Amelia Island Genealogical Society

March 2023 Business Meeting
2023-03-15 16:30 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | FL
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pfk-tyhq-zveOr dial: (US) +1 346-908-0731 PIN: 722 543 807#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/pfk-tyhq-zvepin=6838325626893

Membership Committee Meeting Mar 2023
2023-03-08 13:00 - 15:00 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
At the Board meeting last week, the distribution of the quarterlies was discussed a bit – how to best handle getting the publication to those folks who really want to receive it without printing a bunch of copies that will never be picked up. There were some suggestions, starting with sending an email to those current members with 3-4 copies sitting in their folders. The more I thought about it, I decided it would be a good opportunity to ask a few other questions around membership benefits, meeting schedule, program topics, etc. (in addition to the quarterly question). I’m thinking we should develop a short survey covering these items – the agenda for our next Membership Committee Meeting!

Library Committee Meeting
2023-03-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Bi-monthly meeting of the library committee which has responsibility over the genealogy collection at the Fernandina Beach Branch library.

Use of Death and Funeral Home Records for Genealogical Research
2023-02-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Kyle Adkins

Funeral home records and state death records are an important genealogical resource. Not only can they provide major subject information, but often we may find tidbits of data that will help “fill in the blanks”. While documents such as state death certificates may have changed over the years, records kept by a funeral home or cemetery have remained much the same. This presentation will show how to access those records, and how they can benefit your genealogical research.

Speaker: Kyle Adkins

Kyle Adkins, licensed as a funeral director in Florida, is a native and resident of Folkston, Georgia. Kyle is a 1980 graduate of Georgia Southern College and a 1991 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Mortuary Science and as a third generation funeral director, he has spent much of his life in funeral service. He has served families at Oxley-Heard since 2015

February 2023 Business Meeting
2023-02-15 16:30 - 18:00 | FL

What's new in Family Tree Maker?
2023-01-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Mark Olsen

Please join us on 17 January 2023 at 7pm in the Community room at the Fernandina Beach Branch Library, when we kick off the new year with a virtual presentation by Marl Olsen. Mark will introduce the latest update of the Family Tree Maker software, explaining how to get the update, what to do prior to running it, and highlighting its main features. This presentation will not only be useful to those who are already using the FTM software, but also to those who are considering acquiring it. A door prize will be presented to one person at the meeting.

Mark Olsen is the Family Tree Maker Ambassador to historical and genealogical societies around the world working to support their members as they use Family Tree Maker. Mark is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Family History with a Spanish records emphasis. He has been working in the genealogy industry since 2007 and has been the Family Tree Maker Ambassador since 2016.

January 2023 Business Meeting
2023-01-11 16:30 - 18:00 | FL

2023 Beginners Classes
2023-01-07 09:30 - 12:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Amelia Island Genealogical Society (AIGS) will conduct its annual Beginner Genealogical Course on six consecutive Saturdays, beginning 7 January 2023. All classes are held at 9:30am until noon in the Community Room at the Fernandina Beach Branch Library. The cost of $50 for 1 person or $85 per couple which includes a one-year Annual membership to the society and a manual. The cost to existing members is $25. Class size is limited, so please register early. To register, contact Patti Millage at 503-819-4561 or treasurer@aigensoc.org.

December 2022 Business Meeting
2022-12-14 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

Google Meet Joining Information

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pfk-tyhq-zveOr dial: (US) +1 346-908-0731 PIN: 722 543 807#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/pfk-tyhq-zvepin=6838325626893

Ancestors Road Show and 2022 Annual Meeting
2022-11-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Items from 2021 Ancestor Road Show

The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its annual meeting at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, November 15, 2021 at the Community Room of the Fernandina Beach Public Library, 25 N 4th St.

Following the election of officers and approval of the budget for the next year there will be time for our popular show-and-tell, a.k.a. the “Ancestor Road Show”. Members are invited to bring heirlooms, photographs, scrapbooks or other items for general display, and give a short (3 minutes) verbal presentation on these items.

If you wish to share a story with us, please let us know well in advance by writing to programs@aigensoc.org

Public welcome.

Annual Meeting Information:

2022 Proxy Form (Please vote by proxy for the 2023 slate of candidates and 2023 budget if you can not be present at the meeting. There is a quorum we must meet.)2023 slate of candidatesAIGS budget for 2023

November 2022 Business Meeting
2022-11-09 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

Establish a 3 person audit committee to review 2022 financial records in January 2023.

