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I N S I D E
T H I S
I S S U E :
Sasquatch
Speakers
2
Volunteer! 2
Meet Brim
Smith
3
SMU Statue
Turns 100!
3
Retired
Teachers
Advocacy
6
L A C E Y MU S E UM
Museum Musings S P R I N G 2 0 1 9
SAVE THE
DATES!
Sasquatch
Revealed Exhibit,
May 31 through
August 31, Lacey
Museum and Lacey
City Hall
Sasquatch
Revealed
Opening Day
Event, Friday, May
31, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.,
Lacey Museum and
Lacey City Hall
Historic Neighbor-
hood Walking
Tour, Saturday,
June 29, 10 a.m.,
Lacey Museum
Sheler Leaves Legacy in Lacey Parks & Recreation Jim Sheler graduated from
Oregon State University
with a B.S. in recreational
administration. From there
he went on to be a park
supervisor in Corvallis, OR
and then parks & recreation
supervisor for the City of
Albany, Oregon.
In 1974 at age 27, he was
appointed Lacey parks &
recreation director with a
salary of $12,000. Highlights
of his career include the
development of Woodland
Creek Community Park,
along with the Community
Center and Senior Center,
Rainier Vista Park, Huntamer
Park and stage, and the
Regional Athletic Complex.
Not as visible, but just as
important to the Lacey
community, is the develop-
ment of robust recreation,
aquatic and cultural
programs, an impressive
array of community events,
and the Lacey Museum.
In 2010 he was honored
with the Washington Parks
and Recreation Distinguished
Service award for his
commitment and contribu-
tions to the field.
In his first month on the job
as Lacey’s first full-time parks
& recreation director, Sheler
said, “I would like to gain as
much park property as our
department can handle and
maintain.”
Mission accomplished, sir. In
his 35 years, Sheler’s depart-
ment went from 3 parks to a
dazzling 26 on 530 acres!
Many staff members he hired
still work for Lacey Parks &
Recreation and they have
nothing but high praise and
love for him. Sheler, for his
part, knew he could not
realize these goals on his
own. To his successor, Lori
Flemm. he wrote, “You are
inheriting a strong, profes-
sional staff that will help
make you shine. I know this
because they allowed me to
do my job and not worry
From top to bottom: Regional Athletic Com-
plex, Jim speaking at Rainier Vista dedication,
Huntamer Park stage, Senior Center
SHELER Continued, page 2
M U S E U M M U S I N G S
It takes a lot of people
helping to make our
programs a reality. We
couldn’t do it without our
stellar group of volunteers.
Would you like to join this
great group?
Contact Curator Erin
Quinn Valcho at
360-413-3557.
about whether they could
handle theirs. Obviously I
am very proud of the folks
and what the collective ‘we’
have accomplished.”
The community lost an in-
credible presence when Jim
passed away on April 13,
2019. He was loved by
many and will be missed by
all who knew him.
SHELER, CONTINUED
Spotlight on... Commissioner Brim Smith
Commendation Medal.
After his military career he worked for
the Washington State Department of
Transportation in several positions. He
supervised the travel analysis section
and edited the Annual Traffic Report.
His next position was developing
WSDOT’s mapping-grade Global Posi-
tion System training program. His last
15 years with WSDOT was as an
economist and editor of The Hybrid
Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Report.
In 1999, he graduated from Syracuse
University’s Master of Social Science
program, an interdisciplinary degree in
history, political science, and interna-
tional relations. He received his Ph.D.
from Gonzaga University in leadership
studies. His dissertation was on
celebrity politics. Dr. Smith has taught
history, business communications, and
managerial economics as an adjunct
professor. He has written extensively
on the life and work of the Anglo-
American writer P. G. Wodehouse
and is president of The Wodehouse
Society, a literary society with interna-
tional membership. He authored arti-
cles on Kurt Vonnegut, P. G. Wode-
house, and Slaughterhouse-Five for
the Encyclopedia of Prisoners of War
and Internment. He sings tenor with
Masterworks Choral Ensemble and
has sung several solos. He has been
on stage in two Olympia Musical
Theatre productions, The Fantas-
ticks! and She Loves Me.
Currently, Brim can be found work-
ing at the Visitor Center on the
Capitol Campus, giving guided tours
at the State Capitol and Governor’s
Mansion, or at the Lewis Army Mu-
seum at Joint Base Lewis McChord.
Most recently, he wrote their
Museum’s Docent Training Guide.
Having spent two careers in trans-
portation, Dr. Smith is especially
interested in the development of the
Lacey train depot reproduction.
Transportation networks are an
important factor in a region’s histo-
ry and the Lacey Train Station was
an important development in the
creation of this community.
Thank you for your service, Brim!
P A G E 3
Major Thomas Langston Reeves “Brim” Smith
enlisted in the U. S. Navy in 1976 as an aviation
structural mechanic. After one enlistment, he
returned to college and earned a Regular Army
commission in the Transportation Corps. Among
his many assignments were tours of duty in
Antarctica, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. He was
commander of the Transportation Company of the
Multinational Force and Observers, Sinai, Egypt.
