AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: In our first segment, Lisa Louise Cooke and her guest Jenny Ashcraft from Newspapers.com discuss how to use newspapers to fill in the missing stories in your ancestors’ lives. Jenny shares strategic tips on finding unique information many researchers miss.  In the second segment of this episode, Shannon Combs-Bennett, the author of the article A Genealogist’s Guide to Finding and Using Historical Obituaries published in Family Tree Magazine, covers everything you need to know about obituaries including:  the important backstory on obituaries, what obituaries can tell you about your ancestors, where you can find obituaries, both online and offline, and strategies you can use when obituaries aren’t where you expected to find them. These interviews are also available in video form on the show notes page. And if you’re a Genealogy Gems Premium Member, you’ll be able to download those show notes as a PDF cheat sheet in the Resources section at the bottom of the page. Visit the  for this episode.  Genealogy Gems Premium Members Exclusive Download: Log into your  and download the ad-free Show Notes handout that complements this episode: with Jenny Ashcraft with Shannon Combs Bennett Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member Premium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast  downloadable ad-free show notes PDF cheat sheets Become a member .   Our Sponsors: Get your .   Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription.  and use coupon code GenealogyGems   Genealogy Gems Podcast App Don’t miss the Bonus audio for this episode. In the app, tap the gift box icon just under the media player. .  Get the Free Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. . Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Get the very latest on the major update Google has made to Bard, and the answer to the question "Should I use Bard, ChatGPT, or any of the other chatbots for genealogy research?" I've got some surprising answers for you! Visit the show notes page for this episode.  Watch the Video You can watch the video version:  Genealogy Gems Premium Members Exclusive Download: Log into your and download the ad-free that complements this episode. Our Sponsors: MyHeritage   Learn more: watch  Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second-largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member Premium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast  downloadable ad-free show notes PDF cheat sheets Become a member .   Genealogy Gems Podcast App Don’t miss the Bonus audio for this episode. In the app, tap the gift box icon just under the media player. .  Get the Free Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. . Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

Show Notes: Professional Genealogist J Mark Lowe joins Lisa Louise Cooke on the show to share a marriage research case study that highlights the importance of understanding Gretna Greens. Then Professional Genealogist and blogger Robyn Smith shares her 3 step process for researching witnesses found on records from her new Family Tree Magazine article Witness Testimony.   Visit the Watch the Videos Watch Lisa Louise Cooke's on Marriage Research.  Watch Lisa Louise Cooke's on researching witnesses found on genealogical records. Genealogy Gems Premium Members Exclusive Download: Log into your Premium membership and then download the handy show notes PDFs that complement the topics covered in this podcast episode: Our Sponsors: MyHeritage Get your  Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription.  and use coupon code GenealogyGems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member Premium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast  downloadable ad-free show notes PDF cheat sheets Become a member .   Genealogy Gems Podcast App Don’t miss the Bonus audio for this episode. In the app, tap the gift box icon just under the media player. .  Get the Free Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. . Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

Google Books is known for having millions of free digitized books. But did you know that it’s also packed with hidden old newspapers? Since newspapers don’t typically appear in your initial search results in Google Books, I’ll show you two ways to filter down to only newspapers. Plus I’ll also show you some of the most effective ways to quickly find the right ancestor and the right article. Get the . (This page includes affiliate links from which we are compensated. Thank you for supporting this free podcast. ) MyHeritage Get your today! Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription.  and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member . Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems:

The GEDCOM digital file format is essential to genealogy. My expert guest from FamilySearch explains what a GEDCOM is, how to use it, and the most recent changes. He’ll also answer some of the most common GEDCOM questions.  Get the  MyHeritage Get your  Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription.  and use coupon code genealogygems   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member . Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems:  

Finding great sources of information is part of what makes genealogy so fun! But citing those sources may not be so much. In this episode professional genealogist, Gail Schaefer Blankenau makes the case why source citation is a vital part of great genealogy research and she’s going to give us the resources to help get the job done right. Get the . MyHeritage Get your  Get 20% off.  and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at     Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member . Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems:

In this episode, we’re going to be visiting two of the most pivotal states in the U.S. for genealogy research. These states played key roles in the development and expansion of the United States of America, and we’re going to explore a top online resource for each. First up is the state of Pennsylvania, officially known as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1681 through a royal land grant to William Penn, and established as a haven for religious and political tolerance. And since for over 300 years the port of Philadelphia was a major gateway for arriving immigrants, many many family trees include people who passed through Pennsylvania. One of the best and most important resources for records of interest to genealogists is the State Library of Pennsylvania, and we’ll be exploring it today with Kathy Hale, the Government Documents Librarian, and Amy Woytovich, the Genealogy Librarian at the State Library of PA. Then we will head west to Ohio which joined the union back in 1803, and where many of our ancestors settled, or passed through on their way West.  The Ohio Memory website is a rich source of historical materials that tell the story of this state and potentially many American families. Jenni Salamon, the Ohio Memory Digital Services Manager will be joining me to explain the depth of the available materials and provide insight into how to best navigate the website. Get the full show notes for this episode here.  MyHeritage Get your Get 20% off.  and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at     Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member . Sign Up for the Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

In this episode, Lisa Louise Cooke and Jenny Ashcraft from Newspapers.com discuss how to use newspapers to fill in the missing stories in your ancestors’ lives. Jenny shares strategic tips on finding unique information many researchers miss.  Get the full .    From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!"  Get your .    Get 20% off.  and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at     Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member . Sign Up for the Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

In this episode Lisa Louise Cooke discusses: Organizing and Reducing inherited genealogical information Ideas for donating portions of genealogy research How to decide what to keep and what to toss How to process information gleaned items such as compiled family histories .  From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!"  Get your .  Get 20% off.  and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at     Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member .   Sign Up for the Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today.   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:  

If you’ve been wondering how to write and self-publish a book about your family history, my guest has answers for you! In this episode author J.M. Phillips shares: How to be a great family history storyteller Her favorite writing techniques that help create a compelling story What she learned about self-publishing (and what you need to know) Her experience living on and writing about Lamlash Street .  From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Get your and make new discoveries! Get 20% off.  and use coupon code genealogygems   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

In this episode you'll discover the best places to locate records that can substitute for the lost 1890 census. You'll learn: what happened to the 1890 census which parts of the 1890 census survived Information that was provided in the 1890 census the best substitute records and where to find them From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Get your Get 20% off.  and use coupon code genealogygems   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

In this episode we're talking about this unique moment in time where we have access to the 1950 U.S. Census but we don't yet have the full index.    The 1950 census must be indexed so that we can search for relatives by name, location and much, much more. You can help with this exciting project, and no special skills or background are required. Jim Ericson of FamilySearch  explains what’s happening and how you can get involved.   Resources mentioned: (How to find and use them)   From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!”   Get 20% off.  and use coupon code genealogygems   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

Researching ancestors in another country can be a little daunting. Challenges include foreign languages, moving boundaries, and spelling variations. This is certainly true for German genealogy. If you’re new to German genealogy or your research has stalled, this episode is for you. In fact, even if you don’t have German ancestors I think you will still find the principles and ideas covered very helpful. Translator, author and German handwriting expert Katherine Schober shares her 10 Top Tips for Beginning Germany Genealogy. These tips are packed with tools and resources that you can start using right away. Katherine Schober is a German / English translator, specializing in the old German handwriting. She is the author of “The Magic of German Church Records” and “Tips and Tricks of Deciphering German Handwriting”, as well as the creator of the online course “Reading the Old German Handwriting.” This episode brings you the audio from Elevenses with Lisa episode 52. You can watch the video version on the .  From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!”   Get 20% off.  and use coupon code genealogygems   Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my video series Elevenses with Lisa . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes PDF Become a Premium Member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy #germangenealogy

Th National Archives releases the 1950 census in April 2022. Before you start searching for your family, familiarize ourselves with this important records collection and start preparing for success.    This episode brings you the audio from Elevenses with Lisa episode 51 PLUS important updates. You will learn: the interesting and little known stories behind the 1950 census, what it can reveal about your family, (and who you will NOT find!) the important documents associated with it that you can access right now! The status of the Infant Cards. What you can expect when it comes to indexing the collection.  From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!”   Get 20% off. and use coupon code genealogygems   Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my video series Elevenses with Lisa . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes PDF Become a Premium Member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy #1950census

Visit the show notes page at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsors: StoryworthGive your relatives a meaningful gift with StoryWorth. Get started right away with no shipping required by going to   You’ll get $10 off your first purchase!  From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Episode Topic: DNA Problem Solving  Maybe it’s as simple as having a ton of matches and not knowing what to do with them. How do you keep track of all those matches. How to you know which matches to focus on? How can you can use all your matches to do what you really want to do, which is learn more about my family history? In this episode Sara Allen of the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library joins me to share strategies for working past many of these problems. I wanted to talk to Sara because she’s not a biologist, or a Genetic Genealogy Guru. She’s like you and me: she’s passionate about family history! She shares genetic genealogy with folks in a very practical, and easy-to-understand way. Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a Premium Member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy #DNA

Visit the show notes page at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsors: StoryworthGive your relatives a meaningful gift with StoryWorth. Get started right away with no shipping required by going to   You’ll get $10 off your first purchase!  From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Episode Topic: Genealogy at the Internet Archive The Internet Archive is a free website that strives to archive the internet. Within their massive collection you can find a lot of genealogy too! In this episode I'm sharing with you 10 genealogy records that every genealogist needs that can be found at Internet Archive. Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy #internetarchive  

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 256 with Lisa Louise Cooke September 2021 Visit the show notes page at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsor: From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Episode Topic: Interview with Nathan Dylan Goodwin, author of The Chester Creek Murders Author Nathan Dylan Goodwin () joins Lisa Louise Cooke for a conversation about writing, DNA, Criminal Cold Cases, and his new book The Chester Creek Murders.  Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy #nathandylangoodwin

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 255 with Lisa Louise Cooke August 2021 Visit the  at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by: From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Episode Topic: The U.S. National Archives Online Catalog for Genealogy In this  episode Lisa Louise Cooke will answer important questions such as: What kind of genealogy records can be found at the National Archives website? Which genealogy records are not available at the National Archives? How do I search for records at the National Archives online Catalog? How can I retrieve only digital items from the National Archives Catalog? How can I get better search results in the National Archives Online Catalog? How do I download files from the National Archives Website? What is the Record Group Explorer? Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy #nationalarchives

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 254 with Lisa Louise Cooke July 2021 Visit the at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by: From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Today’s Topic: Google Photos for Beginners Have you thought about using Google Photos but just weren’t sure how it worked or where to start? This episode will answer your questions and give you the confidence to use it effectively. In this introductory tour to Google Photos we will answer the questions: What is Google Photos? Is Google Photos private? What features do I get with Google Photos? How does Google Photos storage work? (Is Google Photos free?) How do I start using Google Photos? How do I upload my photos and videos? How to search and retrieve photos and videos in Google Photos How would Google Photos benefit genealogists, archivists and others? Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa .  Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy #googlephotos 

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 253 with Lisa Louise Cooke June 2021 This episode is brought to you by: StoryworthGive your dad the most meaningful gift this Father’s Day with StoryWorth. Get started right away with no shipping required by going to   You’ll get $10 off your first purchase!  From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” In this episode: In this episode we head back to 17th century New England with Lindsay Fulton of  the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. She's going to share the best resources for finding your early American ancestors.  Lindsay Fulton is with American Ancestors and New England Historic Genealogical Society where leads the Research and Library Services team as Vice President. She is a frequent contributor to the NEHGS blog and was featured in the Emmy-Winning Program: Finding your Roots: The Seedlings, a web series inspired by the popular PBS series “Finding Your Roots.” Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa . You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy #americanancestors  

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 252 with Lisa Louise Cooke April 2021 This episode is brought to you by . From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” In this episode: Newspaper Navigator is a new free online tool for finding images and photos in old newspapers at Chronicling America. It doesn’t work the way the Library of Congress website works, so in this episode I show you how to navigate the Newspaper Navigator. It’s a fun session that will have you finding new newspaper gems in no time! Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa . You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy #oldnewspapers

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 251 with Lisa Louise Cooke March 2021 This episode is brought to you by . From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” In this episode: If you’re looking for a wide array of free online genealogical records for your family history, look no further than then Allen County Public Library’s Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It’s the second largest genealogy library in the country. In addition to the in-house collection, the Genealogy Center offers a vast amount of free digitized resources through their website and partnerships with other websites.  I invited Allison Singleton, Senior Librarian at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana to the show. She is taking us on our tour of the website and sharing her tips and strategies for finding genealogy gems. Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa . You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 250 with Lisa Louise Cooke February 2021 This episode is brought to you by . From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” In this episode: Who doesn’t love a good genealogical surprise? Sometimes we discover something we overlooked the first time around. Other times we find gems in places we never expected. Google Books is one of those places full of unexpected surprises. Google Books is a free online catalog of over 25 million books, 10 million of which are digitized and searchable. The collection is international in scope. I'll explain how to search it and what to look for. And then at the end of the episode, I'll share a very surprising turn that my own research took recently! Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa . You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the 5-page downloadable show notes handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.  to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 249 with Lisa Louise Cooke January 2021 This episode is brought to you by . From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” In this episode: It's a new year. Are you ready for genealogical success/ In this episode we cover the 10 questions you should be asking yourself as you begin your new research year. This exercise will help us all fill in the gaps in our organization and preparedness and give us the confidence to really dig in and add to our family tree. Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 39. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the 7-page downloadable show notes handout in the Resources section of the Elevenses with Lisa . Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at  and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Elevenses with Lisa Episode 39 – Rate Your Readiness for Genealogy SuccessWatch the video and read the full show notes . Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: #genealogy

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 248with Lisa Louise CookeDecember 2020 This episode is brought to you by: StoryWorthVisit  for $10 off. In this episode we cover a plethora of strategies that will give you access to loads of free genealogy records and resources. You will learn: How to follow the path of least resistance to find what you need for your genealogy research. The best ways to find free genealogy records online. What you need to know about the genealogy industry that will help you save money. How you can bee-line your way to the free records that are to be found at each of the big subscription genealogy websites (Ancestry, MyHeritage and FindMyPast). Two Google secret searches that can help you locate free genealogy resources. How to search online to find free records offline. A clever way to get free help with your genealogy brick wall. Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 21. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at . Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the 5-page downloadable show notes handout in the Resources section of the Elevenses with Lisa . Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member , log in to your membership at and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Elevenses with Lisa Episode 21 - Free Genealogy!Watch the video and read the full show notes . Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click below to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Getting Your Old Home Movies Digitized with Larsen DigitalI use Larsen Digital and have been extremely pleased with the service and results. The folks at Larsen Digital have put together special and exclusive discounts for Genealogy Gems listeners and readers.   

Follow up on a Consultation with a Professional Genealogist You will find the complete show notes for the topic discussed in this episode at the .  Sometimes we just a need a little help with a brick wall. That was certainly the case with the Irish line of my family tree. In episode 18 of my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa I enlisted the help of professional genealogist Kate Eakman of Legacy Tree Genealogists. In that 45 minute consultation she broke things wide open on my Irish family lines and gave me the information and resources I needed to make substantial progress. It’s the best investment I’ve made in my genealogy in a long time. They have experts in all areas. Learn more about how easy it is to . . During the consultation we spent significant time digging into Irish genealogy websites. However, I think you'll find Kate's approach to brick walls helpful and informative even if you don't have Irish ancestors. (The consultation doesn't lend itself to an audio podcast because we spent a lot of time digging into websites. ) After my consultation I updated my research plan and got to work collecting more genealogical evidence. In this episode. In this episode you'll hear the audio from Elevenses with Lisa Episode 19 called Filling in the Genealogy Blanks. Watch the video and get the full show notes .  I'll take you through how I went about filing in the blanks in my genealogy research plan. I hope it inspires you to take on your own brick walls, and provides you with a pathway to success. We'll explore a variety of genealogical records and I'll share some of my favorite tips along the way.  Genealogy Gems Premium Members can download the handy PDF show notes for each of these Elevenses with Lisa episodes. Simply log into your membership, and then in the menu under “Elevenses” click “.” Click the episode and scroll down to the Resources section of the show notes. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Premium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast  downloadable show notes PDF Become a member . Getting Your Family History Digitized I use Larsen Digital and have been extremely pleased with the service and results. The folks at Larsen Digital have put together special and exclusive discounts for Genealogy Gems listeners and readers.  Genealogy Gems Podcast AppDon't miss the Bonus audio for this episode. In the app, tap the gift box icon just under the media player. .    Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. .   Get Unlimited Photo Enhancement and Colorization at MyHeritageGet genealogy records and unlimited Enhanced and Colorized photos as a MyHeritage PremiumPlus or Complete Plan Subscriber. . Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

How to Make a Video for Free with Adobe Spark Video In last month's episode we talked about how to construct a great story for video. In this episode I've got the ideal tool for you to use to make your video: Adobe Spark Video. Video is the perfect medium for sharing your family’s history. It captures the interest of the eyes and the ears. Adobe Spark Video is a free app and website tool that makes it easier than ever to create shareable videos.  Watch the companion video and read the full show notes . Watch Elevenses with Lisa How to Make a Video with Adobe Spark  to learn how to make videos quickly and easily for free. Genealogy Gems Premium Members can download the handy PDF show notes for each of these Elevenses with Lisa episodes. Simply log into your membership, and then in the menu under “Video” click “.” Click the episode and scroll down to the Resources section of the show notes. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Premium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes PDF Become a member .   Getting Your Family History Digitized I use Larsen Digital and have been extremely pleased with the service and results. The folks at Larsen Digital have put together special and exclusive discounts for Genealogy Gems listeners and readers.   Genealogy Gems Podcast App Don't miss the Bonus audio for this episode. In the app, tap the gift box icon just under the media player.  .    Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click below to sign up today.   Get Unlimited Photo Enhancement and Colorization at MyHeritage Get genealogy records and unlimited Enhanced and Colorized photos as a MyHeritage PremiumPlus or Complete Plan Subscriber. .   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

Telling Your Family's Story and Creating Family History Videos Don’t just gather genealogical information. Take the time to tell your ancestors’ stories! Video is the perfect medium for sharing your family’s history. It captures the interest of the eyes and the ears. In this episode my special guest is Kathy Nielsen. She’s a librarian from California who recently started creating videos. She’s going to walk you through the simple yet effective process she followed. Then I will share additional things to consider and strategies that you can use. If you’re not interested in creating a video, that’s OK. Today’s episode will make you a better storyteller and will provide you with inspiring story examples by other genealogists. Watch the companion video and read the full show notes . After listening to this episode, watch Elevenses with Lisa How to Make a Video with Adobe Spark  to learn how to make videos quickly and easily for free. Genealogy Gems Premium Members can download the handy PDF show notes for each of these Elevenses with Lisa episodes. Simply log into your membership, and then in the menu under “Video” click “.” Click the episode and scroll down to the Resources section of the show notes. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Premium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member .   Getting Your Family History Digitized I use Larsen Digital and have been extremely pleased with the service and results. The folks at Larsen Digital have put together special and exclusive discounts for Genealogy Gems listeners and readers.   Genealogy Gems Podcast App Don't miss the Bonus audio for this episode. In the app, tap the gift box icon just under the media player.  .    Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click below to sign up today.   Get Unlimited Photo Enhancement and Colorization at MyHeritage Get genealogy records and unlimited Enhanced and Colorized photos as a MyHeritage PremiumPlus or Complete Plan Subscriber. .   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:

Top Tips for Searching at Ancestry.com You will find the complete notes for the topics discussed in this episode (and more) in the .  Getting Your History Digitized Our family’s history comes in many forms, and some of them over time can become obsolete. I shared in this episode my continuing progress on my own project of converting the rest of my old home movies that are in a variety of formats (8mm, mini DV, High 8, and VHS.)  I use Larsen Digital and have been extremely pleased with the service and results. The folks at Larsen Digital have put together special and exclusive discounts for Genealogy Gems listeners and readers. Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast App Get the right app for your phone or tablet . Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:   Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click below to sign up today.   Protect Your Genealogy: Backup your computer the way Lisa does. or click the image below:   This episode is Dedicated to Howie We adopted Howie in 2005, and soon after in early 2007 I started this podcast. Howie took his place at my feet, and he's been there for every recording. He's been my silent podcasting partner and he will be missed beyond words. 

One Family's Story and the Lessons Learned from History In this episode of the Genealogy Gems Podcast you'll hear Daniel's story and the lessons we can learn from history. You can watch the video recording of this on Elevenses with Lisa. Click here for the complete show notes at my Genealogy Gems website.  Getting Your History Digitized Our family’s history comes in many forms, and some of them over time can become obsolete. I shared in this episode my continuing progress on my own project of converting the rest of my old home movies that are in a variety of formats (8mm, mini DV, High 8, and VHS.)  I use Larsen Digital and have been extremely pleased with the service and results. The folks at Larsen Digital have put together special and exclusive discounts for Genealogy Gems listeners and readers.  Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast App Get the right app for your phone or tablet .   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click below to sign up today.

Research Plans and Avoiding Distractions You will find the complete notes for the topics discussed in this episode (and more) in the .  Getting Your History Digitized Our family’s history comes in many forms, and some of them over time can become obsolete. I shared in this episode my continuing progress on my own project of converting the rest of my old home movies that are in a variety of formats (8mm, mini DV, High 8, and VHS.)  I use Larsen Digital and have been extremely pleased with the service and results. The folks at Larsen Digital have put together special and exclusive discounts for Genealogy Gems listeners and readers. Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast App Get the right app for your phone or tablet .   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:   Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click below to sign up today.  

May 2020 Visit our website at GenealogyGems.com for the complete show notes.   Topics: Google Search - a new change you need to know about How to Return Found Items to Other Families  - including an interview with Caryl Kidd-Osborn of the Shrubs to Trees – A Pay-It-Forward Genealogy Facebook Group  School Records - 10 Strategies for finding them The Genealogy Gems Podcast is the leading genealogy and family history show. Launched in 2007, the show is hosted by genealogy author, keynote presenter, and video producer. The podcast features genealogy news, interviews, stories and how-to instruction. It can be found in all major podcasting directories, or download the exclusive  to listen to all the episodes and receive bonus content.

April 2020 Visit our website at GenealogyGems.com for the complete show notes.   Topics: Organization with Lisa Lisson, Are You My Cousin? DNA Q&A with Andrew Lee, Family History Fanatics Evidence & Proof with Kate Eakman, Legacy Tree Genealogists The Genealogy Gems Podcast is the leading genealogy and family history show. Launched in 2007, the show is hosted by genealogy author, keynote presenter, and video producer. The podcast features genealogy news, interviews, stories and how-to instruction. It can be found in all major podcasting directories, or download the exclusive  to listen to all the episodes and receive bonus content.

March 2020  for the complete show notes. In this episode we’re going to delve into how DNA testing and genetic genealogy has changed our world. Award-winning journalist Libby Copeland, author of the new book The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are discusses genetic genealogy, the big DNA testing companies (AncestryDNA,  23andMe, Family Tree DNA, and MyHeritageDNA) The Golden State Killer Case and the use of genetic genealogy DNA for criminal investigation, the genealogy community and RootsTech, adoption and NPE cases, and more.  The Genealogy Gems Podcast is the leading genealogy and family history show. Launched in 2007, the show is hosted by genealogy author, keynote presenter, and video producer. The podcast features genealogy news, interviews, stories and how-to instruction. It can be found in all major podcasting directories, or download the exclusive  to listen to all the episodes and receive bonus content.

February 2020 I LOVE genealogy, mysteries and puzzle solving. Are you with me on that? Well in this episode we have not one by two tales of mystery. The first has a Valentine’s theme centered around a mysterious love letter. Professional genealogist Kathleen Ackerman will be here to share how a love letter that was missing its last page took her on a genealogical journey full of surprises. And our second story is a mystery full of twists,  turns and murder that will ultimately resurrect your faith that what you think is lost, may still be found. for the complete show notes.

The Genealogy Gems Podcast is the leading genealogy and family history show. Launched in 2007, the show is hosted by genealogy author, keynote presenter, and video producer Lisa Louise Cooke. The podcast can be found in all major podcasting directories, or download the exclusive Genealogy Gems Podcast app to listen to all the episodes and receive bonus content.  We are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Genealogy Gems app. We blazed a new trail back in 2010 when we launched the app – apps were still really new back then.  I loved the idea of having a way to deliver exclusive bonus content to you as well as the audio, the show notes and best of all an easy way for you to contact me and the show. It’s more popular than ever, and as far as I know we are still the only genealogy podcast app available. If you haven’t already downloaded it just search for Genealogy Gems in Google Play or Apple’s App Store, or get the right app for your phone or tablet . In this episode I have two interviews for you on very different subjects. First up will be a follow up to last month’s episode where we focused specifically on the New York Public Library Photographers’ Identities Catalog. Well, in this episode we’re going to talk to the genealogy reference librarian at the New York Public Library, Andy McCarthy. And as you’ll hear, there are a massive amount of resource available there for genealogists everywhere. Then we’ll switch gears to Scandinavian genealogy with David Fryxell, author of the new book The Family Tree Scandinavian Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Ancestors in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The free podcast is sponsored by The free podcast is sponsored by   Don’t wait another day. Get the computer backup that I use to view the complete show notes.  App Users: Don't miss the bonus content!

Hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke Recorded December 2019 My how time flies and it’s flying further and further way from when our ancestors’ got their photographs taken, which can make the task of identifying and dating them harder and harder. Do not fret my friend because I have the coolest free tech tool for you that can help you zero in on the date of your photos. David Lowe a Specialist in the Photography Collection of the New York Public Library will be joining me today to tell you all about it. And, we’re going to be talking about some important genealogical records that you may be missing at Ancestry.com. I wrote about How to Find and Browse Unindexed Records at Ancestry in the Genealogy Gems newsletter which linked over to my article on our website, but this is so important that we need to talk about here together. for the complete show notes   This free podcast is sponsored by:   Lisa Recommends Computer Backup Learn more about Backblaze computer cloud backup and get your computer backed up today at   Read our latest articles at Genealogy Gems:   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Gain access to the complete Premium podcast archive of over 150 episodes and more than 50 video webinars, including Lisa Louise Cooke’s newest video The Big Picture in Little Details. Become a member .   Please Help Us by Taking the 1 Minute Genealogy Gems Survey Please help us create the best podcast for you by taking .   Join Lisa Louise Cooke in person at Genealogy Roots What:        2 days of innovative genealogy education at the Senior Expo When:       January 14 & 15, 2020. 9am – 4:30pm Where:      Dixie Convention Center in beautiful St. George, Utah Who:         All ages and skills levels Cost:          2 day pass: $50  |  Early Bird Price: $35 (Expires 12/31/19) If you didn’t have an opportunity to attend this event in Salt Lake City in October 2018, this is your chance! . of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City. of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City.   Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:   Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. to sign up today.  

Hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke Recorded November 2019 Federal court records are wonderful because they are so packed with genealogical information. But knowing which records are available and where to find them can sound daunting, and that stops many genealogists from ever tapping into them. In this episode our aim is to fix all that. Professional forensic genealogist Michael Strauss is here to pull back the curtain and introduce you to these valuable records. You know Michael from our Military Minutes segments here on Genealogy Gems. He also recently introduced us to descendancy research on Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast . The response to that episode was terrific. Many of you wrote into say that it opened up a new avenue of research for you. This episode promises to do the same. for the complete show notes   This free podcast is sponsored by:   Lisa Recommends Computer Backup Learn more about Backblaze computer cloud backup and get your computer backed up today at   Read our latest articles at Genealogy Gems:   Learn German Handwriting  Katherine Schober of SK Translations, professional German script expert, translator, and author has created Reading the Old German Handwriting Online Course - so you can be reading those old German letters in just a matter of months. Complete with videos, flash cards, games, and more, this do-it-yourself course has students raving.     Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Gain access to the complete Premium podcast archive of over 150 episodes and more than 50 video webinars, including Lisa Louise Cooke’s newest video The Big Picture in Little Details. Become a member .   Please Help Us by Taking the 1 Minute Genealogy Gems Survey Please help us create the best podcast for you by taking .   Join Lisa Louise Cooke in person at Genealogy Roots What:        2 days of innovative genealogy education at the Senior Expo When:       January 14 & 15, 2020. 9am – 4:30pm Where:      Dixie Convention Center in beautiful St. George, Utah Who:         All ages and skills levels Cost:          2 day pass: $50  |  Early Bird Price: $35 (Expires 12/31/19) If you didn’t have an opportunity to attend this event in Salt Lake City in October 2018, this is your chance! . of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City. of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City.   Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:   Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. to sign up today.  

with Lisa Louise CookeOctober 2019 NEWS: New and Returning genealogy-themed television Shows: A New Leaf on NBC A New Leaf will be included in the Saturday NBC morning programming block called The More You Know beginning October 5, 2019.  From the Ancestry Blog:  “Each week ‘A New Leaf’ will follow people on the cusp of key life inflection points, who using family history, genealogy, and sometimes AncestryDNA® analysis will go on a journey of self-discovery and learn from the past while looking to the future. In partnership with Ancestry, Fuentes will join families as they learn the importance of appreciating and understanding their family history and ancestors in order to make important life decisions. ” Website: Finding Your Roots on PBS Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s sixth season of Finding Your Roots on PBS will have two new episodes this fall and eight more in January 2020. The new people featured include Melissa McCarthy, Jordan Peele, Isabella Rossellini, Gayle King, Terry Gross, Queen Latifah and many more. Check your television schedule and cable provider. Website: The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes on Oxygen Another new show that taps into genetic genealogy is The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes. It premieres October 12 at 8 p.m. on the Oxygen channel. Website: New Services for Genealogists: Legacy Tree Genealogists Offers a New Consulting Service Visit:  From the press release: “Genealogist-on-Demand: Legacy Tree Genealogists Launches Virtual Consultation Service Offering Access to Family History Experts, Any Time, Any Where. Legacy Tree Genealogists announced today the launch of a new service—45-minute, virtual one-on-one consultations with a professional genealogist. At only 100 USD, these consultations provide users with a cost-effective resource to have their research questions answered in real-time by a professional genealogist, from the comfort of their own home.    Larsen Digital Now Digitizes Your Old Negatives In the past I’ve told you about the incredible work that Larsen Digital did for me getting some of my old home movies digitized. Well, they’ve just launched a new service where you can send them your old negatives and they will convert them into beautiful high-resolution digital images that you can use. We’re talking 4000 dpi images! The service is called Value because it’s less expensive than the Pro which includes restoration. It’s a great way to get all your old negatives digitized. Then you can decide if there’s further restoration you want done on select images. Negatives can deteriorate over time just like photos. The sooner you get them digitized the better condition images you will have. Larsen Digital is offering Genealogy Gems listeners a great discount on both the new value service and the Pro negative digitization service, as well as 35mm negatives & 35mm Slides.  Visit the Genealogy Gems page at .  Use coupon code GENGEM.    Findmypast Now Supports Tree to Tree Hints Long gone are the days of having to search for genealogical records all alone. When you have any part of your family tree online on any of the “” websites (Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast and FamilySearch) they do a lot of the hunting for you. They deliver hints that have a good chance of matching up with your ancestors. Your job is to carefully review them and determine if they are your ancestor’s records.  (Genealogy Gems Premium Members: Listen to Premium Podcast  devoted to hints at Ancestry that includes a bonus download guide on Genealogy Hints at a Glance.) Up until now,  offered hints on birth, marriage and death records. Now they are joining the other Genealogy Giants in offering hints based on other user’s family tree on their website.    The free podcast is sponsored by:   GEM: Downsizing with Family History in Mind with Devon Noel Lee Get your copy of Downsizing with Family History in Mind .  (We hope you enjoyed the interview, and thank you for using our link.) At some point we all face downsizing. Whether we are helping our parents downsize to a smaller house, or we need to downsize our own belongings to carve out a spare bedroom or just make room in a closet. it’s never really an easy task. And I think it’s safe to say it’s even more difficult for the family historian, because we collect a lot of paper, photos and other things that are often near and dear to our hearts. Devon Noel Lee and her husband Andrew Lee of the Family History Fanatics YouTube channel have taken on this challenge themselves and they’ve written a new book called Downsizing with Family History in Mind. Here to help you make the tough choices and clear the clutter is Devon Noel Lee. There are many reasons for downsizing: To move to a smaller place Absorbing inherited genealogy Divorce To free up space in your own home Downsizing the sentimental items is the hardest part of downsizing. Question: A lot of us just think, well it’s a Saturday morning, I think I’ll just do some decluttering. But you say in the book that decluttering doesn’t work. Why is that? Devon’s Answer: “There are three things that experts teach us that are absolutely wrong:” We don’t give ourselves enough time for nostalgia. We’re really bad at evaluating what’s going to last for the long term We use the wrong boxes when decluttering – all the experts say to use Keep, Sell and Donate. Devon recommends the following boxes: Keep Giveaway (combining sell and donate) – to family, societies, archive, university special collections, libraries, etc. Trash (or recycle) Process How to “process”: Digitize Process the information in your binders and get rid of the binders if no one wants them. Use it: Sad to say, most people don’t want your family china. Give yourself permission to use it and enjoy it now. Make memories with it! Let your children play with things. Four Basic Downsizing Principles in the book: Reduce:  Divide things into the boxes. Preserve: This is when you’re going to digitize the things in your process box. Photograph objects. Transfer your genealogy into software and online trees. Reclaim: Take everything out of the process box after processing, and divide into Giveaway, Trash and Keep. Don’t put things into storage! Showcase: Put on display what you found worth keeping so it can be enjoyed. Transform what you have into something that is easier to pass on like videos, podcasts, scrapbooks. Focus on story-based items. From Lisa: It puts us back in control as to what happens to it. Making sure the right people get it. I’m a big fan of displays. If we haven’t taken a moment to get something on the wall - to put a display together - how can we expect our family to appreciate it and embrace our family history values?   Question: Many downsizing projects are much more than a single day. When you’re faced with a really big job, where do you recommend that people start, and where should they put their primary focus? The book includes action plans for folks who have: just an hour Weekend 3-6 months 6-12 months Capture what is right now: Photograph the outside of the home. Photograph what’s inside. Then focus on photographing the collections in their context. Mentioned by Lisa: Genealogy Gems Podcast includes a Gem called Thanks for the Memories. In it, I share an example of mentally walking through my Grandma’s house and capturing all of my memories on paper. Get a piece of paper or pull up a word document.  Close your eyes for a moment and visualize a favorite memory from your childhood.  In my case I started with a favorite place, my maternal grandma's house.  But perhaps yours is the back alley where you and your friends played baseball, or your great uncle's garage where he showed you how to work on cars.  Whatever is meaningful to you. Now, open your eyes, and write your thoughts one at a time.  Just free flow it. They don't have to be complete sentences.  Later you can try your hand at writing more of your actual experiences or memories of a person.  Again, it doesn't have to be a novel or sound really professional.  It's just the memories from you heart.   Family Photos: Question: If we have piles and piles of family photos, particularly ones we’ve inherited, how to do we decide which to keep and which to toss? Or do you ever toss? Devon’s answer: Get rid of the duplicates! Keep 1 of the biggest and best and throw the rest away. Don’t bog yourself down with hours spent trying to track down someone else to give them to. Get rid of blurry, overexposed, underexposed, and meaningless photos. Unlabeled photos: There will be some circumstances where you will not be able to keep them. You can’t go into debt for unlabeled photos. You want to separate them from the labeled so that other family members don’t throw them all out together. If you have time, try to identify them by asking relatives, and posting them to DeadFred.com. If you can, donate the remaining unlabeled photos to orphaned photo collectors, or toss. You did the best you can. Don’t feel guilty because your ancestors didn’t label their photos. Question: What advice do you give your readers who are faced with what to do with their genealogy when they don’t have descendants or when no one in the family wants it? What encouragement can you offer when there is no one who descends from you, or there is no one who wants them. Devon’s answer: If you think you don’t have anyone in your family who is interested, you’re wrong. Downsizing and organizing will increase the chances of someone willing to take it later. If you don’t have anyone in your immediate family who wants your stuff, start looking for distant cousins actively working on a surname. They won’t want everything. You will have to divide the material. They want it organized. Do it while you’re living – don’t leave it to someone else. Digitize it and get it online where it can be shared. From Lisa: Getting your stuff in good condition makes it more desirable. Our collection, broken up, may have much more value to other people. Get your copy of Downsizing with Family History in Mind . (We hope you enjoyed the interview, and thank you for using our link.) The free podcast is sponsored by: GEM: Profile America – The 1830 U.S. Federal Census Saturday, October 5th. The national census to be taken April 1 next year will be the 24th time this once-a-decade count has been conducted since 1790. The fifth census in 1830 profiled a quickly expanding nation, counting nearly 13 million residents — an increase of more than one-third in just 10 years. New York remained the largest city, while second and third places were a near tie between Baltimore and Philadelphia. Also, among the 10 biggest cities were Charleston, South Carolina, and Albany, New York. In the decade to follow, Cyrus McCormick invented the grain reaper, opening huge sections of the Great Plains to agriculture, and Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Sources:     Read our latest articles at Genealogy Gems: Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Gain access to the complete Premium podcast archive of over 150 episodes and more than 50 video webinars, including Lisa Louise Cooke’s newest video The Big Picture in Little Details. Become a member . Please Help Us by Taking the 1 Minute Genealogy Gems Survey Please help us create the best podcast for you by taking . Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast App Get the right app for your phone or tablet .   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:   Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. to sign up today.  

Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 233 with Lisa Louise CookeSeptember 2019 In this episode: Today we’re going to take a look at what so many records and record collections have in common: they are often Lists. Now that may sound pretty straight forward, but there’s a lot more to Lists than meet the eye. A list of names, places or other information has a lot to tell us and can be used in unique ways. Professional genealogist Cari Taplin joins me in this episode for a conversation about what is so lovely about lists.   My Summer Vacation If you’ve been following me on Instagram – you can find me or by searching for genealogy gems podcast in the free Instagram app – then you know that I’ve spent a bit of my time this summer getting a taste of some of the work many of my ancestors did and probably that many of your ancestors did: farming. Bill and I have a close friend who owns his great grandfather’s 1904 homestead in North Dakota. A few years back Bill went up there to help them open it back up and get things up and running. This year we helped them harvest their crop of oats. (They even have a sign in the field that says “These oats will grow up to be Cheerios.”) Of course, we used equipment that our ancestors may not have had. I learned to drive the combine, and I disked the field with the tractor. But in many ways, things haven’t changed all that much. One of the things that really struck me was how the farming community out there pulls together. Now to put this in perspective: the 240-acre homestead is about two miles down a dirt road for Canada. The house has fallen into disrepair over the decades, so our friend bought an old farmhouse in the nearby town where he grew up. That town has a population of just over 50 people! So, we’re talking about a pretty remote location, and folks are scattered on various farms miles apart. But when a tractor was in need of repair, within the hour a neighbor would be pulling up ready to crawl under it alongside our friend to work on it till it was fixed. When a piece of equipment was needed that he didn’t have, it would soon be rolling down the road from a neighboring farm to pitch in. Everyone had one eye on the sky at all times to watch the ever-changing weather, and there was such a commitment by all to make sure no neighbor was left with unharvested crops before a storm hit. So even though the combines of today are motorized massive machines with air conditioning and stereos, the work ethic, the commitment and the community was unchanged from when his granddad first filed his homestead claim. Bill and I felt really blessed to be a part of it. Think of us next time you eat your cheerios.   GEM: Tapping into the Power of Lists with Cari Taplin If you’ve been doing genealogy for any length of time, then you have probably encountered a list. They come in all shapes and sizes, and at first glance they may seem very straight forward. Cari Taplin, a certified genealogist out of Pflugerville, Texas, says it’s worth taking the time to really examine lists carefully because there may be more there than meets the eye. Cari  currently serves on the boards of the Association for Professional Genealogists and is the Vice President of Membership for the Federation of Genealogical Societies. As the owner of , she provides speaking, research, and consultation services, focusing on midwestern and Great Lakes states and methodology.   Types of Lists Nearly every time we sit down to do genealogy research we run into a list. There are loads of them out there. Here’s just a starter list of the lists you might run into: indexes of any kind city directories tax lists petitions censuses church membership members of a club or society fraternal organization member lists community groups committees lists in newspapers like hotel registrations, letters at post office hospital admittances and discharges cemetery books event participants jurors estate sales militia rolls voter lists land lottery winners school class lists yearbooks agricultural lists   Significance of List Construction Of course, not every list is alphabetically organized by any means. We might run into a list of prison inmates listed by number, or burial sites listed by plot or location. The information can be organized in many different ways. Cari says that the way the list maker decided to organize the list tells us a lot about the information. For example, a list that is alphabetized might be an indication that it is a recreated list. Other ways that lists may be constructed include chronologically or by location. Here are follow up tasks you can do: Evaluate for potential error Locate the original source   List Explanation or Instructions Understanding the thinking behind how the list was constructed is also important. The U.S. Federal Census is a great example of a list that has other background documents such as the enumerator instructions. We don’t see these instructional documents unless we go looking for them. The instructions provide background on the creation of the list, and that can help us get more out of it. Research Tip: : The Decennial Censuses From 1790 to 2000. From that page you download the PDF of enumerator instructions. Here’s an example of how understanding the census enumerator instructions can help you better understand how to interpret it: In 1900 the census was answered as if it were a particular day. This means that if someone died a few days later, they may still be listed as alive in the 1900 census. If you know that they died that year, you now have more information that it was after the enumeration date. Genealogy websites like Ancestry, FamilySearch and MyHeritage often provide background on the creation and purpose of their record collections.   Tax List example: there are laws behind them. Look up the statute. Google to find summations of tax laws at the time. Keep in mind that they might be in order of location. When analyzing a list, ask yourself the following questions: What was this list created for? Why is it in this order? What does that then tell me about these people?   What’s we’re really talking about is educating ourselves so that we’re not contributing to the errors that get out there. It’s an investment in accuracy.   Context It can be tempting to just scan the list, grab your ancestor out of it, and move on. But if we do that, we could be leaving a lot of genealogical gold behind. “Evidence mining requires attention to detail, including details that might initially seem insignificant.” ––BCG, Genealogy Standards, #40, p. 24 Here are some ideas as to what we should look for: Sometimes it’s just a name (example: petition lists) There might be columns at the top – pay attention to those details for more understanding Other people in the list: the FAN Club (Friends, Associates, Neighbors.) Look for those names in other documents.   Organizing Your Research and the Data Collected from Lists Cari uses spreadsheets to organize her genealogical research project data. Come of the benefits of using a spreadsheet are that you can: easily sort the data easily manipulate the data visualize the data in different forms   Free Download: Read and download the free spreadsheet template.   Explore the Bigger List Often times you do a search, and you find a single record. But that single record is actually part of a massive internal list, an indexed list from which the search engine is pulling. An example of this is when you run a search for your ancestor at the  After finding your ancestor’s record, you can then run a search by that land description to find other people who owned land and possibly lived nearby. on the batch search technique that Lisa mentioned.   What Constitutes Proof? “Evidence mining requires attention to detail, including details that might initially seem insignificant.” – BCG, Genealogy Standards, #40, p.24 Review the Genealogical Proof Standard in the show notes for Genealogy Gems Podcast   2 men with 1 name When everyone in the family wants to name their children after Grandpa, you can end up with a lot people in a county with the same name. You need to tease them apart. Questions to ask: Who did they associate with? Who were their siblings? Where were each of them located? All of these things can help differentiate them. A spreadsheet is an excellent tool for this.   The Yearbook List Example Very often the list of names is the full list of students. However, not every student necessarily had their photo taken. Count the names and then count the photos to verify you have the right person. Search the to try and find another photo of the person to compare.     Cari’s Main Message Don’t skip over a list because it’s lacking some identifying information. You still need to record it. You may come back to it one day!   Visit Cari Online:    Profile America: The Gregorian Correction Wednesday, September 11th. This was a day that didn’t exist in Colonial America in 1752, as the familiar calendar underwent what is called the “Gregorian correction,” switching from the ancient Julian calendar to adjust for errors accumulated over centuries. After September 2nd, the next day was September 14th. The British parliament’s Calendar Act of 1750 had also changed New Year’s Day from March 25th to January 1st. As a result, the year 1751 had only 282 days. Since then, with leap years built in as in 2020, the calendar has remained constant.  Sources:              News: Watch Lisa’s new MyHeritage Education Center to watch videos and read article to help you get more out of using MyHeritage. Watch the presentation at the MyHeritage Education Center:

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 232 with Lisa Louise Cooke August 2019 Please take our quick which will take less than 1 minute.  Thank you!   In this episode: Exploring what you can do to go deeper in your genealogy research for a more accurate family tree with Elissa Scalise Powell. Irish genealogy radio host Lorna Moloney, a professional genealogist with Merriman Research, discusses Irish genealogy.   MAILBOX: Marcia Finds Treasure on eBay “I recently remembered your idea of searching for family related things on eBay. My grandfather and his brother both worked as agents for the Wrought Iron Range Co. of St. Louis. They sold excellent quality wrought iron stoves and my great uncle did very well there as a supervisor. I did a search for the Wrought Iron Range Co on eBay and immediately pulled up a history of the company, an advertisement for the range and a metal they gave away. I bought them all! However, the best goodie which I am still bidding on is a “salesman’s sample Wrought Iron Range stove about 12 inches tall and 14 inches long in color and with all working parts. (Photo: The stove Lisa inherited from her grandmother.) I may not win the bid, but I am thrilled with what I found. This will bring my grandfather’s occupation to life for my great nephews!!!!” More eBay Research Strategies on Genealogy Gems: Learn more about eBay alerts in .  eBay strategies on Genealogy Gems eBay strategies on Genealogy Gems  about Genealogy Gems Premium membership.   Steve Shares a New German Translation Resource “I came across a new site that you might like to inform your listeners about. It is very new and just getting started, so I know they would appreciate a mention. The name of this new site is "German Letters in Letters"  []. What they are doing is trying to collect letters written between German immigrants to the US and their relatives back home in Germany. You can very easily submit scanned copies of any letters you have and the really neat thing is that they will post them at their site. Once they post them, they are asking for translations by any volunteers. So, this is an excellent way to have any letters in your possession to be translated..... for FREE! I was given about 30 letters written to my GG grandfather, Johann Bernard Husam, who immigrated to Adams Co., Illinois about 1855. They are from his siblings, nieces, and a nephew back in Germany. They range from 1866 to the early 1900s. I scanned them and they are now on this site. I was given these letters by great granddaughter-in-law [my aunt] who spoke German as she had grown up in the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia. She had escaped Czechoslovakia at the end of WWII before the Russians invaded. She, thankfully, had translated all of the letters.” Resource Learn more about German research from at Genealogy Gems.   What Ann Likes About the Podcast Hi, Lisa, I'd love to say that your podcast has helped me with a genealogy brick wall but at this point I'm only a "drop-in genealogist," figuring that I'm the only one in the family interested at this time (working on one grandson though, because I think he'd be a real asset) in finding and preserving family stories. I do research in fits and starts. But, I do love your podcasts. I'm catching up on back episodes now and recently listened to one that started with you describing a granddaughter's first Christmas coming up. It reminded me of one of the best things about your podcasts - it's like you're sitting in my living room with me, having a cup of tea, discussing your stories and tips and tricks to help with mine. Thank you so much for all the information, and for your casual, personal, yet professional style!”   Kristine is No Longer a “Cooke-Cutter” Researcher “I just retired and guess what is first on my list of things I WANT to do? :-)  I jumped in with both feet listening to your Premium podcasts and realized a few times that I am the 'cookie-cutter' researcher.  But, no more. You are the Captain of my ship now. Thank you! After binging on your podcasts the last two weeks, the first bit of advice I took was changing the way I searched on Newspapers.com. My family's everyday life's treasures were buried in the pages of the local news! You made me take a second look after I dismissed the possibility of ever reading about them.  Thank you so much for your dedicated work on behalf of all the genealogists. My Premium subscription will NEVER run out.  When a family member says "I don't know what to get you" I'm prepared to solve that dilemma! Warm regards, A listener for life” Resource: Read Lisa’s article called   GEM: Overcoming Shallow Research with Elissa Scalise Powell Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, is co-director of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP); past-president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, and 2017 She won the Association of Professional Genealogists Professional Achievement Award. She is a Certified Genealogist®, and Certified Genealogical LecturerSM. You can reach Elissa at . (Thank you to Elissa for contributing notes for this episode.) Visit Elissa’s website at The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) The Genealogical Proof Standard was created to help genealogists gain confidence in their research conclusions by providing criteria that can be followed. A genealogical conclusion is considered proved when it meets all five GPS components. The 5 Components of the GPS Reasonably exhaustive research This type of research emphasizes original records that provide the information for all evidence that might answer a genealogist’s question about an identity, relationship, event, or situation Complete, accurate citations to the source or sources of each information item contributing—directly, indirectly, or negatively—to answers about that identity, relationship, event, or situation Tests—through processes of analysis and correlation—of all sources, information items, and evidence contributing to an answer to a genealogical question or problem Resolution of conflicts among evidence items pertaining to the proposed answer A soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion based on the strongest available evidence Resource The book by the Board for Certification of Genealogists provides a standard by which all genealogists can pattern their work. About Sources Some sources are considered “Low-hanging fruit.” They can be described as: - straightforward research - easily accessible - record type is easily understood - document states the fact desired Many times, genealogists will need to stretch and reach for harder to find sources. These types of sources are: - not straightforward - possibly unknown to you at this time - not easily accessible - time-consuming to explore - take study to understand it - not self-explanatory Elise’s Examples of the Pitfalls of Shallow Research Believing that family stories have been accurately passed down in all details. Believing that official documents are always correct. Believing that published records, especially transcriptions or abstracts, are faithful representations of the original. Premature conclusions can come back to haunt us. Disregarding ill-fitting evidence can create brick walls. Careless citation practices do not give us the tools we need for analysis. Researching and understanding historical context is crucial to solving problems. Barriers requiring expertise beyond our own should not hamper the research process. Assuming there is only one record and suspending research when the first one is found. Assuming that details are unimportant, or not noticing them at all. Elissa also points out that when we do shallow research, we can actually do more harm than good. Shallow genealogical research: Doesn’t allow our ancestors to reveal themselves or their reasons for actions Puts them in the wrong time and place Can create wrong kinship ties Misleads future researchers Causes brick walls Wastes our time Does a disservice to our current family and descendants   GEM: Irish Genealogy with Lorna Moloney of Merriman Research While speaking at THE Genealogy Show conference in Birmingham England in June of this year I got a chance to sat down for the first time with Lorna Moloney host of The Genealogy Radio show which is produced at Raidio Corcabaiscinn. Click ). Lorna runs Merriman Research which is dedicated to bringing educational solutions and resources to a wide audience.  Lorna’s website: Photo: Lisa and Lorna at THE Genealogy Show in Birmingham, England in 2019.     Do you have Irish Roots? Then Irish Roots Magazine is perfect for you! Visit Irish Roots Magazine at    Join Lisa in Person for 2 Exciting and Innovative Days of Genealogy! 1 and 2 day passes available. : 2 days for the price of 1 until 9/15/19.         

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 231 with Lisa Louise Cooke July 2019 NEWS: Google Earth News Jennifer in California sent me a fascinating item recently , and she says “Thought you might get a kick out today's blurb from Google, where they pat themselves on the back for what can be done with Google Earth. No argument from me; it's amazing!” So, what can be done with Google Earth besides all the family history projects that I teach here on the podcast and in the Premium videos? Well, Peter Welch and Weekend Wanderers in the UK are using Google Earth to find treasure! Read all about it Visit the   FamilySearch adds audio FamilySearch.org, the free and massive genealogy website from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  has added a new way for you to add more memories to your tree. In addition to photos you can now add audio both at the and the FamilySearch FamilyTree and Memories apps which you can download from your mobile device’s app store. So now as you’re selecting and uploading family photos to familysearch, you can also gather and record the stories that go with those photos. It’s sort of like being able to write on the back on the photograph, but in an even more personal way. Your voice, and the voices of your relatives can now be part of your family’s history. about adding audio From the FamilySearch website: “Photos and audio attached to deceased ancestors can be viewed by other users on the FamilySearch Family Tree. To protect privacy, photos and audio attached to living people can be seen only by the person who added the memory unless that person .” MyHeritage App updateAmong the newly introduced features are Family Timelines, the ability to view family trees that you’re matched with, the ability to choose which information you extract from Smart Matches™, an improved research page, and more.   MAILBOX: We received lots of great feedback on the article by Joy Neighbors From Craig: “After finding my Paternal grandfather and great-grandfather, I looked for my Paternal GG Grandfather in the same area. No luck. I went to the R.B. Hayes library in Tiffin, Ohio and started looking at every page in the burial listing for the township I thought he would be in. And there he was – last name misspelled! (The “A” was changed to a “K”.) I was able to drive over to the cemetery and located his stone – still readable after his burial in 1885. I plan to go back to the area this summer to look for his wife, who was buried elsewhere (they were separated.) I wish I could get someone to update the lists with the correct spelling, to match the gravestone and census papers, but that seems impossible to do.” From Ann: “My brother Ray says we have visited more dead relatives than live ones. Trying now to visit the relatives above ground!” From LeRoy: Spent many hours walking, crawling, pushing through brush brambles and briers just to find and take pictures of tombstones. I regret only one such adventure. If I may. My sweetheart and I went to a small cemetery in New Jersey to gather family names and pictures for Billion Graves and our personal records. While I was taking pictures, my wife was clipping brush and bushes from the stone that identified her families plot. We had a great day. I filled two clips of pictures and my sweetheart did a magnificent job on that stone. It was only a few hours later, when she started itching that I really “looked” at the pictures and realized that the brush that she cleared from that stone was poison ivy. Wouldn’t have been so bad, but when she found that I’m not affected by poison oak, ivy or sumac. She was not happy. From Shirley: I have recently started doing ancestry research and have been astounded at what I have found. No creepy tree stories. However, it is nice to know that some ancestors took special care to by buy family plots even though they knew eventually the girls might marry and want to be buried with their husband. I found it interesting that both my grandfather and my grandmother are both buried with their individual parents. From Patsy: Shirley’s  story jogged my memory. My mother died in 1934 when I was 4 years old. She is buried in her father’s plot rather than my paternal grandfather’s plot. I have wondered for years why the burial was arranged that way and imagine all sorts of situations. Were the families feuding? Was one family more financially able to foot the bill. Did my paternal grandfather not like my father? Hmmmm……… From Sharon: I checked out this book from the local library about a month ago. Decided I needed my own copy. All genealogist should read it. It is very informative & entertaining. From Marinell: About 5 years ago I found the farm on which my gr great grandparents were buried. The tall granite marker with the parents’ names had been knocked over, the foot stones stacked and several large rocks were around the monument and it was in the middle of a field that was being planted and harvested. We made contact with the owner and received permission to have it raised. In the meantime, I found an obituary for a son who was buried on the family farm. I also found an article about a woman who did dowsing, contacted her and she agreed to come perform the dowsing. I was videoing it when my phone went totally dead! I had never had that happen and it was charged. Thirty minutes later it came back on mysteriously! She found 2 adult women, 2 adult men and three toddlers. After further search I found another obituary for a grown daughter buried there and 3 toddler grandchildren who died in 1882. She said that the large rocks would have marked the graves. Sadly, they had totally desecrated the family cemetery. But I was excited to learn all I did and was startled by the phone totally dying. The free podcast is sponsored by We first talked to Julianne last year  in Genealogy Gems Podcast . In that episode we explored the tragic story of Julianne’s ancestors, the Metthe family. It was a riveting case study of the twists and turns that genealogy can take us on.GEM: Checking in with Julianne Mangin Julianne had originally been a bit of a reluctant genealogist. But after a 30 year career in library science, including 14 years as a librarian and website developer for the Library of Congress in Washington DC, she could couldn’t help but try to find the truther in the piecemeal stories that she was told by her mother. Julianne has continued to research and write at her , and I thought it would fun to check back in with her and see what she’s been up to. Her latest blog series is called Alice’s Story. It follows the path of discovery she followed to uncover the story of a previously unknown aunt. – the Exeter School – Final Resting Place The research began where most good genealogical research begins: at the end of Alice’s life and her death certificate. Institutional Records - But with few records and no first-hand interviews available, Julianne turned to researching the institutions themselves to dig deeper into Alice’s experience. Resource:Genealogy Gems Premium Video: ( required) State Census Records can help fill in the gaps between the federal census enumerations.  Search for “state census” in the card catalog:   The free podcast is sponsored by   Resource: “Copies of many state censuses are on microfilm at the . The Family History Library's most complete collections of state censuses are for Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. However censuses exist for the following states also:  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  ,  and . State, colonial, and territorial censuses at the  are listed in the Place Search of the  under "STATE - CENSUS RECORDS"   Old Postcards are a great resource for images. Resources:Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast and feature strategies for finding family history on ebay. (Genealogy Gems Premium required)   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberGain access to the complete Premium podcast archive of over 150 episodes and more than 50 video webinars, including Lisa Louise Cooke’s newest video The Big Picture in Little Details.   Institutional Annual Reports – Julianne searched for annual reports to the Legislature for more details on the various institutions where Alice resided. Resources:   Old Newspapers offered a counterbalance to the annual reports. Resources:   “The institutions were like characters in the story.”   Also mentioned in this interview:   You worked really hard on your family history – protect it with the Cloud backup service that Lisa uses:

Have you thought about telling the story of your personal history? Most of us at some point have, But let’s be honest: continuing the genealogical research of our ancestors probably seemed more appealing, and frankly, it’s probably easier than sitting down and figuring out how to capture our own story. I’ve spoken to a lot of genealogists through the years, and I often hear comments like “ah, my story isn’t all that interesting or important.” But nothing could be farther from the truth. When we don’t tell our own story, we not only take a big risk that the memory of our life will be lost down the generations, but we rob our family and our community of an important piece of THEIR history. Karen Dustman is the author of the book Writing a Memoir, from Stuck to Finished! She’s been helping folks capture and record their stories for several years in her community in the Sierra Nevada which spans Central and Eastern California, into Western Nevada. She’s known widely there as a local historian, writing on her blog and in the local newspaper about the history of the area.   Karen’s Book !   It was Karen’s story of the history of not a family, but an old house in the Carson Valley that shed light on the fact that one of its’ inhabitants was at risk of being forgotten. And no one wants to be forgotten.  In this episode we’re going to explore the life and death of 10 year old Roy Thran. How his story tentatively made its way through the generations of the family in one simple box to the hands of his great grand-niece Krista Jenkins. It was Krista who connected the all-important dots eventually culminating in a museum exhibit that is now telling an important part of the Carson Valley history and touching the lives of its residents. In this episode we travel back to 1925, to a sparsely populated ranching community to hear the story of Roy Thran, and how it’s being shared today. My hope is that Roy’s story will transform your thinking about sharing your own story. Get the full show notes: to visit the show notes page at the Genealogy Gems website where you can read the entire story complete with photos and documents referred to in this episode. Here's a wonderful and easy way to tell your story: For 20 DOLLARS off, visit  when you subscribe!

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 229 with Lisa Louise Cooke May 2019 NEWS: Lisa Louise Cooke is back in the studio after two weeks on the road speaking at the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) Conference and the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Conference. Each conference was great and had its own unique feel, and there were many new genealogists in attendance. Genealogy Gems listener Carol stopped by and enthusiastically shared with how the eBay search strategies for family history that Lisa discussed in paid off in a big way!   MAILBOX: Robin wrote in to share how Sydney Orton’s song with her grandpa in Genealogy Gems Podcast brought her to tears in a toll plaza while driving!   Steve wrote in to rave about the value that his new has brought to his family history research.   Rylee says she’s grateful to have found the podcast and she shares a story of genealogical discovery that she hopes will inspire others. Rylee asks “How do I find sources for these people? I have searched all over ancestry and Family Search and have had no luck again. I really want to believe that the people I have as Adam’s parents and siblings all the way through his 2nd great-grandparents (paternal) are truly his family but I need to get more information. Where can I go for help with German records and where can I continue my search?” Lisa’s comments: You're absolutely right, what you found are just hints. It sounds like it's time for you to move on from the "Genealogy Giants" (Ancestry, FamilySearch, etc.) and into German records websites, libraries, and archives to find real sources that nail down the family tree. Lisa recommends the quick reference comparison guide. We have several articles and episodes at Genealogy Gems that can help you do this: Go to At the top of the home page select "German" from the "Start Learning" drop down menu That will take you to featuring our German research strategies. I'm optimistic for you because Germans are known for keeping excellent records, and I have had good luck in searching them.    GEM: Your Master Family Tree, and Sharing Branches Online Explained I describe it this way: Plant your tree in your own backyard and share branches online. A master family tree has three important characteristics: It is owned and controlled by you. It is the final say on what you currently know about your family tree. It is protected with online backup to ensure it is safe. Plant Your Master Family Tree Lisa uses software for her master family tree. Learn more about GEDCOM files in this article: Protech Your Master Family Tree Lisa uses to back up her master family tree and computer. Visit (Using this link also helps keep this free podcast free. Thank you!) Read more: Share Branches Online available in the Genealogy Gems store.   Read Lisa’s article: for all of the strategies mentioned in this episode.   The free podcast is sponsored by:   PROFILE AMERICA: Friday, May 24th, 2019 In a way, today marks the 175th birthday of the World Wide Web. Only it was electro-mechanical, not digital. On this date in 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse activated the first telegraph line, sending a dots-and-dashes code message from the U.S. Capitol building to a receiver in Baltimore. By the late 1850s, the first telegraph cable had been laid across the Atlantic Ocean, and in 1861, the telegraph spanned the continental United States. Over the ensuing decades, the wires wrapped around the world. From the 1844 demonstration, telecommunications today has grown into a half-trillion dollar a year industry, and employs more than 1 million workers in over 59,000 industry establishments. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at . Sources: Joseph Nathan Kane, Kane’s Famous First Facts, Fifth Edition, H.W. Wilson Co., New York, NY, 1997, #7692.     Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Gain access to the complete Premium Podcast archive of over 150 episodes and more than 50 video webinars, including Lisa Louise Cooke’s newest video The Big Picture in Little Details. . (Membership doesn’t auto-renew because we don’t like that either. Prior to your membership expiring you’ll receive a friendly reminder email from us.)

The Genealogy Gems PodcastEpisode 228 April 2019 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode: More new feature enhancements announced by Listeners Trisha and Betty share their stories with Lisa in person Lisa’s interview with Crista Cowan, The Tombstone Tourist, Joy Neighbors, share 3 intriguing discoveries that she’s made while searching cemeteries Military Minutes Man Michael Strauss explores an underused genealogical treasure: women's registration cards on the home front from 1917-1918 during World War I RootsTech Film Festival semi-finalist Sydney Orton shares the touching story behind newly discovered precious audio and video tape, and how she and her sister honor their grandparent’s memories.   NEWS: Newest features announced on April 9, 2019 by : Revamped User Profile Page and Improved Messaging system. Ancestry’s theory is that maximizing the features added to the Profile page will increase collaboration and responsiveness. According to Ancestry, if you’re using folders to organize your messages, you probably won’t be seeing the new version of the messaging system for another 6-8 weeks.   Mailbox: In this episode you’ll be hearing from the listener’s themselves. Trisha stopped by to visit with me at RootsTech 2019. Also, at the National Genealogical Society’s conference a few years ago Betty shared an exciting discovery she made by digging into one of my favorite free online resources: Google Books. (Premium Members: watch the Premium video and download the handout.)   Image below: Trisha Mays visits me at the Genealogy Gems booth at RootsTech 2019.     GEM: Crista Cowan, The Barefoot Genealogist   Crista has worked at since 2004 and is best known for her Barefoot Genealogist videos at Ancestry’s YouTube channel. In this episode she shares her own personal genealogy journey, and some of the new features announced by at RootsTech 2019. GEM: Joy Neighbors, The Tombstone Tourist If you’re a Genealogy Gems Premium Member you met author Joy Neighbors in Premium Podcast episode 169. Joy is a delightful national speaker, author, freelance writer, and avowed Tombstone Tourist. Joy writes the weekly cemetery culture blog, A Grave Interest which you can read at   Her book, , focuses on how to locate cemetery records, what to do when you get to the cemetery, and how to understand the silent language of the stones. She also shares a few stunning family secrets along the way. In the Premium podcast episode 169 Joy and I discussed cemetery research strategies that every genealogist can use to uncover family history. In this Gem, I’ve invited Joy to share 3 very intriguing and surprising discoveries that she’s made while searching cemeteries which you can also . Thanks for supporting this free podcast by using our links!   GEM: Military Minutes with Michael Strauss The Council of National Defense was created by an Act of Congress based on the Army Appropriation Act passed on August 29, 1916. This agency was made up of the Secretaries of War, Navy, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor along with an advisory commission that was later appointed by President Woodrow Wilson on October 11, 1916. Their purpose was to come together and coordinate the industries and resources of the United States for national security and general welfare and to be prepared for war.  Later on, April 21, 1917 a few short weeks after the United States entered World War I the Women's Committee of the Council for National Defense under the national council was created with suffragist Anna Howard Shaw appointed the Chairman.  As the women organized separate divisions and chapters were created in every state and groups that centered on the African-American community. When the division were formed registration, cards were filled out by women all across the United States requesting personal information. The cards not only offer genealogical details, but give a unique prospective into the social history of women in the early 20th century women move one step closer to national suffrage.     Details on the registration cards included: Name and address Age and marital status Color or race of applicant Country of birth and/or citizenship status Time applicant willing to pledge or volunteer for war effort Occupation and where and by whom employed Educational background Personal references for applicant Emergency service where volunteer willing to go and when Work experience or training to aid in the war effort Date and place of registration (wards or precincts in cities) Physical description General remarks Signed and dated registrar and assignment for war effort. An example from one of the registration cards from Grand Rapids is for Constance M. Rourke (1885-1941), born in Cleveland, Ohio.  She was an educator, a noted author, and historian.  Educated at Vassar College in New York she later moved back to Michigan after a brief teaching career, where she worked for the Board of Education in Grand Rapids.  She lived in the same house in town for the rest of her life after publishing several noteworthy books.   The national headquarters of the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defense was located at 1814 N Street NW, Washington, DC.  The building was formally the Playhouse Club and theater and owned by Washington socialite Henrietta M. Halliday (widow of Edward C. Halliday) who leased the property to the women's committee for free during World War I.  After the end of World War, I in 1918 the council continued to operate until it was dissolved in 1921.   Several collections from different states are available online to research.  One of the largest online databases comes from the Grand Rapid Public Library in Michigan.  Their database search contains 22,836 individual registration cards that are searchable by name, address, age, and occupation.  The records cover the Michigan Division of Grand Rapids for the Women's Committee for Council of National Defense.  The card indexes offer not only offer genealogical information, but provide educational background, work skills, and employment information.  Online at In Midland, Michigan another set of cards are available at the Midland Center for the Arts has in their collection registration cards that cover their county. This collection consists of 2 boxes that contain 802 total cards for area women residents.  The cards are not digitized, but have been indexed by name along with an excellent finding aid on how to access these records:   Another set of cards that is available comes through the courtesy of the Indiana Genealogical Society.  Less than 50,000 registration cards are known to exist in the state of Indiana. Two counties (Jasper and Miami in Indiana), have known collections of registration cards, but believe other counties in Indiana have these treasures stored away in museums, courthouses, or in other libraries that are  statewide and don't know they exist.  Anyone with more information on locations of more cards should contact them.  An excellent blog post explains help they seek: . Some smaller collections of online registration cards are located at the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock.  It is under Arkansas Women's History Collection and has a finding aid online.  At this time four cards are scanned to give patrons an idea of what to expect when searching this record group.  On their website an excellent blog posting explains their records and as part of this group in Arkansas the Colored Auxiliary Council during World War I.  Both can be searched online:    and to look at the limited number of cards: . Another small collection online from the University of Iowa Libraries in Iowa City, IA.  There digitized images are limited in number again to offer patron the opportunity to see what potential the records hold.  They also have scanned some of the correspondence relating to the women who belonged to the local Iowa Division.  To access their finding aids and look at the images: From this list of online sources for the registration cards it appears that most are in the Midwestern part of the United States.  It is true that several states have these available online.  If the geographic area of the country of your interest isn't listed than consider looking at different state archives, libraries, museums, and other historical sites.  Searches in card catalogs, finding aid, and other sources will often be the best way to locate potential collections.  One final location that genealogists should consider comes directly from the National Archives in College Park, MD.  This is known as Archives II.  The records of the Records of the Council of National Defense (CND) which is located in Record Group 62.  Besides the registration cards the Archives has general correspondence, weekly reports of state division activity, and minutes for meeting.  The minutes are digitized on the National Archives website and offer a glimpse into the activities of women nationwide.  For more information and reading about the Women's Committee for the Council of National Defense; some suggested sources: Blair, Emily Newell. The Woman's Committee United States Council of National Defense: An Interpretative Report. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1920. Online Breen, William J.  Uncle Sam at Home :Civilian Mobilization, Wartime Federalism, and the Council of National Defense, 1917-1919. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1984. Clarke, Ida Clyde. American Woman and the World War. New York: D. Appleton & Son, 1918. Online Van Orsdal, Anita Anthony. “There shall be no woman slackers" The Women's Committee of the Council of National Defense and Social Welfare Activism as Home Defense, 1917-1919. 2016. Michigan State University, PhD dissertation. file:///C:/Users/Michael/Downloads/AnthonyVanOrsdal_grad.msu_0128D_14489.pdf   TECH GEM: Backup Your Computer with Backblaze Computer backup is a critical part of your genealogy research plan. Visit   GEM: Let Me Call You Sweetheart through the Generations Sydney Orton fell in love with family history and started her research when she was 11 years old. Now at 19 years old, she is even more passionate about genealogy! I discovered Sydney one day on social media when I saw a short video she posted with her sister. Turns out she had entered the video in this year’s RootsTech Film Fest. While the video didn’t win, it won my heart because it featured an audio recording from long ago that her grandpa made for her Grandma. Because the audio from the film is so wonderful just on it’s own, I asked Sydney if I could share it with you here on the show, and she graciously agreed.   The Story Behind the Song Sydney explains: “My Grandpa and my Grandma were in love when he left to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints in Australia. They were not yet engaged, but they planned to marry each other when he came back after two years. During the months he was gone, Grandpa sent Grandma gifts like a boomerang, a stuffed Koala bear toy, and photo prints. For her birthday, Grandpa sent her audio tapes of him singing love songs, while he played the guitar. For my 14th birthday, Grandpa gave me his guitar. It was about 50 years old and I loved it. Grandpa passed away suddenly in the fall of 2017. A few days after, my Dad was going through Grandpa’s computer and found the audio. Grandpa must’ve converted it a few years ago. It was such a special experience to listen to him sing. A few months later, Grandma decided to move and she hosted a garage sale. My uncle Austin looked through the items and pulled out an unmarked, dinged up, video tape. He felt like he should take it home, so he did. He searched for a VCR player for hours before he found one. Then, he discovered what the tape contained. Footage of my Grandparents and their family! No one knew it existed. The video recorder belonged to my great grandparents, but they let their son and daughter-in-law borrow it occasionally. It was colorized, but silent, and it was beautiful. Grandma and Grandpa had a special kind of love. The kind you see in classic 1930s Hollywood movies. The kind where you never doubt that they were meant for each other. My uncle showed the rest of our family the footage during our last reunion. My aunts and uncles saw video of themselves as children for the first time! I saw my grandparents raise my Dad. It was such a gift. For Christmas, I wanted to give my Grandma something special. So, I worked with my sister to put together a video compiling the audio from Grandpa’s mission and the silent footage my uncle found. My sister learned to play the chords of “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” on Grandpa’s guitar because I couldn’t figure it out. She has a knack for just hearing music and playing it right. Together, we sang a duet with the recording from Grandpa. I mixed together the audio and edited the footage into one whole video. The video was not completed in time for Christmas, but I did finish it in time to enter the RootsTech Film Fest where it made it to the semi-finalist round. The video was imperfect, but it was just right for its purpose. And that purpose was to make my Grandma smile. I was away at college when I wanted my Grandma to see it. So my Mom went over to Grandma’s house and facetimed me while they watched it. Grandma said to me after, “I was at dinner tonight and someone was playing the piano. I listened to the music and I tried to remember what it was like to dance with Steve.” Together, we shared tears and laughter as we remembered my Grandpa, Steve Orton. I am forever grateful for the technology that made the video possible.” Follow Sydney on Twitter:  @genealogy_gal Visit Sydney’s website:    Get MORE Genealogy Gems with the Ad-Free Premium Podcast 1 Year Membership Featuring: Premium  (150+ episodes) Now over 50 ! New content added monthly 12 months of access No auto-renewal (you decide!)     Attention Users: Don’t miss the Bonus Content in your app for this episode! Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Genealogy Gems earns from qualifying purchases you make when clicking from the links we provide. It doesn’t cost you anything extra but it helps support our free blog and podcast. Thank you!

News: Major Announcements Made at RootsTech 2019 Ancestry Announcements: Historical records: Ancestry just released over 5 million Mexico Catholic records and 1 million new France Census and Birth, Marriage, Death records and have several U.S. statewide projects underway, from New York to Hawaii. They also released US WWII Draft Cards from seven states. By early next year, the full set of WWII Draft Cards – all 33 million — will be exclusively available on Ancestry and Fold3. MyTreeTags™:“MyTreeTags™ allows you to add tags to people in your family tree to indicate whether your research on them is confirmed or verified, or to record personal details, like “never married.” You can also create your own custom tags to note that a person immigrated from Denmark or worked as a blacksmith. You can even use filters as you search your tree to see everyone with the same tag.  MyTreeTags™ is one way we can help you save time and enrich your ancestor profile.” You can join the MyTreeTags™ and New & Improved DNA Matches beta at  New & Improved DNA Matches: “We have redesigned the DNA Matches experience to help you make more discoveries, faster. Now you can easily sort, group and view your DNA Matches any way you’d like.  New features include color coding and custom labeling offering you more control over how you group and view the matches, quicker identification of your newest matches and new ways to filter your matches. : “ThruLines™ shows you the common ancestors who likely connect you to your DNA Matches—and gives you a clear and simple view of how you’re all related.  When you link your public or private searchable family tree to your AncestryDNA results, new chapters of your family story may be revealed. ThruLines™ will roll out gradually to all customers who qualify beginning today.” Source:   MyHeritage Announcements: “A new genetic genealogy tool that groups together DNA Matches that likely descend from common ancestors in a compelling visual chart. This easy-to-use tool helps you explore your DNA Matches more efficiently in groups rather than as numerous individuals, and gain insights about branches in your family tree.” “In March 2018 , a pro bono initiative in which we pledged to donate 15,000 DNA kits to adoptees and those seeking to reunite with family members who were placed for adoption. Within a few months, all the DNA kits we allocated for this initiative were sent out. Applicants opened up to us to share their emotional stories of searching, their hopes for future reunions, and the sense of belonging they felt thanks to their participation in DNA Quest…Following the success of the initiative, we have decided now to extend DNA Quest and donate 5,000 additional MyHeritage DNA kits, for free, to eligible participants.” MyHeritage has completed a 5-year project of digitizing every cemetery in Israel. It is now the first country in the world to have almost all of its gravestones preserved and , with images, locations, and fully transcribed records. They’ve put up all this content for free, too. (LDS members only) “We are pleased to announce the return of the GEDCOM Import feature to Geni! This has been one of the most requested features on Geni and we’re excited to finally make it available to everyone. GEDCOM is a standard file format used to save, transfer, and transport family tree information. Long-time users may recall that Geni previously allowed users to start a tree using their GEDCOM files, however we disabled this feature in 2011 to avoid duplication of profiles in the World Family Tree. Our new and improved importer has been rewritten to import a few generations at a time, continuing only on branches where there are no matches to existing profiles on Geni.” “You can now import a GEDCOM file as a new tree, a new branch if you already have a tree, or onto any existing profile on which you have full permissions to edit and add onto. No longer will you need to endure the slow process of adding each individual one at a time to the tree. Now anyone can quickly add trees which didn’t exist before on Geni, saving you valuable time and allowing you to focus instead on new research.” “This unprecedented feature helps you make the most of your DNA Matches by incorporating genealogical information from all our collections of nearly 10 billion historical records and family tree profiles, to offer theories on how you and your DNA Matches might be related. If you’ve taken a MyHeritage DNA test or uploaded your DNA results to MyHeritage, this revolutionary technology may offer astounding new information on your family connections.”   GEM: Digging Deep into the Theory of Family Relativity™ with Ran Snir Ran Snir  is the product manager responsible for products. He leads a really talented team of developers and engineers and designers to create and optimize DNA users entire journey. He led the development of the Chromosome browser for Shared DNA Segments feature at MyHeritage DNA, from concept to production and launch.

