Genealogy, Family History & Research
GENEALOGY, FAMILY HISTORY & RESEARCH
Black history and family storytelling became deeply personal to me when I started researching my own family and realized how easily names, photographs, memories, and entire life stories can disappear within just one or two generations.
What began as a search for my own ancestors became years of research, detective work, and preservation. Today, I have thousands of family photographs, many dating from the early 1900s through the 1960s, along with letters, documents, heirlooms, and historical records that tell the story of generations of my family.
Many of the photographs were unidentified when I found them. Some had no names, no dates, and no explanation of who the people were or how they connected to us. I have spent years studying faces, comparing photographs, researching historical records, and talking with relatives to preserve as much of our family history as possible before more of it disappears.
Along the way, I realized this is not just my family’s story. It is the story of countless families.
Boxes of old photographs sit tucked away in closets. Funeral programs are stored in drawers. Family Bibles, letters, military medals, DNA results, recipes, and heirlooms hold pieces of stories that may never have been written down. In many families, the oldest person in the room still remembers details no record can provide, but no one has asked the questions.
Every family has pieces of its history waiting to be discovered, understood, and preserved.
That realization changed the direction of GrandmaGoneWild. What began as sharing old family photographs online has grown into a platform centered on Black history, genealogy, cultural preservation, family connection, and storytelling. The photographs capture people’s attention, but the stories behind them create the connection.
Today, I help individuals and families discover, understand, preserve, and share their own histories. Whether you are just getting started, trying to solve one specific mystery, or have been researching for years, I offer services and resources designed to help you move forward.
GENEALOGY & FAMILY HISTORY SERVICES
Services include:
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Discovery Consultation
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Photo Identification and Dating
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Genealogy Coaching
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Family Tree Review
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DNA Match Investigation
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Heirloom Research
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Military Research
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Family Mystery Investigation
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Family Tree Starter Package
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Brick Wall Investigation
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Family Tree Expansion
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Enslaved Ancestor Research
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Legacy Book
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Unknown Parent or Grandparent Investigation
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Comprehensive Family History Research
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Family Reunion History Package
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Museum and Archive Consulting
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Speaking and Workshops
Whether you are trying to identify someone in an old photograph, understand unexpected DNA results, document an enslaved ancestor, solve a long-standing family mystery, organize decades of family photographs, or create a lasting record for your children and grandchildren, I would be honored to help.
BRANCH BY BRANCH
A Monthly Experience in Family History, Storytelling & Analog Living
Branch by Branch is a monthly subscription box created for people who want to slow down, reconnect with family, and preserve the stories that shaped them.
Each month features a different theme and includes at least five keepsakes connected to family history, storytelling, and analog living. No two boxes are exactly alike. Depending on the theme, a box may include a journal, a wooden family tree, vintage recipe cards, vintage postcards, historical replicas, and other meaningful finds.
At the heart of every box is an authentic photograph from the Watson-Clark Family Collection and the true story behind it. These are real photographs from my family’s history, shared to inspire you to look more closely at your own photographs, ask questions, start conversations, and preserve the stories within your family.
Every box also includes a Family Challenge that encourages you to take action. You may be invited to interview a relative, identify the people in an old photograph, write down a family recipe, record a childhood memory, or preserve another part of your family’s story before it is forgotten.
Branch by Branch is for longtime genealogists, people who are just beginning to explore their family history, and anyone who enjoys old photographs, handwritten records, meaningful keepsakes, and time spent away from a screen.
The subscription is $30 per month, and boxes begin shipping immediately after you subscribe.
WHAT I DIDN’T ASK
I also created What I Didn’t Ask, a practical guide designed to help families preserve memories before they are lost.
It contains thoughtful questions and conversation starters that encourage parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other loved ones to share the stories future generations will wish they had asked about.
The guide can be used during family gatherings, reunions, holidays, visits with older relatives, or quiet one-on-one conversations. It helps move beyond names and dates to capture the experiences, personalities, traditions, relationships, and everyday moments that bring a family’s history to life.
BEGIN YOUR FAMILY HISTORY JOURNEY
You do not need to have a complete family tree, a box of labeled photographs, or years of research experience to begin. You only need a question, a memory, a name, a photograph, or the desire to preserve what your family still knows.
Explore genealogy and family history services, subscribe to Branch by Branch, or use What I Didn’t Ask to begin the conversations your family may have been postponing.
Every family has a story. The time to preserve it is now.