By Pamela Pattison Lash
WCGS Co-VP Pat Goebel has a message about our last meeting and the plans for February. Here's what Pat has to tell you:
The New Year not only brought cold weather but memories
from the four ladies of the Williams County Genealogical Society (Alice
Meuleman, Pat Goebel, Pam Lash and Marty Richie) about their trip to Washington
DC. They shared at the January Meeting their exciting, frustrating but fruitful
researching trip to Washington DC during the shutdown the first of October.
They joined with a group from the Toledo Area Genealogical Society to take the
bus trip to DC with the purpose of researching at the National Archives,
Library of Congress, and the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
Oct. 1 brought the government shutdown for some sightseeing, the National
Archives and the Library of Congress.
Since the DAR is mostly privately funded, it was open, to
the delight of the ladies. Besides researching in their wonderful library, a
tour of the facilities was given with looks into the period rooms of most of
the states in America. Pam Lash told about the tour showing slides of the Ohio,
Tennessee, DC, Maryland, Louisiana, Georgia, Oklahoma, North Carolina and
Missouri rooms. Special interest was given to the Ohio room showing the 1920’s
décor.
Even though the shutdown closed many of the buildings for sightseeing,
some of the open-air sites were available, for example, Arlington Cemetery. Pat
Goebel told about their experience seeing the burial site for John F. Kennedy
and Audie Murphy, with slides and a video of the Changing of the Guards, which
they were lucky enough to see.
Alice Meuleman told about touring the Capitol Building led
by a retired secretary from the Capitol Building with help from a current
secretary. They were able to view both the Senate and House in session. Alice
showed several rooms in the Capitol, and the scene painted in the Capitol
stairway of the Battle of Erie.
Marty Richie told stories about her experience with a WWII
vet while searching for his buddy’s name on the Memorial Wall. She showed
pictures of the 911 Park near the Pentagon and what everything meant. Marty
also shared more pictures showing places around DC, Alexandra and Georgetown.
Even though the places they originally wanted to research
were closed, the DAR held many “treasures” about their ancestors.
The next meeting will be February 10, 2014, 6:30pm in the
Harmon Room, West Annex, Bryan Public Library, Bryan, OH. The theme is “Monday
Night at the Movies”. A DVD of Samuel Clemens will be shown. Bring a snack and
or drink, relax and watch the DVD with them.
The purpose of WCGS is the preservation of county records
and family research. Monthly meetings are held on the second Monday of
each month, excluding July and August, at 6:30pm, in the conference room of the
West Annex of the Bryan Public Library. The public is invited for all the
meetings.
For further information concerning WCGS, visit the Website
at www.wcgs-ogs.com
or write to WCGS, P.O. Box 293, Bryan Ohio 43506.
