Who was Mary Musser? - Linden Hill Historical Event Center

Preserving the historic Musser and Weyerhaeuser homes on the Mississippi River,
and providing related educational and cultural experiences, now and for the future.
Who was Mary Musser?
Mary Musser, adopted daughter of Sarah Walker Musser and Richard Drew Musser, was born
Mildred Frances Chapman in Minneapolis on June 4, 1915. A beautiful, dark-haired little girl,
Mary melted the hearts of her parents when she came home with them at three months of age.
Mary was schooled at home with her sister, Laura Jane who was born June 4, 1916, until the
eighth grade. She then attended the Hartridge School (Plainfield, New Jersey, 1930-1934) and
the Pine Manor Junior College (Wellesley, Mass. 1934-1937).
Mary Musser married in 1939, and the wedding was described,
“In a beautiful setting of pines, cream chrysanthemums and cathedral candles in the
spacious music room at the home of Mr. & Mrs. R. D. Musser Saturday evening their
daughter Miss Mary became the bride of Roger Eugene King.” ( Jan Warner,1993, Morrison
County Historical Society.)
Mary and Roger King lived in Pittsburgh, PA, and had four children together. They divorced in
1955. Mary married Alan Gilmore in 1957, and they moved to northern California, where they
lived until Mary’s death at age 76 on August 18,1991, in San Mateo County, California.
Mary and a cousin Mary Catherine McWhirter, a step-daughter of Laura Musser McColm Atkins,
Mary’s aunt from Muscatine, Iowa were instrumental in creating the Muscatine Art Center. The
gift of the Musser Mansion in 1965, to be used as a memorial art gallery and museum was the
beginning of an art museum facility in Muscatine. As Laura Musser McColm Atkins’ heirs, Mary
Catherine and Mary donated the home and grounds to the city of Muscatine in her memory. A
$100,000 endowment fund was also given by them to assist in the mansion’s maintenance.
(Muscatine Art Center, 2008.)
Mary Musser also donated a large portion of her valuable art collection to be exhibited at the
center, including 11 paintings, drawings and etchings by some of the most well-known artists of
the 19th and 20th centuries: Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse and PierreAuguste Renoir. The collection was a gift was given in honor of her parents, Richard Drew
Musser and Sarah Walker Musser.
Spring 2014
Thoughts from your President~
The winter of 2014 had been a long, cold one but
at Linden Hill, time always seems to move quickly.
Our volunteers are always working on their special
projects with snow and ice removal being the big one
these past few months. I want to send a BIG, BIG
thank you to all who have helped.
My volunteer time this winter was spent on the
second floor of the Weyerhaeuser home where it was
warm! I removed the old, gold carpeting, refinished
the floor and put a new runner in the hallway to
showcase the beautiful, original wood floor. The
runner matches the one on the staircase that I added
last winter.
The Heritage Preservation Committee is busy
organizing, cleaning and displaying different artifacts
(and sometimes finding new ones). Maintenance is
always an ongoing project on two homes of this size
and age. We just received a paint grant from Valspar,
so we hope to get the Musser home scraped and
painted this summer. Also, we are getting a muchneeded new roof on the barn.
Spring is here and with it a lot of events! We are
looking forward to spring cleanup day, a Mother’s
Day Brunch, the tour guide meeting, our annual plant
sale, ‘Lumberjack Days’ for the local schools, ‘Dinner
in Black and White’ and several more events. The
Garden & Grounds committee will be in full swing
with the Dolan’s back for the summer! It is great to
see our volunteers returning from warmer climates.
Come in and meet our amazing managers in the
office. Christina Gottwalt is our site manager and
Joelle Mushel is her assistant. We are always in need
of more volunteers and they can help find a fit for
you.
I always get back more than I give in
volunteering.
I have met and made so many
wonderful friends!
Remember! Your membership includes a FREE
TOUR during either our summer tour schedule or the
‘Christmas in the Mansions’ event. You will need to
bring your membership card to take advantage of this
offer!
Barb Fjeld
Laura Jane’s Gift Shoppe
Looking for just the right gift for a friend who is an
avid antiques collector? Don’t forget to check out the
wonderful items available in ‘Laura Jane’s Shoppe’!
