Christy Martin enjoys the beauty of her clients’ yards every day. Photo provided.
By Mary Hirsch
Guest Columnist
Syracuse — Christy Martin is the newest director of the Syracuse Wawasee History Museum.
“I’ve always been interested in and involved with the area where I was born and raised. All of the Native American history here is fascinating, as are the families in our community. The lake is super cool,” Martin said.
Christy Martin designs and maintains cottage gardens for her clients. Photo courtesy.
After graduating from Wawasee High School, Martin earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics and a minor in Anthropology from Indiana University. “I took an elective in anthropology at IPFW, which was great. We had world-renowned professors. I took a class with a professor who had studied in the Galapagos Islands and lived with different tribes. I was fascinated by medical anthropology and the different herbal remedies the tribes used. Each anthropology class was more interesting than the last.”
After graduating, Martin married her husband, Nathan. Over the years, she worked for a florist, a brewing company, a printing and imaging company, as well as being a wedding and profile photographer and event planner.
“Last year I started my own company called Milkweed Estate Management and I manage five properties. I weed, prune and plant. I have two greenhouses so I can grow plants from seed and eventually develop cottage gardens with flowers and vegetables for my clients,” Martin says.
Ross Heil, a new member of the museum’s board of directors, suggested Martin attend a meeting and join the group. She quickly became a member of the board and took on the huge task of the museum’s recent renovation. “We want it to be interesting and cohesive for visitors. We want them to see things that interest them and then explore those items in more depth.” Martin and museum board member Peggy Genshaw then hung all of the Harkless paintings in new locations for the public to enjoy.
The Syracuse Wawasee History Museum contains memorabilia dating back to when Native Americans occupied the area. “There’s a lot of history here and we should be proud that we’ve preserved it over the years,” Martin said.
The Syracuse-Wawasee History Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is located in the Syracuse Community Center.
