ABOUT

WHO IS GOT GENEALOGY?
We’re genealogists, and have been for several decades. We started doing genealogy long before personal computers had been invented and eons before the internet was available to do any sort of real research, and over the years we’ve learned to take full advantage of ALL of the resources available to family historians no matter what their ancestral origins.

OUR MISSION
Simply, to help you find your ancestors so that you, the storyteller of your generation, can tell those stories as completely and as accurately as possible. We believe that all available tools should be used, and that the easier they are to use, the greater success you’ll have, and the more success you have, the longer you’ll tend to stick to your research. Your ancestors have left an incredible legacy and we want to help you document all that their lives accomplished.



GENEALOGY IS SERIOUS BUSINESS
But that doesn’t mean it can’t also be fun. We want to help you enjoy your searches, to increase your chances of finding your missing relatives and prevent burn-out, so you can pass the baton on to the next generation. Documentation of evidence is what drives us.


WHY ONLINE RESEARCH?
More and more organizations are placing digital images and entire collections online, in searchable formats, so that serious researchers can do a greater portion of research from their home computers. However, online research is just one part of the process and MUST be used in concert with old-fashioned, tried and true research methods such as perusing books, maps, registers and other sources in libraries, archives, museums, cemeteries, etc. If you complete more of your research online, then when you are lucky enough to get the chance to spend time in that archive or courthouse, then you’ll have more quality time to concentrate on finding those documents, papers and pieces of evidence that can ONLY be found in person. We feel that online research can help you identify potential sources of information and actually increase your chances of success when researching offline.


ANYONE CAN DO THIS
Family research is not everyone’s cup of tea. We get that. At the same time, though, we know that for those of you with the desire to discover your family’s stories, basic genealogical research techniques can be learned by virtually anyone. Don’t kid yourself –– it takes time, goo-gobs of time, and incredible patience. But if you’re willing to give it a try, we’ll meet you half way and will try our best to give you some cool tools that will help you be successful in you search.

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I am Lisa Lee, better known as "The Gene Queen."

Genealogy is my PASSION and I find great joy in helping others to explore and discover their family history. I present lectures and workshops around the U.S. and Canada, and a few years ago, I self-published my first book, "Skin Deep," where I not only told the story of my Canadian ancestors, but also the mistakes I made along the way. In August 2009, my second book will be published, "Thinking Ancestry," where I'll show you why I think that, dollar for dollar, Ancestry.com is the best genealogical Web site on the planet. That said, it's not the easiest Web site to use, and the best search results may be cleverly hidden from view. I’m here to strip away all the hype, show you ways to find your missing relatives and explain how Ancestry.com works.

Way back in 2005, late one night, I was thinking about how I could interest more people in genealogy, and I had this FLASH! Got Genealogy? I leapt out of bed, tripped over my cat and grabbed my trusty Apple Powerbook and, through the wonders of wireless technology, I was on my bedroom floor, online checking to see if anyone had reserved that domain. Nobody had, so I grabbed it right then and there.

I started thinking I could make T-shirts (which I did ... but they sold out and there aren't any more right now), and I also purchased our famous Got Genealogy? tote bags. I sell the tote bags for $20 each shop now, or, if you're lucky, you can win a FREE tote bag in my monthly Got Genealogy Challenge.

We all have questions about our family history and how to find more information. I'm so fortunate to have a supportive team of experienced researchers working with me and, once I start, I don't know how to stop talking about genealogy.

How about you … Got Genealogy?:

- Lisa

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