I’m Bev Diaz, a genealogist, historian, and descendant of Polish immigrants who settled in Wisconsin.
I am the founder of All Souls Family Chronicles, a professional genealogy practice focused on culturally grounded, historically informed family history research, with particular attention to religious records and Great Lakes communities.
Professional Background
I hold graduate training in the history of religions and am pursuing professional genealogical credentials through the International Institute for Genealogical Studies and ICAPGen. My research combines historical scholarship with genealogical methodology, emphasizing careful source analysis, documentary evidence, and historical context.
Current Research
Current projects include research on the Felician Sisters in the United States, Polish and Kashubian immigrant communities in Wisconsin and throughout the Great Lakes region, and methods for identifying women religious in family history research.
Writing
Through By Portages and Pines, I write about genealogy, migration history, religious records, Polish naming practices, and the historical contexts that shaped family stories across the Great Lakes region.
Why All Souls Family Chronicles
As both a historian and a genealogist, I am interested not only in who our ancestors were, but also in the worlds they inhabited. My research seeks to connect documentary evidence with historical context, creating family histories that are accurate, meaningful, and grounded in the experiences of real people.
I believe family history is about more than collecting names and dates. It is about understanding the lives, migrations, faith communities, and decisions that shaped the generations that came before us. My approach to genealogy recognizes that family histories unfold within larger historical landscapes, including migration, religion, settlement, and the Indigenous communities whose histories are intertwined with the regions where our ancestors lived.
Whether you’re just beginning your family history journey or have spent years working through church registers, I aim to bring clarity, context, and care to the stories you’re trying to uncover.
