Retiring has been a “journey” for Angie Snook, curator/director of the Geneseo Historical Museum, and her retirement became official in June of this year. For Snook, the “third time” truly was a charm as she had planned to retire from her position at the museum two previous times…And moving into that phase of life is bittersweet for her.
She first retired as curator at the Geneseo Historical Museum in 2015, but returned in 2016 to take the place of a director who had resigned. In the fall of 2019, Snook thought she was stepping into retirement, but was once again was asked to be in charge of the museum for a bit longer.
Her official retirement did take place though, on June 1st of this year.
Melanie Rice is now the curator/director. Rice was a social worker for the Geneseo School District, but retired from the school district in May of 2024.
Snook said, “I am excited for Melanie in her position as director. She has been on the museum board for many years and I know she has a passion for Geneseo history.”
Angie Snook is retired as curator at the museum, but continues to be actively involved, serving as a board member and an enthusiastic volunteer.
“I will always enjoy being involved with the museum,” she said. “The museum is like my baby. I have given it up for adoption, but I still have visiting rights.”
Even though she will not be at the museum on a daily basis, the popularity of the programs she began while serving as curator will continue as she has already scheduled future programs.
Snook was named curator in 1996, but her involvement with the museum’s place in history started nearly 20 years earlier during her time as a volunteer and board member.
She was instrumental in the purchase of the Italianate house for the museum, which had been located in the original Geneseo Public Library building on State St.
“As president of the Geneseo Historical Museum, I knew that house would be the perfect setting for the new museum,” she said.
The museum board submitted a bid to purchase the home and when that bid was opened by Rosalie Thede, owner of the home, Snook recalled Thede said, ‘That is what my mother always wanted.’”
In November of 1996 the Thede house became the Geneseo Historical Museum’s permanent home.
“We were working on a fund to pay for the new museum,” Snook said. “Don Stocks was the curator at that time and somehow found a way to save $113,000 during his 25-year tenure. The late Marie Lodge, a museum board member, gave the Historical Association a $100,000 loan “to get the museum up and going,” Snook said.
During the museum’s move from the “old library” to its new home, Stocks became ill and died.
In 1996, after being a preschool educator at Growth, Inc., Geneseo, Snook became the curator.
The museum opened the doors to its new home during Geneseo’s 1997 Victorian Walk.
“People were lined up to see the museum, to the north along the downtown street,” Snook said, adding that more than 2,700 people visited the museum on that evening.
“In the spring of 1998, the museum had so many tours and programs scheduled that the board decided it was necessary to set regular hours of operation,” she said.
“In 2014, there were about 11,000 visitors to the museum and about 3,200 students came for tours.”
And Snook also took museum programs “on the road’ and she visited schools in the Quad City area, Galva, Cambridge, Colona and Orland Park in the Chicago area.
“Many high school football teams visited the museum when they came to play football in Geneseo….The ‘underground railroad’ stories are the biggest reason for all the programs and tours. Slavery and the freedom trail that are part of Geneseo’s heritage have generated great interest.”
In 2003, a museum volunteer, Bea Welsh, convinced Snook the museum would be the perfect place for tea parties for little girls.
Those were not just tea parties as Snook and volunteers incorporated “taking tea and tea etiquette” in the events.
“Little did we know how much fun it was going to be for the children, but also for myself and ‘Maid Alice’, (the late Aiice Lopez). The children loved it and our tea parties snowballed into teas for women, boys and girls and entire families,” Snook shared.
The rule at the tea parties was that everyone had to choose a hat from the museum collection to wear to the tea party.
“Over the years there have been hundreds of tea parties for all ages and it was one of the highlights that the museum offered,” Snook said.
Snook commented that creating displays has always been a favorite for her.
“I loved the museum from the very first time I became involved as a volunteer,” she said. “Hearing stories from the visitors and sharing in their love for antiques and history brought me great joy.”
She said what gave her the most joy was when donors shared about what they were donating to the museum and how the item had been saved for generations…That is heartwarming,” Snook said. “To think they loved it enough to give it to the museum to preserve and display. Everything in the museum is a gift and is special.”
Each item donated has been logged and numbered with the name of the donor.
The success of the museum would not be possible without the support from many people, Snook said. “There have been many people in my many years at the museum that have done much to insure the museum will always be alive with history.”
“None of the projects would have been possible without all the gifts, estates, grants, donations and the many volunteers sharing their time and talents. Many local businesses discount their materials and services for the museum.”
In 1996, the museum board made a wish list and with everyone working together, these visions came to fruition.
“We were able to add the Stees & Keppy Education Wing in 2010 and the carriage house on Center St. in 2014. Both of those projects would not have been possible without all the donated hours of labor by the late Les Stees and his brother Gene Stees.”
The museum is a 501 © 3 non-profit organization which does not receive any city, state or federal tax dollars.
Snook’s family has been part of her “journey,” and she said from the time her own children were youngsters they went with her to the museum.
Angie and her husband, Mel, have one daughter, Ami (Jon) Murray, Geneseo; and their children, (Sam (Autumn) Murray, Geneseo; and Eryn Murray, Geneseo); and a son, Andy (Trista) Snook, (children Aydan and Josephine Snook) who live in Bangkok, Thailand. There is also a great-grandchild, Forrest Murray, Geneseo.
Many family vacations were spent doing research and Snook recalled the year she and husband Mel followed the freedom trail along the Ohio River.
“It confirmed the fact that Geneseo’s founding fathers were among the 70 early abolitionists,” she said. “That led to our research vacation to Genesee County in New York, and that trip proved that our founding fathers came here in their quest to abolish slavery…That discovery ranks right up there with me with getting married, having children and grandchildren.”
In her retirement Snook plans to continue to work on Geneseo’s history including the underground railroad.
