On Thursday, 17 October 2026, StLGS hosted a luncheon at our office in Maplewood honoring our hard-working volunteers, especially three longtime office personnel who have dedicated years of effort towards making our society better. Retiring after many years of service were Margie Giblin, who has been our co-office manager and leader of our print room staff; Bob Goode, a member of our tech team who was instrumental in the development and success of our website; and Barb Larson, a former vice president of membership and longtime member of our data entry team as well as the manager of countless event registrations.
StLGS co-president Kathy Franke reminded everyone at the luncheon that our office workers are the heart of our organization. Kathy said, “We have a formal mission statement, but when you boil it down, our purpose is really very simple. We help people discover and preserve their family history. We do that by teaching people how to research and directing them to sources; by providing resources and opportunities to learn; by scanning and indexing records so they can be accessed easily; and by helping people write and document their family stories so they’ll be available for generations to come. And none of that happens without volunteers.”
Kathy went on to acknowledge that everyone who volunteers for StLGS contributes to our mission in some way. Addressing the group, she continued, “Every one of you gives your time, your knowledge, and your talents—and together, you make the society what it is.”
The afternoon was all about saying thank you, with delicious food, gift cards, and chocolates for our retirees, and recognition from our office staff for the work everyone contributes to preserving and sharing family history.
Thanks to Kathy for the photos! And if you would like to join in on all the fun, we can always use your skills. Go to the volunteer page on our website to learn more about being part of our StLGS volunteer family.
