Read about supporters who are dedicated to making expert guidance, educational resources, and historical treasures accessible to all family historians.
Helen E.R. Sayles
When my husband DuWayne and I joined Ancestry.com, I jumped into the captivating world of genealogy. I was enthralled by the stories of my ancestors and eager to devote more time to unearthing my family’s past.
I was particularly drawn to my paternal grandmother, whose life seemed rich with mystery. However, differing family narratives about her ancestry left me facing a brick wall. In a serendipitous meeting with Brenton Simons, the then-President & CEO of American Ancestors, I shared my challenge. He reassured me that their team of researchers could assist, and they did—European ancestry often comes with accessible records if you have the right support.
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My passion for history is deep. However, my understanding of African American history and the legacy of slavery was limited. I resolved to change that. In a time when misinformation can blur the lines of truth, I believe it’s vital for everyone to engage with historical realities. I immersed myself in well over 20 books—one of which, nearly 900 pages long and dense with detail, took me almost a year to complete. This journey was enlightening, yet it was infuriating to recognize that the disenfranchisement of Black Americans continues into the 21st century.
In 2021, we embarked on an in-depth exploration of DuWayne’s family history, fully aware that his genealogical path would be more challenging. We started with his father’s lineage, and with the help of our genealogist at American Ancestors, we found the plantation where DuWayne’s great-grandfather, Reuben (1858-1891), had been enslaved and discovered that the family name was not Sayles. Reuben had taken the surname of Young and married Celia Wells, with whom he had three children. After Reuben’s death, Celia married Robert Sayles, whose name Reuben’s children took. We have since found so much more—even white ancestors whose DNA DuWayne shares—suggesting tragic and, unfortunately, not uncommon circumstances of birth.
African American genealogy is often fraught with obstacles, yet stories uncovered are a testament to resilience and strength. When I learned about 10 Million Names, I thought how wonderful it would be if everyone experienced the same opportunity that we had to research their family, because there’s a great joy and sense of grounding when you can learn that history. It’s a gift to generations in the future.
10 Million Names is a substantive way that people can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others, either financially or by introducing 10 Million Names to others. This is not a short-term project; it will go on for decades. It has such incredible value that if you want to make a difference, you can. The pursuit of knowledge enriches our understanding of ourselves and connects us to the broader tapestry of history.
Let us all take the plunge into our own genealogical journeys. Together, we can ensure that every voice is heard and every story is told.
Helen E.R. Sayles is a Life Member and a Trustee. She resides in Concord, Massachusetts.
Erik LaPrade
My relationship with American Ancestors mirrors a similar path to other members: starting slowly and building continuously, I became aware of and took advantage of the breadth of resources available. I knew my father was 100% French Canadian from Western Massachusetts, and there were many extended family members throughout New England.
Inheriting a photo album and a manila folder with assorted documents, I became determined to make sense of it. I started listening to webinars and podcasts and purchased guidebooks, all of which led me to American Ancestors and its databases. Joining as a Guest Member, I learned to navigate their online databases. While on vacation in Boston, I took my two sons to the library on Newbury Street, and we were all impressed by how many of our ancestors appeared in the historical books. I realized that becoming an Individual Member opened up many more resources.
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After I developed a family tree on two websites, I hit pause. Using the Hire a Researcher program to commission a custom project, I wanted a professional to review and validate my tree, confirm people and dates, and add any documents to personalize the historical names on the tree. Genealogist Sheilagh Doerfler provided me with these services and found many documents already translated. My next step was to attend a Research Getaway in Boston for further research and to continue adding detail to the family tree.
I upgraded to a Supporter Member when I reached the point where it became apparent that I needed to pursue a two-pronged strategy: self-inquiry and discovery, and engage with expert researchers to answer questions I couldn’t resolve and unravel unexpected problems. Sheilagh assisted with a second Hire a Researcher project to expand my research. One vexing challenge on the second project was acquiring a copy of a book at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Quebec. Two attempts using interlibrary loans were declined, including one via the local Midwest Genealogy Center. Sheilagh was successful in borrowing a copy and sent me PDFs regarding my 4th great-grandfather. It was a success, and I believe only American Ancestors could have accomplished it.
As a Supporter Member, I utilized annual consultations to discuss roadblocks and try to solve problems. I created a running challenge list to be discussed during my consultations. As I expanded research beyond my paternal line, I widened the scope to include my maternal line and have been doing work on my wife’s family. I took a long list of tasks and questions to Salt Lake City, participating in the Fall Research Tour. Both pleasant surprises and disappointments drove further research activities. I expanded my family history research, including travel to Bergen, Norway, to visit the church where my parents were married, cemeteries across Massachusetts to view the grave sites of relatives, and homes of great-grandparents where families were born and raised.
I participate in Ask a Genealogist Live Chat and occasionally the Request Photocopies feature. As part of my ongoing activity, I regularly attend both current and archived webinars. As an example of the value contained in these webinars, at Senior Genealogist Rhonda McClure’s recent webinar, she suggested the Genealogist’s Handbook for New England Research. I used it to validate a long-standing family story. Accessing archived title deeds, I confirmed indeed that my maternal great-grandparents bought and later transferred the title of their home to my grandparents in Easthampton, Mass., and that is the home where my father was raised.
