Pioneer daughters welcome new members

Battle Ground — Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington resumed their monthly meetings in September. The Fort Vancouver chapter meets the third Thursday of the month September through June, usually at the Battle Ground Community Center. The group tracks female lineal descendants of pioneers and has five new members this year. Christina Shultz Lasley’s third great-grandparents traveled the Oregon Trail and settled in Yamhill, Oregon Territory, in 1844. Emma Elaine Ruff, 22, is the group’s youngest active member. Kareen Marie Gilbertson is of Norwegian decent and her ancestor, Alexander Kirk, crossed the plains in 1850 and operated a ferry in the area that is now Brownsville, Ore. Pepper Toelle Kim’s ancestors came out West in 1844 and owned the third donation land claim on Sauvie Island, Ore. Leah Watson Lane joined because her mother was a member and her cousin is actively involved; her ancestors crossed the plains in 1854 by wagon train and bought a donation land claim near the Lewis River. Later, her family donated land to the county for part of Lewisville Park. For the first time, the group also had a float in Battle Ground Harvest Days this year. For more information, visit www.wapioneerdaughters.org.