FROM THE BOARD

Well, here it is another Christmas season. It really looked the part outside for a while.

I hope snow comes again. It hasn't been good for museum visitation, but it has al-

lowed us to work on our internal museum tasks. Visitation was way better in 2009

than we expected for both American and international visitors. We are so grateful for

all you supporters and donors who have helped make the museum what it is. The last

few months have been like Christmas, in that we have received numerous article do-

nations. Every bag or box . contains another one-of-a-kind present. Of course no one

can top God's gift to us that first Christmas Eve. Thank you, and please have a

blessed Christmas

ON THE MAP!

Thanks to alert, Ann Murphy, for noticing and sending the USA Today article in a

Cover Story dated 4 Nov 2009. The Miracle of America

Museum is literally put o n the map. A US map, pin point-

ing places that ex hibit portions of the Berlin Wall, show

the MOAM, at Polson, as the only place in Montana dis-

playing pieces of the infamous wall which was razed 20

years ago this month.

The 5 chunks, now displayed in the military sec-

tion, have special meaning to the Museum founder, Gil

Mangels, who had viewed the erected wall in 1963 while

stationed in Germany as an Army MP. He took the photo

of the infamous Checkpoint Charlie (shown) while he was

stationed there. "Being in East Berlin helped me realize

that freedom is precious and fragile." says Gil, who also

said, "The best birthday present I ever received was when

I went to the mailbox and found the package containing 5 chunks of the wall sent by a shirttail relation sta-

tioned in Berlin when th e wall came down. " They were immediately placed on display with other historical

items related to the atrocities of communism and tyranny. In fact much of the patriotic venue of the museum

is a direct result of feelin gs Gil garnered at the wall and his tour of East Germany.

COST CUTTING EFFORTS

Many of you folks have already helped us save about $50 on this one mailing alone, by letting us e-mail

newsletters. Please, if you have an e- mail address send it to us so we can e-mail you beautifully colored

newsletters and save even more money. With the post offices frequently raising rates and not always depend-

able treatment of bulk mail, it has become burdensome to mail 400 newsletters every 3 months If you don't

have e mail but still want to receive the black and white newsletters just let us know.

With the recession, job cuts, business closures, wars, etc we realize your finances may be stretched to the

limit. We are very frugal and neither founders nor Board members receive any money from the mu-

seum. However we feel that it is now even more important to teach the principles of the original Con-

stitution. If you agr ee with us, would you please consider a Museum endowment in your estate plan-

ning? Your endowment would help insure the continuity of this museum. It is in your hands, now.

A Non-Profit

501-C-3 Corp.

81-0437386

36094 Memory Lane

Polson, MT 59860

Phone

406-883-6804

www.miracleofamericamuseum.org info@miracleofamerica museum.org

A Non-Profit

501-C-3 Corp.

81-0437386

DECEMBER 2009 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER PAGE 2

MISCELLANEOUS

DONATIONS

Larry Ashcraft -

his American Airlines uniform. He

flew for AA for one year and TWA for 36 years.

Phillip Barney M.D.

ad ded numerous medical tools

including,

biopsy

forceps, a

bone saw,

a surgical

sewing kit

mfg. by

Singer

sewing

machine

Co., etc

.

Ken Bales

- Petrolania and other

vintage auto items Including this

25pound gear lube can.

J

eselyn Carlson

donated a cute

doll with a crocheted outfit & a

100 yr old cast metal commemo-

rative train from the NY Central

RR line.

Phyllis Dresen

Injection syringe for sugar curing

hams. We've been working on a butcher shop which

we will probably call Utsond's locker. Do any of you

have old pictures of it?

Bob Engels -

monocoupe airplane model & airplane

photos

Phyllis Fulkerson

after deciding to move south, do-

nated several beautiful early Reservation photos. We

will be using them in the 100

th

year commemoration

of the reservation

Gloria Hasla m

- 3 box es vintage Christmas tree orna-

ments

Howard Hudson

comes in a couple of times a month

bringin g everything from usable 2 X 4 lumber to a 2

inch long airplane candy bottle which would have

held little tiny candy BBs and be used as a stocking

stuffer.

Gene Johnson

- a 1950s car-hop tr ay, early auto ac-

cessories & misc. wagon and farm equipment

Ed Manning

December 7

th

1941, "A day that will

live in infamy" as then President Roosevelt stated,

when he declared war on the Japanese Empire, after

their sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, that fateful mo rn-

ing. Among the American causalities was George

David Smart, of Polson Montana. His remains still

lie with hundreds of his shipmates in the hold of the

USS Arizona. There is a tribute display at the Mir a-

cle of America Museum, with rare Smart family and

Arizona memorabilia to remind viewers that freedom

is not free. This display recently received a gift f rom

WW II Veter an, Ed Manning, formerly of Wild

Horse Plains. Ed drove up from the state of Arizona

to present a limited edition print (#265) of the USS

Arizona before the Dec. 7

th

attack. In the photo Ed is

wearing a cowboy hat originally placed on his head

nearly 80 years ago by early silent film star, Tom

Mix. As a boy, Ed gave exemplary service to cus-

tomers at his dad's gas station in California. To show

his appreciation,

Tom Mix, placed

this hat on then 8

year old Ed's

head. It is now

hung in the mu-

seum, in the

Cowboy display.

