Tri-County Genealogy Society tours Bastow home

Shirley Ann Bastow greeted the members of the Tri-County Genealogy Society Saturday and gave the history of the home at 504 South Cedar which she and her husband, Jack, have restored. In 1880, John Clack built the four south rooms and reception hall. He and his wife, Delilah, had one daughter, Katie Ann. When she became of courting age, they added rooms on the north (matching parlors which still have the sliding doors) and two bedrooms for the widowed "aunties." In 1940, the home was converted to apartments and remained so until 1985, when the restoration began. The Bastow family moved in and spent five years eating sheetrock dust and going to a friend's home for showers late at night. Both Shirley Ann and Jack had full time jobs, so they worked late into the night on the house. The house has now been returned to its earlier glory and is a treasure for the family as well as the community.

Before the society members toured the home, they had a short meeting at the Nevada Library meeting room in which they voted to purchase microfilms of the Bronaugh newspaper which had not been microfilmed before. This will be a great addition to the Nevada Library Genealogy Room.

The group will meet in El Dorado Springs June 13 at the Church of Christ at 10 a.m., with Roger Floyd, a veteran who served in Iraq, as the guest speaker. The public is invited to attend.