FOWB Annual Membership Meeting- Saturday, 9 November 2024 Minutes

The Board of Directors Friends of Wilderness Battlefield 2025 Annual Membership Meeting

November 8, 2025 at the historic

New Hope Baptist Church Orange County, Virginia

2025 Officers and Board of Directors

Executive Committee

Bob Lookabill, President

Beth Stenstrom, Vice President

Stephanie Bianchi, Secretary

Suzanne Baxter, Treasurer

Peter Kolakowski, At Large

Board of Directors

Mike Block

Gary Close

Beverly Ellis Bob Epp

Ben Hamm Kevin Hunt

Joe Lafleur Greg Mertz

Ruth Pavlik Don Shockey

Annual Membership Business Meeting

November 8^th, 2025

AGENDA

Call to Order

Bob Lookabill, President Declaration of a Quorum Stephanie Bianchi, Secretary

Approval of 2024 Annual Meeting Minutes

FoWB Membership 2025 Financials Suzanne Baxter, Treasurer

President’s Remarks

Bob Lookabill

Election of Members to the Board of Directors Pete Kolakowski, Governance Committee Announcements/Questions/Adjournment

Lunch will follow the business meeting and then our Guest Speaker, Tim Talbott of Central

Virginia Battlefield Trust Inc., will give a presentation on the US Colored Troops.

FOWB Annual Membership Meeting- Saturday, 9 November 2024 Minutes

President Bob Lookabill called the meeting to order at 11:045 a.m. Bob L. introduced Paster Eddie Haynes. The pastor welcomed FoWB to the Church and led us in prayer. The pastor reminded us that New Hope Baptist Church is 160 years old, was used as a hospital at the Battle of the Wilderness, and housed Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s son Charles when he was wounded in the Mine Run campaign. Secretary Stephani Bianchi affirmed a quorum. Minutes of the 2023 annual meeting were accepted.

Jeff Slunt presented the treasurer’s report, which is included in this annual booklet, The booklet is provided to all attendees. There were no questions, and the report was accepted unanimously. Bob L. noted FoWB is in excellent financial shape. He also noted that his remarks are printed in the booklet.

Bob L. noted that FoWB has added Mine Run to its mission statement to allow us more flexibility in our operations. Bob L. noted that the American Battlefield Trust (ABT) has approached us to join their efforts in caretaking and publicizing Payne’s Farm, where fierce fighting took place during the Mine Run campaign. FoWB has a welcome tent at Payne’s Farm on summer weekends. Visitors are not common so far, but FoWB has plans for increasing the amount of community awareness.

Bob L. noted that stewardship of the old Wilderness Tract has given us legal standing to join a multi- party lawsuit against the Wilderness Crossing development and its data center and 5,000 homes on hallowed ground near the Wilderness battlefield. FoWB advocacy efforts to preserve and protect the battlefields in the area are a crucial part of our mission.

Bob Epp noted that the Heritage Committee’s mission has been expanded to include descendants of the Mine Run campaign.

Bob L. noted that FoWB outreach includes the Orange Street Fair, participation in Civil War re- enactments and presence/membership in the Orange County Chamber of Commerce and the visitor’s bureau. He noted that FoWB plans include reinstitution of the Taming of the Wilderness event, a medical weekend, and annual presentation by a Lafayette reenactor and a Civil War themed canoe trip on the Rapidan River. We continue to provide bookkeeping and fundraising support to the Luminaria Committee at the National Cemetery in Fredericksburg.

They continue to hold the annual Luminaria event for the Park Service. Bob L. also noted that FoWB awarded our annual college scholarship to an Orange County history student. We are also working to establish nature walks and bird counts plus 5/10K runs at Payne’s Farm. We are considering the possibility of acquiring our own hallowed ground for preservation and funding an intern to research the history of Payne’s Farm

Pete Kolakowski, chair of the Governance Committee, noted there are five vacancies on the Board for the Class of 2027. Jeff Slunt announced he is retiring as treasurer after many years of exceptional service. The meeting was adjourned at 12:01 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Stephanie Bianchi

From the President

In this year’s remarks, rather than look back on our achievements in 2025, I would like to look forward to where we are headed in 2026. So, I will briefly touch on some key successes from 2025 and spend the bulk of my time sharing the FoWB vision going forward.