Welcome my friend to the podcast where we take joy in the discovery of your family’s history! This is Genealogy Gems Podcast episode #226 and in today’s show we’ll cover research strategies and new resources that will help you find your way, plus I’ve got a tech tip and a fascinating bit of military genealogy for you.   GEM: They Shall Not Grow OldThere are so many things I want to cover every month, but I try really hard to sift through it all and bring you the best of the best, the genealogy gems. And I LOVE when you bring me Gems! Just like Betty did recently. Betty is taking my online course at Family Tree University this month called Google Earth for Genealogy which I told you about in our weekly newsletter. You’re all signed up for that right? Well Betty was so excited about something she found that she wrote the following on our course discussion board. She says: “My husband and I just saw the movie "They Shall Not Grow Old" about the soldiers in WWI. We saw it in 3-D, which was amazing! The whole movie is remastered, colorized video and audio from the newsreels and also the soldiers' interviews in the 1960's and 70's. The director, Peter Jackson, introduces the movie and then, the best part is after the show.” I saw her message at about 8:00 that night, and I immediately grabbed Bill and jumped in the car and for the 9:30 pm showing.  I couldn't agree more that it was spectacular. From Betty: “When I read that you went straight to the movie, I almost cried I was so happy!  I knew you would like the last 1/2 hour the best.  When Peter Jackson talked about everyone finding out about the history of their family, I was so excited!  Wasn't it amazing what they could do with old video, still shots, cartoons, and audio interviews?   It has so much potential for genealogists. The most important thing is to gather the information and digitize the videos we already have.  In the future, maybe the technology will be more accessible to us, non-professional family historians.  What a treasure that movie was!  I hope it inspires more people to do the same with other aspects of WWI or other historical subjects.”     GEM: The History of Baby Clothes Valentine’s Day brings to mind visions of cupid, a baby dressed only in a nappy shooting arrows of love at unsuspecting couples. While this little cherub celebrates the holiday au natural, let’s take some time to talk about the fashion statements the babies in our family tree have made through the centuries. To help us visualize the togs those tots wore we could turn to our grandmother’s photo albums, but there we may find a surprise: lots of photos of female ancestors and surprisingly fewer of the males. Why is that? Allison DePrey Singleton, Librarian at the unravels the mystery and stitches together a delightful history of baby clothing. from Allison on baby clothes.  Sources: Baumgarten, Linda. What clothes reveal: the language of clothing in colonial and federal America: the Colonial Williamsburg Collection. Williamsburg, VA: Colonial Williamsburg. Calvert, Karin Lee Fishbeck. Children in the house: the material culture of early childhood, 1600-1900. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1992. F., José Blanco, Mary D. Doering, Patricia Hunt-Hurst, and Heather Vaughan Lee. Clothing and fashion: American fashion from head to toe. Vol. 1-3. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2016. Hiner, N. Ray., and Joseph M. Hawes. Growing up in America: children in historical perspective. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1985. Paoletti, Jo B. "Clothing and Gender in America: Children's Fashions, 1890-1920." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 13, no. 1 (1987): 136-43. doi:10.1086/494390. Paoletti, Jo Barraclough. Pink and blue: telling the boys from the girls in America. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2012. "When Did Girls Start Wearing Pink?" Smithsonian.com. Accessed January 10, 2017. .   MAILBOX:Mary Lovell Swetnam, Special Collections Librarian Virginia Beach Public wrote me to tell us all about a new online resource. “I was able to determine that hundreds of records of enslaved persons were not included in either of the two previous abstracts of the Overwharton Parish Register. They have now been abstracted and are available free on our site. Please see the link below. I have also included a .”   Dana wrote in with one purpose in mind: to share her genealogy happy dance with us. And I think that’s an awesome reason to write! Email or leave a voice mail at (925) 272-4021 and share your genealogy happy dance with me! This free podcast is sponsored by:     GEM: Scottish GenealogyAmanda Epperson PhD shares 3 strategies for finding and ancestor in Scottish records. Read Amanda's article: Amanda Epperson is the author of the book . Since completing her Ph.D. in history from the University of Glasgow in 2003, Amanda has taught history at the college level, researched and edited family histories, most recently for Genealogists.com, and written articles for a variety of publications including Family Tree Magazine and Your Genealogy Today.  Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberGain access to the complete Premium podcast archive of over 150 episodes and more than 50 video webinars, including Lisa Louise Cooke’s newest video The Big Picture in Little Details.     This free podcast is sponsored by:   TECH GEM: Backblaze’s Locate My ComputerBackblaze executive Yev Pusin explains a little known feature that just might get you out of a jam! Learn more about computer cloud backup and get your computer backed up today at Learn more: Premium Members can watch . (Log in required)   GEM: Military Minutes with Michael Strauss Deciphering Draft Registration CardsWe are revisiting Draft Registrations for both World War I and World War II. You will recall that this was the subject of our first "Military Minutes" together; since this aired several listeners have had questions and comments regarding the numbering on the cards, draft classifications, and how to dig deeper into other records of the Selective Service System whose office was responsible for the registering of all the men during both wars.   Click the images below to see all of the draft registration documents Michael discusses in this episode:   GEM: Profile America – America’s First Hospital Monday, February 11th. Among his very many achievements, Benjamin Franklin played a leading role in the founding of America’s first hospital. Together with Dr. Thomas Bond, he obtained a charter for a hospital to serve the poor, sick and insane in Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Hospital opened on this date in 1752 in a converted house. Sources: Joseph Nathan Kane, Kane’s Famous First Facts, Fifth Edition, H.W. Wilson Co., New York, NY 1997, 4868     Get the free weekly Genealogy Gems 

with Lisa Louise Cooke GEM: A Conversation with Kenyatta D. Berry (Genealogy Roadshow) Get ready for a fun and inspiring start to your new genealogy year. I’m not going to lecture you about how to get organized and all that – you get enough of that New Year banter other places. Today I’m going to bring you a talented lady who’s a sharp genealogist and just happens to be one of the hosts of the television series Genealogy Road show., Kenyatta Berry. I had the pleasure of working with Kenyatta Berry last summer when we filmed a webinar together at the FGS national conference. She was beaming from ear to ear about the book she was working on, and I encouraged her get in touch with me when it was done so we could talk about it here on the show. Well, the book turned out to be a beauty: it’s called The Family Tree Toolkit. It’s a great overview for those new to genealogy, and  a quick reference manual for more experienced genealogists with all of its charts and resource lists. Kenyatta asked me to moderate her Dallas book tour event. In December of 2018 we met up at the Dallas main library in downtown Dallas for An Evening with Kenyatta. This was a wonderful opportunity to not only spend the evening with her and a room full of dedicated genealogists, but also to record it all and bring it you! In today’s episode, Kenyatta Berry shares how she caught the genealogy bug, busting brick walls, her thoughts on DNA, and of course some of the most memorable experiences on the Genealogy Roadshow. Kenyatta Berry’s book If you enjoyed this episode and want to get a copy of Kenyatta’s book, we appreciate when you use our link (above). This financially supports us at no extra cost to you, helping us to bring this free podcast to you each month. Thank you! GEM: A Family History Discovery in Home Movies I made an amazing discovery this week thanks to my guest Dr. David Haas from . As you’ll recall David shared his family’s history of making home movies, and the hours of old film footage dating all the way back to the 1920s that he had restored and digitized. His story inspired me to start digging through my closets and I found the cannisters of 8mm film that I had converted to VHS back in the 1990s.  The problem with that first conversion is that 1) VHS is completely obsolete. And 2) the film which dated back to the 1960s was converted in its deteriorated state. It was washed out and grainy making it hard to see everything. So, in December I sent those original films off to the same company that David used – in Chandler, AZ. Right after the new year the fully restored and digitized files arrived on my doorstep along with the original films. The results are jaw-dropping. The film is gorgeous color just like David’s were, clear as the first day they were taken back in the ‘60s, and now finally in a digital format that I can use for all kinds of projects and sharing. But here’s the kicker, in reviewing them I made a startling discovery. About 20 minutes into the film my great grandfather came on the screen. This is the only known film of him in existence, and I was floored that I hadn’t spotted him before. But the VHS was so washed out it wasn’t obvious. Now I see him smiling and standing with his son (my grandfather) and his son (my uncle). Three generations of Burkett men, the oldest having been born in 1880 – and all there on film for me to see. Left to right: My uncle, my great grandfather, and my grandfather c. 1962. View the restored video on I love finding genealogical documents but I would take moving images of my ancestors any day of the week over a document. It just goes to prove that you can never say never, that at any given moment something can surface that you never thought possible. Thank you to Video Conversion Experts! They did a phenomenal job, but that’s not surprising because they are one of the top labs in the country. They restore video for the movie and TV industry too. They offer varying levels of restoration. It’s not cheap, but if you need professional restoration it’s an investment you won’t regret. I certainly don’t. We don’t have a promo code with Video Conversion Experts but be sure and tell them you heard about them here on the podcast and sign up for their sale emails. In fact, we received this comment on the episode from Jodi. She writes: The episode about home movies and David Haas was wonderful. I had also found some old film footage when my parents moved back in 2011. I debated about getting them transferred to digital because of the price. But my father was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I am SO glad that I spent the money to get the project done. He was able to see the old films of his family and explain to me who some of the people were. What a gift! Thank you for encouraging people to do this and sharing all of your knowledge with us so graciously. Here’s a link to her old family videos:  I took a look at Jodi’s videos, and they’re wonderful. She did a tremendous job with the documentation in the video descriptions. Absolutely brilliant the way she included the linked time stamps to the various videos that she had posted to YouTube. She really took to heart our follow up conversation in about how to share the videos once you digitize them. Larsen Digital Saves Money and Handles a Variety of Media Yesterday I received a batch of VHS tapes that converted for me. I’ve known Kristen Larsen for several years. They offer an excellent affordable option that is safe, reliable and great quality. They also really stand out because they can pretty much convert anything you have. I sent them VHS, Mini DVs and even a reel of audio tape and some cassettes of family interviews. They handled all of it affordably and Kristin and her team communicate with you along the way, so you can rest easy that all your precious memories is in good hands. I have about a zillion family history projects I want to do now that I have these audio interviews in an mp3 digital format. My first plan is to create some Animoto videos where I can drag and drop the audio in with the scanned photos that they describe. You can contact Larsen Digital at   Use the promo code GENGEM so you can get 15% off your order. View My Video Find on InstagramHead to (image right) to see the restored video of my great grandfather. Instagram is my favorite social media platform and one that I post to personally nearly every day. You can download the app to your phone for free from your app store and then just search for Lisa Louise Cooke in the app and tap follow. I post genealogy tips and ideas, behind the scenes and stuff about me and my family. It’s a lot of fun!   More with Kenyatta Berry We’re going to have a lot of fun this year! In the next Genealogy Gems Premium podcast episode (#167). Premium members will hear the Q&A we did with Kenyatta after the interview was over. If you’re not a member yet, you can fix that today at

Lisa’s Recent Travels Swedish Genealogical Society in Edina, MN and a side trip to Winthrop, MN. Above: Speaking at the Swedish Genealogical Society   Above: Bill (left) with his new found Larson cousin.  Oslo Norway – MyHeritage Above: Speaking at the MyHeritage conference in Oslo, Norway T with my genealogy crew at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway Read  By Anna Swayne A Visit to Sweden  Above: Lacey in Gothenburg, Sweden Non-Genealogical Recommended Reading: U by   Mailbox High school teacher Lindsey called in to share an unexpected occurrence of genealogy serendipity. Here the original Genealogy Gems Podcast where George Ella Lyon reads her poem. I created for Tom Boyer of his Where I’m From Poem  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started. Give the gift of story with Storyworth StoryWorth gives your loved ones a reason to spend time with their favorite memories and share them with you giving you opportunities to become closer, even when you live far apart. It’s an easy and thoughtful gift even at the last minute. Get $20 off by visiting storyworth.com/gems when you subscribe. Visit Followup on GGP 223 I’m organizing and digitizing my Grandmother’s old home movies with . I told my uncle about it and now he’s sending me the rest of his old home movies! Video Conversion Experts is the company that Dr. Haas used to convert his films. They did an exceptional job in post production restoration, and are known for this work in the film industry. They are the ideal company to go with if you want to invest in the highest quality of restoration.  They are currently running a terrific 35% off sale now through 12/21/18.  I’m digitizing my family’s High 8 home movie tapes with . The list of mediums that they can digitize is one of the most extensive I've seen. They are even able to digitize the unmarked audio tape that I found among my grandmother's hoem movies. Kristin and her team are well known in the genealogy community and are based in Utah. They have graciously extended a 15% off to my listeners. Use the coupon code: GenGem Discount is valid on: video tapes, movie film, audio reels, audio tapes, slides, negatives, photos & specialty film. Your feedback on episode 223 On Instagram from Erin: "I loved this episode Lisa! Anna’s song is so beautiful too! I learned a lot and the way you shared this story was wonderful. A favorite gem for sure." From Greg in New Zealand: "I’m loving the new narrative/profile episodes and had noticed the evolving voice and style in GGP 223. You and your team are wonderful writers...David Haas’ story reminded me of my good friend Mark Holtze. An editor in Toronto, Mark has digitised all of his grandfathers’ They are brilliantly presented. Mark is very talented. I think they’re worth sharing with your listeners. I don’t know Mark’s connection to specifically but it’s an amazing one on his playlist." I couldn't agree more! Here's the description of the video: A number of 8mm film reels were purchased at a Flea Market in New York City for $10. They ended up being home movies taken in the late 40's and 50's. How they ended up at a Flea Market in Manhattan all those years later is one thing, but most importantly was getting the films reconnected with the family. ...60 years later....   Thank you to our sponsor: I've used for years and love it. You will too!   Organizing the videos you find online After listening to episode 223, Kate was inspired to head to YouTube in search of videos that illustrate her memories. She writes: “I’ve been trying to set up a collection of my memories on you tube. Do you have any thoughts on to put this together? Is it possible to add clips and not full videos?” My suggestions: YouTube: Organize with playlists You can use Playlists to group the videos you find by topic. You could create playlists for locations, timeframes, people and so on. Sign in with your free Google account which will give you access to your YouTube “channel.” When you find a video, under the title of the video click the plus sign that says “Add to”. Select a playlist from the playlists listed in the dropdown menu. These are playlists you have already created in your account. If it’s a long list, use the search box to search for a playlist title. Or create a new Playlist by clicking “Create New Playlist” at the bottom of the menu. Unfortunately, YouTube doesn't give you a way to add your own notes. And you can't create clips of videos (at least not as of this writing), but I do know that when you share a video you can mark that it start at a point in the video that you select. Which brings me to my next suggestion… Pinterest: Organize Videos into boards on Pinterest If you would like to have even more control over organizing the videos that you find, and you want to be able to add your own notes and memories, consider using Pinterest. In your free Pinterest account you can create as many boards as you want. Create a board for each topic (much like with the Playlists I suggested previously) and save YouTube videos to them. And of course, you can save any other online content "memories" that you find along with them if you want. The beauty of pinning is that you can add your own notes and memories, plus you can set the video to begin at any point within the video that you want. Simply click “Share” under the video in YouTube, and click to check the box for “Start at.” Next, click on the player timeline that runs across the bottom of the video on the spot where you want the video to begin playing. Finally, click the Pinterest icon in the Share area to pin it to your Pinterest board of choice.   Profile America: TV Tech Thursday, December 13th. The important holiday business of viewing such classics as “It's A Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story” on home TVs owes much to a technological advance this month 80 years ago. In December 1938, Russian-American engineer Vladimir Zworykin was awarded two patents for cathode ray tubes. One was for the iconoscope to capture video images. The other was for the kinescope, which displayed television and computer monitor images for decades until the advent of flat panel screens. Whatever the ills of TV programming, obviously the American people consider it an appliance for a wonderful life. More than 98 percent of American households own at least one set, a percentage that has held steady for years and across all age groups. 

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 223 November 2018 with Lisa Louise Cooke   Bit Players in Someone Else’s Show If you happen to catch an old episode of the TV Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you may be surprised to spot Ben Affleck dribbling down a basketball court in the not so highly acclaimed role of Basketball Player #10.     Or how about funny man Jack Black of School of Rock fame in the walk-on part of “Taxi Driver” on the iconic 1980s comedy The Golden Girls.   Yep, at some point we are ALL bit players in somebody else’s show. And that is even more true with old home movies.   Your friends, your neighbors and even perfect strangers have likely at some point captured you or someone in your family in one of their own old home movies. And the same is true for your ancestors. As long as film has been around, the chances of someone in your family tree appearing in someone else’s videos at some point in time is actually quite high.   And think about it, when film – or moving pictures - came into being right around 1895, it had the capability of capturing someone born as early as even 1800. That’s a lot of potential generations of your family!   David Haas MD knows this better than most folks. he has experienced first-hand that any one of us may find ourselves, quite by surprise, as the keeper or even the Archivist of film footage that connects to potentially hundreds if not thousands of other people and families. And there’s a very good possibility that yours is one of those families.   Your family could very well indeed be one that has been a bit player in somebody else’s film, and you didn’t even know it. But that’s OK, because thanks to technology, it’s never been easier to find the celluloid that once lay sleeping in a stranger’s attic.    A Listener's Lead The best place to start our story is how I came to know David Haas.   I’ve been encouraging you my listeners through this podcast, my book , and my in-person lectures to turn to online video, and specifically YouTube in search of your family. Long time listener Debby Warner Anderson contacted me to let me know that she had followed my suggestion with dramatic results. She wrote:   “I had interviewed my Dad to get details of his memories and found the 2 YouTube links about the 1945 Macy's Parade that my father went to and the video about W.C. Handy who my Dad remembered seeing. My Dad was so tickled to see the YouTube videos to go with his memories. It gave my family members and my son a real glimpse in to my Dad's memories.  Thank-you for the suggestions!”   I clicked the link she shared to an article that she wrote on her blog called Debby’s Family Genealogy. The article called described the find in detail and included the video, called Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade – 1945. David Haas MD had uploaded this video to YouTube, and it’s one of hundreds on his YouTube channel under his name David Haas MD. You need only click it and watch just a few moments to be mesmerized. The video, comprised of old home movies, is striking in it’s color quality, and you instantly feel yourself falling back in time, pulled there even further by the haunting music that serves as the backdrop to this silent film.   Macy's parade: I was so taken by how this video, sitting out there for free on YouTube, fit so beautifully into her family history, helping to bring it just a bit more into focus.   I sat and watched the Macy’s Day parade video all the way through. It was so clear that it was carefully and thoughtfully restored and shared, and that it must have come from someone else’s personal home movie collection.   Clicking on the name of the person who uploaded any video on YouTube will bring you to their YouTube channel. Anyone can have a free YouTube channel by simply signing in with a free Google account and uploading a video. It’s called Creators Studio, and these days it sports an impressive collection of tools that anyone can use to create, enhance and share videos.   Many channels will have only one or maybe a handful of videos. This is not the case with David’s channel. It’s difficult to scroll down the page far enough to get to the end of the impressive video list. Where did all these home movies come from? What motivated him to invest the time to make the available on YouTube?   Thank you to our sponsor: Literally hundreds of people appear in the 4 ½ minute Macy's Parade (1945) film: the folks in the parade, the people lining the streets and even the people watching from the fire escapes of the surrounding buildings.   The film was created by William G Whitman Sr. A veteran of World War I, he made his way after the war as a bit of a jack of all trades, and the path eventually got the ball rolling that led to the home movies.   William G Whitman, Sr. was David’s grandfather on his mother’s side. William, his wife Catherine,  and their 10 year old daughter Catherine who is David’s mother can be found in the 1930 census  living in Brooklyn. At that time William says he’s a manager of a store. By 1940 he has followed his passion and is proudly declaring he works in Photographic retail as a photo finisher.    (Whitman family in the 1940 US Federal Census, Brooklyn, NY) But it was as far back as the year that the Great Depression hit, 1929 that William began capturing his growing family on film. In those early movies David’s mother, Catherine, was just 9 years old. David’s collection of films span from this time period all the way through the mid-1970s.   In the earliest of the home movies which you can see on , William Whitman did what most of us do, take home movies of the people and things we love the most. In those films, David’s mom clearly relishes being in front of her father’s camera. She worshiped her father, who was a bit of a big kid himself.   David says: “My mother always remembered things in a sunny way…it’s very much like the pictures we see on the internet, where people tend to post the most rosy possible pictures.  Often times, I think it’s the same with the home movies. You really have to dig deeper to kind of get the whole story.”   This phenomenon of capturing and sharing the rosiest version of ourselves is nothing new. And as genealogists, we are in the perfect position to leverage old movies like these and dig deeper for the rest of the story. Story is a running theme through William Whitman’s films. You only need to watch a few to see what a keen eye for composition and telling stories that he had. He developed his skill while shooting weddings professionally.   William got his whole family into the act of shooting, developing and editing his films. After his daughter Catherine married David’s father, he too joined in. William passed his skills and knowledge onto his son-in-law. He soon started shooting film of his own further adding to the collection of home movies.   As with so many genealogical tales, great treasure troves like these films are often found with three part deep digging and one part luck. In David’s case, the path to the treasure starts with the family’s refrigerator. His father used to project the movies onto the white kitchen refrigerator. Many years later, after his parents passed away, he found his father’s movies. But it wasn’t until his Aunt Markie mentioned that there were much older 16mm movies in existence dating back to the 1920s that the rest of the collection was discovered in the basement. David set to work getting them digitized.   David not only discovered that these movies were a priceless find for his own family, he soon realized that they held a vast amount of treasure for many other families in a wide variety of locations. “It really was about the people…they needed to be shared!” He felt a moral obligation to do so, and it soon turned into an obsession.   The Gold Waiting to be Found And that’s the gold here! If we are all bit players in everybody else’s show, and this show was happening in so many different locations, then there are a lot of bit players out there waiting to be found by their families too, right there in David’s films. While the films of course covered Brooklyn where David’s family lived, they branch out to Queens NY, Ventner NJ, and as far away as San Francisco.   The genealogical value of old home movies is immense. If as researchers we can occasionally shift our focus from ancestors' names to locations, we could very possibly hit pay dirt and find old films online that include our family.    It was in the town of Suffern, NY that David’s father shot quite a bit of footage, but there’s plenty to be had in many different locations. Once he posted them on YouTube the response was swift.   .   (This compilation of footage was created to commemorate the 40th Reunion of the Suffern High School Class of 1975. It is 41 minutes in length and premiered on October 3, 2015 at the historic Lafayette Theatre in downtown Suffern, NY.)   The color video on David’s YouTube channel garnered dozens of comments from grateful viewers.   His father filmed elements of the game that the news didn’t which viewers appreciated. And some had been at that very game.     We’re Not Getting Any Younger David stresses that timeliness is really important when it comes to sharing old home movies like these. “People aren’t getting any younger” he says, and “Others may have insights you may miss.” One connection made through sharing the movies on YouTube, that just barely missed making a personal connection, revolved around David’s mother’s younger sister, his aunt Margaret Whitman. She lived in  Brooklyn in the 1930-1940s, and there are movies of “Markie” with her friends. One film from the 1930s included her good friend Charlie Russell. A few years ago, David received a message from a Charlie after he saw one of the videos! Sadly, he made the connection literally a week after Markie passed away at the age of 89. “If I could have made this connection 6 months earlier it would have been so wonderful for both of them. By then all their other friends had passed away.”     Another viewer who was touched by the films was a woman who saw herself walking around the Suffern swimming pool with her mother. It was priceless to her since her parents later died in an airplane crash and she had few photos of them.   David tells another story of connection: “There was a little league game that my father filmed in Suffern, and there was a young boy who struck out, and as he was walking off and one of the coaches kind of patted him on the butt, sort of saying “good try, good job”, and then the game was over and they were all kind of hugging each other because they won the game. And this young boy ended up seeing the film now, I guess 50 years later. His father had passed away not long after that little league game, and here he was seeing his father who was his coach, encouraging him after he struck out. And again, he said he couldn’t speak for hours. It was just amazing.”   Another woman even found her parents in one of the videos on Coney Island where they ran a pony ride with her grandfather!   David’s willingness to share his family’s treasure trove of home movies put him in a unique and unexpected position to touch many people’s lives in truly meaningful ways. The only difference between him and many others who have even just a few spools of film is that he took action to share them. Along the way, he learned some important lessons about what makes film so distinct in its value, and it’s those unique characteristic that told him more about his own family. He says, “What I’ve learned is that photographs are powerful, but there’s nothing like moving images”.    David’s father had captured the moments of other people’s lives while filming his own. David didn’t use to be interested in genealogy. His father, however, was obsessed with it. But now, David finds that he is grateful to be able to pull the genealogy back out and reconstruct who the people are in the movies.   It’s a word so often associated with genealogy – obsessed. David’s father became obsessed with it and now David has become obsessed with processing and making available his cache of his father’s and grandfather’s home movies. This has in turn gloriously ensnared him in the world of genealogy.   David hopes by sharing his story of how these videos have impacted and continue to impact the lives of strangers from around the world, it will inspire all of us who have a few reels of old family movies to make it a priority to get them digitized and make them available. Our families and other unknown families are counting on us.   “One thing that I’m really passionate about is that people who have home movies, if they can, they should really do their best to get them digitized” He continues, “Having gone through the experience, and it’s really been transformative, I feel very passionate about getting my wife’s movies, her family’s movies or her father when he was arrived, getting these converted and sharing these with my wife’s family. So that they can really forever see these movies and share them with their children, so that they can be passed down for generations.”  Thank you to our sponsor:  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.   The process: Digitize, Enhance and Share We’ve all seen the commercial where they peer into the camera and aske “what’s in your wallet”. Our question today is “what’s in your closet”. I’ve looked through my closets and I have several home movies my grandmother shot on 8mm film. I also have a box full of VHS tapes from back when Bill and I got our first video camera right after we got married in the 1980s.   The process for digitizing and sharing your home movies can appear daunting at first glance. That’s why I asked David Haas MD to share some specifics about his project so that you can learn what you need to consider and some tips from somebody who’s already been through this in a big way.   Although David’s collection of film runs about 10 hours, has several hundred videos because he kept them short – about 4 minutes long each. This is a smart strategy because of the attention span of YouTube viewers. It’s also about the length of a song, which makes setting them to music easier.   David went the extra mile and created a website where he makes available indexes of all the videos which can be searched by location, year and person. David really thought about the potential value of these films and set up a system for making it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for. In a case like his where he has such a volume of these 3-5 minute videos, this is a huge help to other researchers. But don’t worry if having your own website isn’t in your wheelhouse. YouTube has a powerful search engine, and it’s called Google. You can make your videos very easily searchable by simply include the details that pertain to a particular video in the video description that appears below the video on YouTube.   Since your videos will be on your YouTube channel, researchers be able to simply go to your channel’s home page and type a name, place event or some other set of keywords in your channel’s search box. Google will search just your channel and retrieve only the videos that match the search terms. If you want to see this in action, go to my YouTube channel at   or and try a search.    Digitizing Your Home Movies The first step is to get the movies digitized. It can be a pretty scary thought to send your precious movies off to some stranger. David considers his videos his “most priceless possession.” Through a bit of trial and error, David landed with a company who could do the job. He first tried a local place but ultimately went with Video Conversion Experts in Chandler AZ. They did an excellent job and cleaned them up and optimized the film. He recommends overnighting your films so that you can control when they arrive. You can receive both hard drives and DVDs of the digitized movies.   Sharing Your Home Movies on YouTube At first, David thought he would take the movies to the local library. His daughter Anna convinced him to try editing them with iMovie and then uploading them to YouTube. The first film he edited was called .   Free video editing tools: (Mac) iMovie - (PC) Movie Maker -   Thank goodness for David’s daughter Anna Haas! Just think if these videos had only landed in one physical location like a library versus online. Now another generation of the Haas family has entered the picture to preserve the family’s legacy and touch the lives of so many others. And it’s Anna’s inspiring music that provides the backdrop for the Macy’s Day Parade and several others. on her album “Crazy Is”   Visit Anna Haas’ website: Anna’s YouTube channel: Anna Haas - "Find Your Home" - Official Music Video:   When you love people, you just can’t justify keeping old home movies to yourself. You can’t in good conscience leave them in dusty boxes stuffed away in the back of closets in risk of deteriorating to dust. For the woman who saw her parents again in the swimming pool video, to the man who felt the affection from a father long gone, and for countless unnamed others the action that David has taken to digitize, preserve and share his home movies has been valuable beyond words.   “Don’t be afraid to do it, don’t hesitate to do it. even if you don’t have the skill set to do it, there are other people who are more than happy to kind of walk you through it and help make it happen. I would be extremely encouraging of everyone to convert their old movies and share them as widely as possible.”   Resources on the topic of video at the Genealogy Gems website   Browse his phenomenal collection of home movies at You’ll find inspiration and you might just find an ancestor captured on film. Because we are all bit players in everybody else’s show.

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #222 with Lisa Louise Cooke In honor of Family History Month, Lisa celebrates YOU! This episode is packed with comments, tips and questions from Genealogy Gems fans. Topics range from podcasting to metal detecting, must-use resources and inspiring genealogy discoveries. You’ll also hear from Kirsty Gray at THE Genealogy Show in the UK. NEWS: INTERNET ARCADE Internet Archive blog post: on the Internet Archive BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a great tip from a fan on an essential resource for those of you with roots in Northern Ireland. The and is only $2.99 for . MAILBOX: A PODCAST SKEPTIC?   Gary recommends Get access to more than 50 Premium Videos and 160 Premium Podcast episodes. It’s the ultimate ongoing genealogy education! to read more about it. Gary mentions becoming a “happy user of” who now protects his computer with cloud back-up service, enjoys using and learning more about . Click on these links to start exploring for yourself—and to watch a Google Earth video for free. MAILBOX: CUBAN GENEALOGY PODCAST MAILBOX: METAL DETECTING FOR GENEALOGY Premium eLearning members also have access to these :   MAILBOX: LOCAL HISTORY BOOK FIND BY ROBIN Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   MAILBOX: CORAL’S FRIDAY RECORD DISCOVERY The Friday record post discoveries appear weekly on the . to receive a free weekly email with links to these posts, along with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.   MAILBOX: VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS On Florida Memory:   MAILBOX: GENI.COM QUESTION Tip: The Premium eLearning video explains the difference between individual and collaborative trees.  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.   MAILBOX: 3 MILLION GERMAN NAMES Tim recommends the   MAILBOX: TRISHA’S INSPIRING JOURNEY Another Premium eLearning video recommendation (click to see landing page):   MAILBOX: KIRSTY GRAY Kirsty Gray has over 15 years research experience and has her foot in many genealogical doors around the world. Her first involvement in family history came at the tender age of seven years with her maternal grandfather’s tree in hand. Obsessed with her great-grandmother’s maiden name of Sillifant, Kirsty began a surname study on the name in 1999, publishing tri-annual journals on the surname for more than ten years. Founder member and Chair (now Secretary) of the Society for One-Place Studies, Kirsty has two places registered, on the Devon/Cornwall border and is considering another study of a hamlet in Cornwall. In November 2014, Kirsty founded The Surname Society with five other genealogists across the globe and the membership is already close to 500!   PROFILE AMERICA: HOME MAKING   PRODUCTION CREDITSLisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Contributing Editor Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #221 with Lisa Louise Cooke Live from FGS 2018! Lisa chats with a podcast listener, talks about vital records with Shannon Combs-Bennett and welcomes a drop-by guest, Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage.com. Other episode highlights: Fantastic news from RootsTech; A great new resource from Library & Archives Canada; An update from Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard on MyHeritage DNA tools; The long-awaited conclusion of Project Lizzie. LIVE FROM FGS! Lisa records the podcast in the exhibit hall with guest Shannon Combs-Bennett and a live studio audience LIVE MAILBOX: CHATTING WITH JEANNETTE Jeannette from Niagara County Genealogical Society, shown here (left) with Lisa The FGS conference supports the missions and activities of genealogical societies. Learn more about FGS and find a genealogical society near you . Genealogy Gems supports societies, too! Society memberships and reprintable articles for your newsletters. Go to the Societies dropdown menu on GenealogyGems.com: If your society is interested in hosting Lisa Louise Cooke for a seminar, go to the Seminars tab and click Book Lisa. INTERVIEW: SHANNON COMBS-BENNETT ON VITAL RECORDS Learn more about using vital records in your research in the free INTERVIEW: DANIEL HOROWITZ FROM MYHERITAGE As MyHeritage’s Genealogy Expert, Daniel Horowitz provides key contributions in the product development, customer support and public affairs areas. He holds board level positions at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA) and the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) among others. Daniel served as teacher and study guide editor for 15 years for the family history project "Searching for My Roots" in Venezuela. Who: Daniel Horowitz, Lisa Louise Cooke and MORE great presenters! What: Where: Oslo, Norway at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia hotel When: November 2-4, 2018 It’s open to anyone who would like to learn more about MyHeritage – including subscribers, DNA customers, those with free basic accounts, and those who haven’t used MyHeritage yet but would like to find out more. Tickets include entry to the Friday night reception, keynote speeches, all conference sessions, lunch and coffee breaks on Saturday and Sunday and entry to the exclusive MyHeritage LIVE party on Saturday night. Now through September 24, register for Early Bird discount price of €75.00.  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.     Subscribe to the free Genealogy Gems newsletter to receive a free weekly email with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals. to subscribe! LIVE MAILBOX: ADRIANNE KEEPS CONNECTED WITH PODCAST may also listen to an interview with Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective, in . She’s the author of , a must-have resource for identifying old photographs. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users Link to: If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a short but inspiring story from someone who came to one of my classes and then went and found something cool on YouTube relating to her family’s employment with airline TWA….Don’t miss it! The and is only $2.99 for . Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . NEWS: ROOTSTECH GOES TO LONDON RootsTech will host an event in London from 24–26 October 2019 at the ExCeL London Convention Centre. Registration opens in February 2019. Find out more about RootsTech London 2019 at . NEWS: THE “UNCONFERENCE” EXPERIENCE Lisa Louise Cooke, Diahan Southard, and Sunny Morton will share a stage on October 4-5, 2018 at the SeniorExpo in Sandy, Utah. (Psst: You don’t have to be a senior to attend!) Here’s the scoop—and a special registration discount! Who: Lisa Louise Cooke, Diahan Southard, and Sunny Morton What: Genealogy Roots: The Un-Conference Experience! at SeniorExpo Where: Mountain America Expo Center (South Towne Expo Center), 9081 S. State St., Sandy, Utah When: October 4-5, 2018, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm   THE ARCHIVE LADY: LIBRARY ARCHIVES CANADA CO LAB The Library and Archives of Canada (LAC) has introduced a brand-new crowd sourcing opportunity for genealogists or anyone interested in records transcription: . The LAC has put a call out for volunteers to be part of a collaborative project to transcribe, add keywords and image tags, translate content from an image or document and add descriptions to digitized images using “Co-Lab” and the new “Collection Search”. The more volunteers that participate in this project, the more accessible and usable the digital collection will become for everyone. You can become a contributor in two ways: Take on a “challenge” of images put together by experts at LAC Use the new Collection Search to find materials that matter most to you, then enhance them. Anyone can now contribute to digitized images that are found while doing research. The volunteer must register and create a user account so you can keep track of the records to which you have contributed. Once this free account is established, a volunteer can contribute as much or as little as they would like. The “Challenges” are content put together under a theme. For instance, under the “Challenges” tab on the website you could choose to transcribe the “Correspondence between Sir Robert Borden and Sir Sam Hughes” The theme for this challenge is listed as “military heritage.” Or another “Challenge” someone might choose could be “New France and Indigenous Relations” whose theme is listed as “Aboriginal Heritage.” There are also new “Challenges” being posted to the site, so check back often. Maybe you would like to contribute using Collection Search. The website describes how this tool works: “When you are conducting research using our new search tool and find images, you’ll see that you have the option to enable this image for Co-Lab contributions. After answering just a few short questions, you can enable an image found in Collection Search for Co-Lab use and transcribe/translate/tag/describe to your heart’s content.” There is a short tutorial to get you started and show you the ropes. The launch of Co-Lab also introduces a new image viewer, which allows you to zoom in on different parts of the image or move around the image itself. This tool is useful when transcribing or adding keywords and image tags to describe all the small details. Every image in Co-Lab is subject to review by other members. If something is found to be incorrect or if you find something that is wrong, it can be marked as “Needs Review” for others to take another look and decide what is correct. The best part about this new Library and Archives Canada tool is that every contribution by the volunteers benefits fellow genealogy researchers and improves records access. Every additional tag or translation becomes new metadata and is searchable within 24 hours of the transcriptions or tagging being done. So, if you are like me and are eager to get as much genealogical and historical records online and transcribed, check into The Library and Archives of Canada’s new DNA WITH DIAHAN SOUTHARD GEM: PROJECT LIZZIE CONCLUSION to read Ron’s blog post announcing the satisfying conclusion of Project Lizzie. To learn more about Ron, stop over at , where Ron teaches business people how to tell stories. PROFILE AMERICA: PICTURE THIS PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Contributing Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Melissa Barker, The Archive Lady, Content Contributor Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!  

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #220 with Lisa Louise Cooke   In this episode: Two major upcoming genealogy events—one with an exclusive, meaty tip; Fun travel suggestion from The Archive Lady Melissa Barker: “Archive in a backpack” DNA specificity from Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard Finding books about your ancestors’ experiences and Finding your German ancestor’s place of origin. This month’s episode includes two “Blast from the past” segments from the original Genealogy Gems Podcast episodes 19 and 20, digitally remastered with updated show notes.  NEWS: UPCOMING EVENTS Lisa Louise Cooke, Diahan Southard, and Sunny Morton will share a stage on October 4-5, 2018 at the SeniorExpo in Sandy, Utah. (Psst: You don’t have to be a senior to attend!) Here’s the scoop—and a special registration discount! Who: Lisa Louise Cooke, Diahan Southard, and Sunny Morton What: Genealogy Roots: The Un-Conference Experience! at SeniorExpo Where: Mountain America Expo Center (South Towne Expo Center), 9081 S. State St., Sandy, Utah When: October 4-5, 2018, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm   Registration is now open for — its first ever international user conference—the weekend of 2 – 4 November 2018 in Oslo, Norway at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia hotel in the center of Oslo, near the Royal Palace and its magnificent gardens.  It’s open to anyone, from anywhere in the world, who would like to learn more about MyHeritage – including subscribers, DNA customers, those with free basic accounts, and those who haven’t used MyHeritage yet but would like to find out more. Tickets include entry to the Friday night reception, keynote speeches, all conference sessions, lunch and coffee breaks on Saturday and Sunday and entry to the exclusive MyHeritage LIVE party on Saturday night. Now through September 24, you can register at their Early Bird discount price of just €75.00.  BONUS CONTENT FOR GENEALOGY GEMS APP USERS If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is Lisa’s roundup of her favorite “Christmas in August” crafts to make. The and is only $2.99 for . Make these crafts: (2-part video series with step-by-step instructions on the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel)   MAILBOX: THANKS FOR EPISODE 219! Several listeners wrote in to thank Lisa for sharing the compelling stories of Julianne Mangin’s ancestors and her sleuthing process that led to them. Missed it? to listen. Watch all 3 seasons for free on BYUtv. MAILBOX: TECH TIP AND NEWSLETTER UPDATE Tech Tip: I cover lots of handy little tricks in this class, and I've got a great one to share with you today! Have you ever accidentally closed a browser tab too quickly? Maybe you were following a bread-crumb trail to get to a specific record or a found a great page buried deep in a website. That gut-wrenching moment when you close the browser accidentally has definitely plagued me before. But never fear! Restore that closed tab by pressing the following on your keyboard: Press Ctrl+Shift+T As you keep entering in the command, web pages will continue to open in the reverse-order that they were closed. So even if it wasn't the last page you closed, you can still restore it. You can also right-click on the new tab at the top of your screen and in the pop-up menu select Reopen Closed Tab. Additionally, in order to comply and as a show of good faith, we’ve sent an email to those of you who live in the EU and those who didn't provide a location when you signed up for the newsletter, asking you to reconfirm your newsletter subscription. Please click the opt-in button so that there is no disruption to your subscription to our free newsletter. Don’t receive our newsletter yet? to subscribe!Many of you were affected by new legislation that took effect in the EU on Friday, May 25: the General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR. Though we are a US-based company, we are proud to have followers from around the world, and I want to assure everyone that your information is safe and secure with Genealogy Gems. We have updated our Privacy Policy to reflect that we want to fully comply with these new laws, and .   BLAST FROM THE PAST: A LONG LOOK SIDEWAYS Books I’ve found that are about specific locations and experiences that apply to my ancestors: by Janice Holt Giles (Oklahoma) by Josephine Butcher (England) by Richard Cobb (England) by Maurine Walpole Liles (Texas) by Thyra Ferre Bjorn (Sweden)  and by George and Helen Papashvily –1940 (immigrant experience)  Places to find old or out of print books: Your public library Also: consult : the ultimate genealogy-inspired reading list! Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com.     Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   THE ARCHIVE LADY: ARCHIVIST IN A BACKPACK to read her segment and find her go-to supply list (with recommended links!).   GEM: FINDING YOUR GERMAN ANCESTOR’S TOWN OF ORIGIN A little German village can seem like a needle in a haystack when you’re starting with ancestors who made it to the shores of the United States. But once you’ve found that gem, it will open up all kinds of records from their native land, and likely take you back several more generations. There are three important pieces to this ancestral puzzle: the village name, the parish it belonged to and the district or kreis it was part of. Find your relatives in the most recent census and work backwards.  Look for immigration and naturalization clues (such as the year of arrival or whether they had applied for citizenship). Look for naturalization records for ancestors who may have naturalized. The naturalization process created a lot of paperwork, and in that paper work your ancestors were asked for information about where they were born, where they immigrated from, the ship they traveled on, and when they arrived in America. (The more recent the naturalization, the more likely you will find listed the place of birth, date of emigration and the ship on which they sailed.) Most applied for citizenship at one of the nearest county courthouses. Try the free GenWeb website for the county where you think your ancestors applied for citizenship to see what resources they have available. Also, look up the county courthouse online for records and contact information. Declarations of Intent:  The first document filed for citizenship Petitions for Naturalization:  The final papers If you need a little help, read these articles on tracing your German genealogy: Brush up on your .   Most recent border changes occurred in 1945 and 1871. Consult a gazetteer at the library or online, and look up the town. This should indicate the parish and Kreis. Here are more articles to help you find German places: (on one of my favorite websites for German research, the GenWiki at Genealogy.net) On the free website :  Under Search > Records, enter the last name, and the country as Germany to see if people with the same last name are listed in the same location you have pinpointed in Germany. Also on FamilySearch.org, under Search > Catalog, search by Place to see what records exist for any locale you have pinpointed. Put the village name first and then the kreis. Timelines are a great tool for seeing the bigger picture and determining how the little bits of information fall within it.  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.   GERMAN ANCESTRAL VILLAGES CONTINUED What if, as in Elizabeth’s case, the passenger list and naturalization records don’t state their place of origin?  Info about the “old country” can pop up in a LOT of different places: Death certificates Marriage records Church records Obituaries Tombstones & cemetery records Probate records Delayed birth certificates (these were often created when social security came into effect in the 1930s and 1940s.) The Germans to America book series should be consulted if your German ancestor arrived between 1850 and 1897. Learn more about it and search it at . If you know from which port in Germany they departed, you may be able to locate their hometown in German passenger departure lists. (See links below.) Look sideways, at brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, even friends. If you can determine where one of them was born, you will have an EXCELLENT place to look in Germany for your ancestors! In addition, determine if your ancestors had traveling companions on their way to America and look into their backgrounds. Go back to the census and check out your ancestors’ first recorded American neighborhood. Where were their neighbors from?  Folks often settled near family and friends from the old country. (free at FamilySearch) While most of the Bremen, Germany passenger departure records were destroyed -- either by German officials or during WWII -- 2,953 passenger lists for the years 1920 – 1939 have survived. The Bremen Society for Genealogical Investigation, DIE MAUS, has transcriptions of these surviving Bremen passenger records . (description, search tips and links free at FamilySearch.org)  (no longer free, there is now a fee for this service) Fill out the information as completely as possible.  Make a copy of the form for your follow up records and keep it in a pending file in your desk Mark in your calendar six months from today to follow up on the request.  Also indicate that the copy is in your pending file.   DNA SPECIFICITY FROM YOUR DNA GUIDE DIAHAN SOUTHARD to read her segment and see the accompanying images.   PROFILE AMERICA: IMMIGRATION RESTRICTION   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Contributing Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Melissa Barker, The Archive Lady, Content Contributor Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager   Disclosure: This document contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!

