Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums has awarded Geraldine Pedersen with the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award for her 40 years of service to the Jasper Historical Society.
She was honored at an April 25 reception at Treasure Island Resort and Casino near Red Wing where the organization recognized seven local history projects with a Minnesota History Award and nine individuals with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its ninth annual conference.
“I don’t know how to react to all this,” Pedersen said about the honor. “The museum had a rug on the floor when I started in 1981 and that was all. … I worked at it a little at a time, and it filled a lot of time for me. It was a satisfying experience, and that was all I needed.”
Today the building has two floors packed full of displays, thanks largely to Pedersen who also had some help from the museum board.
Reclaim Community of Jasper relied on Pedersen’s historical work and research for their efforts in saving the Jasper school building and getting it listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The group nominated Pedersen for the history award.
“We believe she is an inspiration to all and should receive all our thanks and congratulations,” said Elicia Kortus, president of Reclaim Community.
“If not for her quick action to gather community support and state historical support, the Jasper school might have been demolished after it closed in 2002. If not for her research work, we would not have been equipped with the necessary information to complete our National Register nomination for the Jasper School, which was just accepted by the Minnesota State Historical Preservation Office (in March).”
Kortus said Pedersen’s commitment to preserving the history of the people and places of Jasper was instrumental in the creation of Reclaim Community and for the listing of six of Jasper's historic buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
“This is not a small feat for a town of only 633,” Kortus said. She said that in an era of online Internet research, small-town museums can be easily overlooked as treasure troves of valuable historical data.
“Because all our history is physically in the museum, but not really online anywhere, I don’t think people have any idea how much work she has done day in and day out, completely donated and even paid for things out of pocket, and how much information is available,” Kortus said about Pedersen.
“She has so many binders full of hand-typed and copied stories, documents and records. She just finished a 200-page quarry history a year ago.”
Pedersen said she was encouraged by her uncle who had worked with the quarry to continue documenting its history.
“He told me, ‘If you don’t do it, it will be lost,’” she said.
“My family always believed that you do the best that you can for as long as you can, and looking back, I can say I did that, and I’m thankful it all turned out good.”
When Jasper celebrated the national bicentennial in 1976, Pedersen filled an entire newspaper edition with written history about the community and about nearly every historic building and business in town.
“That’s staggering really,” Kortus said. “It has been my absolute pleasure to get to know her. Without her my organization, Reclaim Community, wouldn’t exist.”
Kortus said Pedersen continues to work tirelessly in recording Jasper’s history while at the same time wanting no recognition or credit.
“Jerry is the most humble, ordinary, and committed person, who has done extraordinary work in compiling extensive historical records for over 40 years, following her eight years as editor and writer for the Jasper Journal,” Kortus said.
“At age 94 she is still actively collecting and archiving articles and writing historical record books on her typewriter. She is truly a gem, and we are so proud of her.”