2025 saw a huge win in the Orange County local courts for FoWB and our preservation partners, the American Battlefield Trust and Central Virginia Battlefield Trust. Judge David Franzen ruled that the three-member coalition has a valid legal case against the county seeking to block the Wilderness Crossing rezoning at the junction of Routes 3 and 20. The judge ruled the project would cause irrevocable harm to the Civil War landscape. A date for the next hearing has not been set as the case moves forward. We continued to provide interpretation for ABT’s Payne’s Farm Battlefield, part of the Mine Run Battlefield core area. We also continued to provide support to the ABT land manager in his attempts to eradicate invasive plant species that threaten beneficial native plants and trees. Our education program included our sponsorship of a 161st anniversary living history event which was held at Payne’s Farm.

This was the first event ever held on the property. It featured over forty living historians portraying soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies plus demonstrations by both infantry and artillery troops. It was a successful event which allowed visitors to interact with the soldiers in their camps and ask questions concerning weapons, uniforms, and camp routine. The event was attended by numerous enthusiast visitors who enjoyed this format immensely. On the education front we had two members of our Board of Directors, Mike Block and Greg Mertz, who gave presentations to other like-minded preservation and roundtable organizations. We also continued our scholarship program for local high school seniors who intend to make history their life’s work. This year we awarded the scholarship to Axxx Axxxx of Orange County High School. We continue our maintenance work on two separate tracts of land.

Upkeep continues at the old Walmart site off the Route 3/20 intersection for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Scout troops and ROTC units camp on the land and in return perform maintenance projects on the land. Work is ongoing at Payne’s Farm Battlefield to improve a well-maintained 1.5-mile walking trail for visitors to explore at their own pace. All this was done in addition to providing interpreters for visitors to Payne’s Farm on weekends during the summer months. Other work is highlighted in the various committee reports which appear later in this document.

At this point I will shift my focus to the upcoming 2026 calendar year. Everyone is aware by now that FoWB is in the process of preserving a significant piece of Civil War ground on the Mine Run Battlefield here in Orange County. When the purchase is completed early to mid-2026, FoWB will begin the work of adding trails, interpretive signage and converting the current residence into an interpretive center for the Mine Run Battlefield. The center will give visitors the opportunity to learn about the Battle of Mine Run and the families who occupied the building to the current day. One of the most interesting occupants is William Ambler Morris, a gunsmith whose work is on display at the Fredericksburg Area Museum in downtown Fredericksburg. He and his wife purchased the property in 1854. Our research leads us to believe he served in some capacity in the Confederate Army during the Civil War and passed away in 1912.

I wish to express my gratitude for all the work done by the Board of Directors on behalf of the Friends. It goes without saying that the organization could not function without the hard work and dedication of the Board. We are a committee-based organization, and it is these committees that power us. Next January we will say farewell to a Board member for the first time in over three years. I think that is a remarkable statistic, and I again thank the Board for their commitment. It has been a challenging three years for everyone.the Heritage Program and other aspects of the battle will also be expanded. Our members and donors also deserve our thanks. Without your many contributions to the cause, we would not be able to continue to preserve and protect these local Battlefields for your enjoyment.

Treasurer’s 2025 Annual Report

As of September 30, 2025

CD Account (Atlantic Union)

Balance 9/30/2025 $50,000.0

Change $50,000.00

FoWB Operating Checking Account

Balance 9/30/2024 $78,43484

Balance 9/30/2025 $22,653.12

Change (Moved to CD $55,781.72

FoWB Reserve Balance 9/30/2024 (Money Market) $20,574.94 Balance 9/30/2025 (Atlantic Union) $30,300.00

Change (moved to CD)                            +$9,726.06.

Total Cash assets 9/30/2024 $99,009.40 (Checking & Money Market) Total Cash assets 9/30/2024 $102,953.12 (CDs & checking)

Change                             +$3.943.72

FoWB is a not-for-profit 501(C)(3) Tax ID 42-1689437; its books are kept on a cash basis.

Committee Reports

Operations Committee

Don Shockey, chair. The Operations Committee is responsible for managing the interpretation at the Payne’s Farm Battlefield in coordination with the American Battlefield Trust (ABT). FoWB is working with ABT to preserve, protect, and interpret all the battlefields in the Wilderness area, especially Mine Run. This has proven to be a tough slough, and the small number of visitors led us to shift our focus to other aspects of the Mine Run Battlefield. While we will continue to offer tours at Payne’s Farm, they will be offered only one Saturday per month during the spring and summer season, beginning in 2026. As mentioned earlier our focus will center on the story of William Ambler Morris, a Confederate gunsmith who lived in the area. His guns exemplify the quality of work produced by a master gunsmith. We will market the site across a wider area with the hope that it will generate larger numbers of visitors going forward. Additionally, we will add more programs to our schedule.

