Discover Yourself, with Discover the Story of You
Professional Research Services
Embarking on your ancestral journey as a professional genealogist means recognizing that there is always more to uncover! With nearly 40 years of expertise in family history research, I am excited to offer my extensive sleuthing skills on your behalf. Together, we'll explore your personal history and create custom genealogy packages that feature a family tree filled with verified documentation, and showcases prominent ancestral figures. Additionally, I'll illuminate one of your most notable ancestors with a captivating (and hopefully enlightening) oral or written narrative, to bring that ancestor back to life within you!
Growing Your Family Tree
I don't just build trees; I grow them! Like any tree, they take time to bear fruit. In genealogy, nurturing a family tree to grow strong and healthy involves a deep ancestral journey, where I'll explore data, analyze history, and delve into immigration, census, military and church records; I'll seek & locate documents and news articles, and visit research libraries, town offices, and walk through cemeteries to photography tombstones & grave markers.
This thorough approach to researching your family history will help ensure that you receive a deeply rooted, healthy & leafy family tree; the legacy of how you, became you!
As an independent genealogist, I've lowered the cost of research packages and hourly rate, and offer customized genealogy packages on a sliding scale for low-income clientele.
I believe that discovering the story of you should be as affordable as possible, and I'll do my best to make that happen.
One-on-One Interviews
To begin your ancestral journey and create your family tree, we'll need to meet (in person or via online video chat) for an intake interview. During this 1-2 hour session, I'll gather some initial information (names, dates, etc.) necessary to kick off your family history research. Additionally, I'll learn what you hope to discover most about your ancestry and explain the custom genealogy packages available to support your journey. I'll also be happy to answer any questions you might have about your genealogy journey!
Document Retrieval Services
You know where the records for your ancestral journey are located, but if it's too far from your home and you lack the time to travel, I can assist you! If your records are in the Pacific Northwest, my custom genealogy packages include doing the legwork for you. Equipped with a 1200dpi hand-held wand scanner, I can access records in person from towns, churches, town offices, libraries, museums, and other locations within the region. I will meticulously scan your old records, documents, and newspapers to provide you with the clearest and crispest copies for your family history research!
Ongoing Research
Being a professional genealogist means recognizing that there’s always more to learn about your ancestral journey. Records don’t always match perfectly—spellings can change, documents may be transcribed incorrectly, or online records might be too old and fuzzy to read accurately. That’s why it’s essential to search for as many resources as possible, including engaging with other genealogists, accessing more libraries, and even visiting historical sites for better clues. It’s all about piecing together the information and analyzing it to ensure that the ancestor added to your tree is indeed your ancestor. Mistakes in family trees are common in this field, which is why utilizing custom genealogy packages can be beneficial, as new genealogy tools and resources are constantly emerging. Sometimes, your family history research deserves a fresh look and extra time—whether it’s to confirm with greater accuracy or to delve deeper into your family’s past. Send me a message when you’re ready to continue your journey!
Custom Packages Available
Discover The Story of You provides a range of custom genealogy packages designed to meet your needs, including the opportunity to collaborate with you to create a package that aligns perfectly with your family history research goals. Let's discuss your ancestral journey!