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About Pat

My journey into genealogy began as a kid in my grandmother's kitchen. I'll never forget the day that I asked, "Who is your dad?" It turns out my great grandfather, Jacob Syers, left the family when my grandmother was only 10 years old. She never knew what happened to him. The information wasn't forthcoming however. It was a hard cross for her to carry. DNA helped me solve that mystery, too late to bring resolution to my grandmother, however.

Fast forward in time and in 2011, I took my first DNA test and something just didn't add up. By 2016, I had taken a 2nd DNA with another company and uploaded my results to gedmatch.com. I found the answers. Friends asked me to take a peak behind the curtain of their elusive ancestors and pretty soon, I had a backlog of people who needed answers. I became a "search angel". As a search angel I provide research assistance for both adoptees and folks who don't know the one or other of their parents side of the family tree that they are researching. I believe that there are people who don't want to be found and there are families that have waited for a call from a loved one for years. As Forrest Gump might say, you never know what you're going to get in that box of chocolates.

If you are working on your roots and have done a DNA test and need help, feel free to contact me. There are a number of suggestions that I can offer to help you in your research.

E-Mail me at: quilterpatray@gmail.com and I'll do my best to reply.

Of course, I am always eager to learn more about my own family tree and reply to those e-mail connections as well.

Professional Experience

My professional work life prepared me well for this role. Having years of experience as a Project Manager, Supervisor in Information Technology and working in teams built a strong foundation of research skills, helped me develop a methodology for solving mysteries.

Volunteer Experience

Community service and volunteering in many arenas over the years has been a hallmark in my immediate family. I have served on boards ranging from my local community, regional, statewide and even on an international board.

Memberships

I am currently a member of the Nebraska State Genealogy Society, Saunders County, Nebraska Genealogy Society as well as the Saunders County Nebraska Historical Society. I was nominated by my local genealogy group for the Annual State Genealogist of the Year in 2019. What an honor.

Constant Learning

I consume information about DNA. There are a number of resources available online, but I find some are easier to understand than others. I have also developed my own template that I use as my "brain dump" when I am working on mysteries for other folks.