The Heritage Preservation Committee has been
searching for items pertaining to Linden Hill.
Located now in the ‘Schoolhouse’ next to the Weyerhaeuser home, the shop is filled with everything from
cookbooks and beautifully quilted pieces to scarves
and special Linden Hill items. Open for the season
starting the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
Greetings from Site Manager,
Christina Gottwalt
Spring is finally here and with
it a much needed change in the
snowy landscape! Grass has appeared on the front
lawn and Joelle and I can’t wait to see the beautiful
gardens come to life. It’s been wonderful getting to
know some of the volunteers and HPC members and
we look forward to seeing more faces as we move
into the busy summer season.
The office has been fielding calls from potential
customers and reaching out to new clients through
some marketing strategies. We have also been
involved in the planning of our annual Better With
Age fundraiser taking place this June.
Our spring and summer rentals are filling up. We
still have weekends available so if you need to plan a
family reunion, wedding or weekend getaway, give us
a call and see what we have open! Our office
number is 616-5580.
Have you had a chance to check out our website?
Check us out at www.linden-hill.org. You can find out
what is happening here at Linden Hill. We are also on
Facebook, so please check us out and ‘like’ us. We’d
love to hear from you!
“SPRING BLOOMS AND FRAGRANCE”
FROM YOUR GARDEN & GROUNDS COMMITTEE
We are excitedly anticipating our 6th year of serving and enhancing the beauty and legacy of Linden Hill. We are blessed to have so many
committed volunteers from our FOLH family and community to carry out our activities.
Last summer Mr. Doug Ploof’s classes prepared and seeded lawn areas and labored to remove “mountains” of buckthorn from the Musser
pond. This spring, classes will plant trees on the hillside, and the horticulture class will replant a large flower bed in the formal garden area. Wait
until you see the new natural wood benches that Mr. Ploof and students donated to Linden Hill! They will be placed around to accent the beautiful views at Linden Hill.
We have a new, unique, bicycle rack—matching the Linden Hill era provided by a grant through the Little Falls Convention and Visitors
Bureau. Thank you!
Our grandest goal this summer will be to install the underground watering system in the circle, arbor, and pavilion areas, thanks to the generosity of the Henry Boeddeker family, the Little Falls Exchange Club, Walmart, and Little Falls Township. The installation will be done by Linden
Hill volunteers directed by Jerry Bolden. We’ll begin as soon as possible. Contact us if you can help.
In order to achieve our goals we rely on our fundraisers. We have some great ones coming up this spring and summer. Our Annual Plant
Sale will be Saturday, May 31, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Read more about it below! The First Annual Linden Hill Community Garden Walk will
take place Tuesday, July 15, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm. We will be showcasing our gardens and grounds, our volunteer gardeners, and other
Little Falls gardens. Tickets will be available at Linden Hill. More details to come! Please support this activity by participating.
We will welcome LFCHS students on Wednesday, May 7, for the “Day of Caring”. All are welcome to join the students on this day! Our
annual “Spring Clean-up Day” will be on Monday, May 19, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Contact the Linden Hill office or Denis to participate.
As always, we welcome you to join our committee efforts: adopting a garden or grounds structure; Thursday lawn mowing, trimming and
grooming; or, any regular grounds cleaning. We have a task for everyone. The more hands, the more beautiful and finished Linden Hill will become. We all have a share in maintaining the tranquility of the Linden Hill legacy.
If you are interested in joining us for any or all of these projects, please call the office, 616-5580, or Denis, 632-8167. Thank you!
The 2014 Garden and Grounds committee:
Denis Dolan—Chair, Kathy Bzdok—Secretary, Wayne Anderson, Mary Lou Chaney, Janelle Johnson, Deb Nelson, Janell Staab, Linda Weiss,
Francie West, and Committee Consultants– Don Fiedler, Doug Ploof, and Wayne Pikal.
Annual Plant Sale
Saturday May 31, 2014
8 AM—2 PM
The annual FOLH plant sale is a wonderful time to share the bounty of your perennial gardens. Your green donations will be transformed into funds that sustain and improve the Garden and Grounds of Linden Hill.
