I'm Sara. I specialize in evidence-based genealogical research.

I am a professional genealogist and the founder of Lore & Lineage.

My background in genealogy started early. I grew up tagging along with my mom to physical archives, learning firsthand how to handle historical documents and piece together paper trails. That early exposure taught me the value of primary sources and methodical research.

In 2023, I put those skills to the test to solve a 100-year-old brick wall in my own family: identifying the biological parents of my Minnesota-born grandmother. By combining traditional archival research—like petitioning for sealed original birth records—with targeted DNA clustering and triangulation, I finally found the answers we thought were permanently lost. That case proved to me that I had the analytical skills required to do this work professionally.

I genuinely enjoy the investigative challenge of genealogy. I specialize in complex cases, from reconstructing Midwestern family lines using un-digitized land and probate records to authoring certified genealogical proof reports for European dual citizenship applications, such as Polish citizenship by descent. Whether it involves reading early 20th-century handwriting or untangling a disorganized web of autosomal DNA matches, I thrive on the meticulous process of uncovering facts.

When I am not buried in an archive or digitizing at-risk records, I am at home with my husband, Adam, our three children, and our Alaskan Malamute, Nymeria.