Hegeler Carus Foundation

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Volunteer Spotlight

Volunteers are a particularly important part of the life at Hegeler Carus Mansion “Foundation”. We posed three questions to 3 of our volunteers to explore the impact the Foundation has made in their lives. Ken Ficek, who has been with the Foundation from the very beginning; Cheryl Benkse, who has been with us 13 years; and Lydia Skerston, a newer recruit.

In 1995 an announcement came that The Hegeler Carus Mansion was forming a Foundation to preserve the Mansion and preserve the history the families built with the community of La Salle. The Foundation invited the community to learn more about her history but also invited the community to add and include their history as well. During the original orientation taught by John Thorpe an architect and preservationist, 30 volunteers signed up to take a 6-month course on various aspects of the Mansion; from the people, to the businesses (Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc, Carus Chemical, LS & BC Railroad, and Open Court Publishing), architecture, and related topics.

Ken Ficek

Ken Ficek and his wife Barbara were among the very first volunteers who became docents. The Mansion was opened to the public on the 1st and 3rd Sunday’s from 1 to 3 pm over 25 years ago. (Today the dates and times have changed. For more information please visit this page.)

Ken has been associated with and known the Carus Family for more than 75 years. His father started working at Carus Chemical in 1944 and he followed in his father’s footsteps. Later in life he served on the Hegeler Carus Foundation board.

Ken said, “The Mansion programs allowed for Barbara and me to expand our knowledge of the people and businesses that made it all possible as well as learning to appreciate the building itself”. He also stated, “I also had the chance to take on the persona of various characters who were associated with the Mansion,” in Christmas and other fundraising presentations.

For the future, Ken hopes, “The Mansion…will continue to be the center of interest in La Salle and the Illinois Valley.”

    Cheryl Benkse

    Cheryl Benkse was introduced to the Foundation about 13 years ago. Her husband is a docent/tour guide. She would help at the Mansion here and there as needed, but about two years ago she felt the Gift Shop needed some added attention on a regular basis. That is how she became an active volunteer at the Mansion.

    When asked what she enjoyed about being a volunteer her response was, “I enjoy the visitors I meet from all over the world that come for tours.” She states, “I also find satisfaction in arranging shelves in the Gift Shop, as it gives me a chance to get a bit creative.”

    As for looking to the future, she said, “I would hope that…we forge on with educating our visitors about the family that had such an impact on La Salle’s history. In this way, we can preserve this beautiful building for future generations.”

      Lydia Skerston

      Lydia Skerston became a volunteer through her stepmom Jennifer. One summer Jennifer was looking for something that would engage Lydia, help her come out of her shell and encourage her career interests. She found an article on Facebook and signed Lydia up to volunteer at the Mansion and the rest became “history”. Lydia is currently an Architecture student and volunteers part-time during her school breaks.

      What she enjoys about being a volunteer are the connections she has created with the staff and visitors. She said her goal, “is to make guests enjoy the Mansion even just a fraction of how much I do.” While for the future she states, “What really matters are the people that will remember it and all of the good times that they had there.”

      There are many benefits for being a volunteer. It gives you purpose, builds community and connections, stimulates endorphins that promote positive mood, inspires creativity that can expose hidden talents along with expanding knowledge. So, when we are finally able to step outside from the solace of the Covid-19 and reenter the world. Consider contacting The Hegeler Carus Foundation and inquire about the ways you can help further the mission of the Foundation.

        Are you Buxbaum, Bixby or Bray????

        (I would normally never think to begin a donor letter with Dr. Seuss, but nothing is normal right now.)

        Recently I was rereading Oh, the Places We’ll Go by Dr. Suess. In it, he talks about “the waiting place” where I think we can all identify with these last 3 months. He closes with “So be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray. Or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So get on your way”. Our mountain is waiting and there are many cliffs and crags, but we must be able to climb it.

