BILL BRUNNER, PRESIDENT EMERITUS
At its June meeting the Board of Directors of the Spring-Ford Area Historical Society unanimously approved naming former society president William C. Brunner, “President Emeritus.” After receiving Brunner’s letter of resignation with regret, the board was not content with putting the former president “out to pasture.” Brunner, who is recuperating at home after spinal surgery, felt that he could no longer fulfill the requirements of the office of president. Despite objections by members on the board, Brunner’s mind was made up as felt others should hold office and receive recognition for doing so.
Bill has been an active, contributing and important moving force with the historical society for thirty-one years, serving as its president for the last fifteen years. Under his leadership, the society has experienced growth, has added to its collection, and has become more visible in the community. Bill’s knowledge of the area’s history is legendary, and he is the author of three books. All three books focus on the history of Spring City and Royersford and draw extensively on the photographic archives of the Society as well as Brunner’s personal collection. Look for a future blog post detailing accomplishments during Brunner’s tenure as president.
Bill Brunner will continue to be actively involved in the work of the Spring-Ford Historical Society. He has already started creating and publishing Face Book posts and he will continue to contribute to the society’s quarterly newsletter. Members look forward to the inserts authored by Bill that focus on topics of local historical interest, and Bill has authored more than 80 of them!
AMY DEMCHIK, SFAHS’s NEW PRESIDENT
“We are the chosen in each family, there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them seem alive again. To tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. We are the story tellers of the tribe.”
– One of Amy Demchik’s favorite quotes, author unknown
The Society’s new president, unanimously voted in at the board’s June meeting is Amy Demchik. Amy has been a Royersford resident for fourteen years and lives in the borough with her husband Tim and their two children Sophia and Wes. Amy currently serves on Borough Council, chairing the Public Works Department and serving as co-chair of Royersford’s Parks and Recreation Commission. Demchik actively volunteers with a number of different organizations, serving as the treasurer of the Royersford Business Association, and as a board member of the Royersford Community Chest. Amy is a committee member for many community events in Royersford including Community Day (September 7, 2019), and National Night Out (August 6, 2019). Most recently, Amy was serving as the historical society’s vice president.
“From a very young age I was drawn to old homes, especially those left abandoned,” relates Demchik. “To me, they were sadly beautiful and I would imagine what stories those walls could tell. I inherited the love of this history from my grandfather who also instilled in me the love of picture taking. My husband and I stumbled upon our circa 1880 home unexpectedly and knew the moment we stepped inside that this was our forever home, even though the town was new to us…and we immediately fell in love with Royersford.”
“My hope for our historical society is to continue to share the history of Royersford and Spring City for generations to come,” says Demchik. “I want to make sure that we highlight the wonderful current collections we have in our museum and work to actively grow that collection. More importantly, I want to thank all those who continue to support us.”
Demchik is grateful for Bill Brunner’s expertise and guidance. “I want to give a heartfelt thank you to my mentor and our President Emeritus, Bill Brunner, who has the knowledge I can only hope to one day achieve. He, along with the rest of our board, welcomed me with open arms. I am forever grateful to them for the opportunity to volunteer at a place I instantly fell in love with.”
Brunner reciprocated with his praise of Amy, “As a volunteer, Amy always exceeded my expectations and she worked with a passion. Her hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed and I asked her if she would like to become a board member. As a board member, one story comes to mind. I had asked for a volunteer to plant flowers on the museum grounds. Only one hand was raised: Amy’s. Amy was not only willing to plant them. She also found someone to donate the flowers and recruited her husband to help. I could see that she is someone special.” Brunner continues, “I did not expect to have to step down as president so soon, but I am confident that Amy has all the qualities necessary to be president of the society. I will continue to support her and the society in any way that I can.”
“Our doors are always open for new members and volunteers to join us,” says President Demchik, “so that we can continue to connect with our community and listen to their stories. It is their stories, after all, that bring our little towns to life!”
MIKE OSIOL & BEVERLY KANDRICK
The position of vice president will be filled by long-time society member, Mike Osiol. Mike has been actively involved with the society for ten years, having served as a member of the Board of Directors. Mike enjoys researching old newspapers and making connections between the details in the stories with current people and places. Mike is also the author of the Schuylkill River Valley History and Lore Face Book page. In addition to new officers, Beverly Kandrick was approved as a SFAHS board member. A future blog post will introduce Beverly as our newest board member.