There are some volunteers whose presence simply lights up a room. One such volunteer is Bob Drexler, who has spent the past 22 years volunteering at the Museum of Idaho.
22 years ago, a friend of his talked him into helping out at the museum when the Museum of Idaho was still in its original building. “I thought, ‘I’ll give it a try.’ And it just never ended,” he said.
The first job he had at the museum was gathering zip codes from visitors, and over the years, he’s just about done it all. “Since then, I work around wherever they need me,” he said. Bob volunteers at the museum weekly and says it keeps him on his feet. “I’m just in the habit, and I like to see the same people, both employees and other volunteers.”
After recently celebrating his 95th birthday, Bob reflects on how the museum has brought back a lifetime of memories.
Bob has seen every exhibit that has passed through the museum, but the toy exhibit specifically brought back sweet memories. “They asked me what my favorite toy was, and I said, ‘A size 7 1⁄2 Erector set.’ I had wanted one of those when I was young,” he said. “They had one in the exhibit, and it brought back memories.”
When Bob was just a young boy, he had dreamed of getting this toy, and finally, his dad got him the size 7 1⁄2 Erector set, and it’s what he recalls sparked his passion for engineering. Before he began volunteering at the museum, he was a mechanical engineer for 40 years at the Idaho National Laboratory. Engineering was one of his life’s greatest passions, aside from being a devoted husband and father.
Bob grew up in Twin Falls, was in the army for two years, and attended the University of Idaho in Moscow before coming to Idaho Falls, where he’s made a home the past 70 years.
His lifetime of experiences and his sense of humor are what make him such a pleasure to be around at the museum. “Bob is such an amazing volunteer, and we are so lucky to have him on our team,” said volunteer coordinator Ashlee Perrenoud.
When asked about his favorite thing about the museum, he jokingly remarks that it’s the snack room, but on top of that, it’s the positive attitudes of the people he works with.
The Museum of Idaho just seems to be where he fits in and where he plans to continue volunteering for as long as he’s able to. “The museum people are wonderful, friendly and helpful, and it’s a good thing to get me out of bed.”
