For the love of history & community Valerie Van Kooten says goodbye to Pella Historical Museums
EMILY HAWK Associate Editor
After seven years as executive director , Valerie Van Kooten will soon step down from her position at Pella Historical Museums — a role that has positively challenged and enriched both her life and the Pella community .
Since she was a little girl , Pella Historical has been a huge part of Van Kooten ’ s life .
Her mom , Lil Terpstra , worked as a part-time secretary when she was in high school , and she regularly volunteered for Tulip Time as a junior high student . Van Kooten remembers volunteering upstairs in the Wyatt Earp House with her friends , giving history lessons to tourists .
“ We were kids that were very interested in history , and we weren ’ t as busy as kids are today ,” she says . “ We were very civic-minded and enjoyed doing that .”
As she got older , Van Kooten ’ s love of history continued to permeate throughout her life in different ways .
“ Other families took their kids to Disney World ; my family took us to Civil War battlefields ,” she says with a laugh . “ I ’ m the same way with my kids . They always complain that they have to learn something on vacation .”
Over the last 30 years , Van Kooten has amassed a collection of antique women ’ s clothing from the 1850s to the 1990s . She hosted historic fashion shows across the state for about 20 years prior to her work at Pella Historical .
Van Kooten was named executive director in September 2016 after many years as a grant writer and technical writing professor at Central College .
On her second or third day on the job , Van Kooten attempted to use an outlet in what is now Maria ’ s Tea Room at Scholte House , and smoke billowed from the outlet . In July 2017 , the plaster ceiling in the drawing room caved in . Van Kooten knew she had her work cut out for her , but she was up for the challenge .
“ People woke up and said , ‘ Wow , they weren ’ t kidding ; this place really does need work .’ When you have a house that ’ s 175 years old , you ’ re going to have to put some time and love into it or it ’ s just going to fall apart ,” she says .
In June 2017 , Van Kooten and her team successfully
Valerie Van Kooten and her oldest son , Cameron Van Kooten Laughead , in Dutch costume .
launched the Forging Our Future campaign to raise funds for the renovation of Scholte House and the Wyatt Earp House — which was also desperately in need of work — along with the creation of Scholte Gardens and other miscellaneous maintenance projects around Pella Historical Village . Van Kooten and her team raised $ 2.6 million in 13 months .
“ It ’ s funny because growing up , I hated selling things . I was the kid who , when we had to sell popcorn in seventh grade for band , used my allowance to buy the whole thing
6 Tulip Time 2023