• Volunteers Needed to Keep Museum Open This Summer:  Thank you to the individuals who have been volunteering to keep the museum open on Fridays and Saturdays.  We still have some openings.  On days when the museum is open, few people walk through, but we hope this will improve as our consistency in being open increases.

• Missouri Mule Museum (MMM):  The Perry Chamber has selected Jim and Jeanie Gay, curators of the Missouri Mule Museum, as the Parade Marshals for the Perry 4th of July celebration!  Thanks to Gary and Debbie Hodges, Jim and Jeanie will lead the parade in a surrey pulled by mules.  Jeanie shared that two new MMM billboards will go up in July and August, and a MMM ad will also appear in the Western Mule Magazine.  Recently, women from the University of Missouri Mule Team donated pictures to the MMM.  These individuals picked up MMM brochures to distribute at the Missouri State Fair.  MMM brochures are also available at Mark Twain State Park, and the  Boudreaux Center, and individuals often note that's how they heard about the museum.  To date, individuals from 21 states and two countries (China and the Philippines) have visited the MMM, which is located on Main Street in Perry.

• Perry Bank Restoration: No updates

• Preserving County Documents and other artifacts: No updates

• Area Historical Society Meeting:  Area historical societies will meet at Randolph County Historical Society on August 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.  Bill Dexheimer shared that the Fort Mason monument is now listed on the Historical Marker Database (https://www.hmdb.org/), as is Ilasco.  Delores shared that Linda Bondy recently shared information about another historical marker website, Missouri Crossroads (https://www.missouricrossroads.org/), which will be discussed at the August 7th meeting.  These websites may provide a good way to highlight historical sites within our county.

• All Time History: No updates.

• Current Research Requests:  A follow-up request to last month’s Stillwell request has been received.

• Public Outreach Opportunities:  

  • June 19:  Perry Lions Club Parking Lot Party:  Starts at 5 pm

  • June 27:  Northeast Missouri Genealogical Society meeting.

  • June 27:  Oak Hill School Gathering:  Meal, local music, no charge

  • July 4:  Perry 4th of July Parade & Event

  • July 15: RCHS Meeting, 10:00 a.m., Perry City Hall

  • July 16: RCHS Depot Presentation at the Ralls County Library, 10:00 a.m.

  • July 25:  Oak Hill School Gathering:  Meal, local music, no charge

  • August 2:  St. Paul Ice Cream Social

  • August 7:  Area Historical Society Meeting, 10:00 a.m.

  • August 8:  Perry Annual Car Show at the City Park, 4:00-7:00 p.m., car cruise to Ray Behrens Campground at 7:00 p.m.

  • August 19: RCHS Meeting, 10:00 a.m., Perry City Hall

  • August 22:  Northeast Missouri Genealogical Society Meeting

  • August 22:  Oak Hill School Gathering:  Meal, local music, no charge

  • August 29:  Misfits Car Show in ILASCO

  • September 4-5:  Perry All Town Garage Sales

  • September 16: RCHS Meeting, 10:00 a.m., Perry City Hall

  • September 26: Oak Hill School Gathering:  Meal, local music, no charge

  • October 10:  ILASCO’s 2nd Annual Cake Piknik.   This is a ticketed event. 

  • October 21: RCHS Meeting, 10:00 a.m., Perry City Hall

  • October 24: Northeast Missouri Genealogical Society Meeting

  • November 18: RCHS Meeting, 10:00 a.m., Perry City Hall

  • November 21:  Perry Holiday Market

  • December 4:  Christmas in ILASCO

  • December 5:  Perry Small Town Christmas

  • December 16: RCHS Meeting, 10:00 a.m., Perry City Hall

• Recent Donations: None

• Payment of Bills with Receipts: Delores submitted an invoice from Staples for printing the genealogy books sold at New London Park Days in the amount of $148.91.  Bill Dexheimer presented a quote from Lowe's for chainlink fencing to complete the fence around the Fort Mason Monument. Bill also shared that he will keep RCHS updated about the details of a dedication ceremony.

