Medical Lake library showcases local educator's artifact collection

Residents who visit the Medical Lake library and step into the cozy area with the fireplace will notice the wooden caabao statue at the top of a large cabinet.

The caribou is one of many artifacts currently on display that belong to local author and Medical Lake resident Eufemia Munn. Munn, a native of the Philippines, allowed the library to show off some of the artifacts she collected over the years as a way to allow residents to learn a little bit about the countries she visited throughout her life. In 2009 she displayed several artifacts she collected from China.

Inside of the top shelf there are several porcelain dolls in traditional Filipino dress. Below the dolls are sashes made of pineapple fiber, as well as coasters and jewelry made out of glass fiber and shells.

On the bottom shelf are placemats from the central Philippines made out of grass fiber. There are also carvings made out of wood and coconut shells, a brass statue along with artwork and two large shells.

"We eat the meat that's inside of the bigger shells," Munn said. "It's a delicacy."

In the middle of the bottom shelf there is a picture of several children standing outside of a building. The building is the Shalom Science Institute, a nonprofit Christian school she opened in 1996, a year after her husband Dr. Merton Munn passed away.

The institute is located in Munn's hometown of Balabagan, a municipality in Lanao del Sur, a coastal town, where a majority of the population lives below the poverty level.

Munn, former principal of Blair Elementary, now Michael Anderson Elementary, opened the school as a way to bridge the gap between Muslims and Christians in the area.

"I wanted to promote peace and harmony," Munn said. "Over there the population is 60 percent Christians and 40 percent Filipino Muslims. A few hours from where the school is located there are conflicts and daily bombings. There's a lot of mistrust between the Muslims and Christians."

Munn said the institute focuses on basic education with an emphasis on English, mathematics, computer, martial and applied health sciences. Over the years, it added a high school, which had its first class of graduates last April.

"Some of those students are now attending college," Munn said.

To help raise money for the institute, Munn taught in China for four years and in Chile for two years. She also returned to the institute to teach reading.

"I can't retire," Munn said. "Twenty-one teachers' livelihoods depend on the school's success. That's why I'm working."

After she returned from Chile, Munn continued to raise money for the school. She established the Dr. Merton D. Munn Foundation, which accepts donations to help fund the institution. She also published her memoir "Bridging the Gap," with all of the proceeds going to the institute. The book details Munn's life in Balabagan, her surviving World War II and Muslim raiders and her journey to create peace where she grew up.

In addition to raising money for the institute, Munn hopes she can help build a hospital in Balabagan. She will return to her hometown to meet with Mayor Edna V. Ogka-Benito.

"The task right now is to find the site for the hospital," Munn said. "I will sit down with the mayor and work on the details."

As for the display, Medical Lake library supervisor Theresa Stephenson said Munn's artifacts will be on display until "she decides to take them down."

"She's traveled to different places, I might see if she would be interesting in doing another display in the future," Stephenson said.

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].