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Sonja Alves

Heirloom quality books to tell your family's story.
Founding Mothers Genealogy


  • Family History Research

  • Family History Research
  • Tutor / Coach

  • Author/Writer

  • Oral Historian
My name is Sonja Alves and I’m an 11th generation New Englander, third generation Swedish immigrant, and second generation descendant of Holocaust refugees married to a Portuguese immigrant. My children are both Mayflower descendants and the first generation born in this country, making them the ultimate Americans. I’m also the inheritor of the genealogy bug. After my grandfather passed in 2012, I attempted to recreate his father’s family genealogy tracing the family (allegedly) to Charlemagne. I succeeded in both verifying his work and discovering a passion that I have turned into a profession.

My background before genealogy is in art, and I while I do not hand illustrate the family history books that I make, my artistic eye for composition brings a unique touch to each book. I graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in studio art, and I have had work shown at AS220 gallery in Providence, Rhode Island as well as pieces sold all around the world.

Together with a team of assistant genealogists, designers, and researchers, Founding Mothers Genealogy is dedicated to telling your family's story in heirloom quality books designed to be passed down through generations. Coaching and hourly rates also available. 

Be sure to catch us on TikTok @founding_mothers

Ms. Alves and Founding Mothers was able to find a truly remarkable amount of information about my father in law?s roots. It was the thoughtful way it was woven together, written, and presented that truly made it a fantastic gift for my husband?s family, and an exciting new piece of family heritage. I can?t praise the process and the results enough to adequately capture how pleased we are all with the work she did for us." - Amanda Peterson "The book that Sonja created is an invaluable gift to me and my family. First and foremost, it was a portrait of my late father's life. He was already 56 when I was born, and there was so much about him I didn't know. It was such a pleasure to hear about him - like he was just somewhere else, and I was getting good news. The book also provided excellent historical and cultural context for my family's past. Because of the thoroughness of Sonja's research, I not only learned new things but more importantly got closure on what will not be known. Our family were Jews in Belarus at the turn of the 20th century. I wanted to know what family history there was to be found, and what was permanently lost in the purges. Now I know. I'm very grateful to Sonja for all her help." - Dorian Gittleman "My family and I are thrilled with Sonja and the work she did to bring to life a whole portion of our ancestry that we previously knew very little about (my grandfather's military career). Her thorough research is only matched by her thoughtfulness and devotion that she pours into every line of the family book. We could not be happier with the outcome and overall service; not only does her writing read like a best selling novel but Sonja is quick to respond and worked with us throughout the entire process to ensure that we were happy with the end product. This is something we will treasure forever. " - Jennifer McAlpine "I got a genealogy book done on my great grandfather. It was a gift to my mom, who spent a lot of time with him when she was young. Sonja was able to turn short, scattered anecdotes into a thorough story of my great grandfather's life, complete with details that even my mom didn?t know. My mom teared up when she read the book because it confirmed all the lovely memories she had about her grandfather?s spirit and personality. Sonja?s warmth and humor made the process easy and fun. I can?t wait to do it again for another ancestor. " - Becki Maisch

  • 20th Century
  • 19th Century
  • 18th Century
  • 17th Century

English, French (proficient), German (read only)

Bachelor of Arts - studio art, Hampshire College