Currently accepting clients for...

• DNA
• Family History Research
• Speaking / Presenting

Services Available
Roots Dig-In – A 6-Month Guided Research Circle

If you're stuck on a tough question—or just craving community while you research—Roots Dig-In is a small-group experience designed for you.

• Six one-hour sessions (monthly via Google Meet)

• One “deep dig” case per session + Q&A with Lori

• Peer collaboration, shared resources, and gentle accountability

• Includes Lori’s Roots Toolkit PDF + access to shared group doc

Starts January 2026 | Limited to 6–8 participants
Email GenealogyAtHeart@gmail.com to join the interest list.

Brickwall Circle - A Continuing Group for Alumni

Graduates of Roots Dig-In are invited to stay connected through Brickwall Circle, a continuing group for deeper research, stronger community, and shared breakthroughs.

• Monthly sessions with rotating “hot seat” cases

• Tools and support for advanced projects and lineage applications

• Member-led discussions and resource swaps

• Discounted loyalty pricing for returning participants

Conference Meetups

For those attending national conferences like RootsTech (April) or NGS (May), Lori hosts optional in-person meetups—an easy, welcoming way to connect face-to-face with your research circle.

Other Offerings

Coaching & Mentoring - Feeling stuck? Get a 1-on-1 consultation (virtual or in-person near Ft. Wayne) with practical next steps tailored to your research problem.

Personalized Education - Want to start from scratch or sharpen your skills? My 3-hour Finding Your Family course fast-tracks your research confidence.

Custom Research Packages - Receive a full written report with a source log and document images.
Beginner: 5 hours / 3 generations
Intermediate: 10 hours
Advanced or lineage society prep – contact me

Mention APG and you'll receive a 5% discount!

Heir Searcher - Assist administrators/executors with kinship determination.

Lecturer -

I speak internationally on over a dozen topics ranging from DNA to AI to heirlooms. Book me for your library, society, or heritage group. Don’t see what you need? I’m happy to customize a talk or workshop just for you.

45 minute - 1 hour followed by Q&A available for booking:

• Artificial Intelligence & Ancestry:  Navigating the Future of Genealogy
• Fun Finds on FamilySearch.org
• Genealogy Inspiration:  Creative Family History Ideas
• Gen 101 and 102 - Beginning and Intermediate Family History Research Workshops (3 hours each)
• Honoring Heirlooms:  Preserving the Stories and Items of Your Family's Past
• Hot Cocoa and DNA:  A Beginner's Journey Using DNA
• Migration Trails Across the U.S.
• Numbering Your Genealogy
• On the Road Again:  Best Practices When Going on a Genealogical Adventure
• School Daze:  Important Family Information Resides in Educational Records
• Skeletons in the Closet:  How to Handle Sensitive Genealogy Discoveries
• The Ins and Outs of Interviewing:  How to Conduct an Interview with Family
• Uncovering Genealogical Gems:  Atypical Hints to Find Records
• Using Genealogy Software:  A How To for Family Tree Maker, Legacy Family Tree, and RootsMagic
• Youth Workshops for 4-H Division 1, [Boy] Scout Genealogy Badge, Girl Scout Brownie Try It Badge - No charge for youth workshops. 

Will present in-person, hybrid, or virtual.

Look Up Service - Available for northeastern Indiana and northwestern Ohio counties and at Allen County Public Library, the second largest genealogy library in the U.S.  

 

Publications/Media
Books
Perseverance Amidst Adversity:  The Ancestry of Three George Harbaughs (2016)
From Swedish Soil to American Shores:  A History of the James Samuelson Family (2025)
Roots in the Rhineland: Tracing Our Palatinate Ancestry (2025)
Whispers from the Old Country: A Croatian Family's Journey (2025)
Thanks to the Yanks:  WWI Letters from an Indiana Farm Boy to His Sweetheart (2025)
Echoes of Britannia: A British Legacy in a New Land (in progress)
Articles & Blogs
– “John and Thomas Duer of New Jersey and Ohio.” The Ohio Genealogical Society Quarterly, To be Published (Fall, 2025).
– “Seeking New Jersey Colonist Daniel Hollingshead’s Birthplace.” The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, 99, no. 1 (January 2024).
– “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Ancestry:  Embracing the Future of Genealogy.” The Indiana Genealogist, 33, no. 2 (June 2024).
– “How To Find Little Known School Records.” The Indiana Genealogist, 32, no. 3 (September 2023).
– “Armistice Day, 1918: An Indianan Boy’s Recollections.” The Indiana Genealogist, 32, no. 1 (March 2023).
– “Mysteries Behind the Deserter’s Hill Story.” The Florida Genealogist, 45, no. 2 (December 2022).
– “Tampa Bay Hurricanes and the Garrison Family of Hog Island.” The Florida Genealogist, 45, no. 1 (June 2022).
– “A Unique Tarpon Springs Family Heirloom” The Florida Genealogist, 44, no. 2 (December 2021).
– “Lep’s Journey: Exploring Events & People Named in an 1862 Letter.” The Florida Genealogist, 39, no. 2 (December 2016).
– “1962 Letter (Ship Island to New York) Describing Parts of Florida.” The Florida Genealogist, 39, no. 1 (June 2016).
– “Building Credibility as a Business Strategy” GenBiz Solutions, (Spring 2016).
– “How Our Ancestors’ Love Affair With Liquor Can Provide Fascinating Clues to the Past,” Family History Daily, January 2018.
– “4 Big Genealogy Mistakes That Have Hurt My Research,” Family History Daily, (November 2017).
–“The Truth About Family Legends.” Ancestor Cloud Blog (August 2017).
–“Dealing With Genealogical Disappointment.” Ancestor Cloud Blog (July 2017).
–“Motivating Others For Genealogical Results.” Ancestor Cloud Blog (June 2017).
–“Communicating for Results.” Ancestor Cloud Blog (May 2017).
–“Developing a Positive Seeker Helper Relationship.” Ancestor Cloud Blog (April 2017).
–“Crystalizing Smart Goals.” Ancestor Cloud Blog (March 2017).
–“Using Backward Design in Genealogical Research.” Ancestor Cloud Blog (March 2017).

NOTE: AncestorCloud is now Trace Genealogy

Author and Publisher. Genealogy at Heart, April 2015–present.
Over 600 blog posts focused on U.S. and European family history, DNA analysis, record access advocacy, and research strategies.
www.genealogyatheart.com and https://genealogyatheart.blogspot.com
 

Lectures
Have presented to local societies and organizations throughout the U.S. and internationally via in-person, hybrid, and Zoom/Go To Meeting/TEAMS/PlaybackNow. Am willing to develop a program based on your group's needs. See current listings of available topics listed above under the overview section.

Repositories
Allen County, Indiana Public Genealogical Library located in Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Northeastern Indiana and northwestern Ohio county libraries and courthouses.

Research Time Periods

• 20th Century
• 19th Century

Languages
English

Certificates
National Board Certified Teacher/Counselor Emeritus

Affiliations
Association of Professional Genealogists
Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War
De Kalb County [Indiana] Genealogical Society
Descendants of Lady Godiva
Garrett, Indiana Genealogy Club
Hereditary Order of the Red Dragon
Indiana Genealogical Society
National Genealogical Society
New York Genealogical & Biographical Society
New England Historic Genealogical Society
Society of Indiana Pioneers
Tarpon Springs (FL) Area Historical Society

Degrees
MEd in Educational Leadership, University of South Florida
MA in School Counseling, University of South Florida
BA in Psychology, with a Minor in Social Science and Education, University of South Florida