Jill Jones-Lazuka was born and raised in Michigan where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy, but she claims her Tennessee birthright through heritage that extends back to before Tennessee was a state, It was decades later in life that she became interested in that heritage and documenting it.

Jill completed her internship in Music Therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and is a Registered Music Therapist. She has taken graduate courses in leadership at Tennessee Technological University, is a graduate of Leadership Morgan and the Leadership East Tennessee program.

Jill is involved in local genealogy societies, as well as national lineage societies. Her volunteer work with these societies includes: Morgan County Genealogical & Historical Society President, Friends of Frozen Head State Park Board member, Quarles-Burton Society board member, Honorary Chapter Regent Old Walton Road, past TSDAR Sequoyah District Secretary, past TSDAR State Chaplain, current TSDAR State Parliamentarian, NSDAR Correspondent Docent, past Chapter President USD1812, past State Corresponding Secretary USD1812, past Chapter Chaplain NSDU, past NSDU National Officer – Director General of Insignia, and current NSDU Corresponding Secretary General. She also holds membership in Daughters of the Confederacy, Daughters of 98, Southern Dames, and Descendants of American Farmers.

Jill worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 25 years. During that time, she has always worked as a pianist alongside her career. She is currently serving as a church pianist.

Jill has published five books – 4 family genealogies and her latest, Sunbright Potteries. She co-authored, Civil War Stories of Morgan County, and has been a contributing writer for several books, magazines, and blogs. She is currently co-authoring a murder mystery book based on an unsolved murder from the 1930’s.

Jill has recently been awarded honors from the Tennessee Association of Museums, East Tennessee Historical Society, and the Colonial Dames of the 17th Century. She is the recipient of the NSDAR Historic Preservation Medal.

Jill enjoys old cemeteries and grave dowsing. She speaks to groups across the state on the art of dowsing and headstone care and maintenance.

Jill currently lives in the Cookeville area with semi-retired husband, Marlon, and her two German Shepherds. Her daughter, Christina, taught high school math at Tennessee School for the Deaf before relocating to California to work in the computer programming field. She works as a freelance programmer and junior college instructor. Son, Joshua, works as an engineer and has a blacksmithing shop. He recently appeared on the History Channel show, Forged in Fire, where he won the competition.