Mr. Purdue
Tell me a little about your 21st century life. Where do you work? Family? Hobbies and interests other than reenacting?

Mrs. Richards
Brian and I (Katie) live outside of Grand Rapids, MI with our 3 boys (Ben, age 7, Teddy, age 5, and Lincoln, almost 2). Because our boys are so young, we spend a lot of time playing outside and at neighborhood parks and playgrounds. We love going to Walt Disney World and are impatiently waiting for our next vacation to visit The Mouse. Our family loves Lego and there’s always a work-in-progress somewhere in the house. Brian is an avid woodworker and is in the process of renovating our basement to add 2 extra bedrooms, a media room, full bathroom, pantry of my dreams, and a laundry room/work space for me. It’ll be a HUGE life upgrade for everyone!

Brian and I have really unique and special work situations. Brian is a web developer-turned-trainer who runs a business hosting and organizing digital conferences about WordPress. He’s been teaching others how to make better websites for almost 7 years, which is a long time for a web entrepreneur! I am part of a marketing team at a web hosting company based in San Francisco. Specifically, I run an advocacy program (in marketing speak, it's a program that harnesses the experiences of the company’s ultra-loyal, passionate customers to power marketing and community engagement.) In reality, I spend a LOT of time communicating with our customers and our internal teams, making connections between them for special projects. Both of us work from home, which gives us flexibility to be involved in our boys’ lives in a very fulfilling way.

Mr. Purdue
How and when did you get into Civil War reenacting? When and how did you become a member of the 24th Michigan?

Mrs. Richards
I’ve always loved history and have had different periods of obsession for several different eras (Egyptology! Revolutionary War! Regency! Civil War!) but Victorian-era American history I found especially fascinating. One summer in late high school, I decided to find a Civil War reenacting group, contacted the 24th by email, and met Sheri Giffin at Charlton Park. I was able to convince my parents that camping in funny clothes with strangers wasn’t that dangerous and I’ve been enjoying the hobby ever since (16 years, almost half my life!). Brian got roped into the hobby when we married but since his schedule is so different and we’ve found its easier to NOT take our young ones camping, he often stays home for events and visits on day trips when possible.

Mr. Purdue
What do you enjoy most about reenacting?

Mrs. Richards
I love being able to tell stories to spectators that allow them to see life from a different perspective.

Mr. Purdue
Are there any special skills or talents that you would like to use in reenacting?

Mrs. Richards
I spend a lot of time at work diving down one research rabbit hole or another. I’ve developed what I like to call “semi-professional stalking skills” and love to use those skills to deepen my knowledge of daily life during the Civil War.

Mr. Purdue
Tell me a little about your 21st century life. Where do you work? Family? Hobbies and interests other than reenacting?

Mr. Scygiel
I work at Four Winds Casino in Security management and have been there for 13 years. I’m happy married, going on 12 years now. My other interests are playing golf, and collecting hot wheels and matchbox cars.

Mr. Purdue
How and when did you get into Civil War reenacting? When and how did you become a member of the 24th Michigan?

Mr. Scygiel
I got into reenacting from my dad Greg back in early ‘96. We were in Gettysburg and saw a living history event by the PA monument. The 24th Michigan was there and my dad signed up and fell in ‘97 And year later I joined. Six years ago I decided to go green and joined the 2nd USSS Comp B (Michigan). I am still an active member of the 24th; those are my boys, I’ll never let them down!

Mr. Purdue
What do you enjoy most about reenacting?

Mr. Scygiel
I enjoy reenacting because I feel like I want to keep the history alive and show others what it was like being a solder in the Civil War.

Mr. Purdue
Are there any special skills or talents that you would like to use in reenacting?

Mr. Scygiel
I like to show more of my shooting skills as a Sharpshooter and show the spectators what the qualifications were like