Battlefield Resources Committee

Kevin Hunt, chair. The committee provides the manpower to the ABT for the physical maintenance and upkeep of the Payne’s Farm Battlefield at Mine Run. Under the auspices of ABT, we worked there on National Park Day, clearing invasive species from the property. We had a church group and a JROTC unit working in conjunction with our volunteers. We worked with the ABT land manager several times during the year to thin trees and improve the viewshed. And clear unwanted undergrowth. FoWB Board Member Joe Lafleur continues to maintain and steward the Wilderness (Old Walmart Tract) for the state of Virginia’s Director of Historic Resources. His work and liaison efforts allow Scouts and JROTC units to use the property for camping and they reciprocate by doing maintenance projects for FoWB.

Program Committee

Joe Lafleur, chair. We hope to reenergize the Programs Committee in 2026, sponsoring programs and events that focus on the Wilderness and surrounding Battlefields, including Mine Run, particularly Payne’s Farm. We partnered with the Historic Germanna Foundation to host a historic craft fair at Salubria plantation in October. FoWB, in conjunction with Historic Impressions Inc., also sponsored a Civil War living history demonstration on Payne’s Farm Battlefield. The event, held on 1 and 2 November of this year commemorated the 162nd anniversary of the battle of Mine Run. Approximately 40 living historians participated in this educational event. Going forward, we plan to sponsor nature walks and bird watching activities on the property, and 5K and 10K runs are already scheduled for 2026. We hope to eventually raise the number of programs/events back to pre-COVID levels.

Heritage Program Committee

Bev Ellis, chair. The Heritage Program Committee gives members and non-members an opportunity to affirm either the role that their military ancestors played in battles within the Wilderness area (Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, or Mine Run), or a civilian connection to the locality. The Heritage Program has added several new members this year, and several are pending. Committee members assist qualified individuals to research and prepare their membership package for Heritage membership. Membership includes a FoWB certificate, inclusion of your relative’s biography on the FoWB website, and a one-year membership in FoWB. Bev has put in many hours of labor updating the database to give a more accurate status for members. Milbrey Bartholow also assists in research and package preparation.

Education and Outreach Committee

Chair pending. The Education and Outreach Committee is designed to conduct and sponsor educational and informational activities that focus on the Wilderness area and its related history. The committee provided a Civil War program to over 200 fourth graders at Locust Grove Elementary School. We hope to grow this into an annual event in conjunction with the school. The History in Our Backyard series will be revitalized to provide interesting and informative articles for various publications in the area.

Membership Committee

Ruth Pavlik, chair. The Membership Committee maintains all membership records and develops and manages programs that grow and sustain the FoWB membership base. The committee sends out thank you notices to renewing members and reminders to those not renewing. As an organization we continue to struggle with maintaining membership numbers generally; this remains an area of concern and focus going forward.

Communications Committee

Beth Stenstrom, chair. Members Ruth Pavlik, Suzanne Baxter, Chris Crocker, Diane Smith and Bob Epp. Joe Lafleur and Mike Block have also manned information tables for us at events and Garl Close has assisted with set up and takedown at various events. Eric Atkkisson assists Beth with Facebook posts to make sure folks see all the fantastic work FoWB is doing. Our webmaster Deb Newman is in constant contact with the chair. We continue to send out quarterly newsletters, and we also sent out our renewal notices to members. The committee works closely with the membership committee in that regard. The chair fields inquiries from the website, directing them to appropriate committee for resolution.

Governance Committee

Pete Kolakowski, chair. Members: Gary Close, Bob Epp, Bob Lookabill, Mark Leach, Don Shockey and Beth Stenstrom.

The Governance Committee had a relatively quiet year. The routine work consisted of answering questions about and interpretation of the bylaws. The Board of Directors requested the Committee to recommend amendments to the by-laws to reflect that the deposits top the bank through the mail and from other contributions, are properly documented. The amendment allows the treasurer to authorize other Board members, utilizing a written process in place to handle the mail and other contributions deposited in the bank. The current and updated set of by-laws are dated August 9th, 2025.

