Faith Goshert stands proudly with one of the displays of Iola Tucker Goshert’s childhood toys.

Text and Photos
By Elizabeth Hershberger
InkFreeNews

MENTONE — A wealth of new displays showing local history awaits all visitors to the Mentone Community Museum at 210 S. Oak St., in Mentone.

The Goshert family’s donation of Iola Tucker Goshert’s toys from the late 1920s to the early 1930s shows the idyllic childhood of a “Mentone girl.” Goshert meticulously packed away the toys for years and her children only recently found the boxes stacked away in the attic after she died in 2022, says Goshert’s daughter Faith Goshert.

These unique musical instruments, including a trombone kazoo, were donated by the Goshert family.

Among the toys are unique musical instruments, fragile paper dolls, games, a precious tea set, a wooden puppet and much more. Goshert’s uncle, World War I veteran Verl “Hap” Halterman, gave her a World War I era toy truck, which is especially interesting for those curious about that time period.

The museum also has a new display showcasing local veterans through their uniforms and awards. The display shows two private uniforms, a colonel uniform and a sergeant uniform all from World War II. A binder included in the display honors all those in the area who have served in the armed forces. Museum organizers hope that all local veterans will see their names or the names of loved ones and know that they are not forgotten.

The WWII veteran display honors all veterans from Mentone and local areas.

In With The Old, In With The New

Items which have long been displayed in the museum are now being rearranged with objects which have long been tucked away as well as new donations. The museum is adding three full cases to the current displays already available for viewing.

Visitors to the museum will see beloved family heirlooms, school and academic displays, a section devoted to agriculture and business, an area for yearbooks and memorials, a section for a local stunt pilot, displays for town history and a dedicated place for sports.

Of course there is a special place on the wall dedicated to the giant Mentone Egg made by Hugh Rickel. There is a display for Bob Herendeen, the famous stunt pilot from Mentone. A table made from a local tree shows an aerial map of Mentone. Everywhere you look has a different perspective of local history.

“So, we have something for everybody!” says local historian Alice Keirn.

Visitors often spend hours looking through the “People of the Community” binders, organized by name. The binders include obituaries, marriages, news articles, photographs, birthdays, and local groups. With eight binders in all, it’s no wonder people take their time looking through local history.

Come One, Come All

The Mentone Community Museum is open from 1-5 p.m. starting Saturday, June 7, and will be open 1-5 p.m. throughout the summer on Sundays. Make sure to save time to step through the adjoining door and enjoy the Lawrence D. Bell Aircraft Museum, which currently houses three helicopters and its own displays dedicated to Lawrence Bell and his innovations in aircraft.

Museum organizers are eager to expand and have room for more displays. Donations to the Mentone Community Museum are appreciated and can be made by calling (574) 371-5711 or emailing Alice Keirn at [email protected].