I will research your family as if it were my own. My method is to search the internet, using some paid, mostly free databases, websites, message boards and search engines for your ancestors and their descendants. I like to put what I have found on a web site so that others in your family (known and unknown) can view it. Often this will produce more leads or at the very least will correct any errors or gaps in information. It also brings the extended family together. My method is informal, sometimes intuitive. I like to go where the path leads rather than follow a prescribed route. I will, however, limit my search to census records if that is what you prefer. I am willing to call cemeteries in search of your ancestors. I will help you send for birth, death and marriage certificates. I will correspond with distant cousins, in some cases, setting up a private mailing list of sorts to share information. This can be extremely successful if you happen to have distant cousins who have done a lot of research or who have a lot of family photographs.
Is there anything I do that you couldn't do yourself? No. I am not a certified genealogist. I have been doing this for 10+ years and have learned a lot of shortcuts. I enjoy the hunt. If you have the time and patience, you can do everything that I can do.
Subscribe to ancestry.com
and genealogy.com and you will have all the census information that I have. I am here for the folks who want to know more about their heritage but don't have the time to spend hours looking for dead people. (I say that in the most respectful way). I begin to feel like an honorary member of your family and I do my best to find every member of your extended family...even the children who died young. I find a special pleasure (and sadness) in finding children who were born after the last census and who died before the next one. I feel that I have reunited them with their family as they are often not included in the family history charts. They may not have gone on to produce offspring, but they were a part of the family. I do not have a large company with different people working on different parts of your family. I do all the searching myself. This allows for a certain degree of intuition or serendipity to occur for those difficult to find relatives. For me, genealogy is not just about putting a name on a chart (and he who finds the most names wins). It is about the evolution of a family. How they got to be where they are today. If this is the kind of help you want, hire me and I will help you find out everything I can about your heritage. If you have already gotten this far, you might need a certified genealogist to help you get further.
Are the web site and e-mail address mine to keep?
Yes they are yours to keep. The web site provider I prefer to use is geocities. They allow you to have both a web site and e-mail address for free. Both will have the same name. Geocities sites are easy to set up and maintain. You can take over the maintanence of your web site at any time and it is yours to keep for as long as geocities allows free sites. You can also upgrade to a larger site that has no pop-up ads if you should ever want to. I will, of course, create a site for you wherever you prefer (if you don't want geocities). You also don't have to have a web site or you can create your own with the information that I find. I'm flexible.
Should I research one branch at a time or the whole family tree?
My rule of thumb is to research all branches from one location at the same time. Family members often live on the same or nearby streets, are buried in the same cemetery etc.. When you are looking for one family member you are likely to find additional family members. It saves a lot of time when you search for the entire group. Eventually you will run out of leads for that group and then it is time to research an entirely different side of the family.
How much do you charge?
I charge a flat rate of $15.00 per hour plus expenses. Hours can be bought in 4 hour blocks*. The expenses would include any long distance phone calls I make on your behalf, the cost of sending for records (i.e birth, death or marriage certificates), printing or mailing costs, etc.. I can put all the records, photos, and information I collect on a CD-Rom. The cost is $3, plus shipping. I find it best to use a phone card for making long distance calls. The card can then be mailed back to you if there is any unused time left after our research has concluded. *You can buy one hour of time if you only want the census searched for a name or two and the results will be e-mailed to you. I accept your personal check for payment and begin research once it has cleared.
How do I hire you to do genealogy research?
If you would like to hire me, please use my order form to get the process started. Please note: your cost is based on the number of hours spent researching, not by the results. There is no way to guarantee that your relatives can or will be found. I do, however, have a good success rate. If you have any additional questions you may use the inquiry form to contact me.
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