About Sarah J. Merrill and MERRILL MEMOIRS:

Where I am now: In addition to enjoying a career as a personal historian, my husband and I are raising two boys in Granby, Connecticut. 
When I am not at my desk, crafting someone's memoirs or family histories,
I am usually reading or enjoying the outdoors. 

Capturing people's stories is my "dream job."
I believe that every life is a fascinating journey, and every family has stories that should be preserved and passed on, so that future generations will have a better understanding of where they came from, and where they are going. Also--and I've seen this again and again--the process of purposefully telling your life stories, and seeing them arranged as a coherent narrative, is an opportunity to make sense of your life. My clients often make discoveries about themselves along the way. I love giving people this experience.

My journey: As a child, I began writing stories as soon as I learned how to write words. Fast forward: I graduated with honors from Middlebury College in Vermont, with a B.A. in both English Literature and Modern Dance. I spent a thrilling year doing graduate work at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine. After completing this oral history program, I took a year to volunteer in nursing homes, writing the residents' life stories. I have worked for over 15 years as a journalist and an editor. Eleven years ago, my kids in school full time, I launched my personal history business and settled into my dream job. I've since worked with dozens of families preserving the most important legacy of all: THEIR STORIES.

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Maine, circa 1978.