Value is in the Heart of the Beholder

With spring around the corner, I got this itch to get ahead on some spring cleaning. Leaning along the wall in my bedroom, in vertical stacks, are old frames that I've kept safe for years. I finally decided to move them. Looking at each picture made me reminisce about old times, good times. Then I found "the Jesus picture." Normally, I'm creeped out by "Jesus pictures" but not this one. Since I was a little girl, I've always loved this one. Simple. Drawn with pencil or charcoal, I could never tell. It was always calming to me because the face reminded me of my dad. In fact, when I was little, I remember asking him if it was him. There wasn't a time where I'd pass this picture and not gaze at it and appreciate the artist. Even if it was just seconds, my eyes would lock on it all the time. My mom told me that the picture (with the frame) were bought at a garage sale in Dallas Center 40+ years ago, by my grandparents.

 Wiping away the dust off this old frame that I've kept for my mom the last few years, I picked it up. And in one fell swoop, the back came off, the picture and glass starting falling out as well, and here I was trying to piece it all back together. "Who's bright idea was it to tape the back of this frame?" I thought.

back of the frame. Yep. That's paneling taped to the back.  

I didn't think anything of the blank extra paper that was in there, assuming it was a typical backing piece of paper for the integrity of the picture. But then, the color struck me. "That looks old... really old." I thought.

the "old paper" I first saw. 

My curiosity, as always, got the better of me. I wanted to pick it up, touch it, and see what kind of design may have been on the other side, if anything at all.

I carefully fished it out of the framing. I quickly saw the other side was a type of document. I read the words at the top, "Guthrie County High School at Panora, IA"

"Cool! It's local!" I thought to myself. I saw the name "Mary E. Whisler." It was a high school diploma. I didn't recognize the name at all, but then my eyes scrolled down the document and then I locked in on the date.

"May 13th, of 1887"

Can we just take a moment and do this?....        "!!!!!!!!!"

"Guthrie County High School, at Panora, Iowa. To the Friends of Public Education, Greeting:
Be it known, that Mary E. Whisler has completed the Classical Course of Study prescribed for the Guthrie County High School, and is therefore certified to receive this Diploma. In Testimony, Whereof, the names of the Offices of the Board of Trustees, and the name of the Principal of the Guthrie County High School are hereunto subscribed this 13 day of May 1887." Signed Principal Ray and two Trustees (that I can't for sure make out there names). 

Almost instantly, my fingers were tingling with excitement, very aware of the sensation of aged paper. I've never held paper this old in my hands before. I put it back down carefully and yelled for my husband who was in the shower. He couldn't hear me. My children came into my room wondering what all the excitement was about. I explained to them this precious document, trying to help them understand how old it was. I told them, "America was only 100 years old when this diploma was made!" My ten year old son's eye grew wide, matching my excitement. Then I couldn't wait any longer, "Joshua! (my husband) Get out of the shower! You've got to see what I found!" Oh, the sweet man. He got out quickly and I watched as his face brightened with enthusiasm. We all dolled over the document, taking in all it's age. My husband got to work on the internet to find the name. I contacted my mom and aunt to see if they knew the name. They didn't but called all sorts of family/friends to help figure it out. I remember sitting there with the document laid out before me, just staring at it. Touching it delicately, like you would a painting. And then, I bent down and yes.... I smelled it. Several times. That old rich scent of wood and paper surged through my senses, making my imagination go wild with what life was like for Mary E. Whisler to achieve her high school diploma, likely dressed in those huge beautiful dresses I see in the old Jane Austen movies. This was exciting.

But I didn't know what to do with it. Surely there was a family or a museum that would love a document like this. It survived so well in this old frame with the back taped. (seriously, who's idea was that?)

I found another big frame, in much better shape, and re-framed the diploma to keep it safe. I gave it to my mom and we agreed her the task of finding out where it would best be given. A former boss of my mom's,  Lynnea Andersen, who is originally from Panora, helped Mom find more information. Lynnea called her dad and he gave them names and numbers of the family members of Mary E. Whisler. Mom talked to the only 2 living relatives of Mary and it was agreed that the best place for the diploma was at the Panora Museum.

I can't wait to visit the museum and see that very document that I found, and held, and yes, even sniffed, waiting for the world to enjoy it.


Special thanks to: (my mom) Linda Ruppert, (my aunt) Carmen Cratty, Lynnea Andersen, her father, Mary E. Whisler's family members, and the Panora Museum for taking special care of it from here on out.