2. How long have you been doing German genealogy?

I have been researching the German side of my family for about 6 years. My father Oswald Müller was born in Fagaras, Romania. So far I have traced back his mother’s family back to Austrian Silesia and have a fairly large tree for her. On the other hand, his father’s ancestors are still a mystery to me.
I grew up speaking German at home and ever so grateful to be able to read the old documents. I would often get stuck, though, because of the bad handwriting, and unknown words or abbreviations.

3. How has the Premium Membership helped your research?

This Premium membership was exactly what I was looking for. I use to struggle for hours trying to figure out words. Katherine has provided the tools needed to decipher my documents and along with her individual help, my unknowns are being solved. I have already learned so much from Katherine and I look forward to improving my skills.

4. What’s your favorite genealogy story you’ve experienced?

A couple of years ago I met a Romanian student who was working at the Santa Cruz (CA) Beach Boardwalk for the summer. She translated some letters and documents for me from Romanian into English. Shortly after that I was contacted by a Romanian DNA match living in Boston. He had a German grandfather so we are working on finding our common ancestor. Well, as it turns out, the young lady that translated for me is his cousin’s daughter! It is indeed a small world.