How can you become involved in the Plant Sale?
1. Split your perennials this Spring. You may use your own pots or Linden Hill has numerous pots
to set your plants in. You will find the pots in the garage at the Caretakers Cottage, just stop by
the office and have them open it. Half gallon and gallon size containers work the best.
All varieties of flower, vegetable, and fruit plants are welcome!
2. Bring your plants to the area around the pavilion during the last week of May.
3. Vintage tools, garden “jewelry”, and other garden necessities are needed for the
sale as well.
If you have any questions contact Francie West, Chairperson, at 632-5062,
Mary Lou Chaney 260-6968, or Linda Weiss 320-360-2198.
Spring 2014
Heritage Preservation Committee
Work for HPC never stops at Linden Hill and we love it! This
winter the HPC Office, which we call ‘Francie’s Office’, was reorganized, as much of Laura Jane’s music that had been classified by
the Elderhostel was put into storage. ‘Marge’s Miracle’ (the north
room in the basement), named for the wonderful work of Marge Nelson, contains all of the Weyerhaeuser Christmas decorations. There
is also an area for us to work with artifacts and exhibit materials.
We are in the process of re-doing
some of our exhibits, and we know they
will be exciting for visitors to see during
summer tours. Rose’s room will feature a
‘Downton Abbey Garden Party’ theme
using beautiful clothing from the Linden
Hill attics. We know the Mussers had
many such parties on the lawns of Linden
Hill and we hope you enjoy taking a step
back in time with this exhibit. The Travel
room will feature artifacts from Africa and a display of the Musser’s
Lindbergh treasures. Linden Hill’s stunning dishes will be on display
in the Dining room in the exhibit, ‘China Patterns-a-Plenty’. The
Mussers left 15 sets of superb china and we will set the table with
about eight different sets throughout the summer—a must see! The
centerpiece will feature an exquisite Musser silver tray recently
returned to Linden Hill by an anonymous friend. Many years ago,
Laura Jane had loaned the tray to another friend for a gathering for
the governor.
In preparation for the summer tour season, the HPC decided to
remove the second floor hall carpet. The old carpet Laura Jane
installed in the 1950s was loose and a hazard. A big thanks to Barb
Fjeld and Jay Dirkishing from Denny’s Floor Covering for donating
their skills to get the job done and put a new quarter round in the hall!
Finally, we are moving ‘Laura Jane’s Shoppe’ to a new location!
We have outgrown our present location so we will be moving the gift
shop to the ‘Schoolhouse’, just south of the Weyerhaeuser home.
This will allow better access for our visitors, especially the summer
bus tours.
Join us this summer for a tour—something new to see and hear
every time you visit!
Pat Sharon, HPC Chair
Linden Hill ‘Wish List’:
~ Donations for painting the white house
~ Acid free boxes for storing artifacts
~ Tour guides
Brunch on the Hill
Treat yourself and your mom
to an elegant brunch in the
Musser Home, Linden Hill
Mother’s Day, May 11, 2014
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Limited Seating, by
Advance Tickets Only
More information on page 7
under Upcoming Events
Tickets available at
Linden Hill, Ambiance@53
and The Old Creamery
Quilt Shop in Randall
Spring 2014
Hospitality Committee
Tour Guides
The wonderful volunteer Tour Guides at Linden Hill are
the most amazing folks! These are wonderful storytellers,
sharing the history of our Linden Hill families, the Mussers
and Weyerhaeusers, as well as the history of the houses
and the early Pine Tree Lumber Company. We are looking
forward to continuing this with our veteran guides as well as
looking for new recruits to join our team!
The volunteer Tour Guide’s ‘Spring GATHERING’ will
be held Monday, May 5, 2014 at 11:00 am in the Musser
mansion, Conference Room. This gathering is for both
new and returning guides. We will be giving a full tour of
the Weyerhaeuser home in addition to other training.
Please RSVP to LH office at
616.5580 or [email protected]
if you plan to attend.
