Lesli Rice Shaheen

ProGen Member Overview

LARS Genealogy Services, owner

Lesli Rice Shaheen has been interested in family history most of her life. She spent most of her childhood near Bishop Hill, a Swedish settlement where immigrants from one branch of her family settled in the mid-1800s. Another branch of her family has been in America for nearly 300 years. With family gatherings, published genealogies, and reunion records, Lesli's interest to verify all the connections sparked an even greater interest in professional genealogy.

Lesli lived in Denmark which gave her a stronger connection of being Scandinavian. On a trip to Sweden, she had the opportunity to stand on the lands of her ancestors. She feels everyone should have the opportunity to walk the land of their ancestors, whether at home or across the pond.

Over the years, Lesli has done indexing projects for DAR and FamilySearch.org, including becoming an arbitrator on the projects. She has helped people find their ancestral homesteads, both in the States and abroad. Lesli writes newsletters for her family's reunions and has compiled a family history book. Currently, Lesli serves as the ProGen 63 Coordinator and as a National Genealogical Society Course Mentor.

In 2019, Lesli began transitioning towards a career in genealogy and sought formal education. She is a life-long learner and continues seeking knowledge in all aspects of the genealogy profession and her specialized skill set in order to gain the expertise needed to provide her clients and family with high-quality research.

Currently, her two main research focuses are on Midwest Research and Scandinavian Research. The Midwest connects many immigrant travelers to their homelands or connects migrants from East to West. Finding the movement through this area can often help others further their research in other parts of the country. Lesli also researches Swedish immigrants to America, tracing them back to Sweden to uncover their families.