About Your Storied Past Genealogy
Welcome to Your Storied Past Genealogy!
Hello! Thanks for stopping by. I’m Susan, the founder and owner of Your Storied Past Genealogy LLC.
My love of family stories began when I studied my great-grandmother’s Italian passport for the first time. She was slender with a rosy complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. She was a seamstress born in a small town in Calabria, Italy. Her father’s name was Antonio. So much information in one, small document! Suddenly she became so much more than a name! I was hooked.
I’ve been climbing my own family tree since 2001. During that time I’ve also led others on a journey to their past by researching their family trees. Now I’d like to help you.
Contact me for a free 30-minute consultation and let’s begin your journey!
Susan Rasmussen
Professional Genealogist
George McCoy
CEO
Logan Marshall
Photographer
Susan treated my family research like it was for her own family.
James – Chicago, IL
About Our Process
Initial consultation
To get started with your research project, contact Your Storied Past Genealogy for a free, 30-minute consultation. Consultations can be done via phone or a virtual meeting. Please let me know your preference when you make your initial phone call or email.
During our meeting we’ll discuss what your goals are and which research package would be most beneficial for the scope of your project. Generally, a minimum of a ten-hour research block is recommended.
Starting your project
If you’d like to proceed, a research plan will be drafted for you to review.
The research plan will state the goals for the project and the maximum number of research hours that have been authorized.
Research will begin upon receipt of the signed research plan, 50% of the project fee, and your name and contact information.
Please note that family history information (names, dates, etc.) will need to be provided for research to be done. Please do not provide information for living people as that will not be necessary to do genealogical research.
During the research process
Throughout the research process you will be contacted with any questions, if additional information is needed, and to provide brief updates on the progress of your project.
Upon completion of your project
At the end of the research block, you will receive:
- PDFs of found documents
- A research report including full citations of sources
- Your family tree (depending on the research plan selected)
- A brief, written family history
If you have requested custom photographs, hi-resolution jpegs will be provided electronically.
Payment
A 50% retainer is needed to begin a project. The remainder is due upon completion of each project. Please contact us regarding payment methods.
Research Fees
Since we do not know how much will be discovered, there are no guarantees that all of the project goals will be met in one research block. You will be charged for the actual research time, which will not exceed the maximum number of authorized hours.
Other expenses
In addition to research time, expenses that might be incurred will be billed at cost. Depending on the project, there may be additional fees such as shipping, international phone calls, photocopies while at an archive, borrowing fees for microfilm or a website day-subscription.
Potential additional expenses will be discussed during our initial consultation, estimated, agreed upon, and listed in the research plan. If unanticipated expenses come up during the research process, you will be contacted before we proceed.