Several years ago, Karen Olson, a member of the Fenton, established a fund in her mother’s memory. Karen and her mother Jean Stowell had spent many hours researching their family history using the resources here at the Fenton. Mrs. Stowell has since passed but Karen continues to visit Jamestown and to attend our Genealogy Support Meetings online.
This educational fund has provided many additions to our library. Our first purchases were for several resource books from the New England Genealogical and Historical Society. The following year we were able to replace two aging computers with the fund’s assistance.
This year we purchased a projector and screen for the Hall House Research Library that will allow us to have a permanent set up for our audio-visual programs. On Wednesday April 19th, Tom Greer and Rick Roll installed the screen and the ceiling mount for the projector. Thank you so much gentlemen.
In keeping with the Educational focus of the fund, on June 3rd the Fenton will offer a program on German research, titled 5 Types of German Genealogy Documents and What You Can Find in Each? German Research has been a much-requested topic and the generosity of the Jean Vandewark Olson Stowell Fund made it possible to engage a nationally known speaker on this topic. For this the Fenton is profoundly grateful.
In addition, this year, we added 19 books that were published by the Chautauqua County Genealogical Society pertaining to local history. See list at the end of the article.
Books from the Chautauqua County Genealogical Society: Cemeteries and Burial Sites in the Town of Clymer; Mayville Cemetery Town of Chautauqua; Gleanings II; Gleanings III; Index to 24 Volumes of School Records; Fredonia Academy 1826-1867; Militia Enrollment List 1917 Dunkirk, NY; Civil War Veterans – Town of Harmony; and 11 books of the Chautauqua Co. Tax Assessments Records of Towns (Arkwright, Charlotte, Cherry Creek, Clymer, French Creek, Gerry, Hanover, Harmony, Portland, Stockton, and Westfield).
In the years to come we hope to work with Karen to use her mother’s Fund to acquire resources and continue to offer other educational topics.
