By: Nyah Adams / News Director

Longtime Stearns History Museum employee John Decker is receiving the 2021 Zapp Historian Award.

His commitment to promoting the rich history of Stearns County and Central Minnesota is being honored by the museum’s annual award which shows significant contribution to the history and culture of Stearns County.

Decker served as treasurer of the Oral History Association of Minnesota and president of the St. Cloud Area Genealogists. He currently is a member of the Minnesota State Historical Preservation Review Board, a weekly volunteer at the Stearns History Museum and a member of numerous genealogical and archival organizations.

Executive director of the Stearns History Museum Carie Essig says “It is rare today to find someone who dedicates a lifetime of service in their community to a single passion.”

The award is named in honor of the Zapp Family, who was instrumental in securing funds to build the Stearns History Museum during the early 1980s. Previous recipients include Annette Atkins, Keith Maurer, Robert Gambrino, Marilyn Brinkman, and Bill Morgan.