Is there anything more enchanting than the night sky? It’s mind-bending to consider that the light of stars has been traveling for hundreds or thousands of years before reaching our eyes—so to stargaze is, quite literally, to look into the past.

In large part, our ancestors gazed on and lived under the same stars we see today—whether they crossed oceans or stitches, whether they gathered around humble tables or in halls of power, and whether they raised sails or barns or children or a glass to toast. As we learn more about their lives, we also learn more about ourselves and the whole human family.

Stars represent connections across time and space, and Same Stars seeks to uncover all the connections that are meaningful to you. I am honored to help you discover and preserve your family history.

After more than a decade of building my personal genealogy toolkit, I decided to offer my talents to others by founding Same Stars Family History Services. I regularly attend genealogy conferences and webinars, devour books and podcasts, and continually seek to improve my skills. I complete 40 or more hours of continuing education each year.

I am also a member of the Minnesota Genealogical Society, the National Genealogical Society, and the Association of Professional Genealogists. These affiliations reflect my commitment to professional excellence, client confidentiality, ethical practices, and lifelong learning.

At its heart, family history is about people and relationships. I strive to build trust with you from the start, and I will always approach your family's story with compassion and respect.

Occasionally, I may uncover unexpected or sensitive discoveries, or information that challenges your prior understanding of family members. I will share these findings with care and context, and support you as you decide what they mean for you and your family.

Most often, family history research is downright fun! I look forward to helping you experience the joy and connection that result from the journey.

As the saying goes, “We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams.” Now is the perfect time to get to know your ancestors, the lives they led, and the dreams they held.  

Before founding Same Stars, I spent nearly three decades as a writer, editor, and researcher. My love of storytelling has taken me from a scrappy college newsroom to daily newspapers in Indiana, a magazine in Colorado, and ultimately to American Public Media, where I worked as a data journalist.

At APM, I developed the Color of Coronavirus project and was nominated for a COVID Data Hero Award. I also researched and authored the Roots Beyond Race project, an exploration of how ethnic and national origins relate to racial identities, and how movements of people—from immigration, refugee resettlement, slavery, and displacement—have shaped communities across the United States.

I've also held research roles spanning topics such as public health, economic security, immigration, and demography—all tributaries in the vast river of family history work.

While serving at the Minnesota State Demographic Center, I served as a liaison to the U.S. Census Bureau, gaining deep insight into federal records and datasets, and the stories they can help uncover.

Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of speaking to countless audiences, always striving to make complex topics approachable, engaging, and fun.

These experiences laid the foundation for my work with Same Stars. When it comes to research and storytelling, I guess you could say I’m a bit of a Swiss Army knife (although technically I’m more Dutch, German, and Danish, genetically speaking).

My services include conducting genealogy research and building family trees, creating legacy books and other family keepsakes, scanning photos and documents, planning heritage trips, retrieving records, and giving engaging trainings or other speaking events.

I’m located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, with easy access to the Minnesota Genealogical Society (a Family Search Affiliate Library), the Gale Family Library at the Minnesota Historical Society, and other local record repositories.

I believe in transparent pricing. My hourly services begin at $78 per hour with only a 2-hour minimum. For projects of 10 hours or more, I offer a reduced rate of $75 per hour.

I also offer special packages for basic or enhanced family trees and legacy books, with bundled pricing.

A $100 deposit (which will be applied to your project) is necessary to secure your place in my work queue. Once we agree on your project scope, 50% of the cost is due when work begins, with the remainder due at completion.

Regardless how large or small your needs are, I will treat your project with the utmost care and communicate clearly about cost, deliverables, and timing. Together, we will make a plan that assures your needs are met through this process. Please connect with me for additional details.

Please complete this short form to tell me what services you may be interested in. If you wish, we can then set up a time for a FREE 20-minute virtual consultation to more deeply answer your questions. I am happy to discuss your interests with no further obligation on your part to purchase my services. And if my skills are not a good match for your needs, I’ll let you know that upfront.