Two Jefferson Historical Society Leaders Step Down

JEFFERSON - The Jefferson Historical Society (JHS) recently saw two of its most dedicated and influential volunteers step down from their leadership roles. Diane Ericson, who served for years as Treasurer or Co-Treasurer during some of the Society’s busiest years, and Bonnie Dailey, a longtime volunteer and more recently Secretary of the Board of Trustees, have both made extraordinary contributions to the organization.

Their years of service have helped shape the Jefferson Historical Society into the active organization it is today. While their accomplishments are too numerous to fully document, we would like to recognize some of the many ways they have contributed.

Diane Ericson

Diane Ericson served on the JHS Board of Trustees for several years before becoming Co-Treasurer and later Treasurer. Her tenure coincided with some of the most active and challenging years in the Society’s history, particularly the restoration and development of Judd Hall.

During this period, numerous contractors were involved in renovating the building, making the management of payments, grants, and budgets especially complicated. At the same time, JHS was serving as a community sponsor for another organization undertaking its own extensive restoration project involving multiple contractors. We also began developing formal annual budgets during these years, adding another layer of responsibility for our treasurers. Diane helped guide us through these financial challenges while keeping our operations running smoothly.

Diane’s contributions extended far beyond managing finances. As Judd Hall developed into our headquarters, museum, and community gathering place, she was deeply involved in making the building an efficient, comfortable, and welcoming facility. She helped obtain furnishings, equipment, and other needed materials and secured donations to improve our computer capabilities. She played a major role in reorganizing, painting, and transforming our kitchen into an attractive and functional workspace.

We affectionately refer to Bob Glas as our “Judd Hall Boss” because of his responsibility for maintaining the building and arranging professional assistance when needed. Diane served as his capable assistant, helping ensure that the many details involved in operating and maintaining the building were addressed.

Diane was also central to planning some of our most significant events, including the dedication of Judd Hall and the grand opening of the Nicholas J. Juried Museum of Jefferson History. Both occasions required extensive preparation and coordination. She worked with former Town Historian Ingrid Zeman on the rededication of the Presbyterian Church Centennial plaque following its return to the Maple Museum.

Our annual yard sales, which have consistently been among the Society’s most successful fundraisers, also benefited greatly from Diane’s efforts.

At nearly every JHS event, Diane could be counted on to be there, often working behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly. Whether it was a farmers’ market, lecture, concert, alumni reception, quilt show, Heritage Day celebration, Holiday Boutique, or another activity, she helped make sure events were adequately staffed, visitors were welcomed, and countless organizational details were handled.

Diane regularly represented JHS at community events sponsored by other organizations, including the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce and the local arts council. She also served as our representative on the Jefferson Heritage Day Committee.

When Bonnie Dailey led our oral history video interviews, Diane frequently assisted with the process. She was involved in the early planning of our museum, donated numerous materials to our historical archives, and suggested speakers for our lecture series.

What makes Diane’s contributions particularly remarkable is that she accomplished all this while holding a job and volunteering countless hours throughout the year. Unlike many of our board members who devote time to the Society during retirement, Diane balanced her extensive JHS responsibilities with her employment and service on the Board of Trustees of the Schoharie County Historical Society.

Her dedication, organizational skills, and willingness to take on whatever needed to be done have been invaluable to the Jefferson Historical Society.

Bonnie Dailey

Bonnie Dailey has been an active volunteer with the Jefferson Historical Society for many years. More recently, she served on our Board of Trustees and as Secretary. Her contributions have been particularly important in historical research, education, oral history, and public programming.

Bonnie has long been recognized as an accomplished historical and genealogical researcher. She has an exceptional ability to uncover family connections and bring the stories of earlier generations to life.

Most recently, she worked with the late Stephanie Ruquet to research ten Revolutionary War veterans buried in the Old Jefferson Burying Ground. Bonnie used that research to develop narratives for our September 2026 Voices from the Cemetery program, in which costumed volunteers portrayed these individuals and shared stories of their lives and military service with an audience at Judd Hall.

In 2023, Bonnie presented a well-received program at Judd Hall explaining genealogical research techniques. She has also written a popular series of articles for our newsletters exploring the families whose names are preserved in local road names.

When visitors come to JHS seeking information about their Jefferson ancestors, Bonnie has frequently participated in discussions with them, often contributing information that greatly expands their understanding of their family histories.

Many local residents and visitors know Bonnie best for her enthusiastic portrayal of an old-fashioned schoolmarm at the Fuller District One-Room Schoolhouse, which JHS operates under a lease from the Town of Jefferson.

On many summer weekends, Bonnie has welcomed visitors to the schoolhouse and explained what education was like for children attending a one-room rural school. She has also organized our half-day educational programs for Jefferson Central School fourth graders. These programs give students an opportunity to experience lessons in the traditional “three Rs,” along with other subjects, old-fashioned games, and recess activities.

Bonnie has organized similar educational experiences for homeschool groups in cooperation with staff from the Old Stone Fort. She is also prominently featured in our video about the Fuller District Schoolhouse, available on the Jefferson Historical Society’s YouTube channel.

Bonnie’s acting abilities have enriched several of our historical programs. She portrayed “Mama” in our dramatic reading based on letters exchanged between Jefferson soldier Carl Skidmore and his family while he served in France during World War I, before dying from combat wounds.

More recently, she portrayed the wife of a Revolutionary War soldier in Voices from the Cemetery. She also joined Vic DiSanto in a presentation about the capture of British Major John André during the American Revolution. On two occasions, she arranged for teams of professional historical interpreters to present Revolutionary War programs for JHS at the Jefferson Methodist Church.

Bonnie’s willingness to tackle hands-on projects was evident during the early restoration of Judd Hall. She personally refinished the kitchen floor and assisted with other improvements to the building.

Recognizing that much of our local history survives only in the memories of those who experienced it, Bonnie has led our efforts to preserve oral histories through video interviews with people who grew up in Jefferson. These recordings are an important and lasting contribution to our historical collections.

Like Diane, Bonnie has been a familiar and dependable presence at Society activities. She has volunteered at our annual yard sales, represented JHS during Heritage Day, assisted with alumni receptions and art shows, and participated in programs and events involving the Iroquois Indian Museum, the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations. She has also helped with activities such as our gravestone-cleaning workshop.

Bonnie’s extensive contributions to JHS are even more impressive considering her many other commitments. She serves as a leading genealogical researcher at the Old Stone Fort and has held significant leadership positions in the Daughters of the American Revolution for many years. She also serves as the Town Historian for Jefferson, a role that draws extensively on her knowledge of local history and her research abilities.

A Lasting Legacy of Volunteer Service

The Jefferson Historical Society has been fortunate to benefit from the dedication, talents, and enthusiasm of Diane Ericson and Bonnie Dailey. Their contributions have gone far beyond attending meetings or fulfilling the formal responsibilities of their positions. Both have devoted countless hours to the often-unseen work that makes our programs, facilities, and historical preservation efforts possible.

The Society has grown tremendously over the past several years, and that progress would not have been possible without volunteers willing to assume major responsibilities and follow through on the many details required to make things happen.

Diane and Bonnie have been among those exceptional individuals.

Although they have stepped down from their leadership positions, the results of their work will continue to benefit the Jefferson Historical Society and the community for many years to come.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire Jefferson Historical Society, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Diane and Bonnie for their extraordinary service and dedication.