Irvin “Pat” Bowen CEO/Principal Genealogist

Irvin “Pat” Bowen has worked in the field of genealogy since 1980 when he began to trace his own roots. In 1998, Irvin formed Ancestor Research, Inc. to provide genealogical research services to the expanding domestic and international markets.

While Ancestor Research, Inc. provides research services worldwide, Mr. Bowen specializes in solving complex problems for families with ancestors in the Southern and New England states. However, with the spatial diversity of his own ancestors throughout the nation and client geographical requirements, Irvin has performed research in most states in the United States.

Mr. Bowen was born and raised in Florida. He is a descendant of early New England families who subsequently migrated to North Carolina and Georgia in the early and late 18th century, respectively. From New England and the South, the descendants of those first progenitors have dispersed throughout the United States. Irvin moved to the West in the early 1970’s where he met his companion of twenty-seven years and sunk his roots as deep as the high mountain soils would allow. There he resides in the beehive state of Utah about seventy-five miles north of the richest genealogical collection in the world at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Mr. Bowen’s professional experience has been diverse, which has provided a rich background necessary to be an effective and efficient professional genealogist and to solve complex family history problems. Irvin first started working in a family business, which manufactured stainless steel restaurant equipment. He carried his training and experience as a sheet metal mechanic to the construction industry where as a tradesman he became a carpenter, tied steel, and pumped thousands of yards of concrete. Eventually, he moved into project management as a field engineer and an assistant superintendent. Injuries sustained in an auto accident caused Mr. Bowen to reassess his goals, which resulted in further education at the university level. While working his way through undergraduate and graduate education, he cut timber, worked in a saw mill, managed apartments, worked on an environmental impact statement team as a fisheries research technician, sold financial products, which required licenses for securities, real estate and insurance, and taught accounting and economics.

Mr. Bowen’s education includes an associate degree from Lake City Community College, a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Brigham Young University, and a master’s degree in agricultural industry from Utah State University. Following graduate school Irvin held positions as an extension educator at Montana State University, a natural resource manager for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Montana, and as an environmental analyst and project manager for a natural resource consulting firm.

Through his lifetime commitment to continuing education, Mr. Bowen, as a professional genealogist, has completed advanced genealogical training through Brigham Young University, the Salt Lake Genealogical Institute, and the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University. Irvin has also continued to sharpen his skills by attending national conferences and their training sessions. Finally, he enriched his academic foundation with specialized training in agriculture, marketing and risk management, natural resource ecology, rural economic development, human resource and total quality management, geographical information and global positioning systems, budgeting and financial systems control, grant writing, educational program development, and cross-cultural communications.

Mr. Bowen has published articles for, developed courses and curriculum for, and taught courses in genealogy, agriculture, personal financial management, and natural resources. He has taught in post secondary, extension, and community education systems.

Community service has included:

*Member of Association of Professional Genealogists, Federation of Genealogical Societies, National Genealogical Society, New England Historic Genealogical Society; North Carolina Genealogical Society, and Georgia Genealogical Society.

*Past Chapter President and Chapter Support Chairman, Utah Genealogical Assoc.

*Patron consultant and instructor with the Cache Regional Family History Center.

*Elected: School Board Trustee; President, Future Farmers of America Alumni Chapter; Delegate, Utah Republican Convention; and, Precinct Chairman.

*Served on the Fair Board, Weed Board, 4-H Council, Conservation District and USDA/FSA Food and Agriculture Committee, Governor's Drought Advisory Council, Rural Water District and Missouri River Development Group; appointed a director of Eastern Plains Resource Conservation and Development, Inc