Reinbeck History Museum curator Ray Rannfeldt pictured early August inside his new museum’s room which is housed at the nonprofit Community Enrichment Center (The CEC) of Reinbeck. The tiny but impressively mighty museum has been a labor of love for Rannfeldt, a longtime resident of the community. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

REINBECK – This past summer was a big one for Reinbeck as the town celebrated America’s 250th birthday, its own sesquicentennial (150th), Pioneer’s 100th anniversary and a long-overdue RAGBRAI visit. Amid all the hustle and bustle, another important event passed without the fanfare it very much deserved from this newspaper – the official opening of the new Reinbeck History Museum inside the nonprofit Community Enrichment Center of Reinbeck, otherwise known as “The CEC.”

“I’ve been trying to get a museum in Reinbeck for years. I visited a lot of area museums. Then Dale (Wambold) and Lydia (Robertson) offered me the room at CEC,” retired Reinbeck resident and museum curator Raymond “Ray” Rannfeldt told the newspaper in early August during a tour of his small but impressively mighty history room. Standing in the center of the very tall, very narrow room, hundreds of pieces of Reinbeck’s history, including black and white photos, newspaper clippings and school memorabilia, populated practically every available space surrounding him. A labor of love for this former Reinbeck High School teacher’s adopted community in physical form.

The Reinbeck History Museum is housed at the back of The CEC inside what was more than likely the sacristy for Saint John’s Lutheran Church. The 130-year-old building located at 504 Clark Street was constructed in 1896 by German immigrants and their descendants who had been worshipping in the area since at least 1885, according to documents provided to the newspaper. For many years, both German and English language services were held before the German services were discontinued in 1941 due to World War II.

The CEC was also the home of Saint John’s parochial day school which operated from 1911 to 1934. In 1958, the congregation dedicated a new church building at the corner of Center and Randall streets (the church’s current location) and a year later, the original building was sold to the First Baptist Church. Prior to the pandemic, the building was donated to The CEC. Next week, the newspaper will feature a story specifically about The CEC. Per the organization’s co-director Lydia Robertson, “The Community Enrichment Center isn’t just restoring a historic building – we’re bringing together generations of people who believe that community matters. … The building has served Reinbeck for well over a century, and with the continued support of our community, we hope it will continue serving generations to come.”

Museum curator Rannfeldt, now retired from John Deere, hails from the Clinton area. He and his wife Sandi arrived in Reinbeck over 50 years ago when he took a job with the Reinbeck Community School District to teach industrial technology. He was a Reinbeck Ram, he told the newspaper, from 1975 to 1977 before graduate school and the U.S. Army beckoned. He’s been retired from Deere for 22 years now.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“I just like history,” Rannfeldt told the newspaper during the August tour of the museum room. “I think I know the history of Reinbeck well, but as soon as I get to talking to people, I find out how much I don’t know.”

For several years now, Rannfeldt has contributed to the extremely popular Reinbeck Iowa History Project Facebook group which is dedicated to the digital preservation of the town’s history. He also previously served on the Historical Collections of Grundy County board. During his tenure, he managed to sort all the donations into 29 categories.

While the town’s Reinbeck Courier newspaper archives are currently housed at City Hall, Rannfeldt has been the de facto caretaker for years – a task he does not take lightly. In his quest to find a space for the Reinbeck History Museum, he visited similar museums in Beaman, Conrad and Grundy Center. He considered opening such a museum at the Reinbeck Public Library or at City Hall – where there are “gatekeepers” – but neither location had space to spare.

“So here we are,” he said with a chuckle in reference to The CEC.

Space at The CEC is tight, he admits, which is why he’s chosen to span only the first 100 years of Reinbeck’s history. He has to be “picky” with what he curates. He’s also had to “go vertical,” using the former church’s lofty sacristy walls for his displays.

The recently opened Reinbeck History Museum’s walls are curated with Rams memorabilia as well as photographs and newspaper clippings from the first 100 years of the town’s history. The museum opened to the public on July 4, 2026, during Reinbeck’s annual festival. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

The museum held an open house this past July 4 as part of Reinbeck’s annual town festival. Prior to the museum’s opening at 3:30 p.m. that afternoon, he and Sandi served as parade grand marshals in tribute to their decades of volunteerism and civic responsibility. According to Robertson, the open house was a “huge success” and the tiny museum room was packed with visitors.

Preparation for the open house took about three months, Rannfeldt said, which included repairing the walls. He and Sandi have also been instrumental in rehabbing the former church’s landscaping. “I try to come in for an hour or two each day,” he said when asked to quantify his time commitment.

One of the highlights of the room is the “Brief History of Reinbeck” panel. The extensive list of businesses that have called Reinbeck home through the years is also a popular feature. Reinbeck Rams artifacts are also on display, including items from 1952-53 when the school colors briefly morphed from orange and black to green and white on the whims of the superintendent at the time, Rannfeldt explained. The 1952 girls 6-on-6 basketball team won the state championship that year and the team’s “monstrous trophy” will also be housed at the museum, Rannfeldt proudly shared.

Museum visitors also get to make their own mark inside the room by signing their name, age, and date of visit on wall space set aside near the door. Rannfeldt said that during July’s open house, the activity was a visitor favorite, especially for those on opposite ends of the age spectrum – the very young and the very wise.

Currently, the Reinbeck History Museum is open by appointment. Those interested in a tour are asked to contact Rannfeldt to set up a visit (563-726-4809 or rannfeldt@yahoo.com).

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“I want people to get in here and see their own history,” Rannfeldt said in early August. “I’ve lived here (for) 50 years now. I’m doing this because I love Reinbeck and I love history.”

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER