EWGS Presidents Marvelene E. Roach Carney

This is the fortieth 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, Marie E. Stone Larson, Lorena May Saylor Wildman, Raymond J. Fisher, Grace E. Kelso Garner , Catherine P. Cornehl Hyslop, Barbara J. Wirt Clarkson, Ruby L. Simonson McNeill, Jeanne J. Jones Holder , Jeanne M. Polumsky Coe , Maxine E. LeGrant Pence, Mary Kay McGlothlin Gant, Elizabeth Dale Hastin Smith, Bette Butcher Topp, Gordon Dean Clay, John R. Zeimantz, and Shirley E. Penna-Oakes


Marvelene E. Roach Carney was EWGS President in 2002 and 2003. On March 1, 1952 Marvelene married Frank James Carney a staff sergeant in the US Air Force stationed at Fairchild, AFB. Frank was from Chicago, Illinois and when he left the air force he worked as a sales man at several auto and recreational vehicle dealerships. They had three children, two daughters Denise and Judith and one son Thomas. Frank died May 6, 1998 in San Bernardino, California while on vacation. Marvelene was a nurse and there is a nice article in the Spokane Chronicle September 7, 1968 "49 New Nurses Enter Deaconess School of Nursing" and Marvelene is one of those listed. Marvelene was an author of a surname booklet by Carney Notepad Publishing called Roach Discovery. Marvelene also collected and indexed the 1991 obits for the 1991 Patchin Book. In 2000 Marvelene became an EWGS Distinguished Service Member for all her work as Vice-President, a library helper, chairing many seminars and workshops, and educational classes.
The 2002 spring seminar was Richard L. Hooverson at thje West Coast River Inn (Now Red Lion River Inn) April 20, 2002, cost $30.00. June 1, 2002 at the Davenport Hotel EWGS celebrated the reopening of the Davenport with Tony and Suzanne Bamonte, cost $25.00. The October workshop was Craig Scott on Military History at the Days Inn October 5, 2002, cost $30.00. Since EWGS had such poor turn outs for the 2002 seminars the December 2002 issue had a survey on how attendance at seminars was dependent on the cost of the seminar. Turned out many said the cost of the seminars was getting too expensive, so due to poor attendance at the 2002 seminars the spring seminar was canceled. March 31, 2003 the City of Spokane Valley was incorporated and that would be a big boost for EWGS, but I did not know that till later in the year. At the May 2003 general meeting dues were raised to $25.00 a year or $375.00 for lifetime starting with the January 1, 2004 dues. In early July I received a note in my mail box at the library from the Spokane County Auditor was looking for a genealogist to help with genealogical queries that the auditor received because of the new city of Spokane Valley being incorporated, which cut the county income by nearly a third so every department was asked to find ways to save money. The next Monday I was reporting for jury duty at the courthouse, so before I became a juror again, I stopped at the auditors office and volunteered. I handled all the requests and all the money I collected after copy costs went to EWGS. Turned out to be a big boost for the EWGS book fund. The October workshop was at Spokane Falls Community College October 4, 2003 and it cost $35.00.
The next EWGS President was Bette Butcher Topp in 2004 and 2005, and I already wrote about Bette so check out her blog post. In 2004 two new EWGS Distinguished Service Members were announced, I was one and the other was Dorothy Braithwait, I think we were both nominated by Bette and Marvelene. Thanks Bette and Marvelene. Both of these EWGS Presidents are hard workers, very excellent genealogists, and great supporters of EWGS.