Google Meet Joining Information

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pfk-tyhq-zveOr dial: (US) +1 346-908-0731 PIN: 722 543 807#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/pfk-tyhq-zvepin=6838325626893

Finding Women in County, State, and Federal Records: What You Really Need to Know
2022-10-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
How can you find your female ancestors in most of the records they may have been reported in? We will discuss which local, county, state, and federal records are most likely to include female ancestors, what information they may contain, ways to get better results, and how to obtain a copy of your female ancestor’s records.

Margo Fariss Brewer

Margo Fariss Brewer

Margo Fariss Brewer is a lecturer, consultant, and instructor. She has co-led genealogy research trips to libraries in Salt Lake City, UT and Ft Wayne, IN. Margo has been a lecturer and instructor for 23 years. Her genealogy courses include beginning through advanced methodology, finding and acquiring military records, locating and understanding land records, and writing your family history narrative so it will be read.

Google Meet joining infoVideo call link: https://meet.google.com/rrt-tvvb-dzmOr dial: ‪(US) +1 914-893-5608‬ PIN: ‪959 377 309‬#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/rrt-tvvb-dzm?pin=5250882427898

October 2022 Business Meeting
2022-10-12 16:30 - 18:00 | Online

Family History - Fun and Foibles
2022-09-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Come join us on 20 September 2022 at 7pm in the Community room at the Fernandina Beach Branch Library where Joel Warner will present his discussion topic of “Family History – Fun and Foibles.” This presentation by Joel Warner goes back to England and tackles some research problems from four different families. During a review of each of these cases, we identify interesting flukes, errors and assumptions which took us down some wrong paths. We will also look at the corrective actions which solved some problems. Some of the problems were quite difficult, some were much easier. Some had stayed “on the books” for many years and some were recent. We are able to see that one of our best tools as family history researchers is a healthy skepticism. Our goals as family historians is not to put together what probably happened or what might have happened. Our goal is to find, through reasonable exhaustive research, what did happen. We cannot know everything, but by linking documents together we can can be reasonably certain of many things.

Warner’s goal in this presentation is to use real cases he has worked on to demonstrate how perseverance and luck will often help research solve problems. Some may take patience as more and more records become available. But there is great satisfaction with connecting yourself to the real lives of the real family members who contributed to what and who you are.

Joel Warner

Joel Warner

Joel Warner has had interest in Family History since he was a boy. This was due to his mother and grandparents working in the area and sharing stories of how his ancestors came to America, the problems they faced and what they left behind. He finds working with others to help them progress is enriching and fulfilling. He has lived in Jacksonville for about 30 years, finally landing there after living in California, Utah, Ohio, Indiana, Oklahoma, Maryland and Australia. He is a member of the Jacksonville Genealogy Society and the Southern Genealogy Exchange Society. He has served on the planning committee of the North Florida Genealogy Conference for many years.

September 2022 Business Meeting
2022-09-14 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

Candidates from the Nominating committee for the 2023 Board should be received by the 2022 Board on September 1.

Google Meet Joining Information

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pfk-tyhq-zveOr dial: (US) +1 346-908-0731 PIN: 722 543 807#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/pfk-tyhq-zvepin=6838325626893

Stop Battling with Military Records
2022-08-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Come join us at 7pm, Tuesday, 16 August 2022, at the Fernandina Branch Library for a free presentation by John Strasburg concerning military records and their usage in your genealogical research. Military records can be a rich source of genealogical information, but many researchers steer clear because they don’t feel confident working with them. Become more comfortable around military records by joining guest presenter John Strasburg as he describes the various records available and how to obtain them. Whether experienced with military records or just getting started, everybody will come away from this program with something new.

Google Meet joining infoVideo call link: https://meet.google.com/wgv-uoog-hpiOr dial: ‪(US) +1 857-529-7434‬ PIN: ‪232 319 062‬#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/wgv-uoog-hpi?pin=7090056606911

Speaker: John Strasburg

John Strasburg is a genealogist who specializes in military records research and enjoys helping others discover their ancestral past. A retired U.S. Coast Guard commissioned officer, John holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from SUNY Stony Brook, a master’s degree in library & information science from the University of South Florida, and a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University’s Metropolitan School, Center for Professional Education. John recently published his first book titled He Charged Alone: World War I Medal of Honor Recipient Private First Class Frank Gaffney, available on Lulu.com.

He Charged Alone: World War I Medal of Honor Recipient Private First Class Frank Gaffney

Frank Gaffney was a 33-year-old papermaker from Western New York when America entered the Great War in 1917. While his age exempted him from serving in the military, Gaffney ran to the colors anyway. He fought bravely on Belgian and French battlefields as a U.S. Army soldier with the 27th Division’s 108th Infantry Regiment. On September 29, 1918, Gaffney singlehandedly breached a section of Germany’s Hindenburg Line, coming away with 80 prisoners. Six grateful nations recognized his bravery, including his own. In June 1919, the United States awarded him the Medal of Honor. Years later, the 27th Division’s commanding general, Maj. Gen. John F. O’Ryan, wrote of Gaffney, “…no one man had performed more daring exploits and had exercised a bigger influence upon those about him by the gallantry of his conduct.”

