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Carol Bell has been a member of the board of directors of the Wheeling Area Genealogical Society since 2014 and has been sending meeting notices since 2015. She has given several presentations, written two books on her family, organized a genealogy research trip to Washington, PA, and donated historical materials of a longtime Ohio County clerk, now archived at the Ohio County Public Library. Bell handled the society's fiftieth anniversary during COVID, which included a mayoral proclamation and a series of public media articles. She also co-chaired the planning committee for the 150th anniversary of Roney's Point United Presbyterian Church and compiled a book on the event.
Nominated by the Wheeling Area Genealogical Society
Art Burnside has served in a leadership role in Wheeling's Victorian Old Town Association for the past four years as vice president and treasurer. His efforts include organizing the group's financial assets while renovating an antebellum property in the North Wheeling Historic District. Burnside led efforts to designate the neighborhood as a Wheeling Design Review District by writing the proposal to the city, getting neighborhood support, and taking the proposal through the necessary steps for adoption. In addition, he helped hang historic style banners and participated in a tree replacement grant and tree planting. He also serves on the board of directors of Wheeling Heritage.
Nominated by Victorian Old Town Association
Current president of the Pendleton County Historical Society, R. Paul Clayton stepped into the role in 2019 when his predecessor was unable to complete his term. He oversaw expansion of the museum through construction of an addition. He also has overseen getting archival supplies and new computers, as well as development of a collection catalog, and spends many hours volunteering at the museum including keeping it open during the Treasure Mountain Festival. In addition, Clayton served on a committee to secure a drainage system at the Upper Tract Church location and was instrumental in updating the society's constitution and bylaws.
Nominated by the Pendleton County Historical Society
In 2022, volunteers Jill Dolen, Evan Lightner, and Brian Richmond spearheaded a total cleaning and painting, both interior and exterior, of the Marshall County History Museum. They acquired display cases to increase artifact dis-plays and reorganized and labelled artifacts. The team overhauled the society website, added an "Artifact of the Week" feature to the Facebook page, created a system of logging questions and responses, reorganized the genealogy room, and developed an area in the museum for research. Volunteering approximately 20 hours a week during the year, their work was highlighted by their determination to open the museum two days a week and to keep it open year-round on Saturdays.
Nominated by the Marshall County Historical Society
David R. Eddy has been a stalwart member of the Pleasants County Historical Society for many years. As audio-visual equipment coordinator, he has inventoried, repaired, set up and monitored equipment for programs. For special events, he works with the local radio station to provide a live broadcast. He supports the society's trailer museum activities, setting up tool displays and providing demonstrations at events. After the society was given a building for the museum, Eddy began sorting and identifying tools for display, and he has served as a docent since the museum building's grand opening in 2022.
Nominated by the Pleasants County Historical Society
Both Samuel David Elkins and Ethel McCallister Elkins support the preservation of history. She is a charter member and current chaplain of the Cooney Ricketts Chapter 2726, UDC, and the two of them participate in the Guyandotte Civil War Days' Educational Day. The Elkins also are members of the Antiques Automobile Club of America and own a 1930 Model A Ford, and he serves on the group's executive board. They represent both groups in the Milton Pumpkin Parade, the Kenova Veterans Day Parade, and the Barboursville Fall Fest Parade.
Nominated by Cooney Ricketts Chapter 2726, United Daughters of the Confederacy
Dwight D. Emrich was a founding member of the Campbell, Flannagan, Murrell House Museum and served as president of the board of trustees for more than a decade. He currently is vice president, assists with exhibits, helps with building repairs, and provides interpretive tours of the 1875 house, the oldest in Hinton. Emrich has overseen the house's umbrella organization that provides 501(c)(3) coverage to local organizations who need it and currently oversees a grant to the Hilltop Cemetery. In addition, he is an advocate for the Hinton Historic District and coordinates with other organizations to increase cultural and historical information in Summers County.
Nominated by Campbell, Flannagan, Murrell House Museum
Between 2019 and 2022, Martha Endres, Brian Shaffer, and Anne Smittle, together with former History Heroes Vickie Baker and Ernest Blevins, served as a board of assistants (secretary, treasurer, captain, historian, and governor) to activate the 70-year-old Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of West Virginia. The board prepared new bylaws, created a semi-annual newsletter, and, despite a hiatus due to COVID, instituted semi-annual meetings with speakers. A Facebook page was developed, and membership grew to more than 60 by 2021. As the society enters its 75th year in 2023, the collaborative efforts of the five individuals have set the society up for a future of growth and participation.
Nominated by the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of West Virginia
Cicero M. Fain III has been a member of the board of directors of the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Foundation since 2021, when he returned to Huntington in connection with Marshall University. He currently is assisting with a foundation project that is collecting oral histories from African Americans who lived in Huntington, knew Memphis Tennessee Garrison, and/or were part of the local civil rights movement. Fain also worked to make the foundation's 2022 banquet a success. A native of Huntington, his doctoral research on the local African American working-class experience led to a book in 2019.
