We are especially blessed to have great genealogical resources for Jefferson County, Iowa.  The foundation for this was laid by the work of Mary and Orville Prill. In the 1960s and and into the late 1970s this couple tramped and recorded the cemeteries of the county.  Mary's passion was genealogy.  She spent literally years daily researching the library sources, microfilms, old newspapers and courthouse records to meticulously organize and type the material into thirteen large volumes for the shelves of the Fairfield Library and the two State Historical Libraries in Iowa City and Des Moines.

Before Mary Prill died in 1979 she had enlisted the help of The Jefferson County Genealogy Society as well as others in the work she had been doing in Jefferson County genealogy.  Orville Prill died in 1997. 

Bill Rathbun, second County Coordinator

Joey Stark, current County Coordinator

 Verda proved to be a good one to carry on the work.  Since that time she has updated much of the work of the Prills and has moved ahead to publish 25 or more books and articles for the local genealogy library.  During many of those years she has served as the Corresponding Secretary for the Jefferson County Genealogical Society.  Over 4,600 researchers have called on Verda to help them and found her to be a wellspring of information.  She is most proud of the collection of over 10,000 Family Sheets and 273 Family Books/Folders on the shelves of the Fairfield Library. Researchers were most happy to share data.  No one else in this county is more knowledgeable about the early families of this county than Verda Baird.

 As of January, 2010, after 33 years of great help to researchers, Verda has decided to leave the majority of the research legwork to Richard Thompson. Thank you, Verda, for your many years of dedication and hard work!

Read Verda's "Farewell" article