Hello!
I am Dana Darby. My genealogy journey began more than 40 years ago with a college paper—a simple assignment to build a family tree and share some information about my family. What was initially a straightforward exercise turned into a lifelong passion. I’ve never stopped researching, and I’ve never stopped being amazed by what I’ve found. I love photographs and have marveled at how familial traits are passed down from generation to generation. All of the photographs of people in this website are my ancestors, found through my own research and family connections.
What I've Learned Along the Way
I've traced my own family's roots across the United States and overseas to France, England, Germany, and Czechia. I’ve learned some Latin so I could make sense of old church records, dusted off my college French to work through records in France, spent time researching at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and traveled to county courthouses and small-town libraries in the United States where my ancestors lived, and walked the same land they once farmed and held the very records they once signed.
My Strengths
Languages — I am particularly good with languages. For my lifelong career, I worked as an editor and writer for various corporations, so I am very comfortable with writing.
Document Development — I have a strong background in document production, so generating a genealogical document that includes text, pictures, scans, and other elements is right up my alley.
Tenacity — I am diligent in my research, so I don’t give up when it seems like there is no information to be found. I just keep looking… and I usually find something!
Innovative Research — And lastly, through my 40 years of genealogical research, I’ve found information in surprising places and in innovative ways. This “thinking outside the box” approach enables me to find information that can really bring an ancestor to life.
Why I Do This Work
There's something powerful about understanding the people whose choices, struggles, and resilience led, generations later, to me. I want this same insight for all of my clients: not just a list of names and dates, but a real sense of who your ancestors were and the lives they lived.
