I first became interested in my family’s history when I was a child in sixth grade. I think it was triggered by Alex Haley’s made-for-television movie, “Roots.” This was a blessing because both of my grandmothers were still alive, with great memories. They must have cringed when they saw me coming with my paper, pencil and tape recorder. I asked them all of the questions about my ancestors that I could think of. I sat for hours at my grandmother’s dining room table, labeling the pictures that she had stored in an old cardboard box. I begged my parents to drive me to local cemeteries where my forebears were buried, so I could carefully document the names and dates on the headstones. On three-by-five-inch index cards, I wrote all known information about each of the individuals I was researching. I stored those cards in three color-coded binders. But, after a couple of years, my interest in this pursuit waned and my attention turned to the concerns of a typical teenaged girl.

 

After graduating from high school, I attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. After four years of studying computer science, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science and moved to Chicago to work for Andersen Consulting. I remained in the consulting field for eleven years, until the birth of my first child. At that point, I quit working to become a full-time mom.

 

A couple of years later, with a 21-month old son and a one-month old daughter on my lap, I spied those color-coded binders sitting on a shelf. I took them down from their dusty spot and, as I wiped them off, the memories of my long-deceased grandmothers flooded my mind. And that genealogical passion from my childhood engulfed my being, and I have not been the same since!

  

I purchased some software and began reading books about the right way to do genealogy. I began to explore sources that, as a child, I had left untapped. I spent my children’s nap times surfing the internet, laying the groundwork for the next time I would get the chance to go on a research trip. In short, I was addicted. I quickly realized that I wanted to become a professional genealogist. I spent the next several years studying to do just that.

 

Since all of my ancestors emigrated from Germany, I am particularly knowledgeable about German-American research. Translating German church records (written in the old German script) is a specialty of mine. I am currently taking German classes at a local community college. It is important to me to be able to effectively communicate with archives and other repositories in Germany.

 

I also live in the Chicagoland area and have access to many wonderful libraries and archives. I can help you find your ancestors who might have information hiding in these places.

 

Please contact me for more information!

 

Thanks!

 

Teresa Steinkamp McMillin