Lesley K. Cafarelli
Professional Genealogist and Owner, Diaspora Genealogy Research
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- Business Name
- Diaspora Genealogy Research
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- Non-Research Specialties
- Author/Writer
- Editor
- Historian
- Oral Historian/Interviewer
- Project Manager
- Transcriber
- Translator
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- Research Specialties
- Archaeology (old artifacts)
- Cartography (maps)
- Catholic
- Civil War
- Colonial
- Court Records
- DNA Specialist
- Emigration & Immigration
- Federal Records
- Historical Sites
- Holocaust
- Irish American
- Italian American
- Jewish
- Land Records
- Library of Congress
- Migration
- Naturalization
- Neighborhood Reconstruction
- Photograph Analysis
- Railroads
- Scots-Irish
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- Research Counties
- Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States
- Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
- Bronx County, New York, United States
- Cambridgeshire, East of England, United Kingdom
- Cecil County, Maryland, United States
- Clayton County, Iowa, United States
- Delaware County, New York, United States
- Dorchester County, Maryland, United States
- Essex County, New Jersey, United States
- Hudson County, New Jersey, United States
- Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States
- Kings County, New York, United States
- Marion County, Iowa, United States
- Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
- Monroe County, New York, United States
- New York County, New York, United States
- Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
- Ocean County, New Jersey, United States
- Otsego County, New York, United States
- Schoharie County, New York, United States
- Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States
- Union County, New Jersey, United States
- Westchester County, New York, United States
- Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
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- Research Provinces / States
- California, United States
- Connecticut, United States
- Delaware, United States
- Illinois, United States
- Indiana, United States
- Iowa, United States
- Maryland, United States
- Massachusetts, United States
- Michigan, United States
- Minnesota, United States
- New Jersey, United States
- New York, United States
- Ohio, United States
- Wisconsin, United States
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- Research Countries
- Belarus
- Canada
- England
- France
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Northern Ireland
- Russia
- Scotland
- Ukraine
- United States
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- Research Time Periods
- 17th Century
- 18th Century
- 19th Century
- 20th Century
- 21st Century
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
I love figuring out mysteries and puzzles, especially involving people who had the courage to leave familiar territories, cultures, and languages and migrate to new places in search of opportunity. I have traced immigrants to the U.S. from Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Ukraine as well as pioneers who left the northeastern and mid-Atlantic areas of the U.S. for Ohio, Indiana, and areas west. I use both historical records and DNA evidence to uncover the stories of ancestors' lives.
I also enjoy coaching enthusiastic but less experienced genealogists who want to increase their knowledge and skills, particularly in research methodology and evidence analysis. It's especially gratifying to see some of them go on to help others in the research community.
I'm currently working on several research and writing projects but should be available for new client projects early in 2024.
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- Degrees
- Ph.D., Boston University (Classical Studies)
M.A., Brandeis University (Mediterranean/Ancient Near Eastern Studies)
A.B. with honors, Wellesley College (Classical Archaeology)
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- Languages
- English, French, Italian, Hebrew, Latin, ancient Greek
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- Repositories
- National Archives and Record Administration (NARA)
Boston, Massachusetts, City Archives
Immigrant History Research Center, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Iron Range Research Center, Minnesota
Minnesota Historical Society
New York City Municipal Archives
New York State Archives
Online: Ancestry, FamilySearch, FindMyPast, MyHeritage, FindAGrave, Fold3, Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank, Internet Archive, Newberry Library, David Rumsey Map Collection, New York Public Library, Boston Public Library, YadVashem, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, many others
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- Publications
- Cafarelli, Lesley K., "What’s in a Name? Solving the Mystery of Amelia Rosso’s Birth," Minnesota Genealogist 49, no. 3 (2018): 19-27. (Winner of the Minnesota Genealogical Society's 2018 Family History
Writing Competition Problem-solving Category)
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- Certificates
- ProGen Study Group 31
Winner, Minnesota Genealogical Society Family History
Writing Competition, Problem-solving Category, 2018
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- Affiliations
- Association of Professional Genealogists
The Craco (Matera, Italy) Society (heritage preservation group)
Minnesota Genealogical Society
Minnesota Jewish Genealogical Society
National Genealogical Society
New England Historic Genealogy Society
New Jersey Genealogical Society
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society JewishGen
Israel Genealogy Research Association
Contact
Contact
- Website: coming soon
Work Contact
Work Contact
| Phone: | (612) 721-4157 |
| Email: | lesley@diasporagen.com |
| Street Address: | Diaspora Genealogy Research |
| Address 2: | 4709 31st Ave S |
| City: | Minneapolis |
| State/Province: | Minnesota |
| Country: | United States |
| Zip/Postal Code: | 55406-3812 |