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
Researching Your Colonial Ancestors, Part I [249 Years of American Independence]
Our ancestors celebrated Independence Day much as we do today. The flashing explosions of fireworks have captivated the eyes and hearts of colonial America since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Many Americans today can trace their lineage back to the colonial era and find that their ancestors were from…
Tracing LGBT Ancestors
All family trees include a variety of people – some who led remarkable lives and others who lived more quietly; from rogues to royalty; those with large families and those without children; individuals who married multiple times and others who never married at all. Likewise, queer individuals have always been part of history, and it…
Fathers : Then and Now
In every family tree, there are names that rise above the rest—not because they held power or fame, but because of the quiet strength they carried through ordinary life. For our family, one of those names is Ivin Victor Rasmussen, a storekeeper, musician, prospector, and devoted father who spent nearly 80 years in the small…
A DNA Case Study of Unknown Parentage
Family secrets have a way of persisting across generations, leaving descendants with questions that documents alone cannot answer. In this case study, we explore how traditional genealogical research, paired with modern DNA analysis, revealed the truth about a man born in California during World War II. For years, the identity of his father remained unknown—until…
How To Use AI in Your Family History Work: A Beginner’s Guide
From Skeptic to Advocate In October 2023, I attended a virtual course taught by Steve Little, who is widely respected as one of the leading experts in family history research. This innovative online program included weekly video sessions where we could learn together, followed by smaller group discussions where we could practice what we had…
A Genealogist’s Bucket List
The genealogist researcher/enthusiast usually has a bucket list of family history related activities or trips they would like to do at some point. Some of them require a respectable amount of money, others take time, and some take a specific skill set to accomplish. If you look at the items on your bucket list, they…
Becoming American: My Journey to Dual Citizenship
Born and raised in Northern Norway, I moved to the United States in 2001 to join my Idahoan husband. At the time, Norway didn’t permit dual citizenship, and giving up my Norwegian citizenship was out of the question. I love my native country and go there often. Having to present a U.S. passport to enter…
Happy DNA Day!
First celebrated in 2003 by proclamation of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, DNA Day is an unofficial U.S. holiday celebrated every year on April 25. While the original proclamation didn’t establish it as an annual event, researchers, educators, and genealogy enthusiasts have continued the tradition of celebrating DNA every year. April 25…
Paying Their Dues: Tax Records as Genealogical Evidence
It’s tax time in the United States, which means millions of people are due to file their federal income tax returns this year by April 15th. Designated by Congress in 1913, the tax deadline was first selected to be March 1st.[1] In 1918, it was changed to March 15th, and it wasn’t until 1954 that…
Remembering Appomattox: The Civil War’s End, 160 Years Later
“I need not tell the survivors of so many hard fought battles, who have remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to the result from no distrust of them.” Robert E Lee, 10 April 1865 These were the words of Gen. Robert E Lee in his General Order No. 9, written after his…