• Financial Information as of 5/31/2026:  Ending balance $47,596.98

• President’s Update:  Ron Leake did not attend this month’s meeting.  Delores shared that RCHS will again be applying for a $500 Brownlee grant from the SHSMO.  In August, RCHS will need to submit the annual State of Missouri Business Registration report.  Those in attendance talked briefly about hosting another lasagna (or similar) fundraiser in January. Delores shared that she has spoken with Linda Hodges from the Perry Carousel group about coordinating fundraising efforts between the two groups.  To maintain the museum and library, RCHS must raise approximately $12,000 each year.  Brad Stinson is still open to helping organize a Chili Cookoff for RCHS, which could coincide with Mule Appreciation Day in October.  There may not be enough time to coordinate this for this year, though. The membership drive will begin in July.  Recently, a visitor to the museum pointed out that one book on display at the museum is valued at approximately $ 5,000 on eBay.  Delores has searched, and while she can’t find a $5,000 listing for the book, she has found a $850 listing.  RCHS intern Maeley Moss is interested in creating an inventory of books available at the museum, including researching their potential value.  RCHS does not want to sell these books, but does need to know the value of the society’s resources. Speaking of books, Delores will be seeking information about the possibility of re-publishing The End of a Way of Life by Dee West and Okle Rouse.  This book, combined with the book Okle, provides a comprehensive look at life in Joanna, Missouri, a community that was flooded when the Mark Twain Lake and Clarence Cannon Dam were established.  In a related project, Mike Shulse’s daughter, Laura, and Delores have been working together to create a Word document of Mike’s 1976 thesis project, The History and Development of Clarence Cannon Dam and Reservoir: 1957-1968. A copy of this document will soon be available at both the RCHS Library and Museum.

The meeting adjourned at 10:47 a.m. The next meeting is July 15, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Perry City Hall.  The meeting is open to the public, and we hope anyone interested in preserving, celebrating, and honoring Ralls County's history will attend.

Students from the Ralls County Elementary Student Leadership Team and RCHS Student Interns assisted in the evening’s events, including welcoming guests, serving drinks, bussing tables, and assisting with the auction.  Ralls County Elementary Student Leadership Team members assisting included Izzy Browning, Haven Elliott, Mallory Diffenderfer, Trinity Logan, Auburn Simmons, Sapphire Muehring, Blaire Gilmore, and Avery Jones, Jaelyn Wieczorek, and Jackson Keil, along with their advisors, Diana Duckworth and Julia Henderson.  RCHS Student Interns assisting with the event included Landon Pease, Evie Bickel, Maeley Moss, Ericka Gilbert, and Alyvia Paxton.  Having youth involved was a wonderful addition to the event.

Jeanie Gay, Carolyn Trower, and Sarah Petersheim worked the main table, accepting memberships, selling calendars and books, and assisting with the auction.  All paper products for the event were donated by Dennis and Debbie McMillen, owners of Center Locker.

Presiding Commissioner John Lake and his wife, Sharon, and Western District Commissioner John Wieczorek and his wife, Carol, sold raffle tickets for a gun that was donated by all three commissioners, including Eastern District Commissioner Junior Muehring and his wife, Jenny.  Proceeds from the gun raffle will benefit the Ralls County Historical Society. 

After enjoying the meal, Elementary Leadership Team members led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance to kick off a brief program before the auction got underway.  President Ron Leake thanked those in attendance for their continued support and encouraged volunteerism. Leake has been the president of RCHS since 2002 and continues to be an integral piece of the organization.  Leake acknowledged and honored the men, women, and children who came together in 1976 to form an organization dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and honoring the history of Ralls County, several of whom were in attendance.  When the Society was founded in 1976, there were approximately 130 members. While membership has surged and waned over the years, RCHS is proud to have 135 members today.

In 2025, RCHS issued a call for submissions to design a new official seal for Ralls County Historical Society. Several thoughtful entries were received, and after review, RCHS unanimously selected Christina Strode's design.  Vice President Delores Woodhurst asked Strode to come forward, and Strode was recognized and thanked, as her seal, which was on display for viewing at the event, became the official seal of the Ralls County Historical Society.  The narrative that accompanied Strode’s design is included below.

