CALL TO ORDER: Vice President Katie Haugse called the meeting to order at 1:34 p.m. via Zoom; a quorum was established. Katie welcomed everyone to our June Members’ meeting.  She mentioned that President Kim Thurman is busy with classes this week.
 
MINUTES APPROVAL: The minutes of the May 21, 2022, Members Meeting were presented by Secretary Loretta Barker. 

TREASURER’S REPORT. The Treasurer’s Report for the period ending May 31, 2022, was presented by Treasurer Marijo Medcraft.
 
                                General Income                                                                    $  3,297.00
                                Program Income                                                                          868.27
                                                                Total Income                                             4,165.27
                                General Expense                                                                      2,109.58
                                Program Expense                                                                        293.02
                                                                Total Expenses                                          2,402.60
                                Interest                                                                                              1.67
                                                                Net Income                                          $  -1,764.34
 
Treasurer Marijo Medcraft noted that we received 57 renewing single and family memberships and seven new members in May.  $602 was received towards our Annual Fund Drive.  $530 was earned from classes and seminars.  There were no unusual expenses for May.  She also noted that the Treasurer’s Report is posted on the bulletin board at the Library and also is on our RVGS website.  Katie Haugse mentioned that our Annual Fund Drive is continuing.
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS:  Katie Haugse noted that we are still in need of volunteers to help with our Zoom meetings.  We are also in desperate need of librarians so we can open our library more hours.  She asked that everyone please complete a Volunteer Form and submit it.  Maureen Battistella thanked RVGS for helping with the Oregon Digital Newspaper Project.
 
MEMBER SHARING.  None
 
BOARD ACTIONS.  Genealogy Week will be from September 17 through September 23; free classes will be provided during that week, some of which will be recorded.  The Education Committee is working on a celebration for our 10th anniversary in our present building.  Katie also reminded everyone to check the items under Board Actions on our June Meeting Agenda.
 
FUTURE EVENTS.  On Friday, June 24, at 10:30 a.m.-noon, Kate Eakman will present a workshop titled, “So You’ve Taken a DNA Test—Now What?”  On July 18, 1:30-3:00 p.m. there will be a class on “What Do You Know About the National Archives?,” by Celeste Guillory.  On Wednesday, September 7, 10:30-Noon, there will be a class on “Local History & Genealogy Research at the Library of Congress,” by Candice Buchanan.
 
PROGRAM.  Barbara Halvorsen introduced Maureen Battistella, who has a Masters of Library and Information Science and is on the Sociology/Anthropology faculty at Southern Oregon University.  She is  curator of the Stories of Southern Oregon collection in the Southern Oregon Digital Archives at SOU’s Hannon Library.  Maureen’s research focuses on contemporary land use, agricultural heritage, and culinary narrative in Southern Oregon.  She loves local history.  In “The Mysterious Case of the First Female City Recorder and a Historic Genealogist,”  Maureen told us the sad story of unclaimed cremains in the Oregon State Hospital.  She said there were hundreds and hundreds of unclaimed canisters and Phyllis Zegers is working to get these cremains  returned to family members.  Maureen told us about Olive Belle Richards, whose cremains have not been claimed.  She may have been institutionalized at Stockton State Hospital for the Insane in the 1940’s.  However, in the 1950’s she was living in Phoenix, OR, and became very active in local politics.  She ran for the contested position of City Recorder and won—she was a very upstanding citizen.  By March of 1962 Olive was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital where she died on June 10, 1962.  Olive’s cremains may still be unclaimed but she has an honorary headstone at the Phoenix Pioneer Cemetery.  Maureen also told us of Malinda Applegate, Jesse Applegate’s granddaughter, who was committed in 1878. Eventually six of her children were also committed.  At this time the list of insanity symptoms was strange.  There was a Calvinist approach to insanity and the treatments were horrific.  Maureen gave us many more sad examples of those whose cremains still have not been claimed.  On a happier note, 1,162 copper canisters of cremains have been reunited with their families.
 
Kim Thurman thanked Maureen for a very interesting, informative, and sad program.  Kim noted that RVGS has a research trip planned to Salt Lake City from March 5 to March 12, 2023.  Anyone interested should contact Ann Baraker.
 
Meeting adjourned at 3:13 p.m.
 
Loretta Barker, Secretary