Lucy McCrumb

donated 4 large

childrens color-

ing books from

1934

QUARTERL Y NEWSLETTER PAGE 3

Ken Miers

donated a vest/hat pin of an Indian Motor-

cycle

Harlan & Joel Olson

donated wheelwright tools and

petroleum antiques

Aaron Saunders

When he was deployed in Iraq, Aaron

obtained an Iraq 250 Dinars bill (about 50 cents

) and one of

Sadam's cousins personally autographed it to him.

Aaron donated the money here for display.

Dave Sergent-

1926

gallon Texaco can of

Pelican [mineral] oil.

The can was hand

made and soldered

together. It has held

the original oil for 83

years. Speaking of

oil, if anyone has

odds and ends of oil

cans or bottles of oil

or grease lyin g

around the garage,

we can use it for the

oilers and grease cups

on some of our

equipment and stationary engines.

Douglas Wendt

brought in model airplanes, engines,

props, and other related memorabilia dating back to

1934 and a 1991 Flash Gordon Coffee Table book

Dick Molenda -

Apiarian (Bee keepers) informational

posters on bees and Honey to go next to the fruit/

orchard displays in the newest building.

Tom Newgard

- Misc. tools, hardware, building sup-

plies and early boat motors. More story later.

Mike Noble -

Sound System & pretaped cds of the 50s,

-70s they've been hit in the soda fountain room.

Mrs. Otto Buchmann

- Wooden toys made by her late

husband, Otto, and Standard Oil Cans

Jea

n Schwartz

- donated

several very unique an-

tiques. First was a 1905 Hot Point 2 way Iron. It

could be plugged in a ver y early socket or heated on

the stove as most sad irons were. She also donated a

complete set

of the

Royal Game, Ping Pong or Ta-

ble Tennis. Ping Pong evolved, along with Badmin-

ton, from the ancient game of Tennis. The game was

developed in England in the late 1880s. The game

rights were bought by Parker Brothers and intro-

duced in 1901 to the US as Ping Pong This 1901 set

received its name from the sound the celluloid ball

made. The early paddles were paper, resembled bad-

minton racquets, and were called battledores.

.

Karen MacIntire Lenz -

real vintage paper dolls,

Dewey Yardstick (phone 25) Various 1950's Stud e-

baker item from her father, Jean's, Studebaker deal-

ership. He built the beautiful block and brick build-

ing on the corner of 1

st

str. E. and Hwy 93 where

Beacon Tire is now. More story Later

Tammi (Baer) and Jim Dvorak and children-

Jessy & Danny Dvorak -

spent a couple of days

transferring winter items into the new building with

the snowmobiles and setting them up in a great new

display. They donated several 1920-30 antique bot-

tles. This bottle is one of the

earliest known of the lemon

soda and claims to be lithian-

ated. So in those days Coca

cola had its cocaine and 7 up

had its lithian. Both were de-

veloped by pharmacists and

were claimed to be great cures.

7Up claimed it did more than

settle your stomach, it dis-

pelled han govers and took the

"ouch" out of grouch. Who

could beat that?

Rick Anderson

, from Staples

Minnesota, again vacationing in

Montana, gave us two days of me-

chanical assistance getting museum

vehicles running.

We have been segregating and im-

proving sev eral displays. The need for that became ob-

vious when we were videotaping. Yes, you heard cor-

rectly, after a lot of arm twisting, we've finally begun

taping "A Walk Down Memory Lane", a series of

DVDs showing the various displays. Gil tells most of

the story behind the items in each display, why it is an

important part of the display and the unique features of

several items in each display.

Paul Bonelli

is the video-

grapher and he asks lots of insightful questions.

Sharon Christianson

worked the front desk thereby

giving Joanne some relief when she really needed it

Rodney Cogliatti

spent

a day fix ing up RR items

Clint Chowning

of American Truss loaned his loader

and a volunteer oper ator to make some repairs on the

windmill

Greg Knutson of Glass Connection,

has done LOTS

of glass cutting and has donated several pieces of used

glass and some large

glass entrance doors, which we

can often utilize as is for display cases, etc.

Stephen Naethe -

fisherman ex traordinaire, has spent

several hours or ganizing in the boat and fishing build-

ing. It is a vast improvement

Greg Grisak

-

Odyssey Auto Glass

has helped sev-

eral times give museum vehicles better windows and a

rock chip repair .

Daylan Dupuis of Dupuis Lumber

donated some

nice lumber to restore our flare side wagon

.

David

Bosley

, who

often helps

Gil in the

shop did

a lot of the

carpentr y.

Good Job ,

David.

CONDOLENCES-

Escoe Lewis recently passed

away. He had mar ried Vi Pinkerman whose family

was one of the first to grow "Flathead Cherries"

and he donated their weigh scale and first picking

table. We will miss him and his humor.

THANKS TO NEW

AND RENEWING

MEMBERS

Rick & Karen

Anderson

Dennis Conrad

Jeffrey Funk

Paul Fugleberg

Frank & Lulu Stock

Spark & Throttle Car Club

Miracle of America Museum

36094 Memory Lane

Polson, MT 59860

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