Thank you, Aimee, very useful guidance and information. Preparing my own"report" first was particularly good advice. My guess is that report could point me to explore a few more avenues, before reaching out for professional genealogical help. Thanks so much.
Thank you for pointing out important things to consider when choosing a professional to work with. I've definitely thought about hiring someone many times to help me break through my brick wall. Sometimes there's just nowhere else to go if you want to know for sure and have the resources to do so.
I have a 3rd great grandmother that's a brick wall, it's like her life started the day she married. I've worked on this person a year or more and made no progress. I'm considering hiring a professional, but I feel like they may not find anything too. Could be I'm dealing with a alias name.
@@AncestryAimee According to census records, she was born in 1805 and married my 3rd great grandfather in 1821, not much time for another marriage. Thrulines suggest parents for her, I can't find any information linking her to that family. I was told by one of their genealogist "There's no way she's a daughter of the suggested parents". My belief is that she is connected, because I can't find any other information. Thank you for your interest.
One of the ways to see this is: I have spent YEARS looking for ancestors. I feel good with what I found, I feel confident. So how much do you think a genealogist will find in 5 hours time? Another way to view this is: How long do you think "Finding Your Roots" took to research a famous persons family history? Answer: crazy gobs of time. Be super narrowed down on what you want a genealogist to find. Example. My great great grandmother is a mystery. Her name is said to be ______ _______. She was married to _____, her daughter was ______. Where did she come from? Where did she get married? Where did she die? Even that set of questions is pretty broad (Ireland 🙄).
So true! It takes much longer than most think and each of those questions could be a separate project in some circumstances. Thanks for adding this Lesley.
Excellent info and you present it so well. Thanks, Aimee! Around the 2:11 mark you mention that Ancestry has started doing summary reports. Can you say a bit more about that? Do you mean that it's possible to print a summary report from my ancestor's profile on Ancestry? I would love that, but I can't figure out how. Any tips? Thanks again!
Thank you I appreciate your kind words. Ancestry’s summary reports are reports that they provide when they do professional consulting for clients. It’s not something that you can print out from your research on their site.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us! I have considered hiring someone when I can afford it. I really need help finding my paternal grandmother's birth parents. She was adopted twice, and I have found no official adoption record. I have very few DNA matches on my paternal side. Ancestry has identified 34k maternal matches, 6.8k paternal matches (some I have identified as maternal), and 29k unidentified, most of the ones I've looked at are maternal. I also don't have anyone close to me on my father's side that will test. I think this may be an impossible task. :(
You never know. I'm actually doing a video in two weeks about sorting DNA matches. Be sure to look for that video - it may help. If you can't afford to hire someone, you may want to check out group coaching. It would be with a group, but you get 10-15 minutes (sometimes more) to go over what you'd like - it's only $35. Visit www.patreon.com/aimeecross if you are interested. And thanks for being a member.
@@AncestryAimee I've done the colorful dots, studied Thru Lines, done DNA Painter Chromosome Painter and Clustering, tested at every site, etc. I just need one break through match! But I have a feeling whoever her parents were, they were either recent immigrants or possibly distantly related to my mom's side. I'm very discouraged. :(
About 15yrs ago, I inherited canisters of various size reels of family movies and an assortment of slides from/for cameras I doubt still exist. All from my paternal grandma and I was not told what's on them, and no one is alive to tell me. When I got them I tried finding film companies to covert them for me but the price was close to a thousand dollars. So I still have them, can you recommend trustworthy options, for me to look into getting them converted?
I have used Legacybox and was pleased. There were a few items I had to send back to be redone but they are very good about that. It’s expensive though. If you live near Salt Lake City, Utah, at the family history library there they have wonderful equipment to do that and it’s free. It just takes your time. It might be worth a vacation just to take care of it.
Thank you, Aimee, very useful guidance and information. Preparing my own"report" first was particularly good advice. My guess is that report could point me to explore a few more avenues, before reaching out for professional genealogical help. Thanks so much.
Yes! That’s absolutely true!
Thank you for the information!
You bet!
