A Genealogy Guru passes

I am always saddened to learn when one of our genealogy gurus becomes part of our past instead of studying it. This especially holds true when it is a good friend and mentor. Julia M. Case (those who knew her called her Julie) passed away after a short illness on February 13, 2008. Her obituary can be viewed on her website Petunia Press, and as more details are firmed up regarding her services, her obit will be updated.

I "met" Julie when I became a member of the RootsWeb.com staff in 1999. Julie was there, along with Myra Vanderpool Gormley, as co-editor of the RootsWeb Review, an internet newsletter. I loved receiving e-mails from her and talking with her on the phone. She was so fun loving, witty and full of life.

I had only been researching my own roots around four years when I met Julie. She helped me in so many ways and her suggestions to me of where to look for information on my ancestors were always right on the money. Her encouragement for me to press on and never give up hope has stuck with me and her knowledge was amazing.

Her accomplishments in the world of genealogy were great and from her obit, it reads like a Who's Who:

Served as:
Instructor for the NGS' home study course
Trustee of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG)
Board member of the Friends of the Virginia State Archives
Membership chairman of the Virginia Genealogical Society
Assistant sysop on GEnie's Genealogy RoundTable

She wrote articles that appeared in
American Genealogy Magazine
Friends of the Virginia State Archives Archives News
Virginia Genealogical Society's Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, in the last of which her transcriptions of "Henrico County Record Book No. 2, 1678-1693" appeared from 1991 through 1998.

Julie was also the co-moderator of Prodigy® Classic's Genealogy Interest Group and the editor of Missing Links and Somebody's Links newsletters. She was the original and long- time co-editor of the RootsWeb Review. She was a life member of the Friends of the Virginia State Archives and the Virginia Genealogical Society, and a member of International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, the Association for Gravestone Studies, APG, NGS, NEHGS, North Carolina Genealogical Society, Virginia Historical Society and the NSDAR.

She was not as active with genealogy the past five years, her daughter gave her a grandson and she spent quality time with him.

I and others will miss having Julie around, but she will always live on in our hearts and memories. Take care Julie, I am sure you are getting those brickwalls all broken down now, and having a ball talking to all your ancestors.

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