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Genealogy Records for Windy McGaughy (born 1981, Key West, Florida)

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Florida Vital Records and Indexes (Birth, Marriage, Death)

Birth Records: Florida birth records from 1981 are restricted and not publicly indexed online (Florida law limits public access to births within the last 100 years). No open-access birth index entry was found for Windy McGaughy’s 1981 birth in Key West. If needed, a birth certificate can only be obtained through Florida’s Vital Statistics office (with proper authorization). Local newspapers (e.g. Key West Citizen) sometimes published birth announcements, but a search did not readily reveal one for 1981.

Marriage/Divorce Indexes: Florida has statewide indexes for marriages and divorces through 2001. The Florida Marriage Index, 1927–2001 (available on Ancestry) was checked for “Windy McGaughy/McGaughey” but no marriage was immediately evident. Similarly, the Florida Divorce Index, 1927–2001 could be searched for any record of Windy (no obvious entry found). FamilySearch offers a Florida Marriages 1830–1993 collection (images by county), but since Windy would likely marry after 1993, that free database may not cover her. At this time, there’s no indication of a Florida marriage record for Windy under her maiden name.

Death Records: There is no death record for Windy McGaughy in the Florida Death Index (1877–1998), which is expected if she is still living (as of 2025 she would be ~44 years old). She also does not appear in the Social Security Death Index (which lists deaths reported up to 2014). This suggests that Windy McGaughy is likely still alive (or any death occurred after the publicly indexed period).

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Public Records and Resident Listings

Modern public records databases can provide clues on residence and family. The U.S. Public Records Index (a nationwide compilation of address records) and the U.S. Index to Public Records, 1994–2019 are potential sources. A search of Florida resident databases shows no 1981-born “Windy McGaughy” as a registered voter or resident, implying she may not be currently in Florida under that name. (Notably, the only similar name in Florida’s voter registry is Windy Morgan McGaughy, born 1971, in Gainesville — a different individual likely related only by surname.) Windy’s absence from Florida public listings suggests she moved out of state or changed her name (e.g. via marriage).

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Kentucky Connection – Birth of Child (1997)

Genealogy research uncovered evidence that by the late 1990s Windy McGaughy was living in Lexington, Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Birth Index, a child named Aaron Clay McGaughey was born on 8 November 1997 in Fayette County, KY, and the mother is listed as Windy M. McGaughey. (The index notes “Windy M. McGaughey” as the mother’s maiden name, suggesting she had not changed her surname at that time.) This indicates Windy (age 16 in 1997) gave birth in Kentucky. The same record is reflected on genealogy sites: “Aaron Clay McGaughey was born 8 Nov 1997 to Windy M. McGaughey in Fayette County, KY.” This Kentucky birth record is a strong clue that Windy relocated from Florida sometime in her childhood/teen years.

Follow-up: The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives provides public birth index data through 1999, and Reclaim the Records has made the Kentucky Birth Index (1911–1999) freely available. For more detail on Aaron’s birth record or to obtain a certificate, one could contact Kentucky Vital Records, but the index entry confirms the basic facts.

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Later Residence and Records in Kentucky

Further evidence places Windy McGaughy in Lexington, KY as an adult. A 2019 announcement by Special Olympics Kentucky publicly congratulated Windy McGaughey of Lexington (note spelling with “ey”) as the winner of a charity raffle, and mentioned her son Aaron in the photo caption. This confirms that Windy and her son were residing in Kentucky and involved in the community as of 2019.

Additionally, Windy McGaughy appears in local Lexington context through family connections: for example, the obituary of Everett Dell Jones (Lexington, 2019) lists Windy McGaughey (along with a Justin McGaughey, likely a sibling) among his grandchildren, and names Aaron and Austin McGaughey as great-grandchildren. This suggests Everett Jones was Windy’s (maternal) father or grandfather. Likewise, an earlier obituary (Mary Jones, 2009) also references Aaron and Austin as great-grandchildren, reinforcing the family link.

These obituary records are valuable as they tie Windy to the Jones family of Lexington and provide names of relatives (useful for building a family tree).

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Additional Resources and Next Steps

FamilySearch Family Tree & Ancestry Trees: While living persons are often hidden for privacy, you may find family tree entries for Windy’s relatives. For instance, someone might have created a tree for the Jones or McGaughy family that includes Windy as a private individual. Searching FamilySearch or Ancestry’s public member trees for Windy’s parents or known relatives (e.g. the Jones family in Lexington) could yield clues.
Genealogy Websites: The site YourRoots.com (Florida section) provides a useful list of record sources [2] (https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county/florida). Many of those databases (Florida marriage/divorce indexes, public records index, etc.) can be searched via Ancestry or FamilySearch. For example, Ancestry’s Florida Marriage Index 1927–2001 and Florida Divorce Index 1927–2001 are relevant for late-20th-century records. Even if Windy didn’t marry in Florida, these indexes can be used to check for any McGaughy marriages that might be related (parents, siblings, etc.).
Local Archives: Since Windy was born in Key West (Monroe County, FL), local archives or libraries in Key West might have newspapers or announcements around 1981. The Monroe County Public Library or Florida Keys Genealogical Society could assist in finding a birth announcement or any mention of the McGaughy family in Key West.
Public Records (post-2000): For more recent information, consider using public-record search tools (PeopleFinder, LexisNexis, etc.) or Florida’s MyFloridaCounty public records search which sometimes includes marriage or court records by county. Kentucky’s voter or address records might be available via online directories as well. For example, the Lexington city directory or phone books in late 1990s/2000s might list Windy or her family.

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Summary

Windy McGaughy (often spelled McGaughey in records) was born in 1981 in Key West, Florida, but the key findings show her trail leading to Lexington, Kentucky. We have a confirmed birth of her son in KY in 1997, evidence of her residence in Lexington and family ties there through 2019, and references in Lexington family obituaries connecting her to the Jones family. These clues provide a solid starting point for further research – the next steps could include contacting Florida for a birth record, exploring Kentucky records for any marriage or additional children, and leveraging family tree resources to piece together Windy’s ancestry and descendants.

Sources Cited

Florida and Kentucky index listings (birth, marriage, death) on Ancestry/FamilySearch
Kentucky birth index entry for Windy’s son
Special Olympics Kentucky announcement (2019) [8] (https://www.facebook.com/sokentucky/posts/congratulations-to-windy-mcgaughey-of-lexington-you-are-the-winner-of-the-2019-d/10156973484411849/)
Kerr Brothers Funeral Home obituary excerpts (Lexington) [11] (https://www.kerrbrothersfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Everett-Dell-Jones?obId=30245262)
Florida voter directory info