albert Einstein i’m not — but Our sessions will be

  • Personalized

    Our initial sessions will be dedicated to assessing your current genealogical questions and creating a personalized plan to fit your unique needs and goals.

  • Targeted

    Everyone has specific goals when it comes to answering their ancestorial questions. I’ll work closely with you to help identify and complete those goals.

  • Integrative

    In concert we will determine your exact needs and then provide you with oral or written documentation to fit those needs. Allowing you or other researchers to continue your quest in the future should you so desire.

How you’ll feel about your genealogy when we are done

more confident that you now know exactly where you came from

What is a genealogist’s Job

JOB DESCRIPTION

Genealogists use a variety of public and private records, such as court records, immigration records and original tax books to trace family trees and descendants. They work as consultants for their clients, and both advise and undertake lines of research.

Genealogists can conduct research from almost any part of the United States; however some specialize in a certain geographical area.

A career in genealogy as sole source of income is rare; many genealogists practice alongside other work commitments.

According to the book of Genealogy Standards published by the Board for Certification of Genealogists: Genealogists assemble research results into family histories, lineages, narrative genealogies, and pedigrees.  They also present research outcomes in articles, blogs, case studies, charts and forms, kinship-determination projects, narrative histories, and other written products and projects. Genealogists prepare written products for specific uses or users.  These products include seven categories: reports, lineage-society applications, source guides, methodology guides, compiled abstracts, reviews, and database programs.  Besides applicable documentation, research, and other writing standards, seven standards, address, respectively.

WORK ACTIVITIES

·        Liaising with historians, record agents and biographers. 

·        Consulting with clients to determine the information 
required and directing research accordingly. 

·        Undertaking archive research and applying knowledge 
of local history. 

·        Tracing personal histories of descendants. 

·        Compiling genealogical reports for clients. 

NORMAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING

No formal qualifications are necessary, although knowledge and experience in genealogy, social and local history and paleography are essential. Experience and/or a career in historical research, librarianship, archive administration can lead into genealogy at a professional level. Courses in genealogy/family history are beneficial. 

FAQs

This is a frequently asked question?

When you hire a genealogist, what are you paying for?

  • You are paying for their professional services which include:

  • Their experience level and education

  • Their broad understanding of genealogical principles

  • Their ability to find and access the necessary records in order to reach your goals

  • Their professional connections that can be used to reach your genealogical goals

  • Their ethics and respect for your privacy just as any other Professional Service Provider has

  • Their time on your behalf

This is a frequently asked question?

Is there a good definition for exactly what a Genealogist is?

“Genealogist consider historical boundaries and their changes, migration patterns and routes, and sources available for potentially relevant times and places. They also consider economic, ethic, genetic, governmental, historical, legal, linguistic, military, paleographic, religious, social and other factors that could affect the research plan and scope.” — Genealogy Standards, 2nd Edition

This is a frequently asked question?

What does it take to join a Native American Tribe?

  • CDIB (Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood) issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

  • Application and admission to the tribe from which you descend — Tribal requirements vary

This is a frequently asked question?

Why does my DNA not show that I am of Native American ancestry?

There are four answers to this question:

  • First and foremost, you just are not of Native American ancestry.

  • Your ancestors are too far back to provide any Native American DNA to you.

  • The DNA reference pool used by your testing agency is too small.

  • The Native American tribe in which your ancestors where members of ceased to exist and did not provide any DNA to the reference pool.

This is a frequently asked question?

What are the duties of a genealogist?

In addition to the duties listed above include the following:

  • Client Relations

  • Planning Reserarch

  • Data Collection

  • Deductive Reasoning

  • Using DNA Evidence if Required

  • Documenting Research

  • Continuing Education

This is a frequently asked question?

Does a Professional Genealogist do other things?

Yes. Many Professional Genealogist will:

  • Conduct Lectures

  • Instruct

  • Perform Expert Duties in Legal Matters

This is a frequently asked question?

What percentage of DNA do I inherit?

The following is the amount you inherit from each generation before you:

  1. From Your Parents - 50%

  2. Grandparents - 25%

  3. Great Grandparents - 12.5%

  4. Great, Great Grandparents - 6.25%

  5. Great, Great, Great Grandparents - 3.125%

  6. Great, Great, Great, Great Grandparents - 1.563%

  7. 5th Great Grandparents - 0.781%

  8. 6th Great Grandparents - 0.391%

  9. 7th Great Grandparents - 0.195%

Generally, you can find some DNA connection no further back than five generations. For Native American ancestry this assumes your relative is 100% Native American at the start.