(California, Nevada, Hawaii)

Jean Haserot – District Representative

A few members of the WFA from our district ventured “ East” this summer to the Annual Reunion on beautiful Cape Cod. The weather was perfect and the Reunion events great. It was well worth going the distance “from sea to shining sea.”

At our banquet night we met new members, David R. Dowell from Morro Bay, CA. His business card reads: “Solving Information Problems – Genealogist/Librarian.” This is a man we should get to know better. We met Charles and Virginia Wing from Santa Rosa, CA. They sent me a picture of Wing gravestones from a cemetery in Rochester, Vermont. They have connected with new members (2009), Marlene and Jack Thomas, also from Santa Rosa., who attended the Reunion in Seaside, OR.

Joanne Schwarzer, son Alec and friend Jack were attending from LaVerne, CA. Joanne and I meet periodically for lunch and talk about the Wings.

Another family was at the patio lunch celebrating a 75th Birthday. I met Jennifer Walstead Crowe, from San Diego, CA. She is the daughter of the man celebrating his birthday with a whole group of family from various parts of the country. I have encouraged her to join. There were several others from district 13 on the attendance list, but I never connected with them.

Although, we have not had another District Reunion, there is connecting happening. Arlinda Wing Cosby, who joined in Oregon (2009) sent me the article on Rescue, CA. about the time capsule from 1896 discovered recently in the building of The Rose Springs Literary Society, where there were several Wings mentioned. I was so curious that my husband and I went to Rescue, in Eldorado County and saw the building and met one of the men pictured in the article. He graciously took us around, showing us old pictures and even sending me a CD on the history of the family connected to the Wings. I thought I had found a gold mine. However, the trail led back to a John Wing from England who came to America in the 1800’s and married Louisa mar Pelton in1683. I contacted our Genealogist, Raymond Wing who said: “ There are a number of immigrants with the Wing surname who came to America after the Civil War. All of these families are relatively small, and none of them have (so far) been found to be related to our family.” Their story is fascinating and reminds me of a former president of the WFA , Richard, L. Wing , who encouraged us to write out family stories.

It was recently, my privilege to view some of The Rev. John Wing’s sermons in the rare books archives of The Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. This research library has all 5 copies of his published sermons.

For some time, I have wanted to have a District Reunion in Northern California. It may happen, as there is some interest and a potential place.

Please contact me with any news of special events, births, marriages, school and college children, Wings in the military, deaths and just to tell me about you.