Born in Wayne County, Michigan, Matthew moved with his family to Dexter, Michigan at an early age. After graduating from Dexter High School, Matthew moved to Alpena, Michigan to live with his grandparents while attending college. Living among multiple generations within his own family sparked Matthew's love for history and genealogy. Here, he began to develop the ability to put together the puzzle of family histories, and he still enjoys the challenge of organizing the information and documents of every family history.

        Ultimately, Matthew moved back to Washtenaw County, earning his Bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan University, with a major in history and a minor in historic preservation.

        Matthew's time at Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, as well as his experience as a sales associate at an Ann Arbor computer business, honed his research skills and his ability to help others learn to research their genealogies.