Journey of a lifetime: Carol Zolkoske volunteers to preserve history

By Mary Owen

Stayton volunteer Carol Zolkoske understands the importance of leaving a legacy.

Since moving to Stayton from California, Zolkoske has worked hard to preserve the area’s history for future generations.

“I am in hopes that years down the road, the Brown House will become an important part of the community, and people will have all sorts of functions there to celebrate important occasions in their lives,” said Zolkoske, a retired United Airlines flight attendant and former Stayton small-business owner.

“As years move on and as more and more people leave the area, I am in hopes that the archives will be able to answer questions about family histories. One thing that I did learn over the years is that people take great pride in family history, and that is getting harder to maintain as people move farther and farther away.”

The Zolkoskes moved to Stayton, husband Gary’s former hometown, to raise their children, who attended St. Mary Catholic School and Regis High School. Today, the couple has three grandchildren, two having graduated from Stayton High School and the third, a fourth-grader at Stayton Middle School.

When the family arrived in January of 1971, Zolkoske said, “It was raining and cold. Four months later, it was still raining and cold.

“I had not made any friends, and the children and I rarely left the house,” she added. “This is not what I had hoped for.”

Spotting an ad in the weekly newspaper that the Friends of the Library was looking for new members, Zolkoske attended a meeting, met several “nice ladies who welcomed me,” and joined.

“This was a determined group of women who were going to make a difference,” she said. “The Stayton Women’s Club had just given the library and the building to the city. City council meetings were held to decide whether the library should be closed. Everyone had an opinion. Not only did the FOL want the city to take it over, they also wanted the city to pay for it. The compromise was the city would pay to keep the library open a couple of days a week and the FOL volunteers would keep it open a couple of days a week. I became one of those volunteers. This changed my life.”

Within a few years, FOL started Story Time and the Summer Reading Program, two activities Zolkoske enjoyed helping with. Over time, the library added programs for people of all ages and paid staff, many of whom still rely on volunteers to keep it running smoothly, she said.

“Today the library has become one of the biggest success stories around,” said Zolkoske, who also helps with the FOL Bookstore and its twice-a-year book sale to raise funds for library programs.

In 1979, Zolkoske bought an arts-and-crafts store on Third Avenue and ran it for a decade.

“I met wonderful people, and many shared the stories of their lives,” she said. “Many of these families came in wagon trains, some in the Great Depression, and many talked about the war years. All were fascinating to me. It occurred to me that all of us have a story to tell, and that our story is one of the things that makes us different from anyone else. I believe that hearing these stories made a difference in my life, and it has been why my volunteer work has taken the path it has.”

In 2000, Zolkoske became a founding member of the Santiam Heritage Foundation, the group that is restoring the Charles and Martha Brown House in Stayton.

“For me this has been a journey of a lifetime,” Zolkoske said. “We have met so many encouraging people who are happy that we are restoring the house. Many have a connection because of a birth or death when it was the Stayton Hospital. Others had family members who lived there. Many are just happy to see the Victorian beauty being restored.”

Events are already being held in the historic house, which is closer to having the first floor revamp finished, said Zolkoske, treasurer and newsletter writer.

About six years ago, Zolkoske also got involved with founding of the St. Boniface Archives and Museum.

“St. Boniface was founded in Sublimity around the 1880s,” she said. “Not only does the church have a rich Catholic history, but its members’ roots run deep. Until the archives was started, all of this history was being lost.”

Volunteers collect family history, photographs, school history, and any other information important to Stayton, Sublimity and surrounding area.

“People from all over contact us about family history,” Zolkoske said. “Sometimes they stop and we have wonderful visits. We have a website that has a great deal of information about the past and hundreds of photos. Volunteering has been an important part of my life. I was fortunate and learned early that my passion was history and learning about people.”