The Prairie Landscape

The Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award - 2006


Eleanor Macke

Eleanor Macke

Nominated By The Honorable Kenneth R. Smith


Marshall


Eleanor Macke

In the word of Marshall Mayor Kenneth Smith, Ms. Macke is "a tireless volunteer in her community" who is "always willing to do the research and legwork required of any worthwhile effort." A major supporter of Marshall Public Library who has long used the library for her personal hobby of genealogy research, she used her familiarity with the library's resource to create a cemetery locator for the 127 small church and public cemeteries throughout the county. She has researched and assembled several books on topics ranging from the library's nearly-100-year history to the life of William B. Archer, one of Marshall's founding fathers. Ms. Macke also started the Friends of the Library's oral history project and continues to coordinate the project, and she compiled the interviews with and photos of local citizens into a book called Voices from Marshall's Past: Oral History Collections from Residents of Marshall. Ms. Macke also worked to help pass the referendum to create the new Marshall Area Public Library District and has served as President, Treasurer, and now Secretary on its Board of Trustees. Outside the library, Ms. Macke is very active in the Marshall Main Street Program, for which she served on the steering committee when Marshall hosted the Illinois Humanities Council's "Heartland Chautauqua" and helped develop a walking tour of Marshall's historical sites.

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