Minutes of The Windsor-Severance Historical Society
January 27, 2025
The Windsor-Severance Historical Society met in person on Monday, January 27, at 10:00 a.m. at the Windsor History Museum Train Depot. In attendance were Kristie Melendez, Sue Buxman, Dan Meyers, Gary Martin, Tammy Boehler, Marcella Johnson, Laura Browarny, Ruth Brunner, Sam Sedoryk, and Judy Firestien.
Call to Order – Kristie called the meeting to order at 10:06 a.m.
Monthly Reports/Approvals
November Minutes – The Minutes from the previous meeting on November 25, 2024 were reviewed and approved as presented.
Treasurer’s Report – The December 18th bank statement showed the beginning balance in checking was $7,058.67. The balance in savings was $14,809.30. The CD is currently earning 4.75% interest and the balance is $20,316.30. Previous minutes showed a total of $20,916.40. Tammy moved to correct the dollar amount on the CD. The CD matures at the end of this month. Judy moved and Sue seconded the CD be renewed for 9 or 12 months at a rate of around 4%. Motion carried. Kristie reported a deposit of $121.48 was made on January 17 which included $20 for a book and $101.48 from PDC Energy.
Membership Update – No new memberships had been received since the last meeting. Old Business
Social Media History Posts – There had been discussion about working with the Museum Staff to start posting things on the WSHS Facebook page to be more constant, active, and meaningful and might include items from Muse News. Laura suggested Maya could start doing a weekly artifact or historical photo post and see how that goes. Judy would set up Maya and Laura as administrators for the Facebook page. If anyone has ideas or photos they could be sent to Kristie and shared with
Laura to post. It would be fun to have photos or “did you knows” about Windsor to include in a project for the 2026 celebration. Maya might also want to come to a future meeting with a calendar so the group could look at that and help to plan the posts.
By the end of March, the group needs to decide what to have in place for the 2026 event such as calendars, t shirts, and other items to commemorate. The DDA now has a place on main street and offered to sell items for the WSHS. There will also be historical info on the kiosk at the new Ehrlich Plaza. This could also be referenced on the Facebook page. Kristie asked everyone to think about the many ideas that had been discussed such as ornaments, recreating postcards for sale, old imagery commissioned for t shirts (K & W Printing). Local merchants might sell items as well as at the Art & Heritage Center and Depot. Sales tax would need to be clarified. Marcella mentioned images from local artists. Sam offered to look into additional items and could put together some proposals and ideas. He would like some suggestions on what photos or logos might be used. There are state and national logos available for use. Maybe a special logo for the WSHS might be created. Other ideas would be calendars, postcards on blank note cards, postcard images colorized and put on canvas prints, glass ornaments (sugar beet), acrylic resin ornaments and resin cubes.
There are many photos in the archive; Catlin could show which ones are WSHS photos. Sam mentioned a 1976 calendar he had found with significant dates in Windsor; this was very similar to the calendar that had just been done.
New Business
2026 Projects (and 2025) – Along with 2026 projects, dates need to be picked for the 2025 membership drive and Legends and Lessons event. Should the event be the same or changes made and how to memorialize Legends. There is about $10,000 already dedicated for this memorial.
Laura mentioned there is funding budgeted this year to redo the landscaping around the Museum buildings and something could be added to the plan such as a sign, boulder, water feature, garden, etc. Kristie would reach out to Austin Weishel, who created the statues, and had some other ideas in mind. It would be great to do something in coordination with the landscaping. The area might be fenced in and Laura has the idea of the freight car being turned into a stage with lights, etc. depending on budget.
There will be a grand opening for Jacoby Farm in 2026. Family Farm tour could be done again with the Homeschool Group and the additional organizations that might be interested in participating with a special draw for this year. The event could really be marketed this year and promoted more on the Facebook page to include all families. A day could be picked when schools are out, such as parent teacher conference day, and they could be invited in addition to the homeschool groups. It’s nice to have a central place so the group doesn’t have to worry about transportation. Having the Museum Staff do the activities was great and the goodie bags and history booklet were well received. Not many people went on to Tigges Farm that day, so maybe it would be better to suggest they have a table at the event.
Kristie has access to a couple of designers for a special logo with a cost of about $300-400. Sue moved and Gary seconded that a special logo for WSHS 50th Anniversary for 2026 be created with a cost not to exceed $400. Motion carried. The group noted the stained glass window in the Depot for ideas for a special logo.
