Afton E. Reintjes, 1927-2014. In Memoriam

I got word today that my dear friend Afton E. Reintjes passed away 11 Oct 2014 at 11:20 am in Shelley Idaho.  She was 87 years old.  Her ashes will be interred next to her beloved husband Paul, in Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery California.

For more than 25 years Afton traveled with me, researched with me, tended my booth at seminars and workshops all over the United States and into Canada.  Her handwriting is everywhere–it identifies genealogy resources and analytical notes for research projects underway.  She shared her vast genealogy knowledge with me, correcting mistakes and adding richness to family genealogies and histories we both worked on.

Afton was the author of three genealogy bestsellers–

  1. How to Trace “…a Little Bit of Indian.” This remarkable volume includes cultural and physical evidence of Native American background for those genealogists who have heard that they have “…a little bit of Indian” in their family background.
  2. Tennessee Research, first a seminar handout, then a full-fledged book, recently updated and expanded (2010).  Afton spent 6 months of the year on the ground in Tennessee researching local genealogy for clients.  In my opinion, no one could match her for knowledge about Tennessee and its families.
  3. Scotch-Irish Sources, first a  seminar handout, then a book, recently combined with three other volumes to form a complete treatise on Scots-Irish Research.  Researching a Scots-Irish background is one of the most difficult tasks in American genealogy today.  Afton’s insight provides a take-you-by-the-hand approach.

How I will miss her sage advice and companionship.  Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle  http://arleneeakle.com

 

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