One Nation, Under God

Malta sixth graders pay tribute to past with 'wax museum'

Some folks people haven’t seen around these parts for a while were at the Phillips County Museum last Tuesday in Malta … at least in spirit.

A large crowd gathered at the museum to watch 42 Malta Middle School sixth grades students reenact some of the lives and times of some Phillips County residents from the past — some famous and some beloved relatives — in full costumes reciting colorful histories during the ‘Wax Museum.’

Ryan Meneely sported a bent brimmed cowboy hat, black duster, beard, and mustache in his portrayal of Kid Curry, the latter two a combination of coffee grounds and glue.

“It’s getting in my mouth,” Meneely told the PCN of his beard, “and it’s decaf.”

“We are excited for you to see these presentations because these kids put in a lot of hard work,” Delmer Henry, Malta Middle School’s sixth-grade teacher, said.

Henry explained that the students had been broken into 13 different groups of three and in front of each group was a “start and stop” button. Spectators stepped on the start button and the students started their presentations.

“They will tell you about their characters,” Mr. Henry said. “Usually, it is a relative of theirs, though not true in all cases, and you will be able to learn a little bit about Phillips County’s history and in some cases, for those who don’t have family from Phillips County, you might hear something from somebody from an outlying area.”

Meneely, as Kid Curry, said his real name was Harvey Logan and then admitted to the killing of Pike Landusky.

Madelyn Crasco portrayed her great grandfather, Luther "Luke" Crasco, who died of cancer in October of 2015.

"I loved my wife (Irene) very much and she would always brighten up my day," Crasco said. "When I got older, we had a child, and then soon grandchildren and then even great grandchildren."

Addy Anderson portrayed her great grandfather, Howard "Swede" Hammond and told the audience that "Swede" was born on November 15, 1917, in Westby, Mont., was a member of Whitewater High School's first graduating class in 1935 and he and his wife, Ella Dees, had three children, nine grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Addy wore Swede's B-17 bomber jacket and cap during her presentations (the hat and cap accompanied Swede on 31 successful bombing missions during World War II.)

Mr. Henry said the students worked of and on for three weeks on their presentations and felt it was a great opportunity for the students to mix with their family members and learn about some of their family histories.

"It was also a great opportunity for kids to polish up on their public speaking abilities," he said. "I was impressed with how the kids responded to the pressure of being in front of a crowd."

As pleased as Mr. Henry was with the student's performances on the afternoon he was just as pleased with the crowd that showed up for the event.

"We have a lot to be thankful for as teachers in the Malta Public School system," he said.

 

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