Genealogy Research that's Insightful, Thorough & Personal
Our staff of amazing genealogists and family historians cannot wait to start documenting your ancestry. They will work with you to plan and achieve your research goals.
We will need your help in bringing your ancestors back to life by supplying items not available in public records or online, such as photos, passages from diaries, family stories, unsolved mysteries, and other interesting details.
The end result will be a fun trip down several memory lanes, and you will want to share it with family and friends.
“When Alex Haley prodded me to have my ancestry traced, I reached out to Johni Cerny and she has been my genealogist for 34 years—tracing my African-American roots and the ancestry of many of my close friends. She eternally reminds all of us how we got to this planet. Johni also keeps my soul eternally smiling and nobody does it better!”
Quincy D. Jones
“Thank you, thank you, thank you…for the amazing work you did to identify my biological father. The DNA results were gibberish until you explained it in layman’s terms for me and then used it to find him. Now it is time for you to trace his ancestry. I can’t wait to see the results of that adventure!”
Janet Williamson
“Wow, the research package arrived a few days ago and I can hardly put it down. The report and all those wonderful documents tell an interesting story about my mother’s Graupman ancestors. We will treasure this forever! Let me know what else you can do to trace the Graupman line in German records.”
K. Meyer
“My sister always felt like the odd person out in our family. DNA testing confirmed we were half-siblings. In her late 60s, we didn’t hold out much hope for identifying her biological father. With over 1,000 matches, we turned to Lineages’ staff expert for help. A few months and a lot of hard work, they solved the mystery. Lineages gave my sister the gift of a lifetime. Thank you, Lineages!”
N. M. Carlsbad, California
Explore Our Blog
Navigating City Directories for Genealogy, Part 2 of 2
The last blog article discussed city directories and how to find them. Once you have found your ancestor in a city directory, what next? This article will help answer that question. City directories have many uses in genealogy.How to use city directoriesEach directory in which you find your ancestor places them in a specific place…
Navigating City Directories for Genealogy, Part 1 of 2
When researching your ancestors, it is most helpful to find them in every record created of them. While census and vital records are good starting points for research, many researchers overlook the other record types, including city directories. This blog series will discuss what we can learn about our ancestors from this resource. Part 1…
Allô! Find Your French-Canadian Ancestry
(The opening hours for the French-Canadian Genealogical Society of Connecticut)[1] Between 1840 and 1930 it is estimated that 900,000 French-Canadians came to the United States, and in particular to New England.[2] Life was difficult in Québec. Opportunities and land were more and more scarce for the rising generation. The promise of employment in the textile…
Research Game Changer: FamilySearch’s Full Text Search, Part 2
Previously we discussed the ways that FamilySearch’s new beta edition of Full-Text Search can be a research game changer. This article will describe strategies for using the new tool. Because Full Text Search is still in beta, users will need to enable the tool. Do so by logging in to FamilySearch and navigating to FamilySearch.org/labs.…
Research Game Changer: FamilySearch’s New Full-Text Search
Recently FamilySearch released a beta version of its new full-text search tool to its “Labs” site, available for researchers to use today. This capability has changed how we can research and can dramatically reduce the time it takes to break through genealogical mysteries. For many years, FamilySearch focused on indexing the records they had…
Irish Dual Citizenship
Thanks to the Irish diaspora, millions around the globe can trace their ancestral lines back to the beautifully green island of Ireland. After taking a DNA test, perhaps you have discovered your own Irish bloodline. For many, their Irish heritage is strong and they find themselves interested in getting dual citizenship. There are many benefits…
My Genealogy Journey in Post-Soviet Russia
Before the Russian Revolution of 1917, genealogy was mostly a concern of the nobility as a means of confirming their belonging to the higher society and thus enjoy the privileges of status and position. If they were able to confirm their noble descent, they were listed in special Russian Nobility Genealogy books. Little did it…
LABOR DAY – A Thank You to American Workers!
Those who get to take a day off work this Labor Day can thank the labor activists of the 19th century who succeeded in making it a federal holiday on 28 June 1894 in gratitude of the American Worker.[1] But change did not happen overnight. It was recognized by individual states before it was a…
Mapping Your Ancestor’s Land
In the pursuit of reconstructing our family’s past, we often delve deep into archival records, oral histories, and DNA analysis. However, one aspect that can profoundly enrich our understanding of our ancestors’ lives and connections is mapping the land on which they lived and worked, and perhaps even defended in war. The process of mapping…
The Olympics
The History of the Olympic Games Full of danger, passion, and extraordinary feats of athletic ability, the ancient Olympic Games were the sporting, social, and cultural highlight of the Ancient Greek calendar for almost twelve centuries. Beginning in 776 BCE in Olympia, Greece, the early Games were part of a religious festival held in honor…