Farewell Cynthia Clonch

Cynthia Clonch has resigned directorship of Texas Trail Museum. Due to family responsibilities, Clonch and husband Don are returning to Nebraska in the very near future.

Seven years ago, when Cynthia became director of the Texas Trail Museum, she had no idea that the job would take on a life of its own.

“I thought this would be a great job, a very low key job. I didn’t know that they were adding on and I didn’t realize how much involvement there would be and you could create,” she says. “In the whole time I’ve been here, I’ve never been bored; there is something always to do.”

Commending the directors and curators who came before her, Cynthia said, “We get a lot of compliments on our collections and that’s nothing I did. I think my ability is to pull things together, but some of the collections come from the 1980s so the foundation was set back then and it’s been built from one director to the next director. Moorcroft should be really proud that they had Helen Robinson Zimmerscheid, Bill Hughes, Alden Robinson and many others who had this vision to put together all these collections and to keep it growing.”

The west Texas trail museum received an award from True West Magazine for rating one of the top six cattle and ranching museums in the United states in 2016.

Cynthia spent three days on the application and sent in photos of the exhibits and explained the activities she shared with the public through the museum. “I am proud of that achievement.”

Cynthia was in her 50s when she came to the position of director for the museum and has grown to truly love the work. Of the myriad events hosted like the Heritage Roundup, created by a predecessor, the Jubilee breakfast and so many others, she had a singular place in her heart for youngsters.

“The special part of being part of this museum is, for me, is getting to interact with the kids from the elementary school who are able to come in for field trips and I have a program called Thanks and Giving where they develop these beautiful cards and pictures and send them out in Operation Gratitude,” she says.

Cynthia’s strong community spirit, volunteerism and influence at the museum and the many organizations with which she allied her efforts has made her one of a few who can be called the cornerstones of Moorcroft’s supporting cast. She expounds this ideal, saying, “If you want to be part of a community, then you just give. It’s just that you want to, it’s exciting.”

The Clonch family, Cynthia, Don and their nine children, came to Wyoming almost 16 years ago and lived on Thorne Divide for a time before moving into Moorcroft.

She and Don immediately volunteered to coach baseball and basketball respectively. “My friends,” smiles Cynthia, “always tell me that when I move I shouldn’t do anything for a year, but how do you do that?” She coached until her kids were no longer in the sport.

Over the years, Cynthia became associated with the booster club (“It was a good way to be part of a group that was looking out for our children”), the chamber of commerce (“I was excited to be part of that and I jumped right in”), the senior center (“I love the elderly”), and the Crook County Promotion Board.

“It was an eye opener and so rewarding, it was a collection of people working for the betterment of Crook County, not just one town. We always hear that competition between different towns, this was for the betterment of everybody,” she says of the latter.

She also strongly advocates another of her favorite groups, the Moorcroft Interfaith Community (MIC). Since the inception of the MIC, Cynthia could be found at the piano and as secretary of the board.

Cynthia has carried on the example of her parents, growing up in a family of community minded people created an industrious spirit in her when still a child.

“As a little girl, I was the one who would get up on Saturday morning and clean my brothers’ rooms. My mother would praise me and make me feel really good so I think I always got that kind of praise with accomplishments – if you do a good job, you’re going to get rewarded,” she says.

She grew up with the need to be part of the action, “Whether it’s something I’ve done or something I’m part of,” Cynthia smiles, “I’ve always wanted to be part of the picture and the more, the better.”

Speaking candidly about the neighbors she will leave, “the friendships I’ve developed and being part of the chamber and other organizations, they’ve really tied me. When I move, I can actually say I’ll be very sad. I will really miss everybody.”

With Cynthia’s departure, Cindy Mosteller took over the position of director of the West Texas Trail Museum on Wednesday, April 1.