        In these troubling times, history museums provide us a sense of connection and continuity. As everyone struggles with huge challenges, our work matters more than ever. It matters that we offer stories of past struggles, change and recovery. And it matters that our Mansion be able to re-open – for our community members as well as the tourists who come to visit us from afar. And to awaken a renewed dedication to our mission: To use the Hegeler Carus Mansion and its many stories to inspire excitement and appreciation locally and globally for its heritage, architecture, and design.

        Now is a time for us to come together as we have so many times before, but with a new sense of purpose that will last well beyond the Covid-19 crisis. The Mansion that we protect and preserve holds the promise for the future we want to reclaim. Our Mansion and its history stand as an example to our present, that for over 144 years, it has met the challenge and survived. We need these old buildings in our lives as much as they need us. They help us remember who we are and where we have come from.

        Our mountain awaits. If your circumstances allow, please consider donating to the Hegeler Carus Mansion Foundation. Supporting our mission and our Mansion is crucial now more than ever. We must preserve and share this amazing house and the history it holds. Our future requires it.

        Thank you for considering a gift of any amount to our summer campaign.

        Cindy

        What’s New at the Mansion…from the Exec’s desk Summer 2020

        I would like to send a message of encouragement to our valued family and friends during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have been thinking of you quite a bit, as we were not able to interact with you for part of the 2020 season. We do miss you and hope for the absolute best for you and your families.

        The Mansion has gone through a lot over a 140 plus years life span: the Second Industrial age, the Spanish Flu pandemic, the Great Depression, both World War’s, way too many additional wars to imagine, Presidents, Governors, and several generations of family. The one thing that stands out is no matter how bad things might look, the Mansion survives. It is a symbol of strength. We realize there is nothing we cannot endure. We become better and grow stronger.

        I am reminded of a statue of a woman with the words ‘I Will’ on her breastplate displayed in the Mansion. She was a popular piece at the 1893 Chicago’s World fair. She represented the will of the Chicago people, and the phrase ‘I Will’ became a rally cry for the city after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. It was Chicago’s way of everyone coming together as one powerful woman to say, ‘I will rebuild, I will recover, I will be stronger and better’. She continued to be the symbol of Chicago and was the iconic image of the 1933 Chicago—World’s Fair poster as well. I wanted you to know that we continue to have that ‘I will’ spirit during these challenging times.

        Reviewing CDC Guidelines, the State of Illinois Stay at Home Orders, the Restore Illinois timetable, and other regulations and requirements related to Covid-19, we have come up with an ‘I Will’ attitude here at the Mansion. The staff has come together to create ways of bringing you your Mansion experience. We must be innovators.

        Illinois Humanities Grant

        To help recover from Covid-19, The Hegeler Carus Foundation is receiving a $5,000 grant from Illinois Humanities. “Illinois Humanities activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and educational opportunities that foster reflection, spark conversation, build community, and strengthen civic engagement. Illinois Humanities is a nonprofit organization and the state’s affiliate for the National Endowment for the Humanities.” We thank them for their support.

        GOOD NEWS! For the first time we are selling some items from the ‘Gift Shop’ on our website: An Independence of Ideas and Thought: The Life of Mary Hegeler Carus by Nicholas L. Guardiano, Pam HackbartDean and Aaron M. Lisec, and Patina of Time: The Hegeler Carus Mansion in La Salle, Illinois by Steve Archer. Click here to buy these books to add to your collection and see what else we have for sale.

        BETTER NEWS! We began our Summer Concert Series Friday, June 19th and plan to extend the season until mid September. To see the band lineup, click here.

        THE BEST NEWS! On July 1st we are scheduled to enter into stage-4 of reopening . Visitors wanting to come for a tour of the Mansion will need to preregister and prepay on the website to ensure numbers control, 6 people per tour. If you can’t access on line, you can also make reservations with the Tour Director, Tricia Kelly at 815-993-4476. More dates and times will be posted as we move forward. To see the available tours and dates, click here.

        Any additional information will be here on our website or on our Facebook page. While visiting the website pay close attention to our safety restructuring plans (masks, distancing, sanitizing), various tour options and event possibilities.

        Cindy