Aiena Family gathering

Research Services

What started as a hobby has become a passion and career!

From the moment I started researching my own family in 1999, I knew I had found something that I really and truly loved to do! Since then, I’ve helped over 250 clients learn more about their family history, solve family mysteries, gain Dual Citizenship, have a more complete sense of self and so much more.  I mainly focus on families of Italian or Sicilian origin, but I do have extensive experience in American records as well. I thoroughly enjoy researching for other people–It is just as exciting for me to find new information for others as it is for me to find something new for my own family!

People contact me for different reasons and the journey is unique for each client, but one thing is consistent—in order to research families of Italian origin, it is important to know the Who, When and Where.

What You Need to Know to Start

Who?

Obviously, it's vital to know the name of the ancestor you would like to research. Many Italians changed or modified their names in some way after arriving to America. What name and variation of names did your ancestor use?

When?

An approximate date of birth, marriage or death for the ancestor(s) you wish to research is needed so we know the time frame in which we should be searching. If you don't know that information, is it known for the ancestor's spouse, parents, siblings or children?

Where?

Because of the way records in Italy are archived, knowing the specific town of origin your ancestors came from is imperative to researching their ancestry. If you don't know the exact town, knowing the Province or Region can also be helpful.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t know one or more of the above! Ask extended family members if they know the answers to the Who, When and Where and if they have any documents or records that might be useful. There are also excellent resources available to help us find the information, including immigration and naturalization records, census records, newspaper articles and obituaries, vital records, church records and so much more. If you need to know Who, When and Where, Sicilian Family Tree can help you figure that out too!

What Are Your Research Goals?

Many people have a broad goal, like the desire to learn more about their family history in general, researching back as far as possible or maybe finding all of their long-lost cousins in America. Others have more specific goals such as getting a specific document for a specific ancestor, finding living relatives before a trip to Italy or obtaining Dual Citizenship. It’s important to think about what you are hoping to gain from the research experience as guides what we look for and how we research. Here are some questions to consider:

01

What’s your overall goal?

What is your overall goal? Do you just want to learn more about your family? Do you want to gain Dual Citizenship or meet family members on an upcoming trip? Do you have a family mystery that you would like to solve?

02

Forward, Backward or Both?

How far back do you want to research? Would you rather bring your family forward to the present day and finding living relatives? Or would you like to move your family back and forward too?

03

Are We Being Specific?

Do you just want or need specific documents, such as a naturalization, birth, marriage and/or death record for a specific person(s)? Do you need documents for a Dual Citizenship application?

04

Direct and/or Indirect Ancestors?

Do you want to research just your direct ancestors – your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents – going straight back? Or do you also want to learn about their siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles? How wide do you want your tree to be?

05

What’s the History?

Do you also want to know the history of the town your ancestors came from? When was it first established? What did/do most people do for a living? What is the landscape like? Are there any important landmarks there? What was it like for my ancestors to live there?

06

What’s Your Budget?

What is your budget for research? Some clients have limited budgets, such as a certain amount per report, while others are more open-ended. Whatever your budget, Sicilian Family Tree will work within that budget to achieve your research goals.

Choose A Service

No matter what your research goals are or how you answered the questions above, Sicilian Family Tree has options that can accommodate your budget while helping you achieve your research goals. We offer two basic types of research: Full Family Searches and Specific Document Searches. Follow the links below to learn more about each option and then be sure to fill out a Contact Form and submit your deposit to get started on your family history journey!

In-Depth Family Search

If you are interested in learning all there is to know about your family, this is the search for you. Sicilian Family Tree can do all the work for you. Just sit back and watch your tree grow!
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Specific Document Search

If you are interested in obtaining one or more specific documents, then this is the search for you. Sicilian Family Tree offers affordable options for getting those documents!
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Client Testimonials

Great with Details!

