Melissa Etheridge Rides our 1913 C.W. Parker Carousel

By Jerry Reinhardt from the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum

MELISSA ETHERIDGE stopped in Saturday, May 30, to visit the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum for the first time since it has been built.  She came in one time while the building was under construction, but the only one in the building was the electrician, working on the wiring. When she came in, Marilyn, Joanne, and Pauline were working at the desk, and she came over and introduced herself.  She wanted to know if the band organ was still working.  We had a birthday party going at the time, and the carousel was loading up for another ride.  Lynn Genter was the operator.  I was upstairs with a small tour of four people.  Marilyn called me on my phone, so the tour and everything took a break, and we all went down to meet Melissa.  She said to Marilyn that she told everyone she was an "organ donor"! 

She thought the carousel and the band organ were wonderful, and the museum was wonderful, and we were all wonderful to work in it.  We took some wonderful photos of her by her band organ that she had purchased for us.  She rode the carousel, and also had a wonderful ride! We took some photos of the event and then she went upstairs to see a little of the museum before she left.