Nominated by the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Foundation
An active member of the Wheeling Chapter, NSDAR, Ginger Straub Fato served as corresponding secretary from 2019 to 2022 and currently is chaplain. She was instrumental in restoration of the Foreman Massacre monument in McMechen and now is working on restoration of the McColloch's Leap and Fort Van Metre monument projects being spearheaded by the Wheeling Chapter. Fato was very involved in Wheeling's 250th birthday celebration in 2019 and sponsored the fireworks for the City of Wheeling. She also has served on many chapter committees and, as president of the family business, has restored several historical buildings.
Nominated by Wheeling Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
Joe Geiger is a former member of the board of directors of the Madie Carroll House Preservation Society and during that time assisted with the restoration of the flooring on the first story. He was one of the first scholars to participate in Guyandotte Civil War Days Lecture Series and has lectured numerous times over the years. Geiger is the author of several Civil War articles and books, most recently on the war in Cabell and Wayne counties. He is a former member of the West Virginia United Methodist Commission on Archives and History and a current member of the Records Management and Preservation Board.
Nominated by Madie Carroll House Preservation Society, Inc.
The son of a combat-wounded veteran of World War II and nephew of a soldier who died at Normandy, Steve Halstead has been involved with several veteran projects in Mason County, and his latest undertaking is the Mason County WV Veterans Memorial to honor the men and women who died or served honorably from World War I through Afghanistan. Working with a committee of other volunteers, he got an architect to create plans, a foundry that will cast the statue, and endorsements from several veterans and veteran organizations. More than $270,000 has been raised, enough to pay for the first of a 2-phase project, and eight granite memorials have been ordered.
Nominated by Post 9926, Veterans of Foreign Wars
Jackie Herrick has been a member of the board of directors of the Friends of Wheeling for four years and served as secretary for two. She has done extensive research on abandoned properties and those in tax arrears, which has helped identify problem areas and in one case led to saving an antebellum house slated for demolition. She has volunteered in North Wheeling neighborhood cleanups, as well as with cleanup at and fund-raising for the Friends' current project, Hughes Duplex. In addition, Herrick is restoring her own 1856 house in the North Wheeling Historic District. She also has served as a guide during cemetery and house tours.
Nominated by Friends of Wheeling
Edward Howard Hill has worked tirelessly on maintenance of the Mercer County Historical Society Museum since 2005. In spite of being more than 80 years of age, he is always present at fundraising and other events, including the 2-day heritage festival, helping from setup until breakdown. Some years ago, Hill helped with restoration of the Broyles Cabin, now located on historical society property. In addition, he has been a trustee for twelve years.
Nominated by the Mercer County Historical Society
John Kavaliunas is an integral member of the Historic Shepherdstown Commission and its executive committee. A museum docent since 2013 and chair of the museum committee since 2014, he helps with field trips, provides annual ghost tours, and helps decorate at Christmas. In 2021, Kavaliunas conducted a tour of the museum for Road Trip Masters. He is a longtime member of the board of directors (2014-2019 and since 2020) and joined the executive committee in 2020. Since then, he has advocated for additional funding, not only to maintain the buildings but also to improve museum content and to make the story of Shepherdstown accessible to the public. He was the driving force behind a new map exhibit that will be a focal point for the museum's fortieth anniversary in 2023.
Nominated by the Historic Shepherdstown Commission
Michael A. Kelly has been a member of the Jackson County Historical Society for twelve years and has served on the board of directors since 2015. He volunteers at the museum and log cabin, opening them for tours outside of normal hours and helping with day-to-day maintenance. When the society has changed facilities, he has assisted with moving and storing items. In addition, Kelly has been involved in the Ravenswood Historic Landmark Commission to preserve and document historic structures, and he currently serves on the board of directors of the Buffington Island Battlefield Preservation Foundation.
Nominated by the Jackson County Historical Society
Christopher Kerns began his involvement with the Rowlesburg Area Historical Society even before becoming a member by volunteering his time and services to the Cannon Hill Civil War site, cleaning up, mowing, giving tours, and finding contacts for gravel for the road. President for the past year, Kerns is a go-getter. He has created new pamphlets and a Facebook page for the society, painted inside the historical building, helped move and clean the museum, and organized the genealogy library. He also consults with the Preston County Commission regarding available grants and has attended the county historical society meetings.
Nominated by the Rowlesburg Area Historical Society
Lynda B. Lancaster is treasurer and a member of the board of trustees of the Campbell, Flannagan, Murrell House Museum. She was instrumental in securing a grant for a traveling display, Black History in Summers County, which she also curated and which has been exhibited at several locations. Lancaster interviewed the families of veterans, conducted extensive research, and spent hours tramping through cemeteries to produce a comprehensive list of African American veterans from Summers County. Her information will be included in a new book being published by the Summers County Historical Society. In her spare time, she serves as a docent at the museum.
