Background

joan3 I began researching for hire in 1996. I have been researching my own family roots since 1992. Although currently not a certified genealogist, I continually strive for excellence, and practice the good old-fashioned "Golden Rule".

I specialize in assisting the fellow historian and genealogist (both amateur and professional). I primarily research in Wood County, Wisconsin, but am available for Portage County as well. When local sources are exhausted, I have limited availablity for research at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Area Research center (archives), the State Historical Society of Wisconsin at Madison and at the LDS Family History Center.

I am experienced in courthouse vital records (birth, death, marriage), library research, and court records (probate, naturalizations, criminal, civil, divorce). I also offer cemetery photography, and will do census and newspaper microfilm research for most Wisconsin counties. I command enough German for genealogical research, and to search area German language newspapers for obits.

I volunteered to coordinate development of the Nekoosa, Wisconsin Charles and JoAnn Lester Library genealogy and local history in 2000. Read more about the growing regional collection for central WI genealogy at [Nekoosa Public Library - Genealogy Collection].

Since 1998, I have volunteered with Heart of Wisconsin Genealogical Society to answer requests for surname reports from their indexes as a fund-raiser for them. I have participated in a variety of their indexing projects, including serving as editor of Heart of Wisconsin Genealogical Society's Index: Wood Co WI Declarations of Intent, 1872 - 1921 © 2000.

In addition, I am an LDS Family History Center staff member and am also available to assist clients with reading LDS resources.

My motto is "Genealogy research and consultation, professionally done, by the Golden Rule."

See my qualifications.