KANARRAVILLE – The Kanarraville Historical Society will be hosting its second annual Valentine’s Day fundraiser on Friday beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Kanarraville Town Hall.

Entertainment will be provided by locals with lots of talent and will feature Oscar Fakahua, a Kanarraville local, and his Tonga singers and dancers. Awards will be given to the 12 members who served on the 2009 Youth Council as well.

A perfect evening for any age, there will be dancing, games and prizes, as well as refreshments, desserts and punch.

“Last year it was packed,” Society President Russ Williams said. “We raised a lot of money.”

Those who attend are invited to donate to the Historical Society to help with future service projects around the community.

The Kanarraville Historical Society began about 10 years ago, Raona Lewis, society vice president, said, but it was formally incorporated on April 4, 2004.

Before students began being bused to Cedar City in 1956, Kanarraville had its own school. Lewis and other Kanarraville residents who had attended the old school organized a little reunion that quickly attracted many other former classmates from throughout the years.

This first reunion was at the Cobblecrest Dance Hall in Kanarraville with a huge turnout that raised more money than they knew what to do with, Lewis said. It was decided that the funds would be placed in a bank account and used to form a new historical society for the town.

Barbara Munford, Lewis’ sister, organized the leasing of part of the old LDS chapel (now the town hall) to serve as the offices for the Historical Society, as well as a place for their “fledgling museum,” Lewis said.

“We’ve been collecting a few artifacts and a lot of documents for the museum,” Lewis said.

The museum is full of photos of past and current residents, dolls, tools, medical supplies, quilts, books and many other donated artifacts.

The Historical Society has had several fundraising projects throughout the years. They earned money to purchase a plaque to be displayed in Town Hall to honor all Kanarraville residents who have ever served in any branch the Armed Forces.

They have also raised funds to provide many of the old pioneer gravesites with markers in the Kanarraville Cemetery. They hope to have the markers up by Memorial Day of this year, Lewis said.

The Historical Society’s newest project is to provide a secure case to display in their museum a large quilt made from squares collected by resident Lorraine Woodbury approximately 60 years ago from residents of Kanarraville, including some made by original pioneer settlers of the town.

In addition to fundraising projects, the Historical Society also puts out a monthly newsletter. Each issue features something historical, like a story from a Kanarra resident; something contemporary, like current events in the community; and a special section spotlighting one of the veterans in town.

“We’re trying really hard to become a genuine historical society and I think we’re getting there,” Lewis said.

Anyone interested in subscribing to the Kanarra Historical Society Newsletter is invited to call Raona Lewis at 586-7167 or Russ Williams at 586-9258.