Accomplishments or “Who Do You Think You Are?”
I am:
#1: Honored to have been the one to tell both of my grandmothers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean precisely who their grandparents were. This, by showing them evidentiary proof in USA Census records & in German scripted documents! Yes, I found MANY more.
#2: Since 1979: Pleased to have found thousands of online & offline data, documents & images for thousands of ancestral family members for hundreds of clients! Traveled 10 times behind the former Iron Curtain (when it was neither fun, nor easy)
#3: This includes having found the pre-Emancipation ancestor—Itasca “Tasker” Russ–for my fellow high school days soul music band member, Tim Russ (aka Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok, the black Vulcan on Star Trek Voyager)! He & his brother wrote me a nice endorsement on Linkedin.
#4 After having been selected as THE very 1st person to be hand-picked for the Ancestry.com Paid Expert Ancestry Research Line,
#5 I became THE primary German Genealogy Research Consultant for Ancestry.de. After both those were abandoned,
#6 I already was–but officially became–became The German Genealogist, i.e. http://www.GermanGenealogist.com
#7 Since July 2008, I have 50+ (yes, fifty!) endearing endorsements (no, not connections, but rather Commendations on Linkedin.com)!
#8 2010: Cultivated our biggest client retainer amount–EVER ($13,500)!
#9 2011: Earned the confidence, trust & research business of the Director, Deutsche Bank on the East Coast!
#10 Served a 2-yr honorable mission for the Savior; Learned to read, speak & write German
#11 Graduated from BYU in 3 1/2 years (because I CLEP’d, i.e. tested out of numerous German classes; but learned how to WRITE the old German handwriting!
#12 Served as a Vietnam-era Veteran & USAFR Intelligence Officer;
#13 Sired & served as a father & grandfather, as Heavenly Father’s co-creator is very humbling