In He Charged Alone, John Strasburg chronicles the life of a First World War American soldier whose bravery was once compared to that of the legendary Sergeant Alvin York. To tell the story, the author weaves together Gaffney’s personal correspondence with military/government records, newspaper accounts, and published unit histories. Nearly fifty illustrations—photographs and maps—augment the narrative.

Much of the book focuses on Gaffney’s military service, heroism on the battlefield, and subsequent rehabilitation from a combat injury he received in the war’s closing days, but not overlooked are Gaffney’s upbringing and how he managed the burden that comes with being a Medal of Honor recipient. At its core, this book memorializes a true American hero from New York State who in life was admired by people across the country but in death has been nearly forgotten. In He Charged Alone, Frank Gaffney’s legacy returns to the fore, where it belongs.

Purchase Book

August 2022 Business Meeting
2022-08-10 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

A list of all positions to be filled must be forwarded to the Nominating Committee by 1 September. Positions which must be filled with new people are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and all officers.

Google Meet Joining Information

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pfk-tyhq-zveOr dial: (US) +1 346-908-0731 PIN: 722 543 807#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/pfk-tyhq-zvepin=6838325626893

Using DNA to Prove an Ancestor and a Hereditary Disorder
2022-07-19 19:00 - 20:30 | FL
Join us for a presentation by Sharon Clark Driscoll about the use of DNA in genealogical research. Hear about some of most successful commercial DNA testing companies, FamilyTreeDNA, 23andMe, and AncestryDNA, and what they have to offer. Learn how to find matches and recognize possible false positives. In addition, find out about markers and how to use genetic health risk reports.

Sharon Clark Driscoll

Sharon Clark Driscoll has researched her family tree since 2011, when her father passed. She is presently the President of the Princess Amelia Chapter, Colonial Dames XVII Century and the 1st Vice Regent of the Amelia Island Chapter, NSDAR. She was the Amelia Island Chapter, NSDAR Registrar from 2017-2021 completing over 200 applications. In addition, she completed 11 new member applications for the Jacksonville Chapter, FLSSAR. She took DAR’s certified courses GEP1, GEP2, GEP3 and DNA certified courses. Sharon and her relatives have been stumped for over twenty years on her direct Clark lineage, but now with the use of DNA and old-fashioned genealogical research she’s getting closer.

Parchments to Printouts
2022-06-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
A History of the Census 1790-1950

Join us at the Fernandina Branch Library community room on 21 June at 7pm for a webinar by Sharon Tosi Lacey, Chief Historian at the U.S. Census Bureau. The title is Parchments to Printouts: A History of the Census 1790-1950, and the presentation will cover the changes and adaptations of the decennial census from inception through 1950, with a special focus on Amelia Island and surrounding area.

Sharon Tosi Lacey

Sharon Tosi Lacey has served as the Chief Historian for the U.S. Census Bureau since June 2015. Previously, she spent 25 years as an officer in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves before retiring in 2015 as a Lieutenant Colonel. She holds a B.S. in Engineering Psychology from the United States Military Academy, an M.S. in Education from Long Island University, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Leeds. She is the author of the book “Pacific Blitzkrieg” and a variety of studies and articles on topics ranging from Cromwell’s Army to the Iraq War.

June 2022 Business Meeting
2022-06-15 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend

Google Meet Joining Information

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pfk-tyhq-zveOr dial: (US) +1 346-908-0731 PIN: 722 543 807#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/pfk-tyhq-zvepin=6838325626893

Your Ancestor's FAN Club
2022-05-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Using Cluster Research to Get Past Brick Walls

Our ancestors were each surrounded by Family, Associates, and Neighbors. By researching them, we discover additional records pointing to our own ancestors. Join us in person for a webinar on this interesting topic by Drew Smith.

Drew Smith

Drew Smith developed an interest in genealogy as a child, and he began to engage in serious family history research in 1992 after the death of his favorite aunt. In 2009, Genealogical Publishing Company published his first genealogy book, Social Networking for Genealogists. His second book, co-authored with George G. Morgan, is Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques, published in 2013 by McGraw-Hill. His most recent book is Organize Your Genealogy: Strategies and Solutions for Every Researcher, published in 2016 by Family Tree Books. He is currently working on a new book.

