ICAPGen^SM wishes to recognize the past achievements and continuing legacy of Accredited Genealogist^® researchers who have attained Emeritus status.

As AG Emeritus researchers, the individuals below have retired from the professional field of genealogical research. Emeritus status recognizes their past contributions to the profession. Their efforts helped to elevate the standing of the professional discipline of genealogy research. Although no longer professionally active, they continue to volunteer their services in many ways.

Maureen G. Arceneaux
Maureen passed the accreditation exam in 1994 specializing in Southern States research.
 

Joyce A. Baggerly
 
 

Stephen S. Barthel

Stephen Barthel was accredited in German research in 1981. His insatiable interest in genealogy led to a career of twenty-one years, working for the largest genealogical repository in the world, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. He worked as a reference consultant for Central European, Eastern European and International research. For five of those years it was his privilege to work in the VIP Unit of the Family History Library, not only hosting VIPS, but doing research for such notables as the Queen of Sweden, presidents of the United States and Germany, several United States senators and governors, nationally known television news anchors, and many other high profile individuals.
 

Noel Barton
 
 

Donald W. Christensen
 
 

James Clark

James Clark was accredited in Southern States research in the mid 1970s. He was employed by the Institute of Family Research and later worked independently as a researcher and consultant in Salt Lake City. He participated in the organization of the Professional Genealogists group of the UGA. He later retired from the business of professional genealogy and went on to another successful career. Also committed to his community in various endeavors, Clark remains active in the Rotary Club of Issaquah as a Board Member and past President. He served for three years as the Chairman of his community's Boy Scout district, achieving National Quality District status in each of those years. He continues his work for the Boy Scouts of America in many ways, including serving as a member of the Board of Directors for the local Boy Scout Council. The Chief Seattle Council, Boy Scouts of America awarded him the Silver Beaver Award, its highest honor, for distinguished service to youth.
 

 
Jeannie H. Gray
Jeannie H. Gray became an Accredited Genealogist in 1972 specializing in English research through the Accreditation Program of the Family History Library.
 

Rebecca Huffman

Rebecca Huffman received a Technical Certificate in American Genealogical Research from Brigham Young University, specializing in United States Mid-Western states. She became an Accredited Genealogist about 1965 through the Accreditation Program of the Family History Library. Rebecca spent approximately 30 years working in the field of genealogy as a volunteer, a lecturer, and for one year as an employee in the Family History Library Acquisitions Department. She was also employed for two years as the correspondent to subscribers of the Genealogical Club magazine, published by John J. Stewart (Logan, UT). Through her association with the Genealogical Club, Rebecca became acquainted with Alex Haley, author of Roots, and conducted research on one of his ancestral lines while living and researching in Los Angeles, California. In 1977, Rebecca returned to Salt Lake City where she continued to work as a consultant and lecturer until her retirement in 1985.
 
 

Laureen R. Jaussi

Laureen R. Jaussi became an Accredited Genealogist in English research in December 1964, and has researched her own ancestry in England, the United States, and Sweden. She served on the founding board of the Utah Genealogical Association and has held a variety of positions with the UGA. In 1983, she was elected a Fellow of the UGA for her collaboration with Gloria D. Chaston in writing genealogy textbooks for beginners and reference books for those with LDS and Utah ancestry. In 1994, Laureen produced a revision of the basic book for beginners, Genealogy Fundamentals. She continues her interest in teaching fundamental research principles to beginners, favoring the continuing workshop where students progress through the twelve Genealogy Fundamentals lessons at their own pace. She is the author of the genealogy article in the World Book Encyclopedia, and also edited the bicentennial history, It Happened in Orem. In 1984, she served on the LDS Genealogical Department (Family and Church History Department) committee for FamilySearch where she represented a library patron viewpoint. She has taught both staff training and patron research classes at family history centers and has been a guest lecturer at genealogical seminars, including those held at BYU and UCLA. Her university training includes a B.S. degree in Microbiology, and an A.S. degree in Genealogy. She also completed minors in chemistry, zoology, and secretarial training, and, prior to her marriage, was a Registered Medical Technologist. Her genealogical instruction books and teaching methods reflect her training and experience in both science and business. She and her husband, August W. Jaussi, have been residents of Orem, Utah for 42 years where they raised their six children.
 

Elaine Justesen

Elaine Justesen received a Technical Certificate in American Genealogical Research from Brigham Young University and became an Accredited Genealogist specializing in United States New England States research in October 1966. She was among the first students to receive genealogical training at Brigham Young University and become an Accredited Genealogist. Elaine was a charter member of UGA and attended its first meeting in 1971, later serving as Vice President, on the Board of Directors for three terms, and as a volunteer lecturer and committee member for UGA from 1972-1979. Elaine also served as Editor of the Genealogical Journal from 1995-1998. In 1985, Elaine received the Award of Merit from the National Genealogical Society for her work as Chairman of the NGS Conference held in Salt Lake City that year, and in 1990, she acted as host for the FGS Conference in Salt Lake City. A long time member of APG, she has lectured for NGS, BYU, and for LDS Family History Seminars throughout Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. Before her retirement in 1992, Elaine had written 21 family histories and 3 biographies. She now enjoys teaching classes at the Union Fort Family History Center, Sandy, Utah.
 

