Herndon Community Museum

05/25/2026

Today we honor our veterans for their willingness to serve, bravery and courage. The sacrifices were many so let's stop and pause in prayer for each and every one of them this day.

05/21/2026

These days seem so crazy but such fun! It's so exciting to be getting Alumni reservations from guys/gals that I keep thinking are in their early 30's and they come to celebrate 60 years since graduation! YIKES, how can that be? We do thank all of you that plan on coming to the banquet and spending all day at the Ox-Roast. The years do fly by so, enjoy the weekend, take time to visit with old friends and possibly make some new ones. Hope to see you soon! Our staff will be ready to greet you at the museum and Smokey Bear may have a treat for you also!

05/20/2026

Ready for Alumni Banquet and the Herndon Ox-Roast 2026? Be sure to make those plans and be prepared to enjoy the weekend. Many are working to make it a great event you will not regret! Any questions be sure to let the committee know! Can't wait to see you!

05/15/2026

Time to fill out your parade entry form to participate at the Herndon Ox-Roast, Saturday, June 13th, 2026. We'll be posting photos from years gone by. Directions can be found on the Herndon Ox-Roast 2026 website. It will be a great day, and we want you to be a part of it!

05/05/2026

How neat is this radio?

The best gift idea for your mother on Mother's day is a new, shiny FM Radio so she can tune in KEZL-FM all year long. Happy Mother's Day. KEZL is playing a lot of mother day songs and poetry this week for your listening enjoyment. MOM AND POP Radio for the Folks! Accept no substitutes!

03/29/2026

Herndon Alumni Banquet
The Herndon Alumni Association Banquet for 2026 is scheduled for the evening of Friday June 12th, the evening before the Ox Roast. The 2026 alumni banquet will be held at the former Herndon school building. The school gymnasium will be open at 1 pm on Friday for alumni and spouses to assemble and visit with classmates and other graduates. The business meeting and banquet will begin at 6 pm. All alumni are welcome, not just members of honor classes. All Herndon teachers and their spouses are also invited to attend. You are welcome to stay after the banquet meal and visit as long as you want. Volunteer help with cleanup is always appreciated.
The banquet meal will be catered and will be beef tips with mashed potatoes, gravy, a vegetable, salad and desert. The cost per person will be $20. The deadline for reservations and cancellations is Sunday June 7th. To make a reservation, please send a text message to Gary Nemeth at 785-322-7072 with your name, year of graduation, and the number attending the banquet meal. You may also call Gary evenings between 7 and 10 pm. Reservations may also be made by calling Julie Hafner at 785-322-5219 or Nadine Green at 785-322-5583 (home) or 785-475-8406 (cell).
The Herndon Community Museum will be open from noon to 5pm on Friday June 12th and after the parade until 5pm on Saturday June 13th. The museum is continually being upgraded and improved and you will enjoy a visit, even if you have visited before. The museum is sponsoring a scavenger hunt with a Herndon history theme that will be held late afternoon on Saturday. Rachel Grafel is organizing the scavenger hunt and the proceeds will go to the museum.
We look forward to seeing you at the 2026 alumni gathering.
Gary Nemeth, president 785-322-7072
Linda Ruzicka, vice president 308-276-2658
Dave Ketterl, secretary/treasurer 785-322-5302

NOTE:
We are attempting to save time and cost by reducing the number of letters that we mail to graduates. We plan to instead send text messages to cell phones with a link to a posting on the Herndon Community Museum page. We will continue to mail letters to graduates for whom we do not have a verified cell phone number. To help us reduce mailing costs in future years, please send a text message (including your name) from your cell phone to Gary Nemeth, even if you do not plan to attend the 2026 banquet. If you received a notification text before the banquet, please send a text reply to verify that we have the correct cell number for you.
In future years, a text message will be sent each year after alumni banquet plans are posted on the Herndon Community Museum page and again approximately two weeks before the banquet to remind alumni that the reservation deadline is approaching. Text messages may also be sent occasionally to notify alumni of an upcoming Herndon Community Museum event. If you do not wish to receive text messages from the Herndon Alumni Association and Museum, please contact Gary Nemeth by telephone to opt out.

03/10/2026

The Herndon Community Museum is excited to open for our summer hours beginning Saturday, April 4!
Stop by between 1:00–4:00 p.m. to explore our newly updated displays—there’s truly something for everyone. We’ll also be sharing details soon about our Summer Fun Project, and we’d love for you to take part.
The museum will be open every Saturday afternoon through September, so make plans to visit often. While you’re here, consider supporting the museum with a donation to help us keep local history alive. You’re sure to discover some wonderful items that spark memories. Every one of our treasurers have a story.
If you’d like to schedule a family tour, feel free to contact any of our staff members:
• Julie: 785‑322‑5219
• Nadine: 785‑475‑8406
• Lorri: 785‑626‑6044
• Galen: 785‑470‑0043
We look forward to welcoming you this summer.

02/19/2026

This is a little anniversary surprise for Joe and Becky Tongish. Happy Anniversary. Wishing you two as much joy as we see on this trip for you Joe. Thanks from Herndon!

02/19/2026

Years and years ago we posted this photo on our site. Since that time information has come in with names and a little story behind this photo. Names are Urban Lippold, Carl Freidaman, Louis Leitner, George Kennedy, Frank Church, Arnold Blankenburg, Eric Westman, Tony Hafner and Joe Reipl. Louie is back row, polka dot dress, Frank is to his left, then Eric with Joe in front of Eric. The rest are not tagged. The story is from Stella to Larry to Joyce is as follows. The news got around that the Herndon softball girls had invited a traveling team to town. What a surprise to the traveling team to see the men dressed up like girls. After the shock wore off they played the game but no one knows who won! Thank you, Larry and Joyce, for adding to our Herndon history.

01/29/2026

HAPPY KANSAS DAY!
We can celebrate our wide-open skies, maybe a few trails in the sky, wheat fields begging for some rain and most important a positive spirit and pride in our state. We are the Sunflower State. May you celebrate a warm and nostalgic kind of day. Happy Kansas Day from the Herndon Community Museum.

01/27/2026

Calling All Herndon Ox-Roast Fans!
As we prepare for the Herndon Ox-Roast Celebration on Saturday, June 13th, 2026, the Herndon Community Museum is putting together a special display — and we need your help.
We’re looking for old Ox-Roast photos from any year. If you have pictures tucked away in albums, boxes in the attic or scrapbooks that you could copy, we’d love to include them. Photos will be displayed in some fashion. Please include names or the year on the back if possible.

📬 Mail photos or memorabilia to:
Herndon Community Museum c/o Julie Hafner
228 Quincy
Herndon, KS 67739

📧 Prefer to send digital copies?
Email them to:
• [email protected]
• [email protected]

We’re also accepting Ox-Roast memorabilia you’d like to donate to the museum’s permanent collection. Items can be mailed to the address above or given to any museum staff or board member.

Thank you for helping preserve the history and spirit of the Herndon Ox-Roast. Community memories are what make this celebration so special. For further information contact:
Julie, 785-322-5219;
Lorri, 785-626-6044
Nadine, 785-475-8406