Frequently Asked Questions

What places can you research?

Owen’s expertise is focused on Poland, Prussia (East and West Prussia), and the former German population that once lived in Lithuania. He is also well-versed in Polish, German, and Lithuanian research in the United States. Of particular focus in the States are genealogy research in Cuyahoga County, Ohio and Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

What if my family isn’t from Poland, Germany, or Lithuania? Can you still help?

Absolutely. If we can’t do the research, we can point you in the direction of someone who can.

How much do you charge for research?

Saleker & Co is unique in that instead of creating a contract and charging an hourly rate, we offer our services as a monthly subscription (or annually for a discount!) Subscriptions start at $30/month for our support package. If you’re looking for something more traditional, for a special project (like TV, film, or one-off projects), probate research, or property research, we can provide a custom quote—just reach out to us.

What other costs are there?

Our monthly subscription packages do not include incurred expenses for things like record retrieval, translations (except for a limited number of free translations we offer as part of the Curious and Know It All packages), postage, database access fees, etc. We will always contact you with any potential expenses in writing and ask for your permission before charging any expenses.

Can I cancel my subscription at any time?

Absolutely. You can cancel your subscription at any time for any reason—no questions asked.

What if I cancel my subscription in the middle of the month?

We’ll continue to do research for you for the remaining time left in the month that you paid for. We do not offer refunds on monthly subscription packages.

Do you offer refunds?

We do not offer refunds on monthly subscription packages. For annual subscriptions, we will offer pro-rated refunds on a case-by-case basis.

Do your services come with a guaranteed result?

No professional genealogist or genealogical research firm in the world can truly guarantee a result. Genealogical research often requires many hours of searching through records, archives, and libraries both digital and physical in order to uncover your ancestor’s paper trail. We won’t know what we find until we start trying to find it. You’re paying us for our research time—not for the result. In some cases, very little (or no) information can be found.

Do you offer translation services?

Translating records is a vital part of conducting genealogical research. There could be clues hidden within the records of your ancestors—often where you least expect them! We offer a limited number of free translations in our Curious and Know It All packages for birth, marriage, and death records. In some cases we do the translations in-house—in other cases, we use a partner translator. For other types of documents or more translations, we will work with our partners and provide you a quote for translations. Or, you’re free to use your own translator if you wish.

Why is it called Saleker & Co. if it’s just one guy?

Although we are just one guy (me, Owen!) in many projects, the result is accomplished by pulling in other colleagues, researchers, and translators in Europe and the United States. If you’re wondering where “Saleker” came from—it’s the surname of Owen’s maternal grandfather. He has researched this family for almost 20 years, tracing them from Lithuania, East Prussia and finally to Salzburg in the 16th century.