  The Genealogy Gems PodcastEpisode #219 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, Lisa shares the stories of Julianne Mangin, who has explored the tragic and twisted stories of her ancestors, Graziella and Philippe Metthe. These stories caught Lisa’s eye: “The tragic tale with its surprises along the way was tantalizing enough, but the real intrigue for me was from a genealogical point of view – the confusing records and the fascinating news accounts that help shed light on them.” Julianne Mangin is a retired librarian and web developer who took up genealogy in 2012, hoping to make sense of her mother's brief and disconnected family stories. After five years of dogged research, she has written down her family story in the form of a memoir in which she pieces together the family saga and writes about how the experience changed her. She hopes that she can find a publisher for her completed manuscript. She maintains a website at  where she posts articles about her genealogical discoveries and insights. Family Stories…we all have them. Passed around the dinner table, over the phone, and in hushed voices around the corner of a doorway. When we are children they come from the mouths of our elders, which cements them firmly as told. No deviations, because after all, they were told by grownups. And some of those stories aren’t really stories at all. Just fragments really. Juicy pieces of gossip or bottom lines that are meant to explain away the past, and firmly place a period at the end. No more discussion. Julianne Mangin had heard stories like these all of her life, mostly from her mom. The stories of how her grandmother and grandfather married in 1922, and then 2 months later Grandma left Grandpa. And then Grandma’s 10 years committed to a mental institution. Yes, they were fragments really more than complete stories. Julianne’s mother was the family historian and when pressed for details, it was a bit like pulling teeth. Oh, and yes, there was the story about Julianne’s great grandfather abandoning her great grandmother, and then she was committed to a mental institution, and then they pulled out all her teeth! Julianne’s mom was the genealogist of the family and by all appearances had all those census records, birth certificates and other dry documents firmly in hand. (And as for asking for more details on those unusual and mysterious stories, that was a bit like pulling teeth, too.) Julianne’s family history was an entangled web of lies, pain, loss and madness. On her website , she describes it “a Dickensian tale of immigration, poverty, mental illness, family betrayal and ultimately redemption.” In this episode of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, we’re going to unravel the story of how madness in a family nearly buried the truth of the family’s history. And how bringing that truth out into the light brought with it healing and created a passionate, new genealogist. Along the way, you’ll hear some of the strategies that Julianne used find that truth; methods that just may help you to flesh out the true details of one of your family’s stories. Quote-worthy statements from Julianne: “I had been a reluctant genealogist most of my life until I realized genealogy’s power to unlock family secrets and make sense of the stories Mom told me about her family.” “My grandfather left my grandmother and so she became insane, and then some doctor thought it was a good idea to pull out all her teeth. End of story! And that was it.”  “It’s just psychologically better to really know where you’re really from and what really happened before you.” “That takes me to another one of my mother’s cryptic stories which was that she said that as a child her mother grew up in a shed.” Julianne used Sanborn fire insurance maps to find the shed, and visited it personally. Resource: (requires to access)   Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com.   Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   The Metthe family cast of characters: BEATRICE METTHE (1901-1966) was Julianne’s grandmother. She had four siblings: Leonard, Dinorah, Joseph, and Pauline. Her parents were: PHILIPPE METTHE (1877-1937) and GRAZIELLA BONNEAU (1878-1910). Both of them were born in Quebec. They married in 1899 in Danielson, Connecticut. Philippe's parents were DAVID METTHE (1851-1912) and ROSALIE LAPOINTE (Abt. 1852-1923). David was born in Quebec (Julianne’s not sure where Rosalie was born or if Lapointe is her real name). They married in Danielson in 1873. David and Rosalie had 11 children. Philippe was the second oldest. Graziella's parents were PIERRE BONNEAU (1853-1911) and AZILDA DAVIGNON (1855-1912). They were born in Quebec and married there in 1876. They immigrated to the U.S. in 1885 when Graziella was seven years old. Pierre and Azilda had 10 children. Graziella was the second oldest. The mysterious 1920 U.S. Federal Census record: Philippe says he is single Marie says she’s the wife of the head of household Family lore was that Philippe went back to Canada, but this entry is in MA Julianne’s approach: Research all the possible areas and “what ifs”. Look in Quebec church records for a marriage (not found) Look in MA vital records for a marriage (not found) Try to find Marie E and Charles D in some other family group in 1910 She searched for Marie E and Charles D and limited their location to CT, and found them with a George Metthe (Philippes brother!): Where is George? “This is why I got hooked on genealogy. There are now digitized sources out there that help you answer questions like that!” She found him in the newspapers Newspaper research resources: by Lisa Louise Cooke tutorials (Premium eLearning membership required) Must-search digitized US historical newspaper collections: (free) (search for free: subscription required to view search results) (search for free: subscription required to view search results)    is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.   French-Canadian research resources:   Julianne is thankful that: Her mom’s family was from Quebec: their records are so great and detailed. There were a lot of bad actors in her family so they showed up in the newspapers More quotes from Julianne: “My motivation for being a genealogist was to learn more about my mother’s curiously insensitive behavior.  But when I put it all together, one of my reactions was of relief. I was relieved because things made sense. And you know at that point in my life when I started genealogy I was in my mid-fifties and I just wanted a family story that made sense. As sad as it was, things were starting to make sense now.” “Well one of the things that I say repeatedly is that writing this book and writing this story of my family was a way of showing how family history is empowering and also it’s got the potential to heal old wounds by bringing up the truth.” “I would just like to say that I hope that my story helps other people, and I hope they get genealogical ideas from the little victories that I’ve had. I hope also that people who come to my blog   can see how I’ve used family history to change myself, into someone who understands more about where I’m from, and being more empathetic to people who are suffering from things like mental illness, or from trauma. I just hope that what I do helps others, even though part of me just wants to tell my story.” THE GENEALOGY GEMS TEAM TOGETHER ON ONE STAGE FOR TWO DAYS! Who: Lisa Louise Cooke, Diahan Southard and Sunny Morton What: Genealogy Roots Conference at SeniorExpo Where: South Towne Expo Center, 9081 S. State St., Sandy, Utah (just 30 minutes from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City!) When: October 4-5, 2018, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm to learn more!   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Hannah Fullerton, Audio Production Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This document contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #218 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, Lisa answers your questions and shares your comments. Hot topics on your minds that are covered in this episode: discovering new records online, working with other people’s online trees, hard-to-locate military records; and getting lost in Pennsylvania research   NEWS: GOOGLE EARTH STORIES COMING Lisa’s FREE Google Earth video class: , 2nd edition and (you must use the Chrome browser to access) .      NEWS: FAMILYSEARCH REACHES 2 BILLION IMAGES (it’s free! Everyone should use it!)   GEMS NEWS: LISA’S NEW COLUMN IN FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE Purchase the May/June issue in or format Subscribe to Family Tree Magazine: format, format or ! for Father’s Day: Invite your dad to share stories with loved ones every week, and then get them all bound in a beautiful hardcover book at the end of the year. Go to for $20 off when you subscribe. This Father’s Day is actually a gift for you, too!   BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, don’t forget to check out your bonus content for this episode! The and is only $2.99 for .   MAILBOX: SARA’S FRIDAY RECORD POST DISCOVERY to subscribe to the free Genealogy Gems newsletter to receive the weekly Friday records update by email. to view several recent Friday records posts—see what new records have appeared online lately! Tell Lisa Louise Cooke about your “Friday records post” discoveries—or anything else—at or call her voicemail at 925-272-4021.   MAILBOX: ONLINE FAMILY TREE MATCHES   MAILBOX: BACK TO RESEARCH AFTER 10 YEARS! Lisa’s recommendations to a new for getting back into the swing of research: to the free Genealogy Gems newsletter. Watch the Premium video, “” (Premium eLearning membership required) Listen to the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast by Lisa Louise Cooke. It's a great series for learning the research ropes and well as refreshing your skills.  Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   MAILBOX: MILITARY DRAFT REGISTRATIONS to read about finding military draft registrations   INTERVIEW: JIM BEIDLER ON PENNSYLVANIA RESEARCH QUESTION James M. Beidler is the author of Guide and . Learn more Pennsylvania research techniques in his on-demand webinar download, . to read a summary of some of Jim’s tips AND find a collection of links we curated to help you find more Pennsylvania birth records online.  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.     PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Hannah Fullerton, Audio Editor Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!  FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.  

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #217 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this special episode, host and producer Lisa Louise Cooke takes a look at the Golden State killer, one of the most notorious crime sprees in recent memory. She’ll talk about the role that DNA testing played in an ultimate arrest, and the impact that these events are having on genealogists and the use of DNA in genealogy. The Golden State Killer “” docuseries (As an Amazon Associate, Genealogy Gems earns from qualifying purchases) 48 Hours episode on CBSNews.com (44-minute episode) Between 1974 and 1986, activities attributed to the Golden State Killer include at least 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries in California from 1974 through 1986. The criminal’s methods led some investigators to believe that these differently-labeled criminals were very likely one in the same. In 2001, DNA definitively linked several rapes in Contra Costa County believed to have been part of the East Area Rapist series, a series of murders in Southern California. In 2011, DNA evidence proved that the Domingo–Sanchez murders were committed by the same man, known as the Golden State Killer. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, don’t forget to check out your bonus content for this episode! The and is only $2.99 for  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started. makes it easy and fun for Mom to share stories with loved ones every week. At the end of the year, she’ll get them all bound in a beautiful hardcover book. Strengthen your bond as you get to know her in a whole new way! Go to for $20 off when you subscribe. Give a gift for Mother’s Day that is actually a gift for you, too! Help solve DNA mysteries with these resources: “A DNA Match with No Tree? No Problem!” and “Take Control of Your Family Tree,” by Lisa Louise Cooke by Diahan Southard DNA Testing by Diahan Southard Caution: In this episode, Lisa shares her personal opinions on the use of technology for crime fighting and the implications for DNA testing for genealogy. She encourages everyone to do their own homework and make informed decisions in line with their own values, opinions and objectives.  Reality check: “The only way to ensure privacy is to never put anything of any kind online. Just like the only way to ensure you will never be in a car accident is to never—under any circumstances—get in a car.” Read more about DNA testing company partnerships: “,” Wired.com article by Katie M. Palmer, published 21 July 2015, on Ancestry.com’s partnership with Google-owned Calico biotech firm “,” Wired.com article by Davey Alba, published 12 January 2015, on 23andMe’s partnership with Pfizer Several ways we already use DNA matches Genealogists use to build family trees Adoptees use to identify birth parents (or other biological relatives) Orphans trying to find long lost siblings and relatives Anyone looking for estranged family members Researchers identifying unidentified human remains, including POW/MIAs Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . More information on DNA testing by Diahan Southard “,” News.com.au article by Gavin Fernando, published 3 May, 2018. “When you test, you are also making a decision on behalf of your parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, and future descendants. Regardless of good intentions or stated ethics codes in the genealogy community, it isn’t possible to write and get the express permission of everyone who could be affected by you having your DNA tested.” –Lisa Louise Cooke How Genealogy Gems can help you—whether you test or not! Keep listening to the for genealogy news, tips, inspiration and strategies (DNA is one of many tools talked about!) Read free online articles at . to read dozens of articles on DNA. to view our complete line of DNA quick reference guides , to get access to all the Premium video classes and the entire Premium Podcast: new monthly episodes plus the full archive of more than 150 previous ones. PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, DNA Content Contributor Hannah Fullerton, Audio Editor Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This document contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #216 with Lisa Louise Cooke   In this episode: Lisa introduces you to a couple of fantastic genealogists she met on her recent trip Down Under—the organizers of the 15the Australasian Congress on Genealogy and Heraldry, which she keynoted recently; Enjoy Lisa’s exclusive RootsTech 2018 interview with Findmypast CEO Tamsin Todd; Military Minutes contributor Michael Strauss shines a spotlight on women who have served in the U.S. military; Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard introduces the MyHeritage chromosome browser; and Genealogy Gems Premium membership gets its biggest boost ever. LISA AND BILL IN AUSTRALIA Wally the Humpback Wrasse and Bill at the Great Barrier Reef Soaring above the rains forest treetops of Queensland, Australia   NEWS: ROOTSTECH 2018 RECAP to watch the short RootsTech 2018 official recap video—and watch for Jim Beidler at the Genealogy Gems booth right at the beginning! NEWS: GENEALOGY GEMS PREMIUM eLEARNING Genealogy Gems Premium membership is now Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning! More than 20 DNA video tutorials have been added—but it’s still all available for one low annual price. And now you can really make the most of 50+ Premium Videos and 150+ Premium Podcast episodes with the new Premium eLearning Companion Guide book. It’s the ultimate ongoing genealogy education! to read the full announcement.   Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users: Beginning German Genealogy: If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is some get-started-now tips from Legacy Tree Genealogists on tracing your German ancestors. The and is only $2.99 for . To learn more about Legacy Tree services and its research team, visit . Exclusive Offer for Genealogy Gems readers: Receive $100 off a 20-hour research project using code GGP100. (Offer may expire without notice.) MILITARY MINUTES WITH MICHAEL STRAUSS: CELEBRATING WOMEN IN U.S. MILITARY HISTORY to see the full article (and plenty of images!) on the Genealogy Gems website. INTERVIEW: TAMSIN TODD AND BEN BENNETT, FINDMYPAST.COM is the Genealogy Giant best known for its deep, unparalleled historical record content for England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Tamsin Todd is the Chief Executive Officer of Findmypast.com. She “has worked in the travel, retail and technology sectors, and brings with her a track record of leading successful growth businesses. She spent the early part of her career at Amazon and then Microsoft, where she led the introduction of ecommerce and search products into the UK and Europe. This was followed by stints as Head of Ecommerce at Betfair, and Managing Director of TUI-owned Crystal Ski Holidays. She joins Findmypast from Addison Lee, where she was Chief Customer Officer of Europe's largest car service company. Tamsin lives in London with her family, and is Digital Trustee of the Imperial War Museums.” Ben Bennett is Executive Vice President, North America and International at Findmypast.com, “focused on helping families stay connected in the United States and other markets across the globe.” EPISODE SPONSOR: CASPER MATTRESSES  The original Casper mattress combines multiple, supportive memory foams for a quality sleep surface with the right amounts of both sink and bounce. Breathable design helps you sleep cool and regulates your body temperature throughout the night Delivered right to your door in a small, ‘how do they do that?!’ sized box! Free shipping and returns in the US and Canada. Exclusive Genealogy Gems offer! Get $50 toward select mattresses by visiting  and using gems at checkout. (Terms and conditions apply.)   YOUR DNA GUIDE DIAHAN SOUTHARD: MYHERITAGE CHROMOSOME BROWSER Just last year, if you had asked me if I thought anyone could catch AncestryDNA in their race to own the genetic genealogy market, I would have been skeptical. However, it is clear that MyHeritage intends to be a contender, and they are quickly ramping up their efforts to gain market share–and your confidence. MyHeritage began 2018 by making a much needed change to their DNA matching algorithm, which had some errors in it. They were able to adjust it, and now it is humming right along, telling our second cousins from our fourth. Another development, launched in February, is the addition of a Chromosome Browser. THE NEW MYHERITAGE DNA CHROMSOME BROWSER  Much like you would browse the library shelves for the perfect book, or browse through the sale rack for a great bargain, you can use a Chromosome Browser to look through your chromosomes for the pieces of DNA you share with your genetic cousins. Chromosome Browsers can be everything from a fun way to review your genetic genealogy results, to a tool to assist in determining how you are related to someone else. Let’s go over three tips to help you make use of this new tool. NAVIGATING TO THE CHROMOSOME BROWSER There are actually two different kinds of Chromosome Browsers in MyHeritage: one to view only the segments you share with one match (the One-to-One Browser), and a browser where you can see the segments shared with multiple matches (the One-to-Many Browser). To get to the One-to-One Browser, head over to your match page and find a cousin for whom you would like to see your shared DNA segments. Click on Review DNA Match, then scroll down past all the individual match information, past the Shared Matches and Shared Ethnicities until you see the Chromosome Browser. USING THE ONE-TO-MANY CHROMOSOME BROWSER To find the One-to-Many Chromosome Browser, you can use the main DNA navigation menu at the top of the MyHeritage homepage. Click on DNA, then on Chromosome Browser, as shown below. In the One-to-Many Chromosome Browser you can compare yourself, or any account you manage, to anyone else in your match page. To choose a match to evaluate, just click on their name and they will be added to the queue at the top, as shown here. Clicking on Compare will then allow you to see the actual segments you share with each person: In this One-To-Many view, each individual match gets their own line for each chromosome. Since we have added 7 people to the Chromosome Browser, there are seven lines next to each chromosome number. Each match not only gets their own line, but also their own color. So you can easily match up the lines on the chromosome to the match that shares that piece of DNA with you. For the majority of people the majority of the time, these Chromosome Browsers are just another fun way to visualize the connection you have with your DNA match. In the end, it doesn’t matter where you are sharing on the chromosome, just how much DNA you are sharing. You can obtain that information from your main match page and never look at this Chromosome Browser image, and still make fantastic genetic genealogy discoveries. THE TRIANGULATION TOOL Another feature of the Chromosome Browser on MyHeritage is the Triangulation tool. To understand how this works, you first need to understand that you actually have two copies of each chromosome. Two copies of chromosome 1, two copies of chromosome 2, etc. One copy is from mom, and the other from dad. However, in the Chromosome Browser image, you see only one line for yourself (in grey). Therefore, when you see someone matching you on chromosome 14, for example, you don’t know if that person is matching you on the chromosome 14 you got from your mom, or the chromosome 14 you got from your dad. Likewise, if you see two people whose shared piece with you looks to be in the same location on the same chromosome, you can’t tell if they are both sharing on the same copy of that chromosome, or if one match is related to your dad’s family, and the other match is related to your mom’s family. However, this is what the Triangulation tool does for us. It tells us if two (or three or four, etc.) matches are sharing on the same copy of the same chromosome. Be careful when you use this tool, though. Many erroneously assume that when they see a segment shared between multiple people, that indicates the presence of a recent common ancestor for all of those people. However, that is not always the case.  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started. Ready to start exploring what the MyHeritage DNA chromosome browser may tell you about your family history? You have two options.  to upload your autosomal DNA test results from another company to MyHeritage for FREE. Or  to order a MyHeritage DNA test kit. Either way, you can start using all the great tools at MyHeritage DNA! PROFILE AMERICA: FORD LAUNCHES ASSEMBLY LINE PRODUCTION CREDITS: Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Michael Strauss, Military Minutes Content Contributor Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!   FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.    

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #215 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this “Blast from the Past” episode, Lisa gives voice to the era of silent films, in a unique approach to understanding her great-grandmother’s life. Her passion for this mostly-forgotten film genre comes through in her conversation with film archivist Sam Gill of the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont, California. Don’t miss these fun segments, too: A listener writes in after discovering a birth mom’s story in passport records (see what lengths he goes to in order to access the records!). Just after RootsTech 2018, Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard reports on the latest DNA news you’ll want to know. NEWS: ROOTSTECH 2018 DNA NEWS ROUNDUP FROM YOUR DNA GUIDE DIAHAN SOUTHARD           First up was MyHeritage, showing their support for the 7 million adopted individuals in the United States with their new . MyHeritage will provide 15,000 DNA test kits to eligible participants free of charge, in order to help these adoptees use DNA to reunite them with their biological families. With this initiative they “hope to make this project a shining light for corporate philanthropy and an example to be followed by other commercial companies in their own lines of expertise to make the world a better place.” MyHeritage has assembled an advisory board of genetic genealogists and genetic counselors to help drive this project and ensure it meets the needs of the community. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, you can head on over to the DNA Quest website () to fill out an application. But you better hurry, the application deadline is April 30, 2018.  Next, addressing the biggest problem in genetic genealogy, namely the looming What Next? question facing millions of newly swabbed participants, MyHeritage announced the Big Tree – a giant network of genetic and genealogy results that will automate much of the match comparison and tree searching to replace your head-scratching with light-bulb moments. They have already made significant headway on this project, as , which MyHeritage’s own chief scientific officer Yaniv Erlich collaborated on. The journal reports that the team of scientists successfully extracted public family trees from Geni.com (a MyHeritage daughter company), and then used a computer program to clean up and link the trees together. It sounds like MyHeritage will be adding genetic data to this kind of tree data in their Big Tree project. MyHeritage isn’t the only company out to improve the DNA matching experience. UK based that they plan to add DNA matching to their popular origins test by third quarter 2018. When they launched in October of 2016, LivingDNA was not offering cousin matching, but opted instead to focus all of their resources on providing very detailed origins reports, including breaking down the UK in to 46 categories. In the months since their launch, they have been working on a genetic matching system, called Family Networks, that will appeal to a wide range of users and will “reduce the risk of human error and take away the tedious task of figuring out how each person on a user’s list are related to one another.” They are promising an experience that provides “a level of relationship prediction and specificity beyond anything currently on the market.”  So it sounds like if you are currently struggling with turning your DNA matches into genealogical discoveries, our testing companies want you to know you are not alone, and they are working hard to provide solutions to these problems. Time will only tell if they can succeed. Diahan also provides answers to questions asked about announcing updates to MyHeritage DNA matching technology and its new chromosome browser. MAILBOX: TOM’S PASSPORT SEARCH SUCCESS U.S. passport applications on  and  through 1925  on passport applications   BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users                 If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a marvelous soundtrack of silent film music, played live (you’ll hear audience laughter occasionally in the background) and supplied by Sam Gill at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. The and is only $2.99 for .               Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com.             Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . GEM: INTRODUCTION TO SILENT FILMS (Image above: a page from Lisa's grandmother's journal) Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #2 about transcribing family journals and letters was remastered in . Episode #8 , Palo Alto, CA (shows silent films) : the website for this museum is packed with resources: links to Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd film locations; the International Buster Keaton Society; Classic Images Magazine; a timeline and early history of film and more. Films mentioned in this episode: Diary of a Lost Girl starring Louise Brooks () Safety Last starring Harold Lloyd () The Mender of Nets with Mary Pickford () The Blot directed by Lois Weber () Don’t Park There with Will Rogers () Flivvering by Victor Moore Wife and Auto Trouble directed by Bill Henderson () A Trip Down Market Street () Wings () All Quiet on the Western Front () Destruction of San Francisco by Blackhawk Films () Four Sons () INTERVIEW: SAM GILL, FILM HISTORIAN AND ARCHIVIST               Shown above: Sam Gill and Lisa Cooke at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum on the day of this interview. Throughout their conversation, you hear the sounds of excited theater patrons filling the auditorium before a screening. Sam Gill’s interest in silent film dates to 1966, when as a college student he traveled to Hollywood to interview his aging heroes from the silent screen comedy era. For more than 20 years, he was Archivist of the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library, where he established the Academy’s Special Collections and helped it grow to its current status as the preeminent repository for the study of American cinema. He is currently a Board Member of the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. Over the years, he has consulted on or otherwise contributed his expertise to numerous film festivals, museum film programs and film history books. Sam recently sent us these delightful photos (below) of himself over the years: (Image 1) 1966: His first trip to Hollywood (Image 2) 1974: A news article about a research trip to Florida (Image 3) 2017: A birthday party for Diana Serra Cary (Baby Peggy), the last surviving star of the silent screen, held at the Edison Theater of the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum; also shown is Rena Kiehn, the museum's publicity director and store manager (a technique that adapts well to film!) ( to see where to find films they have helped preserve, including Japanese internment camp footage)             Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at .              is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started. GEM: HOW TO FIND SILENT FILMS If you’re looking for a specific movie, start with a Google search with the name in quotations (and, if you like, anything else you know about it, such as an actor or director’s name or the year). You may find lots of results, including a Wikipedia page and film history write-ups, but if you want to WATCH it, limit your search results to Video. You can also turn to free curated collections online, such as: (links to free film footage on YouTube, Internet Archive, etc.) : feature and short silent films uploaded by Internet Archive users : watch several classic silent films Netflix.com: Netflix subscribers can access the service’s little-known collection of silent films by entering the Netflix link for browsing its film categories and then the category specific to silent films, 53310: ( to read an article about this tip, along with Netflix’ full list of specific film categories.) YouTube: watch for free, rent or buy, as shown here: More places to explore for silent films: (TCM.com): under TCMDb, click Database Home and search for a title you want to watch Amazon.com: Search for titles in the Video section; or search the Your local public library (search catalog: try searching for an actor’s name as author) Ebay: May be the right place to purchase a hard-to-find title. to view current results for a search on silent films, filtered to include only movie/film items.   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This document contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog! FREE NEWSLETTER:        

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #214 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, Irish expert Donna Moughty joins host and producer Lisa Louise Cooke to talk about Irish genealogy—to help you get a jump on yours before everyone starts talking about their Irish roots on St. Patrick’s Day next month! Also in this episode: Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard has DNA news and an answer to a listener who called in with a question about YDNA. Other listeners write in with inspiring successes Michael Strauss musters in with tips on finding your ancestors in the five branches of the U.S. military. NEWS: MYHERITAGE DNA MATCHING UPDATE The matching algorithm has gotten better—AND they’ve added a chromosome browser. Time to or ? to read all about it! MAILBOX: LISTENERS ON FAMILY HISTORY VIDEOS Muffy in Seattle sent to her family history video. Great job! Melissa asked about finding copyright-free music to add to family history videos. Lisa’s tips: Unfortunately, free royalty-free music sites are few and far between. You're smart to be cautious because if you were to put your video on YouTube they have the technology to identify any song that is used that is a violation of copyright. YouTube does make free music available: Sign into YouTube with your Google account Click on your picture in the upper right corner and go to your Creator Studio. Upload your video (you can keep it private if you wish) and then on the video page click "Audio" (above the video title). Choose among the many music tracks there. Once you've added a track and saved it, you should be able to download the video with the music included. The other source of music I use is music that comes with the programs I use ( and ). GENEALOGY BUSINESS ALLIANCE ; . See websites for complete rules. Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . INTERVIEW: DONNA MOUGHTY ON IRISH RESEARCH by Donna M Moughty The following review appeared in the January 2018 newsletter of the , Mid-Continent Public Library:  “If you want a quick guide on how to get started on Irish research, this short, four-page guide is an excellent resource. This guide will help you start your research in the United States, so you can figure out where in Ireland your ancestor came from. It is organized into 12 steps with helpful websites added. This guide is the first in the by Donna M Moughty.” Donna Moughty, shown left with Lisa Louise Cooke, is a professional genealogist and former Regional Manager for Apple Computers. She has been conducting family research for over 20 years. She teaches classes for beginners and lectures on a variety of subjects including Internet, Irish research, and computer topics. In addition, she provides consultations, research assistance, and training. She is a member of Association of Professional Genealogists and the Genealogical Speakers Guild. Websites mentioned in their conversation: Donna’s Irish guide series Get the or purchase them individually through the links below: (reviewed above): Without the right preparation, researching in Ireland can be frustrating! Before you jump the pond, start your research at home to determine a place in Ireland, as well as details to help differentiate your person from someone of the same name. This research guide will walk you through the process of identifying records in the US to set you up for success in your Irish research. Civil Registration for all of Ireland began in 1864, with Protestant marriages dating back to 1845. Even if your ancestors left before that date, they likely had relatives that remained in Ireland. Prior to Civil Registration, the only records of births (baptisms), marriages or deaths (burials) are in church records. This Reference Guide will explain how to use the new online Civil Registration records as well as how to identify the surviving church records for your ancestors in Ireland.  Had the Irish census records for the 19th century survived, Griffith’s Valuation, a tax list, would not be one of the most important resources for Irish researchers. Without any context, however, it can just seem like a list that includes lots of people of the same name. This Guide explains how and why Griffith’s Valuation was done, and how to use it to glean the most information about your family. Once you know your ancestor’s locality in Ireland, Griffith’s Valuation can place them on a specific piece of land between 1846 and 1864. After Griffith’s Valuation, the Revision Books allow you to follow the land and in some cases, to the 1970s, possibly identifying cousins still living on the land. Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at .  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started. MILITARY MINUTES: 5 BRANCHES OF THE MILITARY Each of the military branches is listed below, detailing information about when each was organized and resources available to genealogists on your ancestors who served in any of these branches. United States Army. The largest of the five military branches dates back to June 14, 1775, during the early days of the Revolutionary War. Prior to the formation of the Army, each colony had companies and battalions of Associators and local militia. With the war, the need for a professional standing army to fight the British saw the formation of the Continental Army. With the end of the Revolutionary War, the Army disbanded in 1783 after the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Later in 1796, two legions formed under the command of General Anthony Wayne would later become the nucleus of the United States Army. The Encyclopedia Britannica published on the history of the Army from its inception to the present. A number of excellent genealogical resources are available to search for ancestors who served in the United States Army since the beginning. These databases are found on Ancestry, Fold3, and Family Search.  One of the largest collections of records covers the (available by subscription at Ancestry.com). Searching the card catalogs of , and will yield many databases that contain information about soldiers who served, and sacrificed their lives with the Army over the last two centuries. United States Navy. The United States Navy dates from October 13, 1775 when it was officially established by an Act passed by the Continental Congress.  At the end of the Revolutionary War it was disbanded, and again reestablished under the Naval Act of 1794 which created the Navy as a permanent branch of the military. The history of the Navy and technology can be divided into two major eras. The earlier period, called the "Old Navy," was the age of wooden sailing ships, and still later came the birth of the ironclads during the Civil War. The later period called the "New Navy" occurred with further innovations in late nineteenth century as the United States transformed into a global power recognized the throughout the world. The United States Navy website has a .   Numerous databases and searches for records of the Navy covering multiple war period detailing pensions, continental sailors, muster rolls, ships logs, and cruise books are located on , and .  Consult each database individually for records of interest. Another organization related to the Navy is the United States Merchant Marines. Although not officially a branch of the military, the Merchant Marines sacrificed and lost lives since the days of the Revolutionary War, carrying out their missions of supply and logistics during times of war. an excellent website on the history of the Merchant Marines.   United States Air Force. The modern day Air Force dates from September 18, 1947, when it was formed as part of the Security Act of 1947. The Air Force and aviation history began under the authority of the United States Army, starting on August 1, 1907 when it was organized under the name of the Aeronautical Division of the Signal Corps.  Over the next 30 years the service changed names several times: Aviation Section of the Signal Corps (1914-1918); Division of Military Aeronautics (1918); Air Service of the United States Army (1918-1926); United States Army Air Corps (1926-1941); United States Army Air Forces (1941-1947). In that final year, it was separated as its own organization as it is known today. for a complete history of the Air Force from 1907 to the present. Two excellent online sources covering the early history of the Air Force from World War I and World War II are located on Fold3:  and United States Marines. This elite branch of the military began with the organization of the Continental Marines on November 19, 1775. The mission of the Marines initially comprised ship-to-ship fighting, security onboard naval vessels, and assistance in landing force operations. This mission would continue to evolve over the years. At the end of the Revolutionary War, the Marines were disbanded on October 4, 1783. Along with the Navy, under the Naval Act of 1794, the United States Marines were again re-established and would serve faithfully in every major war period and in peacetime between conflicts. The Marines will forever remain true to their motto of "Semper Fidelis" or Always Faithful as they continue to live up to their long-running tradition of honor and service. to watch an interesting and accurate history of the Marine Corps is viewable online on You Tube. Ancestry.com has an excellent online genealogical resource for discovering Marine Corps ancestors: for enlistees. Coast Guard. The history of this seagoing service dates back to August 4, 1790.  Established as the Revenue Cutter Marines under the direction of Alexander Hamilton, the name was changed in 1894 to the Revenue Cutter Service until 1915. That year, an Act of Congress was passed and signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson called the "Act to Create Coast Guard." The United States Live Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Service came together. Later, in 1939, the United States Light House Service was added to form the modern day United States Coast Guard.  The complete history of the United States Coast Guard from 1790 is on the . It includes information about each of the separate organizations that came together to form the Coast Guard at. Ancestry.com has a . Very few additional online sources are available online for this branch of the service. Researchers must access these documents and records onsite at the National Archives in Washington, DC.  Military Minutes Case Study By Michael Strauss Subject: Russell Strauss Died: December 27, 1981-Jonestown, PA Son of Harry B. Strauss & Agnes S. (Gerhart) Strauss Over the last 30 plus years doing genealogy research, I’ve discovered that nearly all of my family members who served in the military were in the United States Army. But I have been occasionally surprised to find relatives who served in other branches of the military. On the paternal family several years ago one of my cousins gave me a box of photographs. One of the images was marked Russell G. Strauss. He wore the uniform of the United States Navy during World War II. I recognized his name and knew that he was my grandfather’s first cousin. I was 16 years old when he died and didn't know him very well. His uniform indicated that he was a third class petty officer in the Navy during the war. I looked further at his uniform and noticed a diamond shaped "S" as part of the insignia. This military occupation indicated that he was a specialist that would require further research. I spoke with a couple of my older family members who knew Russell. All of my family interviewed said that he in the military police (M.P.) during the war. With additional research, I discovered that his insignia was that of the Shore Patrol. When I compared what my family said to me and his uniform told me the information matched very closely.  I found on Ancestry his application for compensation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1950 when he served in the Shore Patrol in Norfolk, Virginia as part of his military duty (inserted below). Putting information from his photograph together with what my family members shared with me helped answer questions I had regarding of my relatives.         PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!  

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #213 with Lisa Louise Cooke NEWS: HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR TO KEYNOTE ROOTSTECH to read about all RootsTech keynote speakers to read about the Genealogy Gems experience at RootsTech 2018 to hear Lisa Louise Cooke’s conversation with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in the Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 133 GEMS NEWS: UPDATED PREMIUM VIDEO can now enjoy an updated version of Lisa’s Premium video, You’ll learn how to use Evernote’s: Quick Keys: Help you get things done faster Search Operators: Digging deeper and faster into your notes Shortcuts: Learn how to set them up to accomplish repetitive tasks faster Reminders: Help you track and meet deadlines Note Sharing: Collaboration just got easier Source Citation: Merging notes to include sources; Source Citation with “Info” feature Web Clipper Bookmarklet: a hack for adding it to your mobile tablet’s browser   Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . Keep your family history research safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . .   BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a lightning-quick tech tip from Lisa Louise Cooke on how to undo that last browser you just closed and didn’t mean to! The and is only $2.99 for MILITARY MINUTES: REGULAR, VOLUNTEER OR MILITIA? To gain a better understanding of what life in the military was like for your ancestors, it is essential to know in what capacity someone may have served. Did your ancestor serve in the regulars, or was he a volunteer soldier, or did he have service with the local militia? These terms are generally associated with the records of the United States Army. The other branches enlisted men using different terminology. Free download: by Trevor K. Plante (Reference Information Paper 109) for National Archives reference materials for military acronyms, abbreviations, and dictionaries that will aid genealogists when researching how exactly their ancestors served : One of the best examples of how colonial militias operated (laws, rules, and regulations, and parent organizations). Pennsylvania followed very closely the doings of other colonies during the same period. Samuel Howard in the Civil War Because of his age he wasn’t able to enlist until 1865 when he turned 18. He was a volunteer soldier who served as a substitute for another man who was drafted. After his discharge, he again enlisted in the Regular Army in 1866. He was assigned to the 13th U.S. Infantry, where he served one month before deserting at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. Samuel was married in 1867 (this may have some relevance to his decision to leave the military). He lived in Pennsylvania from the end of the war until his death in 1913. Shown here in 1876, Lebanon, PA. Both his Regular and Volunteer Army enlistment forms are included here, along with the above photograph of Samuel with his wife circa 1876 from an early tintype. The forms look very similar, as each contains common information asked of a typical recruit. However they are decidedly different as the one covers his Civil War service and the other his post war service when he joined the regular Army after the men who served during the war would have been discharged.   GEM: AN INSPIRING FAMILY HISTORY VIDEO   based on poem by Tom Boyer Learn more about the Where I’m From poetry project and hear a conversation with the original author, Kentucky poet laureate George Ella Lyon in the free . Hannah’s Animoto Advice: You’ll find when using the video templates, timing the photos to the narration can pose some challenges. Originally, when she put the photos in place and “previewed” the video, the narration didn’t line up at all with the images. Hannah explains: “When I was in “creator” mode, I selected a picture that I wanted to appear on the screen for a longer duration then I clicked the “spotlight” button that is on the left-hand side in the editor column. Or If you double click the image, it will open into a larger single view and you can select the “star” button which will do the same thing. I applied this spotlight option to several photos within my gallery. I knew which photos to do this to by previewing the video several times to make sure I liked the timing of it all. Now if your problem is not with just a few photos but the overall timing, then try editing the pace of your photos.  In the top right-hand corner, click the “edit song/trim and pacing” button. Here you can trim you uploaded mp3 audio as well as the pace to which your photos appear. My photos appeared too fast on the screen in comparison to the narration I had, so I moved the pace button to left by one notch and previewed the video. This did the trick and the result was a heart-warming poem, turned into a visually beautiful story.” Do you have a darn good reason to take action right now to get your family history in front of your family? Perhaps: a video of the loving couples in your family tree for Valentine’s Day a video of your family’s traditional Easter Egg hunt through the years a tribute to the mom’s young and old in your family on Mother’s Day your child’s or grandchild’s graduation a video to promote your upcoming family reunion to get folks really visualizing the fun they are going to have Or perhaps it’s the story of a genealogy journey you’ve been on where you finally busted a brick wall and retrieved an ancestor’s memory from being lost forever. 5 Steps to Jump-Starting Your Video Project Pick one family history topic Write the topic in one brief sentence – the title of your video Select 12 photos that represent that topic. On a piece of paper, number it 1 – 12 and write one brief sentence about each photo that convey your message. You don’t have to have one for every photo, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Scan the photos if they aren’t already and save them to one folder on your hard drive. And now you are in great shape to take the next step and get your video made in a way that suits your interest, skill, and time. 4 Easy Methods for Creating Video Got an iPhone? iOS 10 now has “Memories” a feature of your Photos app that can instantly create a video of a group of related photos. There’s the free Adobe Spark Video app which can you can add photos, video clips and text to, pick a theme and a music track from their collection, and whip up something pretty impressive in a very short time. Visit your device’s app store or There’s which does everything that Spark does, but gives you even more control over the content, and most importantly the ability to download your video in HD quality. You can even add a button to the end that the viewer can tap and it will take them to a website, like your genealogy society website, a Facebook group for your family reunion or even a document on FamilySearch. And finally, if you have the idea, and pull together the photos, you can book Hannah at Genealogy Gems to create a video with your content. Go to and scroll to the Contact form at the bottom of the home page to request ordering information. The most important thing is that your family history can be treasured and shared so that it brings joy to your life today, and also, to future generations. The thing is, if your kids and grandkids can see the value of your genealogy research, they will be more motivated to preserve and protect it.   PREMIUM INTERVIEW: SYLVIA BROWN In , publishing later this month, Sylvia Brown (of the family connected to Brown University) will join Lisa Louise Cooke to talk about researching her new book, , which traces her family’s involvement in philanthropy, Rhode Island history and the institution of slavery hundreds of years. A Kirkus review of this book calls it “an often riveting history of a family that left an indelible impact on the nation.”       PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: These show notes contain affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!   FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.    

