The Ellis County Historical Society, 100 W. Seventh, will host a Christmas Open House on Friday.

Omer Knoll, local Volga German artist, will kick off the evening at 6:30 p.m. with a talk about his life and works. We will display our new acquisitions of his work, including a never-before-seen bronze portrait of the Leo Dreiling family, as well as pieces from Mr. Knoll’s private collection. Knoll is well known for his rendering of the Fish-within-a-Fish, a large fossil found by George Sternberg. He also sculpted publicly respected busts of John F. Kennedy, Dr. Michael DeBakey, and Leo and Albina Dreiling.

New this year, we will offer guided tours of the exhibit gallery. These aren’t your normal museum tours! Be prepared to laugh as Bryan “Buzz” Snyder-Brown, local comedian, tells about his favorite stories from Ellis County. Join Buzz for tours at 7:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. We discourage children from attending the latest tour to leave room for a little adult humor.

Mary Kay Schippers, local author, will be in our Museum Store to promote and sign her new book, “The Return to the Family Farm: still learning life lessons.” This is the third installment in Schippers’s series preserving the legacy of her family farm. Previous installments are “A Year on the Family Farm,” and “Another Year on the Family Farm.” All three titles will be available for purchase.

The following musicians also will appear through the evening in the Stone Church: Wayne & Tammy Lang at 7 p.m., Ellis Junior Choir at 8 p.m., and Randy Mader from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Refreshments will be available.

Ellis County Historical Society, founded in 1972, collects, preserves, and exhibits items and documents that illustrate the history of Ellis County.

— Submitted