Passionate volunteers play a major role in bringing the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites’ mission to life. And every year, one outstanding volunteer is honored for going above and beyond with the Doris Kenninger Stump Volunteer of the Year Award. Supported by the Jaquish & Kenninger Foundation, the award recognizes a volunteer nominated by their peers who embodies the same enthusiasm and initiative as its namesake.
This year, the award was given to Nancy Schwartz, who has dedicated countless hours to helping the team at the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site over the past 30 years.
Known for her deep love of author Gene Stratton-Porter and the grounds she cared for at her Rome City home, Schwartz has influenced everything at the site from the soil visitors walk on to the tours they take there.
Schwartz’s wealth of knowledge about Gene Stratton-Porter has allowed the site’s tour guides to more thoroughly tell Stratton-Porter’s story. She has also given her time to every program and community outreach opportunity possible, cleaning, decorating and even baking a fresh batch of cookies for every event she can.
Schwartz carries that same love and care throughout the grounds, weeding, gardening, feeding the fish and maintaining the Stratton-Porters’ family graves, even after hours or on days when the site is closed. With more than three decades spent at the site, Schwartz’s warmth and impact is evident to everyone who’s had the pleasure of working with her. In the words of Northern Regional Director Tiffany Parker, “Nancy is a part of [the site’s] history as much as the flowers that bloom in Gene’s gardens.”
