Where to Begin?

Does this seem daunting? At times, it will feel that way. Here’s the simplicity of this. Start with YOURSELF. On a piece of paper or in a document on your computer, map out what you know about your family. Then do the same for your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, and so forth. Birthdates and birthplaces. The dates of baptisms/christenings. Marriages. Deaths and burials. Did they serve in the military? This is the beginning of your family tree. It gives us a starting point and most likely, some clues that will send us in the right direction.

Below, you will find a few of the many avenues Rooted in Time Genealogy will use to trace your family genealogy and family history.

A stack of old, yellowed paper documents and photographs placed on a surface near a window, with some papers slightly curled and overlapping.

Family Documents

Black and white scanned image of a marriage record from Faribault County, Minnesota, showing handwritten entries for marriage licenses, including names of the bride and groom, dates, and signatures of officials.

Vital Records

Historical map of the Principality of Reuss, with detailed borders, labels, and decorative cartouche, featuring Latin text and illustrations.

Land Records/Maps

Open book with two closed books stacked on top, placed on a gray surface.

Local History

We also offer these Services.

Close-up of a broken, old photograph of a young child with curly hair, with visible cracks and torn edges.

Photograph Restoration and Archiving

A black-and-white photograph of an old handwritten church register or census record with detailed entries of names, dates, and other handwritten notes in a European language, likely Norwegian or Danish.

Church Records

A grainy black-and-white image of a 1920 U.S. Census record page, showing handwritten entries for populations in North Dakota, including names, ages, birthplaces, and other personal details.

Census Records

Historical Norwegian police document or permit with ornate border, official seal, and handwritten text in Norwegian.

Emigration/Immigration

Historical map of Germany showing various regions and their historical color-coded territories, with labels of cities and regions.

Historical Context

Old, weathered handwritten letters and documents, some torn or wrinkled, on a wooden surface.

Document Archiving

“To forget one’s ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root.”

Chinese Proverb