Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Borchard, Kolpin and Olhausen feted for years of volunteerism
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Through their involvement with the Hartley Community Foundation, Howard Borchard, Connie Olhausen and Duane Kolpin have aided a variety of preservation projects since 2007.
Around 215 omelets were served Sunday by Red's Catering. Pictured here, Clayton Pyle cooks one for Becky Tschopp and granddaughter Willa Espey.
HCF Board Member Ron Sterk gave remarks about the trio during Sunday's omelet brunch.
Efforts of three longtime Hartley residents were celebrated Sunday during a special event at the community center.
Howard Borchard, Duane Kolpin and Connie Olhausen were the toast of the town during the omelet brunch, which served as fundraiser for the Hartley Community Foundation (HFC). All three individuals either served on the HCF's board of directors following its creation in 2007 or were instrumental in guiding projects that benefited from it.
"The best part of it is that it preserves the history of Hartley," said Olhausen, who played a vital role in creating the Patch-Eeten House Museum.
Under the umbrella of the Siouxland Community Foundation, HCF serves as a vehicle to carry out the charitable objectives of donors in communities like Hartley. Past projects have not only included the city's museum but also restoration efforts of the cemetery chapel and other causes.
Current HCF Board Member Ron Sterk gave a brief address during the brunch commemorating the trio's service. He believed the volunteerism and community spirit they've shown over the years "proves that life is good in a small town."
"These three folks have served diligently and faithfully to the town of Hartley, Iowa," he said. "We just appreciate your service, and we want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts."
All three individuals have lessened their roles with HCF this year. Borchard, 92, handed the reigns of the museum's WWII exhibit to Roy Wohlert, while Olhausen, 90, handed over duties as curator and caretaker of the museum to Pat McCarty. Kolpin, 87, also plans to reduce his role in board operations.
"You see the benefit of having people with knowledge about what's going on in Hartley, Iowa," Sterk said. "It is my prayer and my hope that I can live long enough and be helpful enough like these three people are."
Funds generated Sunday will be donated to five local non-profit groups: Hartley Community Center, Cemetery Chapel Committee, Hartley Community Daycare Center, Hartley Recreation Trail Committee and Friends of the Library. Sterk said events like the omelet brunch serve as a reminder about HCF's role and the impact it can have on local causes.
"One of the good things about donating in this fashion is that you get to see the benefits of your gift," he said. "We're not here to ask you to pull out your checkbook and donate thousands of dollars or millions of dollars, we're just here to create awareness about what's going on here and what you can do in your own small town in northwest Iowa."
