chicagogenealogy
I help you find Chicago ancestors.
898
Reviews
chicagogenealogy
I help you find Chicago ancestors.
898
Reviews
chicagogenealogy
I help you find Chicago ancestors.
898
Reviews
Cynthia Richardson
Southern California
$40.00 /hour
Response Rate |
100% |
Response Time |
9 hours |
Featured Offering
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Chicago Vital Records from FamilySearch
Many early Chicago birth, marriage, and death records are available for free on FamilySearch--even when the index lin...
$5.00
Document Retrieval Offering Details
Chicago Vital Records from FamilySearch
$5.00/record
Description
Many early Chicago birth, marriage, and death records are available for free on FamilySearch--even when the index link takes you to the Cook County website--but only by going in person to a Family History Center or affiliate library and only if you access the record images through the online catalog.
If you are unable to retrieve Chicago records on your own, I can do it for you. I can visit the FHC on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and I'm committed to fast turnaround times.
I charge $5.00 for a single record to cover my time and travel and I discount that rate for requests for multiple records.
If I'm unable to locate a record for you, there is no charge.
And, if you have any questions, just ask!
Ordering Instructions
If you need 1 record, tell me what you need, select "1" and submit.
If you need 2+ records, please use the red button from my profile page to ask for a quote. Doing it that way will save you money.
When ordering, please paste the citations from a FamilySearch Index, if you have them. Here's an example of what I mean:
Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7VW-NPD : 17 May 2016), Marcia Mahala Smith, 15 Jun 1885; citing , Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference cn 64870, record number 51, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,030,909.
4 people favorited this profile
About Me
I've been "doing genealogy" as a hobby since 1979 but it wasn't until 2015 that I decided to get serious about learning to "do it right."
I am a tenacious and creative researcher, and while I don't yet consider myself to be a polished professional, I work hard to produce quality reports that reflect solid research practices.
If I'm not engrossed in a genealogy project, I'm probably sitting on the porch with a fiddle or banjo in hand. Old-time music is my other passion!
I no longer live in Illinois, but I am able to call on research associates when I need records that I'm unable to access from a distance.
Research Services
I am able to undertake projects focused on answering challenging research questions and I very much enjoy starting from scratch to piece together Chicago families.
Feel free to suggest a project. If I believe I can help, I will submit a proposal and quote and if I believe someone else is better suited to the job, I won't hesitate to refer you.
I can also retrieve early Chicago vital records through FamilySearch if you are unable to get to a Family History Center to do it yourself. For one record, please use my $5.00 lookup offering. For two or more, please use the red button to ask for a quote. I am very efficient and doing it that way will save you money.
Education/Training
I have 10+ years of experience working with Chicago records.
I completed the nineteen-month ProGen study group experience in 2018.
I completed the National Genealogical Society's American Genealogical Studies Series in 2019.
I have a B.A. in Japanese and an M.Ed. in Language, Reading, & Culture.
My contest-winning narrative, "James A. Smith: Hatter and Furrier," appears in the Winter 2019 edition of the Chicago Genealogical Society's Chicago Genealogist.
Research Specialities
- Court Records
- Vital Records
Research Localities
- Chicago, IL
- Cook, IL, USA
Educational Background
- ProGen Certificate of Completion
| Birth/marriage/death records | |
| Brick wall analysis/research planning | |
| Cemetery photos | |
| Descendancy research | |
| Divorce records | |
| Genetic genealogy | |
| Land/tax records | |
| Lineage determination | |
| Lineage society applications | |
| Manuscript preparation | |
| Naturalization records | |
| Obituary research | |
| Pension/military service records | |
| Photo restoration | |
| Probate/court records | |
| Surname studies | |
| Translation/transcription |
How to Hire chicagogenealogy for Your Genealogy Research Project
To request a no-obligation quote for a custom genealogical research project, click the red "Submit Research Request" button to the left.
To message the provider before ordering, click the brown "Ask a Question First" button.
If you're looking for assistance with straightforward document retrieval tasks, consider ordering one of the fixed-fee offerings below.
Fixed-Fee Document Retrieval Offerings
-
Chicago Vital Records from FamilySearch
Many early Chicago birth, marriage, and death records are available for free on FamilySearch--even when the index link takes yo...
$5.00
-
New! Chicago Deaths, 1871-1878
If you're looking for a Chicago death, post-Fire through 1878, the first step is to search "Indexes to deaths in the city of Ch...
$8.00
Document Retrieval Offering Details
Chicago Vital Records from FamilySearch
$5.00/record
Description
Many early Chicago birth, marriage, and death records are available for free on FamilySearch--even when the index link takes you to the Cook County website--but only by going in person to a Family History Center or affiliate library and only if you access the record images through the online catalog.
If you are unable to retrieve Chicago records on your own, I can do it for you. I can visit the FHC on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and I'm committed to fast turnaround times.
I charge $5.00 for a single record to cover my time and travel and I discount that rate for requests for multiple records.
If I'm unable to locate a record for you, there is no charge.
And, if you have any questions, just ask!
Ordering Instructions
If you need 1 record, tell me what you need, select "1" and submit.
If you need 2+ records, please use the red button from my profile page to ask for a quote. Doing it that way will save you money.
When ordering, please paste the citations from a FamilySearch Index, if you have them. Here's an example of what I mean:
Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1994," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7VW-NPD : 17 May 2016), Marcia Mahala Smith, 15 Jun 1885; citing , Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference cn 64870, record number 51, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,030,909.
Document Retrieval Offering Details
New! Chicago Deaths, 1871-1878
$8.00/record
Description
If you're looking for a Chicago death, post-Fire through 1878, the first step is to search "Indexes to deaths in the city of Chicago during the years 1871 to 1933 : showing name, address and date of death" (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/293534) and the next step is to obtain the matching record from "Illinois, Cook County, Chicago, death registers, 1871-1879" (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/3157227).
Both steps can be done online through FamilySearch by visiting a Family History Center or an affiliate library.
If visiting a Family History Center isn't convenient for you, I can help. I visit my local Family History Center regularly so I can offer quick turnaround.
My fee is $8.00 for a successful search and $4.00, if no index entry can be found, and I provide a detailed report no matter what the outcome.
Ordering Instructions
Please give me the name, approximate death date, and an address, if known.
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Narrative - Click on image to open PDF -
Will Transcription - Click on image to open PDF -
Report - Click on image to open PDF
26 Reviews
872 Legacy Reviews
100% positive
rkvance
Great help to me. Thank you Cyndy.
rkvance
Cyndy's terrific!
starrgirrl
This is my first time working with someone on genlighten and Cyndy is wonderful. She went above and beyond in providing information and guidance. I thought I was simply asking for her to retrieve vital records however she also provided a written report and suggestions for moving forward. She surpassed my expectations!
rkvance
Outstanding.
kimstankiewicz
Great to work with as always! Thank you!
kimstankiewicz
Quick and efficient and great to work with!
kimstankiewicz
Cyndy always does a great job and is easy to work with! Highly recommend!
kimstankiewicz
Great to work with as always! Thank you!
Marre66a
This is so exciting !! You do a fantastic job with Albert. Keep looking for information about Albert, I want to know everything !! That letter I am very curious about. can I get a copy of it?
Sincerely, Marie
kimstankiewicz
Great job as always! Thank you!
Great help to me. Thank you Cyndy.