Volunteer Spotlight, Mary Anne Hilker
Mary Anne Hilker
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
Mary Anne Hilker has a long-time familiarity with Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park, beginning in the 1880s when her great-grandparents moved from Chicago to Cross Creek and then to nearby Island Grove. In fact, her annual family reunions are held each year at the county park next door.
Mary Anne is a graduate of the University of South Florida and the University of Florida. She has been a regular visitor to the park since it opened as a state historic site in the early 1970s and began volunteering as a tour guide in 2012. Why does she volunteer you might ask? Simply because she enjoys greeting and interacting with visitors and teaching them about the home and farm. Given her interests in history and literature, the park is an ideal setting for her.
Mary Anne loves to guide book clubs, school groups and garden clubs, and senior groups are especially fun for her. In her own words, “I feel it’s important to be as responsive as I can to a groups’ special interests, needs or questions. That’s what keeps me on my toes! I share how much I treasure this place and how glad I am that they are here. It is wonderful to witness the joy of someone who has longed to visit the place where Marjorie lived and wrote. Some have described it as a dream come true."
We truly appreciate all that Mary Anne does for the park. You can see her out at the park at least one day a week, normally on Thursdays, and during special tours as they occur. She is just one of many treasures to be found at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park.