotte Kruse said she remembers her days with her parents at Miller's Lunch.

"I was there all the time because we lived there, and I would sit in the booth and do my homework in the evenings," Kruse said.

The 1954 graduate of Le Mars High School said Miller's Lunch was a part of her life for many years.

"I always helped with it from the time I was old enough to see over the counter," Kruse said.

When the Millers closed the diner, the plan was to move the old Miller's Lunch building to the fairgrounds to be a part of the Pioneer Village, but the building was not sound enough, Kruse said.

She credits former museum president Harry Bonnema with having the idea to move Miller's Lunch furnishings to the museum.

Those same booths, counter and supplies are still in the Miller's Lunch Room at the museum.

By 2 p.m. Saturday, the action at the museum will move to first floor where volunteers will offer free homemade cookies and bars with coffee and juice in the museum's Welcome Room.

In the Music Room, also on first floor, Linda Ziemann will be present at 2 p.m. to begin signing the new Plymouth County pictorial book that she compiled through Arcadia Publishing.

The book features photos and postcards from Plymouth County's past. Proceeds from the sale of the book Saturday will go to the museum.

Also in the Music Room, in honor of June being Dairy Month, Ruth Marie Faber of Le Mars will be a part of the living history guests when she explains her reign as First American Dairy Princess in 1955.

Museum registrar Tom Munson and volunteers have built a display about Faber's time as dairy princess.

Wedding dresses from Plymouth County residents are also featured in the Music Room and Home Room.

In the Hall of Champions on the museum's first floor, visitors will be able to sign up for more than 100 items to be offered at the Woofstock Silent Auction June 27.

Westmar art also is on display, including Oscar Howe's famous "Dawn Rider."

Native American art from Robert Morris of Las Vegas, N.M., is in its final weeks as a traveling display in the Hall of Champions.

To round out the living history offerings, Paul Williams plans to be at the Weber Log Cabin on the museum grounds, beginning at 11 a.m., with his demonstrations of Native American heritage.