Digging Up the Past: Let Me Help You Discover Your Family Story

Why I Tell Stories — And Why You Should, Too

Because once they’re gone… they’re gone forever.

There are questions I will never get to ask.

My dad’s mother died before I was born. His father and stepmother lived several states away, and while we visited, I was far too young to know what to ask. My mom’s mother was around longer; she shared many stories, but my mom's father passed when I was just 14. I recall him mentioning Villisca, Iowa, where his mother was from, but I never asked him much else.

By the time I was old enough to understand the importance of those conversations, many of the voices were already gone.

My great-grandparents were even farther out of reach. My Great-Oma died in 1929, and my step great oma, who my dad knew as his oma, Cornelia, lived to be 102, dying in 2006 in South Africa, speaking only Dutch and Afrikaans, so I never had a chance to talk to her. Her husband, my Great-Opa, died in 1987, before I was born. My mom’s grandparents passed long before I existed, with deaths ranging from the 1950s to the 1970s

Like so many people, I grew up knowing my family only in fragments, old photos from the trunk in the basement, scattered memories, half-remembered stories. I never heard their voices. I never felt their presence beyond the echoes.

And those echoes are quiet.

Recently, someone told me I should stop telling history, that I’m not old enough to be a historian, that I should stop telling stories I “know nothing about.”

What they didn’t understand is this:

Silence is what happens when no one tells the story. And I refuse to let silence win.

How Loss Turned Into Purpose

Because I couldn’t ask my grandparents the questions that mattered, I became a seeker.

I searched through census records, letters, family Bibles, dusty photographs, courthouse files, and handwritten notes. I tracked down relatives and pushed gently past, “I don’t remember,” and “That’s probably not important.”

Piece by piece, the stories came back to life.

I discovered ancestors who endured unimaginable hardship. Others who lived boldly, loved fiercely, and left incredible legacies behind. I didn’t just find names, I found people.

Today, as a semi-professional genealogist, I help others uncover their own hidden histories. And yet, I still feel the ache of the stories I never got to hear firsthand.

That’s what drives me.

From Archives to Ancestry — My Professional Roots

My passion for preservation didn’t begin online, it began inside the Wyoming Room at the Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library, where I worked hands-on with history. While there, I helped digitize and scan fragile historical materials, ensuring they would survive for future generations. I also completed multiple pioneer family genealogies, preserving their stories so they would not be lost to time.

During those years, I presented several public programs and presentations on a wide range of Sheridan County historical topics, connecting community members directly with their shared past.

Since then, my work has expanded far beyond Wyoming. Over the years, I have used dozens of trusted genealogical websites, archival databases, international record collections, DNA tools, and newspaper repositories to document families and stories from across the United States and around the world.

Simply put, I know how to look. And more often than not, I can usually find what I’m searching for.

This combination of archival training, community preservation, public history, and modern research tools is what I bring to every client project today.

Why Your Stories Matter More Than You Think

If you’re lucky enough to still have older relatives here, ask now.

Ask about:

• What their childhood was like

• Their first job

• Their greatest fear

• Their proudest moment

• The times they laughed the hardest

Record it. Write it down. Save it.

In an age where everyone has a smartphone, record that video, or if they don't want to be filmed, do an audio recording. Because one day, those memories may be all that remains.

And if those voices are already gone, don’t give up. Talk to cousins. Neighbors. Old friends. Search the attics. Open the boxes. Read the letters. Every fragment matters.

Because every story, no matter how small, deserves to be preserved.

Genealogy Is About Connection, Not Just Dates

Genealogy isn’t just charts and records.

It’s about:

• The young couple who crossed an ocean with nothing

• The farmer who lost everything and began again

• The child who grew up to build a legacy

• The quiet hero no one ever wrote about

Your ancestors lived full, complicated, beautiful lives. And their stories deserve to be remembered.

More than that, your story deserves to be preserved too.

Because one day, you will be the ancestor someone wishes they had questioned just a little bit more.

How I Can Help You Reclaim Your Family’s Story

Through my business Roots Revealed Genealogy, I help individuals and families:

• Break through brick walls

• Trace lost ancestors

• Preserve family histories

• Document stories in meaningful formats

• Turn forgotten lives into lasting legacies

Whether you’re just starting or have been researching for years, you don’t have to do it alone.

Ready to Start Your Family History?

I offer free consultations to help you understand what’s possible and how to begin.

Email me at rootsrevealedgenealogy@gmail.com or view my blog and send a message that way..... SheridanWyomingHistory.com

Let’s uncover the stories waiting to be told.

Share Your Story

Do you have a family mystery? A faded photo? A story that’s only been whispered?

I’d love to hear it. Your story might inspire someone else to start asking… before it’s too late.

A Realistic Promise — My Disclaimer & My Guarantee

Genealogy is powerful—but it is not magic.

I want to be honest with you from the very beginning: I cannot guarantee that I will locate a lost relative, uncover long-buried family secrets, or find every skeleton hidden in the closet. Some records are lost forever. Some answers simply no longer exist on paper.

But here is what I do guarantee:

• I will search deeply through historical newspapers, court records, census files, and archival sources you may never have known existed

• I will document what I find with care and accuracy

• I will build or expand your family tree with professionalism and integrity

• I will treat your family’s history with the respect it deserves

• And most importantly, I will give my full time, energy, and dedication to your project in pursuit of the answers you are seeking

Even when the final answer isn’t what we hoped for, the journey still brings clarity, connection, and preservation.

And that alone is powerful.

So don’t wait, the silence can be broken—but only if we listen.

Ask. Record. Share.

Because the stories we preserve today are the ones that will keep our families alive tomorrow.