The Genealogy Gems PodcastEpisode #212with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, Lisa Louise Cooke speaks with Contributing Editor Sunny Morton about turning our fleeting scraps of recollections into meaningful memories. Also: Genealogist Margaret Linford tells us how she got started in family history. Like many of our best stories, it’s not just about her, but someone who inspired her. 2017 could be called “the year of DNA.” Diahan Southard looks back with a special DNA news digest. Finding missing ancestors: tips and success stories from Genealogy Gems fans NEWS: WIKITREE HONOR CODE Learn more about using individual v. global/community family trees on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com in Sunny Morton’s quick reference guide, NEWS: FAMICITY ADDS GEDCOM UPLOAD NEWS: DNA YEAR IN REVIEW WITH DIAHAN SOUTHARD As evidence of its now proven usefulness in genealogy research, the genetic genealogy industry is growing at a fast pace. Ancestry.com has amassed the largest database, now boasting over 6 million people tested, and is growing at breakneck speeds, having doubled the size of its database in 2017. As the databases grow larger and our genealogy finds become more frequent, we can’t ignore that this kind of data, the correlated genetic and genealogical data, amassed by these companies, has great value. In November, announced an effort by their scientific team to “study the relationship between genetics and behavior, personal characteristics, and culture.” These studies are not new, as is in open hot pursuit of the connections between genetics and our health, and always has been. All of our genetic genealogy companies are involved in research on one level or another and every person who swabs or spits has the opportunity to participate in other research projects ( to read up on the consent policies at each company). At the time of testing, you have the option to opt in or out of this research, and the ability to alter that decision at any time after you test, by accessing your settings. According to an article in , it seems we as a community are very interested in helping with research: 23andMe reports an over 80% opt-in-to-research rate among their customers. And I’ve got some breaking news for you: Family Tree DNA just started a to reinforce the message that they will never sell your genetic data. That’s another important topic worth talking about in a future episode, so stay tuned! All our genetic genealogy companies realize that you might want to do more with your data than just look for your ancestors. This year has partnered with in an effort to provide insight into your health via your genetic genealogy test results. Of course is the leader in health testing when we look at our top genetic genealogy companies. This year finally succeeded in , a huge leap forward in their efforts to provide health testing directly to consumers. While health testing has certainly seen an explosion of interest this year, it is not the only way that our companies are using the data they have amassed. took the DNA and pedigree charts of two million customers who consented to research and, using some really fancy science, were able to provide amazing insight into our recent ancestral past with the creation of their genetic communities. These genetic communities enhance our understanding of our heritage by showing us where our ancestors may have been between 1750 and 1850, the genealogical “sweet spot” that most of us are trying to fill in. , a relative newcomer to the genetic genealogy arena, announced in October of 2017 their intention to use their database to help create a One World Family Tree. To do so, they are collecting DNA samples from all over the world, specifically those who four grandparents lived in close proximity to each other. Along with this announcement, is allowing individuals who have results from other companies and want to help with this project, to transfer into their database. So it seems that with growing databases come growing options, whether to opt-in to research, to pursue health information from your DNA test results, or to help build global databases for health or genealogy purposes. Recognizing the growing appeal to non-genealogists as well, added to their list of options the ability to opt-out of the match page, and there are rumors that will soon be adding the option to opt-in to matching (they do not currently have a cousin-matching feature as part of their offering). It can be tricky to keep up with all that goes on, but be sure we at Genealogy Gems are doing our best to keep you up-to-date with any news that might help you make better decisions about your genealogy, and ultimately better equipped to find your ancestors. GENEALOGY GEMS NEWS (publishing later this month) NEW Premium Video: “” This video answers the questions: What is cloud backup? Why should I use cloud backup? How does cloud backup work? Is cloud backup safe? What should I look for when selecting a cloud backup service? My personal cloud backup choice to subscribe to Genealogy Gems Premium membership   Donna Moughty’s Irish Guide series has proven so popular, we’ve added a third one: This Guide explains how and why Griffith’s Valuation was done, and how to use it to glean the most information about your family. After Griffith’s Valuation, the Revision Books allow you to follow the land and in some cases, to the 1970s, possibly identifying cousins still living on the land. This quick reference guide includes: Explanation of the columns in Griffith’s Valuation Rules under which Griffith’s Valuation was done. Tips for using Griffith’s to find your family Using the Revision Books to identify life events The Tithe Applotment, an earlier tax list Landed Estate Courts Estate Records Pre-ordering is open for the print version: shipping starts around Dec. 11, 2017. The digital download version will be available for purchase around the same time. Get the and SAVE! The bundle includes:  Guide #1: Preparing for Success in Irish Records Research Guide #2: Irish Civil Registration and Church Records Guide #3: Land, Tax and Estate Records in Ireland BONUS CONTENT in the  If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode a reading of an excerpt of by Thomas Kibble Hervey (The chapter Signs of the Season) published in 1845 – available for free in Google Books. The and is only $2.99 for MAILBOX Learn more about using Google Books and Google Patents in Lisa Louise Cooke’s book,   Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   Lovepop Cards Unlock special pricing for 5 or more cards AND get free shipping on any order by going to   GEM: MARGARET LINFORD’S GENEALOGICAL ORIGINS to read Margaret’s memories and see her pictures of Grandma Overbay Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at .   INTERVIEW: TURN MEMORY FRAGMENTS INTO MEANINGFUL STORIES Sunny Morton is a Contributing Editor at Genealogy Gems and presenter of the new Premium Video, “Share Your Own Life Stories More Meaningfully” ( to watch a quick preview). She is also author of (use coupon code GEMS17 for an extra 10% off by December 31, 2017). Strategies for turning memory fragments into meaningful stories (learn more about all of these in the Premium Video, ): Gather together even the smallest fragments of your memories together by writing them down. Think about what missing details you could research by finding pictures, books, chronologies, maps and other resources (both online and offline). Look for common patterns or recurring themes in groups of memory fragments. (For example, Sunny shared memories of swimming in this episode.) What kind of story do these memories tell over time about your personality, circumstances, relationships or other aspects of your life?   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Hannah Fullerton, Audio Editor Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!   FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.    

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #211 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, host and producer Lisa Louise Cooke talks with Barry Moreno, Historian at Ellis Island. Hear about the life cycle of this busy U.S. immigration station (1892-1954) and Barry’s research into thousands of Ellis Island employees—men and women—who worked there. HelloFresh: Visit  and use promo code gems30 to save $30 off your first week of deliveries. More episode highlights: Archive Lady Melissa Barker tells us about the National Archives Citizen Archivist program—and Lisa profiles a volunteer effort coordinated by the British Library to geo-tag thousands of old maps that are already online. A giant genealogy lost-and-found! Two listeners write in about rescuing old artifacts and returning them to those who might be interested. Military Minutes contributor Michael Strauss talks about Official Military Personnel Files for 20th-century US servicemen and women—files that were unfortunately partially destroyed. Hear what he learned about his grandfather. NEWS , reported by The Archive Lady, Melissa Barker of digitized maps from the British Library Collections—mostly 19th century maps from books published in Europe. Use Google Earth for genealogy! Check out these resources: FREE The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, 2nd edition by Lisa Louise Cooke. This book has 7 full chapters on Google Earth! Available in  and  form. Google Earth for Genealogy Video Training by Lisa Louise Cooke. Available .     NEW FOR GENEALOGY GEMS PREMIUM MEMBERS “Share Your Life Stories More Meaningfully” Premium Video Every life is fascinating when it’s well shared! Learn from the author of what stories you have that are worth telling--and several inspiring reasons to write them. Review different kinds of memories, why some memories are more vivid that others, and how to flesh them out. Learn tips for researching gaps in your memories, how to turn a memory into a good story, what to leave out and several ways to share your stories.   BONUS CONTENT FOR GENEALOGY GEMS APP USERS If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a preview of the new Premium video class, “Share Your Own Life Stories More Meaningfully” by Contributing Editor Sunny Morton. The and is only $2.99 for   MAILBOX: ROLAND’S HEIRLOOM RESCUE MAILBOX: NEW LISTENER PHOTO RESCUE PROJECT What can you do with a collection of unidentified photos? Return them to a loving home. In this case, it was a local historical society. Linda wisely kept the collection together because often there’s power in what some of the photos may tell you about others. Get them digitized and online so those who want them can find them. The historical society put images on and . They even plan to display them for locals to look at personally and try to identify! Historical and genealogical societies can also share mystery photos on their websites (or their local library’s website if they don’t have their own) or on their blogs, Facebook pages or even in their regular newsletters. These are great conversation pieces, especially when you can later report that you have solved the mystery! ( for more tips aimed at supporting genealogy societies.) Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. RootsMagic is now fully integrated with Ancestry.com: you can sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site.   Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . MILITARY MINUTES: OFFICIAL MILITARY PERSONNEL FILES The military service files for your ancestors who served during the twentieth century or later are located at the National Personnel Record Center in St. Louis, MO as part of the National Archives. The files are called the Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) and are available for each of the military branches; namely; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Researchers should be keenly aware of the devastating fire that occurred on July 12, 1973 at the research facility that destroyed or damaged between 16-18 million service files from the United States Army and the Air Force. Remember that the Air Force wasn’t officially organized until September 14, 1947. Before this date Air Force records were part of the United States Army Air Corps, then part of the U.S. Army.  . Overview of the holdings, media articles and PowerPoint presentations (download as PDFs) (Request an Appointment, Availability of Records, Copy Fees, Hours of Operation, Hiring a Researcher) (Online request for Veterans, Standard Form 180, or For Burials and Emergency Requests) (SF 180)   Zerbe H. Howard Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at .   Watch the video below for an example of a family history video made with Animoto:              is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.   INTERVIEW: BARRY MORENO, ELLIS ISLAND HISTORIAN Barry Moreno is a leading authority on the history of , the famous receiving station for millions of immigrants to the United States from 1892-1954. He has worked in the Museum Services Division at Ellis Island for more than a decade. He is the author of several books, including , (including Bob Hope, Bela Lugosi, and Max Factor) and (which includes information on displaced persons).      Ellis Island: Historical highlights Prior to 1890, immigration was handled by the states (primarily New York, as most passed through the Port of New York). 1920-1921: New regulations cut down immigration dramatically. Each country had quotas that could not be exceeded. New regulations were passed requiring immigrants to have a passport from their home country have medical examinations pay a tax to the American Consulate in their home country.  During the last 30 years, Ellis Island mostly handled immigrants who were "in trouble." Starting in the 1930s some immigrants arrived by air (Colonial Airways from Canada). After WWII, Air France started service, and German and Italian airlines came in the 1950s.  Ellis Island was closed in 1954 by President Eisenhower. Immigrants who were still detained when it closed were sent to jails. After 1954, Ellis Island was still used by the Coast Guard for training and by the Public Health Services department.  Barry’s research on workers at Ellis Island: Most employees were men. Interestingly, blue collar men tended to die before age 60, and better educated ones lived much longer.  Female employees were typically widows, unmarried or had husbands who did not support them. "Char woman" was a common role held by Irish, Swedish and German women. Char means "chores" (cleaning women). They worked often for about $400/ year with no pension, and lived to old ages. A nursery was opened at Ellis Island; many Christian missionaries worked there. Ludmila Foxlee (1885-1971) was one of them, a social worker with the YWCA. to read more immigrant aid workers at Ellis Island. Three more great resources for discovering the stories of your immigrant ancestors: Read this article and watch (for free) an award-winning, official documentary) If your search at doesn’t retrieve your ancestors, head on over to . There you will find dozens of links to search resources, including the Ellis Island Gold Form for arrivals between 1892 and 1924.  Even the folks at Ellis Island refer researchers to Morse’s site. Listen to Lisa’s interview with Stephen Morse in In Lias's free (episodes 29-31), genealogist Steve Danko covers immigration and naturalization records in depth and even offers up some little-known tips about deciphering some of the cryptic notes researchers often find on passenger lists.   PROFILE AMERICA:   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Contributor: Your DNA Guide Melissa Barker, Contributor: The Archive Lady Michael Strauss, Contributor: Military Minutes Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog! Sign up for our FREE newsletter: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.  

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #210 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode: You’ve heard of “burned counties,” a phrase used to describe places where courthouse fires or other disasters have destroyed key genealogy records? In this episode, a listener presents the problem of her burned city—Chicago. Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard shares some of the latest buzz about DNA health reports you can get with your DNA tests for family history—and some opinions about them News from the Genealogy Gems Book Club Get-started Swedish genealogy tips from Legacy Tree Genealogist Paul Woodbury The Archive Lady Melissa Barker shines the spotlight on archival collections that haven’t even been processed yet (and suggestions for getting to them) Five years away from the release of the 1950 US census, Lisa has tips on researching your family in the 1940s and preparing for its release MAILBOX: GEMS FOR YOU AND YOUR SOCIETY Gail mentioned the free step-by-step Great news! Your genealogy society or group may reprint articles from Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems blog! to learn more. MAILBOX: GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB by Frank Delaney (Thank you for supporting the free podcast by using our links to get your copies of these books.) by Frank Delaney   Book Club Guru Sunny Morton recommends the novels of Frank Delaney, beginning with (and now she’s reading ). Frank is a master storyteller, and family history themes wind throughout his stories. Tip: he narrates his audiobooks himself. They are well worth listening to! But they’re so beautifully written Sunny is buying them in print, too. MAILBOX: THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE Resource:  (an index of Cook County marriages and deaths) Recommended: : “I discussed a book specifically on Chicago research:  by Grace DuMelle. As I recall, it was a very comprehensive book and could give you good leads on where to look.” by Lisa Louise Cooke : Johnstown Flood story : Eastland disaster story and tips on researching disasters in your family history (includes mention of GenDisasters)   Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. RootsMagic is now fully integrated with Ancestry.com: you can sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site.     Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . ARCHIVE LADY: UNPROCESSED RECORDS As an archivist, working in an archive every day, I get very excited when someone walks through the door with a records donation in hand. Many of our archives would not have the genealogical and historical records they have without the generosity of others that make records donations. Archives receive donations of documents, photographs, ephemera and artifacts almost on a daily basis. Many archives have back rooms full of unprocessed and uncatalogued records collections. Sometimes they are even sitting in the original boxes they were donated. These records collections have not been microfilmed, they are not online anywhere but they exist and the genealogist needs to seek them out. Images courtesy of Melissa Barker and Houston County, TN Archives. One tip that I like to share with genealogists is to ask the staff at the archives about these unprocessed and uncatalogued record collections. Many times these record collections haven't even been processed yet but the archivist might let you look through a specific collection. Be prepared, sometimes the archivist doesn't allow patrons to view unprocessed collections. But like I always say "It doesn't hurt to ask!" The archivist should know what they have in those collections and should be able to help you decide if a particular collection will be of help to you and your genealogy research. Many of our archives and archivists are very busy processing records, helping patrons, answer email and much more. Maybe the archive is short staffed and can’t get to the unprocessed records as quickly as they would like. This is why there are record collections sitting on shelves in back rooms waiting to be processed. If you have made a research trip to an archive, it wouldn't hurt to ask about any new record donations or collections. There could very well be records in those boxes about your ancestors. If you are emailing or talking to the archives by phone, be sure and ask about any new records collections that have been processed or that have recently been donated and are waiting to be processed. Most likely you will have to travel to the facility to see the records but you can get an idea of what is available.  Archivists love to share the records in their care and usually know what is contained in those boxes that haven’t been processed yet. The answer to your genealogical question could be sitting in a box of unprocessed records. I like to always encourage genealogists to put “unprocessed records” on their to-do list. As genealogists, we should leave no stone or box of records, unturned. DNA WITH DIAHAN: MORE DNA HEALTH REPORTS Recently, offered its customers a new $49 add-on product: a wellness report that promises to “empower you to make more informed decisions about your nutrition, exercise, and supplementation.” The report comes via a partnership with Vitagene, a nutrigenomics company. How does it work? When you order the report, Family Tree DNA shares the results of your  with Vitagene and gives you a lifestyle questionnaire. According to the site, “this information, along with your DNA raw data results, will be analyzed using the latest research available in the areas of nutrition, exercise, and genomics. You can expect your results to be available on your dashboard within one week of purchase.” At this point, the test is only available to those who have taken the Family Tree DNA Family Finder DNA test (we called to check with them specifically about those who , but the Wellness Report isn’t available to them, either). Those who qualify will see a  option on their Family Tree DNA dashboard: There are several components to the Family Tree DNA and Vitagene Wellness Report. The site describes them as follows: Nutrition Report. “Personalized, actionable recommendations designed to help you reach your weight goals. Learn how your DNA affects traits such as obesity risk, emotional eating, weight regain after dieting, and more. Included Reports:  Obesity Risk, Alcohol Metabolism, Cholesterol Levels, Triglyceride Levels, Lactose Sensitivity, Gluten Sensitivity, Emotional Eating, Weight Regain After Dieting, Fat Intake, Sodium Intake.” Exercise Report. “Outlines the optimal physical activities for your body to start seeing better results, faster. Included Reports: Power and Endurance Exercise, Muscle Strength, Muscle Cramps, Exercise Behavior, Blood Pressure Response to Exercise, Weight Response to Exercise.” Supplementation Report. “Reveals which deficiencies you are more inclined to suffer from and recommends a supplement regimen that will help keep you healthy and feeling 100%. Included Reports: Full Supplementation Regimen, Vitamin D Intake, Vitamin A Intake, Folate Intake, Vitamin B12 Intake, Iron Intake.” And what about your privacy? According to Family Tree DNA’s Q&A, “Your data is 100% secure and protected by industry standard security practices. We will not share your information without your explicit consent.” This is just one of many services that are cropping up or will crop up in the future to offer additional interpretations of our DNA test results. (23andMe was the first major company in the genealogy space to offer these– to read about their health reports, and click  and  to read about the company’s long road to FDA approval.) Essentially, each DNA test you do for family history looks at a certain number of your SNPs, or little pieces of DNA (not your entire genome, which is costly and isn’t necessary for genetic genealogy purposes). A nutrigenomic profile compares your SNPs with SNPs known to be associated with various conditions or ailments. (These genetic markers have been identified by researchers, many in academia, and deposited in ClinVar, a large, publicly-accessible database that itself is part of an even larger genetic database, SNPedia.) In this case of Vitagene, they are likely mining ClinVar for specific places in your DNA that pertain to nutrition, and were also evaluated as part of the Family Finder test. Of course, many factors affect your health, nutrition, exercise capacity, and other wellness indicators, not just your genes. The purpose of reports like these is to give you just one more piece of information to weigh personally or with your health care provider. When considering whether to purchase a nutrigenomics report such as this, I’d look carefully at what’s promised in the report, as well as the company providing it and the cost. Vitagene does also sell vitamin supplements, so they have a clear motivation to tell you about what supplements to take. And, for your information, Vitagene also offers this . Of course, if it is health advice you want, for only $5 you can turn to  and receive a health report–based on any testing company’s autosomal DNA report–that includes some nutritional factors. (I’ve blogged recently about Promethease and another inexpensive recommendation for DNA health reports.  to read it!) Or, I will just tell you right now, for free, without even looking at your DNA: Exercise more and eat more green vegetables and less ice cream. There. I just saved you some money. You’re welcome. GEM: COUNTDOWN TO THE 1950 CENSUS: 5 TIPS Get a copy of a census record for yourself or a relative (1950-2010) This costs $65 per person, per census year. In addition to genealogy uses, census records are legally-recognized documents to prove your identity, citizenship or age if you’re applying for a passport and you’ve lost your birth certificate or other situations like that. Order it through the . : How to obtain a copy of your census record Find your family in all possible records before and during WWII City directories, , , the , military enlistments, and even alien registrations or internment camp records for foreign-born residents during WWII. 5 places to find city directories: (subscription required) to see holdings at different libraries (may require copy service request, since originals may not circulate through interlibrary loan) Local public libraries/societies Find your family in all possible records AFTER the war City directories, yearbooks, deeds, divorce records (the ) Post-WWII draft registrations: to order copies of draft registration records for men born 1897-1957. Requires full name of applicant, address at time of registration (tip: get it from a city directory).  Help create location tools for the 1950 US Census ” Google your family’s history during the 1940s and 1950s (FREE) Premium video: 2nd ed, by Lisa Louise Cooke (there’s an entire chapter on YouTube) Follow-up your discoveries with Google and YouTube search questions. Example: You find your grandmother working as a telephone operator in the 1940s in a city directory. What would her job have been like? Search YouTube: It appears from these videos that operators essentially served as emergency dispatchers. When did 9-1-1 service begin? Search Google: LEGACY TREE TIP: START YOUR SWEDISH GENEALOGY to read Paul Woodbury’s tips on the Genealogy Gems website. Receive $100 off a 20-hour+ research project from with code GEM S100. Expires Oct. 31st, 2017. PROFILE AMERICA: THE OPEN ROAD “The busiest spot on the Pennsylvania Turnpike,” Library of Congress photograph; image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. to see full citation. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a lightning-quick tech tip from Lisa Louise Cooke on how to undo that last browser you just closed and didn’t mean to! The and is only $2.99 for PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Hannah Fullerton, Audio Editor Lacey Cooke, Service Manager FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.    

The Genealogy Gems PodcastEpisode 209with Lisa Louise Cooke In today’s episode: David Ouimette of FamilySearch is known to his colleagues as “the Indiana Jones of genealogy” because of his globe-trotting adventures in curating record treasures. He joins us to talk about the millions of records being digitized around the world right now. Lots of excited emails from you! Compiled military service records from Military Minutes expert Michael Strauss GENEALOGY GEMS EVENTS Thanks for a great seminar, (shown right: the beautiful items you see in the foreground are Czech crystal and other traditional items) Bill at Jake's See Lisa Louise Cooke in October: October 15, 2017 Denver, CO October 21, 2017 Roswell, NM NEWS: ROOTSMAGIC UPDATE Free update for RootsMagic 7 users: version 7.5.4.0 (update primarily fixes bugs). Click on the "Update Available" indicator in the lower right corner of your RootsMagic 7 program screen. If you don't already have RootsMagic 7, to see what’s new Or to order the upgrade.   MAILBOX Gray recommends Lisa’s free   MAILBOX: FREE WEBINAR RESPONSES  Click the image above to watch the video Click the red SUBSCRIBE button on the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel.   NEW GENEALOGY GEMS PREMIUM VIDEO Develop your search superpowers to uncover information about your family history on the web with Google at lightning speed! Explore tools like Image search, facial recognition, finding specific types of files, how to find the answers you need, and more. to watch a class preview; to become a Genealogy Gems Premium member. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is an easy-to-access version of the new Genealogy Gems Premium video, “Google Search Secrets.” The and is only $2.99 for .   INTERVIEW: DAVID OUIMETTE OF FAMILYSEARCH: “THE INDIANA JONES OF GENEALOGY” David Ouimette, CG, manages Content Strategy at FamilySearch. He has conducted research and analyzed archival materials in dozens of countries in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. David lectures regularly and has written for genealogists, including Genealogy Gems Contributing Editor Sunny Morton is the author of “.” Use this jammed-packed cheat sheet to quickly and easily compare the most important features of the four biggest international genealogy records membership websites: Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Consult it every time your research budget, needs or goals change! Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at .    is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.   MILITARY MINUTES: COMPILED MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS If a clue found in your ancestor’s listed military service you will want next to search for his Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR).  The Compiled Military Service Records (often abbreviated at CMSR or CSR) record the name, unit, and period of service of the veteran along with information related to military service from the Revolutionary War to the end of the hostilities of the Philippine Insurrection after the turn of the 20th century. The information varies greatly from each of the war periods that recorded this information. Besides the identifying features listed above, they typically contain muster in/out information, rank in/out details and further highlight the soldier career by recording promotions, prisoner of war memorandums, casualties, and a number of personnel papers which may include enlistment papers and other related documents. Several of the war periods also provide physical descriptions of the soldiers including; name, age, nativity, occupation, height, hair, eyes, and complexion information. This set of records represents the volunteer Army and doesn’t include regular Army enlistments. Except for limited records of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 for the Navy, the other branches of the military (including Navy, Marines, and Revenue Cutter Service) all have their equivalent set of records. Your ancestor may have multiple entries in the CMSR. This could occur if a soldier served in more than one unit, or in the case of John LeMaster, who enlisted in two different armies. The Civil War divided our nation, testing the loyalty of all persons who lived during this time. Lemaster chose the Confederacy (as least initially) when in 1861 in Charlestown, VA he enlisted with the 2nd VA Infantry fighting alongside of his Brigade commander Thomas J. Jackson who later would be known as “Stonewall Jackson.” (Photos: John H. Lemaster and his family in Martinsburg, WV. Photos courtesy of Michael Strauss.) After the Confederate loss at the battle of Gettysburg he deserted and lived in Martinsburg in what was now West Virginia where on his Draft Registration he was listed as a deserter from the Rebel Army.  In 1864 he enlisted in the United States Army with the 3rd WV Cavalry, serving out the duration of the war until 1865. After the war he was granted a federal pension, with no mention of his former service in the Confederacy. Shown on following pages: his military service records for both the Confederate and Union armies.     Access various CMSR indexes and images online at the following: At fold3: Revolutionary War. C are online for CT, DE, GA, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, and Continental Troops. Genealogists should also search the local state where their ancestors were from as some Militia isn’t included in these records.    During the Revolutionary War additional Compiled Service Records were completed , which was broken down to include Naval Personnel, Quartermaster General, and Commissary General Departments.  One additional set of CMSR images covered Revolutionary War service along with Imprisonment Cards. Old Wars (1784-1811). After the Revolutionary War, the newly formed United States government sought to maintain a regular Army. However, volunteer soldiers who served from 1784-1811 were recorded. (One of the reasons for volunteers to be called up would have included the Whiskey Rebellion of 1793.)  Their Compiled Military Service Record full images are . are online for CT, DE, DC, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VT, VA and also the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Shawanoe Indians along with United States Volunteers. Full copies of CMSR are online for the Chickasaw and Creek Indians, along with the men from Lake Erie and Mississippi.  are online for the various Indians wars from 1815-1858.  Mexican War. C for AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, MD, DC, MA, MI, MS, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, and the Mormon Battalion and the United States Volunteers. Full copies of the CMSR are online for AR, MS, PA, TN, TX, and the Mormon Battalion. Civil War. :  Union: Indexes are online for AZ, CA, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, WA, WI, United States Veteran Volunteers, and Veteran Reserve Corps. Full copies of CMSR for AL, AR, CA, CO, Dakota Territory, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MA, MS, MO, NE, NV, NM, NC, OR, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV, United States Colored Troops, United States Volunteers, and 1st NY Engineers. Confederate: indexes are online for AL, and VA. Full copies of CMSR are online for AL, AZ, AK, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA, Miscellaneous, Volunteers, Indians, and Officers. Spanish American War. Compiled Military Service for AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, Dakota Territory, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, and United States Volunteers.  At Ancestry.com: Revolutionary War. Full copies of the Compiled Military Service Records for CT, DE, GA, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, and Continental Troops.  This database often doesn’t list the local militia as most of the men listed were part of the continental line. Researchers can access this group of records and search by keyword or location. Old Wars. This database is an index and full images of the of those men who served after the Revolutionary War and before the War of 1812, covering the years of 1784-1811. War of 1812. Abstracted lists of names, state, and military units from the Compiled Service Records (no images). Indian Wars: : includes the Florida Wars, Second Creek War, and the Third Seminole War from 1835-1858 Mexican War. Full copies of the CMSR are online for MS, PA, TN, TX, and the Mormon Battalion. Civil War: Union:Compiled Military Service Records are searchable, with a link to the collection Confederate: Compiled Military Service Records are searchable, with a link to Fold3 to view original images . An additional set of Service Records comes from units that were raised by the Confederate Government and not from any of the states that comprised the Confederacy. The CMSR are available online to view the images and searchable by military unit . Spanish American War. Compiled Military Service Record Indexes are online that cover the same geographical areas as on Fold3 . Full copies of CMSR are online on Ancestry for Florida . Free at FamilySearch.org: Family Search has fewer Compiled Military Service Records available online that include images. One of the major collections includes the Revolutionary War CMSR’s that when , the images provide a direct link to Fold3. Most of the other major war periods are microfilmed and available through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. With online access through both Fold3 and Ancestry provided on the computers in the library, accessing the film is less desirable.   GEM: USNEWSMAP Suzanne’s comment: “Did you realize that this site from the Georgia Tech Research Institute is actually a wonderful search engine for Chronicling . website? I have used the LOC site often, but found it cumbersome sometimes. This is a real time saver. Thanks for the Genealogy Gem.” Lisa’s tip: In the timeline you can specify a date, like 1860 (date and month too!), then press play and it will play back and reveal the locations on mentions of your search query coming forward in time. It would be really interesting to take a word or phrase and see when it first occurred. This is a very feature-rich website! PROFILE AMERICA: A short : it’s a great example of the do-it-yourself video narratives you can make to tell your own family’s stories! KEEP UP WITH GENEALOGY GEMS Listen to the Genealogy Gems Podcast twice a month! Check in on or after October 26, 2017 for . What’s coming? Paul Woodbury of Legacy Tree Genealogists will share some great tips for beginning Swedish genealogy—and much more! Follow Subscribe to the   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager    

The Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode: A free webinar! Great comments from you: An inspiring Google Books success story, how one listener gets her shy husband talking about his life story, and a listener’s own version of the poem, “Where I’m From” The Archive Lady talks to us about historical scrapbooks at archives that may be packed with genealogy gems for us A genealogy hero who saved a life story Your first look at RootsTech 2018 NEWS: FREE WEBINAR Handouts: from Lisa Louise Cooke from Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard NEWS: FIRST LOOK AT ROOTSTECH 2018 for more on RootsTech 2018 Going to RootsTech for the first time? Read this . MAILBOX: PAT INTERVIEWS HER SHY HUSBAND video Pat’s tip: When someone is shy about sharing life stories, interview them informally while traveling. Pat uses her iPad to transcribe his responses, then polishes it up when she gets home and transfers it to her own computer. “Eventually we will have enough to write the story of his life, with lots of pictures. And it's completely painless.” MAILBOX: GOOGLE BOOKS SUCCESS STORY FROM KIM Link image to:  for another inspiring genealogy discovery using Google Books—with how-to tips and a free video preview of Lisa Louise Cooke’s Premium video tutorial, “Google Books: The Tool You Need Every Day” MAILBOX: “WHERE I’M FROM” POEM SUBMISSION : Learn more about the “Where I’m From” poetry project and hear a conversation with the original author, Kentucky poet laureate George Ella Lyon. THE ARCHIVE LADY: HISTORICAL SCRAPBOOKS Scrapbooks are one of my favorite record sources to do genealogy research in and to also process in the archives. There are all kinds of scrapbooks; each and every one is unique and one-of-a-kind. They were put together with love and the hope that what was saved and pasted onto those pages will be remembered. The origins of scrapbooking is said to go back to the 15th century in England and it is still a hobby enjoyed by many today. Most archives, libraries, historical and genealogical societies have scrapbooks in their collections. They will most likely be found in the Manuscript Collection as part of a specifically named collection. Scrapbooks contain all kinds of wonderful genealogical records, photographs and ephemera. There is even a scrapbook in the Houston County, Tennessee Archives that has candy bar wrappers pasted in it. This particular scrapbook is one of my absolute favorites. It was compiled and owned by Evelyn Ellis and dates to the 1930’s and 1940’s. Among the normal newspaper clippings and event programs are interesting pieces such as a Baby Ruth candy bar wrapper with a handwritten note by Evelyn that reads "Always remember June 11, 1938 at Beach Grove at the Ice Cream Supper." There is also an original ticket pasted into the scrapbook from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee where Evelyn Ellis visited and recorded her comments on April 1, 1939. There are scrapbooks for just about any subject. Aside from personal scrapbooks, you can find war scrapbooks, obituary clipping scrapbooks and scrapbooks that collected and recorded local or national events. The obituaries found in scrapbooks could be a real find because sometimes they are the only pieces of the newspaper that survive and can be a treasure trove for any genealogist. Many scrapbooks contain one-of-a-kind documents, photographs and ephemera. To find scrapbooks in an archive, ask the archivist if they have any scrapbooks in their records collections. Many times scrapbooks are housed with a particular manuscript collection and will be listed in the finding aid. Some archives have a collection of just scrapbooks that have been donated to them and can be easily accessed. Most scrapbooks will not be on research shelves and will be stored in back rooms at the archives and will have to be requested. You should also check the archives online catalog for any listings of scrapbooks before you jump in the car and drive to the archives. I encourage all genealogists to check with the archive in the area where your ancestors were from and see if they have any scrapbooks in their archived records collections. Scrapbooks are like time capsules: you don’t know what will be found in them until you open them up. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a PDF with tips for what to do if your own scrapbook gets wet. The and is only $2.99 for . This episode is sponsored by: Use coupon code STORY17 to save 30% through 10/15/17! Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at .    is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started. GEM: SAVING A LIFE STORY Original story on SWVA Today: by Margaret Linford, Columnist Genealogy Gems how-to resources to help you: Video record a loved one telling their life stories Digitize and share your research and your own life story: How to Start Blogging series in the free (episodes 38-42) and this article: RootsMagic family history software has publishing tools (for print and online publishing):   This episode is sponsored by: Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. RootsMagic is now fully integrated with Ancestry.com: you can sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site.   A BRILLIANT WAY TO “MEET” YOUR ANCESTOR Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard shared this story from Christine: “Friday night I brought out large cut out of my Grandmother, Christine Doering, sitting in an easy chair so it looks like she is talking with you, and I played a recording done in 1970's of her talking and giggling about coming to America in 1896 at the age of 9.  For some they had never heard her voice before.”   Learn more about Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems Podcast: Explore our website at , Subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter (from the home page on the website) Subscribe to the . PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.  

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 207 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, Lisa welcomes Mary Tedesco, a co-host of PBS’ Genealogy Roadshow. Mary shares stories and tips about tracing Italian and Italian-American roots. Also: FamilySearch updates since the end of microfilm lending (and how YOU helped make the last days of lending more effective); A listener uses Google to find her mysterious great-grandmother, with a success story she calls a “game-changer” for her genealogy research. GET THE APP If you haven’t downloaded the Genealogy Gems app for easier listening on your mobile device, consider doing so now. If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is…. The and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users.   NEWS: FAMILYSEARCH RECORDS ACCESS UPDATE ALL of the microfilmed records that have been rented in the past 5 years have now been digitized, over 1.5 million films. From now on, if you need a film that hasn’t been digitized yet, you can call FamilySearch Support toll-free (866-406-1830) and request it for the priority digitization list. They continue to digitally scan about 1000 films per day. (That sounds like a lot, but at this rate it will still take them until 2020 to be done.) New digital images are being put in the FamilySearch Catalog as soon as possible. This is not the main digital record search area! It will take collections a while to appear here. Instead, under the Search tab, select Catalog, and then search by place and record type or other categories. This is a master catalog of all the Family History Library’s collections, online and offline, and when you click on an item’s individual description, you’ll be able to see a link to its digitized version if it’s available. If you or anyone else had any films on loan in family history centers and FamilySearch affiliate libraries when the lending program ended, those automatically have extended loan status, which means they can stay there indefinitely unless the management decides to send them back. If all else fails, you can still go to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, UT and order microfilmed records to view, or you can hire someone to do it for you. FamilySearch Affiliate libraries now have access to nearly all of the restricted image collections as family history centers. to read or listen to Lisa’s special interview with Diane Loosle of FamilySearch. It goes into much more detail about accessing records on the site, at affiliate libraries and more. to read the August 30, 2017 update from FamilySearch. To save 30% off a Care.com Premium membership, visit  when you subscribe.   I had so much fun opening the box. They even sent me an apron! Visit and use promo code gems30 to save $30 off your first week of deliveries.   NEWS: FREE WEBINAR 9/23 LIVE FROM NYC Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems presents: Reveal Your Unique Story through DNA & Family History Sponsored by Animoto Saturday, September 23, 2017 11:00 AM EST Register now Turn DNA results into your family history Turn your family history into a compelling story Turn your compelling story into a video! Learn from Lisa Louise Cooke, Diahan Southard and Animoto’s Beth Forester: - Your DNA testing options (there are more than you think), and possible outcomes - The best free resources for going beyond DNA, back several generations in your family (quickly!) - Creative ideas for filling in the story gaps - How to expand your story in ways you never expected by finding DNA connections - Share the story you’ve uncovered with the world through riveting video Can’t attend live? to receive the slides and the video recording afterward. Lisa chat with Hannah about Hurricane Harvey Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   MAILBOX: KRISTIN’S SUCCESS STORY “Among the handful of mystery photographs of my grandmother as a child and the strangers who sat beside her, was a brief article from a newspaper. It was a lesson in manners, titled ‘Silence is Golden’ and it was written by Merton Markert, a student of the Modern Classics. A photo of a young woman with a disheveled Gibson hairdo was attached.” by Lisa Louise Cooke teaches the search strategies you need to do searches like these. Try ! Lisa found a listing for a commencement program from 1902, old post cards of the school, and other yearbooks from Lancaster High School. Sign up for a free Ebay account, run a search, and then click to Follow the search. You will then be alerted to future auctions that match your criteria. for tips on finding yearbooks and other school records. Genealogy Gems Premium member perk: has great tips for using Ebay to find family history treasures. to learn more about Premium membership.     INTERVIEW: MARY TEDESCO MARY M. Tedesco is a professional genealogist, speaker, and author. She is a host and genealogist on PBS’ Genealogy Roadshow” and Founder of . Mary speaks fluent Italian and travels often to Italy to conduct client genealogical research and visit family. She is co-author of .             to watch a free interview with Mary Tedesco with more tips on doing Italian genealogy research.   GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB by Helene Stapinski tells the story of the author’s journey to Italy to learn the truth behind the family stories about her Italian ancestors. Tune in to later this month to hear an excerpt from a conversation with Helene Stapinski. (The entire interview will play in .)    MILITARY MINUTES: DRAFT REGISTRATIONS INTRODUCING MICHAEL STRAUSS Michael Strauss, AG is the principal owner of and an Accredited Genealogist since 1995. He is a native of Pennsylvania and a resident of Utah and has been an avid genealogist for more than 30 years. Strauss holds a BA in History and is a United States Coast Guard veteran. BONUS handout to celebrate this new segment: for a 4-page handout on U.S. draft registration records by Michael L. Strauss. FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.    

