Kewaunee County Historical Society recognizes volunteers of the year

By Star-News staff

KEWAUNEE – On May 20, the Kewaunee County Historical Society held their annual meeting, where Della Clabotts and Sherry Ewaskowitz were honored as volunteers of the year.

Clabotts and Ewaskowitz were recognized for their work with the county’s textile history.

“Ewaskowitz’s interest in textiles began in early childhood, when she watched her great-grandmother, Caroline Luedtke sew clothing, knit and crochet.  She went on to receive degrees in textile design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and historic textiles from the University of Wisconsin-Madison,” a release from the historical society stated.

In 1990, she researched the context and outcome of her great-grandmother’s work spanning eight decades in Kewaunee County.

“Almost five years ago, Sherry introduced herself to Richard Dorner to explore the needs of the Kewaunee County History Center with regards to preservation and exhibition of textiles and clothing.  Although there was no budget, the journey began to identify and catalog about 500 pieces currently in the collection.  She has received grants from the Wisconsin Federation of Museums  and Wisconsin Historical Society to advance this ongoing project.

Clabots started volunteering at the Kewaunee County Historical Society’s History Center on Thursdays and after getting to know Ewaskowitz, she began assisting her with the project.