Drew regularly speaks at conferences and meetings of national, state, and local genealogy societies, especially on topics linking genealogy and technology. Together with George G. Morgan, Drew has been the co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast since September 2005. Beginning in 2016, he hosts the Genealogy Connections Podcast.

May 2022 Business Meeting
2022-05-11 16:30 - 18:00 | Online

Keeping it in the Family
2022-04-19 19:00 - 20:15 | FL
Chip Kirkpatrick will speak about his hobby of historical metal detecting, and in particular about an amazing piece he found on the Florida/Georgia border. It is a strange antique silver Scottish medallion, heavily engraved with illustrations, phrases and mottos, with direct links to William Wallace (Braveheart), Robert the Bruce and Chip’s own family. It is believed to be brought here by one of the Highlanders under Oglethorpe when he founded the colony of Georgia, and was likely lost in combat when the militia came to Amelia Island to avenge the murder of two Scots.

Chip Kirkpatrick

Shortly after his retirement from BellSouth/AT&T, Chip Kirkpatrick was introduced to metal detecting. Since then, he gave up fishing and has been spending his time searching for historical relics in NE Florida and SE Georgia, which he offers to schools, museums and libraries. He has received several awards for his finds, and has been published in magazines in the US, UK and Scotland. Kirkpatrick offers a free recovery and return service for anybody who has lost an item of personal value.

April 2022 Business Meeting
2022-04-13 16:30 - 18:00 | Online

In Their Own Words
2022-03-15 19:00 - 20:15 | FL
As part of the third system of fortifications built for harbor defense, Fort Clinch was constructed from 1847 to 1867. Serving in three wars, the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War II, the fort never saw battle and was never fully completed. Frank Ofeldt III will share with us how life was for the soldiers that were stationed there during these periods, based on their own accounts, letters and diaries.

Frank A. Ofeldt III began as a Fort Clinch volunteer in the fort’s interpretive program in the 1980s. After college, he pursued a career with the Florida Park Service, for which he has served almost 30 years. He can often be found at the Fort portraying a Sergeant of Engineers. Frank is an avid reader, researcher, and collector of American military antiques, and authored a book on Fort Clinch. He often speaks to civic organizations regarding the military history of Amelia Island.

March 2022 Business Meeting
2022-03-09 16:30 - 18:00 | Online

The Genealogy of Genes
2022-02-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
For centuries, genealogists have based their studies on ancient records and oral affidavits to establish line of descent. Fifty years after the discovery of DNA, the age of genealogical DNA testing was launched, providing us with scientific methods to prove relationships.

But how were DNA and genes discovered? What are their lines of descent? This entertaining presentation will focus on describing the thrills, intrigue and espionage associated with the amazing race to solve the puzzle of this remarkable molecule by three competing scientific teams.

The speaker will also describe the different types of DNA genetic testing, and will show how his own DNA test results encapsulate the story of human migration.

Speaker: Medardo Monzon

Medardo Monzon

Medardo Monzon started his career as an entrepreneur in his native Colombia, moving to the United States in 1981, where he worked for Dow Chemical, Equistar (now Lyondell) and International Paper. He obtained a chemistry degree from the National University of Colombia and a master degree in chemistry from Central Michigan University. He is a graduate of the “Mahler Advanced Management Skills Program” and is certified in neuro-linguistic programming and several personality diagnostics.

Mr. Monzon is now retired and is a resident of Amelia Island. His hereditary material shows links to points across the globe: Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Americas.

Tying It All Together - The PROCESS method of genealogical research
2022-02-12 09:30 - 12:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Sold Out!The Beginning classes are sold out for 2022!

Class Description

PROCESS is a method I use to conduct research on client family trees as well as my own. You will find that a lot of the PROCESS method was discussed earlier in the different classes. This class is meant to tie it all together by sharing research results I have found while researching my 2nd great-grandfather’s parents and family.

Class Instructor: Dennis Partridge

My introduction to genealogy was back in high school while sitting in my freshman English class. The teacher invited a parent, Mrs. Baker, to the class to share with us her family tree. She descended from the Alden family of Mayflower fame, and at the time, I thought how cool it was to be descended from a Mayflower passenger. The class assignment was to compile a small family tree, and my tree was one of the most pitiful presented in class. But I had caught the bug!

I can now claim that I directly descend from Mayflower Passengers: Isaac and Mary (Norris) Allerton, their daughter Mary Allerton, Degory Priest, John Tilley and Joan (Hurst) Tilley, & John and Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland. I also descend from many of the original founders of Quebec and Montreal, as well as one Algonquin man and Huron woman. My research strength covers the New England area including Quebec.