Change is something we can always count on, but that doesn't make it any easier, does it? Understanding why the change is happening, how it affects you personally, and what you can do to adapt, does. So, when announced the end of their long-standing microfilm lending program, I immediately sought out the key expert who can answer these questions for you.  FamilySearch's Goal for Microfilm and the Family History Library It seems like only yesterday I was interviewing Don R. Anderson, Director of the Family History Library about the future of the library and FamilySearch. Back then, in 2009, he made the startling statement that their goal was to digitize all of the microfilms in FamilySearch's granite vault. ( to that interview in my Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast episode 16.) Fast forward to today, and we see that in less than ten years that end goal is within sight. We are also seeing the ending of a service nearly every genealogist has tapped into at some point: the microfilm lending program. Family historians have been able to place orders for microfilm to be shipped to their local Family History Center where they could then scroll through the images in search of ancestors. On August 31, 2017, this service comes to an end. Fear of the Unknown It's sort of scary to see this come to an end before every last roll of microfilm has been digitized and put online (just head to social media to read some of the concerns). It's definitely been comforting to know that the records you need are just an order form and two weeks away. I have always found that being armed with information helps alleviate fear, and so upon hearing the news, I reached out to FamilySearch to arrange a special interview with Diane Loosle, Director of Patron Services at FamilySearch. In this special Genealogy Gems Podcast interview, we take the time to really comb through what the end of the microfilm lending program means for you, and what your options are for records access going forward. I've been anxious to get this information into your ears and hands, and have spent the entire weekend producing this episode and transcribing it for you.  The Interview: The End of the FamilySearch Microfilm Lending Program Lisa: One of the constant challenges for genealogists is gaining access to genealogical records that they need for their particular family history research. I imagine that you've had that challenge yourself. Thankfully, since 1938 the FamilySearch organization has been microfilming records around the world. They've been making these records available through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and through a tremendous lending program with their Family History Centers located worldwide. And that may be where you've gotten your hands on a couple of microfilms and records over the years. But of course, as the Internet has been more accessible over the last two decades, this is changing the landscape of record access. So more and more we are gaining access to digitized records online, and this has led to a really big change in the long-standing microfilm lending program. I've invited Diane Loosle, the Director of Patron Services Division at FamilySearch, to talk about the change that's occurred, what it means for you, and what your record access options are going to be going forward. Diane, thanks so much for joining me today. Diane: I'm so happy I could come, and thank you for inviting me. The Reasons Microfilm Lending is Coming to an End Lisa: I imagine that you've been very busy with the changes. I know that the last day of the microfilm ordering was August 31, 2017. And you know FamilySearch has been digitizing records for years, so we are going to be shifting from microfilm to digitization. Why is right now the time that the change is happening, where you're actually discontinuing the physical microfilm lending? Diane: This is such an exciting time Lisa. We've been looking forward to this day for many, many years because when you think about the fact that you can get access to these images immediately in your home, for the most part - there are some that you have to access through a center or library, but the majority are in your home - that's pretty wonderful. And so we are moving to a place where all of our fulfillment for your needs for your records is going to be digital and that's what this change is all about. So the reason that it's happening now is that, a couple of different reasons. First, we have moved through a lot of the microfilm and have had those digitized and they are up online. So it was a good point with that. We've also seen a huge drop in the orders of microfilms. So there's not very many being ordered now, so that kind of lined up. And then also our supplier. We have a single supplier for vesicular microfilm, and I think that's important to understand that we're talking about a certain type of microfilm because we use that type to make the copies and send them out to you. We have a single supplier, and that supplier has been kind of raising prices and giving us the indication that they would rather not be in that business. And so with all those things together, and the fact that we would like to take the resources that we are currently using to duplicate films, and send them out, and ship them and all of that, we'd like to take those resources and move them towards bringing you more records digitally. It seemed like the right time to make this decision to finally finish it. Now we do have some of the collection that has not been completed of course, and I think that's what's causing most people concern is, "What happens? Can I get access to that during this time that you are still finishing it off?" Lisa: Exactly, and you know I have visited the distribution center for your lending program, and it was massive and it looked really complicated. And then when you add on the idea that the access to the actual film itself is changing. I just got a camera from my uncle, and it's got 25-year-old film in it. It took me all day to find a local store that could develop it for me! So, it's like a perfect storm of a lot of technological changes, which is exciting, because as you said we can access things from home. Digitization and Publishing Limitations I know that when it comes to the microfilm that you guys have, the goal has been to digitize all of it. But explain to folks what the limitations are in terms of, do you have the rights to lend it, do you have the rights to digitize and put up online everything that you have microfilmed? Diane: Right. So we are always limited by the rights associated with the collections because the record custodians stipulate those when we do the agreements. And in microfilm, we've been circulating things. Our intention is to circulate digitally everything possible legally for us to do. And that's the majority of the collection. Now in the process of doing this, what's happened over the years is that laws have changed around Data Privacy, particularly in Europe and some other locations around the world. And as we're going through and reviewing all of these, you can imagine these thousands of contracts for this process, we're discovering that there are some that because of the changes in the Data Privacy laws, they really should not have been continuing to circulate because of those changes. So those would then in the future be restricted because of the Data Privacy issues. And those are usually very modern records, those that have living people in them. So there will be a set of records that maybe you could have gotten on microfilm previously that you would not now be able to get digitally. But that's because they shouldn't have been in circulation anyway because of the data privacy changes. But for the most part, what we're circulating microfilm-wise you will have access to digitally. Now, about 20% of the collection you have to access through the Family History Library, or through a Family History Center or affiliate library because of the contracts we have. And that was also true with the microfilm of course, and now it's true with the digital images as well, based on the contracts, so there will be a certain set that is in that category. Family History Center Affiliates Lisa: Help us understand what affiliate centers are. Diane: Affiliates don’t have to return the film they have. Affiliates are usually public libraries or Family History Centers in an LDS chapel. Local leadership will decide. So if they keep them, you can still access them. And the Family History Library in Salt Lake City will maintain a large microfilm collection as well. Go to familysearch.org and in the right corner, you’ll find the Get Help link (and click Contact Us). for affiliates near you. They will appear on a map. Libraries have extended hours compared to Family History Centers. The best way to find out where the films are still located, both physical and digital, is the . Many people aren’t that familiar with the card catalog. Look for the Camera icon, then click to go to the document image. Lisa: Let's dig into that a little bit. So we're talking about, you mentioned the term "affiliate centers" and I know that there are some locations which aren't technically affiliates. Can you help define that for us? How do we figure out, before we make the jaunt over to the local family history center if that's one that actually can still have some of the microfilm. Help us sort that out. Diane: So if you go to any center or affiliate library out there, and I'll tell you how to find those in just a minutes, they can keep whatever film they already have on hand. There's nothing that's saying that they need to send it back. Now that is dependent on decisions made at the local level. So, you know, the leadership of either the affiliate library, which is normally in a public library, or a family history center which is often in an LDS chapel, the local leadership there will make a decision about, you know, the film and what happens to them in the future, but we're not asking them to send them back. So you'll still be able to access them. And the library here in Salt Lake will maintain a large microfilm collection as well. So, it will still be available that way. Now the way that you find these locations is if you go into FamilySearch, up in the right-hand corner there's a Get Help link, and the Get Help link lets you get in touch with us. And then you can search actually using your zip code to find which centers and affiliate libraries are near you, and both will appear on the map that appears. So, uhm, you can find out which ones are near your location. The affiliates are, as I said, often public libraries, so they may have extended hours beyond what the family history center might have because the family history center is often as I said in a chapel and manned by volunteers. And so they may not have as many hours as your affiliate libraries may have. How to Identify Where the Films are Located Lisa: So whatever they may have had on hand when the lending program came to an end, they had the option to decide if they were going to hang onto it, or if they were going to send stuff back. There's going to be some just at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Do we go into the card catalog to identify where the existing films are still located? Diane: Yes, so the best way to find out what's available both digitally and where the films might be physically located is through the FamilySearch Catalog on . So if you go to Search on FamilySearch, and then Catalog, you can look up your location, look up the records your interested in, and it will tell you where those can be found. Now, if it's available digitally, and actually most people I've talked to where they would have this concern about "oh goodness, I'm not going to have access to my films!", when I've talked with them, and we've looked them up, their records were already available digitally, they just didn't know it. So, if you go in the catalog and look it up where it lists the microfilm, there will be a little camera icon out to the right-hand side, and if you see that little camera icon, you can click on that and that takes you straight in to the digital images for that record. Now we publish those, we do about digitize about 1,500 microfilms a day at the vault. And we publish those pretty immediately up on to the website through the catalog. You will not find those through the Historical Records part of FamilySearch under Search Records. They're just through the catalog, so there's a much larger collection available through the catalog than what you see in the Historical Records section. How Films are Prioritized for Digitization Lisa: When we get notifications, I know I get your press releases and such on the new records that are coming out, does that include those? Because we do publish every Friday kind of a run down for all of our listeners out there, what the newest records are that are coming online. Diane: It does not currently. That publication only includes things that are published online in the  Historical Records section of the website. However, with this change, we’re looking to change that so it will include those being published to the catalog. Now the challenge with that is the volume! Because 1,500 films a day is a lot. And these films, because the way that we did this initially, we prioritized all of the films that had been ordered in the last five years to make sure that those were available digitally, so it's been kind of piecemeal a little bit. So, you might have two or three films in a full collection that have been digitized and the rest maybe not, at this point, and so trying to help you understand what is and is not available through that publication. We're still working through the details. But the intention is, as we go forward, will be to prioritize filling in those collections where maybe one or two films have been digitized and the rest have not yet. We will go through and make sure the whole collection has been digitized. And then we are going to introduce a process where you will be able to let us know if there is a film that you absolutely need. You can let us know, and we will work that into our prioritization and try to get that to you as quickly as we can. You know if you think about how long it took to get a microfilm to be delivered to you once you ordered it, you can think about it's kind of the same time frame when it might then be available to you digitally. How to  Request that a Microfilm be Digitized Lisa: How could they be contacting you to make that kind of request? Diane: We are working on that process right now, trying to finalize it. So there's kind of two options we're looking at at the moment: One, you would contact us through our support line, the Help Line. The other is that we would just have a form up that you would fill out. Now the form is going to take more time to get established and up. So we may go out of the gate with not as ideal of a process, but we want to make sure that we can let us know, so we'll be clear about what that is as we get closer to September 1st. Lisa: When we get into the catalog, have you already flagged which ones are going to have restrictions, they are just not going to be able to be digitized? Because I think some people might be thinking "Maybe I should just hold on and wait, over the next couple months maybe they'll get to this one, I'll put in a request." But I imagine that's going to be a big job if you have to go in and try to flag every single one that you know you're not going to have the rights to digitize. Tell us how you're going to deal with that. Diane: Well, that has not occurred and would be pretty impossible to do at this stage, just because of the volume of what we're dealing with trying to go through. We're doing it as we go to digitize the films. And so, we discover it as we go, as opposed to knowing it ahead of time. Lisa: So if they put in a request, you pull it out, go 'OK well let's look at doing this,' and then realize, no, this one's not going to be able to do it. Then at least they would get that information? Diane: Yes, they would. Well, what would happen is we're working on a way so that in the catalog you would be able to identify that. So for example, a request actually came from the community out there that we be able to distinguish if a record can be viewed in my home, or if I have to be at the facility to view it, or if there is some other restriction on it. And so, because of that feedback, we thought "So let's see if we can figure out a way to help people understand that." Now, these things probably won't be ready right out of the gate. But we're looking for ways to make it simpler for you to understand what the challenges are with the record that you're trying to access. Gaining Access to Microfilm and Some Restricted Digitized Records in Person Lisa: Sure. So, if we're looking online and we see a record, and it's not been digitized yet, would we at this point, until you get more formalized processes going, would you still encourage people to get in touch with the in Salt Lake City? What other options are they going to have to gain access? Diane: So first what I would do is I would look, because we'll maintain the film inventory, so we know where the films are located, so I would first look and see, is this film available somewhere near me? Or if I have an opportunity to come to the Family History Library, and the film is there, great. But, so first look and see if you can locate it, then you can let us know through the channels that we'll have available to you what the film is, and then we'll put it into the list to be prioritized to be digitized. But I would always encourage folks to look and see if they are located near where that film already is because that would be much quicker for them to get access to that. Lisa: If Salt Lake City is the only place, then, of course, this really whittles down to the big fear of everybody, is "Oh that one film I'm going to need, it's only going to be in Salt Lake City and I can't get there." What other kinds of options might a person like that have? Diane: Well, so I think that there are some options available to them because we have a large group of professional researchers who come to the library every day, and those folks could probably be useful to you in looking up those records and getting copies of whatever is needed. So that's one option that people could take to do that. The majority of what we'll have, I don't think the case would be that the only place you can get it is the Family History Library. If we do have a fair number of collections that are in that category as we finish this process off, then we'll look at ways to provide some access where we can. But that access would probably be in a digital way as well. So that would be my suggestion, that they reach out to those who are here every day and could take a look at that. And I think you know there are other websites where you can get access to professionals as well, or just good samaritans, you know, that want to help you out. Lisa: Absolutely, and there are lots of those. Finally, are there any records that the people listening are going to completely lose access to? Diane: The only ones that would be in that category is because of data privacy. So, if there was an issue with, you know, a law changed, that made it so that we could no longer provide access to those. But that would have been true in the microfilm world as well. Lisa: Exactly. So really, it really doesn't change in that respect. We're not losing records, we're changing up how we access them. And I think you've helped shed a lot of light on kind of what the process will be and it sounds like you have a big job ahead of you. "We're not losing records, we're changing up how we access them." Lisa Louise Cooke Shifting Resources to Meet the Goal Lisa: How quickly do you think it's going to help once the lending process is let go of, that the resources start going to all of this other work now that you have to do on the digital side? Diane: I think it will move pretty quickly for us to, you know, start to do more with the resources we have. For example, we're collecting around three million images with three hundred camera crews out there, about a week. So, that's a lot! And we want to shift a lot of resources. Another place we'd like to capture more is with Africa and the oral genealogies project that we have, and gain more access there. So, we'll be shifting to those. And then, of course, the vault is moving at a pretty good clip already, with about 1,500 films a day, so I think we'll be able to keep up pretty well with the demand that's coming at us from people. But, we'll evaluate that as we go, and determine if we need to boost up more there or not, to be able to move more quickly for folks. Empowering Genealogists to Learn More Lisa: Any other questions that I didn't think about that you've been hearing online, in social media, that you'd love to give us some input on? Diane: Well, we have had some questions from some of the affiliate libraries about how do they get the access? So that's been happening online a little bit. And so we just want them to know that we'll be reaching out to them via calling all of them actually, and helping them through this process of setting up the things that they need to technically to be able to get access to the images digitally. So that's definitely something they should know. The other thing is that we have a lot of people who don't actually know how to use the catalog [laughs] because you know they've grown up in a search world, or looking at the historical records the browsable images, and a lot of people don't understand that there's a lot of different ways to access the records on FamilySearch. So you have Search, which is a very small percentage of the collection actually, compared to the whole, and then you have the Historical Records that are only browsable, and that you can go in and look at the images browsing, and then you have everything that's been published through the catalog. So there's kind of three places that they need to look. So I think that's the biggest piece I've seen: people just don't know. They're not aware of where to find those things. And you know eventually, it will be nice, maybe when those things come together. But at this point in time, they're separate. And that's because we wanted to ensure that you would maintain access. If we could just publish them quickly and maintain access for you, that's the best in our minds. Lisa: Absolutely! Well, I know that is going to be joining us in future episodes talking more about just those different areas. And I love the way that you kind of laid it out for us because I think a lot of people weren't that familiar with the differences. And she's going to be helping us get a little savvier in that ongoing research. Diane, thank you so much for taking time to visit with me, and to answer some of the questions. I know that you know that the emotions that run high are only because people are so passionate about family history, and they are so appreciative of what FamilySearch has done. It's been an amazing resource that you guys provide to the public for free, which is just absolutely invaluable. And I know that I have a lot of confidence in where you guys are going because you always are out there looking forward. How far out into the future you guys look and you plan for is just phenomenal! It's not just about us accessing records, it's going to be for generations to come, and I love the fact that you guys are really laying the groundwork for that. Diane: Well, thank you, Lisa! We are all about getting you access to records so that you can find your ancestors, and we will always be about that. I'm glad that I could come and help people to understand what's happening and hopefully be a little less concerned about the change. I know it's difficult, but it's a wonderful change too. Lisa: Thanks again Diane! Diana: Thank you, Lisa!

The Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke In this Blast from the Past episode: Lisa reprises a favorite research detour into vehicle forensics—to identify an old family car—and shares tips for creating short family history books like those she given as holiday gifts to loved ones. Hear letters from listeners on a special adoption discovery and a 1940 census mystery that now makes more sense. Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard weighs in with 4 reasons to take a DNA test, if you haven’t taken the plunge yet. Genealogy Gems Editor Sunny Morton spotlights the current Genealogy Gems Book Club title, Murder in Matera. The vehicle forensics and family book segments originally appeared in Genealogy Gems Podcast episodes 18 and 13, respectively, and are being republished here for web audiences. MAILBOX: RICHARD ON THE 1940 CENSUS 1940 census tip: Listen in or read it on the . software helps genealogists organize and analyze their research discoveries. Free 14-day trial available. MAILBOX: ADOPTEE DISCOVERY , taken from a conversation between genetic genealogy experts Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard and CeCe Moore from DNA Detectives. Join our conversations on the . BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App . If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is an audio excursion with Lisa on an old railroad track up to a silver mine in the Colorado Rockies, an excursion she originally shared in Episode 18 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, not now available online, and is being republished here exclusively for your enjoyment. The and is only $2.99 for GEM: MAKING FAMILY HISTORY BOOKS Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 2 with a segment on transcribing diaries was republished as . Qualities of a successful short family history book, from Lisa Louise Cooke The book conveys an overall theme. Start by reviewing all the available material you have. That will give you a good sense of what the time period was like for your ancestor. You’ll also start to understand their goals, experiences, and emotions.  Ultimately a theme should begin to surface.  In the case of A Nurse In Training, I wanted to communicate my grandmother as a young woman taking on a new adventure away from home that ultimately led to this warm, caring woman’s successful career as a nurse. I also tucked a bonus subplot in there of how she just happened to meet her husband at the same time! You don’t need every scrap of research and every photo to get this theme across. It’s your job to be a sharp editor and to pick out the critical pieces. You want the words and photographs that clearly communicate your theme to the reader. #2. The book can be read in one sitting. Like it or not, if it takes too long read, they probably won’t.  Strive to create a book that doesn’t look intimidating.  I create books that are ten to twenty double sided pages.  People will be willing to pick up a thinner book off the coffee table.  If it’s well done they’ll find that all of a sudden they’ve finished the entire book without wanting to put it down.  The final goal is that they will walk away with a real sense of having gotten to know that ancestor. #3. It contains the best of the best of what you have. This goes back to conveying the theme and being a strict editor.  My grandma had many funny stories, but there just wasn’t room for all of them.  I picked the best of the best.  Anyone who reads the book should hopefully come away with the fact that she had a sense of humor and could laugh at herself.  So keep the content of your book focused, full of graphics and photos, and including the best of the best.  If you can capture their interest in the first three pages, you’ll have them for the entire book. #4. There are lots of photos and graphics. A picture is definitely worth a thousand words.  Since the number of words in this size book will be limited, photographs will be your best friend.  If you’re lacking in family photos, many of my previous podcasts will give you countless ideas for locating associated photos.  In A Nurse In Training I included scanned images of skating rink tickets, programs and announcements from my grandma’s scrapbook, and journal pages in my grandmother’s own hand.  These types of items really add texture and interest to your book, as well as help the reader to see that you’ve really done your homework. #5. Keep it in chronological order. This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to get side tracked and start going back and forth in time.  Believe me, for the reader’s sake keep things in chronological order. You as the researcher know this information backwards and forwards, but this is probably your reader’s first exposure to it.  Be gentle with them and keep it straight forward and simple.  Your reader will thank you. #6. You choose only high-quality images and printing. High quality glossy pages, good image quality and a hard cover binding all shout to the reader “I’m worth your time, read me!”  For example, I found a drawing of Dameron Hospital where my grandmother worked, but it was a low quality image and didn’t translate well in the book.  As much as I wanted to include it, I ended up leaving it out. I’m glad I did; it wasn’t critical to the book and there were other ways to communicate the hospital to the reader. Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with . You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at .   MyHeritage.com is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started. 4 REASONS TO RSVP YOUR DNA INVITATION with I used to think that economics was just a series of numbers and calculations that helped to gauge the future growth of companies and countries. In a word: boring. But that was before I discovered that you can study the economics of people and essentially use math to describe human behavior, and therefore in some ways make that behavior more predictable. This is of course especially intriguing to my current situation as the parent of a teenager, a pre-teen, and a daughter. Teenagers especially are always talking about the things that “everyone else has,” a phenomenon that Malcom Gladwell, one of these interesting people-economists, describes as the “tipping point.” He says that the tipping point is “the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.” For my kids it’s everything from the point at which a party becomes fun to doing everything that is humanly possible to procure a fidget-spinner (if you don’t know what that is, ask the nearest 11 year old). In DNA testing in the United States, that tipping point is now. We have reached the point where most genealogists at least have the passing notion that genetics can be useful in genealogy. Most genealogists (I would guess 85%) who attend the lectures I give have already had at least one DNA test completed. Let’s stop for just one minute and recognize how incredible that is! Not too long ago I was still trying to convince people that this was a good idea and that you didn’t have to dig up your ancestors to do it! But now we have scores of genealogists who have not only tested themselves, but have convinced half their family to test as well! This got me thinking though, who are those people who haven’t tested? And why not? One category of people sans DNA test are those who have full pedigree charts. I have heard many of them say that they don’t see the need to do DNA testing since they have most of their lines “way back.” To those with the blessing of ancestors who kept better records than mine, I am offering four reasons why you should RSVP to your invitation to DNA test. Record. First and foremost, your DNA is a record. Just as you have obtained birth certificates and marriage licenses for your ancestors, your DNA is a unique record. It does represent you and your family in a way that no other record can. It is a document of your genetic history, and should be preserved. Further, while you may doubt the ability of your DNA to shed light on your current genealogy, don’t underestimate the contribution it might make in the future. Second Cousins. And third cousins, and fourth cousins, etc. Having your DNA tested means you can see a biological connection between you and other relatives that have had tested. For many, the idea of meeting or forming relationships with distant cousins is not appealing. But even if you have no intention of attending DNA family reunions or even in corresponding with these relatives, there is something reassuring about seeing them there on your match list. There is a certain thrill that comes with recognizing the connection between you and someone else. A connection that may not add any new names to your tree, but it helps you feel a deeper connection to your ancestor, and a greater appreciation for your biology. Verify. Which brings me to the next point. Seeing these cousins on your list can actually help verify the genealogy you have already collected and documented. It helps to reassure you that you have made the right steps along the way, and may help you gain additional resources about your relative through their descendants that you find on your match list. Resources that can help turn that ancestor from a name on a chart, to a story and a life worth preserving. Philanthropy. The last reason to go ahead and have your DNA tested is to help others. If you have been lucky enough to fill in most of the blanks on your tree, you can help others do the same by simply having your DNA tested. Your DNA provides a link to your tree that might be just what someone needs to overcome a brick wall in their family history. So, if you have been hanging out on the outskirts of DNA testing because you feel like your tree is full enough without it, remember to RSVP to your invitation to be DNA tested, and join the party! GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB: A FAMILY HISTORY MURDER MYSTERY! by journalist Helene Stapinski. A story of poverty and power, love, tragic decisions, and a courageous and desperate woman's leap for a new life across the ocean. continues to unravel a past Helene explored in her fantastic first family history memoir, . Find a whole list of fabulous family history-inspired reading at the Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. RootsMagic is now fully integrated with Ancestry.com, too: you can sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site.   Visit Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with , the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . GEM: VEHICULAR FORENSICS: Updated links, tips and resources Here's the original photo of my grandma next to her father's car:  The original zoomed in image of the license plate: The license plate with the "alternative light source" applied: Since I first published this episode, iGoogle has gone away. Websites for identifying old cars: From : “Veteran cars were manufactured before 1903, vintage cars were made between 1903 and 1933, and classic cars are considered to be vehicles manufactured from 1933 until fifteen years ago.” Learn more about ArchiveGrid in (Genealogy Gems Premium subscription required) and in this blog post: by Lisa Louise Cooke for Google searches and even YouTube: “ on YouTube More updated resources:  “ and TIP: Remember that you may be able to make great discoveries IN old photos with your photo editing software (even just with whatever free software is on your computer): 1. Open up the photo editing software 2. Open the photograph in question in the program 3. Use the trim feature to zoom in on the license plate—or whatever feature you want to focus on 4. Zoom in to make it easier to see 5. Try using both the Brightness and Contrast feature of your program in combination until you achieve a favorable result 6. Apply Auto Sharpen for further detail “Motor Trends” by Family Tree Magazine, by Maureen Taylor is your ultimate guide to identifying old objects in pictures to help you learn more about your family history.   PROFILE AMERICA:   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #205 with Lisa Louise Cooke This episode breaks two huge pieces of genealogy news and shares two great conversations: FamilySearch ends microfilm lending:  how you can get the records you need; RootsMagic adds Ancestry.com compatibility: sync your Ancestry.com tree to your master RootsMagic file and search Ancestry.com from within the software; Melissa Barker, the Archive Lady, talks about visiting archives to explore original manuscript record treasures; Nicole Dyer shares a fun family history activity idea to do with kids—do you have a family gathering coming up that could use this inspiration? A SURPRISE IN MY MAILBOX! NEWS NEW PREMIUM VIDEO! Lisa Louise Cooke shows you how to use the free Google Earth Pro software to create your own historic map collection customized for your genealogy and family history research. By the end of this class you’ll have a permanent collection of hundreds of gorgeous historic and vintage maps from around the world, organized and ready to use for family history. to watch a free preview of this full-length video class. Genealogy Gems Premium website members can watch the whole thing: to learn more. LISA: I thought the resolution of the jpg version wasn’t good, so I just left this ad as text. The 4th Annual Northwest Genealogy Conference This episode today is brought to you by the 4rd Annual Northwest Genealogy Conference, hosted by the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society, north of Seattle in Arlington, WA. Centering on the theme, “Where Does Your Story Begin?” it’s four days PACKED full of genealogy. There will be well-known and respected keynote speakers, including our friend and genetic genealogist Diahan Southard, speaking on DNA; Kenyatta Berry of Genealogy Roadshow fame, speaking on Caribbean research and using slave schedules in research; and Daniel Earl speaking on Putting History in Your Family History. Starting off with the Free Day Wednesday afternoon, Speaker Peggy Lauritzen will address beginner's issues in her Genealogy 101 presentation, which is also a good refresher for the more seasoned genealogists.  There will be such great genealogical information for all levels, AND it'll be lot of fun! Between classes take a chance to meet a distant cousin with the “Cousin Wall”. Participate in the genealogy-related scavenger hunt, the Wednesday evening meet and greet and the Friday dress-as-your-ancestor day, and much, much more! Go to  for details and to register. Check it out now -- registrations are limited, so it's good to get in early. It’s August 16-19, 2017. It’ll be a great show: don’t miss it! INTERVIEW: MELISSA BARKER, THE ARCHIVE LADY Melissa Barker is a Certified Archives Records Manager, the Houston County, Tennessee Archivist and author of the popular blog and bi-weekly advice column . She has been researching her own family history for the past 27 years. Preserve your own family archive: Items in danger: Original items in attics, basements What to preserve first: The most precious and original items you have! Restoration tips: Clean documents and photos with archival sponges. Lay the item perfectly flat. Gently place a finger or hand to hold it steady. Work with the sponge from the center outward, in small sections. Keep two-dimensional items as flat as possible. Encase fragile items in Mylar sleeves (buy from archival supply companies). Visiting an archive: Call ahead! Don’t trust the operational hours from the website. Ask about parking – it’s often very limited. Ask ahead about access to archival items of interest. Archive etiquette: Follow the rules. Be courteous when working with staff. Museums, societies, archives, and libraries may all have collections in back rooms you can’t see—but you can ask for them. Vertical Files – in folders in cabinets Manuscript Collections – underused in genealogy! Ask for finding aid. Loose Records – the working papers of a court case, for example Unprocessed Records – not yet incorporated into the official collection Tips for using your mobile devices in archives: Ask for procedures for taking photos with your own device. There may be rules against this or a use fee. Capture the source information by photographs: cover page, page number, folder, box number, manuscript collection name, etc. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus audio content for this episode comes from Melissa Barker, the Archive Lady,  with more about finding and using original manuscript records in your genealogy research. The and is only $2.99 for . Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. RootsMagic is now fully integrated with Ancestry.com, too: you can sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site. Learn more about Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with , the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   INTERVIEW: NICOLE DYER Nicole has been researching her ancestors and delighting in their stories for the past 15 years. Nicole volunteers at the Tucson Family History Center teaching a family history story time group for young children.    Lisa suggested the free program Jing for video screen capturing: (Full disclosure: this podcast blog contains affiliate links. We will be compensated if you make a purchase through our link. Isn't that an awesome way to help keep the free podcast free?!) and start a free trial Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at .  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started. GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB: A FAMILY HISTORY MURDER MYSTERY! Journalist Helene Stapinski’s new family history memoir:   A story of poverty and power, love, tragic decisions, and a courageous and desperate woman's leap for a new life across the ocean continues to unravel a past Helene explored in her fantastic first family history memoir, . Find a whole list of fabulous family history-inspired reading at the   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer Lacey Cooke, Service "Happiness" Manager

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #204 with Lisa Louise Cooke Canadian expert Dave Obee shares the story of the Canadian home children tips on newspaper research. Also in this episode: New site features at MyHeritage, including improved DNA ethnicity analysis (it’s free—upload your DNA!); An excerpt from the Genealogy Gems Book Club interview with Fannie Flagg about The Whole Town’s Talking—and a great summer reading idea; A detailed get-started guide to British Isles research: Terminology and census/civil BMD record tips from Kate Eakman at Legacy Tree Genealogists Why so many weddings are traditionally held in June.   NEWS: DNA AND CATALOG UPDATES AT MYHERITAGE MyHeritage.com: and View an example of the new ethnicity analysis presentation here: (with additional details and commentary) (Newly-updated in 2017)   . This brand new, comprehensive guide helps you answer the question, "Which genealogy websites should I use?" MAILBOX: BOOK CLUB COMMENTS Companion video recommendations: video (click here to see the book) “ with author Chris Cleave,   by Alan Cumming For more information:   Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. In the works: soon RootsMagic will be fully integrated with Ancestry.com, too: you’ll be able to sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site. Learn more or sign up for . Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with , the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . INTERVIEW: DAVE OBEE Continuing our celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday! is an internationally-renowned Canadian journalist, historian and genealogist. Dave is a columnist for Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today (formerly Family Chronicle). Dave has also written about family history for Canada's History and Your Family Tree in the United Kingdom. Put Dave’s books on your shelf - Canada research tips: Look in newspapers for ship crossings, notable people sailing, approximate numbers of passengers etc. Don’t just rely on search engines for digitized newspapers. Browse the papers where you find some hits. Canada Home Children:   , an award-winning documentary () (watch it on YouTube)   LEGACY TREE GEM: ENGLISH PARISH RECORDS Visit Legacy Tree Genealogists: on English parish records, with several image examples and links to the resources Kate Eakman recommends.  provides expert genealogy research service that works with your research goals, budget and schedule. The Legacy Tree Discovery package offers 3.5 hours of preliminary analysis and research recommendations: a great choice if you’ve hit a brick wall in your research and could use some expert guidance. EXCLUSIVE OFFER for Genealogy Gems readers! Receive $100 off a 20-hour+ research project from  with code GG100, valid through July 31st, 2017. GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB: FANNIE FLAGG INTERVIEW by Fannie Flagg may hear this entire conversation in the upcoming BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users LINK IMAGE TO: If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus audio content for this episode comes from Melissa Barker, the Archive Lady, in honor of International Archives Day on June 9. The and is only $2.99 for   Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with . You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at .    is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.   PROFILE AMERICA: June Weddings PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer  

The Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke Episode #203 This episode features a special interview with renowned Canadian expert Dave Obee. He shares his favorite tips on researching the Canadian census—his insights are fascinating whether you have Canadian ancestors or not! Also in this episode: an inspiring adoption discovery, DNA testing news at 23andMe, a tip for incorporating family history into a wedding, and a brand-new resource that can finally help you solve one of genealogy’s most perplexing questions. NEWS: ATLAS OF HISTORICAL COUNTY BOUNDARIES UPDATE   LINK: NEWS: 23andME DNA TEST UPDATES for the full news and Diahan’s comments MORE recent DNA news: for the full story, with comments and step-by-step instructions on updated myOrigins tool Get help with DNA testing at both these sites with these quick reference guides by Diahan Southard:       NEW! GENEALOGY GIANTS GUIDE by Genealogy Gems Editor Sunny Morton to watch the presentation that inspired this guide: a popular RootsTech 2017 lecture comparing the four major genealogy records websites: Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com.   LINK:   Available in or format This comprehensive quick reference guide explains: How knowing about all four websites can improve your family history research How the sites stack up when it comes to the numbers of historical records, names in trees, DNA profiles, site users, site languages and subscription costs Unique strengths of each website and cautions for using each What to keep in mind as you evaluate record content between sites Geographic record strengths: A unique table has an at-a-glance comparison for 30+ countries How to see what kinds of records are on each site without subscribing How family trees are structured differently at these websites—and why it matters Privacy, collaboration and security options at each site How DNA testing features differ at the two websites that offer it What you can do with free guest accounts at each website Subscription and free access options   MAILBOX: LIZ ON FINDING CHUCK’S BIRTH FAMILY to learn more about Diahan Southard’s genetic genealogy video tutorials—and a special discount price for Genealogy Gems fans. LINK TO: https://www.yourdnaguide.com/genealogy-gems-dna-tutorial Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. In the works: soon RootsMagic will be fully integrated with Ancestry.com, too: you’ll be able to sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with e, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at   MAILBOX: THANKS FOR 1940 CENSUS TIPS Kate Eakman shares tips for understanding the 1940: or to them on Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 201 MAILBOX: WEDDING TIP Before a wedding: start an online family tree and invite each family member to add what they know!  Go to:   Our sponsor for this episode: StoryWorth Give Mom the gift of StoryWorth this Mother's Day Visit to get $20 off Visit: INTERVIEW: DAVE OBEE Continuing our celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday! is an internationally-renowned Canadian journalist, historian and genealogist. Dave is a columnist for Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today (formerly Family Chronicle). Dave has also written about family history for Canada's History and Your Family Tree in the United Kingdom.   Put Dave’s books on your shelf: Canadian census tips from Dave Obee: The 1901 census is his favorite because it says for the first time where people had come from He starts his searches on Ancestry.ca but census databases are free to search on Marital status may not have been totally accurate. They only captured single or married or windowed. Divorced was not captured. There are two different types of enumerations: de facto and de jure, and the rules were different. This means your ancestor could be enumerated in multiple locations Lisa Louise Cooke Googled the Canadian Census Enumerator Instructions for 1901:   More on Canada genealogy research: Claire Banton in Our Sponsors: Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at .  is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is EXTRA special! It’s an exclusive conversation between Your DNA Guide and Cece Moore of DNA Detectives on researching adoption or unknown parentage. Don’t miss it! The and is only $2.99 for . GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB Our featured genealogy book club author this month is Miss Fannie Flagg! by Fannie Flagg Read more tips on discovering the historical context of your ancestor’s lives: PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 202 Lisa Louise Cooke   Highlights of this episode include: AncestryDNA’s new Genetic Communities: An Interview with Catherine Ball, Ancestry’s Chief Scientific Officer; Meet contestant Joe Greer from Relative Race, the genealogy reality show; The new Genealogy Gems Book Club featured title: a novel from an internationally best-selling author A botched reference to the 1950 census in a Stephen King novel—and 5 tips for counting down to the 1950 census release in exactly 5 years Naming traditions tip from a listener Lisa’s Google search strategies: search operators, YouTube and more   NEWS: ANCESTRYDNA GENETIC COMMUNITIES FREE VIDEO: about new AncestryDNA study   NEWS: MYHERITAGE CONSISTENCY CHECKER Access by logging in to your MyHeritage account and find this tool under the Family Tree dropdown menu:  Thank you to our sponsor: The tool searches for different kinds of potential errors or inconsistencies in your tree:   A Similar Tool: RootsMagic Problem Search In RootsMagic, find it under the Tools menu. Select Problem Search, then Problem List to select the different kinds of problems you can have RootsMagic identify for you and to choose what age ranges you decide are out of bounds for a new father or mother. Thank you to our wonderful sponsors:   MAILBOX: NAMING TRADITIONS   tip from listener with Irish expert Kate Eakman (Use promo code GEMS17 for 10% off this great product. Good through 12/31/17.)   2 more places to find naming traditions: Google search: for the name of the country or ethnic group, plus naming traditions MAILBOX: GOOGLE SEARCH OPERATOR TIP: “Oppenheim the butcher, NOT the bomb!” FREE VIDEO TUTORIAL: , 2nd edition by Lisa Louise Cooke MAILBOX: STEPHEN KING AND THE 1950 CENSUS To search inside books in Amazon:   INTERVIEW: JOE GREER ON RELATIVE RACE Meet Team Black: Joe and Madison Greer of Portland, OR : “What happens when genealogy meets reality TV? Using their DNA as a guide, contestants embark on the ultimate road trip across America, completing challenges and meeting unknown relatives along the way.” to watch past episodes online for free.  The last two episodes of season two, 9 & 10, will air back to back respectively at 7pm MT/9pm ET and 8pm MT/10PM ET on Sunday, April 30.  to learn more about the show   BONUS CONTENT FOR GENEALOGY GEMS APP USERSFree PDF summary of 8 top genealogy TV shows from the past several years and where you can watch them online—a few of them for free, including Relative Race. The and $2.99 for .   INTERVIEW: Catherine Ball, Chief Scientific Officer, Ancestry.com About : Introducing AncestryDNA Genetic Communities Thanks to Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard for joining us to talk about this new development in genetic genealogy. to learn more about Diahan’s how-to DNA video tutorials and personal consultation services for solving your family history mysteries with DNA.    GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB New featured title: by Fannie Flagg   A multi-generational novel about a Swedish immigrant and the town he builds in the American Midwest by luring other Swedish settlers and a mail-order bride. As characters die, they take up residency in the local cemetery and continue to comment on the activities and people of the town. Also recommended by Fannie Flagg:   New from past Book Club authors: by Nathan Dylan Goodwin, a novella in his popular Forensic Genealogist series by Chris Cleave is now available in   PROFILE AMERICA: PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer  

  with Lisa Louise Cooke    In this episode, I chat with Angela Walton-Raji, expert in U.S. and African-American research, about tips for interviewing relatives and taking your African-American family tree back to the era of slavery. Other highlights of this episode include: A RootsTech 2017 recap, with info on archived streaming sessions; Great news from Findmypast about its new Catholic Heritage Archive; A ground-breaking study from AncestryDNA that identifies specific migration patterns among genetically-related clusters of people; Follow-up mail from Lisa’s Episode 200 celebration; An expert Q&A on finding relatives who don’t appear in the census where you expect them to; A teaser clip from the upcoming Genealogy Gems Book Club interview with Annie Barrows, author of The Truth According to Us. ROOTSTECH 2017 RECAP Genealogy Gems booth streaming sessions are on the . "Like" our page, and then scroll down to Videos and click See all (shown here). You’ll find: Lisa Louise Cooke: Google search methodology for genealogy, using Google Earth for genealogy and creating memorable, easy family history videos; Diahan Southard: Understanding your DNA ethnic pie chart; Amie Tennant: Digital journaling and scrapbooking; Sunny Morton: Jogging your memories and “Genealogy Jackpot” (on researching her ancestors’ survival of the Great Johnstown flood of 1889.   POPULAR ROOTSTECH STREAMING LECTURE “THE BIG 4” NOW ONLINE and catch a summary of its main points Catch our future free Genealogy Gems streaming sessions on Facebook! "Like" and follow the .   GENEALOGY GEMS APP BONUS MATERIAL If you listen through ) and ), your bonus material for this episode is a short video clip showing a time-lapse perspective on RootsTech 2017 from the exhibitor hall.   NEWS: FINDMYPAST CATHOLIC HERITAGE ARCHIVE : Archdiocese of Boston and New England Historic Genealogical Society plans to bring 10 million+ parish records online MAILBOX: Robin mentioned she’s learned so much from Lisa on these topics: , , , , How to organize electronic files (see the free ) software for writing family history  Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don’t need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You’ve got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at . Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . INTERVIEW: ANGELA WALTON-RAJI Angela Walton-Raji instructs the . Purchase it with this link and use coupon code GEMS17 for 10% off, valid through 12/31/17. Angela’s oral history questions: What to ask your elders Did they happen to know anyone who had been born a slave when they were a child? Who was the oldest person that you remember when you were a child? And did that person ever talk about anyone who may have been enslaved? What do you know about where the family was from? (Were we always from Georgia, or, were we always from Pennsylvania, or was there a time when we came from another place? (Read more about the she mentioned.) Why did we move? Who remembers that journey? Were people involved in the Civil Rights movement, in the , with the , or other important events in their lifetime? What kinds of things did they see? Who in the family participated in the military (in World War II, I, the Spanish-American War)? African-American military units through the mid-20th century were still referred to as Buffalo soldiers. (She mentioned the , a unit of all-black World War II paratroopers. is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.     Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search WebHints on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Soon RootsMagic will also be able to search records and even sync your tree with Ancestry.com, too.         EXPERT TIP ON FINDING ANCESTORS “MISSING” IN CENSUSES Kate Eakman takes on a Gems listener question from someone who has already done a lot of work trying to locate a relative in the 1940 U.S. census provides expert genealogy research service that works with your research goals, budget and schedule. The Legacy Tree Discovery package offers 3.5 hours of preliminary analysis and research recommendations: a great choice if you’ve hit a brick wall in your research and could use some expert guidance. GENEALOGY GEMS EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Go to and use coupon code GEMS100 to save $100 off your purchase of research services (expires 4/30/17).   DIAHAN SOUTHARD: STUDY BREAKTHROUGH There is no doubt that this is an exciting time to be a genealogist. Here at Genealogy Gems, we are announcing new record collections online every month, advances in genealogy databases and their ability to retrieve the information we are looking for, and of course, DNA testing. There really has been no time in history where such a wealth of information about our past has been so readily available to so many. In another ground-breaking development in the DNA world has been a recent publication in a scientific journal by the scientific team at . It is titled, “Clustering of 770,000 genomes reveals post-colonial population structure of North America.” Or, in more understandable terms, “Your DNA can tell us where you came from in America in the last 500 years.” Wow, right? So how did they do this? Well, the power really is in the numbers. In this particular paper they used 770,000 people, but now that they are approaching having testing 4 million people, you can bet the same principles will be applied to a larger data set and we will see even more as a result. But even though it takes a large data set to accomplish this, it really all still comes down to the relationship of two people. To start, Ancestry determines how just two people are genetically related. Then they find how those two are related to a third, again, looking only at pairs of people. This goes on and on and on until everyone in the group as been compared. Then we use a graph to plot those relationships, with those more closely related clustering around each other.  Then the real key, the point where we see the marriage of genetics and genealogy: they add in the family history information for each of these individuals in the cluster. What they found was astounding. They have displayed the data in Figure 3 in the paper: Distribution of ancestral birth locations in North America. Summary map from Nature Communications; click to see article with full explanation of map data. Image used with permission of Ancestry.com. It is a map of the United States with colored dots scattered across the landscape. The location of the dots corresponds to the genealogy of those tested, while the color of the dots relates to their genetic clustering. Those who clustered closest together are the same color. The result is a nearly perfect rainbow, with each color holding its respective spot on the map, with very little overlap between groups. (There are actually two maps in the paper, just to make things easier to see.) We might be tempted when looking at the maps to think, oh, well, of course there is a large population of European Jews in New York, everyone knows that, no breakthrough there. But it IS!! This isn’t their family history, or their accent or their culture that is telling us this, it is their genetics! As if that wasn’t exciting enough, further on in the paper they describe how we can trace migration patterns of different groups over just a few generations. In the paper they specifically mention French Canadians and Cajuns/Acadians, but this same principle can theoretically be applied to dozens of other groups. For example, let’s say you have an ancestor in Texas about 4 generations ago, but you aren’t sure where she came from. If technology like what is published in this paper ever reaches your testing company, your DNA could tell you that you fit into the Lower South group, meaning that your ancestor likely hails from, well, the South!  This is just a glimpse into what the advances in genetics are bringing to your genealogy toolbox. So hang on to your hats, and keep tuned in here at Genealogy Gems for all of the latest updates.   GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB   by internationally best-selling author Annie Barrows It’s the summer of 1938, and wealthy young socialite Miss Layla Beck is now on the dole as a WPA worker, assigned to write a history of the small town of Macedonia, West Virginia. As she starts asking questions about the town’s past, she is drawn into the secrets of the family she’s staying with—and drawn to a certain handsome member of that family. She and two of those family members take turns narrating the story from different points of view, exploring the theme that historical truth, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder. Annie Barrows is also the co-author of . This novel takes place after World War II in a London recovering from the Blitz and an island recovering from German occupation. At the heart of Guernsey is an unlikely love story and the inspiring tale of a community that took care of each other in their darkest days with humor, compassion and good books. and how you can listen to Lisa’s upcoming exclusive conversation with author Annie Barrows about .   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Amie Tennant, Content Contributor         Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer Hannah Fullerton: Production Assistance     FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.      

