Sr. Placida is honored
Sister Placida Wemhoff of St. Gertrude’s Monastery in Cottonwood, Idaho, has been named a recipient of the prestigious John Campanius Holm Award by the United States Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The John Campanius Holm Award is among the most distinguished honors granted to voluntary weather observers nationwide. It recognizes outstanding accomplishment in meteorological observations in the tradition of John Campanius Holm, who conducted the earliest known systematic weather observations in North America between 1644 and 1645. For 45 years, Sr. Placida has faithfully gathered and reported daily temperature and precipitation records from Cottonwood as part of NOAA’s Cooperative Observer Program. Her meticulous recordkeeping provides vital insight into regional climate patterns, serving national meteorology programs and local communities alike. Official NOAA Citation: “For exemplary reporting of meteorological observations from Cottonwood, Idaho. Your highly accurate and detailed temperature and precipitation records are a valuable resource to the Nation’s climate and weather programs. Your extraordinary public service for 45 years will make a lasting contribution to the communities who work to advance agriculture, transportation and commerce.” A Lifetime of Dedicated Service on the Camas Prairie Born and raised in a farming family on the Camas Prairie, Sr. Placida entered St. Gertrude’s Monastery at age 13 and was professed on June 11, 1960. She devoted 30 years to education—teaching 7th and 8th-grade mathematics across regional Catholic schools and Cottonwood Middle School—before transitioning to broader service within the monastic community. Since retiring from the classroom in 1993, Sr. Placida has served as the Monastery’s Director of Maintenance and Operations. In this role, she oversees building repairs, manages and prunes the monastery orchard, and tends the grounds during warmer months. In the fall and winter, she turns her focus to antique book restoration in her studio and sews garments for underprivileged children worldwide. Daily observations collected by volunteer observers like Sr. Placida form the bedrock of the United States’ historical climate database. Her four-and-a-half decades of continuous dedication ensure that regional agricultural producers, transportation authorities, commercial operators, and climate researchers have access to reliable, long-term environmental data. About the John Campanius Holm Award Named in honor of the Lutheran minister who recorded the first systematic weather observations in the American colonies (1644–1645), the award is presented by NOAA’s National Weather Service to recognize volunteer observers who demonstrate exceptional accuracy, continuity, and long-standing public service.  Sr. Placida Wemhoff with her award. Photo by Monastery at St. Gertrude. | COTTONWOOD
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