Rolf Magnusson

Rolf Magnusson was born and raised in Sweden, where he first became familiar with Swedish genealogical records. He began research on his Swedish ancestry in 1954 and has continued that research to the present day. In 1955, Rolf emigrated to Salt Lake City, Utah and immediately set out to find the Genealogical Library, where he ultimately spent every free moment thereafter. In 1967, he became an Accredited Genealogist specializing in Swedish records and began conducting client research. He joined and attended the first meeting of the Utah Genealogical Association in 1971 and wrote several articles on Swedish records and research for UGA’s Genealogical Journal. In 1990, he won the Grand Prize for his article “What About Harry?” published in the Genealogical Digest (Bountiful, Utah). The story tracks a great uncle who left Sweden for the United Sates some twenty-five years earlier and culminates with the meeting of his daughter in New York City. This article was microfilmed by the Family History Library and is included in their worldwide catalog.
 
Rolf was a frequent guest lecturer at BYU’s annual genealogy conference for many years, and represented the Logan Family History Library teaching Swedish research throughout Cache Valley, Utah. He has lectured as far away as San Francisco, California. His professional career began in data processing, but ultimately led to a position in the Family History Department (originally the Genealogical Department) of the LDS Church in 1972, where he remained until his retirement in 1997. A highlight of Rolf’s career was a 1989 presentation for the Swedish Genealogical Society, detailing the Family History Library Catalog’s conversion from a card file to an automated research tool. Rolf presented the information before main archivists from Sweden, Norway and Denmark, private researchers from every region in Scandinavia, and members of local Swedish historical chapters, as well as hundreds of townspeople. The presentation was so well received that it inspired greater interest in further record preservation in Scandinavia and, from then on, greatly facilitated cooperation between the Family History Library and valuable Scandinavian records repositories.
 

Walter C. Meyer

Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada of Swiss immigrant parents, Walter graduated from the University of Alberta as a dentist in 1961. He worked as an academic in the Faculty of Dentistry in Edmonton, Alberta for three decades, retiring as Professor and Chairman of Operative Dentistry in 1994. He has been involved in genealogy for decades and functioned as an Accredited Genealogist specializing in Swiss research serving clients from the early 1990s to 2004. He has served as a worker and director in the stake extraction program and as director of the stake UDE program. In addition, he has been for years and is still a volunteer in the Family History Centre of the Edmonton Bonnie Doon LDS Stake, presently acting on the board of directors and in charge of the computer systems there. A member of the Alberta Genealogical Society (AGS) for many years, Walter instructed and assisted in course presentations in various places in Alberta both for the AGS and the Family History Centre. His written works include articles published in the Alberta Genealogical Society Journal and two books related to his own family history. In addition to his genealogy background, Walter played the cello from the age of 13 years, and was a member of symphony orchestras in both Calgary and Edmonton as well as various chamber music ensembles. He also performed as a soloist in concerts, radio broadcasts and television. He is currently a member of the Edmonton Swiss Men's Choir and the Ergo Cantamus male quartet, and has performed throughout Switzerland, the US and Canada. Walter is married to Gwen Payne of Mountain View, Alberta and is the father of six children and 22 grand children.
 

Wayne T. Morris
Wayne passed the accreditation exam specializing in Mid-South States research.
 

David H. Pratt

David received a Ph.D. in British History from the University of Nebraska in 1975. He is now Professor of History, Emeritus at BYU. He trained as a researcher at the Family History Library where he worked from 1960-65 and wrote their first accreditation examination for English research. His previous publications include "The Skaggs Saga" (1979); English Quakers and the First Industrial Revolution (New York, 1985); Researching British Probates, 1354-1858 (Wilmington, 1992); "Mary Cannovan: Life as a Pre-Famine Immigrant in Liverpool" (1995); and "Signposts and Surname Patterns" (1997). He received the silver tray award from the Utah Genealogical Society in 2004 for "scholarly contributions to the field of genealogy."
 

 
 
Robert E. Thompson
Robert passed the accreditation exam in 1990 specializing in Southern States research.
 

Toni R. Turk

Toni has been actively engaged in genealogical research since 1963. He received his accreditation in 1970 in Southern States research. Toni was the first Slavic Area Research Specialist with the Genealogical Society of Utah. In that capacity he initiated microfilming discussions with the Chief Archivists of the Soviet Union, Poland and Czechoslovakia in their respective nations. After a brief time in that capacity he transitioned into the world of vocational genealogy. Toni completed a master’s thesis on the "Thirty-fourth Battalion Virginia Cavalry, CSA," the unit of an ancestor during the War Between the States. He also conducted a major genealogical study on the Lyman Wight Colony entitled "The Kingdom of God as a Buffer State: The Mormons in Texas." Other works published by Toni include: "Sturdivant Cemetery, Palo Pinto County, Texas: A Genealogical Study" (1992), as well as "Rooted in San Juan" (1995), which was published as San Juan County’s (UT) Centennial Legacy Project . Currently Toni is deeply involved with the Guild of One-Name Studies for the surname TURK and its 480 identified variant spellings. He manages the TURK database which is linked through www.turkgenealogy.com on WorldConnect. This database is updated weekly. The master database contains nearly 60,000 names. He also manages the TURK Surname Y-DNA Project. He is aggressively working to merge the tools of genealogy with the science of genetics. His work is addressed in greater detail at his personal website http://www.the-turkfamily-of-blandingutah.com/.
 

Barbara H. Young

Barbara H. Young has conducted genealogy research for over twenty-five years, specializing in Swedish and Danish research. She received formal genealogical training from Brigham Young University and has since conducted extensive research in the Lutheran Church records, as well as judicial and military records throughout Sweden. Barbara continues to be actively engaged in her own research in Sweden and Denmark and enjoys helping others research their families on a volunteer basis.