Faces of NextGen: Meet Amber Oldenburg

Amber Oldenburg, 39, Indiana

What five words would you use to describe yourself? The five words I would use to describe myself are; patient, enterprising, blessed, methodical, and motivated. 

 Why genealogy? Genealogy was an accident for me. My original intention at BYU-Idaho was to study towards becoming a park ranger, choosing Family History as a minor. I was immediately hooked on the subject. Very quickly I shifted my focus towards a degree in Family History with the goal of becoming a professional genealogist. Since my initial introduction to the subject, I have spent an inordinate amount of time researching and learning the ins and outs of the field. I feel truly blessed to have discovered my passion, one in which I very much hope to make a career.

 What are you working on this week? As classes do not resume until September (thank goodness), I’ve chosen to use this time to study in preparation for ICAPGen accreditation, occasionally stepping away to conduct research on the Thompson branch of my family tree.

 What’s the number one secret to your success in genealogy? I would have to say the number one secret to my success has been persistence in the face of some quite daunting challenges. Whether it’s running into a metaphorical brick wall while conducting research, or attempting to make heads or tails of difficult scripts, I keep moving forward until I achieve what I set out to do.

 What superpower would you want to help you uncover your family history? Undoubtedly, I’d have to go with time travel. To be able to personally speak with my ancestors, and to hear their story from their lips would be the absolute greatest gift I could receive.

 What are we most likely to find you doing when you’re not researching family history? When I am not working on researching family history, I can be found devouring every genealogy book available, or attending genealogy seminars and conferences. Aside from genealogy, I adore spending time with my wonderful husband and two brilliant daughters, very often camping or road tripping throughout the U.S.


The NextGen Genealogy Network is made up of young genealogists with diverse backgrounds, interests, and experiences. Faces of NextGen showcases a different member of our community each month. If you would like to be considered for an upcoming feature, simply complete our questionnaire and submit a selfie.

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