Research Starter
$100
One focused question, up to 3 hours
- Targeted record research
- Research log and source links
- Plain-language findings and next steps
Personal family history research
Every family has a story worth finding.
Choose the kind of help you need, from one focused question to a fully sourced Ancestry family tree built from scratch.
Compare packages Packages from $95 clear scopes, careful research, sourced findings
Researching since 2002 AI assisted, researcher reviewed Privacy-minded process
Your research path
- 01Choose the right packageStart small, build a tree, review DNA, or request a custom search.
- 02Share what you knowThe improved form asks only the details needed for your project.
- 03I review and beginAccess is shared by invitation. Passwords are never requested.
Evidence first
Choose your research path
Clear packages for different family-history needs.
Each package has a defined research scope and deliverable. You are paying for professional research time and documentation, not a guaranteed number of discoveries.
Ancestry Tree Build
$250
A sourced direct-ancestor tree, up to 4 generations
- Built inside the client’s Ancestry tree
- Records and sources attached
- Written summary and unresolved questions
Tree Review & Cleanup
$150
Review of an existing tree, up to 25 profiles
- Duplicate and conflict review
- Weak or missing source check
- Prioritized correction plan
DNA Match Review
$175
One tester’s matches, up to 4 hours
- Match grouping and relationship clues
- Tree and record comparison
- Possible connections clearly labeled
Family Tree Print Design
$95
A custom print-ready family tree, up to 4 generations
- Professionally designed by a graphic designer
- Print-ready PDF in your chosen style
- One revision included
Family History Book
From $395
Custom design using completed or client-provided research
- Up to 20 professionally designed pages
- Photos, records, maps, timelines, and family trees
- Print-ready PDF and one revision included
Living-person and biological-family cases
Safety hold
I am not currently accepting paid requests to identify, locate, or contact living biological relatives while I confirm Maryland licensing requirements for this work.
Current addresses, workplaces, private phone numbers, and other nonpublic location details are never provided.
For Ancestry and other online trees, you keep ownership of your account. Invite me through the website’s sharing controls. Never send a login password.
Sample deliverables
See what your family history can become.
These realistic concept previews show how your family history book, online tree, DNA findings, or custom keepsake can be presented.
Illustrative sampleFamily History Book
Custom family history book
An heirloom-style book combining family stories, records, photographs, timelines, maps, and source-based research.
View this package
Illustrative sampleAncestry Tree Build
Sourced online family tree
An organized direct-ancestor tree with relationships, dates, places, and attached source records.
View this package
Illustrative sampleDNA Match Review
DNA match findings
Match groups, shared-family clues, confidence notes, and recommended records to investigate next.
View this package
Illustrative sampleFamily Tree Print Design
Custom family tree keepsake
A professionally designed, print-ready family tree made for framing, gifting, or a family reunion.
View this packageThese are illustrative design concepts, not past client projects. All names and details are fictional. Your final deliverable will reflect your selected package, available evidence, and family information.
Packages from $95Defined scopes make it easier to choose and understand what you will receive.
A timeline before I beginI review the details and let you know what to expect before starting.
AI assisted, evidence ledI use modern research tools to explore clues, then verify conclusions against reliable records.
researching
About your researcher
Hi, I’m Melissa.
I began researching family history in 2002 when I took over my grandfather’s lifelong genealogy work. Since then, I have built family trees for friends and relatives, worked through difficult family lines, contributed cemetery information and census transcriptions, and helped locate biological parents after decades of searching.
As a graphic designer with more than 20 years of experience, I can also turn verified family information into polished family tree prints and custom family history books that are ready to display, share, or give as meaningful gifts.
I use sources such as Ancestry, FamilySearch, Find a Grave, Newspapers.com, census records, vital records, obituaries, cemeteries, and historical archives. I separate documented findings from possibilities, so you always know what the records actually support.
I also use AI-assisted deep research to organize clues, compare names and timelines, and develop stronger search strategies. AI helps me look wider and work efficiently, but I personally review the evidence and do not treat an AI suggestion as a proven fact.
View my LinkedIn profileCommon questions
Know what to expect before you begin.
Which package should I choose?
Choose Research Starter for one focused question, Ancestry Tree Build for a sourced tree from scratch, Tree Review & Cleanup for an existing tree, DNA Match Review when matches are the main evidence, Family Tree Print Design for a wall-ready keepsake, or Family History Book for a designed heirloom book.
Can you create and print a family history book?
Yes. Custom book design starts at $395 for up to 20 pages using organized client-provided or previously completed research. Research, additional pages, extensive writing or photo restoration, professional printing, binding, extra copies, and shipping are quoted separately. You approve the scope and proof before production.
When do I pay?
Fixed-price packages can be paid through PayPal or Cash App after submitting the intake. I review the request before work begins. If I decline it before acceptance, the payment is returned. Once I confirm acceptance and begin the agreed work, payment is final and nonrefundable.
Do you guarantee a certain number of findings?
No. Your payment covers the research work, careful record review, analysis, and the deliverable listed in your package. Some records were never created, have not survived, or are not available. Even when I find little new information, I still complete the agreed research effort and explain what I searched, found, and could not confirm.
What is the refund policy?
Once I confirm acceptance and begin the agreed work, payments are final and nonrefundable because the fee covers research time, analysis, documentation, and the stated deliverable, even when records are limited or the question cannot be answered. If I decline the request before accepting it, the payment is returned, subject to the Terms of Service and any rights required by law.
Do I give you my Ancestry or DNA password?
No. You create and control your own account. If tree or DNA access is needed, I will explain how to invite me with the appropriate editor, contributor, guest, viewer, or collaborator setting. Never send a password or raw DNA file through this site.
Do you identify or locate living people?
No. I am not currently accepting paid requests to identify, locate, or contact living people while I confirm the licensing requirements for that work in Maryland. Current addresses, workplaces, private phone numbers, and other nonpublic location details are never provided.
Ready when you are
Start with what you know.
The secure request form opens on its own page, saves your selected package, and shows your PayPal or Cash App checkout after submission.