Nominated by the Summers County Historical Society
Archaeologists Kim Arbogast McBride and W. Stephen McBride have contributed significantly to the knowledge of frontier forts and other sites in West Virginia through their leadership of multiple archaeological excavations. They are longtime members of the Greenbrier Historical Society and donated their professional expertise for work at the Blue Sulphur Springs Pavilion, which the society oversees. In addition, Kim McBride has been a member of the board of directors for five years, while Stephen McBride has been the society's journal editor for two years. She also serves on the membership committee and recently was a vital part of the planning committee for the Stellar Evening Fundraiser.
Nominated by the Greenbrier Historical Society
Joni Liston Morris is serving with the Preserve WV AmeriCorps Program and is currently located at WVU. She finished processing the Emory Kemp Collection and has nearly finished the Kemp Industrial Archaeology Collection. In addition, she went to several flooded historic Kentucky schools and helped them preserve and archive their documents. Morris has been working with the orphaned Maple Grove Cemetery in Fairmont, the oldest in the area. She helped with cleanup and documentation days at the cemetery and has given a Find-a-Grave workshop to help locals understand how to use GPS coordinates for graves. She plans to create a cemetery guide in conjunction with the local historical society.
Nominated by Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, Inc.
A longtime member of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society, Roger Nedeff is serving his third term as a member of the board of directors. He is an invaluable asset in preserving and promoting regional history, serving on the archiving, cemetery, and Phelps Tavenner House committees in addition to serving as administrator of the Facebook page. The historian and archivist for St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church for forty years, Nedeff has written a history of the parish; transcribed the church's baptismal records, 1855-1900, from Latin to English; conducts tours of the church; and tends to the cemetery. He also has written various history articles for publication.
Nominated by the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society, Inc.
Kimberly R. Rolls is a charter member of the Mineral County Genealogical Society and has been president since 2012 and local membership chair since 2006. Through her efforts, the society received a grant to purchase audio-visual equipment for interviews for the Library of Congress Veterans Project, and she conducts interviews. She canvasses cemeteries for cemetery books, co-chaired the bicentennial celebration of the McCarty Stone House, and secured funds for a downtown brochure. In addition, Rolls serves as secretary for the Mineral County Historical Foundation and has helped with renovations and tours at the Carskadon Mansion. She also is an expert on the genealogy of African American communities in the county and surrounding area
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Nominated by the Mineral County Genealogical Society
Dixie Selmon has been a volunteer at the Cockayne Farmstead since 2019, and she brings energy to every project she undertakes. She assists with upkeep of the house and grounds and has helped identify, sort, catalog, and photograph hundreds of artifacts found in a shed behind the farmhouse. In 2022, Selmon cleaned and replanted the long neglected flower beds behind the Visitors Center. She helps staff events at the farmstead, teaching games and crafts to children among other activities. Importantly, Selmon has been instrumental in taking a small yard sale from a $450 profit to more than $2,000 for the past three years.
Nominated by the Cockayne Farmstead
Stephen J. Suhler, though a relative newcomer to the Ohio Valley and Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, is a lifelong American history enthusiast, and he has become active in several history and preservation organizations in the Wheeling area. He serves as a trustee and newsletter editor for the Ohio Valley Civil War Roundtable, and he was the featured speaker at the 2022 meeting, where he spoke about Abraham Lincoln's journey to Washington in 1861. In addition, Suhler has volunteered in a cleanup of the Stone Church Cemetery.
Nominated by the Ohio Valley Civil War Roundtable
Rick Unger has served as chair of the cemetery committee of the Morgan County Historical and Genealogical Society since 2005. Passionate and tenacious, his goal is to compile a complete record of burials in Morgan County, and he spends approximately 216 hours a month on the project. To date, he has visited 87 cemeteries, 24 family cemeteries, and Native American and slave burial sites. Unger has produced a 2-volume county graveyard history as well as a volume on Greenway Cemetery, the largest in the county. Since their publication, he has identified 677 more burials. He also volunteers in the society's room at the Morgan County Public Library.
Nominated by the Morgan County Historical and Genealogical Society
Jeff Zinn is the backbone of hands-on preser-vation work at Arthurdale Heritage. From daily maintenance to restoring historic structures, he ensures that the heritage of the community can be shared with visitors. With his assistance, Arthurdale has received thousands of dollars in grants that will fund development of a historic trades program, construction of a weaving center, and replacement of several roofs. In 2022, Zinn hauled topsoil, rocks, and debris, then brought in and leveled gravel for an outdoor event space that was enjoyed by more than 1,300 people over the summer. He also installed two electric vehicle charging stations.
Nominated by Arthurdale Heritage, Inc.