Kaitlyn Pauley, AG® | Accredited Genealogist® & Family History Researcher

WELCOME TO PAULEY GENEALOGY!

Connecting people, places, and the records they left behind.

Hi, I'm Kaitlyn Pauley, AG

®

I'm an Accredited Genealogist® based in West Virginia, specializing in Appalachian, West Virginia, and Western New York family history research.

My background is a little unconventional — I'm a former special education teacher and park and resource management professional — and I've found that those experiences make me a more thorough, patient, and creative researcher. I know how to dig into land records, navigate complex document trails, and explain what I find in plain language.

Whether you need help breaking through a brick wall, a professional to visit a West Virginia archive on your behalf, or an engaging speaker for your genealogical society, I'd love to help.

My Services

How to "Track" Down Your Ancestor’s Railroad Records

If you caught Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 coming through on its recent tour, you know how impressive it is to see that massive piece of history in person. But watching it roll by mostly got me thinking about the people who actually kept those trains running. Big Boy No. 4014 traveling between Ripley and Westfield New York 9 June 2026. The conductors, engineers, and track laborers left behind a massive paper trail. If you discover you have an ancestor who worked for the railr

Civil War pension index card for John Locke of the 77th Pennsylvania Infantry showing widow and minor pension claims

The War Was Over. His Service Wasn't: What Civil War Pension Records Revealed

John Locke survived the Civil War, but he never made it home. A single phrase in his pension file—"while in the line of duty"—revealed that his service continued after the fighting ended and opened the door to a much larger family story.

Unlocking the 5 Ws of West Virginia Vital Records Research

Vital records are some of the first records genealogists reach for, and for good reason. Birth, marriage, and death records can confirm names, dates, places, and relationships. They can help connect one generation to the next. But in West Virginia research, it is not enough to simply search for a name. You need to know what type of record you are looking for, who might be named in it, when the record may exist, where it was kept, why it matters, and how to access it. That is