The Friends of Linden Hill Hospitality Committee was formed to take the Musser mansion
to the next level for our customers lodging
enjoyment.
The initial project will consist of the kitchen,
maid’s room/storage (off the kitchen) and both
pantries.
The following are a few of our upcoming projects:
 Update kitchen linen

Line and organize all drawers

Sew kitchen and pantry curtains

View kitchen and pantry areas as a guest
would and organize accordingly

Purchase white bath towels and washcloths
-Marge Nelson Committee Chair
Committee members: Noonie Boldon, Linda
~Pat Sharon & Barb Fjeld, Co-chairs
LeMieur, Janelle Staab, Rose Ann Wong
Let the office know if you are interested
in joining this new committee!
Maintenance Committee
The Maintenance Committee has stayed busy maintaining the homes and moving snow this winter.
This spring our big projects will be monitoring the replacement of shingles on the stable and carriage garage. The contract has
been let and work should begin soon. We are looking for volunteers to paint the trim for the stable/carriage garage before the
contractor installs it. Paint and brushes will be provided along with as much fun as you can have painting. We also have a project
replacing shingles that have blown off the green house. Of course the shingles came off on the 3rd floor, outer edge of a dormer,
on the steepest part of the roof. We have a contractor to do the outside work on the roof, but we will be needed to assist him by
getting materials to the attic and monitoring the contractor. He will use a safety rope to the inside of the attic to prevent from
falling off the roof.
We will also assist the Garden Committee with the installation of underground sprinklers in the circle and the area in front of
the school house. This will keep the grass green in these areas all summer without someone needing to set out and move sprinklers daily.
The last spring project is to find the electrical problem with the security lights at the main entrance. They blew a circuit breaker
last fall when the ground became wet and the early winter prevented us from completing the job then.
We still need volunteers on the Maintenance Committee. We don’t meet often but just come in and do the work. Call the office
at 616-5580 and get your name on our list. We will contact you when we need help.
-Mel Kurowski, Chair
Guided Tours to be Offered Throughout Summer 2014!
The FOLH have advertised that guided tours will be available throughout the summer beginning just after
Memorial Day through Labor Day. The guided tours will be offered on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 11:00 and 1:00, as a full tour of both homes takes approximately 45 minutes per house. Tours
are also available on weekends by appointment. Tour rates are available for individuals and groups at
www.linden-hill.org/pricing.php
Encourage visiting friends and family to tour Linden Hill this summer!
We’re Cookin’ at Linden Hill!!
The Heritage Preservation Committee has found some of the recipes and menus that the Mussers enjoyed here at Linden Hill. Over the next few months we will share them with you, as well as notes from
cook Pauline Doroff. In the meantime, we would like to put together a Friends of Linden Hill cookbook!
We know that we have many fabulous cooks among our members, and this is a wonderful way to gather
those cook’s special recipes, share them with others, AND raise funds for Linden Hill’s operating costs.
Adding your recipes is so easy! Follow these simple steps: 1.) Go to the website: www.typensave.com
2.)Type User Name: Linden Hill 3.)Type Contributor Password: whisk264 4.) Enter your recipe(s).
That’s it!! Don’t have a computer or don’t want to enter them in? No problem, just send your recipe(s) to
Joelle Mushel, [email protected] or mail to: Linden Hill, 608 Highland Avenue, Little Falls, MN 56345.
Our office staff will type them in for you. When it is completed, the cookbook will be available in the FOLH
gift shop and the office at Linden Hill.
Financial Report
Linden Hill’s Financial results for the first three months, ending on March 31, 2014, show an improvement over last year’s results and have exceeded our budget for the same period. Income of $22,572 for
the period compares to last year’s $18,975 and budgeted income of $19,820. As a result, expenses over
revenues were less than last year and improved from budget. The improvement in 2014 revenues
comes principally from increases in quilt retreat and overnight rental revenues.
Expenses for the first three months of $27,020 were $2,246 higher than last year, primarily as a result of
higher heating costs.
