EWGS Presidents Lorena May Saylor Wildman

This is the twenty fifth in the series on the Presidents of EWGS leading up to the 75th anniversary in 2010. See the previous posts on Samuel Pool Weaver, Leora Cookingham Thiel, Susan Marie West Jack, Ruth Churchill Austin, Alfred Denman, Florence Ballou Brown, Harriet Jefferson Pinkham, Mary Elizabeth Dow Maltbie, Achsah Maltbie Rawlings, Lee DeGolyer Patchen, Susie Elliott Faubion, Edith Webb Nelson, Carrie Teats Lartigue, Guy Alfred Clumpner, Grace Ellis Woodward, Mabel Rue Frederick, Nell Hartman Peel, Edwin Allan Poole, Mabel Enid Rice Conrad, Helen Elizabeth Osborne Rowe, Dr. Herbert Hoover Osborne, Jane Merritt Logie Webster, Beatrice Cutler Mitcham, and Marie E. Stone Larson



Lorena May Saylor Wildman was the EWGS President in 1974 and 1975. Lorena was born in Van Buren County Iowa July 2, 1911 to Robert R. and Mildred (Raines) Saylor. She grew up in Davis County Iowa. She graduated from Pulaski, Iowa High school and worked as a practical nurse. Lorena married Kelsey Atherton Wildman in October 1929, at Iowa City, Iowa. She authored four books on her family genealogy. Kelsey and Lorena came to Spokane in 1943 because of the War when a requiter from Spokane came to Iowa looking for workers for the local aluminum plant. Lorena was listed as author or co-author of several books in the Spokane Library: Early Marriages of Spokane Book A, 1880 Census of Spokane County, Early Wills (of Spokane County), 1880 Stevens County Census, Genealogical Guide to the DAR Magazine, Early Spokane County and Research tips in Pennsylvania.
Kelsey Wildman retired from Spokane Sash and Door Company and died August 13, 1987. Lorena survived Kelsey till November 17, 1998.



Because of Expo 74 the library asked EWGS to have volunteers as helpers for the May 1 to October 31, 1974, since the library was only a block from the Expo grounds. Mrs. Helen Rowe was the coordinator for this project. Milton Rubincam visited
Expo 74 in September and conducted a Workshop September 13 and 14. It was Mr, Rubincam's first professional visit to the northwest. Expo 74 Postcards. Expo really changed downtown Spokane from an area of old railroad depots and decaying buildings across the street from the rail road depots. Today Riverfront Park is a lasting monument to Expo.
1975 was the year for Alex Hailey's "Roots" was published, and the Boy Scouts started genealogy research for a new Merit Badge. By the end of 1975 EWGS had 204 members and dues were $5.00