Most people can’t say that their lineage is traced back to George Washington or the Egyptians, but Julie Mroz can say that this is true.

The granddaughter of Joyce Franklin, Sunset Hills Historical Society president, Mroz has been involved with genealogy her entire life in Sunset Hills. She was president of the Children of American Colonists, and now that she is older she is now involved in the Daughters of the American Revolution. Currently having their lineage traced back to the Magna Carta, Franklin and Mroz are working to trace further to the Egyptian pharaohs.

“My grandmother is huge into genealogy, so she got me involved when I was younger,” Mroz said. “We are actually related to George Washington and no one believed me when I was younger, so I got involved in it to prove that.”

Mroz also recently spent a semester abroad in Winchester, England. In her time in Europe she visited 10 countries, including the Nazi death camp Auschwitz in Poland. 

“It was definitely life changing. It’s such a good thing to see so you can know what people are capable of instead of just learning it in a classroom,” Mroz said. “It’s so different seeing it than just hearing a number (of people who were killed). The human hair room was just horrific.” 

Editor’s Note: Mroz is referring to a room at Auschwitz camp No. 1 where there is a huge case full of hair that was shaved off of the prisoners and used for pillow cases and other textiles. I visited there in October, and yes, it is horrific.

Now that Mroz is stateside, her focus is on law school. She has one brother who is a lawyer and one in law school. She takes the LSAT next week.

“We all have similar interests and are good in the same things like languages,” Mroz, who majored in French and political science. “I worked for my brother’s law firm and I loved working there.

She plans to perhaps major in international law so she can one day return to Europe. However, it depends on where she ends up going to college.

Franklin was quick to list her granddaughter’s service to the community.

“Julie headed up a project last year to support unwed mothers that were returning pregnant from the military,” Franklin wrote. “She organized girlfriends and they made stuffed toys for their children. Parents of her friends made baby quilts for the mothers. She (Mroz) has been an honor student her entire life.” 

Mroz currently is involved with her brother in another organization, St. Louis Suit Project that helps young men who can’t afford suits. She steams the suits and helps with donations. Proof that Mroz isn’t stopping her community service any time soon.