Our 2019 Volunteer of the Year is Coralee Syrko

Coralee is an enthusiastic and energetic volunteer.  She has developed skills including guiding tours, candle dipping, rope making, organizing archival documents, and cleaning artifacts. She has varied interests and is willing to help in any way with events and tours, even with a severely broken leg.   

Coralee demonstrates candle dipping and rope making to adults and children, getting them involved in the process of how and why these activities were done by people in the nineteenth century. She also trains other volunteers to present these demonstrations.  

Her work with the curator included the dirty job of cleaning out an old warehouse and attic and delicately cleaning furniture and artifacts from there. Coralee has been helping with the sorting and listing of archival material from a large donation from the Knoedler family. She even helped with data entry while she was laid up at home with a broken leg. 

Coralee’s enthusiasm has extended to her family and friends.  She recruited her grandchildren, other family members, and neighbors to help with events, exhibits, and projects.  One of these projects was the new building signage. Along with other volunteers, Coralee asked a few friends to help prepare and paint the wooden signs.  With their help, we were able to complete the project before the opening of the site in 2019. 

Coralee is a great cheerleader for Old Economy Village, rallying help and support in many different ways. She always shares all of Old Economy’s Facebook posts. She jumps in anywhere help is needed at any time, no matter what the job is. When she was incapacitated for three months, we had to determine ways she could help without hurting herself because she is always so eager to help. Coralee is a great asset to Old Economy Village.