I have been conducting personal research into my family since 1980. In 1996, in the infancy of the Internet, I morphed into a web developer bringing with me my passion for genealogy. Today, I own and operate AccessGenealogy (https://www.accessgenealogy.com/), one of the largest, privately owned genealogical websites online – well-known and frequented by Native American family researchers. I also serve as President and webmaster for the Amelia Island Genealogical Society.

February 2022 Business Meeting
2022-02-09 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society board and officers meet monthly to handle the society business. AIGS membership is welcome to attend.

We will need to review the audit committee report. It should have been received by February 1.

Google Meet Joining Information

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pfk-tyhq-zveOr dial: (US) +1 346-908-0731 PIN: 722 543 807#More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/pfk-tyhq-zvepin=6838325626893

United States Military Records from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam and Handwriting and Spelling Variations
2022-02-05 09:30 - 12:30 | Fernandina Beach Library, 25 N 4th St, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034, United States
Sold Out!The Beginning classes are sold out for 2022!

United States Military Records from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam

Military Records are an excellent source of genealogy records. They cover a wide range of record data, ranging from enlistment, muster, pay, pension, medical, mission, and combat. Record quality and quantity increase and improve over time, with few records being available in the pre-colonial era outside of specialized libraries and histories, to the significant volume of records available for the modern wars (Civil War, WWI, WWII through Recent Wars).

Class Instructor: Gus Reinwald

I was born in Lock Haven, a small, rural Pennsylvania town. I was named Royce Augustus Reinwald, after an uncle and great-grandfather. My childhood years and school days, including high school and college, were in this town, ending with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Lock Haven State College.

My college days were interrupted by a four-year stint in the U.S. Army Security Agency, a part of the National Security Agency. This stint included one year in language school at the Presidio of Monterey, California learning Vietnamese. Then, one year in Vietnam working as a translator in support of the 3rd

Marine Division in Phu Bai near the imperial city of Hue in central Vietnam. After Vietnam, I worked at the National Security Agency, located at Ft. Meade, Maryland near Washington, DC.

The Army behind me, I married my childhood sweetheart, finished college and started a family. I worked 32 years in the general aviation industry for Piper Aircraft and Lycoming Engines, mostly in Customer Service and Sales. During this career, I worked in Lock Haven, PA, Vero Beach, FL, and Williamsport, PA, retiring in 2004. My wife and I “found” Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach through our youngest daughter who was living in Jacksonville. Since we always wanted to move back to Florida, we decided to retire here. We did so in July of 2006, buying a home in North Hampton. We have two lovely daughters and four precious grandchildren.

I became interested in genealogy in 1991 when I was unemployed for a year. My father had inherited a trunk full of letters, photos, and family documents, including a diary written by a great-grandfather who emigrated from Scotland to Montreat at age 18. I read this diary on airplane flights while job hunting, and was hooked on finding out more about all my ancestors. With the help of Dad’s trunk and much research, my database (RootsMagic) includes over 3,000 individual and 900 families. Some family lines go back 17 generations, with two ancestors arriving on the Mayflower. I am currently focused on documenting family stories and less on finding individuals.

I am also very happy that I have found and joined the Amelia Island Genealogical Society and served a term as Treasurer and President.

Handwriting and Spelling Variations

Jean will instruct the class on the various ways our ancestors names can be found within records, with a look at various handwriting examples. In the world of genealogical records you will need to remember how to read cursive again!

Class Instructor: Jean Dixon Mann

Jean is a 6th generation Floridian. Her Dixon ancestors had Spanish Land Grants in 1805 in western Nassau County where she was born. She grew up in Fernandina Beach and was a member of the last class to graduate from the “old” high school which now houses the Nassau Countty School Board. Jean is a graduate of Florida State University in Tallahassee with a teaching degree in Elementary Education. Shortly after graduation, she was married and left Florida while followed her husband through his military and finance careers. They returned to Fernandina Beach in 1992 after 18 other moves! This is the only place she ever wanted to live! Her interest in genealogy began when she was a teenager after finding three family Bibles. Her serious dive into her ancestry began in 1985 when she pursued membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Jean has compiled and published genealogies on four of her famiy lines – Dixon, Phinney, Limbaugh and Anderson. Additionally, she has published the genealogy of the Domingo and Mary Fernandez family whose plantation was located in what is now Fernandina and edited a genealogy of James Bordeaux and his Sioux wife, Huntkalutawin.

Jean is the last charter member of AIGS and has been the only editor of “The Nassau County Genealogist,” the quarterly publication, since its inception in 1994. She has served as president of the Society and is currently a member of the Board of Directors.
