The TNGenWeb Project is immeasurably grateful for the long service and legacy of Reita Jones Burress.

A Lawrence County native, Reita retired from actively coordinating the Web site in April, 2023, after founding it in the Summer of 1996 and continuing to assist researchers for nearly 27 years.

In addition to gathering, preserving, and sharing massive amounts of information long before social media and on-line records’ availability, Reita spent thousands of hours learning how to create Web pages and transcribing/abstracting/indexing original records to share with others.  She expanded to founding member of historical organizations and Web content creator for other groups!

We continue to celebrate Reita as a foundational pillar of Lawrence County’s historical preservation efforts.