About Sheila, the Grand Dame:

I’m a Pacific Northwest native with several generations of family history in Washington State.

As a lifelong learner who enjoys solving puzzles/mysteries, I went back to school and earned a degree in Library Technology. I spent the next 10 years working in higher education as a trainer for different software programs, before moving into research in 2003. Since then, I have happily turned my passion into a career.

For more than 30 years, I have been sharing my knowledge and love of genealogy with others. I founded The Genealogy Dames in 2015.

While working with others, a frequent question I continued to hear was, “Can you help me find my biological parents?” My focus slowly turned to helping other adoptees find long-lost family members. Along with chasing the paper trail, DNA technology and the internet has transformed the ability to find family members much quicker. I still spend my days in archives reviewing microfiche and stacks of newspapers!

I have done DNA testing through all of the major companies and believe that DNA, paired with some good, old-fashioned research, will greatly increase the possibility of success in your search. It can still be a slow and challenging path, but there are always answers waiting to be discovered and I am here to help guide my clients throughout the entire journey.

I am a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, National Genealogical Society and the Washington State Genealogical Society, as well as many other national, state, and county genealogical societies. I’m also a volunteer search angel and indexer for state archives.

I am always available for questions big and small – feel free to contact me at any time.