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Volunteer Spotlight: R. H. Fanders
It’s sometimes hard to hear R. H. Fanders as he speaks into the phone from his backyard in west Council Bluffs. It might be the traffic from the freeway in the distance, or at times, one of his three dogs barking at any small disturbance.
Despite the noises, this is where he can now be found most days. At 87, Fanders has slowed down a bit, but not so much that he won’t give a multimedia presentation on the early history of Council Bluffs called Look to the Land for the local library.
“I have these huge boxes stacked in the basement with the slides and music that go with this,” Fanders says. “My wife about has a heart attack any time I think about moving those boxes.”
Fanders and his wife, Phyllis, have been married 56 years, nearly all of which have been spent living in Council Bluffs. They have two children, Cathy and Kevin, who live in the area. They also have one grandchild and one step-grandchild.
Fanders taught drama and humanities for 25 years at Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs. When putting on his first play, he put out a call for 18 parts, but only six students tried out. From this humble beginning, Fanders successfully led the school and the community as a director or actor in over 160 plays.
Upon his retirement in 1984, Fanders continued to find ways to share his love of history and theater. He was accepted into both the Humanities Nebraska and Humanities Iowa speakers bureaus, where he portrayed General Grenville Dodge as he built the first transcontinental railroad and Meriwether Lewis as he explored the new West. Fanders engaged audiences of all ages as he engrossed himself in the parts with full makeup and costumes to the point it was hard to tell where Fanders ended and history began.
“What
I find most interesting is how Meriwether Lewis negotiated the Louisiana
Purchase,” he says. “At the time, nothing could have been further
from France’s mind. Jefferson sent Lewis to find out how much money
France would want in order to gain access to the Port of New Orleans. Napoleon
was deeply in debt and really had no idea what Louisiana was, and he saw
the opportunity to get out of debt. He said, ‘How about buying Louisiana?’
and Lewis just about fell out of his chair. I’m sure Lewis had no
idea what he was buying and Napoleon had less an idea of what he was selling.”
Off and on throughout the years, Fanders has volunteered his talents at Western Historic Trails Center, mainly giving presentations to students during Education Day.
“He is a gem to have on hand when students come through,” said KC Hummel, WHTC site manager. “His portrayals bring history to life and making learning a memorable experience.”
In his free time, Fanders enjoys taking pictures and fostering dogs that have been abused or abandoned. It may be one reason why he now has three.
“Our problem is, we foster a dog and then we own it,” Fanders says jokingly.
