CLAUDIA CASILLAS

My journey into genealogy began when I was 13 years old. I was assigned a school project to compile a four-generation family tree. After interviewing my immigrant grandparents, I became interested in learning more about my family history beyond what their memories provided. I still hold that graded paper chart in my personal archives. It wasn't until many years later that I began to practice genealogy as a hobby. After a full decade of research experience with Mexican records, I created, edited and maintained a blog titled Guadalajara Dispensas, where I published a collection of thousands of extractions from Catholic Church marriage dispensations--canonical records that are rich in genealogical information. As a result of my publishing, I have been a featured speaker at the Nueva Galicia Genealogical Society annual conference. I hold a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University... I am a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the National..