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Don is a wonderful help. He answers questions on genealogy mailing lists. He gladly made phone calls to Germany for me, and wrote a letter in German for me to send off. If it wasn't for his help, I would still be banging my head against a brick wall. He is truly an angel. I would recommend him highly. ---Carol, Missouri

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The most impenetrable brick wall is often reinforced by an ancestor's foreign birth and unfamiliar language. I needed help in making contact with German researchers with whom I shared a surname. Don quickly turned the unique details regarding our immigrant into e-mail correspondence and then translated the response for me. I highly recommend Don to others who will appreciate his professional and courteous approach to genealogical research. ---Linda, California

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Don, thank you so much for your help with translations, and making contact with living relatives by phone. Because of your help I now can move forward with my research, the brick wall removed. ---Ingrid

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A person like Don makes Genealogy very exciting! He goes that extra mile~~making personal contacts and phone calls, writing letters in German and then translating from German to English. ---Sam, Wyoming

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After receiving letters from Germany, written in German, I asked Don to translate for me. He did a great and accurate job. The small charge was more than worth it since the information was vital to my research. Thank you Don. Your service is greatly needed. ---Jan A.

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Don helped me work out my German ancestor research. I then visited Germany for a celebration in my ancestor's hometown and met with actual relatives there! It was so rewarding. Thank you, Don! --- S.

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Don Watson is a skilled and efficient translator. I had used a variety of sources for translation, a lengthy and tortuous process, and I always had a lingering doubts about accuracy. I now send my material to Don and within a day it is in my hands and ready to go. The greatest benefit from using Don's translation services, however, is that he brings to the effort an understanding of the subject matter, as well as your motives, both of which help with the translation, while giving you the confidence that the letter is as effective as possible.

When I began the search for my roots, all I had were some snippets of oral family history (most of which proved to be inaccurate) and the name of a town in Lower Saxony (which was not the town my ancestors came from). Then someone suggested the Hessen website, with its "nice guide" for German research. This suggestion was a huge understatement. The "guide" he referred to was Don Watson's carefully crafted website for amateur German genealogists. It provided literally everything a "newbie" needed to get started and was well organized, well written and had a lively up-beat format. Needless to say, Don and his website became one of my genealogical mentors. Don answers every inquiry I make (whether on the list or off) and his advice is always sound.

When I eventually found my family, I drifted away from the German Rootsweb lists, but returned a couple of months ago, noting that Don's site is still the best single source for folks researching German roots anywhere in Germany. Don is still the backbone of the German rootsweb lists and responds promptly with sound advice to all those in need, just like he did for me years ago. Don is probably the best friend that German genealogy has ever had.  ---AWT, Tennessee

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I came upon Don Watson’s web site when looking for research tips on finding German ancestors. His "Research 101" (with lots of convenient links) made it easy to review that I’d really tracked all possible leads. This in itself was fun, and a fact-filled and interesting experience!

When I did locate some vital records, written in archaic German script, I enlisted Don’s help to translate some of them, and was delighted to hear back from him the next day. Over the next week or two, he helped translate several more entries, as I found them. Many thanks, Don, for your overall research wisdom and individualized help. You made a difference for me. ---C. M., Canada

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I first became aware of Don Watson when I subscribed to an Old-German mailing list. I wanted to learn the origination of some surnames, When he answered, I wondered if he could translate some pages from a book for me. Was I ever surprised at how quickly he responded! From his translation I learned the probable origins of my surname, as well as the first several generations of the name. I was very pleased, and I am sure I will use his services again in the future..... ---Suzanne, Utah

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I recommend the use of Dr Watson's translation service. During the past few years, I have sent several documents to him. Some in the old German script and others in modern script. He was able to translate all of them. When he sent me his translation of the old script documents, he added his insights into the situation in Germany at that time, which made his translation even more meaningful. ---RJR, Illinois

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