This year a major focus area for the Committee, as designated by the President, was to conduct a process for identifying a slate of candidates of Board members. These candidates will be presented with a slate of candidates for a term of three years, which is the class of 2028. Filling these director positions will maintain and continue the FoWB Board of Directors as provided for by the bylaws.

The Governance Committee seeks to expand in 2026 from the general membership. FoWB members who may be interested in serving on the Governance Committee are encouraged to let the chair know and provide contact details.

Finance Committee

Greg Mertz, chair. The Finance Committee is responsible for all financial standards, practices, and policies related to FoWB operations, including receipt of funds and disbursement for expenses. Jeff Slunt, treasurer, publishes the FOWB annual financial review and develops and recommends the annual budget to the Board.

Board of Directors

*Incumbent nominated for Reelection

Suzanne Baxter (2027)

Suzanne is a graduate of SUNY at Geneseo. She has a BS in Library Science and an MS from Niagara University in Educational Administration. Suzanne’s career included 26 years in Catholic education as a high school librarian; she retired as head librarian. In addition, she worked many years in private industry as a technical librarian. She has previously volunteered with the Humane Society of Fairfax, in Girl Scout adult education, and as a PTA president. She currently volunteers at several historical sites in the area.

Suzanne and her husband Mark retired to Lake of the Woods in 2016 because it was close to their children and grandchildren and near a lake and a golf course. Suzanne was born and grew up in Niagara Falls, NY. She and Mark met in high school, married after college, and lived in Niagara Falls and Fairfax before coming to Orange County. They have two children and five grandchildren.

Stephanie Bianchi (2027)

Stephanie received a BS in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Anthropology from the University of Arizona and an MS in Information Science from the University of Maryland. She served as a reference librarian at Georgetown University, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Department of State. She was library director at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Corvallis Research Laboratory, and the National Science Foundation.

Stephanie has lived in Fredericksburg since retiring from federal service. She enjoys caring for her mule and dogs, gardening, and making quilts. She is a fan of Old Time Radio and has an extensive collection of radio programs from the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. She participates in the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Mike Block (2027)

A life-long student of the American Civil War, Mike moved to southern Fauquier County in 2004 where he developed a deep appreciation and love of the Virginia Piedmont and events on this historic ground. He now presents talks on various topics relating to the events and impact of the war in the region. Mike has been a member of the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield Board of Directors since 2024. He is a former Board member of both the Brandy Station

Foundation and the Cedar Mountain Foundation and served on the Culpeper and Fauquier Counties Civil War Sesquicentennial Committees. A published author, Mike has also written for several Civil War publications. He is a guest blogger for Emerging Civil War, and his presentations have appeared on numerous podcasts. A U.S. Air Force Veteran, he retired in 2020. He is married to Best-selling Romance Novelist Caryn Moya Block. They have two married sons and three granddaughters. Mike and Caryn live in Orange, Virginia.

Gary Close (2026)

A native of San Diego, Gary grew up in and around Petersburg, living amid Civil War forts and artifacts. He received a BA, magna cum laude, in English Literature from the University of Virginia (Wise) and a Juris Doctorate from the College of William and Mary. He also completed two years of graduate studies in Mass Communication at the University of Tennessee.

Gary practiced law in the Culpeper area and in 1992 was elected Commonwealth’s Attorney. He served 20 years in that position before retiring. He developed an interest in genealogy,

which in turn led to an interest in Civil War history. He had discovered that he is the descendent of three Union soldiers. One fought in the Battle of the Wilderness. Besides his careers in journalism and law, Gary is an avid artist. His work is in the collection of the Culpeper County Museum and in private homes in Europe and the United States. He is the author of “Breakout: The Roswell Legacy.” Gary met his wife Linda during college; they married a year after graduating and have two children.

*Beverly Ellis (2025)

Beverly grew up in western Pennsylvania until her family moved to Woodbridge when she was

14. Beverly has BA and MA degrees in U.S. History from George Mason University, with an emphasis on the antebellum South and the Civil War. She taught U.S. history for over 30 years and worked in teacher support part-time for seven years. She retired in 2015. She and her husband Norman moved to Fredericksburg in 1996 and built a home in the Chancellorsville area. They have two sons, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Beverly and Norman have traveled around the world, including to Israel, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Mexico, France, Spain, and England. She is an avid reader, quilter, knitter, and scrapbooker.

