PICAYUNE —
Ohio school teacher, Sue Pinero, relocated to Picayune 23 years ago and has made a difference in the community ever since.
“I wanted to move closer to what remained of my family. I had a daughter who was teaching in Jefferson Parish, La. I also had cousins who lived here, in Picayune. I came here and applied to teach; I was immediately hired at Westside Elementary. I worked there from 1989 to 2000, when I retired. I continued to substitute teach for many years after I retired,” said Pinero.
Throughout the years, Pinero has been active in the community through the Trinity Methodist Church, Civic Woman’s Club of Picayune and working at the family antique store, Pinero’s Antique Store, on West Canal.
“It kept us very busy for many years, before we closed it to retire,” said the mother to four and grandmother of five.
“We also traveled a lot and have really enjoyed our retirement. But a year ago when a friend invited me to come and volunteer at the Hilda Hoffman Memorial Archives, I couldn’t say no.”
That invitation ignited a passion in Pinero.
“I just came to help and was such a beginner but my friend is an experienced, long-time genealogist and she showed me the ropes.”
Today, just one year later, Pinero is the chairman of the non-profit organization. Her biggest delight is seeing the progress the location has made in just one year through the work of its volunteers. The interior which was being remodeled when it first opened has been completed. It now boasts a research room where records have been sorted chronologically, by name. These are records waiting to be put in binders and put in the binder room where binders are filed by bound family books that have been donated. Discoveries made in these books can be cross-referenced with cemetery books, located in the main portion of the archives.
“People find it so comforting to actually visit the location of their ancestors’ resting place,” said Pinero.
Another step forward for the Archives is cross-referencing Hoffman’s large collection of donated genealogy records with the vast resources available at the Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial Library.
“We have made arrangements to give a catalog of our resources here to be prominently displayed at the library and they are doing the same for us. This way if someone hits a dead end at either place, they can see information the other place has. Many people come from all over to use the resources at the library and we are excited to that we both have basically doubled what we offer researchers through our collaboration.”
Pinero feels that her board members and volunteers make all of the difference in someone’s experience when they visit the archives.
“Most of our volunteers are scheduled to work a five hour shift, one day a week. But they fill in if another volunteer can’t make their shift and then sometimes they take on additional fund raising activities. Our board works very hard to make the right decisions and fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities. This is a team.”
Board members for the Hilda Hoffman Memorial Archives are: Chairman— Sue Pinero; Vice chairman— Elizabeth Dunpfey; Secretary— Gloria Penton; Treasurer— Lorraine Harper and Volunteer Coordinator— Marilyn Weston. Other members are Helen Clunie (who donated the building where the archives are housed), Wade Stewart, Carole Pharis, Sara Sheldon, Don Wicks and Judy Burge.
For more information on either the Hilda Hoffman Memorial Archives or genealogy, contact Sue Pinero at 601-799-5671.
Lifestyles
Related Photos
-
Sue Pinero is this week’s Picayune Item Super Senior. She has been active in the community, since her arrival 23 years ago, and continues to be a driving force for the Hilda Hoffman Memorial Archives. Jodi Marze
Sue Pinero
Picayune Item's Super Senior
- Lifestyles
-
- Special Boat Team 22 helps SPCA Special Boat Team 22 members, based out of Stennis, visited the Pearl River County SPCA, on Saturday, to implement “Operation Rescue PRC SPCA.” The Pearl River County SPCA posted on their Facebook page that they were blessed by the team, who “swarmed” in on them from 8 a.m. until after noon. The team, who could not be identified for security issues, did board rot repairs, landscaping, and repainting some of the interior and exterior of the building.
-
Swamp Hunters to judge Post 73 Ladies Auxiliary Barbeque Cook Off
The Taylor clan from Tru TV’s “Swamp Hunters” series will be judging the American Legion Post 73 Ladies Auxiliary Barbecue which will be held from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 22. The Legion is located at 2500 Union School Road; all proceeds will go to fund their Christmas Basket project. The Butch Fields Band will be playing outside from noon to 4 p.m.
-
Arboretum Paths: Owl pellets and pitcher plant bellies
What lies inside a pitcher plant’s tummy? Campers attending last week’s Summer Nature Camp at the Crosby Arboretum had a chance to find out. Camp projects included dissecting a pitcher plant, learning the definition of a herbarium, and exploring edible plants. Perhaps one of these activities will even spark an interest in a future career or the pursuit of a field of study at Mississippi State University.
- Lions Club marks seventy years of service Recently, an awards and anniversary reception was held at the Crosby Memorial Library to mark the 70th Anniversary of the Picayune Lions Club.
- Vocability Words can be both familiar and extremely confusing when taken from their usual context. Ask any wine enthusiast about legs, fat or bricks and they may assume you are speaking “Vinonese.” Ok — I made that word up; but the language of wine does indeed include legs, fat and brix which have entirely different meanings from what you might assume. Working with definitions from http://www.wineschool.com/vocabulary.html, try your basic knowledge of “Vinonese.”
-
City and PRC school work together for flower power
The City of Picayune began a partnership with Pearl River Central High School this past year in a pilot program to supply its own flowers and greenery for flower beds throughout the city. The program, which has been in the works for two years, became a reality as plants were put in the ground in the median area by Exit 6 on Mississippi Highway 43.
-
Miller partners with sponsor for Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month
In a press release, MasterChef Season One winner and cookbook author Whitney Miller announced she is partnering in her Myasthenia Gravis (MG) fundraising campaign with a national sponsor for the month of June.
-
Arboretum Paths: Summer Nature Camp time
By the time you read this, Crosby Arboretum’s Summer Nature Camp will be in full swing. We’ve had fun planning for this exciting week, one that will be jam-packed with activities that will explore the wonders of nature.
- Precautions for pet evacuation during natural disasters: Part 2 RedRover.org has put together a list of needs for reptiles and amphibian owners to use in the event of an evacuation. But they advise, “There are greatly varied needs which come with different species of reptiles and amphibians, owners should be familiar with their particular species to know which of the items listed apply to them.”
- Vocability Words can set a tone for a situation, alter someone’s perception of an individual or group — in short, there is power in them. The Bible cautions, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue...” — Proverbs in 18:21, ASB. With that in mind, I will be focusing on words, some recently used and some obscure, to test the readers and build on what you already know. There will be theme weeks, for instance next week will focus on words involving wine — for no particular reason! So try your vocabulary skills with the following and see how you score. I’m always open to suggestions for material.
- More Lifestyles Headlines
Fmr. TWA Flight 800 Investigators Want New Probe
Raw: Heat, Spurs Back on Court Ahead of Game 7
Dolce and Gabbana Convicted of Tax Evasion
Paris, Prince Depositions Used in Jackson Trial
Coiffed Cattle Get Their Close-up
In Berlin, Obama Channels Cold War Activism
Police at Patriots Tight End's Home for 2nd Day
Fed Suggests Bond Purchases Could Slow
AP: DOJ Broke Own Rules Seizing Phone Records
Raw: Baby White Rhino Debuts at Australian Zoo
Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse
Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive
Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends
Aug. Trial Set for Ohio Man in Triple Kidnapping
Car Crash in NYC's East Village Injures 8
