Two Greenbrier County volunteers have been honored for their volunteer work preserving the area’s rich history.
William “Skip” Deegans and Ron Kirk both of Lewisburg are being honored among a group of others across the state as West Virginia History Heroes by the West Virginia Archives and History on West Virginia History Day, today, March 1.
Deegans was nominated by the Friends of Old Stone Cemetery for his countless hours spent in the Old Stone Cemetery cleaning stones, as well as helping host cemetery preservation workshops, raising money for improvements and guarding the cemetery at Halloween to prevent damage.
Deeply committed to the preservation of the cemetery, Deegans recently shared information about a family plot and the refurbished antique fence that will be placed around it through a storyboard presentation to the local garden club. He also has helped raise awareness about cemetery preservation and other historical topics in the Greenbrier Valley through the publication of regular newspaper articles. Deegans also is a member of the Lewisburg Historic Landmarks Commission.
Kirk was nominated by the Greenbrier Historical Society. Kirk has been vice president of the historical society for 10 years and has been involved in a variety of activities.
For several years, he served on the personnel committee and was especially useful for interviews and checking references. A retired engineer, he has provided valuable information and assistance in upgrading electrical, heating and cooling and technology systems. He also created videos for the local public access station that promote home tour events.
In the past year, Kirk developed a training program for new board members to ensure that they understand the organization and their duties and responsibilities.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no in-person ceremony. Instead, a video presentation will be made available on the West Virginia Archives and History and YouTube Channel beginning on Monday, March 1. A link to the recorded presentation will be on archives and history’s website: www.wvculture.org/history.
West Virginia History Heroes are nominated by historical, genealogical, preservation, museum, patriotic or like organizations from across the state. The purpose of this annual award is to give state-level recognition to individuals chosen for dedicated service on behalf of an organization’s programs or for a recent significant contribution to state and local history through research, interpretation, publication or preservation. The West Virginia History Hero award is a one-time-only recognition.
Co-sponsors of West Virginia History Day are the archives and history commission, Mining Your History Foundation, Preservation Alliance of West Virginia Inc., West Virginia Association of Museums, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, West Virginia Historical Society and West Virginia Humanities Council.
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