Donations Abound – TheSanbornPioneer

PHC Board, staff, LSVCA Board and O’Brien County Foundation reps: Back row, L to R: Joe Feekes, Greg Burmakow, Ryan Postma, Dave Stoll, Cody Craig, Mark Wilson, John Putnam and Luke Davison. Front row L to R: Tom Konz, Sarah Fiddleke, Dorothy Wegner, Kathy Luedke, Denise Steffen and Dan Verrips.

Kathy Luedke in the Luedke Library at Prairie Heritage Center.

by Mari Radtke
Wednesday March 12 revealed the happiest of accidents for O’Brien County Conservation, its board members and its outside support organization, Little Sioux Valley Conservation Association. The happiest of accidents and a moment of great honor and pride, met head-on, however with a twinge of sadness.
Kathy Luedke of Primghar has served as a board member of the O’Brien County Conservation for 8 terms. She is currently serving as the board chair and plans to retire at the end of her current term, June 30.

O’Brien County Conservation Board members in the Luedke Library at Prairie Heritage Center: from left, Tom Konz, Dan Verrips, Director Mark Wilson, Kathy Luedke, John Putnam and Greg Burmakow. Photos by Becky Verrips.

Luedke to LSVCA: Kathy Luedke, (right) presents Dorothy Wegner and Dave Stoll, Little Sioux Valley Conservation Association board members with a $5000 gift.

Kathy, a former teacher, has been deeply involved with the activities of Conservation from building stellar, county-wide camping grounds to the county’s premier educational facility and headquarters, Prairie Heritage Center. Presently the Prairie Heritage Center is undergoing some extraordinary changes. The lower level still hosts archery lessons. Aquatic tanks are home to many native fish and other water wildlife. New hands on activities have been set up in the great room of the lower level. STEAM tools for older kids are available for hands on, while a fun tunnel of wildlife on land exploring grassland and tree creatures was added a while back.
Recently a store room was converted to a youth library. Kathy donated many of the books now available there for adults to read to children or for kids to read and learn on their own.
In gratitude, and as a surprise just before a board meeting, the library was dedicated. It was named “Luedke Library” in honor of the many hours that Kathy Luedke put into the betterment of Conservation. An added surprise to the day was the arrival of two LSVCA board members, Dave Stoll and Dorothy Wegner. They had just that morning received in the mail a check from Luedke in the amount of $5000. So much generosity! Of course they knew about the library dedication anyway, but what a day!