In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Todd Yost Purcell and June Packer Purcell of Salt Lake City, UT believed a Purcell genealogy organization would benefit all Purcells in their research. During his travels, Todd gathered names and addresses of Purcells from phone books and June wrote more than 1500 letters during the first year offering an exchange of information and discussing the possible establishment of a formal Purcell organization.

 

The Purcell Family Genealogical Society was organized in 1972 as a non-profit organization in Utah and incorporated as Purcell Family of America (PFA) in 1978. The first journal was issued in April 1972 and is still being published more than three decades later.

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Forrest Eugene Purcell and Alice Christ Purcell of Dayton, OH were recruited as the first Journal Editors and as additional membership recruiters, and they served in that capacity until 2000. Journal printing and mailing remained with Todd and June Purcell in Salt Lake City, UT until 1982 and then became the Editor’s responsibility.

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A Board of Directors oversees the Association’s activities and Officers are elected every three years at the Association’s Reunion.

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You may read a more detailed history of the Purcell Family of America, as told by the founder Todd Y. Purcell, at this link.