FOR THE GENEALOGIST
IN ALL OF US
We’re inspired by family stories. Our goal is to make it easier for you to celebrate yours.
I N S P I R A T I O N
OUR STORY
Since 2018 I’ve been my family’s uncommon genealogist. Why uncommon? Because few people seem to expect a 20-something-year-old to find genealogy so enjoyable. But that’s also the point. Honing a new hobby like genealogy doesn’t depend on stereotypes or becoming an expert—it’s about being willing to learn about something new and celebrate the journey.
This was half the inspiration behind launching The Uncommon Genealogist—encourage ordinary people to pursue this incredibly meaningful hobby.
The other half was to help make it easier to pursue. From researching our roots to documenting and celebrating them, we don’t have to be professionals to create something meaningful. Being a genealogist shouldn’t depend on operating by-the-book with pages of names, dates, and places. It’s about uncovering the stories and events that help paint a picture of who your family is.
Discovering my family’s roots has been one of the most rewarding journeys of my life, and I’m excited to share all the resources and knowledge I have to inspire a world full of uncommon genealogists.
— Danny Loomans, Family Uncommon Genealogist
Taking a photo in front of Jacobskerk where many of my ancestors were baptized in the Netherlands; my late grandfather was the inspiration for many of my genealogy projects in the past several years.
P H I L O S O P H Y
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Family genealogy often conjures up images of extensive lists of names and dates, academic papers, confusing maps, and rows of footnotes. To the average person, it’s hard to make sense of this mixed.
No thank you!
We look at genealogy with a different lens. It’s not just about building a family tree—it’s about discovering the stories to describe the life and times of your ancestors and then making it enjoyable to consume.
Everything we create is made to make your path to researching, writing, and celebrating your family story easier.
E X P E R I E N C E
WHAT WE’VE DONE
In the past five years we’ve explored the spectrum of family genealogy endeavors. From compiling a four-century family tree (and making it easy to read) to writing a book sharing our family story (you heard that right), we’ve covered conventional family ancestry ground.
But when we look beyond the covers, a more detailed image emerges that includes family photographs, maps, artifacts, stories about our family and the times in which they lived, and more.
For good measure—and in the midst of the pandemic—we also decided to coordinate a family reunion to celebrate our common heritage. In June 2021 more than 100 members of the extended family came from a half-dozen states to celebrate the family’s 175th anniversary in Wisconsin. Through that we also learned how to plan and deliver a reunion for the memory books.
While our experience may pale in comparison to the professionals, our methods, leading practices, and templates have been requested by others to jumpstart their own genealogy journeys. Now it’s your turn!
R E S O U R C E S
WHAT’S HERE
We’re hard at work making new resources and tools available for our community of uncommon genealogists.
Right now we’re offering an activity-based workbook to help you plan and deliver a memorable family reunion. This includes free ready-to-use and easy-to-edit templates and more than a dozen recommended resources, products, and services.
By the end of 2023 we will also introduce our guidebook for honing your new family ancestry hobby: The Uncommon Genealogist: 50 Quick Tips for Researching, Documenting, and Celebrating Your Family Story.
These resources combined with our blog posts which offer ideas and recommendations plus insights from our community of genealogists just like you form a strong foundation for your success. We’re committed to helping and supporting your genealogy journey—and making it easier every step of the way.
