By Gayle VanVooren
Mascot Editor

Straw hats, bowlers, hats with feathers, felt hats, and hats that sparkle.
Think back to those by-gone days of hats that perked on ladies’ heads. Remember the picture hats that obscured your view in church?
These hats, and many more, are now  resting on tables awaiting your perusal at the Minneota Opera Hall.
Where did they all come from?
Daren Gislason, an active member of the Society for the Preservation of Minneota’s Heritage (SPMH) , said the hats were given to the SPMH after Carrie Hovland’s death. “We couldn’t believe all the hats, gloves, and shoes that were given to us.”
Hat boxes that contained many of the finery were from Mabel Weiby, who made hats on 5th Avenue in New York.
“Mabel was a milliner who is thought to have been a relative of Carrie’s,” recalled Gislason.  That explains why Carrie had so many hats in her collection.
Carrie Hovland was a quiet little lady who operated Hovland Nursery north of Minneota for many years. As she grew older, she remained in the small farm home, perhaps looking at her collection of hats and reminiscing about them in her solitude.

(More in The Mascot, 11-11-09)