For The Months Ended March 31, 2014
2014
2013
2014 Budget
Income
$22,572
$18,975
$19,820
Expenses
$27,020
$24,774
$27,974
Mark Your
Upcoming
Calendars
Events
Volunteer Tour Guide’s ‘SPRING GATHERING’ (for new and returning guides)
Date: Monday, May 5, 2014
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Musser Home, Conference Room
Description: This training is for new and returning tour guide volunteers and will include a full tour of the Weyerhaeuser home.
New guides will receive a complete tour guide book and be given the tips and tricks of giving a good tour. Lunch will be provided and
we will discuss the summer tour season! Please contact the Linden Hill office if you are interested in joining the team of guides or if
you plan on returning for another great season. 616-5580 or [email protected]
Spring Brunch on the Hill
Date: Sunday, May 11, 2014
Time: 11:30am-1:00pm
Location: Musser home, Linden Hill
Cost: $20/person, by advance tickets only
Description: Treat your mother to an elegant brunch in the Musser home and experience a delicious meal while listening to the
peaceful sounds of music provided by the LFCHS band. Limited seating by advance tickets only. Tickets are $20/person and the menu
includes Mimosas, Quiche, Maple Glazed Ham, Scones, Baby Red Home Fries, Fresh Fruit, Tea and Coffee. Tickets can be purchased at
Ambiance @53, The Old Creamery Quilt Shop in Randall and Linden Hill. Call our office at 616-5580 for more information.
Spring Clean-up Day—a day for all
Date: Monday, May 19, 2014
Time: 9:00am-2:00pm
Location: Linden Hill Grounds
Description: Join us for all or part of the day to do what needs to be done, inside and out, to get ready for spring and summer.
Lunch will be served. Please RSVP to the office, 616-5580, or Denis Dolan, 632-8167.
Annual Plant Sale Fundraiser
Date: Saturday, May 31, 2014
Time: 8:00am-2:00pm
Location: Linden Hill Pavilion
Description: Purchase unique plants at a reasonable price to plant at home or share with friends. All proceeds from the sale of
plants will be used toward the beautification of Linden Hill’s gardens and grounds.
‘Better With Age’ Fundraiser
Date: Thursday, June 26, 2014
Time: 5:30pm-10:00pm
Location: Upper grounds, Linden Hill
Cost: $30/person in advance; $35/person at the door
Description: The Friends of Linden Hill and Horizon Health invite you to join us for an evening of good food, good friends and good
fun. There will be a live auction, silent auction and live entertainment by the LFCHS Jazz Ensemble. Price includes a self-guided tour of
the historic Musser and Weyerhaeuser mansions, dinner and beverages.
1st Annual Garden Walk
Date: Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Time: 3:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Linden Hill Grounds
Cost: TBD, tickets will be available at Linden Hill
Description: A showcase of our gardens and grounds, our volunteer gardeners, and other Little Falls gardens. More details to come!
Linden Hill
Historical Event Center & Museum
608 Highland Avenue
Little Falls, MN 56345
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 24
LITTLE FALLS, MN
“Where History Lives On!”
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Barb Fjeld
Rose Ann Wong
Janelle Johnson
Jim Weiss
Don Belisle
Bonnie Bieniek
Noonie Bolden
Mel Kurowski
Linda LeMieur
Marge Nelson
Liz Rydeen
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Friends of Linden Hill Membership
Name: _______________________________________
Address:______________________________________
_____________________________________________
Phone #:______________________________________
This is a renewal membership ___ Yes ___ No
MEMBERSHIP LEVELS
Cathy VanRisseghem City Liaison
Christina Gottwalt Site Manager
Joelle Mushel
Asst. Site Manager
Mary Anderson
Housekeeper
Volume 19, Spring 2014
Contact us at:
PHONE:
(320) 616-5580
FAX:
(320) 616-5585
www.linden-hill.org
[email protected]
The Linden Letter Editor and Design: Pat Sharon
____$25.00
Individual
____$100.00 Business/Professional
____$35.00
Family
____$250.00
Patron
____$50.00
Contributor
____$500.00
Sustaining
$_________Donation
____$1,000.00 Benefactor
Make check payable to: Friends of Linden Hill
Mail to: Linden Hill, 608 Highland Avenue,
Little Falls,
MN 56345