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Why did you start doing historical and genealogical research at the Miles-Humes House?
Well, I started researching genealogy in 1976 because I just wanted to know about my family. Back then, the PA Room was in what is now the Sieg Industrial Room. I would bring my daughter–she was about 4–and visit the library on the first floor and then visit the PA Room on the 2nd floor. I looked through just about everything in the Spangler records and I loved it. We didn’t have computers back then so everything at the PA Room seemed even more impressive.
I continued researching genealogy over the years and ended up writing a book with a group of other people about Walker Township History in 2000 (History of Walker Township, 1810-1999). I started doing a lot of historical research for that. I made copies [of information that I found at the Miles-Humes House] and files so that I could use the information at home. I did another book later on with my friend, Jane Baum. It's called, The History of Marion Township. My ancestors lived [in Marion Township] and they owned about half the land there. My 4th great grandfather was also a farmer there.
It’s true that I’ve always loved history, so I was attracted to the Miles-Humes House. I did very well in my history and geography classes in high school. I would even do extra credit, writing papers and researching questions that interested me: like proving that presidents’ life spans decrease because of their terms in office, stuff like that. I would always use the World Book Encyclopedia for my research back then.
Can you tell me more about your working and volunteering history with the Historical Museum and PA Room?
I worked here for 12 years and volunteered for 12 years. I started volunteering in the 1980s. Then, I started working part-time in 1995 and worked 2 days a week as “curator of the museum.” I was hired full time in 1998 and began working as an assistant in the PA room along with my museum curation duties.
While I worked, I did obituaries, cut and pasted them so that they were organized and searchable. I also indexed things like the History of Pleasant Gap. I filled in at the help-desk in the PA Room for Gladys Murray sometimes. She had to work Saturdays in the video department and would have to take off because of that on Mondays. My work in the PA Room involved helping people with their research. We had as many as 27 people [researching at the PA Room] a day in those days.
When people came to the PA Room and Historical Museum, did they do the same types of things they do now?
We answered letters that patrons would send about their family history [back then]. People often came in to study Centre County and Bellefonte history. We have a history of every county in Pennsylvania here. Some of them are very small, like Forrest County. There aren’t many books published on it.
What types of projects have you worked on at the Miles-Humes House and with its resources?
I have helped people answer all types of questions about their family history.
I’ve also done special exhibits in the museum. My coworkers and I did exhibits on quilts, dolls, dresses, and set up for Victorian Christmas over the years.
I used to help Nancy Stover with the Victorian Christmas decorations [inside the Miles-Humes House]. After a while, she wasn’t able to do it anymore, so then I started doing all the decorations here. We would have organizations come in and do some of that decorating as well.
What project are you working on right now?
I do research for other people sometimes now [at the PA Room]. I look up a lot of obituaries and find other resources for people. I also do research for the Clinton County Historical Society. Right now, I’m helping someone research their family tree as they try to get into the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
I also belong to the Centre County Genealogical Society, the Centre County Historical Society and Clinton County Genealogical Society.
Why do you volunteer at the Miles-Humes House? How does working here make you feel?
I can’t get it out of my blood and I don’t mind volunteering. I’ve always loved this place. I used to sweep the sidewalk and clean the windows because I didn’t feel good just sitting there. I’ve always wanted people to be able to come here to find their roots and find some of the joy that I find here.
What is some advice that you would give to people who want to learn about their family history or local history?
You need to start at the place where [your subjects] lived. You need to go back there and feel the area out. Feel what the land was like. Start there and you can continue on. It’s also important to learn about how they lived in those days. It’s important to study the local history around their life.
What are you reading right now and can you tell us more about it?
Whenever I have time to read, I’ve been reading Louise Penny’s books. I read them in the winter. I get a lot of other books too, but I struggle to make the time to read them.
I also like to read magazines. I subscribe to Taste of Home, Birds and Blooms, Women’s World, and some other magazines.
I read Linn’s History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania a lot too. I have a lot of my own copies of records shelved in the PA Room at home. I like to be able to reference them.
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