JOHN ESHELMAN,
VOLUNTEER OF WINTER QUARTER

Each quarter, the Seattle Genealogical Society recognizes one volunteer as our Volunteer of the Quarter. Our Volunteer of the Winter Quarter is John Eshelman.

John has been an SGS member for seven years and a volunteer for more than four years. Like many of our volunteers, John wears many hats. He served on our Nominations Committee for one election cycle; indexes books for eBay sales; staffs our Library Desk on most Saturdays; and is currently in his first year as a Library Trustee and a member of the Materials Review Committee. For three years, John also helped staff the SGS table at Irish Heritage Week.

If that were not enough, John contributes to our digitization projects. He alphabetizes and indexes hard copy collections of birth, death and marriage records as well as our VFW records (currently on index cards). These projects will make our extensive collections more readily accessible. John chips in wherever he sees a need and often helps set up for our Second Saturday Speaker Series, User Groups and Interest Groups. John enjoys interacting with SGS members and working with other volunteers on projects. He also enjoys the flexibility our volunteer projects provide.

John was lucky enough to inherit his own family histories from an aunt and a great aunt. Since then, he has researched other branches of his family as well as his wife’s family. His current research areas are Ireland and Finland; and in the U.S. – East Tennessee and Kentucky.  SGS is full of expertise and John has expanded his knowledge of genealogy and family history over the past few years, both formally at presentations and informally in casual conversations. Genealogists love to share their tips!

John came to SGS with a strong academic and administrative background. He taught Economics at Seattle University and served as their Provost for several years. He has volunteered for other organizations including his current work with St. Francis House serving low-income and homeless families. When John is not volunteering, he enjoys spending time with his family, including three grandchildren.

Next time you visit the Seattle Genealogical Society on a Saturday and see John Eshelman, say hello.

Thank you, John for your contributions to SGS! Continue reading →