Volunteer given surprise, awards for 13 years of service
by Jacob Courtney
Director Tina Larson and representative of the board of trustees for History Nebraska Katherine Endacott showed appreciation with more than a delicious meal and kind words to one special person at the Plainsman Museum’s volunteer appreciation luncheon Sunday afternoon.
Endacott presented volunteer of 13 years Bob Cool, with a certificate of recognition and a Heritage Hero pin to the complete surprise, though the museum management had noted his singular contributions to the local institution in a letter sent to History Nebraska.
“His knowledge and skills have benefitted us greatly over those years and he is showing no signs of easing up on his weekly schedule,” Larson had written to History Nebraska.
She further stated that Cool had clocked in on average 1,000 hours each year to the museum.
Endacott went on to list the attributes that attracted History Nebraska to honoring Cool.
“During this time of COVID, you’ve been making a big contribution in terms of the redesign of the agricultural building,” she recounted. “You also, I understand, rewind all the clocks in the museum, do all the detailed repairs, refinishes and restore artifacts. It sounds like everything in the museum has somehow gone through your hands at one time or another.”
After the presentation, Cool outlined his own history as well. Starting out in Hamilton County in 1978 with a farm west of Aurora, he was a teacher of American history in Grand Island. He began volunteering around 2010 as he retired and drove for Quest Diagnostics in the afternoons.
“I’m a clock collector. I collect antique clocks,” he said. “So that’s kind of how I got started and then one thing leads to another… I was free all morning, but then I would go to work at noon and be back by 5 o’clock.”
Still, the fact he was getting an award came as a shock to the volunteer, who attended the presentation with his wife Roberta, son Brandon and daughter-in-law Lisa.
“I was totally surprised,” Bob said. “I mean, I’m not the only one, certainly there’s other guys and gals who spend a lot of time volunteering.”
What Cool likes about volunteering is restoring wooden objects, furniture and exhibits to something that reminds the 80-year-old of his past.
“We just redid the displays in there and I liked the idea of going back to my period of time and designing a room that kind of looked like when I was growing up,” he commented.
Cool also stated his concerns with local museums, as attendance can be low on certain days.
“The museum, in general, is basically preserving the history of Hamilton County,” he said. “Probably 99 percent of the items in here originated in Hamilton County… We do get a great deal from the foundations, it’s just tough to have a consistent group of people coming in day after day.”
As for his future, Cool said he planned to be back Monday and wear the pin.
“I’ll wear it tomorrow when I come over here,” he stated. “The guys usually meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, most of the afternoon. I’ll wear that, stick it on my sweatshirt, and come in and stick it right in front of their noses.”
Overall, he will keep on at the Plainsman Museum, fixing one issue at a time.
“I’m just thankful that they recognize me for what I’ve done, but I enjoy what I’m doing,” he concluded.
Larson also thanked Cool for his service.
“Thank you Bob,” she said. “See, I love Bob because if I have an idea, and I say I think we should, he just look’s and me and goes, ‘No.’ So then I go back and revise it.”