Alumni and friends of Hesston College and Hesston Academy are invited to donate items that are of historical significance or that have some tie to the institution, which is 100 years old this year. The items will be sold during the Heritage Auction in Yost Center, scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, September 26, during Homecoming 2009, the anchor event of the college’s Centennial celebration during the 2009-2010 school year.
“We’re looking for items ranging from furniture, dinnerware, old photos of the campus, original art pieces, or even quilts,” said Pam Gerber ’73, Heritage Auction committee chairperson. “Or the item may have been something made in a class while a student here. We’re ready to accept almost anything with some connection to the college or academy.”
Some of the items may be old. “If so,” Gerber said, “tell us the story about it- where it came from, whose it was, how it was used, and when-those types of things. Or an artist who was a student of one of the college’s art instructors may wish to donate an art piece made while a student here. If it’s a new art piece, we’d like to know what the piece signifies.”
Two items have already been donated. One is a 92 inch by 78 inch (double bed size) quilt that has the names of all the members of the Academy Class of 1936, along with the names of faculty members. The names are embroidered into the quilt made of blue and white fabric. It was donated by two sisters, Phyllis (Diener) Ac64, ’66 Stutzman, Weatherford, Okla, and Shirley (Diener) Barker, Goshen, Ind. The quilt was made for Eunice Wilma Diener Ac36, ’43, a senior at the Academy that year, by her mother, Katie (Schweitzer) Diener.
The design has been identified as a variation of a feathered circle quilt. It is a nine-patch variation of an album (or friendship) quilt.
The other is a two-layered felt coaster for “Hesston College and Bible School,” with the school motto “The Truth Shall Make You Free” and the date 1908. “The patch is in good condition,” Gerber said. Leona Gerber Ac45, ’49 Hostetler, Rocky Ford, Colo., donated the coaster.
Other items to be auctioned include a signed copy of Pillar of Cloud, the 50-year history of the college written by English instructor Mary Miller, and the first signed copy of the new centennial history book, A School on the Prairie: A Centennial History of Hesston College 1909-2009, written by John E. Sharp. Sharp’s book will be released during Homecoming.
According to Gerber, winning bidders may donate items back to the college, items which would then be kept on display.
Gerber said a silent auction will also be held at the same time.
Eventually, items to be auctioned can be viewed on the Hesston College website. And closer to the time of the auction, a sale bill with photos is planned.
Funds raised from both auctions will be used toward the renovation of the central and west wings of Erb Hall, a dorm for students.
Persons who have an item or artifact they think might be appropriate to donate for the Heritage Auction may contact Bill Zuercher at 620-327-8230; toll-free 866-HESSTON, or e-mail billz@hesston.edu.