Marissa Gardner graduated from Brigham Young University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Family History and Genealogy. She became an Accredited Genealogist​® in 2011 (region: Germany) with the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen), demonstrating her skills and expertise as a professional genealogist. She has worked as a professional genealogist since 2004, including employment with Ancestry.com, ProGenealogists, Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, Venio (an asset recovery company), and Legacy Tree Genealogists. She chose to return to self-employment to better serve each client’s unique needs in both traditional and forensic genealogy.

Marissa solves some of the most difficult U.S. and European genealogical research questions. She assists clients to obtain dual citizenship in their ancestral homeland as well as successfully identifying heirs for probates and trusts, real estate, and mineral rights cases. She has testified twice in probate cases and her work stands up to the scrutiny of attorneys, judges, and genealogists alike.

In addition to mentoring less experienced researchers, Marissa volunteers as a research consultant at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and as the 2024-2025 treasurer for the APG Forensic Group.

The Company
Treasured Ancestors is a historical and forensic genealogy research firm founded in 2009, and rebranded in 2023. We are located near the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, providing immediate access to all of their vast resources. We also maintain relationships with contractors in the U.S., Canada, and Europe to obtain primary-source archival documents from around the world.

We perform research in the United States and European countries to confirm our clients’ eligibility for dual citizenship in Italy and Greece (other countries upon request). We are well-versed in inheritance laws for probate and for property cases. Our understanding of U.S. and European record sources from the late 1800s and early 1900s, as well as our exceptional people-finding skills, enable us to locate potential heirs with precision and expertise, to provide thorough, well-documented, and court-worthy affidavits.

Our mission is to connect our clients with their ancestors, providing them with a sense of identity, belonging, and unity. We do this through accurately identifying heirs for estates, proving eligibility for dual citizenship, locating ancestral hometowns in Europe, building family trees, connecting families with long lost cousins, and discovering and telling each ancestor’s unique story.

We’re ready to help you discover your family story today!