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The Grosse Pointe Historical Society is pleased to welcome four new
members to its board of trustees: Susan Bologna, Gail Sidlek, Scott T.
Vandemergel, and Elizabeth Vogel.
Susan Backman Bologna
retired in 2006 after a long career in education
including 15 years as a teacher and 20 years as an administrator and
superintendent of Dearborn Heights No. 7 Schools. Her family has resided
in the Farms since it was marshland, and she tells of being raised listening
to the tales of yesteryear. In addition to her passion for local history, she also
has a love of cooking. In keeping with this interest, she occasionally provides
walking tours of Eastern Market through Preservation Wayne. She graduated
high school from St. Paul Catholic School and has a Bachelor of Science
from Western Michigan University and two graduate degrees from Wayne
State University.
Gail Sidlek
is currently an independent consultant specializing in automotive
joint ventures/patent licenses. He spent 10 years as an automotive body designer
with GM, Ford, Chrysler, Firestone, and various contract companies, and was
a Vice President at Firestone Industrial Products and President of Romeo Rim.
Born in Detroit and a graduate of Pershing High School, Sidlek received his
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wayne State University in
1972. He loves to garden and is a self-proclaimed “car nut” who has restored sev-
eral antiques and now focuses on
his Rolls Royce SC lll [retro rod]
which he has owned since 1979.
Scott T. Vandemergel,
the
departmental director of City
Assessor of the City of St. Clair
Shores, was born at Cottage
Hospital in the Farms in 1970,
grew up on Moross Road, and has
lived within five miles of the place
of his birth for his entire life. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration degree, with a major in finance, in 1992, and a Master of
Business Administration degree, in 1993, both from Wayne State University.
He has led walking tours for the GPHS and has been a Provencal-Weir House
docent. A member of Historic Trinity Church, his personal interests include
endurance running (completed various marathons), voracious book-reading,
local history and architecture (also a member of other history groups), and
animal welfare (volunteer with Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society).
Elizabeth Vogel
is a life-long Grosse Pointer and currently resides in the Farms.
She graduated from South in 2000 and has two degrees in history: a B.A. from
Albion College, and M.A. from Loyola University Chicago. Currently, Liz works
for Kay Agney at Higbie Maxon Agney Realtors. She has written over a dozen
home histories for various residents of the Pointes. Liz has been the co-chair of
the GPYC’s archives committee for the past two years. She is active in the
community as a volunteer reading mentor and is beginning her third year as a
7th grade catechist at St. Paul on the Lake. Additionally, Liz is active with the
Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce and Hill Association. Recently, she was
invited to join the Grosse Pointe Public Library services working group.
Kowalski hot dogs on Metropolitan Bak-
ery buns, and Better Made potato chips.
“We had a constant flow of people,”
said education director Izzy Donnelly,
who counted around 150 attendees. “It
was a lovely day.”
The event was chaired by GPHS
board members Doug Cordier and
Susan Budrys.
“The 65th Birthday party was a
huge success,” Cordier said. “Our
mission was to interact with our
community and get them thinking
about our historical heritage here in
Grosse Pointe and Michigan. By giving
tours of the Provencal-Weir House
and serving foods produced by local
companies, we did just that. It was a
great tribute. I think we all had a ball!”
The GPHS certainly has a lot to
celebrate! Since its inception in 1945,
the group has grown to 850 members
and has a regular program of lectures,
tours, presentations, and other events,
along with the One-Room Schoolhouse
program.The Alfred B. and Ruth S.
Moran Resource Center is truly a
community treasure where local
artifacts, photos, and documents are
stored and available to members for
research. The Society frequently
partners with other community non-
profits including the Grosse Pointe
Theatre, Grosse Pointe War Memorial,
and the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House.
New Board Members
Society Celebrates
65 Years
5
Liz Vogel (left), Scott Vandemergel and Susan Bologna.
Not pictured, Gail Sidlak.
Continued from cover