His last assignment was with the military
intelligence brigade at Fort Lewis, Washington,
retiring from the Army in 1998. His awards include
five Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint Service
Commendation Medal, and the Army
Saint Martin’s Sacred Heart of Jesus Sculpture Turns 100
The sculpture that adorns the grand
staircase in front of Old Main on Abbey
Way was donated by a group of men who
attended the first Knights of Columbus
Laymen’s Retreat in Washington on the
Saint Martin’s College campus in July of
1918.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the
most popular images of Jesus, meant to
portray the image of God’s love through
the pierced heart of His Son.
The sculpture was created by the German-
American stone artisan and sculptor, Carl
Biber (sometimes misidentified as Charles
or Clarence), who was a partner in Carrier
& Biber, an artificial stone
manufacturer in Tacoma. The stone block
from which the statue was carved was
created from a mixture of marble dust and
cement, a technique that Biber brought
with him from Germany.
People watching marveled at the artistry of
the sculptor as indicated in the 1919 Saint
Martin’s publication, the Martian, “The very
stone seemed to come to life at the will of
the artist and as we stood with reverent
awe and devotion we saw before us the
truly wonderful image of Christ Himself.”
Biber’s handiwork can be seen in Wash-
ington, Oregon and Idaho in decorative
elements of structures like Bellarmine
Preparatory School and the Masonic
Temple in Tacoma. Other religious
sculptures can be seen in his Stations
of the Cross at the Benedictine
Monastery of St. Gertrude in Idaho.
Courtesy Saint Martin’s University
PLEASE NOTE: The Lacey Museum will be closed until May 18th as we prepare for a new
exhibit. Please be sure to confirm museum hours at our website: laceymuseum.org.
Lacey Museum
829 Lacey Street SE
Lacey, WA 98503
Open Thursday & Friday 11 am-3 pm
Saturday 10 am - 4 pm
FREE Admission
Phone: 360-438-0209
E-mail: [email protected]
www.laceymuseum.org
Our Mission
The Museum enriches our community and engages
visitors by sharing vibrant stories of the past
through the preservation and celebration of Lacey
and the South Sound region’s cultural heritage.
On September 18, 1954, a small group of
women met at Olympia High School to
organize an Olympia and Thurston County Chapter of the Retired Teach-
ers’ Association. The first president was
Mabel Fox. Their goals were to promote the
social and educational welfare of retired
teachers, keep their interest in education alive,
take an active part in civic affairs, and make an
organized effort to secure and maintain
suitable homes for retired teachers.
The early meetings of the group were held on
the third Saturday of each month, usually
excluding the holidays and summer months,
except for the occasional summer picnic.
Their meeting locations varied and included
Olympia High School, the Olympia
Community Center, the Coach House of the
State Capitol Museum, the Courthouse, res-
taurants, and even members’ homes when a
public location could not be found. When
necessary, members were asked to bring their
own sack lunch.
The group grew and by 1956, there were 26
members reported. Early issues of concern
included insurance, pension, legislation, health
care and community service.
By the early 1960s, membership attendance
had dwindled; sometimes there were not even
enough members to hold a meeting. Historian
Ruby Dingee attributed the decline to the loss
of early leaders Mabel Foxwell and Fannie
Johnson with no replacement leadership to
Museum Staff Contacts
Erin Quinn Valcho
Museum Curator
360-413-3557
Sarah Thirtyacre
Alan Tyler
Roemello Chavez,
Youth Commissioner
follow them. The group considered joining
forces with another unit nearby. The
breaking point came in April 1964 when the
nominating committee had no candidate for
president.
Later that year, a meeting attended by the
state association president and 22 members
was held to discuss the group’s
reorganization. It was reborn under a new
name (Olympia was dropped), a new presi-
dent (June Ramaker), a new constitution,
and the institution of membership year-
books. Meetings were held mostly at local
restaurants on the 3rd Friday of the month.
Ruth Ball, a resident of Panorama City,
introduced the idea of meeting at Panorama
by hosting in her home in January 1965. By
the end of that year, 50 or more members
attended each meeting. Men also began to
join and take active part in the group. By
1967, there were 13 men out of 88
members. Another turning point occurred in
January 1966, the first time the group met at
the Panorama restaurant.
The first male president to run the
organization was Herman Miller, who served
from 1967-1970. Under his leadership,
Panorama’s restaurant became the
designated meeting place as it is today.
On July 28, 1997 an endowment fund was
established to provide small grants to
teachers in Thurston County to enhance
learning in their classrooms.
President Karen Keller presents
River Ridge teacher Denny
Gradoville with a mini-grant, 2017
In 2002, their name changed to Thurston
County School Retirees’ Association
(TCSRA) to be more inclusive. By 2005,
there were 623 members—one of the
largest in the state. Over the years five
members have become state presidents.
Only the Seattle unit has provided more
presidents from their organization.
As of 2018, the ranks of TCSRA have
swollen to nearly 800 members and they
serve all retired and active school
employees. TCSRA has donated their
organizational archives to the Lacey
Museum. We are proud to be their
historical custodians. These records are
open to the public.
Marisa Merkel
Museum Educator
360-438-0209
Erich Ebel, Chair
Kimberly Goetz, Vice Chair
Jeff Crane
Seth Huff
Thomas Smith
Lacey Historical Commissioners
65 Years of Advocating for Retired Teachers
