Research Services
Testimonials:
“Ana produced a high-quality, thoroughly researched history of my father, Peteris.
From our initial contact, Ana listened carefully to our family’s requests and was clear about what she could, and potentially could, provide within the parameters of the historical documents and records available for research. Fortunately, in this day and age, many government authorities and churches have digitised their records, although there are inevitably some gaps, particularly during wartime.
Ana has a deep understanding of Latvian history, developed through both her professional research and her own family connections to Latvia. This knowledge enabled her to provide valuable context around a range of subjects, including the origins and development of surnames, architectural history, and the history of religion. This additional historical context has resulted in a much more comprehensive and rounded understanding of Peteris and his family’s life and history in Latvia.
We were particularly impressed by Ana’s attention to detail, her thorough research, and the way she brought together individual records and historical information to create a meaningful story about our family.
I would highly recommend Ana to any family wishing to discover more about their Latvian heritage and gain a deeper understanding of their family’s history and connections to Latvia.” – Kevin & Family
Would you like to know more about your Latvian roots but aren’t sure where to begin?
Baltic Lives is now offering web-based family history research for clients interested in learning more about their Latvian ancestors. There is an incredible amount of Latvian records available online through a variety of websites and digital archives. Several years ago, I completed an intensive 3-month online course through a Riga-based researcher in how to understand and make the most of these amazing resources.
I now have over 15 years of experience in using doing this online research, interpreting the records, making sense of names, dates and places and analysing relationships to discover previously unknown connections.
I love to then weave that family history with rich historical context from both Latvian and world history . My website showcases the level of detailed information I have provided for my husband’s family and I would love to do the same for yours.
One of my specialties is preparing detailed narrative reports complete with photographs, notes, connections with historical places and people, descriptions of war and refugee experiences and more to bring to life the experiences of your ancestors.
Examples of my services include:
- searching available online church, civil and military records, databases, historic newspapers, world-wide genealogy sites such as MyHeritage, Ancestry, FamilySearch, Arsolen Archives, FindMyPast and more to put together a family tree based on client consultations
- English translations and interpretations of records along with scanned copies
- Excel spreadsheets with all records/sources documented
- detailed pedigree reports based on documented sources, official records and client information (CLICK HERE TO SEE SAMPLE)
- family tree charts (CLICK HERE TO SEE SAMPLE)
- detailed narrative reports of individuals, families or specific lines (CLICK HERE TO SEE SAMPLE)
- interactive Google maps of locations associated with your family such as farms, towns, churches and cemeteries (CLICK HERE TO SEE SAMPLE)
- attempts at identifying and contacting living relatives
- help with specific questions or stumbling blocks
- GEDCOM files (if requested)
- regular communication, updates and Zoom meetings to discuss outcomes of research
- Hourly and package fees negotiated based on client’s needs
I am more than happy to consult with any potential client but my services might not be right for everyone. I am especially well-versed in Lutheran church records with some experience also with Orthodox records. I am comfortable with navigating records from the pre-surname era which do exist for many areas of Latvia. I also have knowledge and experience researching men of the Latvian Legion, Latvians as Displaced Persons in Germany and the emigrant experience to Australia.
Are you ready to find out more about your Latvian family history?
Contact me via my CONTACT page or directly at info@balticlives.com about arranging a free initial consultation.
Member of the Society of Australian Genealogists since 2026