Caretakers of history
Published 11:20 am Monday, March 3, 2008
Margaret Robe Summitt earned her doctorate in English literature from the University of California at Los Angeles, where her father taught.
She was on her way to becoming a professor herself when her mother died.
“My life was turned upside down,” Summitt said.
The result, though, was that her mother’s death sparked Summitt’s interest in genealogy.
“I was working away and realizing that what I really wanted to do was find my ancestors.”
She’s used that motivation to devote her life to the pursuit of genealogy. She became a caretaker of family history, stories that are her connection with the past, the beyond, the big picture.
Summitt, 51, spends much of her time at the Sno-Isle Genealogical Society Library in Lynnwood. She has volunteered with the society for about 10 years.
Marge Reid of Brier, another volunteer at the society, calls Summitt the group’s star.
Indeed, Summitt is the chairwoman for the Washington State Genealogical Society convention in 2008 in Lynnwood.
Short with shoulder-length hair and usually dressed in a long skirt and sensible flats, Summitt has lived in Everett since marrying Christopher Summitt, an Everett native, historian and former national parks ranger. They have two children
Today, when Summitt turns on her laptop computer she sees a photo of Elijah Wood as the hobbit Frodo in “Lord of the Rings.” Also kept on her computer are a favorite picture of herself and her kids flashing the “Star Trek” Vulcan salute, along with her lectures on Catholic literature.
What takes up most of the space on her laptop, though, are genealogy files.
One of her jobs with the genealogical society is that of writer and researcher for the Sounder, a quarterly publication produced by the group. “It’s full of stories. That’s what genealogy is about after all. It’s the story that keeps you going when you’re looking through a census to find someone,” Summitt said.
At the society’s library in Lynnwood’s Heritage Park, budding genealogists often walk in off the street, looking for help and direction.
“We help them see that there is plenty of information out there to help them build their family stories,” Summitt said. “And that little seed is going to grow the roots of a family tree.”
In her volunteer work, Summitt specializes in helping and encouraging those who have “hit brick walls” in their research. “It’s understandable, when one considers that the number of ancestors doubles with every generation,” she said.
Summitt recently traveled to West Virginia to find cemeteries, see the old homesteads and continue to trace the movement of her family from its Scottish roots. One of her most valued possessions is a diary written by an ancestor, Robert Robe, a Presbyterian minister who traveled the Oregon Trail from Ohio to Oregon to preach the gospel.
“The diary has been photocopied and transcribed for many. It would be a shame to keep this information to myself,” Summitt said. “I realized at some point that I couldn’t just keep on doing genealogy just for myself.”
A Catholic who has published a book on Catholic literature, Summitt believes that to those who have been given much, much will be asked.
“I was blessed with intelligent parents, access to higher education and a wealth of family history. I joined Toastmasters to become a better speaker. I learned to use Power Point to make presentations. It’s been a lot of work, but I feel I have accomplished something,” she said.
Along with genealogical work, Summitt volunteers at her church, makes quilts to give to away to those in need, home schools her oldest child and is active in her youngest child’s school. It’s all about family, she said.
“Without a sense of roots, it’s difficult to feel connected to our people or the people of our country. Without the interest in our past, we lose that identity and our sense of place,” Summitt said.
“I may not finish my genealogy, but I will leave a foundation for others to follow.”
Gale Fiege is a reporter for The Herald newspaper in Everett.
