Clara Goodrich ** Faye's Daughter, Joan Forrest ** Rusti Gardner W/D President

At the Winter 1999 meeting of the Wet/Dry Routes Chapter of the Santa Fe Trail, Clara Goodrich of Larned, Kansas was presented with the Faye Anderson Award. Clara is very active in activities of the Chapter.

Clara has been with the Chapter from the beginning. She is our goodwill ambassador for the Chapter and the Santa Fe Trail as a whole, but her main duty is Chapter Historian. Her smile and the fact that she is one of the friendliest people you will ever meet makes her one of the many assets that any Chapter could hope to have. Clara doesn't know a stranger, she is always in the middle of things and is there when ever there is something to be done, even though most of the time it is a struggle, considering the health problems that she is experiencing. Clara is about to get a couple of new knee replacements, so look out you younger ones!

Clara is the type of person that will be there when you need her, and she is always in the background doing her thing, weather it is her ever present smile, meeting people, doing dishes, serving food, making markers, rock cutter, singing or just being Clara.

Clara is the type of person that you don't really notice, but you will remember that she was there, maybe not knowing just what she did but you know that she did something and it was good.

What Clara is doing in the bussiness of The Wet/Dry Routes Chapter is a very important duty for the future. Clara is remembered by the fact that she is always brings to the meetings "those great big books" that you never get around to looking at. There just don't seem to be enough time. Well every Chapter member, as far as that goes anyone else, should take the time to look at these scrapbooks that this lady has keep up todate from the beginning of the Chapter till the present time. These books are the "History of the Chapter", along with lots of other important information that is related to the Santa Fe Trail. This is no easy task, anybody can collect a box full of this kind of thing, it is another thing to put them into order, and then into books that someone else can make some sence out of. Clara has collected newspaper clippings, awards, notes from speakers, pictures, video tapes and just about anything you would want to know about The Wet/Dry Routes Chapter. It has been noted before, "History Isn't History Until It Is Written Down" I think that "Collected" should be added to that saying!!

"Nightingale of the Santa Fe Trail" is a title that Clara got from the many singing programs about the Trail that she has done in years past. Clara also volunteers for other activities other then those relating to the Chapter and the Santa Fe Trail. Clara teaches English to Spanish speaking people in Mackville, Kansas about thirty miles from her home. She calls for volunteers to serve meals as well as furnish food for many of the activities in and around Larned, Kansas.

A neat little side note; the oval Santa Fe Trail pin that Clara is wearing in the picture was given to her by Faye Anderson.

For her hard work as "Chapter Historian" and the many other things Clara is doing, she is awarded the
"Faye Anderson Award For The Year Of 1999"

"Congratulations Clara"

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