About

nebraska_sunset_copyrightCindaBaxter_allrightsreserved

Determined to learn where the first Baxter came from, I began chasing those twitchy little leaves, like everybody else. Before long, visits to the Scottish Borders and Lowlands (then later, throughout the U.S. and England) were the norm, rooting through archives, libraries, graveyards, local history societies, courthouses, and any other place that might have even a tiny scrap of our family story. My adoration for research, complexity, and discovery found a new purpose…and it was genealogical research.

From traditional "paper trail" investigation to DNA analysis, my formal genealogical education has been built around a desire to help others who crave knowledge about their heritage, while holding myself to the highest possible standards:¹

You deserve more than shaky leaves, pie charts, and bar graphs.

• “Family history standards require a higher level of proof than does most litigation."
• “Modern standards for family history also require more precision and rigor than commonly applied in the social sciences."
• “Standards of proof for family history are more akin to standards in the hard sciences, where repeated experiments will expose errors."
• “Genealogy accepts no margin of error."

Don't be intimidated. Don't be overwhelmed. All you have to do is reach out, and ask for help from someone who knows the ropes.

I look forward to discovering your story.

Cinda Baxter, Certified Genealogist®

As a holder of the

Certified Genealogist credential,

I adhere to:

The Association of Professional Genealogists Code of Ethics

The Board for

Certification of Genealogists

Code of Ethics and Standards

The National Genealogical Society’s

Genealogy Guidelines

The Genetic Genealogy Standards

as approved by the

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy

Deed books, Howard County Courthouse

St. Paul, Nebraska

Professional accreditation

Board Certified Genealogist® (certificate no. 1121), issued by the Board for Certification of Genealogists, Washington, D.C.

In addition to client work

Academic Professional/Module Facilitator, Boston University:

• Genealogical Research Certificate Program

• Genealogical Principles Course

Virtual Technical Coordinator, Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG)

Education and training

• Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate
• Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) Certificate
• ProGen Study Group Certificate

Genetic Genealogy Certificates: Genealogical Genetics (Excelsior College); Genetic Genealogical Tools (Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, IGHR); Chromosome Mapping (Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, GRIP); All-DNA Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, SLIG).

Methodology Certificates: Practicum in Advanced Genealogical Research (Excelsior College); Mastering Genealogical Documentation (Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, GRIP); Advanced Genealogical Methods (Salt Lake City Institute of Genealogy, SLIG); Finding English Ancestors (Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, IGHR); Advanced Research: Land Records (SLIG); Women and Children First (GRIP); Scottish Research: Fundamentals and Beyond (IGHR).

Research experience

In addition to state, county, and local repositories:

• The National Archives, Washington D.C.
• Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
• DAR Research Library and Seimes Technology Center, Washington D.C.
• The Newberry Library Manuscript Collection, Chicago
• The Chicago History Museum Manuscript Collection, Chicago
• The National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh
• Regional Scotland archives in The Borders, Hawick, and Dumfrieshire
• Regional England archives in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Cumberland

Memberships

• Association of Professional Genealogists (US)
• National Genealogical Society (US)
• New England Historic and Genealogical Society (US)
• Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R., US)
• Utah Genealogical Association (US)
• Minnesota Genealogical Society (US)
• Seattle Genealogical Society (US)
• Howard County [Nebraska] Historical Society (US)
• Society of Genealogists (UK)
• The Borders Family History Society (Scotland)
• Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society (Scotland)
• Cumbria Family History Society (England)
• Nottinghamshire Family History Society (England)

Headstones lining the walkway to the church

St. Helen’s, Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, England

¹ Elizabeth Shown Mills, Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, Third Edition (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2015), sect. 1.5, p. 18-19.

Certified Genealogist and CG are registered trademarks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, used under license by Board certificants who meet competency standards.