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BRING YOUR ANCESTORS TO LIFE: FAMILY HISTORIES

Don't get hung up on the unknown. We search for our ancestors because it is through them that we learn the most about ourselves. You may want to know details about your ancestor's lives. FINDFAM will write family histories that include details about the lives of the client's ancestors. These family histories are more than lists of names and dates. They bring the family to life through stories, photographs, events, and other details. Family histories may range from a soft-bound essay on the family to a fine leather-bound volume.

Every family has stories or tales that have been told for years. By creating an official family history, those tales may be verified or laid to rest. Understand how they lived, what they ate, and other intimate details about their lives. Detailed historical research may solve such questions as, how did Anna Stacia O'Keefe, a Catholic Irish woman, marry Charles Jacobs, a German Jewish immigrant?  Please see our prices for more information on our Family History service.

RESEARCH: GERMAN

      To begin searching for family lines in Germany, a client must first know the family's place of origin, such as a specific town or city. If the place of origin is known, the researcher will begin searching for records that may contain information about a client's ancestors. If this information is unavailable, the researcher will begin searching records in the United States for clues about the ancestor's place of origin. Many of these records are available through the Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some records must be obtained by writing letters to repositories in the United States or Germany. These repositories often allow access to records for genealogical purposes. Many of them charge fees to access the records. Some records are only available through onsite research, visiting the archive and copying the information from original records.

RESEARCH: U.S.

To begin searching for family lines in the United States, a client must begin with him- or her-self. Simple forms are available to begin documenting all that is known about one's family. These are known as family trees or pedigree charts. If living family members are available, they may be great resources for information.  Seeking out available information from family members may be assigned to the genealogist, or may be done by the client. FINDFAM will help the client know what questions to ask family members to locate information on the family.  Next, the researcher will analyze the available information and begin searching through repositories, archives, libraries, and vital records for information on tracing the family lines.

RESEARCH: ON SITE

In some circumstances, on-site research is more cost-effective and provides access to more records than library research. Clients may choose to pay travel expenses for the researcher to concentrate research time in the area where the ancestors came from. All expenses for on-site research are pre-approved by the client. If the client chooses to do the on-site research, FINDFAM will provide a research consultation session to assist the client. The consultant will help the client create a travel plan that will maximize the success of the trip.

DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL

FINDFAM offers a service that is helpful for any researcher. Often individuals are interested in obtaining a copy of a book page, an index from a book, or an image from a microfilm or microfiche. FINDFAM is in close proximity to the Family History Library and has access to millions of documents. Clients may request a document retrieval account. Reasonable requests may be e-mailed to clients within 72 hours of the receipt of a retainer and request.  The client will provide a microfilm number or call number, and page number or item number if available. If extended research is required to obtain images, please refer to our 'Research' services. Please see our service prices for more information on this service.