Sentimental Thoughts of Days Gone Bye, Forming our Society

Sentimental thoughts of days that have gone bye are many. I will focus on the
fun and joy experienced with meeting the people to help create a Genealogy Society in south bay Chula Vista, California.

I first asked at the library and they replied they did not have a society, nor did they know of any in the area. I then went to National City and asked the library there then I went to Lemon Grove and asked the library there. Alas, no one had one and no one was starting one. Lemon Grove and Chula Vista were working a Historical Society for their areas.

National City promoted the Kimball House for Historical information.

After a period of time, I went back to the Chula Vista Library and met Mrs. Powell whom worked there as I was looking in the reference section for some potential data. She was excited to learn I was interested in working to create a program for the area. She tells me she is working with these other people to develop one and I was so glad to help them. I met the others within a week of talking to Geni P.

She introduced me to three other people and we sort of put heads together and ideas came about and we were going to start a program. June, Betty H and Peggy D.

We met in a home in Bonita (Sandy P) and in Chula Vista and at restaurants and in the library's California room. They had great goals and dreams and I so looked forward to be a part of something good for the community. I had done research for a long time and was ready to share.

There were 8 to 12 people meeting when I had to drop out and go back to work. I popped in when time would allow. I kept in close touch with Mrs. Powell, by phone and when I would get into library to do research.

I will always remember the kindness shown me when I was caring for a very young grandchild and they would allow him to come to the meetings with me. He was less than a year old.

Thankfully, he did not create a fuss or interrupt the events. They even asked us to lunch in restaurants with out the grandson creating a problem. They became like surrogate Grandma's.

It was a real surprise when we started to put together surname charts and found that many came from ancestors whom we shared in Greene Co., Washington Co., Fayette Co., and Westmoreland Co. Pennsylvania and from Ohio across the ridge from there.

I looked around the meeting area the other day and realized that now I am of the old guard and I seldom see the faces of those who were so kind to me.

Thank You Geni Powell, June Dawson and Peggy Donovan, also thanks to Sandy Palumbo and Mrs Myers. More thanks then goes to Pat Postma, Nina Schultheis, Mrs. Alvord,
Mrs Trudi Frank & Paul, Betty Hampton,Betty Kerr, and all the others my brain has let the names escape me. The fellows that we lost, two were distant cousins and we swamped and shared much family research. Some of the ladies are also now gone, some for a very long time.