This morning’s RootsWeb Review brought with it the sad news that long-time editor, Myra Gormley has retired. I know I speak for the Ancestry/RootsWeb editorial staff when I say that her expertise and wonderful sense of humor will be greatly missed. We wish you the best of luck in all you do Myra!
Below is the text from the RootsWeb Review as it appeared this morning:
After ten years of expertly compiling and editing the RootsWeb Review, Myra Gormley has decided to retire.
Myra began doing genealogy as an eleven year old, when she went to the local library and did research that disproved a family legend about Jesse James. But it wasn’t until she was in her thirties that she began consistently researching. After experiencing a measure of success doing her own genealogy, Myra proposed writing a column on genealogy to the local newspaper editor. It took several years for Myra to convince him that genealogy had a wide appeal, but from the moment her column, “Shaking the Family Tree,” launched in July of 1983, it experienced tremendous success. Soon the column was picked up by the Los Angeles Times syndicate and passed to other newspapers and readers around the nation. Myra continued writing the column for nineteen years.
Some of Myra’s other accomplishments as a genealogist include spending nine years writing a column and answering genealogy questions for Prodigy, an early Internet Service Provider, publishing numerous magazine articles and three books on family history, and helping to found the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors.
The RootsWeb staff will miss Myra’s willingness to answer their genealogical questions and write guides for the site. And readers of the RootsWeb Review will miss her editorial expertise and years of genealogical know-how. Thank you, Myra, for all your hard work over the years and for helping all of us to overcome our own genealogical roadblocks and connect with our past. We will miss you.
Sincerely,
The RootsWeb Staff
Note: Please be patient with us as we try to find a new editor for the RootsWeb Review. For the next month we will be re-publishing items from former issues of the newsletter. Hopefully this will give all of us a chance to review some important and interesting information from the last few years and to enjoy Myra’s work a few more times.
she will be missed !!!!
I am sorry to see you leave. When ever I had a question that I could not answer, I always turned to you for the answer and you always came thru. Enjoy your retirement, you have earned it, but I’m still sorry to see you leave. I met you first when I was on PRODIGY and have enjoyed your remarks to this day. As you will find, now that you have retired, That there is not enough hours in the day for what you want to do. God bless you for all you help you gave me. Doug.
Your mailings were both inspiration and prod. Whenever I got disgusted with misleading information that others posted as Gospel, you told a humorous story that brought it into perspective. Whenever I felt my brick walls were insurmountable, you had a story of victory over far higher ones. Whenever I felt that someone else coudl do a far better job, you reminded me that if I didn’t do it, no one else would. So thank-you for all you gave me and all the other fortunate recipients of your wisdom and cheer. Myra, you will be sorely missed. God bless you in all your new adventures. Perhaps we will be fortunate enough to have you return after a sabattical.
Happy Retirement Myra, you inspired us to look further, harder, to never give up. thank you for helping me with my research. You will be missed, I wish you happy days ahead.
Mary Turnbull, Canada
Yes, you were an encouragement and a source of solid help beginning in my Prodigy days. Just seeing your name on an article always gets my attention, because I know there will be something of value there. Please come back with a column from time to time. And enjoy retirement!!
Sue Dufour
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a few of Myra’s talks at local genealogy seminars. She always did a wonderful job and answered many questions for many of us. A true researcher and genealogist.
I wish you the best in retirement, Myra.