Fern Bartel nee Schmidt was born to Anton and Elsie Duerksen Schmidt, in the Bethesda Hospital, Goessel KS. and has been a life long resident of the Goessel area.  She attended Antioch one-room school for the first grade, then Goessel Elementary, and graduated from the Goessel High School.  She lives on the family farm she grew up on and is a member of Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church.  

 

Fern has been on the Museum Board for over twenty years and has volunteered for most every Museum activity.  For 10 years now, Fern has designed and maintained the Mennonite Heritage and Agricultural Museum website.

 

She is standing in front of the show case (in the Immigrant House) of her great great grandparents David and Helena Unruh Lehrman and the small photo over her left shoulder is of her grandparents David L. and Lena Schmidt Schmidt.  

 

Fern is very happy and proud to be the Museum Director.