Jeanette Bornholt loves her heritage. German on one side and pure Southern on the other, she said she got the best of both worlds — when it came to food, anyway.

“I had the German cooking, and then of course, the Southern cooking, so that's always a fun thing, that kind of tradition that we can pass on,” she said.

And she wants everyone else to know about their own heritage, too.

Bornholt, 71, grew up in Elberta, and she developed a fondness for history and family early in life. Whether it's her cooking, antique collections, art or storytelling, Bornholt has always had a knack for preserving and retelling history.

“We're big storytellers,” she said. “I'm kin to the Underwoods, and if youre kin to them, you tell stories. That's part of our heritage.”

It's fitting, then, that Bornholt has been the librarian in charge of genealogy and local history at the Foley Public Library for more than 20 years.

“There's always something to be interested in here,” she said. “My grandchildren think I'm older than dirt because I know so much and I've been around so long, but I'm interested in it. And of course, working here and helping to organize family histories, you pick up on so much more.”

Because of her expertise and storytelling skills, Bornholt is often invited to speak at meetings and events.

“I tell people, I'm going to give you the history, but it's going to be a little bit different twist than what you read in books,” she said. “This is really actual local history. So it's a fun thing to do that.”

One story she loves to tell is how pigs used to run around in Foley in the early 1900s before there were stock laws. An ordinance was finally passed after a pig tried to drag a baby out of its carriage on the street.

Through her work at the library, Bornholt is also able to work one-on-one with people to help them trace their families back through the generations. And in addition to people who are just interested in genealogy, Bornholt also helps adopted children find their birth parents, helps reunite separated families and aids people trying to establish their Native American heritage.

“It covers more than just family history,” she said.

Naomi McCurdy of Foley has been trying to officially establish her Poarch-Creek lineage for several months. She was raised by family members who didn't share much about the family's history, and she is hungry to know more about her roots. If she successfully establishes her lineage, she can draw benefits from the Poarch-Creek Indians, but more importantly, she said, she'll feel recognized for her heritage and feel part of something bigger than herself.

“It settles questions,” McCurdy said. “And it's so important to belong.”

Bornholt traces families through census records, microfilms of newspaper clippings and any other means she has available.

“It's a bulldog attitude,” Bornholt said. “I like to think of myself as an advocate for anyone who wants to find their roots and their worth, whether it's an adoptee or of Native American lineage. I've seen people that come in here and walk out with some self-esteem about themselves because of what they've been able to find out.”

About two years ago, Bornholt helped a man from Australia find his biological family — his father was a soldier in WWII and lost touch with his mother after he moved back to the United States.

The father had died, but the Australian man was able to find his relatives, who lived in Baldwin County.

“The family was thrilled to see him,” she said “They welcomed him with open arms. Of course, in the South everything's food and family.”

The Foley Public Library's local history and genealogy department is on the second floor of the library and is open to the public. Ancestry.com is free for library patrons, and Barnholt encourages people to stop by and take advantage of the resources.