​My Story

 

Good history is a story. Stories are comprised of characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution. Many people can name the characters in their family stories, the individuals who make up their ancestry. But they either don't know much about those names, or what they do know is unsubstantiated family tradition. My goal is to find your family's true story. Through the analysis of family documents and public records combined with details of the social and historical setting in which your family lived, I provide a cohesive narrative which enables you to learn more about what your ancestors' lives were like as well as what might have motivated major life-changing decisions. I also seek to find what parts of your family legends are fact or fiction.

 

History and genealogy are life-long passions for me. I conducted my first genealogy project in high school when I started interviewing grandparents, great-aunts, and cousins, and compiling all of the bits of family history they knew or possessed.

 

In college I pursued a Bachelor of Arts in history from Andrews University and a Master of Information and Library Studies from the University of Michigan. During a nearly twenty-year career as a librarian, I have honed my research skills and continue to practice historical and genealogical research. Over the years I have become particularly interested in family narratives and the important role these stories play in transmitting family values, building self-esteem, and strengthening family bonds.

 

My particular areas of expertise include families and topics related to Nebraska, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. But as any good genealogist knows, family research is liable to take one anywhere in the world and I'm game for the adventure.

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