Genealogy & Local History Services
Past Staff and Volunteers

It took many staff and volunteers to lay the foundation for one of the best Genealogical Research Facilities in Indiana. We pay tribute to those who were there to develop the department. Meet our past staff members and volunteers.

	Michelle McNabb Background: Head, Genealogy & Local History Services since March, 1996. Previously Librarian/Archivist at the McLean County Historical Society, in Bloomington, IL, and Archives Assistant at the Champaign County Historical Archives in Urbana, IL. Michele left August 2002 after 6 1/2 years at KHCPL to go to Elk Horn, IA to head a Genealogy Research Library. Teaches beginning genealogy course and intermediate workshops M.L.S., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign M.A. & B.A. in Scandinavian languages and literatures, University of California, Berkeley Marine Corps brat; has lived in Canada, Denmark, and Lebanon, in addition to many places in U.S. Freelance translator (Danish, Swedish, & Norwegian to English) since 1970 Freelance historical/genealogical searching since 1983 Special areas of genealogical interest/expertise: Appalachian (KY, NC, TN, VA) & mid-western U.S. Scandinavian migration to U.S.\ Danish genealogy Integrating local history resources into genealogical research Ancestral background: Maternal side: Denmark & Schleswig-Holstein Paternal side: eastern KY, southwestern VA, northwestern NC & northeastern TN, Augusta Co. VA, Rev. War-era Morris Co. NJ, early Southhampton, NY Main surnames of interest: McNABBb, TOL(L)IVER, MURPHY, LOCKHART, GOODWIN, ELKINS, BOYLES, JEANS, SPURLIN(G), BOWLING Biggest "brick wall": John Murphy (b. ca. 1730s), who supposedly came to North American colonies from Ireland as a stowaway, slogged through the swamps with the George Rogers Clark expedition (as a 50 year old!), and lived to be 103, leaving few records behind him. Married < 1795 Nancy -?-. Known residences: Greenbriar Co. VA (1790s), Floyd & Morgan Cos. KY (1805-1834).
	June Beck - Inputs data to the Vital Records Cardindex Database. She has been an "at home" volunteer since she retired from Grace United Methodist Church (March 30, 2002), where she directed 3 handbell choirs and a children's singing choir. June was also Director of Worship Arts, which included clown ministry, visuals, dramas & dramatic readings, banners, etc. June is researching the following names: BECK - VA, IN KEARNEY/CARNEY - RI, KS, IN SWEET - MA, OH, NE, IL CUNNINGHAM - SCOTLAND, MA, IL MOORMAN - NC, ID, IN
	Margaret Cardwell retired from the Library in 1997 after 28 years of watching the genealogy/local history area move from a section of the reference department to a room of its own. My MLS is from I.U. I have taught classes in basic genealogy. Special Interests include the orphan train which came to Kokomo. Ancestral background includes English and German ancestors. My husband's family settled here at the turn of the century.
	Leonard Benjamin Felkey retired from the Library at the end of 1995. He earned his MLS at Indiana University and was the Head of Adult Services at KHCPL from 1976-1990. Beginning in 1990, when the Genealogy and Local History Department moved to the lower level, became fully staffed and was opened during full library hours, Leonard served as coordinator until his retirement. He is the author of Books Along the Wildcat. And Leonard is a "Sagamore of the Wabash." Leonard's paternal lines are from Hungaria, Western PA, and Brownsville. Paternal surnames are FELKEY, FELEKEY, FELEKE, and HUDAK. His maternal lines are from Slovakia, Eastern Ohio, Irondale, and Toronto. They include the surnames GOFUS and ROMEY.
	Sue (Bingaman) Sheagley was hired with Carol Graf to staff the Genealogy Department in November 1991. Sue worked in the department on a part time basis until March 1995, when she became the AV cataloger. She had worked in Technical Services on a part time basis from Sept 1993 to March 1995. Sue now has completed her Masters degree in Library Sciences and is still in Technical Services cataloging childrens books, AV materials and Web sites. Sue is a generalist in her genealogical research. She enjoys researching places (buildings, etc.) that have significant ties to her ancestors. Her children's great-great-great grandfather was the builder of the original Adam's Mill at Cutler. Sue's ancesters came mostly from Germany, with a line or two out of Ireland. Some of the surnames she has researched (or has links to) include: BINGAMAN, COE, WYANT, KIRKENDALL, QUAKENBUSH, CLARK, HUFFER, SHEAGLEY, COOK, ADAMS, SHAW. Like all researchers she has hit several brick walls, the Bingaman, Wyant and Sheagley lines have troubled her the most. Recently Sue has put her genealogical research on the "back burner" and is enjoying her grandchildren and pursuing other hobbies.
