The Best Experts for Your Research Needs.

AncestryProGenealogists is the official research firm of Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online resource for family history. With family history experts, lecturers, and award-winning authors, AncestryProGenealogists has the expertise to provide a wide range of services, from finding a single document to untangling complicated family trees.

We are the expert researchers behind the Emmy Award

 

nominated TV show Who Do You Think You Are? (2010 to the present) and other productions like Showtime’s The Tudors (2007 to 2010). Our team has also created a lot of buzz with our celebrity discoveries, including linking President Barack Obama to John Punch, the first documented enslaved African American and, more recently, uncovering a relationship between the Fanning sisters and King Edward III and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.

 

Meet the Team

For more than 15 years our professional researchers have been helping people just like you trace their family trees and connect with the past. And with more than 150 years of combined research experience, we have the team with the passion and knowledge you can trust to discover your family story.

 

  • Neil Holden

    Neil is a native of Sussex, England and an expert in the social history and geography of England in the 19th century. He has authored several family histories and has been a lead researcher for episodes of Who Do You Think You Are?.

  • Lorraine Bourne

    An avid and skilled Southern States genealogist with over 10 years experience, Lorraine has led our team of researchers on multiple Who Do You Think You Are? episodes including her favorite episode with Chris O'Donnell.

  • Joseph B. Shumway

    Joseph has more than 10 years of professional research experience. He’s made multiple television appearances on such shows as CBS This Morning, CNN's Starting Point, The Jimmy Kimmel Show and Who Do You Think You Are?.

  • Megan Wright

    Megan is a skilled genealogist specializing in immigration from western European countries to the United States. She has a bachelor’s degree in History and has conducted research for several episodes of the TV show Who Do You Think You Are?.

  • Paul A. Schmidt

    Paul has worked in the genealogical field for more than 20 years. He was an archivist at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. for years, mostly in the Office of Presidential Libraries, where he worked with the Nixon Presidential Materials Project and helped process the “secret” White House tapes.

  • George Ott

    George has more than 35 years of genealogical experience and is a founder of the Association of Professional Genealogists. He is an experienced presenter who has authored books on his favorite specialty—Italy.

  • Cheryl Coats

    Cheryl has bachelor's degree in History, spent years working as an archivist, and previously ran her own genealogical research firm. She has been involved in the Catholic Church register indexing for Nova Scotia and is currently writing a local history.

  • Paul K. Graham

    Paul is an award winning genealogist with over 10 years of experience. He is the author of multiple books related to Georgia genealogy and records and worked on research for Who Do You Think You Are? episodes from 2012-2014.

  • Kyle J. Betit

    Kyle makes frequent trips to research on-site throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, France, Germany, Eastern Europe, and other European countries. He appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? with Trisha Yearwood.

  • Sherry Stevens

    Sherry has researched, written and lectured on genealogy for over 30 years. A descendant of Danish immigrants, her specialty is Scandinavia and the United States, as well as immigration.

  • E. Wade Hone

    Wade is a skilled writer and lecturer. He specializes in Austro-Hungarian Empire research and has more than 25 years of experience. He authored the book Land and Property Research in the United States.

  • Kathryn Moore

    Kathryn received her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and has owned a genealogy research company. She specializes in research in the United States including the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic states, and Northern California.

  • Kevan Hansen

    Kevan lived in Germany for several years and specializes in German research; he has written a book and created map guides on the topic. He has more than 25 years of experience in genealogy research.

  • Krysten Baca

    Krysten worked for Ancestry.com researching the family lines of celebrities and prominent Americans like President Barack Obama and his relationship to American businessman Warren Buffet.

  • Katie Ledbetter

    Katie started her genealogy journey to share a hobby with her husband, but an internship in England enabled her to visit the docks in Liverpool where her ancestors once stood. This experience solidified that her aspirations in genealogy were much more than a hobby.

  • Kory L. Meyerink

    Kory is an author, presenter, teacher, and one of the founding partners of ProGenealogists. He has been involved in several television series and continues to manage research teams for the popular TV show Who Do You Think You Are?.

  • H. Davis Farnsworth

    Davis has been involved with genealogical research for over 40 years. He has made incredible discoveries throughout the years, but his most memorable was finding his adopted Brother-in-law’s birth mother through AncestryDNA.

  • Virginia Rush

    Virginia has studied and taught history and genealogy throughout her life. She believes that nothing is more interesting than personal and family histories, and loves helping others learn about their roots.

  • Michael Miller

    Michael brings a decade of research experience and a background as a researcher and producer of Who Do You Think You Are? to the ProGenealogists team.  With a master’s degree in history, he specializes in the 19th and 20th century United States.

Creating a Partnership

Our teams are made up of professional genealogists and family history experts—and you. With your help, we’ll verify information you’ve already gathered and create a plan that will use our resources efficiently and effectively. And with AncestryProGenealogists, you’re getting more than most researchers can offer. You’re getting the knowledge and experience of an entire team of specialists who are dedicated to thinking creatively and are able to work together to take on challenging problems and answer your family history questions.

Working Together

Your team is comprised of a lead Research Manager who guides the project and multiple research specialists who conduct the research, gather records, compile results, and work collaboratively to reach your goals.

Researching World Wide

 

Every family is unique. From ancestors who were in the American colonies before the Mayflower to immigrants who passed through Ellis Island to families who want to trace their African American or Native American roots, we have research specialists in all time periods and all areas of the United States.

And if the research takes us across the ocean, our specialists are familiar with all of aspects of research for a variety of countries from Great Britain and Scandinavia to Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and more.

Not only do our pros understand what records and sources are available, they are familiar with the language, handwriting, and culture that influenced your ancestors’ lives. When needed, we can use our vast network of researchers to visit foreign archives, libraries, and churches to obtain those hard-to-find international records. Many of our experts are experienced with researching on-site in countries around the world, too. No matter whether your family comes from a small town in the South or a booming metropolis in Europe, our experts have the resources to discover your family stories around the world.