Please Support
The Liberty Restoration Project.
Help preserve
our heritage.
SPONSORS
Staff
PRESIDENT
Helena
Dropcho
Born in
Czechoslovakia, June 1933. Emigrated to United States January,
1935, along with her mother and four brothers. Raised in Nanty
Glo, 1951 graduate of Nanty Glo High School. Married to John
Dropcho since August 1953. John and Helena have 5 children,
8 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and live in Indiana,
Pa. Retired (1984) Personnel Manager for Montgomery Ward.
Interests are family, flower gardening, and her work with
the Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society. "My
goal as a Lifetime member is to help the Historical Society
move forward and to make The Liberty Museum a success."
VICE
PRESIDENT
Janet
Toth
A Nanty
Glo native born in 1933 Janet is a 1950 graduate of Nanty
Glo High School, Windber Hospital School of Nursing, and 1984
graduate of St. Francis University with an undergraduate degree
in psychology. Married to Vintondale native Bill Toth since
1956. Nine children. Retired Registered Nurse. Member of the
Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society since 2000.
"We have a lot of artifacts...a lot of beautiful things that
should be preserved and properly displayed." Janet lives in
Ebensburg.
TREASURER
and Liberty Museum Projects Manager
James
Toth
Born
and raised in Loretto, Jim is a graduate of Penn Cambria High
School. Retired, honorably discharged Navy veteran of 16 years.
Tours of duty include Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm,
Operation Desert Shield, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring
Freedom. While serving in the Navy, he earned his degrees in
Principles of Law Enforcement, Hotel/Motel Business Management
as well as a degree as a pastry chef. He has also earned certificates
in basic electrical wiring, structural framing, etc. At the
request of his mother, Janet Toth, he came out of retirement
to take on the task of finding a permanent home for the Nant-Y-Glo
Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society. Jim lives in Loretto.
Email: ngtamhs@itxbb.net
Board
Member/Membership Chairman
Karen
(Donaldson) Tummino
Currently
the membership chair for the Historical Society, Karen (nee
Donaldson) Tummino was born in Johnstown, raised in Vintondale,
and graduated from Blacklick Valley High School in 1977. Married
and the mother of two sons, she returned to the area in 2008
after spending thirty years in Virginia and now resides in
Nanty Glo. Karen's hobbies
include travel, reading, writing, scrapbooking, and helping
others in the community.
Board Member and Webmaster
Jon
Kennedy
Born
in 1942 in Vintondale, Jon attended Blacklick Township Schools,
the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown and Pittsburgh, the
Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Philadelphia, and earned his
Master of Arts in Mass Communication from UCLA. The third editor
of the Nanty Glo Journal while at Pitt, Jon is the founder-proprietor
of the Nanty Glo Home Page and helped co-found the NTAMHS. His
career was primarily in campus ministry at Stanford University
and the University of California. Now retired, he continues
working as an author and webpage developer. He and his three
grown children and four grandchildren live in San Jose, Ca.
Board
Member
Nancy
DeBiase
Born
and raised in Belsano and a graduate of the former Blacklick
Township High School. A veteran of the U.S. Navy WAVES. Graduated
with a B.S. in Education from Seton Hill College. Five children
and five grand-children. Lived in the Murrysville area before
relocating in Belsano. Nancy is the Secretary/Treasurer for
Blacklick Township. She supports the Tri-Area Historical Society
because she believes it is important to record and preserve
the history of this area.
Board Member
John
Dropcho
Born
1932 in Nanty Glo. 1950 graduate of Nanty Glo High School. Graduate
of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Penn State University,
and completed post-graduate courses at Carnegie-Mellon University.
John has taught Art at the junior high, high school, and college
level. Retired from IUP since 1991. Upon his retirement, he
was awarded Professor Emeritus status at IUP. A talented artist,
his paintings are on display in many corporate and private collections
both in the United States and abroad. Founder of the Nant-Y-Glo
Tri-Area Museum & Historical Society with the goal of having
a museum to preserve the coal mining and ethnic history of Nanty
Glo and the Tri-Area, he is married to the former Helena Soyka
and lives in Indiana, Pa.
Libery Museum Project Co-Mgr.
Rich
McDowell
Born
1936 in Johnstown and a 1954 graduate of the former Ebensburg
High School. Employed as a draftsman at Bethlehem Steel from
1955-1985 (completed Bethlehem Steel four-year apprentice drafting
course 1955-1959) including eight years at Bethlehem Steel's
Burns Harbor Plant Engineering Department where he served as
a squad leader in drafting. After his 1986 return to the local
area, Rich worked as a draftsman at several local technical
and engineering firms. He shares the Liberty Museum Project
managerial duties with Jim Toth. Except for his eight years
in Indiana, Rich has considered the Vinco area of Jackson Township
his home where he lives with his wife, the former Kathleen Kerr.
