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Family Trees

Let me build your Ancestry.com family tree for you.

It is an honor that I take seriously when I am invited to research a family's lineage. I'm grateful to do work that brings me so much joy. I've had the privilege of uncovering surprises for families who weren't expecting them, and bringing closure to families who have been searching for answers. 

 

I specialize in USA lineage, tracing the journey of a family from where it is now, back to their origin point in this country.

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Small Projects

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Pricing

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Complete
Family Trees

A small research project may only take 2-4 hours. An example of this would be searching for historic newspaper articles about one ancestor.

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Another example of a small project would be tracing just one surname rather than both paternal and maternal, which would be around 8-10 hours.

 

Email me so we can talk about your goals and make a plan.

I like it when people are transparent about cost, so I let my clients know that I charge $25 per hour.

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After we chat about your goals and make a plan, I accept half down on my estimated cost upfront. If the project ends up becoming more complex than we expected we will discuss further hours before I charge more than my estimated price. Remaining balance paid upon completion. Of course, if it takes less time than expected your remaining balance will be reduced.

A full family tree includes all available census data; records of births, marriages, and deaths; addresses; occupations; immigration details; and hopefully some photographs and news articles to bring personalities to life. I am meticulous in my research, and excited to find personal details which help you "meet" your ancestors.

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Traditionally, we are tracing two surnames back to their US point of origin, which typically takes me 16- 20 hours.

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Learn More

Beyond The Basics

Expanding and sharing your family tree

Information Packet

This is a popular "no frills" choice for sharing a paper copy (or email copy) of your family tree with relatives. I will compile the Ancestry family tree pages into one PDF that can easily be emailed or printed to share with family. This will include one family tree page, and a page for each direct-line person (includes birth and death info, addresses, occupations, names of parents, siblings, spouses, and children). This is a good way to view data, but only includes small thumbnail photos. Will need to be printed on legal-sized paper (8.5 x 14). Once I email it to you, you can print as many as you'd like.

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$25 + $1 per relative

Hardcover Heirloom Book

Ancestry.com is partnered with a company called MyCanvas. They are synched up so that MyCanvas can import your family tree to make a beautiful, full-color book. The book would include good quality photographs, scanned copies of real documents, and makes an excellent gift. This is something that you can complete on your own. A finished book usually costs about $150 - $200. I am not involved with this in any way.

 

However, creating a MyCanvas book can sometimes be confusing or overwhelming. I am familiar with the process, and for my hourly rate, can help import the data and design your book.

People of Color

I am sensitive to the history of BIPOC and refugees in the USA, and how it differs from the more "ordinary" immigration stories. Let's talk about your family, and I will seek out whatever is available to bring clarity and closure. It may be more than you expected. I will simply prioritize the potentially more time consuming research so that I am spending paid hours getting to the heart of the story first. If I can't find the information you were looking for, I can usually direct you toward a specialist who can.

Dead Ends and DNA

Sometimes when history is very unknown, like in the case of a closed adoption, or as the descendant of enslaved people, an AncestryDNA test can connect some dots and point you in the right direction. This is how I was able to find my dad's biological parents after 85 years. I can help you make sense of AncestryDNA results and connect those dots. There's a good chance of finding at least one solid lead. I am not here to sell AncestryDNA kits, I just understand how to interpret the relationship results.

Documenting
same-sex marriages,
as well as transgender
and 
non-binary people

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I am delighted to document everybody's stories, exactly the way they should be documented. Tell me what that means for you, and we will work together to create a family tree that makes sense.

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In my own family tree I have connected same-sex couples as life partners because they lived before being gay was legal, let alone gay marriage. This is something that is important to me because I am proud to celebrate and share who they were. It is a way to honor and validate our loved ones, even if they were not recognized in their lifetimes.

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I am also not here to question your gender, or the genders of your loved ones. Ancestry allows us to add a person to a tree without a gender label, and to connect any genders together as married or partnered. Families with children can also be documented. For research purposes I may need birth certificate information, but we can talk about what ways you might feel comfortable documenting previous legal names (or not), and what you do or do not want to be visible on Ancestry.com. Please feel free to tell me what is right for you and we will go from there.

What's Included?

You get your own family tree in Ancestry.com which you can access forever and can share with loved ones. You will be able to continue your own work on it if you choose.

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FULL DATA FOR DIRECT LINE ANCESTORS*: When I create a family tree I include a robust amount of information for each ancestor in your direct line, meaning: parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. This includes, birth date and location, marriage records, US immigration records, US military records, death date and location, and burial information. It also includes census data, like sibling names, home addresses, and occupations. Since visuals bring history to life, I also do my best to obtain photographs of family members, immigrant ships, former homes, farm plot maps, and gravestones.

 

In some cases not every piece of information is available for every ancestor. I will always do my best to obtain everything possible. I have the best luck finding information for ancestors who lived at least part of their lives in the United States. 

FAQs and Getting Started

How do we start this process?

1 - Email me, or set up a phone call, so that we can discuss your goals.

 

2 - Once I understand what you need from me, I will email you an agreement that explains what I plan to complete for you, and an estimate for price and timeframe.

 

3 - If you agree to my estimate, you will make a deposit of half the cost.

 

4 - Set up your own Ancestry.com account if you don't already have one (this is free and I can show you how).

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5 - Give me access to work on the family tree in your Ancestry account (I don't need your password).

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How does payment work?

I accept payment through PayPal, Venmo, or a check by mail. If a project ends up becoming more complex than we expected we will discuss further hours before I charge more than my estimated price. Remaining balance will be due upon completion. If your project takes less time than expected your remaining balance will be reduced.

 

Do I need to pay for an Ancestry.com account?

You do not need to have a paid membership to Ancestry.com. You can set up a barebones tree in your own free account, and then I can use my paid credentials to fill in more robust data for you.

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How are you able to access my Ancestry family tree?

I do not need (or want!) your password. Once you've set up an Ancestry.com account, all you need to do is get your tree started with two relatives, and then give me "editor" rights to your family tree. I am happy to help you through this process.

 

With editor's rights, I am able to use my credentials (I have paid access to U.S. and global records) to fill your tree with information and documents. As I input these pieces of information into your tree, you will be able to see my progress.

 

Since your tree is created in your account, you retain full ownership (not me). Through your Ancestry account you will have access to everything I put into your tree, forever. ​

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You will always have the option to continue researching on your own, by upgrading to a paid Ancestry.com membership. And, you will always be able to share your tree online with loved ones.

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Do you work for Ancestry?

I am not affiliated with Ancestry.com, I have just mastered it in a way that makes me quicker and more accurate than a beginner user. 

Payment Center

Once we've made a plan to get started, I can accept payment through PayPal, which allows you to pay securely by credit or debit card. I also accept Venmo if that's what you prefer.

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