History of the GFA:
The Goodrich Family Association was founded in 1978 by George W. Farrell, a descendant of Harry Clinton Goodrich and an avid Goodrich researcher. Little is known about the first two years. In 1980, Farrell published the association’s first periodical, called the Goodrich Gospel (Gospel = Goodspell=Good News.) The newsletter was first printed on a 10-year-old Smith-Corona electric, then a new one, but the printing was still a source of frustration for Farrell because the inflexible machine would not always produce the forms and documents Farrell needed. In the Fall 1982 Goodrich Gospel, Farrell reported big news. At last he had access to a computer.
Under George Farrell’s leadership, the family association continued to grow. Farrell shared research work with Victor Burton Goodrich, a Professional Genealogist from Hamilton, NY and worked with Dr. Joyce Goodrich from 1984 on.
The Goodrich Family Association held their first national reunion October 5, 6, and 7 1984 at Wethersfield, CT to coincide with the celebration commemorating the 350th Anniversary of the town that Goodriches helped found and fought to protect; and to commemorate also the arrival in the colonies of the Goodrich brothers, William and John.
Business and family health demands arose in the Farrell family. Victor B. Goodrich died in September, 1995. The Goodrich Family Association lapsed, but not George Farrell’s dream.
In 1997, Farrell was back on the genealogy internet message boards, “After being in limbo for several years I am able to start the Association again...” He sent Dr. Joyce Goodrich a letter and thanked her for information she’d contributed, “...looks like just what we need to help get the association going again... should have our own web site soon.”
A Goodrich Surname DNA Project was begun in 2005. To date the project has verified the lineages of two immigrant ancestors among the Goodrich, Goodrick and variant branches, and is seeking to identify more.
George Farrell’s Goodrich Family Association dream was nearing completion when he was unexpectedly stricken and died following surgery. Today, the Goodrich Family Association’s trustees continue to carry on his work. The association web site under Matthew Goodrich webmaster, went active on March 15, 2006.
-Delores Goodrick Beggs, March 18, 2006
Sources:
Goodrich Gospel, 9 Issues, Autumn 1980 – Winter 1983
George W. Farrell, letter to Dr. Joyce Goodrich, April 15, 1997
George W. Farrell, Family Tree Maker Genealogy Message Board posting about reactivating Goodrich Family Association, April 4,1997
Update: May 12, 2009
The Goodrich Family Association held its historic first Election of Officers February, 2009. The Association's first Officers are:
Delores Goodrick Beggs, President
Matthew W. Goodrich, Vice-President
Kathleen Waterloo, Treasurer.
Original Trustee Dr. Alice Joyce Goodrich died January 2, 2009.
Two new Trustees were added to the Goodrich Family Association Executive Board in February, 2009; Michelle Hubenschmidt and Stephen Dean Goodrich, PhD.
Goodrich Family Association Trustees February, 2009:
Delores Goodrick Beggs, President, Genealogist/Historian and Goodrich Surname DNA Project Group Manager
Matthew W. Goodrich, Vice-President, Webmaster - GFA and Goodrich DNA sites
Kathleen Waterloo, Treasurer, Quarterly Editor
Michelle Hubenschmidt, Membership
Carole McCarty
David Goodrich
Carl Hoffstedt
Stephen Dean Goodrich, PhD.