Beverly is active in her church, which she and her husband planted in 1999.

Bob Epp (2025)

Robert “Bob” Epp was born in western Wisconsin. After matriculating at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, Bob and his new bride (Dian) moved to Northern Virginia in 1965.

Bob joined the Department of Defense and became a regional analyst. Along the way to almost 40 years of public service employment, Bob moved his young family to Heidelberg, Germany for three years. In his free time in Germany Bob researched his German roots which began a lifetime journey with genealogy.

In 2005 Bob retired from the Department of Defense, then worked as a contractor for another four years. In 2009, he and Dian sold their Annandale home and moved to the Wilderness where they had built their retirement home. Bob joined the FoWB and became an interpreter the next year. Since then, he has been active in many of the FoWB committees and activities. Also, Bob immersed himself in many of the area’s other organizations, notably the Fredericksburg Regional Genealogical Society, Bob has been exploring and expects to continue researching the families of Ellwood and the Wilderness.

Ben Hamm (2026)

Ben grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh. When he was in eighth grade he wrote his first term paper on the Battle of Gettysburg. He was cited by his teacher for outstanding work and received an A+. He later attended Gettysburg College, where he spent many weekends roaming the battlefield. He graduated with a degree in political science and joined the Peace Corps, working in Afghanistan in a rural development program. He later backpacked through East Africa and Asia, camping on the Serengeti, viewing mountain gorillas, and trekking in the Himalayas and Burma.

He received an MS degree in Forest Ecology and Soil Science from the University of New Hampshire. He spent the next eight years as a Soil Scientist in Utah, on the Tongass National Forest in Alaska and on the Navajo Tribal Reservation in Arizona. He spent the next 22 years working for the EPA cleaning up contaminated properties in the Superfund Program. He worked on the Community Empowerment Board in the Office of Vice President Al Gore. He has been an interpreter at Ellwood for two seasons. In his spare time he reads books on American history and hikes and bikes on local battlefields.

Ben and his wife Maureen have three adult children and two grandchildren. Ben and Maureen are both Master Naturalists

*Kevin Hunt (2025)

Kevin was born in Worcester, MA. He graduated from UMass-Dartmouth (then called Southeastern Massachusetts University) with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and from George Washington University with an MS in Engineering Administration. He moved to Virginia in 1979 and worked at the U.S. Army’s Night Vision Laboratory as a systems engineer until he retired in 2013.

Since joining FoWB in 2014, he has volunteered as an interpreter and has served as chair of the Battlefield Resources Committee since 2016. He has always been interested in history and was excited to move to Spotsylvania. His interest in Civil War history peaked when he had the opportunity to participate in several staff rides, including tours of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Antietam.

Peter Kolakowski (2026)

Peter was born in Manhattan and grew up in St. James on Long Island. He earned a BA in History and Political Science from Ripon College in Wisconsin and an MPA from American University. Peter was a resident of Fredericksburg from 1972 until he moved to Madison, Wisconsin.

Over his 40-year public service career, Peter served in the U.S. Army for five years and spent six years in executive management positions with the City of Fredericksburg, the last four as City Manager. He spent 15 years in executive positions with the Virginia Department of Transportation. His last 14 years before retirement were spent at the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Dahlgren Division as department head for operations. Peter has been an active participant and member of several nonprofits that preserve land and provide interpretation of the Civil War, the U.S. Navy, and other historical aspects of the area. Peter lives in Madison, WI, and continues to support American history and preservation work.

Joe Lafleur (2026)

Joe was born in Montgomery County, MD, and educated in Darnestown through junior college. After three summers in Spain, a few university courses, and various certifications, Joe was drawn to construction management jobs in Northern Virginia. Years of managing large commercial construction projects and residential contracting jobs gave him frequent work and led him to fall in love with the Wilderness.

Joe and his wife Katy bought their home on the Wilderness Battlefield in 2005, piquing his interest in exploring and studying the area. Walking his dog at Ellwood, Joe met the ground force and joined. In 2015 he began as an interpreter and also took stewardship of the Wilderness Old Walmart Tract, which Joe maintains for Boy and Girl Scout camping and studies. Joe is instrumental in repairing/rebuilding several bridges on American Battlefield Trust property to greatly enhance the experience for walkers. He also installed a dog walking aid station on the battlefield at Payne’s Farm to help dog owners keep the area tidy for other visitors.

