Researcher Directory
A place for local researchers that can help if you ask.
Welcome to the Echoes and Ancestors Researcher Directory—a growing list of independent and local researchers dedicated to preserving family history. These are the passionate individuals we’ve connected with through our travels and online collaborations. Many are not affiliated with large institutions, yet their knowledge, experience, and generosity are invaluable to family historians like us.
If you’re researching a specific region or need help accessing local records, this is a great place to begin. Please note: These are all sample entries and provided for your reference until we have more.
How to Use This Directory
This page is organized by country and region, with each researcher’s name, specialty, and contact information listed. If you’re a researcher or know someone who should be included here, we invite you to scroll down and submit a profile. We’re excited to highlight those who help keep local history alive.
Germany – Sauerland Region
Maria H. – Attendorn & Olpe Archives
Maria specializes in parish records, land registries, and cemetery surveys in the Sauerland region. Her familiarity with older church documents has helped many families reconnect with their roots.
Language: German & English
Contact: Available upon request
Thomas B. – Meschede & Schmallenberg Villages
Thomas focuses on military records, 19th-century emigration files, and detailed village house histories. He is particularly skilled at identifying ancestral homes still standing today.
Language: German
Email: thomas_b_researcher@email.de
Czech Republic – Bohemian Borderlands
Eva S. – German Bohemian Records (Pre-1946)
Eva researches families from the Sudetenland and other German-speaking areas of the former Bohemia. She has access to rare local parish archives and civil records no longer available online.
Language: Czech & German
Website: evagenealogy.cz
United States – German Immigrant Settlements
John S. – Iowa, Minnesota, and the Midwest
John has been tracing his family roots for nearly 30 years now. Although not a professional researcher, he does have paid access to My Heritage, Ancestry and of course Family Search and USGenWeb.
Language: English
Email: jrpschulte@gmail.com
Dennis S. – Nebraska and the Midwest
Dennis has been to the Sauerland region of Nordrhein-Westfalen many times and has extensive contacts there. He has a record of over 100 immigrant families from the Sauerland and nearby areas who came to Nebraska between the late 1850s until after WWII. Though not a professional genealogist, Dennis does have access to multiple resources and is willing to share his experiences tracing German family immigrants, especially those in northeast Nebraska.
Language: English
Email: dschulte111@gmail.com
Submit a Researcher Profile
Are you an independent researcher, translator, or family history guide? Or do you know someone doing valuable work in your ancestral region?
We welcome submissions from individuals who:
– Specialize in a local town, archive, or surname group
– Offer document lookups or translation support
– Are open to collaboration and family connections
To be included in the directory, please provide:
– Your name
– Region(s) of focus
– Types of records or services offered
– Languages spoken
– How you’d like to be contacted (email, website, or form)
You can send your details through our Contact Page or email us directly. We will review each submission for clarity and fit before publishing.
Let’s Build Together
This directory is a work in progress—and we want your help to grow it. If you’ve worked with someone who deserves to be recognized, or if you’re a researcher yourself, please reach out. Our goal is to connect families with the people and resources that make genealogy more meaningful, more personal, and more possible.