DEL NORTE — The Rio Grande County Museum was packed on Monday, Dec. 12, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the town of Del Norte and to mark a special birthday for Margaret Annine Gredig Untiedt who is a descendant of John Gredig, one of the founders of the town.

Several family members traveled from California to celebrate the town’s anniversary and an amazing woman who has spent her life dedicated to the service of others.

Over 20 family members ventured through the snow and cold to the small mountain town of Del Norte and celebrate their family’s history here.

Through the process of planning for the event the Rio Grande County Museum with the help of patrons, the Town of Del Norte, Rio Grande County and several family and friends made sure that Margaret could embrace her history and celebrate 99 years of accomplishments.

The Gredig family spent countless hours scanning and bringing out original documents of the voyage the family took from Switzerland in 1856 that landed them here.

Longtime patron and supporter of the museum, Martha Kennedy translated some of the documents from German to English for the family as part of the celebration. In the documents provided from the family, was the original Postmaster Certification for John Gredig who was the first postmaster for the town of Loma and was the man who owned the land that the town of Del Norte was built on.

Also included in the documents were shipping lists, passports, the family tree, recollections of the creation of Summitville and Creede and much more. These documents fill holes in the long history of the area and paint a picture of what life was like for the first families residing here. It is a priceless addition to the museum and one that can be enjoyed by patrons for years to come.

Throughout the day, Margaret was visited by friends of people she went to school with. She went through her best memories of Del Norte and her years here as a small girl.

Rio Grande County Museum Board President Leroy Fuch provided the family with even more history as he sat with Margaret and reminisced about the years when they were young teenagers growing up in a small town.

Del Norte Town Manager Bernadette Martinez wished Margaret a happy birthday and presented her with a handmade blanket and flowers. Margaret spent the rest of the afternoon recording her history for the Rio Grande County Museum which will be housed in their collection.