Hello, my name is Paul Hinrichsen, and I've been performing Genealogy & Family History research for over 30 years.

I am first generation German with direct descendants who emigrated to the United States in the mid 1920's and again in the early 1950's.

I was fortunate to be raised in a family with a strong ethnic culture and close ties to relatives still in Europe. Since I lived in a bilingual household, I had the benefit of learning German right alongside English, and it's served me well in this business as well as Corporate life, from which I'm recently retired.

Having my only relatives living in Europe, kept grounded with a close sense of family, and interest in it's history and traditions. Adding the fact that I could put faces to long-past ancestors through photo albums dating to the late 1800's (when photography was just starting out), just piqued my curiosity and interest even more.

 

Along with a natural curiosity, I used my analytical & research skills to begin peacing together my families history. Drawing upon family lore, handwritten accounts, preserved documents, local research and church records, I'm proud to say I've traced my family back to the late 16th century, to my 9th great-Grandfather born in 1597! To put that in some perspective, that was just a few short years after Sr. John Harrington invented the flush toilet, Galileo invented the thermometer, and about 23 yrs. before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. What must life have been like for my ancestors?

To my knowledge I am not descended for any royalty, but I have discovered people in my family that have done, and are still doing some amazing things. I can see some of these talents and traits in my children, and I'm always fascinated in how the the events and deeds that impacted our ancestors helped shape the people we are today.

 

While the extent to how far back I can trace my family, is certainly an exception; I'm passionate about helping individuals and families connect with their past, discover the accomplishments, triumphs, and challenges their ancestors experienced. All of these things lead to them "being", and helped shape who they were, who their children are, and who their grandchildren will someday be.

My research has taken me through Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, Colonial to present day United States, as well as portions of South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile).

 

I look forward to helping you on your adventure, while we Untangle your past, and recapture forgotten memories...