Celebrating Jennie Spring-Starr

For nearly three decades, Jennie Spring-Starr has been one of the Hilliard Ohio Historical Society's most dedicated volunteers and supporters. Since joining the Society in 1997, Jennie has shared her passion for local history, genealogy, and preservation in ways that have left a lasting impact on our organization.

Born at St. Ann's Hospital in Columbus in 1935, Jennie grew up in the Amlin, Hilliard, and Plain City area. Her family's roots in central Ohio stretch back to the early 1800s, giving her a deep appreciation for the people and places that shaped our community. During the war years, she spent summers with Grandpa and Grandma Gard in Amlin watching the trains go bye and waving at the engineer, or visiting her Grandparents on the Spring farm, although she admits she never learned to milk a cow.

Now 91 years old, Jennie has decided to slow down, ending an extraordinary chapter of volunteer service. Her remarkable life has been defined by both professional success and community leadership. She raised eight children, earned two college degrees (the second at age 70). Along the way she started a contracting business, developed residential and commercial properties, taught CAD programming, and led efforts to secure fair treatment for minority-owned businesses.

Her civic accomplishments are equally impressive. Jennie served as President of the Franklin County Genealogical and Historical Society, represented the Ohio Historical Society as a Statehood Day lobbyist, and received numerous honors, including the Leading Woman Executive in Southwest Florida award from the Florida Business Journal and recognition as one of the Top Ten Executive Women on the Sun Coast. Jennie's contributions to the Hilliard Ohio Historical Society have been immeasurable. When she joined the HOHS, she donated years of family history and genealogical research to our archives. She painstakingly organized and transcribed the Society's extensive collection of maps and land abstracts, making these valuable resources far more accessible to researchers.

Jennie volunteered in our archival library for many years, researching Hilliard-area families and helping visitors uncover their own local history. Even after she was no longer able to work at the library in person, she continued her research from home. Most recently, she donated an incredible 17 binders filled with the results of her ongoing genealogical work, ensuring that future generations will benefit from her dedication.

Jennie's generosity has extended far beyond her time. Over the years, she estimates she has donated more than $10,000 worth of bookcases, map cases, binders, supplies, and archival materials to help build and organize our library.

Although she is stepping back from the Historical Society, Jennie continues to stay active at her retirement community, volunteering at their library, maintaining its popular puzzle program, and leading a group of Ohio State fans known as the "Buckeye Buddies."

The Hilliard Ohio Historical Society is deeply grateful for Jennie's decades of service, generosity, and commitment to preserving our community's history. Her work has enriched our archives, strengthened our library, and provided an invaluable resource for countless researchers. We thank Jennie for all she has done and wish her many happy and healthy years ahead.