Grand marshal named for Heritage Festival parade

TIFFIN — The annual Tiffin Seneca Heritage Festival is fast approaching, with this year's festivities taking place from Sept. 20-22 downtown. While the full schedule is not yet available, one of the main events is the parade, scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 21. Each year, members of the festival's committee select an individual to serve as grand marshal—a person who is honored by being made the leader of a parade. This year's grand marshal is Becky Hill, retired head librarian and genealogist of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museum. Born in Niagara Falls, New York and growing up in Wilson, New York (a small nearby town along Lake Ontario), Hill has always had a passion for history. "I loved history as a young girl and had good teachers who could tell stories and get us kids interested in the history in our backyard," said Hill. Hill knew in 7th grade that she wanted to be a librarian. "I also loved books and organizing things," said Hill, "so I decided that's what I wanted to do for a living." Hill attended Heidelberg (College) University (Class of '70), majoring in American studies, before earning master's degree in library science from the University of Michigan. "I came back to Tiffin in 1976 and worked at the Tiffin-Seneca Public Library for 8 years, promoting local history and building up the genealogy collection," said Hill, "Especially the indexing of the local newspapers for obituaries." Following her career at the Tiffin-Seneca Public Library, Hill accepted a position as head librarian at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museum. It was here that Hill created what she calls one of her proudest legacies, the Ohio Obituary Index (OBI). The OBI is a genealogy tool that has been used for over 25 years, helping genealogists and local historians all over the country find their roots and history. According to Hill, the tool began as a card index of about 80,000 people's names and obituary citations and was only accessible locally. Today, it has grown to contain almost 4 million names from 65 partner libraries, including Tiffin-Seneca and Kaubisch Memorial Public Library in Fostoria. The OBI is free to use and can be found at https://www.rbhayes.org/main/ohio-obituary-index/. "The internet completely changed everything when it came to research, archiving, and pretty much all things genealogy," said Hill. She explained that when she first got started, her day to day activities consisted of doing research on former President Hayes. However, with their vast amount of resources, Hill knew there was more the museum could offer. Shortly before creating the OBI, Hill pioneered another genealogical item: the Seneca County Genealogical Society, which was founded in 1981 and continues to give programs to promote the county's roots and history to the general public. "I have been program chair for probably 25 years," said Hill. "From educating the public on family history topics, including courthouse records, to how to trace your home's history, and all topics historical for the area." Hill is excited to be the Grand Marshal, saying "I've perfected the royal wave, as I understand that is my main job as a Grand Marshal – riding in an open convertible and waving to the crowds." Hill continued, "I do want to be a figurehead for embracing the history of Seneca County, for it is the Bicentennial, and I'm wearing a historical costume, hat and parasol in remembrance of our Seneca County roots." For more information about the 2024 Tiffin-Seneca Heritage Festival, visit www.tiffinfestival.com/.