Directory of Members

A Midwest girl at heart, born and raised in Iowa. 40 + years of genealogical research occurred while moving around the Midwest in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio. Became interested in family history while in college leading to avid hobby-ism for many years, attending countless workshops, traveling all over the country on research trips, taking genealogy community college courses, and lots more. The lucky break of having a set of Quaker grandparents, who were genealogists long before it became a popular pastime, gave a huge jump start to my family tree. While a young mother I compiled a "book" on my mother's family (Gerst) beginning with her great-grandparents, German immigrants, and tracing all of their prolific descendants.

Owner / Genealogist for Willowtree Research Genealogy Services, established 2013. Boston University Genealogical Research certificate holder (OL14). Since discovering an aptitude for genealogical speaking and teaching, my many years of knowledge and experience are now put to work helping others enioy the same excitement and tremendous fulfillment in learning about their own family heritage.

Graduate - Boston University Certificate Program in Genealogical Studies, OL14.

Participant in numerous educational institutes, conferences, and seminars.

For full descriptions download my Presentations PDF.

• Advancing with Ancestry.com
• Archives Research & How to Use Basic Resources Found There
• Beginning & Improving Genealogical Skills
• Census Discoveries: The Springboard to Splashy Research
• Collateral & Cluster Research
• Color-Coded Organizing
• Digital Files
• Digitizing Those Precious Memories
• DNA #1: Beginning Genetic Genealogy (part 1 of 3)
• DNA #2: What Do I Do With It Now That I Have It? Working with DNA Test Results (part 2 of 3)
• DNA #3: Going the Extra Mile - Additional Sites, Tools & Techniques (part 3 of 3)
• Ethnic Records & International Research
• FamilySearch Sleuthing
• Finding & Working with Published Sources
• Finessing FindMyPast
• Fold3 Flair
• Genealogy Bare-Bone Basics
• Getting (& Staying) Organized
• Handy with MyHeritage
• Headline DNA: Helping to Solve True Crime
• HistoryGEO
• Immigration Records
• Introducing the GPS (Nope - Not That One!)
• Issuing Citations That Help "Prove" Your Genealogy Research
• Look Into Lesser-Known Apps & Sites
• Online Sites VERSUS Software On Your Own Computer
• Pathways to Spicy Stories: An Overview of Court Records
• Pay It Forward: Learning to Index on FamilySearch
• Probing for Probate: Researching in the Probate Court
• Quakers, Plain and Simple
• Record Vitality with Vital Records
• RootsMagic Mastery
• Shaky Leaves ... YES!  Shaky Trees ... NO! - Best Searching on Ancestry.com
• Starting Research (with Hidden Treasures You Already Own)
• Tiptoeing Thru Tombstones: The Basics of U.S. Cemetery Research
• What's Your Mission? Inherited Collection, Future-Proofing, or Attacking Your Stacks?

• • Prefer virtual format, but open to in-person and hybrid
  • Can develop new topics upon request
  • Will supply master handouts

2022 Virtual Study Groups - each lasting 8 weeks: RootsMagic 8 Mastery, Handy with My Heritage, DNA Deeper Dive, Finessing FindMyPast, and FamilySearch Sleuthing.

Numerous and varied 2022 presentations throughout Illinois and elsewhere:  Kane County Genealogical Society, Lake County Genealogical Society, Wilmette Public Library, Madison County Genealogical Society, Elmhurst Public Library, Fountaindale Public Library, Arlington Heights Public Library, DuPage County Genealogical Society, Fox Valley Genealogical Society, Tazewell County Genealogical Society, Wabash Valley Genealogy Society, Batavia Public Library, and Cook Memorial Public Library.