Testimonials

I take pride in providing thorough and evidence-based genealogical research, whether through DNA analysis or traditional Irish records. Below are testimonials from some of my clients. Their experiences highlight the impact of my work in uncovering family connections and solving genealogical mysteries.

Roberta Estes, “DNAeXplained,” has referred several clients to me. Here is what she said about my work: “I confidently refer my challenging autosomal cases to Patricia, knowing her clients will receive the highest level of care and expertise. If a case is solvable, Patricia will find the solution. Beyond that, she takes the time to clearly explain her process and the reasoning behind her conclusions, ensuring everyone fully understands the logic of the outcome.”

DNA Research Testimonials:

One of the clients that Roberta referred to me was Jeani:

“By the time I contacted Patricia, I had been hammering away at my brick wall (Who were my great grandmother’s parents?) for 57 years. I had taken the Ancestry DNA test nine years before, and after a couple of years was able to find a DNA connection to an ancestor of hers several generations back. I gradually went through all the possibilities of each generation after them until eventually I got a woman in mind who I felt had a strong chance of being her mother. I could never prove it, but I put her in the tree as a possibility.

Then five months before I contacted Patricia, I was looking at Ancestry DNA and a little note came up on the screen telling me that I share DNA with someone who might be my half second cousin 1x removed through my great grandmother’s mother. Yes, this was the woman I had in mind!

Things fell into place quickly—after just 57 years! At first, I thought I’d found her father as well, as Ancestry ThruLines lumps couples together. The fact that my grandmother had always said she was an orphan and the man showing as her father in the 1880 census went on to live another several decades created a problem. Though there was a chance he was her father rather than her stepfather, the only way to know was through DNA.

I decided to make the investment and engage a genetic genealogist. Patricia came highly recommended, and I felt confident that she was going to find some answers for me. When her lengthy report arrived, I resisted the urge to read the last page first! Anticipation built as I slowly went through the report page by page, trying to absorb even the technical details that make my brain overheat (which is why I knew I needed a professional). I’m quite a good genealogist, but a genetic genealogist I will never be.

It was a splurge for me, but I knew I would not be able to lay the problem to rest without doing this. Whatever the conclusion was, I would have peace of mind. I now know who my great grandmother’s father was, something that could only be learned from a professional study of DNA matches utilizing technology way above my pay grade.”

Jeani

Other clients find me from the website or from my APG profile:

“I came across Patricia’s website and genealogy services after first hearing about the AutoLineage application. Patricia has several blog posts written on her website for the Genetic Affairs website tools, and the AutoLineage author highly recommended her work, saying that she has been instrumental in the development of these tools.

I enlisted Patricia’s help in trying to identify a brick wall in my family tree that I’ve been working on for decades. There’s a learning curve associated with the AutoLineage tool, and given Patricia’s experience with it, it made sense to ask for her help. She gave me a preliminary estimate for the work along with a working contract for her services. She was really great at communicating with me along the way, and provided regular updates on how things were going. It was not an easy task, as I had multiple related DNA tests that I was asking her to triangulate and correlate. In the end, she provided me with numerous charts and data which I am still processing, but I can’t thank her enough for the work she has done assisting me.”

Paul

Irish Research Testimonials:

“My family had an old story about how our great-great-grandparents came to America from County Limerick during the potato famine. But parts of it didn’t make sense, and I could not verify much of it through Ancestry. Dr. Coleman was able to find baptismal records for part of that first family, and found the ship records we needed, which disproved that they were on that ship together, or that they landed in New York. The baptismal dates gave us more accurate information about birth dates. The information she provided was extremely helpful.”

Mary Lou

Another client shared how Irish research and DNA together finally resolved decades of uncertainty:

Patricia has completed 2 projects for me, and I’ve been so very grateful for her expertise.

I’ve been doing genealogy research for over 30 years. My Irish roots have consistently been the most challenging. I was fortunate to have my dad do DNA testing. I’ve spent years evaluating some DNA matches and building out trees, but I’d never been able to make the connections to my known family. I had some theories, but I didn’t have the skill to evaluate those theories in a credible manner.

I discovered Patricia while learning some DNA tools and I read many of the tutorials authored by her on various tools. When I decided to invest in some professional assistance, it was fitting to discover that, in addition to Patricia’s expertise, she also had done research on the Byrnes surname in Ireland.

Patricia was able to make some sense to all of the breadcrumbs I’d been following and presented me with logical and thoughtful research using the latest genetic genealogy tools. She was very good with communication and explaining some of the tools she used. It was a good learning experience. Her research gave me the confidence to create and explore family connections, and, when I was able to go to Ireland, I was able to focus my research to an area that turned out to be rich with family connections.

Sue