Oral History Videos that tie into the 2026 Anniversary – Kristie suggested the group needs to think about people and families who could help tell the story of the start of the organization and the Museum. Maybe there could be an oral history on moving the Depot. Ruth mentioned Charlie Tucker who spoke about his Dad. Others who may have been involved were Bob Hogan, Tom Morey, Tom Jones, Ted Starck, Lion’s Club, Windsor-Severance Fire Department, Doug Morey, and Boy Scouts. There was an ad in the newspaper from 1975 that asked for help in moving the Depot. Sam would take a closer look at this for names of groups involved. AHSGR was listed as a group involved along with many others. There was also a documentary that a Denver television station did. Catlin found a reference in a newspaper and it would be great to try to find this. There could be a Facebook post to ask who was involved in the move of the Depot, ask for people to help share the story, and ask them to contact WSHS.
Ruth suggested she could do an oral history video of Wayne Yauk. He is putting together a family history book. Ruth would also like to interview someone about water.
Severance News – Dan congratulated Kristie on being voted Business of the Year in Severance. He has been reaching out to Laura and Ruth. He wants to get Severance to concentrate on their
history and preservation ideas, especially in the old town area (1874-1920). Nick Wharton, is Town Manager, and he has two history degrees and knows a little about history and how to go about doing things. Dan would like to talk to people to try to start archiving things that people might have. He would like to talk further with Museum Staff about what should be saved. Caitlin would be a great resource. Ruth had shared a video of Barbara Gomez who talked about her mom, Mrs. Francis Brownell, who was Post Master of Severance. Other suggestions for gaining Severance information would be to talk to family of Ernie Ross who lived in the old house next to the school. The teacherage is still there. There was discussion about the legacy of Severance, Bruce’s Bar, rocky mountain oysters, and agriculture. Talk to family of Travis Mimms who had a band that played at Bruce’s. Gather info on the changing of the geese migratory patterns and the duck blinds in Severance, which drew people to hunt. The grant that Gary submitted went through for WSHS and a check should be received.
Windsor News – Laura shared there is money in the budget for “de-popcorning” the ceiling of the Depot, paint update, and cleaning out the window in the ceiling that shows the original rafters and telephone and electrical wires. There will also be a new exhibit that will highlight the graffiti in the rail car. Laura added that both the Eaton House and the Dickey House are moving right along;
they’ve had more good news than bad news. The front porch of the Eaton house has been stabilized and will be screened in, electricity is back up, and lead paint and asbestos has been mitigated. At the Dickey House, they are over budget, but they keep finding cool things that have been preserved, or they didn’t know about such as a window on the front porch that had been covered with plywood. The window is being restored. On the back porch, they found the original 1930s beadboard half wall that was built into the old wall. They are finding things that were preserved within the walls of the house that they weren’t expecting. Laura wanted to plant a seed that three of the four front porch columns had been found, but the fourth column will need to be hand turned to match and they may not have funds in the budget. She will check on cost and maybe the group would be interested in funding turning of the fourth column. It is about 8’ x 4” x 4”. They have a great team of historic preservationists working on all of this. The red barn has been straightened and will become an indoor space with a floor and electricity for a gathering barn. Budget this year is for restoration of the Halfway House which will need to be picked up, the foundation repoured, and the house put back on the foundation. The big grand opening will be in 2026 after all of this is complete and the gardens are established. Dickey House should be done in March/April of this year and the space will be available for classes and meetings. There will also be an outdoor kitchen and shelter with gardens. This might be a place for Legends and Lessons at a different time of year. The WSHS could tour the facility in the near future and maybe have a meeting there. Caitlin is working with the Arts Commission to have a mural painted inside the Depot front entrance for the 50th anniversary.
Board Communications – Judy had forwarded a question from the Weld County Genealogical Society about an early cemetery in Windsor on the bluffs southwest of town. Laura explained there was a small fence around it with a few tombstones still standing. John Cobbs was buried there. Caitlin has done a lot of research. It is located on private property currently owned by Martin Lind. Gene Morey may have had some information also, but much was shared with the Town, so Caitlin would have it.
Judy mentioned the stucco house on her historic farm is going to be 100 years old in 2026. She would like to do some sort of celebration. Part of the house will still be used for some historic
displays. Maybe the WSHS could do a fun event there or maybe give it some special recognition with the Farm Tour as a historic site.
The group might consider putting together a tour of 100 year old buildings in the area.
Kristie added that Vern Rasmussen is looking for a way to leave his legacy, maybe with this group or the Museum. He has collections of things and would like to donate his items but wants his soda shop to be reinstalled and kept as is, which could be challenging. Kristie will keep the group posted.
Next Meeting – The meeting was adjourned at 11:32 a.m. The next meeting will be on February 23, 2025 at the Depot.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Firestien, Secretary