Mary Beth Paul and Allen Trudeau’s fourth grade students at Norway Elementary School presented their annual “living wax museum.”

Dressed in costume among the museum exhibits and grounds, students gave speeches of those they portrayed. As visitors traveled through the buildings, they were able to step on a star with the name of the character, bringing the figure to life to tell their story.

Significant residents from Norway, Vulcan, Loretto, Waucedah and Faithorn areas were among those highlighted this year. They included Stanley “Slip” Carlson, Alan Ronberg, Myron Yorke, Ann Van Wolvelaere, Rosemary VanPembrook, the Odill family, Jake Menghini, Louise Lardenoit, Mr. and Mrs. John Rice, Edmund Ottoson, Gary Johnson, Jody Kelly, Donald Brumbaugh, Monsieur D’Amour, Bob “Billet’s” Budinger and Robert Sundstrom.

Fourth-grader Eliot Mortl, who portrayed Stanley “Slip” Carlson of Faithorn, enjoyed learning about his time in the service. “He served for three years and was injured while landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day,” Mortl said. “It was very interesting to learn about his life.”

JAZLYNN LAWNICKI GETS ready to tell about the late Ann Van Wolvelaere, a longtime resident who worked as a nurse at Anderson Memorial Hospital and was an active member of the Jake Menghini Museum.(Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

Carlson passed away six years ago at the age 96.

Matthew Nowack was assigned former Norway High School coach Alan Ronberg. He found his 31-year coaching career at NHS very interesting and the fact the football field is named after him.

“He started in 1927 — 22 years in basketball and 31 years in football — and won several titles and championships,” Nowack said.

A couple important highlights about Ronberg included his nickname, which was the “Football Fox of the U.P.,” and that he was named to the U.P. Hall of Fame and Northern Michigan University Hall of Fame, Nowack added.

The late Ann Van Wolvelaere, a registered nurse at Anderson Memorial Hospital in Norway and Dickinson County Hospital, was portrayed by Jazlynn Lawnicki, who dressed in her actual nurse’s uniform.

ELIOT MORTL STANDS at attention as Stanley “Slip” Carlson, who was injured while landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day, during Norway Elementary School's annual “living wax museum” at the Jake Menghini Historical Museum in Norway. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

She and her husband, Bill, were very interested in history and wrote history articles for the Norway Current, Lawnicki said.

Van Wolvelaere also served as president of Anderson Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, which helped raise money in support of the hospital in Norway, Lawnicki said.

“I really liked this project and learning about her (Ann Van Wolvelaere),” she said. “I’m thankful we got to do it.”

Fourth-grade student Scarlett Mack also was happy her class was able to take part in the project and enjoyed the whole experience.

Mack portrayed the late Myron Yorke, who was highly experienced in gravure — a printing process that uses an etched or engraved plate — and opened his own print-making business in an old canning factory.

CONNIE JOHNSON LISTENS to Scarlett Mack as she tells the story of experienced gravure man Myron Yorke during Norway Elementary School's annual “living wax museum” Wednesday at the Jake Menghini Historical Museum in Norway. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

“At one time the plant (Norway Gravure) employed 300 workers,” Mack said. “He sold the business in 1950.”

In 1945, he opened up Yorke’s Cafe on Main Street that became a popular place for young and old and was also a stop for the Greyhound Bus, she said.

Mack added Yorke was a very hard worker.

Museum Partners Member Jo Anne Sternhagen, who introduced the “wax museum” idea to the school seven years ago, said they started working on this year’s project in March.

Character assignments were chosen based on interest and connection to family members or friends. Once selections are made, Sternhagen researches each individual and prepares a list of important questions.

Students were then able to interview family members, friends, museum volunteers and sometimes the person themselves.

“This helps guide them to what story we want to tell to the public,” Sternhagen added.

Teacher Mary Beth Paul added that the project not only gets the students more interested in Norway’s history, it helps them with their writing and speech skills.

“They put a lot of work into their presentation, as we want to make sure we do right by those families,” Paul said.

Paul said she had extra interest, as her father, Vietnam veteran Gary Johnson, was one of those chosen to be represented this year. “That was really neat,” she said.

The event draws in many local residents who have never previously been in the museum as well.

Visitors each year comment that they learned things they didn’t know before coming to the “wax museum,” Sternhagen added.

Sternhagen plans to continue the project next year.

The students loved the project and were very excited about the day at the museum, Paul said.

“I had a mother telling me this morning how her son doesn’t like to get up for school; however, today was different — he jumped right out of bed to get his outfit on,” Sternhagen said.

“It’s a great experience at many different levels,” she added.