Elegant family gathering around a long dinner table, vintage black and white photo, classic celebration scene, historical family event, Genealogy Gary.

Genealogy Services

Genealogy research is rarely linear — especially when records are fragmented, families were displaced, or long-held assumptions don’t hold up under scrutiny.

My work focuses on clarity over quantity. Rather than building expansive trees quickly, I help clients answer specific, meaningful questions using careful analysis, independent documentation, and clear reasoning.

How I Work

Most projects begin with a Genealogy Research Assessment. This ensures we understand what the existing evidence actually supports before committing time and resources to deeper research.

  1. Assessment — Evidence review and question clarification
  2. Focused Research — Targeted investigation where warranted
  3. Documentation & Synthesis — Clear conclusions and next steps

Genealogy Research Assessment

The assessment is a short, focused evaluation designed to address one clearly defined research question, such as:

  • Are these two individuals the same person?
  • Does the evidence support a proposed family connection?
  • Where does the existing research break down — and why?

This step prevents unnecessary expense, avoids scope creep, and provides a defensible foundation for any follow-on research.

What the Assessment Includes

  • Review of key records and known facts
  • Evaluation of relationships, dates, locations, and name variants
  • Identification of evidentiary strengths, gaps, and conflicts
  • A written summary with clear conclusions and recommended next steps

Assessment details, scope, and fees are outlined on the Pricing page.

Focused Genealogy Research (Phase 2)

If the assessment shows that further work is justified, I may recommend a clearly scoped research project.

Phase 2 research is evidence-driven and targeted — not open-ended tree building. It may include archival research, cross-record correlation, or extended family reconstruction where the records support it.

All Phase 2 work is proposed separately, with defined scope, timing, and cost.

Holocaust-Era & Eastern European Research

Research involving Holocaust-era families requires particular care. Records are often incomplete, contradictory, or entirely absent, and survivor testimony must be treated with both respect and rigor.

  • Independent, contemporaneous documentation
  • Clear distinction between fact, inference, and speculation
  • Transparency when evidence is insufficient to support a claim

The goal is not simply to connect trees, but to arrive at conclusions that are historically responsible and emotionally respectful.