23 women to be honored in history project

GARDNERVILLE - "Famous or family, alive or deceased, outrageous or angelic," 23 women whose lives have had an impact on Carson Valley will be inducted Sunday in the Carson Valley Historical Society's first Women's History Remembering Project.

Ten of the women are deceased and were nominated by family members and friends. The other 13 honorees are expected to attend Sunday's ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center in Gardnerville.

The deceased honorees followed by the people who nominated them include Ella Anderson, by Leola Tucker; Gorgonia Borda by John Borda; Bridget Brown by Joan Wilkerson; Lucille Chain by Cecile Brown; Elisabeth Crouse by Sonia Dehart; Frieda Godecke, Shirley Jones and Charlotte Godecke; Theresa Smokey Jackson by JoAnn Martinez; Lena Neddenriep by Marlena Hellwinkel; Ellie O'Toole by Ted Nagel and Judi Waite; and Wilhelmine Springmeyer by Sally Zanjani.

The other nominees include Roberta Bence, nominated by Mary Long; Frances Callahan by Grace Bower; Marlena Hellwinkel by Donna Allgeier; Virginia Henningsen by Donna Allgeier; Laurie Hickey by Nancy Miluck; Anita Jones by Susanne MacMillan; Jane Lehrman by Vera Gesselman; Diane Malone by Sharon Voss and Debbie Barham; Elizabeth Miller by Katherine Wildes; Nancy Miluck by Laurie Hickey; Dorothy Scossa by Georgia Kiewiecz and Sonja Young, Cecile and Russell Scossa; Sallie Springmeyer by Sonia Dehart and Maribeth Volk by Linda Monohan.

Coordinator Peggy Knox, who has been working on the project since last November, said she was pleased with the response to the first effort, which will be an annual event.

"It was quite good," she said. "Things went a little slow at first, we really need a year for this."

The first deadline for nominees to the project was extended from Jan. 30 to Feb. 15, "so, we're under a little pressure," Knox said.

The project is to "honor women for the paths they have paved and the lives they have lived. So many women are unknown heroes. So many have been brave, brilliant, talented, tireless and selfless, and will never get into history books. Famous or family, alive or deceased, outrageous or angelic Carson Valley women have been inspirations for us."

The public is invited to today's reception which begins at 1 p.m. in the main exhibit hall, followed by refreshments at 2 p.m.

The presentation coincides with the opening of the women's history exhibit, "Nevada Women on the Road to Change, 1860-1920," Cecile Brown, museum curator. A video on women's suffrage featuring Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony will be shown from 2 to 3 p.m.