• DNA
• Family History Research
• Speaking / Presenting
• Writing /Publishing

About Copper Leaf Genealogy:

Copper Leaf Genealogy began in 2013 with the idea of helping others discover more about their own family like how I had discovered my own. From 2013-2018, I took on clients, presented to many genealogy groups, taught classes, and participated in conferences. I love working one on one with people and seeing their faces light up with new discoveries!

This led to me working for Ancestry.com’s ProGenealogists in 2018, which is when I stopped taking clients. I learned so much in my time there! I worked on early New England and general genealogy and then moved into genetic genealogy, where I helped people find their biological family. Nonetheless, I missed working with people in a more personal setting, like with Copper Leaf Genealogy, and after leaving ProGenealogists in 2024, I decided to start taking on clients once more!

About Nichelle:

I have always loved hearing about my family’s stories and am thankful I asked as many questions as I did over the years. Researching my own history has taught me though that many family stories are just that – a story. And I want to know what really happened. 

I started researching my own family in the early 2000s and participated in many groups, societies, and conferences over the years. When I began to want to become a professional genealogist, I dove in to specific professional genealogy course work as I grew into my business, which included the National Genealogical Society Home Study Course (no longer a course); Boston University: Genealogical Research Certificate Program; and a Graduate of ProGen Study Group 25. I also continued to learn anything I could get my hands on when it comes to genealogy, which included:

• Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) – Practical Genetic Genealogy 
• SLIG Academy for Professional – DNA and the 21st Century Professional 
• Genealogical Institute on Federal Records 
• SLIG Academy for Professional – Corpus Juris: Advanced Legal Concepts for Genealogy 

Over the years I have also participated in my local genealogy groups as much as I could. This includes:

• County Genealogist for St. Joseph County, Indiana
• Program Chair for the South Bend Genealogical Society
• Program Chair for the Boulder Genealogical Society
• SLIG Academy for Professionals – A Course Instructor for Teaching Genealogy Classes in Your Community in 2021 and 2022
• Larimer County Genealogical Society – Course Instructor for courses like introduction to genealogy, intermediate genealogy, using Ancestry.com, etc.

In all my genealogy work, I follow the Ethics and Standards set by the Board for Certification of Genealogists as well as the code of ethics for the Association of Professional Genealogists, where I am a member.

I am very excited to be a part of the local genealogy community once again and help people find and discover their own family history – whether that is through records, genetics, or a combination of both!

Do we have any family in common? Do you have questions on any resources I’ve mentioned? Want to know more about the classes I’ve taken? Interested in hiring me for research or a presentation? Contact me with Questions!

• 21st Century
• 20th Century
• 19th Century
• 18th Century
• 17th Century
• 16th Century and Earlier