Creating the Ralls County Historical Society seal has been a fun experience for me, and one that truly means a lot.  My husband Joseph's family roots run deep in the Ralls County dirt!  My family lives on my husband's family farm, where his 3x Great Grandfather Hedgman Wilson lived.  The Wilson family moved to Clay Township, near Spalding, in Ralls County, from Virginia in the mid-1800s.  His 4x Great Grandfather Jeremiah Strode moved to Ralls County, where his family grew.  Joseph's 3x Grandfather, Edward Strode, became a prominent doctor in New London, and there is even a street named after him. In an effort to create a unique design, I researched many seals from around the country for layout ideas.  In the outer ring, 1820 represents the year Ralls County was formed.  The central focus of the seal is our beautiful courthouse, with the year it was built, 1858, prominently displayed on the front.  Around the courthouse are iconic symbols of our county.  In the top right, you see the great Clarence Cannon Dam with the beautiful Mark Twain Lake behind it.  To the right of the courthouse is a crappie, a fishing favorite on the lake.  My son works at the marina, and the number one question he is asked daily is, "Are the crappie biting?"  There are oak leaves and acorns to show homage to the abundant nature in our county.  Near the bottom, corn represents our rich agricultural heritage.  To the left of the courthouse is the iconic state animal, the Missouri Mule.  On the top left, you see a handsome whitetail, representing the wildlife in our area.  Separating the words in the outer ring are yellow cone flowers.  These flowers are also known as the Ozark cone flower and can be found growing wild and free along many of our roads.  The three main colors of the seal are red, white, and blue.  They reflect the Missouri State flag, and, of course, our nation.  The people of Ralls County are patriotic and deeply love our land! It was my pleasure to research and design a seal that will serve as a lasting visual representation of our great county.  Thank you for considering my design for Ralls County Historical Society's official seal.

John Wallace, assisted by his grandson and RCHS Student Intern Landon Pease, facilitated the auction of donated items.   The auction served not only as entertainment but also as an important fundraiser supporting museum operations, preservation initiatives, and local history programming.  The feature item of the auction was shared ownership in RCHS’s copy of Ralls County Missouri by Goldena Howard.  In 1980, Goldena Howard published Ralls County Missouri, known to many as “the green book,” and the book remains the most comprehensive single history of Ralls County ever created. Mrs. Howard spent decades researching the people and places of Ralls County, personally funding the project and overseeing every detail. Nearly half the book is devoted to Ralls County families. Mrs. Howard believed it was important to document the people living here at the time, those whose stories were not yet recorded in history books.  Her work was never about recognition or profit, but about preservation. Ralls County Missouri continues to be a treasured resource for families, researchers, and community members. As RCHS celebrates its 50th birthday, Mrs. Howard’s work stands as a cornerstone of its mission to preserve, honor, and celebrate Ralls County.  Individuals purchasing ownership in this book, which will continue to be housed at the Ralls County Historical Society’s museum in Perry include Jon and Pam Barnes, Greg Sharpe for State Senate, Michele Keil, Wiley and Susan Hibbard, Ryan, Sarah, and Carter Petersheim, Brian and Linda Hodges, Brian and Delores Woodhurst, Ron and Sandy Myers, Cindy Lynn-Drainer, Chad and Meri Williams, Jim and Jeanie Gay, and Landon Pease. 

Numerous individuals, businesses, and organizations donated items for the auction, including Leanne Reed, Wiley Hibbard, Dustin Wasson of South Lake Design, Mary Kay Weiss, Michele Keil of Salt River Realty, Kerri Jo Reese of Crossroads Bar & Grill, Hannah Smith and Tessa Meranda of Polish & Glow, Dustin and Jan Garner of Lake Country Gardens, Delores Woodhurst, Cindy Lynn-Drainer of At-Home Realty, Brad Stinson, Tracy Mundell of Shaggy’s Hair Salon, Lydia, Lola, and Randy McDonald of Meadows Campground & Coffeehouse, Brandon and Skylar Anderson of Anderson Auto Body & Detailing, John DiMaria of Perry Economic Development Group, Debbie Hodges, Brice & Ashley Harvey of Harvey’s Floral Boutique and Premier Pest Solutions, Rachel Jones, Frances, Dean, Kris, Jason, and Kristie Yancey of Yancey Auto Sales, Ralls County Clerk Brandy Flynn, Ralls County Collector Tara Comer, Penny Cearley, Western District Commissioner John Wieczorek, Eastern District Commissioner Junior Muehring, Presiding Commissioner John Lake, and District 5 State Representative Louis Riggs. 

Ralls County Historical Society extends heartfelt thanks to the many volunteers who made the evening possible. The Society also thanks everyone who attended, contributed, or supported the event in any way.  As RCHS looks ahead to its next fifty years, the organization invites the community to stay engaged by becoming members, volunteering, or participating in upcoming events. For more information about the Ralls County Historical Society and its programs, please visit rallscohistoricalsociety.com or follow RCHS on Facebook.

More event photos are available on our Facebook page!

Physical Address:

Ralls County Historical Museum 

105 East Main Street

Perry, MO 63462

Missouri Mule Museum & Ralls County Historical Library

114 East Main Street

Perry, MO 63462

Mailing Address:

Ralls County, Missouri Historical Society

PO Box 463

Perry, MO 63462