Betty’s interest in history began early in life, listening to her grandparents’ stories of their younger days in Buffalo, including the assassination of President McKinley at the Pan- American Exposition in 1901. Eventually, Betty would become a docent at the site of Theodore Roosevelt’s inauguration, which had taken place in Buffalo immediately following President McKinley’s death. Now, Betty recently completed the training to become a docent at the Hinchey House. Look for her when we re-open for tours!
Betty attended Canisius College, and had a career as an Executive Administrative Assistant for several companies, and also owned a business with her husband, John. Retired now, she is using those office skills to help preserve the history of the Hinchey House for the future. Betty is a member of our Accession Team, where she is developing a database to identify donated items, and using museum software to label all the artifacts in the House. It’s a big project, and we are fortunate to have Betty on the Team. In addition to that, Betty is at the House every Wednesday, doing the mailings, clipping newspaper articles for the archives, and other projects.
When she’s not helping out at the Hinchey House, Betty donates her time and skills to other community and church organizations. A long time Gates resident, she enjoys antiques, all things historical, gardening, growing orchids, and sharing her laptop with her cat, Cali.