Serving the midwest and other general family history research
If I told you the King died, then the Queen died, that’s a sequence of events. If I told you the King died, and the Queen died from grief, that’s a story. Your family history has a story, too, even if it doesn’t have royalty in it. Hire a freelance genealogist who knows Indiana and Midwestern records to uncover your Midwestern roots.
You know how far you’ve come from when you understand where you come from.
In addition to copywriting and research work for businesses and organizations, I help individuals get started with genealogical research.
I’ll help you plan out what you know, map out what you don’t know, and execute a family history search using all the latest online tools, military records, and vital records. And I have immediate access to resources like the Indiana State Library, Indiana Historical Society, Allen County Public Library, and dozens of other Indiana historical societies. Many of which may contain photos, family bibles, or the missing link to your family tree.
Contact me to start talking about your family history. There’s no risk to you and no fee until we start genealogical research in earnest.
Discover your family’s history
Send me a note below to get started. You can also call me at 317-395-3875.
Email Justin
Historical research that goes beyond a family tree chart
Indiana genealogy research encompasses a lot of Quaker, German-American, and Italian-American family research. I can help you identify a mere tree along one or more branches or go further and write family timelines that bring your social history to life.
Did my family cross Ohio or Kentucky? Did my forefathers support Lincoln and the Union or the Confederacy? What impact did slavery have on my family? What other documents, journals, and photos can we find about my ancestors? How many professionals, farmers, or clergy are in my family?
Find out more about your ancestors and learn more than just data. Contact me to get started.
Justin’s genealogy specialization and experience
- Eastern, New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest states American genealogical research
- Colonial, revolutionary, nineteenth, and twentieth-century research
- Military, naturalization, and immigration records
- German, British, Welsh, Scottish, and western European origination
- Lutheran church records, as well as Quaker and Society of Friends records
FAQs about my Midwest-focused genealogical research
What kind of libraries do you have access to?
I live in West Michigan, and I’ve spent years in the Indiana State Library, the Indiana Historical Society, and the Allen County Public Library’s excellent genealogy center in Fort Wayne. Much of the work happens online now, and depending on your needs and budget I can still travel to libraries and county records, including the Washington County Historical Society, where I had my first job.
Do you conduct forensic genealogy?
No, but if you have DNA results from some other test and want to share, that can be helpful.
What’s your documentation process like?
I follow common sense, good hunches, and the genealogical proof standard. Your family history begins with what you know, then what we can find that leads to good clues, then finding the documents to back it up.
What sort of genealogy research have you done? What’s your genealogical research experience?
At one time, I may have been one of the youngest genealogists in Indiana or the Midwest. My first job was with the Washington County Historical Society when I was 15. There I helped people discover photos and family bibles and records they had thought long-lost to the past.
Today much of these records are online, and I have access to all the popular online services. But a lot still gets done in the card catalogs and musty shelves of a local genealogical library or society.
What do you know about Indianapolis history? Can you help me find out information about some non-familial events in history?
I always love needing out on some good Hoosier history. Contact me and let’s talk.
What do you charge? How is this priced?
Carefully and thoughtfully. Depending on your immigration status, family history, the kinds of brick walls you’ve already run into or might, and how many branches you’re looking at, things get messy. As research goes, I can charge at $40-$50/hour. Typically I try to get at a fixed-price number before we start so budgeting is easier for you.