Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society
Wishing our members and friends a very Happy New Year!
In Memoriam - Howard "Bill" William Ihrig
Our deepest condolences goes out to the Ihrig family. Howard "Bill""William Ihrig and his wife Sandy were long time members of the CGGS.
Bill’s passions were genealogy and outdoor activities such as fishing and hunting. Bill and his wife did genealogical research for family, friends, and strangers, with over 300 projects completed. It was very gratifying watching each family’s story unfold. His Ihrig family came to America from Germany where a “nest” of Ihrig families remained in a small village called Falkengasse for over 200 years. Bill had a photographic memory for genealogical details and was best known for his contagious sense of humor and dry wit. When he got together with his brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews, he kept the whole family laughing continually by telling adventure stories of their ancestors and of his colorful youth.
Bill was a member of The Mayflower Society, The Jamestowne Society, The American Legion, and the IBEW. Bill has made friends with Ihrig families all over the world. Bill's dad always told him if they carry the name Ihrig, they are probably a relative. Bill didn’t know if that is true or not; however, he was forever trying to find out.
Bill passed away November 17, 2020 in Madras, Oregon.
Merry Christmas !
Wishing all our members and friends a very
Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year.
Please refer to our blog page for program and event schedules for 2021.
Happy Thanksgiving
It's been a difficult year but we have a lot to be thankful for.
Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society
Native American Heritage Month honors our Native American Military Personnel at Fold3
Fold 3 honors our Native American soldiers on their blog , this month of Native American Heritage Month and also honoring Veterans Day.
Native American Contributions to the U.S. Military
Missing POW, KIA or MIA military family members? This site may help you.
Do you have missing family members from past conflicts? The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Office may be of help to you. The mission of the site, a office of accountability for military families is to
provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.
The site provides the latest information on missing military personnel from WW II to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. The agency provides this service with integrity, compassion, and respect for our nations missing and unidentified service members to their families.
The site provides lists of missing soldiers listed by state and conflict. There are 72,000 missing personnel from WWII alone that have not been accounted for. Just in Oregon alone there is 884 unaccounted for.
Please visit the site and view the work being done to bring them home.
Veterans Day November 11, 2020
Veterans Day is a annual public celebration on November 11, that honors military veterans, that is, persons who served in the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I; major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. The United States previously observed Armistice Day. The U.S. holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
November is Americam Indian Heritage Month
This month OPB and PBS is featuring many programs for the
American Indian Heritage Month celebration.
Indigenous voices speak out in a month long about diversity and and long
history in the United States.
Celebrate history, culture and traditions of our American Indian.
PBS and OPB - Native American Heritage
********************************************
Photo: Standing Bear
"Standing
Bear was a Ponca chief and Indigenous civil rights leader who
successfully argued in U.S. District Court in 1879 in Omaha that
indigenous people are "persons within the meaning of the law" and have
the right of habeas corpus, thus becoming the first Native American
judicially granted civil rights under American law. His wife Susette
Primeau (Primo), daughter of Lone Chief/Antoine Primeau, was also a
signatory on the 1879 writ that initiated the famous court case" ~ Old Photos Facebook Community
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center Now Open Fulltime!
As per the press release from Carolyn Purcell:
THE DALLES— The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum is now open seven days a week from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and raptors are on display outside from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM daily. “We are excited to be back to full operation after being closed completely for three months in the spring and then only being open on weekends over the summer,” says executive director Carolyn Purcell.
The opportunity to fully reopen is the result of federal funding, including a PPP loan/grant, and grants from Oregon Cultural Trust for $123,742 and Oregon Humanities for $10,000. These funds all support staffing and utilities during this time of limited revenue for the operation. Because of the pandemic, cruise ships, group travel, visiting school groups, and event rentals ceased beginning in March 2020, which resulted in furloughs for staff.
Purcell notes, “It will be a challenge as we enter 2021 without a clear idea of when our primary revenue sources will return.” Facility rental is now available with mandated distancing and face covering protocols. Many weddings were postponed this year, and some couples are now opting for very small wedding ceremonies including only immediate family and close friends. Regular programs, raptor presentations, and the Kids Explorer Room are not currently operating to avoid people congregating. The café is also closed until further notice.
The Discovery Center’s dedicated team is passionately planning new programming that adapts to a new frontier. Director of education Lisa Commander says, “We are committed to providing visitors with a safe and enjoyable experience. The spacious museum galleries offer visitors room to remain physically distant while enjoying our wonderful exhibits. Outside, the river trail beckons with the colorful panoply of fall foliage in all its Northwest glory.”
The roof repair project is now underway and will be completed before winter weather arrives. “We are especially grateful to those who have continued to renew their memberships and donate to our roof repair campaign during this difficult time,” said Purcell. Fundraising will continue for this project in order to repay loans necessary for its completion. “This facility is an amazing community asset that needs to be maintained. We simply cannot wait through another winter.”
###
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum is the official interpretive center for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hands-on, multi-media exhibits illuminate the cultural and natural history of the Gorge, including Ice Age geology, Native American culture, Lewis and Clark, the Oregon Trail, trade, transportation, renewable energy, ecology, live raptor presentations and more. The museum is wheel-chair accessible, and family friendly, with a Kids Explorer room. Riverfront Trail offers hiking and biking, and a native plant nature trail circles the pond next to the museum. The Discovery Center is located off I-84 exit 82, at 5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles, Oregon, 97058. Museum adult admission is $9, seniors $7, kids 6 to 16 are $5, and children 5 and under free. Live raptor presentations are held Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The schedule may vary to accommodate tour groups, so call ahead to verify times if you are planning your day around the raptor presentation. The Columbia River Trading Company museum store is open daily.
For more information, phone (541) 296-8600 ext. 201, or visit www.gorgediscovery.org.
We are back! Meetings and events starting via ZOOM in November !
Coming in November!
Members and Friends,
Starting in November we will be continuing our general meetings and events.
Stay tuned for more information though our blog and CGGS facebook at:
Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society
Blog
See you soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)