About

Tracey Holmes Marcelo

I’m a genealogical researcher with decades of experience turning family stories into documented history. My specialties include lineage society applications, Mid-Atlantic research (New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania), Ontario and Canadian records, and DNA/genetic genealogy.

I completed the National Genealogical Society’s Advanced Skills in Genealogy course, a case-based, mentor-guided program grounded in the Genealogical Proof Standard. I’ve also completed five courses in the Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Education Program: the four-course core sequence — from introductory research for DAR applications through advanced techniques for resolving lineage and service problems, and DNA and the DAR — plus GEP 8, Supplemental Applications.

I’ve conducted on-site research at repositories from the National Archives and the DAR Library to state archives across the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Texas. An early adopter of genetic genealogy, I’ve used DNA evidence to confirm lineages, test assumptions, and solve unknown-parentage cases, including identifying a birth father for a DNA match.

Helping other researchers has long been part of my practice. I’ve guided applicants through the documentation needed to join lineage societies, helped adoptees use DNA and records to identify birth families, and collaborate with a network of fellow researchers on shared family lines spanning New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ontario. I previously served as a board member and Programs Committee Co-Chair of the Austin Genealogical Society. I live in Cedar Park, Texas, and am a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Mayflower Society.

For me, every ancestor’s story is fascinating — not just my own. What I love most about genealogy is how it touches everything: history, geography, law, migration, the places people lived and the times they lived through. Whether the ancestor is mine or yours, the fascination is the same.