For the past seven or eight years, Jennifer has been my genealogy sidekick.  Without her, my Ancestry.com book would never have come to be.  She was able to find relatives I knew I had hidden somewhere and she unearthed them.  Jennifer is great with details.  She listens to what you want and, if at all possible, will find it.  When her reports came back to me, they were well composed, complete and understandable.  When we couldn’t find the birth records of my maternal great grandparents, I was reminded of a little story my Grandmother told me and I passed it on to Jennifer.  She followed through and a Pandora box of family history opened up.  Jennifer, keep up the great work you do.  And, by the way, you aren’t done with me yet.

– Katherine A.
Mystery Solved!

I’ve worked with Jennifer since September 2017 to untangle my Sicilian history which was fairly challenging largely due to the misdirection of previous generations. Jennifer is a very knowledgeable professional genealogist and is able to provide English translations of Sicilian records which is well worth the modest fees charged. She was able to solve the mystery of my biological great grandfather allowing another completely unknown family line to come to light. Amazingly, her research led to the realization that she and I, complete strangers when this journey began, are cousins by marriage, sharing the same Sicilian 4th great grandparents! I strongly recommend Jennifer and Sicilian Family Tree.

– M. Jordan

I Couldn’t Have Done It Without Her!

Jennifer helped me with my family tree, not just in obtaining the records but in translating them as well. She managed to go back as far as the 1600’s in some cases. She’s the best, I couldn’t have done it without her.

– J. Bruno

Great Experience!

Jennifer was great to work with.  She is excellent with communication and attention to detail.  If you are looking to fill in the branches of your Sicilian family tree send Jennifer an email to learn more about what she does, you’ll be so glad you did!

– Kim H.

She Loves What She Does

Jennifer solved a mystery that had been haunting my family for decades.  We would have never gotten the answers for which we were so desperately searching without her dogged determination and unending patience.  Jennifer treated the situation like it was personal to her, not just a job for someone else.  It is clear she loves what she does, which is probably why she is so good at doing it.

– Jude M.

She Gets an A+
I have been working with Jennifer since 2012, she has never disappointed me. She’s always available for any and all questions that I might come across. I find her rates to be fair and I’m thankful that we have been able to work together for so many years. She gets an A+ from me.
– D. Luzzi
Thorough, Comprehensive, Phenomenal!

It has been wonderful to have had Jennifer as a researcher for over ten years.  She is thorough and comprehensive in her reports.  She is detailed in transcribing records and goes much beyond in adding an objective centered on the focus of a client’s wishes and direction.  She is absolutely phenomenal in her craft as a researcher!

– B. Provenza

Your Testimonial Could Be Here!

Sicilian Family Tree would love to add you to our list of satisfied customers! Visit our Research Services page to learn more about all we have to offer!

Worth Every Penny!

I first started working with Jennifer in the fall of 2016 when I decided to begin the process of having my Italian citizenship recognized. She was an invaluable resource. Truly, I don’t know how I would have navigated the process without her. From getting birth records from Italy, to knowing what forms to fill out when, she was unwavering in her knowledge and support through the entire process. There were several hiccups along the way, including getting stuck in limbo between the state of MA and the town where my grandfather died, both of whom felt it was the other’s responsibility to amend his death record, and the LA consulate asking for records that couldn’t exist. She expertly navigated every hurdle and I’m thrilled to say that I finally received recognition in January 2020 and received my passport the following August. Her services are worth every penny, and honestly I would have paid double what she charged.

– Julie M.
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She Never Ceases to Amaze!

We’ve been working with Jennifer for a long time and she never ceases to amaze us with the information she finds about our family. She is dogged and diligent, and obviously loves what she does.

-Bruce B.
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HIGHLY Recommend!

Jennifer has been fantastic. I had always known that my mother’s parents were from Cerda in Sicily and I did some investigation using FamilySearch and Ancestry but was never able to locate original documents about them and their relatives. Given the basic information I was able to find, Jennifer was quickly able to trace back and then forward and found many original birth, death and marriage records for my ancestors. The report she provided me was fantastic with the English translations of all the documents that she found. She even put me in touch with a local researcher who was able to find living relatives still in Cerda. We never knew it but my mother had two living cousins there. I would HIGHLY recommend her if you are looking to investigate your Sicilian heritage. – Dusty R.