The Defiance County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society met recently at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Defiance to hold their annual business meeting and elections. Officers elected for 2025-2026 are: President – Rhonda Casler; Vice-President – Summer Searfoss; Recording Secretary – Mary Williams; Treasurer – Dan Hasch; Corresponding Secretary – Dianne Kline; Trustees – Kim Bercaw, Bob Carpenter, and Dawn Hasch. The members also honored several long-time volunteers and two Charter Members in attendance, Diane Hill and Caroline Longardner. Three deceased members of the chapter were celebrated: Fred Marckel, Irene Winnie and Roena Bayes.
Some of the upcoming programming for 2025 was announced and includes: Taylor Moyer speaking on the Underground Railroad in Northwest Ohio; Pam Lash with Black Sheep Vignettes; Jeanne Calvert on Defiance County Murders; and Julia Chase on Family Search: Boldly Go Beyond the Basics. A field trip to the Fulton County Historical Society is planned for July.
2025 Memberships cost $15.00 per person or $18.00 per family. Membership includes our quarterly newsletter, “Yesteryears Trails”, with unlimited queries, our latest research guide, and eligibility to participate in the annual attendance prizes and to apply for our lineage societies of the First Families of Defiance County. Membership forms and details are on our website www.defiancecountygenealogy.org
The next meeting of the Defiance County Genealogical Society will feature Tanya Brunner presenting information on the village of Evansport. Annual attendance prizes will be also awarded and include a cemetery cleaning kit, genealogy research supplies, family tree charts, and handmade wooden creations. Meeting time is 7:00 pm, November 24, 2025 at the St. John’s United Church of Christ, 950 Webster Street, Defiance. Our meetings are open to members and visitors are always welcome.