The McDowells are the parents of four children, eight grandchildren,
and two great-grandchildren. Member of the Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area
museum Historical Society since 2000.
Staff Member
Bob
Ford
Born
in 1945 in Flint, Michigan, raised in Carrolltown, Pa., and
a graduate of Cambria Heights High School, Bob is a Vietnam
War veteran and a retired 20-year member of the Pennsylvania
National Guard. A retired coal miner, Bob was employed by Bethlehem
Mines and Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal Company. Member of the
Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society for approximately
two years. Bob and his wife, Nanty Glo native Mary Lou (Ciprich),
are the parents of four grown sons and have six grandchildren.
The Fords live in Jackson Township.
Born
and raised in Loretto, Jim is a graduate of Penn Cambria High
School. Retired, honorably discharged Navy veteran of 16 years.
Tours of duty include Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm,
Operation Desert Shield, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring
Freedom. While serving in the Navy, he earned his degrees in
Principles of Law Enforcement, Hotel/Motel Business Management
as well as a degree as a pastry chef. He has also earned certificates
in basic electrical wiring, structural framing, etc. At the
request of his mother, Janet Toth, he came out of retirement
to take on the task of finding a permanent home for the Nant-Y-Glo
Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society. Jim lives in Loretto.
Email: 
Currently
the membership chair for the Historical Society, Karen (nee
Donaldson) Tummino was born in Johnstown, raised in Vintondale,
and graduated from Blacklick Valley High School in 1977. Married
and the mother of two sons, she returned to the area in 2008
after spending thirty years in Virginia and now resides in
Nanty Glo. Karen's hobbies
include travel, reading, writing, scrapbooking, and helping
others in the community.
Born
in 1942 in Vintondale, Jon attended Blacklick Township Schools,
the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown and Pittsburgh, the
Reformed Episcopal Seminary in Philadelphia, and earned his
Master of Arts in Mass Communication from UCLA. The third editor
of the Nanty Glo Journal while at Pitt, Jon is the founder-proprietor
of the Nanty Glo Home Page and helped co-found the NTAMHS. His
career was primarily in campus ministry at Stanford University
and the University of California. Now retired, he continues
working as an author and webpage developer. He and his three
grown children and four grandchildren live in San Jose, Ca.
Born
and raised in Belsano and a graduate of the former Blacklick
Township High School. A veteran of the U.S. Navy WAVES. Graduated
with a B.S. in Education from Seton Hill College. Five children
and five grand-children. Lived in the Murrysville area before
relocating in Belsano. Nancy is the Secretary/Treasurer for
Blacklick Township. She supports the Tri-Area Historical Society
because she believes it is important to record and preserve
the history of this area.
Born
1932 in Nanty Glo. 1950 graduate of Nanty Glo High School. Graduate
of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Penn State University,
and completed post-graduate courses at Carnegie-Mellon University.
John has taught Art at the junior high, high school, and college
level. Retired from IUP since 1991. Upon his retirement, he
was awarded Professor Emeritus status at IUP. A talented artist,
his paintings are on display in many corporate and private collections
both in the United States and abroad. Founder of the Nant-Y-Glo
Tri-Area Museum & Historical Society with the goal of having
a museum to preserve the coal mining and ethnic history of Nanty
Glo and the Tri-Area, he is married to the former Helena Soyka
and lives in Indiana, Pa.
Born
1936 in Johnstown and a 1954 graduate of the former Ebensburg
High School. Employed as a draftsman at Bethlehem Steel from
1955-1985 (completed Bethlehem Steel four-year apprentice drafting
course 1955-1959) including eight years at Bethlehem Steel's
Burns Harbor Plant Engineering Department where he served as
a squad leader in drafting. After his 1986 return to the local
area, Rich worked as a draftsman at several local technical
and engineering firms. He shares the Liberty Museum Project
managerial duties with Jim Toth. Except for his eight years
in Indiana, Rich has considered the Vinco area of Jackson Township
his home where he lives with his wife, the former Kathleen Kerr.
The McDowells are the parents of four children, eight grandchildren,
and two great-grandchildren. Member of the Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area
museum Historical Society since 2000.
Born
in 1945 in Flint, Michigan, raised in Carrolltown, Pa., and
a graduate of Cambria Heights High School, Bob is a Vietnam
War veteran and a retired 20-year member of the Pennsylvania
National Guard. A retired coal miner, Bob was employed by Bethlehem
Mines and Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal Company. Member of the
Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society for approximately
two years. Bob and his wife, Nanty Glo native Mary Lou (Ciprich),
are the parents of four grown sons and have six grandchildren.
The Fords live in Jackson Township.