Torosian Genealogy, LLC

02/11/2026

This Valentine's Day, the WCGS will be celebrating with a presentation by our very own Michelle Dowd Torosian who will present "A Genealogist's Guide to Love and Marriage." Interested in attending but not a member yet? Send us a dm with your email address and we'll send you an invitation.

Marriage records can be a particularly useful source for your genealogical research. Join us on Valentine’s Day to take a deep dive into researching marriage records: why you want them, how to find them, how to use them effectively, and how the laws that governed them will impact your research. This presentation will focus on New York records and examples but will be helpful with marriage records in general.

Michelle Dowd Torosian, WCGS president, is a professional genealogist and founder of Torosian Genealogy, LLC. Her extensive research experience and sharp analytical skills enable her to work with clients undertaking historical research, solving the mysteries lurking in the branches of their family trees, identifying unknown ancestors, and recovering forgotten stories. A former CPA with Deloitte, Michelle is a certificate holder from Boston University’s Genealogical Research program and the ProGen Study Group.

11/24/2025

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/well/interviewing-older-relatives-questions.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Interviewing loved ones brings you closer and offers a window into the past.

11/16/2025

I’m looking forward to watching this tonight! Maybe it’ll inspire me to find the time to finish some supplemental DAR applications for some of my other patriot ancestors.

10/22/2025

I'll be joining some friends for girls night out tonight, and decided to check out the menu and the craft beer list ahead of time. I noticed they carry a beer named Edward, named after the brewery owner's grandfather (and the same name of my dad/grandfather/great-grandfather). That led me to to check out the brewery's website, and they have a whole list of craft beers named after their ancestors! They have their ancestry traced back to 1791. Looks like I have another place to visit the next time I'm researching in Vermont!

Hill Farmstead Brewery is the culmination of many years of travel and insight—of experience and education—of friendships and explorations. It is the revival and continuation of 220 years of Hill heritage and handcrafted history in North Greensboro, Vermont.

10/02/2025

You might be a genealogist if you feel completely lost and discombobulated as you follow your GPS around some traffic tie-ups and finally manage to get your bearings only after passing a cemetery that you've done some research at. Happy Family History Month!

07/08/2025

I came across this article earlier, and I agree wholeheartedly! Some of your cousins inherited photographs and stories that your branch didn't. What discoveries have you made connecting with distant relatives?

Most family historians get it wrong from day one.

06/26/2025

Working at Muddy Waters in Tarrytown for a few hours while my car visits the mechanic. Fabulous iced coffee and what a coffee shop should be.

06/20/2025

Last year I had the chance to work on a small project for a client based in Norway. I'll let him tell the full story in his upcoming documentary, but I'll tease that it includes a sea captain gone missing, differentiating men with the same name, and tragic accidents suffered by hard working immigrants trying to carve out a life in a new country. Today I welcomed him to my office here in New York, and was interviewed on camera to tell the parts of the story I was able to uncover. My "silly" career goal of being the expert genealogist on a film or TV show? Check!

05/19/2025

I was genuinely relieved and happy this morning to see that 23andMe is going to be purchased by Regeneron.

Drugmaker Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will buy genetic testing firm 23andMe Holding for $256 million through a bankruptcy auction, the companies said on Monday.

05/09/2025

Genealogy in the news!

His ancestry, traced to a historic enclave of Afro-Caribbean culture, links Leo XIV to the rich and sometimes overlooked Black Catholic experience in America.

04/16/2025

I went prepared with reading material to a doctor appointment this morning, and was pleasantly surprised when there was no wait. So what does a genealogist do with extra time? I took a walk at my favorite Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.