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www.WashOGS.org First Families of Washington CountyMembership Information Proven Early Settlers Recent Inductees First Family Membership Roster; 1990-Present |
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www.WashOGS.org First Families of Washington CountyMembership Information Proven Early Settlers Recent Inductees First Family Membership Roster; 1990-Present |
Fist Families Inductees for 2025 honored on May 17, 2025
Denise B. Fink Ancestors: Josha Sprague and his wife, Abigail Wilbur Sprague, 1798, Waterford Township
Robert (Bobby)
Fitzgerald
Ancestor: Allen Devol, 1803, Waterford Township
Clair Line Ancestors:John Burchett (1808) and his son Benjamin Burchett (1820) Watertown Township (previously Wooster)
Mindi Line
Ancestors:John Burchett (1808) and his son Benjamin Burchett (1820) Watertown Township (previously Wooster)
President Jim Reed welcomed our guests and attending members. Sharen C. Gardner led the invocation and introduced our speaker. |
First Family's Chair, Jayne Stehle, shared information about the ancestors of each of the 2025 inductees. |
Bobby Fitzgerald received his certificate for proving his direct line heritage to his ancestor, early Washington County pioneer settler, Allen Devol. |
Denise Fink's ancestors, Joshua Sprague and his wife, Abigail Wibur, and their two children just happened to have shared residence in the Fort Frye garrison with Allen Devol, his wife and their three children during the early 1790s! |
Claire Line and her mother, Mindi Line, displayed their certificates for their ancestors, John and Benjamin Burchett in Wooster, now known as Watertown. |
Deb Root Shell, historian, genealogist, and our Washington newsletter editor presented a program on her Root ancestors in Decatur and Fairfield Townships. |
First Families Inductee for 2024 honored on May 18, 2024
Richard P. Skipton, Warren Township: John W. Skipton & Annis (Ann Kainner) Skipton, 1810.
President James Reed welcomes attendees |
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Secretary Barb Handschumacher introduces our First Families Speaker Scott Britton, Executive Director of the Castle Musem
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Speaker: Scott Britton |
Rick Skipton 2024 First Families Certificate
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 Presentation "Five Remarkable Lowell, Ohio Area Veterans" |
First Families Inductees for 2022 and 2023 were honored on May 20, 2023.
Relaxing before lunch. |
President Jim Reed welcomes attendees |
Member Lila Hill leads the invocation. |
Speaker John Murray presents: |
President Jim Reed's wife, Rose, and John Murray |
Jayne Stehle presents certificates to sister honorees |
Sandy Briggs and Denese White accept their certificates. New honorees Stephen Halovic, Vermillion, Ohio and Richard Skipton, North Las Vegas , Nevada were unable to attend. |
First Families Inductees for both 2020 and 2021 were honored on May 19, 2022.
 Members Gather. MemberFrances Parlin waves. |
 Lunch is served |
 Secretary: Barb Handshumacher and member Lila Hill |
 President Jim Reed calls the First Families Luncheon to Order |
 Vice-President Sharon Cory Gardner introduces the program. |
 Deb Root Shell's program on how to prepare for a genealogy research trip |
 Honoree Judy Coil |
 Honoree Jim Reed |
 Honoree Mary Gifford |
 Honoree and Guest Speaker, Deb Root Shell |
 First Families Chair Jayne Stehle with 2nd cousins, Judy Coil and Jim Reed |
Honoree Damian Stanziano was unable to attend. |
First Familes 2020 - The May 2020 First Families of Washington County Induction Luncheon to honor new memebers was cancelled due to the Corona Virus Pandemic
First Familes 2019 - Deb Root Shell (existing member, newly proven ancestors), Jolene Chesley (Florida), and Donald J Smith (South Carolina)
Deb Root Shell became a First Families member in 2013. She nominated and proved seven additional early residents of Washington County to whom she is directly related. New members Ms. Chesley and Mr. Smith were unable to attended.
The program centered around the 2003 PBS Shelburn Films documentary "Opening the Door West" presented by Jayne Stehle. The documentary (DVD), a web site and teaching materials (CD) were distributited to all 4th and/or 8th school buildings in 18 southeastern Ohio counties then serviced by WOUB and ETSEO (Educational Technology for Southeastern Ohio). Jayne worked on the educational materials.
Special guests attending where Ellen Shelburn - Producer and Bill Reynolds - Technical Advisor They generoulsy answered questions about the making of the documentary and shared many of their experiences during filming.
Many thanks to Dan Shell for serving as impromtu IT guru and making the presentation possible!
First Families 2018 - no inductees
First Famiies 2017 - 2 inductees:
First Families Banquet 2016
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First Families of Washington County, Ohio held their annual banquet at noon on Saturday, May 21, 2016 at the Marietta Township Recreation Center in Reno. The tables were decorated in red, white and blue. President Barbara Handschumacher welcomed the group and led them in saying the Pledge of Allegiance. The invocation was given by Lila Hill.
Following the luncheon buffet, Shirley Harmon introduced the speaker, Ernie Thode. The title of his talk was “Two Swiss Pioneers in Southeastern Ohio in 1819, Jacob Tisher and Baron Rudolph de Steiguer.” Each of these two men led groups of Swiss immigrants who settled in Ohio: Jacob Tisher, in Monroe and Belmont Counties, Ohio; and Rudolph de Steiguer, in Athens County, Ohio. Both groups intended to settle further west but the flat boats they were riding on hit sand bars in the Ohio River which prevented their travel to continue. Both groups were from Canton Bern, Switzerland. Ernie answered several questions following his presentation.
Eight candidates were presented certificates by Shirley Harmon and inducted into First Families of Washington County, Ohio. Each of these candidates had proved they descended from individuals who resided in Washington County before 1830. The new members of First Families are:
First Families 2015
Marleen McCauley Dyar accepts her First Families certificate from First Families' Chair, Shirley Harmon
First Families 2013
Membership Roster First Families of Washington County, Ohio
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*Charter First Families Members
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