About Our Library
Elmer's Genealogy Library is an extensive resource for anyone researching their family tree. We have thousands of books as well as numerous microfiche & microfilm records.
We have a search built into our site for you to use. You can do a search here. If you find our site helpful to you in your quest and would like to make a donation it would be greatly appreciated.
At our Library, you will receive one-on-one help with your project. We love to research and are available to help you with your efforts. You are invited to come to the Library and search our resources.
If you request help from our Library over the internet without coming into the Library, our policy is to charge $40 per hour for non-members, and $20 an hour for members. Payment is due before receiving the end product. We accept Visa and Mastercard over the telephone at 850-973-3282.
Board of Directors
Our Board of directors is made up of diverse leaders from all over the United States. Each of us have an interest in making Elmer's Genealogy Library a great source for genealogy and community projects.
Elmer's Genealogy Library is a serious endeavor to collect and make genealogy research material available.
Meet Our Board Members John Cloyd - Jasper, Florida, Businessman Phillip Combs - NFCC Professor, Retired Cary Hardee - Madison, Florida, Lawyer Jackie Johnson - Business Owner and former Madison Mayor Ann Mc Leod - US Air Force Colonel, Retired Ed Meggs - Madison Community Bank, President Tim Sanders - Clerk of Madison County Court Kay Schnitker - Madison, Florida, CPA Elizabeth “Beth” Sims - Historian, Author and Board Member Ameritus Elmer Spear - Elmer’s Genealogy Library, Founder June Spear - Accountant, Retired E. L. “Boe” Williams - Business Owner and Genealogist Curt Witcher - Library Manager and Lecturer
How This All Started - by Elmer C. Spear, Founder
I am sure that "Prof" Kohler had no idea how a project that he assigned to his High School Junior students in 1960 would impact Elmer Spear. It is for certain that Elmer did not. Prof Kohler wanted his junior English students to write a story about their ancestry. I was lucky to have all four of my grandparents alive and living in my home town. So off I went in my 1949 Studebaker and talked to them about our heritage. Unbeknownst to me, after I visited them, my Grandmother Alma Miller got to thinking about her family. She wrote letters (remember the days before the internet?) and got some responses. After her death I inherited her papers.
I stuffed them away for about 20 years and after I sold my airfreight business in Tampa in 1986 I came across this work. It piqued my interest and I was off and running. Because ALL of my family lived in Ohio I found that there was an Ohio Genealogy Society and joined it and their Florida Chapter. After attending a Florida conference, I volunteered to be their newsletter editor. The chapter had 71 members at that time. For about 10 years I was editor and held several other positions in the chapter. When I left them they had 348 members. To be sure my newsletter was worthy I began exchanging with the other chapters and I also started to purchase books to help me fill the newsletters with interesting genealogical information.
The first book I purchased was "75 years of Marriages in Wayne County, Ohio." In the past 15 years I purchased over 18,000 books. With the donations to the library our books total today stands at 20,000. These books cover every state in the union and many overseas countries.
In 2000, I (along with about 35 other helpful folks) moved the library into a new $350,000 building. In 2001, I formed a corporation to run the library in my absences. I know that I am not immortal and will not always be here. That Board is dedicated to seeing that this library continues on forever.
In 1999 I was selected as Genealogist of the Year by the Florida State Genealogy Society. This was the highlight of my Genealogy career until 2003 when the Federation of Genealogy Societies awarded me their Distinguished Service Award at their Orlando Conference. I have won four first place awards, two second places awards, and one honorable mention (the only time this was ever awarded) in different newsletter writing contests. I have also been the editor or co-editor of over 25 books on genealogy and have even published one cookbook.
Thank you "Prof" for a great career! We do not make any money but we enjoy helping folks and that is very satisfying.