Thank you for pointing out important things to consider when choosing a professional to work with. I've definitely thought about hiring someone many times to help me break through my brick wall. Sometimes there's just nowhere else to go if you want to know for sure and have the resources to do so.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for being a member too!
Thank you for the information you provided!
You bet!
I have a 3rd great grandmother that's a brick wall, it's like her life started the day she married. I've worked on this person a year or more and made no progress. I'm considering hiring a professional, but I feel like they may not find anything too. Could be I'm dealing with a alias name.
Could be. It could also be that she was previously married and the marriage surname is actually the surname of her first husband.
@@AncestryAimee According to census records, she was born in 1805 and married my 3rd great grandfather in 1821, not much time for another marriage. Thrulines suggest parents for her, I can't find any information linking her to that family. I was told by one of their genealogist "There's no way she's a daughter of the suggested parents". My belief is that she is connected, because I can't find any other information. Thank you for your interest.
One of the ways to see this is: I have spent YEARS looking for ancestors. I feel good with what I found, I feel confident. So how much do you think a genealogist will find in 5 hours time?
Another way to view this is:
How long do you think "Finding Your Roots" took to research a famous persons family history? Answer: crazy gobs of time.
Be super narrowed down on what you want a genealogist to find. Example. My great great grandmother is a mystery. Her name is said to be ______ _______. She was married to _____, her daughter was ______. Where did she come from? Where did she get married? Where did she die? Even that set of questions is pretty broad (Ireland 🙄).
So true! It takes much longer than most think and each of those questions could be a separate project in some circumstances. Thanks for adding this Lesley.
Excellent info and you present it so well. Thanks, Aimee! Around the 2:11 mark you mention that Ancestry has started doing summary reports. Can you say a bit more about that? Do you mean that it's possible to print a summary report from my ancestor's profile on Ancestry? I would love that, but I can't figure out how. Any tips? Thanks again!
Thank you I appreciate your kind words. Ancestry’s summary reports are reports that they provide when they do professional consulting for clients. It’s not something that you can print out from your research on their site.
@@AncestryAimee Oh, I see what you mean! That makes sense. Thanks for the clarification! 👍
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
I have considered hiring someone when I can afford it. I really need help finding my paternal grandmother's birth parents. She was adopted twice, and I have found no official adoption record. I have very few DNA matches on my paternal side. Ancestry has identified 34k maternal matches, 6.8k paternal matches (some I have identified as maternal), and 29k unidentified, most of the ones I've looked at are maternal. I also don't have anyone close to me on my father's side that will test. I think this may be an impossible task. :(
You never know. I'm actually doing a video in two weeks about sorting DNA matches. Be sure to look for that video - it may help. If you can't afford to hire someone, you may want to check out group coaching. It would be with a group, but you get 10-15 minutes (sometimes more) to go over what you'd like - it's only $35. Visit www.patreon.com/aimeecross if you are interested. And thanks for being a member.
@@AncestryAimee I've done the colorful dots, studied Thru Lines, done DNA Painter Chromosome Painter and Clustering, tested at every site, etc. I just need one break through match! But I have a feeling whoever her parents were, they were either recent immigrants or possibly distantly related to my mom's side. I'm very discouraged. :(
Sorry to hear that.
@@AncestryAimee Maybe when I have the money, I'll hire you to tackle it. :D
@dranet47 sounds like a plan!!
About 15yrs ago, I inherited canisters of various size reels of family movies and an assortment of slides from/for cameras I doubt still exist. All from my paternal grandma and I was not told what's on them, and no one is alive to tell me. When I got them I tried finding film companies to covert them for me but the price was close to a thousand dollars. So I still have them, can you recommend trustworthy options, for me to look into getting them converted?
I have used Legacybox and was pleased. There were a few items I had to send back to be redone but they are very good about that. It’s expensive though. If you live near Salt Lake City, Utah, at the family history library there they have wonderful equipment to do that and it’s free. It just takes your time. It might be worth a vacation just to take care of it.
@AncestryAimee I don't. But that gives me an idea that maybe they have other locations I might use. Thank you.
They do. They vary on what is at the location but check. And check your local library too. Many are adding that type of equipment. Good luck!