A researcher among us writes books

Gail Morin, of Elmer City, is on her 62nd book.

Are they western adventure, romance, war stories, children books?

No, nothing like that.

Gail writes geneology-type books, getting all her information from public records.

Her books, many of them available on Amazon, have titles such as:

“Manitoba Scrip”

“Stignace Parish of Willow Bunch, Saskatchewan 1882 - 1910 Baptisms, Marriages and Burials”

“Chippewa Half-Breeds of Lake Superior - Concerning the applicants for Half-Breed Scrip” and

“St. Joachim, Fort Auguste (Fort Edmonton) 1858-1890”.

They go for as little as $3-$5, and up to $45 or more, depending on both the subject matter or demand.

Currently, Gail is working on a book on some aspect of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Pieces of the information have been gathering in her extensive file system for 20 years.

As she runs into interesting things, she puts them in her file; and when the file is bulging with information, she starts a book.

“Most of my books can be downloaded, or you can get them for your Kindle,” Gail stated last week.

She even goes back and expands on former books, as she did with “Metis Families, volume 5.”

The royalty dollars don’t just roll in, considering the type of books she writes, but they come in in trickles.

Gail retired from 25 years teaching Home Economics back in 1997, many of those years here in the Grand Coulee Dam School District.

She is French Canadian, and many of her books are rooted in such places as Manitoba, though she confesses she has never been there.

While she admits she doesn’t read or write French, she can make out enough to gain information from the various sources.

“I know a lot or people who will dig in archives for me, and librarians, and am constantly in touch with them,” she commented.

When does she write? “Often, I write a couple of hours in the morning, but you can find me at night typing away.”

Gail soaks up information, and what she doesn’t store in her library or files, she stores in her head.

“It is exciting to write,” she confessed.

As if writing books — everywhere from 60-70 pages to 500 pages — wasn’t enough, she has found time to serve on the town council for a couple of terms, and also as mayor for two terms.

She has exhibited the same nature in those roles, soaking up information and storing it so she could serve the town better. She is often used as a resource when it comes to matters that matter in Elmer City.

Gail was born in Coulee Dam and was married to the late Bernie Morin, who passed away a few years back.

She probably will be turning out books for years to come.

Her hope isn’t for making money from them, although that would be OK, but she hopes that people in the future will get excited about some aspect of her writings and continue the research she has started.