Marissa Gardner, AG®
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- Business Name
- Treasured Ancestors
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- Non-Research Specialties
- Historian
- Lecturer/Presenter - On-site
- Lecturer/Presenter - Virtual
- Transcriber
- Translator
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- Research Specialties
- African American
- Court Records
- Dual Citizenship
- Emigration & Immigration
- Forensic
- French Canadian
- German American
- Greek Immigrants
- Heir Searcher
- Irish American
- Italian American
- Jewish
- Luxembourgian American
- Naturalization
- Palatines
- Paleography (ancient/historical handwriting)
- Polish American
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- Research Countries
- Australia
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Canada
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- France
- Germany
- Great Britain
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Netherlands
- Northern Ireland
- Norway
- Poland
- Romania
- Russia
- Scotland
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United States
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- Research Time Periods
- 17th Century
- 18th Century
- 19th Century
- 20th Century
- 21st Century
Marissa Gardner has been passionate about family history since an early age. She grew up in California, but moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University (BYU) where she studied music and math before finally settling on family history. Her professors told her that she was a natural and she quickly developed skills in researching in a variety of record types and in several different languages and regions of the world. Since graduating in 2005, Marissa has worked for companies such as Ancestry.com, Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, ProGenealogists, Inc., Venio, LLC, and Legacy Tree Genealogists.
Marissa earned the Accredited Genealogist credential through ICAPGen in 2011 in Germanic research, demonstrating her skills and expertise in Central and Eastern European research. This credential also qualifies her as an expert witness for kinship proceedings. Marissa loves both traditional and forensic research - helping to settle estates by accurately identifying heirs, and being personally involved in helping individuals and families connect with their roots.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Forensic Research: U.S. Probate, Land and Title cases, and Dual Citizenship
Historical genealogical research in the U.S., Canada, British Isles, and most of Europe
Immigration (locating the ancestor's hometown)
19th & 20th Century United States Research
Descendant research
GEOGRAPHIC SPECIALTIES
Germany, France, Poland, and surrounding countries
Former Russian Empire, including Germans from Russia and Ashkenazi Jewish research
Former Austrian Empire, including Hungary, Czech Republic, and Romania
Italy and Greece
Canada, including French Canadian
British Isles: England, Ireland, and Scotland
United States, including New England, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southern, and Western states, and major cities including Chicago, and New York City
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- Degrees
- Brigham Young University, B.A. in Family History & Genealogy (2005).
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- Languages
- German, French, Russian, Dutch, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Latin
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- Repositories
- FamilySearch Library, network of contractors at various archives and libraries throughout the U.S. and Europe
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- Lectures
- Utah Genealogical Association, South Davis Family History Fair, 2012: U.S. Immigration Problems: Finding Your Ancestor’s Hometown.
National Genealogical Society, 2020: T207-Gardner-U.S. Immigration Problems Finding Your Ancestor's Hometown.
MyHeritage Live, October 2020: Clues to Your Immigrant Ancestor's Passenger List.
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- Publications
- FEEFHS Journal: A Publication for Central & East European Genealogical Studies, vol. 12 (2004). Editorial assistant to Tom Edlund.
Gardner, Marissa. Trotter, Suzanne M., ed., Chapter 4: “From Province of Saxony to Wisconsin: Friedrich W. Leissring,” German Immigrant Case Studies, vol. 2 (2004).
Gardner, Marissa. “Finding the Hamburg Passenger Lists,” Der Blumenbaum, Sacramento German Genealogy Society, vol. 21, no. 4 (April, May, June 2004).
Gardner, Marissa. “A DNA Case Study,” Crossroads, Utah Genealogical Association, vol. 2, no. 4 (September 2007).
Gardner, Marissa. “Family Tree Research and Jewish History Part 1,” Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog, June 2015, https://www.legacytree.com/blog/jewish-research-tips-part-1-history-and-immigration.
Gardner, Marissa. “Jewish Research Part 2: Tips and Resources,” Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog, July 2015, https://www.legacytree.com/blog/jewish-research-part-2-tips-and-resources.
Gardner, Marissa. “Jewish Family History Research Tips, Part 3: Conclusion,” Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog, August 2015, https://www.legacytree.com/blog/jewish-research-tips-part-3-conclusion.
Gardner, Marissa. “Seeking Connection: The Importance of Family History,” Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog, July 2019, https://www.legacytree.com/blog/importance-family-history.
Gardner, Marissa. “Windmills, Tulips, and Wooden Shoes: A Guide to Dutch Surnames,” Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog, February 2020, https://www.legacytree.com/blog/dutch-surnames.
Gardner, Marissa. “Make Hay While the Sun Shines: Farm Names in Your Family History,” Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog, April 2020, https://www.legacytree.com/blog/farm-names-family-history.
Gardner, Marissa. “Passenger Lists: A Gateway to Foreign Lands and a Former Life,” Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog, July 2020, https://www.legacytree.com/blog/passenger-lists-a-gateway-to-foreign-lands-and-a-former-life.
Gardner, Marissa. “Pandemonium and Family Reunions: The Best Laid Plans,” Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog, January 2021, https://www.legacytree.com/blog/family-reunion-activities.
Gardner, Marissa. “15 Steps to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestors,” Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog, November 2022, https://www.legacytree.com/blog/15-steps-to-finding-your-immigrant-ancestors.
Gardner, Marissa. “Obtaining Portuguese Citizenship for Brazilians, MyHeritage Blog, April 2023, https://blog.myheritage.com/2023/04/obtaining-portuguese-citizenship-for-brazilians/.
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- Credentials
- AG®
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- Certificates
- Certificate from the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) for The Pennsylvania German and Research in the Keystone State (2021).
Certificate from the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy for Mother Russia: Research in the Countries of the Former Russian Empire and USSR (2021).
Certificate from the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh for Irish Genealogical Research, Part II (2022).
Certificate from the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) for Fundamentals of Forensic Genealogy (2023).
Certificate from the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburg (GRIP) for Beyond Fundamentals: Hands-on Forensic Genealogy (2023).
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- Affiliations
- • International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists, Accredited Genealogist®, Region: Germany (2011-present).
• Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) (2005-present).
• APG Forensic Special Interest Group.
• American Historical Society of Germans from Russia.
• Germans from Russia Historical Society.
• Germanic Genealogical Society.
• Gesher Galicia.
• North of Ireland Family History Society.
• Sacramento German Genealogy Society.
• St. Louis Genealogical Society.
• Hamilton County (Ohio) Genealogical Society.
• National Genealogical Society.
• New York Genealogical & Biographical Society.
• Utah Genealogical Association.
Contact
- Business site: www.treasuredancestors.com
Work Contact
| Phone: | (435) 243-2219 |
| Email: | treasuredancestors@gmail.com |
| Street Address: | P.O. Box 140 |
| Address 2: | |
| City: | Grantsville |
| State/Province: | Utah |
| Country: | United States |
| Zip/Postal Code: | 84029 |