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Our Team

Meet our team of dedicated professional genealogists

Our professional genealogists are all highly skilled and experienced, and a Board-certified genealogist is involved in every project. In addition to our core research team, we utilize a network of professional genealogists for document retrieval at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, in every U.S. state, and in many countries worldwide.

professional genealogist

Catherine Becker Wiest Desmarais, Certified Genealogist® and owner of Stone House Historical Research, LLC, coordinates kinship research to assist attorneys with probate and realty cases and to support the US Army’s repatriation efforts. Read more about Catherine here.

professional genealogist

Linda M. Hunter, Research Manager, specializes in locating missing and unknown heirs for the legal community and teaches forensic genealogical classes. A retired naval officer living in Maryland, she holds a certificate from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies and master’s degrees in applied mathematics and space systems operations.

professional genealogist

Ruy A. Cardoso, a Certified Genealogist® since 2010, has worked on more than 200 military repatriation cases since 2015. A long-time resident of the Boston area, Ruy has served as a board member for the Association of Professional Genealogists.

professional genealogist

Mark A. Wentling, MLS, a Certified Genealogist® from Boston, MA/Providence, RI, has more than 25 years of research experience.  He has researched over 100 WWII and Korean War soldiers since 2017, covering all fifty U.S. states, Canada, and Germany.

professional genealogist

Craig Roberts Scott, FUGA, a Certified Genealogist® for over 25 years, is a retired naval officer living in North Carolina. He is skilled in military records and genealogical problem-solving and focuses on assisting our researchers in locating family members.

professional genealogist

Amber Goodpaster Tauscher’s quest to reconnect with relatives lost to time began in 1996. An Arizona resident, she specializes in military repatriation cases and other legal matters. Amber has served in a variety of genealogical leadership positions and teaches at institutes and conferences.

professional genealogist

Asa K. Gage, of Woodstock, Georgia, is a retired management consultant and Vietnam veteran. With a degree in American history, Asa has more than 30 years genealogical experience and holds a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University.

professional genealogist

Claire M. Varrieur, of Erie, Pennsylvania, has researched the families of more than 200 WWII soldiers since 2018. She earned a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and has more than 25 years of genealogical research experience.

Jana Churchwell Scott | Stone House Historical Research

Jana Churchwell Scott, a professional genealogist from North Carolina, specializes in US military research and repatriation cases. Her work is inspired by the loss of her uncle and cousins in WWI & WWII, some of whom are still unaccounted-for.

professional genealogist

Laurie Sleeper, JD, a former attorney, became a professional genealogist in 2013 after researching her family for 40+ years. She solved many forensic genealogy cases prior to focusing on military repatriation work in 2019. Laurie lives in Colorado.

professional genealogist

Jenny Rizzo Irwin, a New York resident, specializes in reconstructing families for estate, realty, and military repatriation cases. She holds a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University and master’s degrees in educational psychology and criminal justice.

Jacqueline Zapp-Albin | Stone House Historical Research

Jacqueline Zapp-Albin, CPM-retired, holds certificates in Forensic Genealogy from the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Following a career in healthcare, she specializes in reconstructing family lines for legal and military repatriation cases.

Debra Koehler | Stone House Historical Research

Debra Koehler, Paralegal Intern, brings thirty-five years of experience as a television writer, producer, and researcher to her genealogy work. She holds a Genealogical Research Certificate from Boston University, a B.A. in Speech Communications, and will complete her A.A.S in Paralegal studies in 2022.

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All Stone House Historical Research, LLC Associates are proud members of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).