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Blair Williams: I am here today with Linda Schreffler, a volunteer here at the Cumberland County Historical Society. And Linda I will just ask you what do you do here at the Historical Society?

Linda Schreffler It’s a catchall phrase and it means you do anything someone working here, staff tell you to do. Generally, I greet the public when they come in; take care of the database; I do letters, I help Jason with letters; do the phone, answer the phone; and as I said other duties as assigned.

BW: How long would you say you’ve been a volunteer?

LS: I’ve been a volunteer here probably almost four years.

BW: What made you interested in volunteering?

LS: Interested in volunteering here, was because I like to do genealogy for my own family and I enjoy history.

BW: What would you say you enjoy about volunteering at the Historical Society?

LS: When I was a young teenager in the early 60s I volunteered at the Red Cross in Harrisburg. The Red Cross gave the volunteers one of the six cent size of Coca-Colas. And that was why I enjoyed volunteering there. And now we fast-forwarded what five decades and the reason I enjoy volunteering here is because I believe the Historical Society is evolving. It’s transforming. And I like being some small part of that change.

BW: Lastly, do you have any interesting stories from your time as a volunteer?

LS: I wish I did. But really, I handle so much paperwork. The people here are really interesting and when they find something. When people come here looking for an ancestor they can’t find I can sort of share their excitement at finding someone. Because it can be a difficult chore. That’s probably my best answer to that one.

BW: Thank you so much Linda. I think can say for all the staff here at the Historical Society that we would probably be lost without you. You’ve been a great help to all of us here and I know we all appreciate it. So thank you and thank you for speaking with me today.

LS: Thank you for your kind words.