Currently accepting clients for...

• DNA
• Family History Research
• Writing /Publishing

About Me
I  love helping people connect with their past, whether that means tracing immigrant ancestors, solving DNA mysteries, or uncovering the meaning of handwritten letters. My goal is to make your family history both accurate and accessible.  

Immigrant Ancestors
I work with families to bring their ancestors' stories to life. My research interests focus on 19th and 20th century immigrants and identifying towns of origin in "the Old Country." When possible, I'll use records found there to add to the family story (and family tree).  Projects have included German, Polish, Latvian, Italian, Jewish and Greek immigrants to the United States. 

DNA and Genealogy
I've worked with clients to identify unknown parents and grandparents with the help of DNA. Primarily using autosomal DNA, I’ve successfully identified the person in question, helping individuals gain clarity about their biological roots and sometimes helping them to connect with living relatives. In addition, I've used other tests and tools including mtDNA (maternal line), Y-DNA (paternal line), and WATO (What Are The Odds, a powerful tool for helping solve these cases).  Cases have primarily been based in the United States and include people with African-American heritage and Jewish heritage.  

German Translations
I help clients unlock the stories hidden in German-language documents. From letters and postcards to official records and photographs, I translate both printed and handwritten texts, including old Kurrent and Sütterlin scripts. In addition to translations, I can provide cultural and historical context to help you fully appreciate the lives behind these documents.

Historical Research
I've worked with historians writing about  African-Amercian history and enslavement, helping to resolve outstanding questions with their research.  Other areas of interest/expertise include the U.S. 7th Cavalry in the 1860s-70s and German submarines of World War I.  I can't help it - my interests are wide-ranging!  If you're curious about how I might be able to help you, let me know. 

Rate: $80/hour, one hour minimum. Very small translation jobs (one postcard) often cost less. 

Testimonials
It is difficult to convey the extent that I would recommend Kristen to anyone with a genetic or ancestral mystery to explore or solve.  Kristen is a super sleuth, highly credentialed detective who can take a few clues and use them to unearth information with true expertise.  When I first approached Kristen for help finding my biological father, I had no idea how lucky I was to find her.  I did not have strong DNA matches and I had truly felt that with the available information the search was a lost cause. Additional factors were that I am donor-conceived and that DNA showed that my donor was 100% Ashkenazi Jewish. 

Kristen took the scarce information I had and quickly found avenues to explore that I could never have thought of myself.  She was methodical and patient in her research, with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.  She was also creative and persistent with finding alternative pathways at apparent dead-ends, and her own curiosity and genuine interest in my situation and family history was always so evident.  

Kristen consistently went above and beyond, for example, consulting with other professionals and traveling to libraries to look at records.  Throughout, Kristen worked collaboratively with me and was always professional, empathic and reassuring at difficult moments in the search. Not only was Kristen's research approach impressive, it was also entirely effective.  Within a short time, the mystery of my paternal heritage was a mystery no longer - Kristen was able to identify my biological father and had also gathered a lot of meaningful information about my ancestors.  As a final touch Kristen presented these results in a thorough, beautifully presented and simple to follow report.   

I really cannot express how grateful I am to Kristen.  Everything  about the way she carried out this search on my behalf was incredible and has resulted in a gift so fundamental to my identity.  

- RD
 

Lectures
Using DNA for Genealogy (two-part class), Museum of Old Newbury, April 2024
Using DNA for Genealogy, Georgetown Peabody Library, May 2025

Repositories
NARA Boston
Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum
MA State Archives
MA Vital Records
 

Research Time Periods

• 21st Century
• 20th Century
• 19th Century

Languages
English, German 

Certificates
Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University (Spring, 2021)

Affiliations

• Vice President, New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists
• Association of Professional Genealogists
• Massachusetts Society of Genealogists

Degrees

• Stanford University (B.S. Geology)
• Harvard University (Certificate Program in Non-Profit Management)