*Bob Lookabill (2025)

Bob holds MAs in History from Marshall University and in Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. After teaching history for 10 years, he took a position with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). After his retirement from DIA, he worked for several contractors. He is now fully retired. He is also a retired Navy Reserve Captain, culminating his 42-year Naval Reserve career. A member of FoWB for 13 years, he is also a member of the Fredericksburg and the Rappahannock Valley Civil War Roundtables and the Winding Creek Community Church. He has two adult sons and three grandsons.

Greg Mertz (2024)

Greg was born and raised in St. Louis. His interest in the Civil War developed as a result of the annual hiking and camping trips his Boy Scout troop took to Shiloh National Military Park, which helped him earn his rank as Eagle Scout. Greg earned his BS in Recreation and Park Administration from the University of Missouri in 1978. Six years later, while working for the National Park Service (NPS), he received his MS from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. Greg began his NPS career in 1980 as a Park Ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park (NMP) and the Eisenhower National Historic Site. Four years later he was assigned to the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP. He initially served as site historian at the Stonewall Jackson Death Site. His next assignment was as site historian and curator at the Chancellorsville Battlefield Visitor Center. Greg’s last assignment was as the Supervisory Historian for the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP in charge of visitor operations. Greg retired in 2021 after 40 years with the NPS.

Greg now conducts tours for Battlefield Tours of Virginia for different Civil War organizations. He is vice president of the Brandy Station Foundation, training and scheduling volunteers, greeting visitors, and giving tours at the Graffiti House. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for FoWB and the Rappahannock Civil War Round Table.

Greg has trained hundreds of seasonal employees, interns, and volunteers on researching and conducting interpretation. Greg has conducted tours and written many articles on the Civil War for national publications. He authored the book “Attack Them at Daylight and Whip Them: The Battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862.”

Ruth Pavlik (2027)

A native of suburban Pittsburgh Ruth graduated from Clarion University in Pennsylvania with a BS in Elementary Education. However, most of her professional life was spent in the field of volunteer administration. For 14 years she was the Volunteer Coordinator for Hospice of the Rapidan (now Hospice of the Piedmont) in Culpeper. She retired in 2015.

Ruth has made Virginia her home for most of her adult life--beginning in Arlington, with two stops in Fairfax County, then Warrenton, and her current home in Lake of the Woods in 2005.

When planning her life after retirement, FoWB was at the top of her list of prospective volunteer opportunities. Ruth is a member of the FoWB Membership Committee and often volunteers to represent FoWB at welcome tents or at community street fairs. She is an NPS Volunteer at Ellwood. Ruth also volunteers at the Orange County Visitors Center and provides clerical services for LOWLINC, a senior citizen assistance group. In addition to volunteering, she is an avid sports fan, especially football and baseball, and loves to read, do needlework, and travel. Ruth is the mother of two daughters and grandmother of four.

Don Shockey (2025)

Don was born and grew up in Lafayette, Indiana. He holds a BS in Business Management and an MS in Business Administration and is DA Certified Level III in Acquisition Logistics. Don joined the U.S. Army serving in the areas of communications and intelligence. In addition to a number of stateside assignments he had overseas assignments to Korea, Germany, and Italy. He retired as a Chief Warrant Officer.

After retirement he continued to serve the U.S. Army as an Army civilian with the Communications - Electronics Command, serving as a Branch Chief. He retired in 2016. Don has had a lifelong interest in Civil War and family history. Five of his great-grandfathers served in the Civil War. One of those ancestors was in the 10th Pennsylvania Reserves and served with the 5th Corps at the Battle of the Wilderness. He has been an interpreter since 2016.

Beth Stenstrom (2026)

Beth is the Vice President of FOWB, as well as Communications Committee chair. She currently maintains the website, the Constant Contact list, and the Membership database.

Beth is also the Regent of the Washington-Lewis Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Vice President of the Fredericksburg Walking Club, which is part of the American Volkssport Association. She is a member of the American Battlefield Trust, the Central Virginia Battlefield Trust, Friends of Chatham, and the National Society United States Daughters of the War of 1812.

Beth and her husband Jim have a son, a daughter, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, three granddaughters, one grandson, and two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.