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My dad had some funny sayings. At least he thought they were funny. Some of them had me scratching my head. However one particular witticism went like this: "Be careful looking up your family tree, you might be hit with a coconut."
Now you can ascertain whatever you want from that remark. He just thought it was something funny with little thought to our actual heritage. He certainly didn't agree that we all came from apes.
I thought about that old saying this past week when I read in this newspaper that the Wheeling Area Genealogical Society (WAGS) had recently voted to disband. Over my 40 years as a written word news reporter, I had numerous interactions with the folks who manned the basement room at the Ohio County Public Library where precious historical documents were being stored and maintained by the members of WAGS.
I recall their dedication and the pride they took in preserving pieces of our local history that included scores of documents and notations regarding the families who built Wheeling and outlying areas. Some of the items in the collection are priceless reminders of where we came from as a city, a state and country.
There was a sacredness attached to WAGS work as many items were kept under lock and key to protect the integrity of items found or donated to the project.
What began as the work of a small group of dedicated historians morphed into something so much bigger than anyone would have imagined. Somewhere over the years, perhaps spurred by the invention of the Internet, there was a remarkable movement among the general public to learn more about their family histories. In other words, people were searching for their roots in greater numbers than ever.
That's where the work of the all-volunteer members of WAGS and other similar groups became instrumental in the gathering, cataloging and maintaining of ancestral pieces. Yet much like other volunteer groups, memberships have waned. There are various reasons for this, although I personally believe it's a generational thing.
Younger people born into the "everything at their fingertips" online world do not have the patience or interest in the work that it takes to maintain such projects.
It's become apparent for veterans organizations, church committees and other once-vibrant organizations. The wonderful thing about WAGS is that the group's work will never be lost or forgotten. Thanks to the library and the creation of the Wheeling Room there, the WAGS will always be remembered for the start of something so very important to the hundreds of people who visit the room each year.
For every person who walks into the library searching for their family ancestry or community history can thank those who made their own mark on the community. Thank you, WAGS. You will not be forgotten.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.