Joyce Allen and Dawna Standridge, long time employees of the Ducktown Basin Museum, were celebrated at a special reception recognizing their many years of service as guides.
To honor their dedication, the museum dedicated rocking chairs in their names, acknowledging Allen’s over 30 years of service and Standridge’s more than 20 years.
Both women, who have deep roots in the Copperhill area, spent decades sharing their knowledge of the region’s copper mining history with thousands of visitors. As life-long residents whose husbands worked in the mines, Allen and Standridge brought a unique perspective to their roles, recounting what it was like to grow up and raise families during the peak of the copper mining industry.
Although now retired, their impact on the museum endures, with repeat visitors still asking for them by name. Reflecting on her time at the museum, Allen said, “I loved working up there, it was good, all the friends and people... I liked working up there because of who I worked with, I couldn’t ask for a better place to work at.” Standridge echoed her sentiment, stating, “I worked for 20 years before I retired, and I loved it... it was a good job, you just had to be yourself.” She also described the reception in their honor as having “went really good.”
Museum staff, board members and attendees expressed their gratitude to both Allen and Standridge, saying, “Thank you, Joyce and Dawna, for making our lives richer through the telling of yours.”