Susan S. Koelble is a Certified Genealogist, lecturer, teacher and author and is well known for her knowledge of Philadelphia’s history and people. She was certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) in 2000. Her own Philadelphia genealogy goes back 10 generations to 1686. With over 25 years of professional experience she and her daughter Kristin Bryson founded Bare Roots Publishing and Research in 1999.  

Over the course of these 25 years she has served on the Board of Directors of The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania (GSP), where she has worked as co-coordinator and councilor for GSP’s hugely popular Summer Camp series. Her tenure as Linage Chair for the Philadelphia Chapter, DAR has given her insight into the filing of applications for heredity societies. She also sits on the Board of Directors of The Bucks County Conference and Visitors Commission. She is also a member of many local, state, and national genealogical and professional organizations.

While working on a degree in American Studies she had internships with the National Park Service in Valley Forge as an archeologist and with the Bucks County Heritage Society, learning how to trace house histories.

She has lectured both locally and nationally and has organized several Ancestry Fairs in the Philadelphia region. She has taught genealogical classes for local genealogical societies and at The Bucks County Community College.

Kristin Bryson is the backbone of Bare Roots. She is the person that sets up clients, invoices, takes care of the banking and any other office work. She is skilled in a variety of computer programs including: Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Publisher and Family Tree Maker. She is responsible for the format of our books and webpage.