Westfield Historical Society Hosts 43rd Annual Dinner

More than 100 members of the Westfield Historical Society (WHS) and their guests gathered at Echo Lake Country Club for their 43rd annual dinner meeting Wednesday evening. 

Attendees enjoyed a meeting, social hour, dinner, and musical entertainment. In her welcome, Nancy W. Priest, the society's president, expressed pride in the many accomplishments of the WHS, including the development of the

The society's mission is to preserve and interpret Westfield area history with a focus on educational outreach and preservation.  

"I love to learn about the history of Westfield," said Betty Kopf, who has been a member of the WHS for close to a decade. "Ralph Jones, the town historian, knew a great deal and really got me interested in the town's history."  

Another member, Connie DiGieso, majored in History at Kean University. She has been a member for three years and decided to join when she heard about a history talk given by the WHS that interested her.

A growing membership is vital to the success of the WHS. There are individual, family, business, patron, sponsor, and society memberships available.  

"Members keep the organization going by volunteering and supplying revenue to keep Westfield's history intact," said Jane Francz, the vice-president in charge of membership relations. "The organization is a service to the community. We preserve the town's history and make it accessible through the Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center."  

Historical Society members enjoy volunteering for the organization. New trustee Marie Kratzmann has lived in Westfield for five years with her husband and has a newborn son. She volunteers as an editor and works on the newsletter. She is interested in history and likes visiting points of interest. 

WHS enjoys the support of other area organizations and collaborates with other groups including the Genealogical Society of the West Fields, Boy Scouts, the SAR, and the DAR.  

"We have a relationship with Westfield Historical Society. We also support veterans and history education at large," Lisa Kane, Regent of the Westfield Chapter of the DAR, said. 

After dinner, awards were presented. The President's Award was presented by Lee M. Hale to for her ceramic tile art which frames the fireplace in the Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center.

The Trustee's Award was presented to the Volunteers who spend their time contributing to educational activities and special events at the Miller Cory. Fran Gold accepted the award on behalf of the volunteers.

Following the excellent dinner fare, musical entertainment was provided by The Bravura Quintet of the . The musical program was dedicated to World War II and included such selections as "As Time Goes By" and "The White Cliffs of Dover" to the delight of guests.

The community is invited to learn more about the WHS and its many activities and events. For more information, visit the WHS website .