Erik LaPrade is retired from a career in corporate marketing and advertising. He joined American Ancestors as an Individual Member in 2018 and is currently a Supporter Member. He lives in Kansas City, Kansas.
Julia Schmolke
“We’re a family and we’re a tree. Our roots go deep down in history. From my great-great-granddaddy reaching up to me, we’re a green and growing family tree.”
The above quote, the chorus of the song “Family Tree” by Tom Chapin, expresses my feelings about the importance of family and family history. I feel a strong sense of connection to my ancestors and down to my grandchildren.
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My first knowledge of genealogy came when I was about nine, and my mother went off every week to the Minnesota Historical Society to do research. We had some turn-of-the-century genealogies, and I used to pore over them and write stories about my ancestors. I learned that my father researched his family back in the 1940s. I have all the letters he sent and received from relatives.
My parents were charter members of the Minnesota Genealogical Society. They started a project recording inscriptions in our county cemeteries. Helping them, I developed a real love of old cemeteries, which has lasted until this day. Find a Grave is a great resource, but it doesn’t compare with standing at the base of one’s 6th great-grandparent’s grave.
In about 1968, my mother joined the New England Historic Genealogical Society and later became a Life Member. In 1999, she and I went together to Boston for a “Come Home to New England” educational program. I’ve loved sharing a common interest with my parents. My father and I would go to the local Family History Center together, where he traced our ancestors in the Norwegian parish records.
I’ve attended five research tours to Salt Lake City with American Ancestors and definitely recommend them to others. I’ve also attended many webinars and classes offered by American Ancestors, always of the highest quality. My husband and I have attended two trips, with Robert Charles Anderson to Leiden and Plymouth, learning about the Pilgrims. We went on several Heritage Tours with Curt DiCamillo to England, Italy, Austria, Germany, Bermuda, and New Orleans. Not only have I learned a lot, but we have made many friends!
In 2018, I made the commitment to become a Life Member and have been a Councilor since 2020. I felt it was important to give back to an organization that had helped me in my journey.
My genealogical journey has been very rewarding. I have many colonial New England lines, including Mayflower and royal ones. I’m half Norwegian and one-eighth Irish. I have extended my research to include my husband’s family and those of my children’s spouses. I have significant material for my research efforts since I have seven children-in-law. Recently, I was thrilled when my 15-year-old granddaughter told me she was fascinated by genealogy. Now I know who will carry my torch!
Julia Schmolke joined American Ancestors in 1999 and is a Life Member and Councilor. She has been a genealogical researcher for over forty years and speaks on genealogical topics to various local groups. Julia resides in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Beatrice Nessen
My husband, Peter, and I were first referred to American Ancestors through a friend of Irish descent who has archived her family material at the organization. She suggested I explore the resources, even though I didn’t know that American Ancestors had resources for families of Jewish heritage or who had come here as recently as World War II.
We were pleased to learn about the archive of New England Jewish families at the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center (JHC), and we eventually decided to donate materials from both of our families to the center in 2018. Peter and his two brothers donated documentation about their grandparents’ immigration from Russia to Canada, where Peter’s father was born, and the family’s subsequent life in the United States. Peter’s maternal grandfather immigrated from Russia to the United States but would never talk about life and pogroms in Russia under the czar—so Peter and his family learned not to discuss those family stories. Through my encouragement, he and his brothers welcomed the idea of archiving this history in The Nessen Family Papers at the JHC.
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My family story is represented in The Jews of Tachau Papers. Both my maternal and paternal sides come from a small rural town in Bohemia, Tachau (now Tachov, located in the Czech Republic), which had a thriving Jewish community over several centuries. Family members began to migrate to other parts of Europe and North and South America in the 19th and early 20th century. My immediate family immigrated here from France, where my father was employed by a French firm in 1940, after the French surrender to the Nazis. Many of my parents’ generation with origins in Tachau also fled Europe for the U.S. to escape the Nazis. Tachau continued to be the glue that kept all these families connected.
My generation of the children of World War II refugees grew up hearing stories of Tachau and the lives of our parents and grandparents. It has been important to me to pass on the rich story of this community from a distant time, location, and culture, and make it available to descendants and anyone who wants to study it. I inherited materials from my family and have been collecting a great deal of information about other Tachau families, and I recognized the importance of archiving this historical trove so it wouldn’t be lost. The Jews of Tachau collection includes materials ranging from family histories and genealogical research to personal papers and memoirs to cookbooks and family film reels. Both I and other relatives have used the collection for research, including a distant relative who was able to fill in a genealogical gap in her family’s history. We appreciate the JHC’s archivists’ care with the collection and their assistance in accessing it.
Because our family’s story might otherwise be lost, it is so meaningful to know that it is preserved and available at the JHC. It’s also important that both Peter’s and my family history is part of the wider history of the Boston and New England Jewish community preserved at the JHC. Jewish immigrants and their descendants have contributed so much to this region, and we are fortunate that the history is preserved and accessible for all to learn from.
Beatrice Nessen spent her career in urban planning and public policy. She is a Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center supporter. She and her husband, Peter, reside in Boston, Massachusetts.
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