Priscilla Baglio was born in Massachusetts in 1931, one of nine children. She was raised in a family that taught her the importance of community and country involvement. During that era, the name Priscilla was popular in the New England region, especially for its Pilgrim roots. Priscilla’s daughter, Cathy, surmises that her grandparents chose that name due to the family’s special interest in the beginning of the United States of America.
Priscilla’s family began the local library in her hometown of South Hadley, Massachusetts. Her father served during WWI and all her brothers served in WWII. Growing up as a young girl during WWII, Priscilla was a girl scout and participated in paper drives at her school. Paper drives were a way to salvage materials during the war. Priscilla went on to college and married Charles Thomas.
Charles was in the U.S. Army as a Chaplain Assistant, and they were stationed in Washington, D.C. When Charles was discharged after the Korean War, Charles, Priscilla and their two children, daughter Cathy and son Chris, went on a nine-month sabbatical. They lived in Vienna, Austria, and traveled through Europe.
Eventually, they moved to Ithaca, NY, where Priscilla worked as a teacher and a homemaker while Charles worked on his Master’s Degree at Cornell. His first teaching job brought the family to Brockport when he was hired to teach at Brockport State. Priscilla became highly active in the Brockport community and began her involvement in the History Club of Brockport. She has been an active member of the club since 1965.
Priscilla went on to get her Ph.D. in education. After Charles passed away in 1977, Priscilla eventually remarried Cosimo Baglio, of Leroy. The couple chose to live in Brockport due to how involved Priscilla was in the community.
The History Club of Brockport was started in 1897 by Miss Mary Seymour and is the longest continuous organization in Brockport. It was created 127 years ago as a women’s organization devoted to preserving history. It began as an opportunity for women to get together and expand their knowledge of the local area to include Brockport and the Erie Canal. The scope of the club has extended and grown to include any topics that touch on local history.
The legacy of this History Club of Brockport is continued today by a wide variety of women from the towns in western Monroe County, including Churchville, Hamlin, Spencerport, Sweden, and Brockport. The women share a mutual interest in preserving the truth of history through research and presentations that they mutually share and discuss at the club’s bimonthly meetings.
Priscilla took on many roles in the History Club during her sixty years of involvement, including being the president of the club on its 100th birthday.
On Friday, May 3, Priscilla Baglio was honored for her 60 years of membership in the History Club of Brockport. During a special luncheon at Grinds, she was surprised with an engraved silver bowl and floral arrangement. The bowl will be residing on display at the Morgan Manning House.
“Priscilla’s longevity and contributions have exemplified the spirit of why this organization was established. We proudly and humbly are thankful for Priscilla, for her commitment, knowledge and most importantly her terrific sense of humor,” said Lisa Guernsey, chairperson for the History Club of Brockport.
