The Fuqua Family Foundation

In 1993, a group of Fuqua researchers decided to create a formal organization to act as a clearinghouse for Fuqua genealogical information. The intent was to try to identify and connect every “Fuqua” who has ever lived in this country.

 Among those in the group were Jan Babb, a descendant of “Guillaume’s” son Ralph, Bill Barlow, a corporate attorney with a general interest in genealogy, Frank Fuqua, a descendant of “Guillaume’s” son William, Claire Fuqua, Frank’s wife and a fan of the Fuqua family, Howard Jones, a descendant of “Guillaume’s” son Joseph, and Jane Locke, also a descendant of “Guillaume’s” son Ralph. These five people became officers of the Foundation.

 The construction of the Foundation’s database was placed in the hands of Claire Fuqua, a trained accountant who has a talent for spotting anomalies in date relationships, etc. The group, as a whole, undertook to gather Fuqua genealogical information from the family (and its researchers) at large, to compile that information for distribution to anyone who expressed an interest, and to conduct original research to fill in the gaps.

 Over the succeeding four years, great strides were made toward achieving the goals of the Foundation. Significant progress was made toward the seemingly impossible goal of identifying and connecting every “Fuqua.” Enormous amounts of genealogical information were received, integrated, and disseminated. The Foundation was able to resolve roadblocks with which some family researchers had struggled for many years. It was also able to establish contact between family members who had lost one another and, in a few cases, to facilitate contact between family members who had not known of each other’s existence.

 After four years of intense activity, two events occurred. The first was a significant reduction of information being received by the Foundation. This was a natural result of having received the bulk of what Fuqua researchers were able or willing to provide. The second event was the retirement of Frank and Claire Fuqua, who were conducting most of the “business” of the Foundation.

 Having thrown off the shackles of the corporate world, and having decided to use a fifth wheel trailer to see what was at the other end of the road, it was deemed appropriate to shut down the Foundation as a formal/legal entity, and to continue the Foundation’s activities on a more informal basis.

 The Foundation’s activities continue today. The database has grown to about 40,000 family members. Information exchange and dissemination continue. Focused  research by many of the original group continues.

 The primary means of query submission and response has shifted to facilities sponsored by Ancestry (See the Queries Section).