The Georgia Genealogist

We understand the dynamics of southern families and their ancestor families because we are southern.

Yvonne Mashburn Schmidt, CG®

Yvonne owns The Georgia Genealogist, Inc. She holds Boston University's Certificate of Genealogical Research and the Certified Genealogist® credential awarded by the Board for Certification of Genealogists®.

She focuses on Georgia and Deep South Research, Genetic Genealogy, and Forensic Genealogy. She works with the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, U.S. Army Past Conflicts Repatriations

Branch based in Ft. Knox, Kentucky. In this capacity, she identifies & locates Next of Kin & DNA-eligible family members of our Nation's unaccounted-for Heroes. She also accepts individual and legal client work and has an interest in Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy.

Yvonne is a Georgia native from the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in Cartersville, Bartow County, Georgia. She became interested in genealogy in 1989 as a hobby after both parents had passed away at a young age. As an only child she had no idea who her ancestors were. When DNA testing became popular she was able to document a surprising family story and a non-paternal event; Working with DNA helped prove her biological father's identity and sparked her interest in Genetic and Forensic Genealogy.

She resides with husband Rus, dogs Mug and Gracie, and near her three sons and their families in the small town of Vidalia (home of the sweet Vidalia Onion®) in south-central Georgia, about 90 miles from Savannah.

Lori Cook-Folger, CG®

Lori is the owner of Southern Genealogist, LLC. and has been researching since 1984. An old photograph where someone had written on the back, “Remember me–tho my face you can not see,” spurred her interest. Lori wanted to know who the woman was, and she wanted to remember her! Lori loves to piece together the details that make up a person’s life. All of our ancestors left clues to their everyday life in the records and photos they created.

Lori holds the Certified Genealogist® (CG) credential. Her background is in Southern research and some Midwest research. Lori's company and Yvonne's company. partner to work with the DPAA project.

Rus Schmidt

Rus is a retired school administrator and educator. He earned his Bachelor of Science undergraduate degrees from Murray State University with majors in English and History and a Minor in Art. He holds a M.Ed from the University of Montevallo with a Major in Secondary Education and Minors in Educational Leadership and Art. He also completed work toward a Doctorate (ABD) in Educational Administration and Planning at the University of Alabama. Before retiring, he worked almost 50 years in the public school systems of Alabama and Georgia as a high school administrator and middle school art teacher.

Rus became interested in genealogy after he retired and made the decision to join Yvonne in her work with the DPAA in 2018. He volunteers as a District Commissioner with the Satilla District Coastal Georgia Boy Scouts and teaches Native American beading and dance classes nationwide.

Emilie Mulkey

Emilie has worked with TGG part time since her high school years. She is an alumnus of Georgia Tech and graduated with a BSBA with dual majors in International Affairs with a concentration in European Affairs and the Transatlantic Relationship with concentration in Strategy and Innovation.

Em volunteers with the GA Tech Mock Trial team as a part-time advisor and is currently employed as a Senior Strategy Analyst for a well-known strategy and consulting firm in Atlanta. She also enjoys real crime podcasts. She is engaged to be married in 2023.