Kristi Martin enjoys the beauty of her clients’ gardens on a daily basis. Photo provided.

By Mary Hursh
Guest Columnist

SYRACUSE — Kristi Martin is the newest board member of the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum.

“I have always been interested and involved in this area where I grew up. All the Native American history here is fascinating as are the families in our community. The lakes are super cool,” said Martin.

Kristi Martin designs and maintains cottage gardens for her clients. Photo provided.

After graduating from Wawasee High School, Martin earned her BFA in fine arts with a concentration in ceramics and a minor in anthropology at Indiana University. “I took an elective at IPFW in anthropology, which was awesome. I had world-renowned professors there. I took a class with a professor who studied in the Galapagos Islands, where he lived with different tribes. I was fascinated by the anthropology of medicine and different herbal remedies that the tribes used. Each anthropology class was cooler than the last.”

After graduation, Martin married her husband, Nathan. Over the years, she worked at a floral shop, a brewing company, a printing and an imaging firm. She was also a wedding and profile photographer and event planner.

“Last year I opened my own business, Milkweed Estate Management. I maintain five properties. I weed and prune and plant. Since I have two greenhouses, I start plants from seeds and eventually develop cottage gardens incorporating flowers and vegetables for my clients,” said Martin.

Ross Heil, a new board member at the museum, suggested Martin come to a meeting and possibly join the group. She quickly became a board member and jumped into the big task of the museum’s recent remodeling. “I want to make things interesting and cohesive for visitors. I want them to see something of interest and delve deeper into the study of the item or items.” Martin and museum board president Peggy Genshaw hung all the Harkless pictures in a new spot for the public to enjoy.

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum houses memories from as far back as the time when Native Americans occupied our area. “There is so much history here and we should be proud of what we have been able to keep over the years,” said Martin.

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. It is located in the Syracuse Community Center.