About Founding Mothers Genealogy
Meet Sonja Alves
“My passion for genealogy and my previous background in art combine to specialize in creating beautiful and unique family books for my clients. I also do more traditional family trees and am available for freelance work by the hour for assistance with any project. I'm conveniently located in the same neighborhood as the New England Historical Genealogical Society Library, which is an invaluable research resource.”
My name is Sonja Alves and I’m an 11th generation New Englander, third generation Swedish immigrant, and second generation descendant of Holocaust refugees married to a Portuguese immigrant. My children are both Mayflower descendants and the first generation born in this country, making them the ultimate Americans. I’m also the inheritor of the genealogy bug. After my grandfather passed in 2012, I attempted to recreate his father’s family genealogy tracing the family (allegedly) to Charlemagne. I succeeded in both verifying his work and discovering a passion that I have turned into a profession.
My background before genealogy is in art, and I while I do not hand illustrate the family history books that I make, my artistic eye for composition brings a unique touch to each book. I graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in studio art, and I have had work shown at AS220 gallery in Providence, Rhode Island as well as pieces sold all around the world. My portfolio of collage art can be found here.
Meet the Team
Founding Mothers Genealogy works with a team of highly skilled genealogist, researchers, and designers to bring our clients heirloom quality books that will stand the test of time.
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Writing Assistant
My name is Sean Anderson and I’m a 37-year-old married queer biracial Korean-American. I have roughly 23 years experience with genealogy – specifically tracing lineages along the migratory routes of Southern Appalachia in the late 18th – early 19th centuries. I discovered my love for genealogy at 14. I was tasked with writing a paper in 9th grade English about life during the Great Depression. I interviewed my Gramps (my great-grandfather) and this short interview on his life during the Depression turned into a 6 hour long visit with him waxing poetically about our ancestors. The whole notion of verifying a long-held family tradition with a myriad of records blew my mind – I was hooked.
My Gramps told me that he didn’t know his Gramps’s name. It shocked me. Here I was sharing a warm soft drink at my Gramps’s table and my Gramps didn’t even know his Gramps’s name! This became my personal mission – to break past this brick wall. It’s long since been smashed to smithereens but the search continues.
When not scrolling through microfilm until my eyes go numb, I enjoy native gardening, good bourbon (I am a Kentucky boy, after all), and have been rumored to make the best blackberry cobbler you’ll ever eat.
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Graphic Designer
Artist and designer Allison Kolarik designs beautiful and unique covers for all of Founding Mothers Genealogy's hardcover family books.
Based in Chicago and raised in New Jersey, AK has extensive experience in graphic design and fine art. They run the design company, Futile Device, creating merch for social justice. They also create fine art collages which have been purchased by private collectors, a gallery show is forthcoming.
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Research Assistant
Karen Montgomery Moore is a senior instructor in the English department at Colorado State University, where she received her M.A. in English. She has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Missouri. When not trawling JSTOR, she enjoys reading, travel, spending time with her family, and day dreaming about living in a seaside cottage and solving mysteries.