Betty Mann has invited our group to the Rock County History Center for several years—and this year, we finally made the visit! We were joined by Betty Mann and Wendell Buys, executive director of the Rock County History Center.
Betty was born and raised in Luverne. Her passion for learning led her to become an elementary teacher, with her first job during the 1950–51 school year teaching 30 fourth-grade students in Hills. After moving to Oklahoma while her husband served during the Korean conflict, the Manns returned to Luverne, where Betty taught for 25 years—most of those in a fifth-grade classroom.
In 1994, Betty attended her first Rock County Historical Society meeting and was elected president of the nonprofit. The group purchased the Masonic Temple building to serve as their space, but accessibility and location proved to be challenges in attracting visitors. In 2014, the historical society launched a community fundraiser and raised $1.1 million to relocate the history center to Main Street Luverne, into the Herman Ford building. Since the move, the center welcomes approximately 5,000 visitors each year. Betty shared that their mission is to research and preserve the history of Rock County in order to educate others.
In 2001, after losing both her husband and daughter the year prior, Betty was visiting Cracker Barrel in Sioux Falls and decided to treat herself after a difficult year. She purchased her first nutcracker. That single purchase grew into a collection of 2,500 nutcrackers, which she later donated to the history center. Today, the collection has grown to 7,058 pieces through additional donations. Betty shared that if the nutcrackers bring people through the doors, she and Wendell can then share the rich history of Rock County.
A highlight of the morning was hearing “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell playing on the jukebox! Thank you, Betty and Wendell, for a very informative and memorable visit.
