Deb Ross: Local Volunteer and Author Pens Historic Novel Set in Olympia

deb ross olympia
From volunteering to writing about an historical Olympia family, Deb Ross is deeply involved in the community. Courtesy of Deb Ross
0 Shares

 

By Gale Hemmann

capital medical centerListening. It’s a valuable skill, and one that often goes unnoticed in our society. Whether it’s listening to families to help connect them with social services, or “listening” to the stories told by history, listening is something Deb Ross does very well.

Deb Ross wears many hats in the community. From volunteering to researching local history, the common thread is Ross’ interest in people and her compassion for their stories. Ross and I met at Phoebe’s Pastry Café in West Olympia to talk more about her writing and life work. She is always listening to or writing about others, so I wanted to ask Ross more about her own story. Over coffee, the warm and personable Ross told me about her new book, Tales from Schneider’s Creek, and her involvement in the community.

deb ross olympia
From volunteering to writing about an historical Olympia family, Deb Ross is deeply involved in the community. Courtesy of Deb Ross

Ross was born in Manhattan, and grew up along the East Coast. She moved to Olympia 25 years ago where she met her future husband, Brian Hovis. After a career in law and energy policy, Ross shifted to part-time work while she raised her young son. She started looking for volunteer opportunities in the area. Ross soon found herself involved with many groups, from the prairie restoration work to the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation.  At OUUC, she sings in the choir and is co-chair of the Pastoral Care Team, a listening ministry of the church. She is a long-time member of Samba Olywa.

A friend suggested she talk to Shelly Willis, who was starting Family Education and Support Services (FESS). The two met, and Ross began volunteering in 2000. She has been a key part of the organization’s work ever since.

Using Compassion to Connect Families and Resources

Family Education and Support Services provides resources, education and classes for parents and families in our community. Deb Ross has provided office support since before the organization was formally founded, creating a database and helping the fledgling nonprofit develop their infrastructure in countless ways. For nearly 15 years, Ross has volunteered about 30 hours a month answering phones, registering families for classes, and helping out wherever needed.

I spoke with Shelly Willis, Executive Director at Family Education and Support Services. She can’t say enough about what Deb’s work has meant to her and the organization over the years. Willis says Ross was motivated to volunteer because of her own role as a mother and her desire to help parents connect with resources they need. Her kind nature puts people who call or visit FESS at ease. Willis says of Ross, “She gets along with everyone. Deb is a role model that other parents can not only look up to, but rely on as well.” In fact, Ross even got her son Jamie Hovis interested in volunteering – he has helped out at FESS and other groups.

deb ross olympia
Konrad Schneider’s son, Henry, with his wife Myrta. The stories of Konrad’s children unfold in Ross’ book, Tales from Schneider’s Creek. Courtesy of Deb Ross

Willis says Deb Ross has been invaluable because she is always paying attention to people’s needs and how the organization can better meet them. “She’s a great listener,” says Willis. For example, her listening skills and calm demeanor have been very helpful in talking to people who are signing up for a divorce class. Ross also currently edits the Family Education and Support Services newsletter, which Willis says has been helpful in letting people know more about what the organization does. Ross suggested having someone present to greet and direct people for a Saturday class, and the suggestion improved attendance dramatically. She also suggested having resources available in multiple languages. She has also updated the agency’s written resources to reflect broader understandings of what it means to be a family. “She’s always paying attention – she’s very detail-oriented,” says Willis.

Willis says Ross’ volunteer work has been absolutely vital in getting the organization where it is today. “We literally couldn’t have done it without her,” she notes.

A New Book: Tales from Schneider’s Creek Chronicles Life of Olympia Family

Another occasion for my meeting with Deb Ross? She recently published her second book, Tales from Schneider’s Creek. This busy community volunteer also has a love of local history. In 2009, she published the book Konrad and Albertina, about an early Olympia-area family. The book was based on historical research about Konrad Schneider and his family, real Olympia residents. Intrigued by accounts of the Schneiders in historic newspapers, Ross began delving into the Schneider family history, initiating a project that has now lasted ten years.

One wonderful outcome of her first book is that it brought together many of the Schneiders’ descendants, some of whom had never met and many of whom still live locally. The family and Ross were given a personal tour of the New Dungeness lighthouse Konrad Schneider once built. Her work has made a lasting impact on the family – just one more example of how Ross lends her thoughtful and caring nature to everything she does.

deb ross olympia
One of Konrad Schneider’s descendants, Ron Secrist, examines a brick at the New Dungeness Lighthouse Konrad built. Courtesy of Deb Ross

Her new book, Tales from Schneider’s Creek, continues to follow the Schneider family. It follows each of Konrad Schneider’s nine children as their lives unfold against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Olympia. The book is the culmination of six years of research and writing. For both books, Ross says her approach was to write them as “historical fiction,” based in fact but giving Ross permission to create dialogue and use her imagination to bring the characters to life. She wanted her books to appeal not only to history buffs but to anyone who enjoys a good story and is curious about what life was like in Olympia at the time.

Ross devoted a lot of time to developing each character. Ever the meticulous researcher, she used historical sources as well as interviews with Konrad’s descendants and local historians to flesh out each character’s personality and story. In fact, to better understand the struggles of one of the sons, Ross enlisted the help of a local psychologist friend. She provided him with some historical records and the draft of her book, and asked him to analyze and “diagnose” the character. She used this information to craft his character in a way that was likely true-to-life.

Having thoroughly explored their stories, Ross is ready to let the characters of Schneider’s Creek out into the world to meet readers. She says she is getting ready for her next project, though she’s not sure what that will be yet. With Ross, you can be sure it will be something interesting, and something that will impact people in a positive way.

deb ross olympia
A well-known community member, Konrad Schneider has a large monument at the Masonic Memorial Park in Tumwater. Courtesy of Deb Ross

You can order The Tales from Schneider’s Creek on Amazon and as a Kindle e-book. Orca Books will soon be carrying copies. And Ross anticipates that copies will be available at the Olympia Timberland Library in the near future.

There will be a special book release event at the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Saturday, December 6, 2014. In an interesting coincidence, the church also happens to sit on property once owned by the Schneiders. If you are interested in attending, please email Deb Ross at nrgdeb@msn.com for details.

Ross’ books about the Schneiders stemmed from her work at the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, her other major volunteer role. She serves as the webmaster, handles outreach, and writes the newsletter for the society. (They recently added the 400th location to the “Where Are We?” interactive map on their website, a milestone for which Ross penned this ThurstonTalk article.) She also travels weekly to Tacoma to catalog the State Capital Museum’s photograph collection, now housed at the Washington State Historical Society. Clearly, to Ross, whether they are historical or contemporary, people’s stories matter.

As we wound down our interview, I reflected on what a pleasure it was to meet Deb Ross. Though very modest about her accomplishments, Ross is truly one of the people who make great things happen here in Olympia. In fact, she and her husband were honored with the City of Olympia’s prestigious Heritage Award for their work.

To learn more about the work Family Education and Support Services does in the community, visit their website. You can also find them on Facebook.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
0 Shares