Appointed Member - GSSA National Familia Editor - Gina Shepherd 2023
Gina Shepherd (neé Selmic) was born on 3 September 1975 in Johannesburg (Johannesburg General Hospital, otherwise known as Joburg Gen) to Radosav Selmic (1951-2021, an ethnic Serb from the former Yugoslavia) and Heleen Philippé van Rooyen (1954- ) (originally of Vryheid in Natal). Gina spent her formative years in Durban, and then later when her father was employed on the mines moved to Evander in what was then the Transvaal (today Mpumalanga) and completed her schooling in Secunda.
Gina read for a degree in History and Anthropology (a double major) at Unisa, but this is not yet completed. She has always had an intense interest in subjects such as history, anthropology, archaeology, and in particular genealogy. She has also studied horticulture.
Her great-grandfather, Ignatius Michael van Rooyen (1892-1985) of Vryheid (married to Alida Elizabeth Johanna Louw (1892-1991) of Bethal) was an avid genealogist and a history teacher by profession. From very young Gina was told stories about her maternal family, and it sparked an interest and curiosity early in life that never wavered. Her maternal grandmother, Philippa van Rooyen (born Philippina Roselina Jonker (1925-2018) who grew up in Paulpietersburg) also loved history. She had an exceptional memory and was a keen extrovert, chatting to everyone, and making many connections and learning much family information. They spent a great deal of time together, so Gina’s knowledge of her extended family grew extensively over the years. One of her greatest treasures is a sewing tin filled with old family photos inherited from her great-grandmother Anna Jacomina Barbara Jonker, born Raubenheimer.
Gina initially worked in the IT field as a business and systems analyst,but this career was cut short by severe illness in her 30s. Not one to dwell in misery she used this opportunity to spend much more time on genealogical research. For the last nearly quarter of a century she has worked intensively on her genealogy, with a particular focus on the van Rooyens, descended from the first progenitor, Cornelis. This is an enormous family, and the work has showed no sign of slowing down over the years. The work began with her Natal van Rooyens, which were initially researched by her great-grandfather, and then the research grew a will of its own, as these things tend to do. Gina worked as a professional genealogist for ten years which hugely increased her broader experience.
Gina is married to Matthew Ingram Shepherd (born Durban 5 October 1970) and they have a daughter Isabella (married to Dwayne Delport) and a grandson, Benjamin, who is the light of their lives.
Other hobbies include growing (primarily) South African succulents (with a particular interest in stapeliads) as well as knitting and crochet. She also has a keen interest in geology, botany, biology, mathematics, as well as science and reads extensively in these subjects along with her reading in history, anthropology and related subjects. She has held the editorship of Familia since beginning 2023