Jerry Elfendahl came to the Island in 1963 as the school district’s first full-time art teacher. From the first he demonstrated a passionate commitment to the history and heritage of our community. As director and curator of the Historical Society, he collected artifacts and archival materials, listened to and told stories, and created opportunities for disseminating Island history near and far. He co-founded Island Friends of Geology and continues to make presentations on the history and geology of our area. For him, history encompasses both archaeological sites and contemporary social and ecological issues. It is a living thing, full of meaning, that stretches into past and future; it regards the earth and all its inhabitants with a mixture of reverence and curiosity.
A member of the Muskego-Cree tribe gave Jerry the name, “Oganawetum” — “keeper of sacred things.” He has served in that role for the Island. He has collected accounts from the Filipino-American Community, from the Japanese-American Community, from tribal elders, from farmers displaced during World War II, and from reclusive Norwegians. He has named and made visible to us that part of our community—of ourselves—we must acknowledge and value. He says: “Something happened here; we need to hang on to this; we need to acknowledge and save this. This is who we are.”