Hi, I'm Anna Irwin and I volunteered for the collections team from February 2022 until May of 2023 with a total of 190 hours. That same month, I earned Volunteer of the Year and I was promoted to a summer intern! The work I do in PCHA varies from cataloging objects to cleaning gravestones. One of my most memorable moments at the historical society was rummaging through the mountain of items in the basement! Even though the basement feels creepy and unwelcoming, we've found many things we didn't even know we had! Although I am not interested in pursuing history as a career, I love to learn and experience firsthand the historical items in our collection. 

Hello, I am Charles Kochensparger, and I am going to be a senior at Eaton High School this upcoming year. I have volunteered 60+ at the historical society as a part of the collections team. I have been a part of multiple events including the fireworks show, fire extinguisher training, and even collecting honey from our own bees. My favorite memory that I have from volunteering here is the first day when we were cleaning out the bank barn. I thought it was very cool to see all of the items that people have donated randing from a big (and heavy) railroad safe to the two-seated tobacco planter. It has been a pleasure to volunteer here and meet all of these amazing people as well as learning about the history of Preble County! 

Hi, my name is Sophie Kochensparger, and I am going to be a senior at Eaton High School in the 2023-24 academic year. I have been a volunteer at the historical society for the past two summers. I started coming to PCHS as a way to get community service hours for National Honor Society but quickly fell in love with the history and people here. I was not very familiar with the rich history in Preble County, but working here has taught me so much, and I am so grateful for the experiences I've had along the way. One of my favorite experiences was working with the bees and wearing a bee suit for the first time, along with learning about the history of the log house.