Jan Villemaire

By Jan Villemaire

Jan Villemaire was raised on an apple farm in upstate New York in an area where her family members were the first settlers in the early 1800's. Her interest in history and genealogy began many years ago when she started researching all of her ancestors from Europe who settled in New York from the late 1600s to the early 1800s. She believes it is important for the present and future generations living in the Santa Cruz Mountains to know about the amazing history and people who settled this area. The Loma Prieta Museum is fulfilling that need, and she is helping with the Early Settler database and with events for the community to learn and enjoy.

After high school in 1962, Jan came to California and graduated from San Jose State University in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work. She worked for 34 years as a Social Worker for the Santa Clara County Department of Social Services. She has been living in the Santa Cruz Mountains since 1978, when she and her husband built a house on five acres and moved from San Jose. Her two girls and two grandchildren have been through grades K-8 in the Loma Prieta and C. T. English Schools. She was a volunteer in the classrooms, Home and School Clubs, Girl Scouts, and started a Young Astronaut Club at CTE. After retirement, she volunteered with MERC, Red Cross Disaster Services, and animal rescue groups. She enjoys her family and cat, living close to nature, hiking, and Tai Chi.