#1977.29.93
As I write this, I can look to my left and see the museum’s courtyard. It’s a cold winter day, and the area is covered in a thick layer of snow, glistening in the sunlight. At the center of it all is our fountain, sticking out of the snow like an obelisk (though now it is less visible with all the snow we’ve received). It is absolutely a piece of art, even without water running through it to reveal its full potential. In a box within the museum’s collection, we can find who this piece of art is dedicated to:
“She fed the birds before herself.
In loving memory of one of God’s children, Laura Jane Moyer, a friend to birds, animals, and man alike.”
In October of 1906, Dr. Willis Moyer married Adelaide Tanner. Adelaide was the daughter of Alfred Tanner—a prominent businessman and one of the earliest settlers in Little Falls. Tanner established Little Falls Milling Company in the 1880s and served as the mayor of the town in 1897.
Laura Jane Moyer was born August 15th, 1908 (d. January 1977), the oldest child of Willis and Adelaide Moyer. Laura is one of the many local artists within Morrison County’s history. Presented on this page is some of her work.
~ Grace Duxbury
Museum Assistant
This article originally appeared in the Morrison County Historical Society newsletter, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2019.