	Carol J. (Corn) Graf first became affiliated with the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library in 1984 as a patron using the resources of the then "locked behind glass doors" genealogy books on the main floor. Shortly after that a space was set aside on the second level of the library for an expanded Genealogy Room with its very own name - the Genealogy and Local History Room. What an improvement! There was more space and more access to the materials - no more locked cases. At this time she became one of the many volunteers from the Howard County Genealogical Society that staffed the Genealogy and Local History Room. Carol has a B.S. and M.S. in Education, but her love of genealogy drew her into a new occupation. In November of 1991, she, Sue Sheagley, and Leonard Felkey were the first to be employed by the library to staff the Genealogy and Local History Room with Leonard as the Coordinator. Carol continued in that position until 1999 when she retired. It was her great pleasure to be a small part of this wonderful research facility. Carol is sure the seed for her interest in genealogy was planted when she was about ten years old. A kind gentleman visited her dad to inquire about the family tree, such as, who was your dad, your mother, your grandfather, etc., the usual genealogist's questions. Genealogy fever struck in earnest in 1975, and she has been researching her family history on and off since that time. Her primary area of research is Pike County, Indiana, Kentucky, and southern Illinois. Surnames of interest at the present time: HUNLEY and BRENTON with a brick wall on the Hunley line. Research has temporarily been placed on hold while she is settling in after moving to Utah.
	Donnie Pickard - Inputs data to the Vital Records Cardindex Database.
	Linda Pugh came to the GLHSD in January 1997. She left in May 2000 to pursue family interests.
	Margi Reed Special areas of genealogical interest/expertise: Adoption Kokomo Tribune Obituaries Background: Volunteer since 1993 Sub since 1998, moved to Missouri 2001 Ancestral background: Surnames: CONWELL, DARK (PA-IN), ELDRIDGE (VT-IN), FLOYD, HODSON, HOLMAN, METZ, NEEDHAM, REED, SPECK, TOLLEY Brick Walls: Looking for names of 3rd great-grandparents, parents of Arthur Felix Conwell, who may have been born in Ohio. Seeking place of death and burial of Esteline (Stella) Tolley Eldridge.
	Lori Schwartz retired from St. Vincent's ICU in 1999 and has been a volunteer since 2001. She is working on Vital Records Database inputting and newspaper transcription. Lori likes history and the ambience of the times researched. Lori is researching these families: BROM: (Helena) Louisville, KY -> Floyd Co, Georgetown, IN -> Harrison Co., Lanesville, IN BRYSON: Lawrence Co., Ironton, OH CULLUM: (William Parker)(Charles Leonard) Ironton & Cincinnatti, OH, Eastern Ky & Southeastern IN along the Ohio River GRUBER: (Frances Clara) Landshut, Germany -> Ny City -> Corydon, IN RATCLIFF: (Sarah Jane) Eastern KY and Lawrence Co., Ironton, OH -> Cincinnati, OH SCHELLENBERGER: (Marcellinus) Sultana Disaster, Memphis, TN -> Floyd Co., Georgetown, IN SCHWEINHART: Armstron Co., PA -> Harrison Co, IN STEINER: (Francis) & (John) Harrison Co., IN and Armstrong Co., PA
	Carolyn Bennett Wheeler retired in 1994 from Western School Corporation, where she was a teacher of English and Social Studies for 33 years. During the last several years Carolyn has served as an occasional volunteer; after she retired she became a regular weekly volunteer. Currently Carolyn's main volunteer duties are filing monthly publications and creating files for queries answered by the GLHSD staff. Carolyn also enjoys helping visitors with their research and answering questions. Carolyn also serves on the query committee of the Howard County Genealogical Society. Most of Carolyn's research is centered on the Indiana counties where her ancestors settled. These include Howard, Tipton, Switzerland and Rush counties, primarily. She also researches one family line which she has traced back to Guilford County, N. C. She is interested in the military careers of her ancestors. Two great-grandfathers served in the Indiana infantry during the Civil War, John N. BENNETT and Edward SHEPHERD.
	Hertha Faustine Collett Little White has volunteered in the Genealogy and Local History Services Department since 1987. She was the president of the Howard County Genealogical Society four years. She also is the former HCGS newsletter editor. Hertha's areas of research interest include Tennessee - Greene, Sullivan and Washington Counties and Virginia - Wythe and Taswell Counties. Surnames include COLLETTE, PICKERING, JOHNSON, MARION, WHITE, HUNT, BECKNELL, OLINGER, and COLE.