Testimonials
Research Acknowledgments in Print from Authors
Carter, Arlan, The American Rowboat Motor: An Illustrated History and Identification Guide for America's Earliest Outboard Motors (Fall Creek, Wisc.: Fall Creek Trading Co., 2010).
"More Acknowledgments...
Jane Appleton Schapka, Owner,
Muskegon Genealogy Services
N. Muskegon, Michigan"
Knapton, Guy, Family History as Social History. Lecture. Cambridge Society: 2010.
Testimonials:
Proved: 2 men = 1 man
Request: Two men seem to be co-owners of a defunct motorboat business. One seems to be a famous race car driver. How are they related?
Result: Traced two names to three states and three occupations and proved they were one person - a machine inventor, famous race car driver, and headmaster. The racing hobby and nickname had implied that there were two men instead of one, but it was really only one person. |
Dutch ancestors found
". . . finally, I contacted Jane for professional research. In a few weeks I learned about our Dutch connection. My dad and his 90-year-old sister were excited to know that they were Essebaggers! And they loved seeing the picture of the city hall in Gouda - steps that our ancestors walked up."
Barb P. Alaska |
3 Weeks to a Birth Mother
Found birth mother in Massachusetts for client in Illinois in three weeks (client had original birth record plus adopted birth record). The reunion was positive. They keep in touch and have discovered that they both have the same literary skills and sense of humor.
Note: Quick results are not typical. Located Heir-At-Law
Request: Trace as many heirs as possible for a family, in the USA and in other countries.
Result: Completed two branches of family trees and located one living heir who subsequently received his inheritance. Completed the family tree after finding missing records
Request: Records exist in 1880 and 1920 for my family, but they seem to have disappeared in between. Can you find the missing records and re-create all the children?
Result: Found missing census records, reconstructed the family and children, and completed the family unit, wrote formal report, all sources copied, sourced, and delivered by email attachment. |
Debunked Myth of Bigamy
"Combining the skilful attributes of the sceptical detective and of the meticulous archealogist, she unearthed a catalogue of information supported by ... citations and references."
In 2009 Jane spent several months debunking the myth of the serious charge of alleged bigamy that had surrounded my British naval officer great-grandfather. Her infectious enthusiasm for the project grew till the 33-page report with its many annexes arrived some months later. Combining the skilful attributes of the sceptical detective and of the meticulous archaeologist, she unearthed a catalogue of information supported by the required citations and references. She also went to great trouble to add qualitative evidence concerning certain legal and institutional matters relevant to understanding the wider implications of the story. Jane’s painstaking approach taught me so much about professional genealogy. It was a fascinating experience, much enriched by her personal charm and patient good humour. Guy AB Knapton Belgium "Very Comprehensive Presentation..." ("Brick Wall Genealogy: 18 Steps to Digging Up Your Ancestors," PowerPoint slide show given Oct. 17, 2011 to Muskegon County Genealogical Society)
A very comprehensive presentation covering the basic elements of genealogical research with excellent examples for inspiring the intermediate researchers to look again for those ancestors who seem to have vanished in the past. (I'm ready to go looking for more.")
Barb Martin |
