🧱 Breaking Through Brick Walls

Every family historian eventually encounters a point where the trail runs cold. A missing ancestor, a vanished family, or a confusing set of conflicting records can stop progress for years. At JLEGenealogy, I specialize in breaking down these “brick walls” using proven genealogical methods and creative problem-solving.

Specialized Strategies

Brick wall research requires more than routine record searching. I draw on a wide range of advanced strategies, including:

• Cluster research (“FAN Club” method: Friends, Associates, Neighbors) to identify hidden connections.

• Correlating multiple sources to resolve conflicts between records.

• Chronological timelines that highlight gaps and inconsistencies.

• DNA evidence integration, where appropriate, to strengthen or clarify the paper trail.

Overcoming Common Challenges

Some of the most common obstacles include:

• Burned counties where courthouse records were destroyed.

• Migration mysteries where families disappear from one place and reappear elsewhere.

• Name changes and spelling variations that obscure identities.

• Illegitimacy, guardianship, or adoption cases with incomplete documentation.

Each challenge requires a tailored approach. By combining persistence, creativity, and methodical analysis, I work to reconstruct the evidence and provide a reasoned conclusion.

Direct and Indirect Evidence

Not all answers are found in straightforward records. Often, proof must come from assembling indirect evidence—small details from tax rolls, land deeds, guardianships, probate files, and even neighbors’ records. My research follows the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS), ensuring that both direct and indirect evidence are weighed carefully to reach a sound conclusion.

Why This Matters

Breaking through a brick wall doesn’t just add another name to your tree—it can:

• Reconnect you with an ancestral hometown.

• Reveal unknown relatives or lost family lines.

• Provide the missing link for lineage society applications.

• Give context and meaning to your family’s migrations and life stories.

Dedicated to Your Family’s Story

Every challenge is unique, but no brick wall is insurmountable with the right tools and perspective. At JLEGenealogy, I bring diligence, detail, and personal commitment to uncovering the answers hidden behind even the toughest genealogical barriers.

Is your research stuck at a brick wall?

Let’s talk about strategies for moving forward. A free consultation is the first step to uncovering new answers.

👉 Contact me to get started.