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 200 with Lisa Louise Cooke  Listen below: It’s finally here—the 200th episode of the free Genealogy Gems podcast, also celebrating its 10th year. In this special episode, Lisa invites Professor Mark Auslander to share his discoveries about a mother and young daughter separated by slavery. Learn how he pieced together their story from a poignant family heirloom found at a flea market. Throughout the episode, you will hear from several listeners, past podcast guests, Gems staffers and supporters in the genealogy industry with congratulations, memories, stories, and favorite Gems tips. Listen for the DNA success story of an adoptee who never gave up his search for his biological roots. Thanks to all listeners and friends who sent congratulations! Among them are: Allison Dolan, Publisher, Family Tree Magazine. She mentioned the Bruce Buzbee, RootsMagic family history software DearMYRTLE, veteran online genealogy educator and author of the award-winning . She mentioned Lisa’s podcast; her ; and during conferences. Geoff Rasmussen, , and author of Jim Shaughnessy, Mary Tedesco, host and genealogist on PBS’ , founder of , co-author of and a guest on , talking about Italian research and her work on Genealogy Roadshow Steve Luxenberg, author of . Listen to Lisa’s conversation with him in The Genealogy Gems Podcast episodes  and . This book and interview planted the seed for the ! Yev Pusin, Social Marketing Marketer, online computer backup service, also celebrating its 10th anniversary   NEWS: FAMICITY KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN : see several options for contributing, including options that come with a Famicity Premium subscription as a reward. Pledges will only be collected if they reach their Kickstarter goal, and subscriptions become active in the summer with the official launch. Tip: the Kickstarter page gives contributions in British currency. to see a tool for converting those amounts to your currency. ROOTSTECH 2017: IN PERSON AND STREAMING CLASSES IN PERSON: If you’re attending RootsTech on February 8-11, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah, come by the Genealogy Gems booth for exclusive 30-minute classes on the hottest topics; prizes at every class AND a Saturday Grand Prize drawing; great Gems product specials and a new and wider selection of products we love. to learn more. LIVE STREAMING: Lisa will be live-streaming marked sessions (above) via the free Periscope app. Get it in  or . Sign up for a free account and follow Lisa Louise Cooke to tune in. Sign up for notifications in Periscope, and your phone will “ping” whenever Lisa starts streaming! Broadcasts stay in the Periscope app for 24 hours. Like and follow the  to hear about more streaming sessions. RootsTech offers a few free live-streaming sessions; to see the full schedule. Gems editor Sunny Morton will be streaming on Friday, Feb 10 at 3:00 pm Mountain Time with “The Big 4: Comparing Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage.” MAILBOX: LISA AND SUNNY The following were mentioned in listener emails and voicemails: by Lisa Louise Cooke. This is a FREE step-by-step series for beginning genealogists—and more experienced ones who want to brush up or learn something new. One listener mentioned the series on naturalization records in episodes 29-31. by Lisa Louise Cooke. Monthly episodes—and the full archive of past episodes—are available to . This podcast takes what you love about the free Genealogy Gems podcast and goes deeper, broader and more exclusively into topics of interest for U.S. and international audiences. and is only $2.99 for .   : free tips and great resources to help you make the most of this free app (or its Premium version) to keep all your genealogy research notes and links organized and at your fingertips. computer dashboard tool and : “I was robbed! They took the computer AND the backup drive!” Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . DNA WITH YOUR DNA GUIDE DIAHAN SOUTHARD s, available to Gems fans for a special price. Diahan’s series of DNA quick guides, available or as   IMAGE Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search WebHints on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Soon RootsMagic will also be able to search records and even sync your tree with Ancestry.com, too.       is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.   INTERVIEW: MARK AUSLANDER Mark Auslander is an Associate Professor and Museum Director at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA and the author of Mark’s path to the probable family of this artifact used these techniques: Look closely at all clues from the artifact: the fabric, stitching, colors, facts conveyed in the text, etc. Look at both the historical clues and the artistic or symbolic aspects of it. Create a profile for the people mentioned based on what is known. Probable age for Ruth Middleton in 1921, etc. Use contextual and social history clues to hypothesize a scenario. The inclusion of “South Carolina” hints that the seamstress didn’t live in South Carolina, so he guessed that she was part of the Great Migration of millions of African-Americans in the early 1900s who headed from the rural South to the industrial Midwest and other urban cities. Take advantage of unusual clues. Rose is a common name for an enslaved woman, but not Ashley. Look through all available records. Possible census listings for Ruth Middleton in 1920 didn’t seem likely candidates. He dug through marriage records for Northern states until he found a woman named Ruth who married a man named Middleton who fit the profile he’d created. Use specialized sources for African-American research, especially records created by and about the slaveholder that relate to the holding, sale or transfer of enslaved people. Mark says that some researchers describe the search process as “guided by some force larger than yourself that keeps you going through those endless hours in microfilm rooms or online. But it does connect us all in very profound ways to those who came before and those who come after….Through genealogical work, in a sense we can triumph over death itself and we can move back and forth in time in the most remarkable way.” Coming up next month in : An interview with Angela Walton-Raji on finding African-American ancestors. She shares tons of resources! Even if you haven’t found any African-Americans on your family tree, the challenges and rewards of African-American genealogical research are both fascinating and moving to learn about.  provides expert genealogy research service that works with your research goals, budget and schedule. The Legacy Tree Discovery package offers 3.5 hours of preliminary analysis and research recommendations: a great choice if you’ve hit a brick wall in your research and could use some expert guidance. GENEALOGY GEMS EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Go to and use coupon code GEMS100 to save $100 off your purchase of research services (expires 4/30/17). CONVERSATIONS WITH MORE GEMS Amie Tennant Lacey Cooke Vienna Thomas Amie Tennant, Gems Content Contributor: see the Lacey Cooke, Gems Service Manager Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer and Audio Editor; she mentioned a favorite title and interview were with Chris Cleave, author of   GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB   by internationally best-selling author Annie Barrows It’s the summer of 1938, and wealthy young socialite Miss Layla Beck is now on the dole as a WPA worker, assigned to write a history of the small town of Macedonia, West Virginia. As she starts asking questions about the town’s past, she is drawn into the secrets of the family she’s staying with—and drawn to a certain handsome member of that family. She and two of those family members take turns narrating the story from different points of view, exploring the theme that historical truth, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder. to read an introduction to using WPA records for genealogy. Annie Barrows is also the co-author of . This novel takes place after World War II in a London recovering from the Blitz and an island recovering from German occupation. At the heart of Guernsey is an unlikely love story and the inspiring tale of a community that took care of each other in their darkest days with humor, compassion and good books. and how you can listen to Lisa’s upcoming exclusive conversation with author Annie Barrows about . Music from this episode is from the band The song played at the opening was “We’re Still Here,” from the album . The song played at the closing was “The Family Tree” from the album ; click to purchase the album or .   FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.  

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 199 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, Lisa celebrates Canada’s 150th anniversary with Clare Banton from Library and Archives Canada. You’ll also hear how Lisa will be marking another anniversary in 2017: the 10th year of this Genealogy Gems podcast. More episode highlights: An inspiring follow-up email from Gay, whose YouTube discovery Lisa shared in episode 198, and a great conference tip from Barbara just in time for RootsTech. Genealogy Gems Book Club Guru Sunny Morton announces the new Book Club title. Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard shares thoughts about DNA testing with kids. JOIN THE CELEBRATION! 10th ANNIVERSARY AND 200th EPISODE You’re invited to send in well-wishes and win a chance at a prize! Email Lisa by January 31, 2017 at OR call her voicemail line at 925-272-4021. Share your first and last name, email address and where you live (your last name and email address won’t be shared on the podcast); Share a memory of listening to this podcast, such as: When did you start listening? What’s one of your favorite things you’ve learned from this show?   Lisa will randomly select one response to receive a free year of . Thanks for helping all of us here at Genealogy Gems celebrate 10 years of doing something we love!   NEWS: ROOTSTECH 2017 RootsTech will be held on February 8-11, 2017 in Salt Lake City, UT: . Lisa will be live-streaming FREE sessions the marked session via the free Periscope app. Get it in  or . Sign up for a free account and follow Lisa Louise Cooke to tune in. Sign up for notifications in Periscope, and your phone will “ping” whenever Lisa starts streaming! Broadcasts stay in the Periscope app for 24 hours. Like and follow the  to hear about more streaming sessions! NEWS: FAMICITY KICK-STARTER is a free, private website for families to share pictures, videos, memories, family activities and the family tree. The company has been very successful in France where it was launched, and the founder is working to bring the new English platform to the United States. He’s launched a Kickstarter campaign to support their U.S. launch. to support it.   Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search WebHints on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Soon RootsMagic will also be able to search records and even sync your tree with Ancestry.com, too.         Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   MAILBOX: YOUTUBE DISCOVERY FOLLOW-UP Remember the YouTube success story from ? Gay as a young woman attended a dedication ceremony for the saline water treatment in Freeport, Texas—and with Lisa’s tips she found video footage on YouTube.   Gay wrote back to send us more about that, including this page from her diary that day and this news clipping. Check out the news clipping to see why that plant was so important, Pres. John F. Kennedy gave the dedication speech. (See what newspapers can tell you?!) Find your own family history on YouTube. to learn how or read an entire chapter on YouTube in Lisa Louise Cooke’s book, , 2nd revised edition. to learn how to turn family stories and artifacts like these into videos to share with relatives. Learn to find articles such as this one that can put your family’s story in context—locally and even nationally. Read by Lisa Louise Cooke. MAILBOX: BARBARA AT NGS Speaking of that book, Barbara gave a thumbs-up to Lisa’s book, , which helped her find an obituary for someone. She was very excited! Barbara shared a great idea, too: make your own genealogy calling cards. She loves meeting new people at genealogy conferences and likes to be able to follow up with them. She trades business cards. What would YOU put on a genealogy calling card? What about your name and contact information, family surnames and locations, other special research interests and your genealogy blog or website (if you have one).   INTERVIEW: CLAIRE BANTON, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA (LAC) Claire Banton obtained her Masters of Library and Information Studies degree in 2006. She has worked in Reference Services at LAC for 10 years, where she has enjoyed learning something new every day. She is currently Chief, Orientation Services, where she works with an awesome team who help people search for information. She loves being an information detective and helping people overcome their research challenges.  Claire’s tips for genealogy research with LAC: LAC is very different from the average library. It is both a national library () and a a national archive (). You don't have to have an account to search.  Start with the whether you are visiting in person or not. There are loads of free databases and some unindexed digitized records. The will tell you what they do and don't have.  There was no border control from the US to Canada prior to 1908, so there are no Canadian records of earlier crossings. [Tip: see border crossings to the US, 1895-1956 at and for quick answers. to get more in depth answers: provide background information ahead of time. to explore (and join) Canada’s 150th birthday celebration.   GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB by internationally best-selling author Annie Barrows (co-author, and author, Ivy and Bean, children’s book series) It’s the summer of 1938, and wealthy young socialite Miss Layla Beck is now on the dole as a WPA worker, assigned to write a history of the small town of Macedonia, West Virginia. As she starts asking questions about the town’s past, she is drawn into the secrets of the family she’s staying with—and drawn to a certain handsome member of that family. She and two of those family members take turns narrating the story from different points of view, exploring the theme that historical truth, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder. to read an introduction to using WPA records for genealogy. and how you can listen to Lisa’s upcoming exclusive conversation with author Annie Barrows about .   DNA WITH DIAHAN: DNA TESTING FOR KIDS?! I was talking with a fellow mom the other day about all the demands that are placed on kids’ time today. They have school and homework, many have after school sports and clubs, religious meetings, some have jobs or at least chores at home, not to mention all the time required to text, check social media, and hang out with friends. As parents and grandparents, we want our children to spend time on things that matter, things that will prepare them for their future lives and mold them into their future selves. According to a , if we want to encourage kids toward an activity that will positively impact them, we should steer them toward family history. The researchers reported that “children who know stories about relatives who came before them show higher levels of emotional well-being.” Now, I know I don’t need to convince you of this. You are already sold on genealogy. But I share this in the hope that it will push you over the edge and this will erase any hesitancy you have about sharing this love with your children and grandchildren. Now, since you know this is me, the genetic genealogist talking, you can probably guess what I’ll suggest for getting kids interested in family history. DNA testing is a great way to personally and physically involve them. First of all, there is the tangible process of taking the sample at home, and the marvel at how such a simple act can produce the amazing display of our ethnicity results. Since each of us is unique, it will be fun for them to compare with you and other relatives to see who got what bit of where. This will naturally lead to questions about which ancestor provided that bit of Italian or Irish, and wham! You’ll be right there to tell them about how their 5th great grandfather crossed the ocean with only the clothes on his back, determined to make a new start in a new land. If there are parts of the ethnicity report that you can’t explain, use that as a hook to encourage them to start digging and to find out why you have that smattering of eastern European or south east Asian. Taking them for a tour of the DNA match page you can show them how they share 50% of their DNA with their sister (whether they like it or not!) and how they share 25% with you, their grandparent! DNA test results give kids a totally unique look at their personal identity with technology that is cutting edge. Looking at their DNA test results can turn into a math lesson, a science lesson, a geography lesson, a lesson on heredity or biology, a discussion on identity—wherever you want to go with it! DNA is the perfect introduction to the wonders that genealogy can hold, especially for children who are so good at wondering.  to learn more about Diahan’s series of how-to videos, available to Gems fans for a special price. Or start your DNA journey with two guides that will help you get started with kids’ genetic genealogy:   PROFILE AMERICA: ELLIS ISLAND to watch the official, award-winning documentary shown at Ellis Island—free online at YouTube.   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Amie Tennant, Content Contributor         Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, Content Contributor Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Vienna Thomas, Associate Producer

This episode’s got a bit of holiday sparkle! Lisa Louise Cooke welcomes Genealogy Gems Book Club author and Victorian lifestyle expert Sarah Chrisman to the show to talk about Victorian holiday traditions, some of which may still live on in your own life. Following that conversation, Lisa shares a fun description of Victorian-era scrapbooking: how it’s different than today’s scrapbooking hobby but also how it reminds her of modern social media. More episode highlights: Three success stories from Genealogy Gems listeners: a Google search with great results, a brick-wall busting marriage record and yet another YouTube find for family history (people keep telling us about those!). Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard chimes in with what she likes so far about MyHeritage’s new DNA testing service. An internationally-themed German research conference and a makeover for the Scotland’s People website. NEWS: GERMAN-AMERICAN GENEALOGY PARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE First-ever German-American Genealogy Partnership Conference: Minneapolis, MN, July 28-30, 2017. 70 presentations over 3 full days on the theme,  “CONNECTIONS: International. Cultural. Personal” Topics will include major German-speaking regions; social networking opportunities each day for those with common interests in specific regions For the full scoop, at and click “2017 GAGP Conference”   by Jim Beidler. to purchase the book and use coupon code GENEALOGYGEMS15 to save an extra 15% through 12/31/ 16, which even works if the book is on sale. NEWS: SCOTLAND’S PEOPLE The newly-relaunched website has several exciting new features: Mobile-friendly web design and an enhanced search function; A  option for searching indexed records by name and an  for specific types of records; Free access to several records indexes; More than 150,000 baptism entries from Scottish Presbyterian churches (other than the Old Parish Registers of the Church of Scotland) have been added and more are coming, as well as marriages and burials; More types of records held by National Records of Scotland are coming, including records of kirk sessions and other church courts; Explore the site for free, including handy for using Scottish records such as statutory records, church registers and census returns. MAILBOX: GOOGLE SEARCH SUCCESS STORY From Joan: “I used one of the handy hints from your presentation at the South Orange County California Genealogical Society’s all day seminar in Mission Viejo, CA. I entered some of my common named ancestors, used the quotes, added a time frame and included some key words, like locations. Most of what I found were my own queries and posts. That shows it works!.... One thing I was amazed at was a multi-page article I found: ‘The Lincoln Kinsman,’ written in 1938. It included a lot of information on the Bush family [which is another of her family lines]. The article even included what I think is my ancestor Hannah Bush Radley.”  (Click or on the image above to see a copy of “The Lincoln Kinsman” at Internet Archive.) Listen to a free 2-part series on cold-calling distant relatives or others as part of your genealogy research: “ podcast, episodes 14 and 15.” BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users: A handy cheat sheet with 14 tips from that series on cold-contacting distant relatives. It’s updated with brand-new suggestions, including ways to find potential relatives’ names during the research process. The and is only $2.99 for . MAILBOX: VONDA BLOGS A MARRIAGE RECORD DISCOVERY that inspired her discovery Vonda’s blog post on her discovery: MAILBOX: YOUTUBE SUCCESS STORY Gay entered “Freeport Texas history” in YouTube and found historical newsreel footage of the opening ceremony of a local water treatment plant. She and the women in her family were seated on the front row. Here’s a screenshot from that footage: maybe this is a stylish young Gay in sunglasses? (.) Lisa’s book has an entire chapter on discovering family history gems such as these on YouTube. More tips and success stories on using YouTube to find your family history in moving pictures:   Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. By the end of 2016, RootsMagic expects to be fully integrated with Ancestry.com, too: you’ll be able to sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site.     Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   INTERVIEW: VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS WITH SARAH CHRISMAN Sarah Chrisman lives her life every day as if it’s the Victorian era. Her clothing, household, pastimes, chores and more all reflect the time period. Listen as Lisa and Sarah talk about the Victorian Christmas tree; gift-giving, crafts, decorating and things that might surprise us about holiday celebrations during that time. Books by Sarah Chrisman: , a memoir Sarah’s everyday life. The Book Club interview in December will focus mainly on this book. ; ; : A Victorian Cycling Club Romance. This is from her series of light-hearted historical fiction set in an era she knows well! Sarah Chrisman joins me again later this month on to talk about what it’s like to live every day like it’s the late 1800s. Don’t miss it! Not a Premium member? to learn more about the perks of membership!   Legacy Tree Genealogists provides expert genealogy research service that works with your research goals, budget and schedule. The Legacy Tree Discovery package offers 3.5 hours of preliminary analysis and research recommendations: a great choice if you’ve hit a brick wall in your research and could use some expert guidance. to learn more. GENEALOGY GEMS EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Go to and use coupon code SAVE100 with your purchase of research services.     is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.         GEM: VICTORIAN SCRAPBOOKING The Victorians coined the phrase “scrapbooking:” they literally pasted paper scraps into books. As an embellishment, those who could afford to bought “relief scraps,” such as the ones shown here. These were like the precursors of modern sticker sheets or die cuts, printed just for the scrapbooking hobby. You could buy colorful images of everything from flowers or children to animals, or angels or Father Christmas. These images were raised or embossed on the paper, which is why they called them reliefs. Relief scraps could be used as embellishments around other items on scrapbook pages, but sometimes they were the only decoration on a page, arranged in pretty patterns. This describes quote “a Sunday Scrap-book…as a source of almost unlimited pleasure and profit to children who can read and write.”   DNA WITH DIAHAN, Your DNA Guide I don’t think there is any dispute that the four major online resources for genealogy include Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, Find My Past, and My Heritage. Of those four, only Ancestry.com has attempted any real integration of DNA test results into traditional genealogy. That is, until recently. On May 19, 2016 that they will be adding a DNA matching service to their offering, and then on November 7th announced they would be conducting DNA tests themselves. Now, MyHeritage has enjoyed partnerships with 23andMe and Family Tree DNA for quite some time now, but those partnerships have been woefully underutilized and are little more than an affiliate service, where MyHeritage provides a discounted rate to test at those companies. There is no question that the launch of DNA Heritage fully into the genetic genealogy market is exciting news. In fact, it is something I have been pushing for – we absolutely need someone to challenge AncestryDNA. Competition is good.  In September they began to provide matching results for individuals who had uploaded their results. As of today, uploading your results is still free, so if you have been thinking about it, you may want to take advantage sooner rather than later. As expected, the matches are only as good as the depth of the database, and it is early in the game, so their database is small, but even now we can get an idea of what to expect from MyHeritage as they take their first steps into genetic genealogy. One of the most exciting elements of their November 7th announcement is their development of a Founder Population project where they have handpicked individuals to represent their reference population for calculating ethnicities. They plan to launch with 25 population groups, but will likely increase to 100 in a fairly short amount of time. This is a far more advanced ethnicity report than is currently offered anywhere else. After you have figured out how to download your raw data from your testing company  (see my instructions here: ), and then managed to add it to My Heritage (you have to add a family tree to MyHeritage to do this, see further instructions in their May press release), and waited the requisite time to process, you will receive a notice that you have new DNA matches. For a full review of the features and ins and outs of where to click and what to look at, please refer to the . As for my favorite features, I like how they list all the possible relationships that make sense between you and your match taking into account multiple factors like your age, gender, and your genetics instead of a simple, generic range like 2nd-4th cousins. The accompanying chart that visually shows you all possible relationships is also very helpful. You can access it by clicking on the little question mark icon next to the relationship suggestions. I like that these suggestions remind us that our genetic relationships have different genealogical interpretations. Meaning that genetically, a 2nd cousin once removed, a first cousin twice removed, and a second cousin, all fall within a similar genetic range and it is impossible to determine your exact relationship based on the genetics alone. I also like that they are providing all three genetic descriptors of your relationship: total amount of shared DNA, how many segments are shared, and the size of the longest piece of shared DNA. While this more of an intermediate to advanced piece of your results, it can be important as your relationship analysis becomes more involved. One unique claim made by MyHeritage in their press release about their matching feature addresses a main concern that genetic genealogists have: the lack of pedigree information provided by their matches. MyHeritage claims that 95% of their DNA samples have pedigrees attached. That is remarkable! However, from my own quick calculation of my matches, the number with pedigrees is more like 60%. They also indicated that they will soon be doing a bit of pedigree analysis for you by providing a list of shared surnames and locations between you and your match based on the pedigrees you have both submitted. This will certainly be a welcome addition. According to the November 9th Q and A they haven’t decided yet if the ethnicity features will be available to those who only transfer, and they hint at many more features they have in the works that may only be offered to those who purchase their test. In short, the is currently functioning much like the top three genetic genealogy sites (Ancestry, Family Tree DNA, and 23andMe) and like the free tool Gedmatch, offers a meeting place for those who have been tested at one company to meet those who have tested at another, with the added bonus of a promise of new features on the horizon. PROFILE AMERICA: A DICKENSENIAN TALE PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Amie Tennant, Content Contributor Vienna Thomas, Audio Editor Lacey Cooke, Additional Production Support

Episode 197with Lisa Louise Cooke This episode celebrates the most recent family history there is—our own. A chat between host and producer Lisa Louise Cooke and Gems editor Sunny Morton explores the meaning and memories behind heirlooms in Lisa’s home. They comment on the larger value, for self and others, of recording our own memories in honor of Sunny’s new book, Story of My Life: A Workbook for Preserving Your Legacy. Also in this episode: A spotlight on new marriage records online for the U.S. and around the world. Lisa walks a listener through several tips for learning more about her immigrant ancestors (a mother and daughter). Lisa shows how to use today’s technology tools to help with traditional research skills such as locating passenger lists, immigrant society records and naturalization. Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard talks about organizing your DNA matches so you can get the most out of them. Genealogy Gems Book Club featured author and Victorian lifestyle expert Sarah Chrisman describes what it’s like in her home—which doesn’t use electricity—as the days grow shorter and the darkness comes earlier.   LISA SHARES HER RECENT DISCOVERIES The original photograph of her grandmother: The writing on the backside of the photo. Can you read he second line?   NEW RECORDS ONLINE: Marriage Records : a new index to more than 3 million marriage licenses for recent New York City marriages (1950-1995) Free FamilySearch marriage record collections recently added or updated include:       ;; ;  Learn more about marriage record research: Listen to : Episode 24 in Lisa Louise Cooke’s free step-by-step podcast, Genealogy: Family History Made Easy.   BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users: Finding Copies of Images Online with Google on Your Mobile Device If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is an exclusive step-by-step tutorial PDF that shows you how to use your mobile device and Google to locate copies of images online. Remember, the and is only $2.99 for .   MAILBOX: Finding a Female Immigrant Ancestor Question from Jo: “I have been fortunate to find information about most of my great-grandparents.  I have hit a wall with my maternal great grandmother who immigrated from Switzerland to the US in the 1880's when she was 8 years old. I was hoping that by upgrading to International records on Ancestry that I could find the ship and where she and her mother came from. The curious thing for me is that she and her mother travelled solo to the US and went to Cincinnati, Ohio. I've been to Cincinnati and have searched there and have found directories with addresses but no profession is listed like other people. I didn't find any ship records either. Where might you suggest that I look or search to find more information?” Tips for searching passenger arrival lists: Consider what ports would have been the most logical point of arrival for an immigrant ancestor based on the time period and the U.S. location in which you find them. Cincinnati, Ohio, was reachable by rail by the 1880s from major ports, as well as by water via the Mississippi River for southern ports, so that doesn’t narrow things down much. According to an , more than 80% of immigrants arrived at the Port of New York by the 1890s, so Jo might scrutinize those New York passenger arrival lists for the 1880s again. Free New York City passenger arrival databases at (Ancestry.com) (FamilySearch.org; New York City, NARA M237) Search multiple NYC passenger lists simultaneously at For “deeper” searching at Ancestry.com or other sites with powerful, flexible search interfaces: do a “nameless search” (without any name) for girls around age 8 for arrivals in particular years. Try additional searches with various combinations of name, place of origin (Switzerland) or “Swiss” in the keyword field, which will bring up that word in the ethnicity or nationality column. That column doesn’t have its own search field in Ancestry.com but it is indexed, so use the keyword field to search it. Research Swiss immigration to Cincinnati during that time period. Who was coming, why they were coming and where they were coming from? for free tips about researching historical questions such as these. at Internet Archive and Tips for researching records of immigrant societies: In the U.S., the time between an immigrant’s arrival and naturalization is often documented in records of ethnic organizations such as fraternal benefit societies, immigrant aid and colonization societies. These kinds of community groups often existed in cities and towns where specific immigrant groups had a strong presence. (FamilySearch wiki) Become an expert Google searcher (for genealogy and everything else you want to find online) with , 2nd edition, by Lisa Louise Cooke. Or to get started with basic Google search strategies you can use now. Tips for researching naturalizations: Naturalization records from that time period won’t reliably tell you where an ancestor was from. But they’re still worth looking for, especially if census or other records indicated that the person naturalized. When looking for women’s and children’s naturalization records, remember that during this time period, they automatically became naturalized if their husband or father did, so individual records for married women and minor children won’t exist under their own names. But a woman could apply on her own, too. to read a free article on women’s naturalizations. Learn more in a free, 3-episode series on immigration and naturalization records: episodes 29-31 in the free, step-by-step . GET THE RIGHT GENEALOGY DATABASE: Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. And in the near future, RootsMagic will be fully integrated with Ancestry.com, too: you’ll be able to sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site.   BACKUP YOUR GENEALOGY: Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   INTERVIEW: Sunny Morton on recording your own life stories    “Some people about writing their life stories like I do about going to the gym. I put off going, but once I do I remember how much I enjoy it—and how much good it does me.” -Sunny Sunny asks Lisa about this photo and her memories... Story of My Life: A Workbook for Preserving Your Legacy available as a or as a   GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB: Sarah Chrisman   Featured Genealogy Gems Book Club author Sarah Chrisman describes what it’s like when the days get shorter and the darkness comes early—in a house without electricity.         Legacy Tree Genealogists provides expert genealogy research service that works with your research goals, budget and schedule. The Legacy Tree Discovery package offers 3.5 hours of preliminary analysis and research recommendations: a great choice if you’ve hit a brick wall in your research and could use some expert guidance. to learn more. GENEALOGY GEMS EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Go to and use coupon code SAVE100 with your purchase of research services.   is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.     DNA WITH DIAHAN SOUTHARD Parents spend a good portion of their parenting time ferreting out the real story from their children. One time when Henry was in Kindergarten he was playing outside with another little boy. I was in and out of the house watching him and checking on other things. Hours later I noticed that his bike had been spray-painted black. When confronted, he claimed he had no idea how such a thing could have happened. Unfortunately, I jumped to conclusions and blamed the other kid (you have to give me credit, at six Henry was such a good boy and had such an angelic face with his blue blue eyes and blonde blonde hair). But as I was on the phone with my husband telling him about the issue I looked over at Henry and I saw it- that guilty look and my stomach sank, recalling the things I had said to the other boy’s mom. “I’ll have to call you back,” I told my husband. As genealogists, we spend our time trying to ferret out the real story from our ancestors, or at least from the records they left behind, because they’re not sitting in front of us with guilty looks on their faces. We are constantly checking family stories against, say, the information on a census record, then comparing it to the family will, then making sure it all agrees with what’s in the military records. And even if we have total agreement, which isn’t always, more information often comes along, like in the form of DNA testing, and we may find even more apparent discrepancies. I recently read an about a reporter, Cameron McWhirter, who talks about finding just that kind of discrepancy between his family lore and his DNA. He even goes so far as to say, “I am descended, at least partially, from liars.” And he makes the point that “many immigrants reinvented themselves when they arrived here (the United States),” which could be a nice way of saying they had a chance to INVENT a new legacy, not just reinvent it. His assessments are certainly interesting, and worth reviewing, to help us see how DNA testing can affect the way we look at family stories and traditional research results. McWhirter may be the classic modern genealogist, never having set foot inside a courthouse or scanned through microfiche, relying instead entirely, he reports, on internet research. Now before you roll your eyes, just stop for a minute and appreciate how exciting this is. Here is a man who never gave his family history a second thought, yet because of the death of his parents started to tinker around a bit, and then due to the large volume of information online “was quickly pulled into the obsessive world of modern genealogical research.” I say, score one for the genealogy world! What he found was that while his dad was proudly and solidly a self-proclaimed Scot, the records and DNA revealed his heritage was actually from Ireland and eastern Europe. McWhirter says that his “father hated Notre Dame, but judging by my results he could have been one-quarter to one-half Irish. He spoke dismissively of people from Eastern Europe, but part of his genetic code likely came from that region.” McWhirter’s evaluation of his genetic report includes only his ethnicity results, which as you can hear, were meaningful to him in the way they flew in the face of his father’s prejudices and assertions of his own identity. But the ethnicity results fall short of the point of testing for most genealogists. He might even more powerfully transform his sense of family identity if he took a look at his match list and saw an actual living cousin, for example, a third cousin perhaps who was also descended from his German great-grandmother, who maybe never mentioned that she was also Jewish. Connecting with other cousins who also have paper trails to our ancestors serves to provide further confidence that we have put all of the pieces together and honored the right ancestor with a spot on our pedigree chart. It’s like we multiply our own research efforts by finding more people like us—literally—who are descended from the same people and interested in finding them. As long as they’re as diligent in their research as we are, of course. At a recent conference I met a 5th cousin. Even with a connection that distant it was exciting, and it made we want to look again at our connecting ancestors and pause for just a minute to marvel how my DNA verified my paper trail back to them, and that part of them was around, in me, and in my new cousin. To me, THAT’s a bigger picture I want to see—when the paper trail comes together with the DNA trail and turns into real live cousins, even if they turn out to be a little different than the stories and sense of identity that were handed to us when we were young. Maybe you’re something like Cameron McWhirter: you’ve taken a DNA test, been intrigued (or disappointed) by the ethnicity results, but haven’t yet fully explored all your matches on your list. I’m telling you, you may be seriously missing some opportunities. If that’s you, I may actually have written my new DNA quick guide just for you. It’s called “.” This guide will teach you how to leverage the power of known relatives who have tested. You’ll get an intro to chromosome browsers and their role in the search process, and access to a free bonus template for evaluating the genealogical relationship of a match in relationship to the predicted genetic relationship. This guide also gives you a methodology for converting UNknown relatives on your match list into known relatives, which is what we’re going for here. So check it out, either as a solo purchase or as part of my , which comes along with my new Gedmatch guide and a guide expressly for organizing your DNA matches.   PROFILE AMERICA:   PRODUCTION CREDITS Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Editor Amie Tennant, Content Contributor Vienna Thomas, Audio Editor Lacey Cooke, Additional Production Support FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-book as a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.  

The Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, expert Kate Eakman from Legacy Tree Genealogists joins us with some tips for those starting to trace their Irish ancestors into Ireland. She shares some great websites for Irish research and places to look for that elusive Irish home county;and an exclusive coupon code for anyone who could use some expert help on a tough research problem. Additional episode highlights: Gems listeners respond with strong opinions on sharing gossip about our ancestors; Genealogy Gems Book Club surprises: a past featured author has a new book out—and something different for the new Book Club pick; Mark your calendars and make some plans for big conferences in 2017; Organize your DNA test results and matches to help you get the most out of them, now and in the future. Listen now - click the player below: NEWS: 2017 Conferences   BOOK CLUB NEWS: NEW FROM NATHAN DYLAN GOODWIN British author Nathan Dylan Goodwin, featured in the past on the Genealogy Gems Book Club with his novel has a NEW novel out in same forensic genealogy mystery series. : Hero Morton Farrier is back, and he’s on the trail of his client’s newly-discovered biological family. That trail leads to the fascinating story of a young woman who provides valuable but secret service during World War II—and who unknowingly became an entry in the mysterious Spyglass File. The connection is still so dangerous that Morton’s going to have bad guys after him again, and he may or may not be kidnapped right before he’s supposed to marry the lovely Juliette. Meanwhile, you’ll find him anguishing over the continuing mystery of his own biological roots—a story that unfolds just a little more in this new book.   MAILBOX: School Records Suggestion Responding to : “For those that have these old school records, consider donating them (even a digitized image) to the school from whence they originated. I shared class photos taken in the 1940s with my parents’ grade schools. The school was so appreciative! I hope another researcher down the road benefits from the pictures as well.” - Laura MAILBOX: Passing on the Gossip with Jennifer’s letter, my response, and several more comments to a post about the stamp pendant Jennifer sent me  Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. In the near future, RootsMagic will be fully integrated with Ancestry.com, too: you’ll be able to sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site.   Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at .   INTERVIEW: Kate Eakman and Getting Started in Irish Genealogy GENEALOGY GEMS EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Go to and use coupon code SAVE100 to save $100 on your purchase of research services. Legacy Tree Genealogist specialist shares tips about getting started in Irish genealogy. Here are the highlights: Q: Where would you recommend the hobbyist start their Irish search?  A: Not a lot of Irish records are available online for free. Top sites for Irish records include: FamilySearch.org ( for their Ireland landing page), , and Findmypast.com ( for their Ireland page). Q: What does a researcher need to know before crossing the pond? A: Where the person was born in Ireland. The county. Find out if they were Protestant or Catholic. for an interactive map of Irish counties, including those of Northern Ireland. Q: Where do you recommend they look for that info in the U.S. crossing the pond? A: Death records, marriage records, church records (keep an eye on extended family), passenger lists, naturalization papers. Keep an eye out for extended family members who may have come from the same place. Be aware of and patterns. Q: At what point in the Irish research process do hobbyists usually get stuck? A: Common names regularly recycled, so it can be tough to sort out who is who. Also, a in 1922 destroyed the bulk of government records. for a description of what was lost and what surviving fragments are coming soon to Findmypast.com. Q: How does it work to work with a professional genealogist at Legacy Tree Genealogists? A: Here’s the process. A manager calls or emails the client to discuss their needs and parameters. They identify the goals and determine what the client already knows. A goal is settled on and then a researcher is assigned to the client. A written report of the research conducted is provided. GENEALOGY GEMS EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Go to and use coupon code SAVE100 to save $100 on your purchase of research services. The Legacy Tree Discovery package provides for 3.5 hours of preliminary analysis and research recommendations. It’s a great way to get started if you’ve hit a brick wall in your research and could use some expert guidance. to learn more. This episode is sponsored by MyHeritage.com. the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. Click here to see what MyHeritage can do for you: it’s free to get started.     DNA GEM with Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard: Organizing Your DNA I can tell whose turn it is to unload the dishwasher by the state of the silverware drawer. If either of the boys have done it (ages 13 and 11), the forks are haphazardly in a jumble and the spoon stack has overflowed into the knife section, and the measuring spoons are nowhere to be found. If, on the other hand, it was my daughter (age 8), everything is perfectly in order. Not only are all the forks where they belong, but the small forks and the large forks have been separated into their own piles and the measuring spoons are nestled neatly in size order. Regardless of the state of your own silverware drawer, it is clear that most of us need some sort of direction when it comes to organizing our DNA test results. Organizing your matches entails more than just lining them up into nice categories like Mom’s side vs. Dad’s side, or known connections vs. unknown connections. Organizing your results involves making a plan for their use. Good organization for your test results can help you reveal or refine your genealogical goals, and help determine your next steps. The very first step is to download your raw data from your testing company and store it somewhere on your own computer. I have instructions on my website if you need help. Once that is complete, we can get to the match list. One common situation for those of you who have several generations of ancestors in the United States, you may have some ancestors that seem to have produced a lot of descendants who have caught the DNA testing vision. This can be like your overflowing spoon stack, and it may be obscuring some valuable matches. But identifying and putting all of those known matches in their proper context can help you realize these abundant matches may lead to clues about the descendant lines of your known ancestral couple that you were not aware of. In my quick sheet I outline a process for drawing out the genetic and genealogical relationships of these known connections to better understand their relationship to each other and to you. It is then easier to verify that your genetic connection is aligned with your known genealogical paper trail and spot areas that might need more research. This same idea of plotting the relationships of your matches to each other can also be employed as you are looking to break down a brick wall in your family tree, or even in cases of adoption.  They key to identifying unknowns is determining the relationships of your matches to each other, so you can better see where you might fit in. Another helpful tool is a trick I learned from our very own Lisa Louise Cooke, and that is . Have you ever tried to use Google Earth to help you in your genetic genealogy? Remember that the common ancestor between you and your match has three things that connect you to them: their genetics, surnames, and locations. We know the genetics is working because they are showing up on your match list. But often times you cannot see a shared surname among your matches. However, by plotting their locations in the free Google Earth, kind of like separating the big forks from the little forks, you might be able to recognize a shared location that would identify which line you should investigate for a shared connection. So, what are you waiting for? Line up those spoons and separate the big forks from the little forks, your organizing efforts may just reveal a family of measuring Spoons, all lined up and waiting to be added to your family history.   GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB: Sarah A. Chrisman Author spotlight: Sarah A. Chrisman, living icon of the Victorian age. Sarah and her husband Gabriel live like it’s about 1889. They wear Victorian-style clothing and use a wood-burning stove and antique ice box. Sarah wears a corset day and night Gabriel wears 19th century glasses. No TV, no cell phones—and Sarah isn’t even a licensed driver. For this Book Club, you can take your pick of Sarah’s books! Which would you like to read? , a memoir Sarah’s everyday life. The Book Club interview in December will focus mainly on this book. ; ; : A Victorian Cycling Club Romance. This is from her series of light-hearted historical fiction set in an era she knows well! In honor of the Book Club theme, Genealogy Gems is going Victorian! From now through the end of the year, you’ll find Victorian-inspired crafts, recipes, décor, fashions and more on our Instagram and Pinterest sites, which of course we’ll link to regularly from the , newsletter, podcast show notes and . Nobody does sumptuous holiday traditions quite like the Victorians, and we look forward to celebrating that.   BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a PDF with instructions on accessing the new free Guild of One-Name databases on FamilySearch.org. The and is only $2.99 for .   Receive our FREE Genealogy Gems Newsletter: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.    

The Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, I’m celebrating the 100th episode of another podcast I host: the Family Tree Magazine podcast. So I’ll flashback to one of my favorite interviews from that show, an inspiring get-in-shape conversation for your research skills: how you can strengthen your research muscles and tone those technology skills to find and share your family history. More episode highlights: News on Chronicling America and Scotland’s People; Comments from guest expert Lisa Alzo on millions of Czech records that have recently come online; A YouTube-for-genealogy success story from a woman I met at a conference; An excerpt from the Genealogy Gems Book Club interview with Chris Cleave, author of Everyone Brave is Forgiven; Diahan Southard shares a DNA gem: the free website GEDmatch, which you might be ready for if you’ve done some DNA testing. Listen now - click the player below: NEWS: Genealogy.coach NEWS: GENEALOGY WEBSITE UPDATES NEW RECORDS ONLINE: FREE CZECH RECORDS AT FAMILYSEARCH.ORG On browse-only records: Though not fully indexed, the new Czech browse-only records number over 4 million. learn how to use browse-only collections on FamilySearch.org. Lisa Alzo, Eastern European genealogy expert and author of the new book comments on the significance of these records coming online: “These records are a real boon for Czech researchers because at one time the only to get records such as these was to write to an archive and taking a chance on getting a response or spending a lot of money to hire someone to find the records or to travel there yourself to do research in the archives.   The church records contain Images and some indexes of baptisms/births, marriages, and deaths that occurred in the Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, and Reformed Church parishes, as well as entries in those registers for Jews.  Land transactions containing significant genealogical detail for a time period that predates parish registers. The collection includes records from regional archives in Opava and Třeboň and from the district archive in Trutnov. School registers contain the full name for a child, birth date, place of birth, country, religion and father's full name, and place of residence. While researchers should keep in mind that not everything is yet online,and FamilySearch will likely add to its collection,  having these records from FS is an amazing resource for anyone whose ancestors may have come from these areas. And hopefully there are more records to come!” GENEALOGY GEMS NEWS Story of My Life by Sunny Morton, life story-writing journal available as a and as a Diahan Southard will be at the in Dublin, Ireland, October 21 to 23, 2016   Genealogy Gems app users:  For those of you who listen to this show through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus handout is a PDF document with step-by-step instructions and helpful screenshots for Google image search on mobile devices. The and is only $2.99 for   Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. And in the near future, RootsMagic will be fully integrated with Ancestry.com, too: you’ll be able to sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site.   Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems. Learn more at . Review your search results—especially those that pop up in the Images category.   MAILBOX: Robin’s YouTube Success Story YouTube video with Robyn’s father: has an entire chapter on using YouTube to find family history in historical videos   MAILBOX: FEEDBACK ON THE PODCASTS Free, step-by-step podcast for beginners and a “refresher” course:   SHAPING UP WITH SUNNY MORTON celebrates 100th episode   Sunny Morton has get-in-shape advice for us—from strengthening research skills to toning tech muscles--from the article "Shaping Up" featured in the  More resources for genealogy education: GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB: , the best-selling novel by British author Chris Cleave. A love story set in World War II London and Malta. This story is intense, eye-opening and full of insights into the human experience of living and loving in a war zone—and afterward. is inspired by love letters exchanged between the author’s grandparents during World War II. Video: for more Genealogy Gems Book Club titles is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. : it’s free to get started.     GEDMATCH WITH DIAHAN SOUTHARD, YOUR DNA GUIDEThe genetic genealogy community has a crush. A big one.  Everyone is talking about it. “It has such great features.” says one. “It has a chromosome browser!” exclaims another. “It’s FREE!” they all shout. What are they talking about? GEDmatch is a mostly free online tool where anyone with autosomal DNA test results from 23andMe, FTDNA, and AncestryDNA can meet and share information. All you need to do is download your data from your testing company and upload it into your newly created GEDmatch account. GEDmatch is set up just like your testing company in that it provides two kinds of reports: ethnicity results, and a match list. Remember that ethnicity results, meaning those pie charts that report you are 15% Italian and 32% Irish, are based on two factors: a reference population and fancy math. GEDmatch has gathered data from multiple academic sources to provide you with several different iterations of ethnicity reports. This is like getting a second (and third and fourth, etc) opinion on a science that is still emerging. It is a fun exercise, but will likely not impact your genealogy research very much. The more important match list does allow you to see genetic cousins who have tested at other companies. Of course, only those who have downloaded their results and entered them into GEDmatch will show up on your list. This means GEDmatch has the potential to expand your pool of genetic cousins, increasing your chances of finding someone to help you track down that missing ancestor. Many also flock to GEDmatch because they were tested at AncestryDNA and thus do not have access to a chromosome browser. A chromosome browser allows you to visualize the physical locations that you share with someone else. Some find this to be a helpful tool when analyzing their DNA matches (though in my opinion it is not essential). GEDmatch also has some great genealogy features that let you analyze your pedigree against someone else’s, as well as the ability to search all the pedigree charts in their system so you can look specifically for a descendant of a particular relative. However, even with all of these great features, GEDmatch is still yet another website you have to navigate, and with that will be a learning curve, and certainly some frustration. So, is it worth it? If you are fairly comfortable with the website where you were tested, and you are feeling both curious and patient, I say go for it. It’s too much to try to tell you right this minute how to download your data from your testing site and upload it to GEDmatch. BUT you’re in luck, I’ve put step-by-step instructions for getting started in a FREE tutorial on my website at . After you’ve done the upload, you may need a little bit more help to navigate the GEDmatch site because there are so many great tools on it. I recently published a , where I have condensed into four pages the most essential features of GEDmatch to get you started and help you make use of this tool for genetic genealogy. Using my guide is an inexpensive and easy way to get a lot more out of a free online resource. I will also be adding more GEDmatch tutorials to my online tutorial series later this fall, which Genealogy Gems fans get a nice discount on ( for that discount). By the way, have you tried GEDmatch? I would love to hear about your experiences. You can email me at .   DNA QUICK GUIDE BUNDLES: NEW AND ON SALE by Diahan Southard: GEDmatch: A Next Step for your Autosomal DNA Test Organizing Your DNA Matches: A Companion Guide Next Steps: Working with Your Autosomal DNA Matches   by Diahan Southard with ALL 10 Guides Getting Started: Genetics for the Genealogist Autosomal DNA for the Genealogist Mitochondrial DNA for the Genealogist Y Chromosome DNA for the Genealogist and Testing Companies: Understanding Ancestry: A Companion Guide to Autosomal DNA for the Genealogist Understanding Family Tree DNA: A Companion Guide to Autosomal DNA for the Genealogist Understanding 23 and Me: A Companion Guide to Autosomal DNA for the Genealogist and Advanced Tools Next Steps: Working With Your Autosomal DNA Matches Organzing Your DNA Matches GEDmatch: A Next Step for Your Autosomal DNA Test   Genealogy Gems Podcast turns 200: Tell me what you think?As we count down to the 200th episode of the free Genealogy Gems Podcast, what have been YOUR favorite things about the podcast? Any particular topics, interviews or segments of the show? What keeps you coming back? What would you like to hear more of? Email me at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at (925) 272-4021, or send mail to: P.O. Box 531, Rhome, TX 76078. FREE NEWSLETTER:  

The Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke Did you know you can use Google to help identify images, to find more images like them online, and even to track down images that have been moved to a different place online? Find these great Google tech tips in this episode, along with 10 tech-savvy tricks for finding an ancestor's school records. You will also hear how to create a family history photo decoupage plate: a perfect craft to give as a gift or create with children. This blast from the past episode comes from the digitally remastered Genealogy Gems Podcast episodes 11 and 12 (originally recorded in 2007). They are now interwoven with fresh narration; below you’ll find all-new show notes. Google Image searches: Updated tips to watch a short new tutorial video on using Google Images to find images for your genealogy research. Conduct an initial search using the search terms you want. The Image category (along with other categories) will appear on the screen along with your search results. For images of people: enter name as search term in quotes: “Mark Twain.” If you have an unusual name or if you have extra time to scroll through results, enter the name without quotation marks. Other search terms to try: ancestral place names, tombstone, name of a building (school, church, etc.), the make and model of Grandpa’s car, etc. Click on one of the image thumbnails to get to a highlight page (shown here) where you can visit the full webpage or view the image. If you click View images, you’ll get the web address. To retrieve images that no longer appear at the expected URL: Click on View image to get the image URL. Copy the image’s URL (Ctrl+C in Windows) and paste it (Ctrl+V) into your web browser to go to that image’s page. When you click through, you’re back in Web view. The first few search results should be from the website with the image you want. Click on a link that says “cache.” A cached version is an older version of the website (hopefully a version dated before the image was moved or removed). Browse that version of the site to find the image. NEW Tip: Use Google Chrome to identify an image and find additional images showing the same subject, such as a place, person or subject. From the Google home page, click Images. In the Google search box, you’ll see a little camera icon. Click on it. If you have an image from a website, insert the URL for that image. If you have an image on your computer, click Upload an image. Choose the file you want. Google will identify the image as best it can, whether a location, person, or object, and it will show you image search results that seem comparable. to watch a free video tutorial on this topic.   GEM: Decoupage a Family Photo Plate Supply List: Clear glass plate with a smooth finish (available at kitchen outlet and craft stores) Sponge craft brush Decoupage glue Fine paper-cutting scissors (Cuticle scissors work well) Small bottle of acrylic craft paint in a color you would like for the back A flat paintbrush Painter’s tape Brush-on clear acrylic varnish for a glossy finish on the back of the plate A selection of photos (including other images that complement the photos)  Assembling your plate: Lay out your design to fit the plate Add words if desired. You can draw directly on the copy or print it out and cut it to fit. Put an even coat of glue on the front of each photo. Don't worry about brush strokes, but be careful not to go over it too many times which could cause the ink to run.  Apply the photos to the back of the plate, working in reverse order (the first images placed on the plate will be in the foreground of the design). Glue the edges firmly. Turn the plate over to check the placement of images. Smooth using craft brush. Brush glue over the back of each photo. Turn the plate around so you can see the image from the front and work out the air bubbles. Continue to place the images until the entire plate is covered. Let it dry 24 hours. Use painters’ tape to tape off the edges before you apply the acrylic paint to the back of the plate. Paint the back and let dry. Apply a second coat. Let dry. Apply an acrylic varnish for a glossy finish on the back. Let dry. Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends . From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. And soon, RootsMagic will be fully integrated with Ancestry.com, too: you’ll be able to sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with , the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems.   GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB Our current book is by Chris Cleave. Follow the story of Mary North, a wealthy young Londoner who signs up for the war effort when the Great War reaches England. Originally assigned as a schoolteacher, she turns to other tasks after her students evacuate to the countryside, but not before beginning a relationship that leads to a love triangle and long-distance war-time romance. As her love interest dodges air raids on Malta, she dodges danger in London driving ambulances during air raids in the Blitz. This story is intense, eye-opening and full of insights into the human experience of living and loving in a war zone—and afterward. is inspired by love letters exchanged between the author’s grandparents during World War II. Video: for more Genealogy Gems Book Club titles   GEM: Top 10 Tips for finding Graduation Gems in your family history Establish a timeline. Check your genealogy database to figure out when your ancestor would have attended high school or college. Consult family papers and books. Go through old family papers & books looking for senior calling cards, high school autograph books, journals and diaries, senior portraits, fraternity or sorority memorabilia and yearbooks. Search newspapers. Look for school announcements, honor rolls, sports coverage, end-of-year activities and related articles. Updated tips and online resources: Ancestry.com has moved the bulk of its historical newspaper collection to its sister subscription website, . Search your browser for the public library website in the town where your ancestor attended school. Check the online card catalogue, look for a local history or genealogy webpage, or contact them to see what newspapers they have, and whether any can be loaned (on microfilm) through interlibrary loan. Search the Library of Congress’ newspaper website, Chronicling America, for digitized newspaper content relating your ancestor’s school years. Also, search its for the names and library holdings of local newspapers. online catalog Contact local historical and genealogical societies for newspaper holdings. Consult the websites of U.S. state archives and libraries: to find a directory of state libraries State historical and genealogical societies. In addition to newspapers, state historical and genealogical societies might have old yearbooks or school photograph collections. For example, the has a large (and growing) collection of Ohio school yearbooks. Local historical and genealogical societies may also have school memorabilia collections. RootsWeb, now at . Check the message board for the county and state you’re looking for. Post a message asking if anyone has access to yearbooks or other school info. TIP: Use Google site search operator to find mentions of yearbooks on the county page you’re looking at. Add site: to the front of the Rootsweb page for the locale, then the word yearbook after it. For example: Search for online yearbooks at websites such as: Ancestry.com now has a large yearbook collection Yearbookgenealogy.com and the National Yearbook Project, mentioned in the show, no longer exist as such US GenWeb at . Search on the county website where the school was located. Is there anyone willing to do a lookup? Is there a place to post which yearbooks you’re looking for? Call the school, if it’s still open. If they don’t have old yearbooks, they may be able to put you in touch with a local librarian or historian who does. TIP: Go to and type the school name in “Business Name.” Call around 4:00 pm local time, when the kids are gone but the school office is still open.  : Do a search on the school or town you’re looking for to see if anyone out there is selling a yearbook that you need. Also search for old photographs or postcards of the school. Here’s my extra trick: From the results page, check the box to include completed listings and email potential sellers to inquire about the books you are looking for. TIP: Don’t be afraid to ask – ebay sellers want to sell!  And if all else fails, set up an ebay Favorite Search to keep a look out for you. Go to and check out Episode #3 for instructions on how to do this. MyHeritage.com is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. Click here to see what MyHeritage can do for you: it’s free to get started.   FREE NEWSLETTER: Enter your email & get my Google Research e-bookas a thank you gift! to receive a free weekly e-mail newsletter, with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals.  

  The Genealogy Gems Podcast by Lisa Louise Cooke Episode highlights: Genealogy milestones, anniversaries, new records, upcoming conferences and new free video tutorials; Email response to The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #192: another tip on the U.S. Public Records Index, a family adoption story and his own research on the changing coastline of Sussex; More response to the “Where I’m From” poetry initiative; Announcement: the NEW Genealogy Gems Book Club title; A key principle in genetic genealogy from Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard. NEWS: FOIA Turns 50What is the FOIA? The Freedom of Information Act opens federal records to the public. The FOIA applies to certain kinds of information about the federal government and certain information created by the federal government. It DOESN’T apply to documents that relate to national security, privacy and trade secrets, or to documents created by state or local governments. FOIA for genealogy research: Use the FOIA to request: : draft registrations and SS-102 forms (with more draft/military information on them), through the end of 1959;  from 1906 to 1956;  from 1940 to 1944;  from 1924 to1944;  for 1929 to 1944 (these document the arrival of an immigrant whose passenger or other arrival record could not be found for whatever reason); , alien case files for 1944 to 1951; Certain  and certain  (to the slides from a National Archives presentation on using FBI files for family history. to read an article on the 50th anniversary of the FOIA and more on FOIA for genealogy   NEWS: NEW RECORD COLLECTIONS ONLINE Peggy Lauritzen on “Gretna Greens,” quickie wedding destinations ( required to access) ; In September 2016 you can access the full Freedmen’s Bureau Project at .   NEWS: AncestryDNA Hits 2 Million Samples Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard talks about these AncestryDNA features in: NEWS: UPCOMING CONFERENCES , July 15-16, 2016 CeCe Moore talks genetic genealogy on genealogy TV shows , July 30, 2016 3rd Annual Northwest Genealogy Conference, Arlington, Hosted by the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society, north of Seattle in Arlington, WA  on August 17-20, 2016 Theme: "Family Secrets Uncovered -- Lost History Found” Keynote speakers include Blaine Bettinger, Claudia Breland and Lisa Louise Cooke Free Day Wednesday afternoon: Beth Foulk will address beginner's issues -- which is also a good refresher for the more seasoned genealogists Other features: Meet a distant cousin with the “Cousin Wall;” participate in the genealogy-related scavenger hunt on Free Day Wednesday, and enjoy the free taco bar at the evening reception. Wear a costume from your ancestors’ homeland on the Friday dress-up day.           GEMS NEWS: NEW VIDEOS ONLINE ( required to access)   MAILBOX: CHRIS WITH US PUBLIC RECORDS INDEX TIP AND MORE Follow-up email regarding from Chris, who blogs at about a compelling story of an adopted child in his family about the changing coastline in Sussex MAILBOX: “WHERE I’M FROM” : Interview with George Ella Lyon Santa Clara County Historical and Genealogical Society “Where I'm From” contest: “Anyone near and far may join our Contest. Each entry receives a gift from the. We will have a drawing from all entries of cash or a nice prize.  Deadline for entries is Aug. 31, 2016. More information on .”   NEW GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB SELECTION   by Chris Cleave It’s a story inspired by love letters exchanged between his grandparents during World War II, when they were each in dangerous places: he on the island of Malta and she in London, both of which suffered some of the worst sustained bombing campaigns of the war. is a fast-paced book. It begins in London in 1939 with Mary North, a wealthy young lady from a privileged family who, on finding out that war has been declared, immediately leaves her finishing school and signs on for the war effort without telling her parents. She fulfills an assignment as a school teacher long enough to make a meaningful connection with a school official and one of her students. Then her students (along with the rest of London’s children) are evacuated to the countryside, leaving her to figure out what to do next. The plot gets a lot more involved from here. There’s a love triangle, a long-distance romance, a series of scenes that take place on the heavily-bombarded island of Malta, harrowing descriptions of the London Blitz, homeless children who return from the evacuation only to find themselves parentless, homeless and in constant danger. It’s intense and eye-opening, but it’s compassionate and it’s still very readable for those who have less of a stomach for blood and guts but still want to understand some of the human experience of living and loving in a war zone, and then picking up the pieces afterward and figuring out how to keep living. Video: for more Genealogy Gems Book Club titles   DNA GEM: GENETIC PEDIGREE V GENEALOGICAL PEDIGREE A key concept in genetic genealogy is that your genetic pedigree is different than your genealogical pedigree. Let me explain. Your genealogical pedigree, if you are diligent or lucky (or both!) can contain hundreds, even thousands of names and can go back countless generations. You can include as many collateral lines as you want. You can add several sources to your findings, and these days you can even add media, including pictures and copies of the actual documents. Every time someone gets married or welcomes a new baby, you can add that to your chart. In short, there is no end to the amount of information that can make up your pedigree chart. Not so for your genetic pedigree. Your genetic pedigree contains only those ancestors for whom you have received some of their DNA. You do not have DNA from all of your ancestors. Using some fancy math we can calculate that the average generation in which you start to see that you have inherited zero blocks of DNA from an ancestor is about seven. But of course, most of us aren’t trying to figure out how much of our DNA we received from great great great grandma Sarah. Most of us just have a list of DNA matches and we are trying to figure out if we are all related to 3X great grandma Sarah. So how does that work? Well, the first thing we need to recognize is that living descendants of Sarah’s would be our fourth cousins (though not always, but that is a topic for another post!). Again, bring in the fancy math and we can learn that living, documented fourth cousins who have this autosomal DNA test completed will only share DNA with each other 50% of the time. Yes, only half. Only half of the time your DNA will tell you what your paper trail might have already figured out: That you and cousin Jim are fourth cousins, related through sweet 3X great grandma Sarah.  But here’s where the numbers are in our favor. You have, on average, 940 fourth cousins. So if you are only sharing DNA with 470 of them, that’s not quite so bad, is it? And it only takes one or two of them to be tested and show up on your match list. Their presence there, and their documentation back to sweet Sarah, helps to verify the genealogy you have completed and allows you to gather others who might share this connection so you can learn even more about Sarah and her family. Plus, if you find Jim, then Jim will have 470 4th cousins as well, some of which will not be on your list, giving you access to even more of the 940. This genetic family tree not matching up exactly with your traditional family tree also manifests itself in your ethnicity results, though there are other reasons for discrepancies there as well.  In short, this DNA stuff is not perfect, or even complete, but if you combine it with your traditional resources, it can be a very powerful tool for verifying and extending your family history. Additional readings:   PROFILE AMERICA:

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #192 with Lisa Louise Cooke Highlights from this episode: How to use Animoto, my favorite new tech tool for creating professional-looking slide shows and videos New Genealogy Gems team member Amie Tennant shares insights as she prepares for professional certification A listener shares a favorite genealogy database for finding recent relatives A listener uses DNA to connect adoptive and biological relatives—who were closer than she thought A segment from the Genealogy Gems Book Club interview with author Helen Simonson on The Summer Before the War News from Dropbox and a new initiative to capture the family histories of remote, indigenous populations   NEWS: Dropbox Improvement New on Dropbox: Now when you share Dropbox content with someone, shared links will stay active even if you move or rename the file or folder. Dropbox file-sharing tip: “If you ever want to unshare something you’ve already sent out (like to remove access to a sensitive document), it’s easy to disable an active link.” Just sign in to . “Click the link icon next to the file or folder, and click ‘remove link’ in the top right corner of the box that appears. You can also remove the link by visiting and clicking ‘x’ next to the file or folder.”   NEWS: MyHeritage and Tribal Quest (on FamilySearch.org)   NEWS: New Premium Video : a new video available to by Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard Genealogy Gems Premium website membership: to learn more to watch a free video preview   MAILBOX: Russ Recommends the U.S. Public Records Index Russ blogs at : What to use while waiting for the 1950 census Russ recommends the “U.S., Public Record Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1 and 2.” “Volume 1 is far more interesting with more data. A search will return a Name AND Birth date, along with more than one ADDRESS, Zip Code and sometimes phone numbers.” Ancestry’s description of its online database for Volume 1 says original data comes from public records spanning all 50 states, such as voter registration lists, public record filings, historical residential records and other household database listings. U.S. Public Records Index on Ancestry.com:  and Free partial version (1970-2009) at Another partial version (1970-2010) at Thoughts about using the U.S. Public Records Index (some of these points come from the ): Not everyone who lived in the U.S. appears in the index, and you’re more likely to find birth information for those born between 1900 and 1990. What you’ll find is primarily where someone lived, and often when they lived there. It’s rarely possible to positively identify a relative in this index, since there’s limited information and it spans the entire country for up to a half century, and you can’t follow up on the record it comes from because the index doesn’t say where individual records come from. As Russ says, this is a great resource to use in combination with other records. It’s a similar concept to the way you might consult uncited family trees: great hints to go on and follow up with further research into verifiable sources. When you find more recent listings, you can sometimes find telephone numbers for living distant relatives. The Family History Made Easy podcast has a 2-episode series (episodes and ) about cold-calling techniques for reaching out to distant relatives you don’t know.   MAILBOX: Katie on Cold-calling and Adoption and DNA Katie blogs her family history adventures at . to read a blog post with her story and see more pictures that go with it.   INTERVIEW: Amie Tennant Amie Tennant is the newest member of the Genealogy Gems team. She contributes to the blog at . She is also preparing to become a certified genealogist, which is a professional credential offered by the (BCG). What have you learned in the process of preparing for certification? “I think the biggest thing I have learned is the meaning of true exhaustive research. We talk a lot about that in our genealogy standards, but essentially, it is looking EVERYWHERE for EVERYTHING that might shed light on your research question.” Why do you want to become certified? I want a way to determine how well I am doing. A measuring stick of sorts. What is the process like? The process is the same for everyone. Once you have decided to become certified, you apply to the BCG. They send you a packet of information and you are “on the clock.” The clock is up in one year, unless you ask for an extension. The portfolio you create consists of: Signing the Code of Ethics Listing your development activities (like formal coursework or enrichment activities); Transcribe, abstract, create a genealogy research question, analyze the data, and the write the research plan for a document that is supplied to you; Do those same 5 things for a document of your choosing; A research report prepared for another person. A case study with conflicting, indirect or negative evidence; A kinship determination project (a narrative genealogy that covers at least 3 generations) There is a lot of great free content on the : articles, examples, and skill building activities.   GEM: How to Create Family History Videos Quickly and Easily which includes video tutorials and inspirational examples. Genealogy Gems App users can watch Episode #1 of the video tutorial in the Bonus content area.    BOOK CLUB: Interview excerpt with Helen Simonson, author of  The Summer Before the War Beatrice Nash is a bright, cosmopolitan young lady who has grown up traveling the world with her father. Now he’s gone, and she’s landed in the small village of East Sussex, England, where the locals aren’t entirely thrilled about engaging her as a female Latin instructor for their schoolchildren. She spends a summer fighting for her job, meeting a local cast of engaging eccentric characters (both gentry and gypsy) and trying not to fall for handsome Hugh. Then the Great War breaks out. This novel follows Helen’s popular debut novel, , which became a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into 21 languages.  can join us in June to hear our exclusive and fun interview with Helen Simonson.   GENEALOGY GEMS PODCAST PRODUCTION CREDITS: Lisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Contributing Editor Vienna Thomas, Audio Editor Additional content by Lacey Cooke, Amie Tennant 

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #191 with Lisa Louise Cooke   NEWS: Upcoming Live-Streaming from FGS from Periscope Free Periscope app in or  Lisa’s Twitter handle: @LisaCooke   New German Records with James Beidler His new book: Trace Your German Roots Online: A Complete Guide to German Genealogy Websites. Jim mentioned this new website for Protestant church records: Links to new German genealogy databases: CHURCH. An enormous collection of  is now searchable on Ancestry.com. You’ll find over 24 million records from “parish registers from numerous Protestant communities in Baden, today part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg…[and] some communities to the north, such as Wiesbaden in adjacent Hessen.” Another new Ancestry.com collection contains over a million birth, marriage and death records taken from  for 1685-1879. CIVIL REGISTRATIONS. Nearly 300,000 indexed names have been added to a free online collection of , Hesse, Germany (1811-1814, 1833-1928). IMMIGRATION TO U.S. A new database on Ancestry.com catalogs . MILITARY. Over 400,000 records are part of a new Ancestry.com collection of  (1712-1914). According to the collection description, “The core of the collection are the muster rolls created by recruiting commmissions including actual musters from 1894-1917 for men born between 1874 and 1899. These records are arranged in chronological-alphabetical order and contain detailed information about male military personnel in the city.” Get the book on sale at Shop Family Tree by clicking the link below and then save an additional 15% with our coupon code: $13.99 (Retail $21.99)   MyHeritage Book Matching Sunny's result:   Canadian Conferences Coming Up Lisa Louise Cooke at the , June 3-5, 2016 at the International Plaza Hotel, Toronto (CANGEN), October 21-23, 2016 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Brampton, Ontario   MAILBOX: Thom’s Google Success Story with Google Earth and Google Books to read a blog post to see Thom’s full story with his map overlay and the Google Book search result he found Learn more about Google Earth for genealogy: (Get started!) 2nd edition, by Lisa Louise Cooke (fully revised and updated in 2015) Google Earth for Genealogy video tutorial series: available as a or a   Donna’s Evernote Question Q: What’s the best way to move Evernote notes into notebooks? A: Sometimes getting organized can gobble up all your research time. So one approach I often recommend is just to move Evernote notes as you use them. That way you can keep researching, while getting more organized each day. As you create new notes you'll be putting them directly where they belong, and as you use existing notes, you can tidy them up as you go. If you feel more comfortable getting everything moved in one fell swoop, that's good too. One way to save time is with a simple trick: decide what you have more of (genealogy or personal) and then move ALL your notes into that notebook. Now you only have less than 1/2 of your notes that need to be moved. You can move the rest to the other notebook by selecting multiple notes at once. Here's a step-by-step breakdown: Click the Genealogy notebook in the left column.  2. In the center column are all of your notes. Click the first note in your list to be moved. 3. Hold down the Control key on your keyboard. 4. Now click to select each additional note. (Use the wheel on your mouse to scroll down as you need to. Your notes will be collecting in the right-hand window pane, and a dialog box will appear. 5. In that dialog box, click the Move to Notebook button and click to select the desired notebook from your list. 6. For good measure, click the Sync button to manually synchronize all of your notes. to find more great resources for using Evernote for genealogy, including free tips, step-by-step helps, a unique Evernote cheat sheet and free and Premium videos to learn more about Genealogy Gems Premium membership INTERVIEW: Amy Crow and 4 Apps for Local History (and Tips for Using Them) : “like Pinterest for history.” Especially strong for local history in England, Ireland, Scotland, but also wonderful for the U.S. A lot of organizations have added photos and curated them into collections, like Pinterest boards.  Follow libraries, archives and historical societies that are in towns where your ancestors lived. They may post historic photos from their collections. Instagram now has a feature where you can share photos with those you follow on Instagram. Use it to share a cool old picture that relates to your family history with a young relative. . This website and local history app (available through  and on  for iPhone/iPad) shows you historic sites around you when you turn on your location services. The resources, descriptions and bibliographic entries on this site are great to follow up with for your research.  At this site (or with the ) you can view historic photos plotted on a map near your current location. Use it to look around and ask the question, “What happened here?” if you’re on a walk or visiting somewhere. The site is integrated with Google Street View. You can also upload your own old photos if you know where they were taken and do an overlay in Google Maps, in much the same way Lisa teaches about doing in .   GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB: The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson From Sunny: This novel takes place in a small English town just before and then right into the events of World War I. The heroine, Beatrice Nash, is trying to find her footing as an independent, educated woman. She’s got a romance on the horizon, and she’s getting to know some fantastic characters, gypsies and gentry when—bam, here comes WWI, first as rumors and dinner conversation, then as a trickle of refugees into town and finally as a horrible pull on their local young men into combat. Lisa always asks me when we’re talking about possible titles for the Book Club, “What does this book mean to us as genealogists?” For me, The Summer Before the War does a couple of things. First, I think it can be difficult to imagine our ancestors in living color with a full range of human emotions. When we can find photos, they’re black and white (or brown and white). When we find them in print, they’re often more reserved in what they say than we like. Times were stricter then, and we may make assumptions about their passions and how they lived them out. What a novel like The Summer Before the War does for me is remind me that people at that times had just as many feelings as I do. They lived and breathed and loved and hurt and were tempted and frightened and everything else.  Yes, a novel is not a historically accurate re-creation of my ancestor’s character (or anyone else’s ancestor’s characters, for that matter), but it places the human spirit in a certain time and place, perhaps a time and place that was also inhabited by my relatives. It helps me imagine their lives from a fuller perspective. The other thing I love about this book is that it reminds me that history didn’t happen in neat intervals. Sometimes I separate out in my mind certain events in an ancestor’s timeline. During these years they went to school, or got married and started a family, or worked as a teacher. But then you dump a war on top of that timeline. You realize that for some people, the war snuck in the back door of their lives and stayed there while they were trying to get married and start a family or work as a teacher, or all of the above. Of course, for those who went to the front or to whom the fight came, the story is more dramatic, but even then, the war happened to them within the context of other things that were already happening. The Summer Before the War is really good at showing how the conflict just gradually dawned on this English village, before becoming an everyday and grim reality for many of its residents, and the final chapter for a few of them. The book is The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson. Helen joins us for a fantastic conversation about the book in next month’s Genealogy Gems Premium podcast (Lisa will put an excerpt from the interview into this free podcast, too). So use the link in the show notes to grab your copy of The Summer Before the War and enjoy it. It’s a fun, easy read but with plenty of meat on its bones for those who love history---and re-imagining the lives of their ancestors.   DNA WITH DIAHAN: Changes at AncestryDNA Change is afoot at AncestryDNA. Again. While stability and predictability seem like honorable qualities in a company or product, when it comes to tech tools, in the ears of tech companies, those words sound more like dated and old. Of course, we are used to this by now. I had a client tell me recently that he wanted to be in touch sooner, but his grandson “upgraded” his computer to Windows 10 and then promptly left for college the next day, leaving him fighting with a new interface and operating system. The good news is, you won’t have this problem with Ancestry’s new update. There aren’t any changes to the interface or the layout of the information. In fact, many of you will not even notice at first that your match list has changed. But in fact, there likely have been some adjustments made, as we see below: Some of your third cousins have been demoted to fourth cousins. Some of your fourth cousins have been demoted to 5th-8th cousins. Some of your Distant Cousins have disappeared off your match list You have new cousins on your Distant Cousin match list. In general, from what Ancestry has showed us, you gain more than you lose. Changes in the dregs of your match list may not seem like that big of a deal, so why am I telling you about it? Probably because I am a nerd, and I like cool science stuff, so I think you should too. You see, Ancestry has made some big changes in the way that they are calculating matches. They are getting better at it. Which means you match list is now more representative of your ancestral connections, even at the very distant level. There are two big pieces to this matching puzzle that Ancestry has tinkered with in this latest update: phasing and matching. You will remember our discussion on DNA phasing (link) and how it can impact your matching. Ancestry has developed a robust reference database of phased DNA in order to better phase our samples. Basically, they have looked through their database at parent child duos and trios and noted that certain strings of DNA values often travel together. Its like they have noticed that our DNA says “A black cat scared the mouse” instead of  “The brown cat ate the mouse” and they can then recognize that phrase in our DNA, which in turn helps our DNA tell the true story of our heritage. In addition to updating the phasing, Ancestry has revamped their matching method. In the past they viewed our DNA in small windows of information, and then stitched those windows together to try to get a better picture of what our DNA looked like. Now instead they have turned to a point by point analysis of our DNA. Again to use a sentence example, with the window analysis we may have the following sentence windows: ack and J ill went t he hill t etch a pai l of water. Of those windows you may share the “etch a pai” with another individual in the database, earning that cousin a spot on your match page. However, the truth is, that bit could say “sketch a painting” or “stretch a painful leg” or “fetch a pail.” With Ancestry’s new method, they are able to see farther on either side of the matching segment, making this clearly “fetch a pail.” That means better matching, which means more confidence in your cousin matches. The downside to this update is going to come in the reorganization of some of your relationships. Ancestry has tightened their genetic definition of your third and fourth cousins. Basically, that means that some of your true 3rd cousins are going to show up as 4th cousins, and some of your true 4th cousins are going to be shifted down into the abyss of 5th-8th cousins. What is really upsetting about this is what this does to the Shared Matches tool (link). The shared matches tool allows you to gather matches in the database that are related to you and one other person, provided you are all related at the 4th cousin level or higher. This tightening of the belt on 4th cousins means that some of them are going to drop through the cracks of that tool, really limiting its ability. Grr. Hopefully Ancestry will fix that, and expand this tool to include all of your matches. They have their fairly good reasons for this, but still… So, as the winds of change blow yet another iteration of the AncestryDNA match page, I think we can see this as an overall win for doing genealogy with our genetics at Ancestry. Resources: Get Diahan's . Let Diahan Southard be Your DNA Guide. on her personal DNA consulting services.      PROFILE AMERICA: The First High School to their post

Genealogy Gems PodcastEpisode #190Lisa Louise Cooke Highlights from this episode: Extreme Genes radio show Scott Fisher talks about his role in helping to solve a 30-year old missing persons case; Lisa advises a listener on a pesky Gmail problem; A whirlwind world tour of new genealogy records online; Searching out military service details with Google Books; One RootsTech attendee's Google search success story the new  title, a brand-new, much-anticipated second novel by a breakout British novelist. Click the player below to listen: NEWS: NGS Streaming Sessions National Genealogical Society: NGS 2016 is offering registration packages for the following live-streaming lecture series: Thurs, May 5, 2016: Land Records, Maps and Google Earth How to Follow and Envision Your Ancestor’s Footprints Through Time with Google Earth by Lisa Louise Cooke    More Conference Streaming Sessions by Lisa Louise Cooke: RootsTech 2016 (these are free!)       NEWS: New Genealogy Records Online , ,  and records for Western Australia on Findmypast.com; on FamilySearch.org; and  on Ancestry.com; on Findmypast.com; records on FamilySearch.org; at FamilySearch.org at FamilySearch.org; updated on Ancestry.com;  at FamilySearch.org on FamilySearch.org; at Findmypast  Illinois marriage records on FamilySearch.org in 3 collections: (hosted by the Red River Genealogical Society) at Ancestry.com--search for free;  at Ancestry.com updated    NEWS: Family Tree Maker Direct Import into RootsMagic .   MAILBOX: Carol and the Coast Guard in Google Books Google Books search on "USCG Beale:" Google.com search "coast guard history" 1920..1935 "Beale:”   MAIL: Gail’s Trouble with Gmail If you’re not receiving the Genealogy Gems free weekly email newsletter, consider these possibilities: Newsletters are going to Gmail spam. Click "Spam" in the left column and see if there are emails from . When you find one, mark it as "not spam" and move it to your inbox. Then add our email address to your Contacts Newsletter emails may be going to "Promotions" or "Updates" tab in Gmail. By default you are viewing only emails in the Inbox tab. Click the other tabs to look for ours. Click on an email and drag it onto the Inbox tab to try and get them to go to Inbox. If you search our email address in Gmail it should bring up any emails you have received in other tabs.    Gmail is a powerful, free tool for using and archiving email. That’s why there’s an entire chapter on Gmail in . Gmail can help you sort and even keyword-search your past email, and this book will show you how. MAILBOX: Neik from The Netherlands with Research Tips CONVERSATION GEM: Celeste’s Google Search Success Story and Google Search Methodology Tips For Genealogy Gems Premium members (See all Premium videos at ): Common Surname Search Secrets Ultimate Google Search Strategies Digging Deeper into Web Sites with Google Site Search CONVERSATION GEM: Jillian on Irish adoption law   INTERVIEW: Scott from Extreme Genes Helps Solve a 30-Year Old Missing Persons Case   More “Cold Case” Inspiration: Premium Video: Genealogical Cold Cases (To learn about Premium membership )   BOOK CLUB: by Helen Simonson British author Helen Simonson’s debut novel, , became a NYT best-seller and has been translated into 21 languages. Her newest book, The Summer Before the War, is another great read: light and charming, with a dash of romance and humor. It’s so easy to read and love. It’s the early 1900s, and main character Beatrice Nash has recently lost her father. The estate settlement lost her control over her own funds and freedom. She comes to a small English town as a Latin teacher and must mind her manners and local politics to keep her job. Beatrice meets a man and the appeal appears mutual, but he’s already engaged. This isn’t just Beatrice’s story. You’ll meet an entire village full of charming and irascible and expatriate and unconventional and way-too-conventional and mysterious characters, including the local gentry and the local gypsies. They all have their own stories, which unfold as they begin to experience the first great shock of the 20th century close-up: World War I. First it’s the stunned refugees who they enter the quiet village in which the story is set, and the drama that unfolds as the village tries to rally and care for them. Eventually you’ll see the battlefront through the eyes of a few characters who enlist, not all of whom are going to make it back home. Despite the realities they face, this is somehow still an easy and charming read, one into which it’s easy to disappear. Helen Simonson will join us in June to talk about The Summer Before the War.

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 189 NEWS: Relative Race BYUtv’s new reality series Relative Race () premiered on February 28, 2016. The show “features four married couples as they travel across the US in search of long lost relatives, armed with only paper maps, a rental car, a $25 per diem and a flip phone.” (Interview with two contestants later in the show.)   Databases of Runaway Slave Notices on new websites that will launch databases of runaway slave notices: Irish Collections and Tips from Findmypast for 1670-1900 at Findmypast.com (FREE FOREVER to search), with links to free     , head of Irish Data and Development at Findmypast on getting started in Irish research   MyHeritage Updates Its Search Technologies from the MyHeritage blog.   MAILBOX: Marquise’ new blog:   Kim recommends my for beginners and those who want a “genealogy do-over.” She particularly mentions a three-part series on immigration and naturalization records in Episode 29, Episode 30 and . Matt’s suggestion for : leave virtual flowers on the “tombstones” of deceased relatives so other relatives can find you: Create a free individual log-in from the home page of the website After logging in, go into an individual record, where it shows your ancestor’s tombstone information. Click on the button that says, “Leave flowers and a note.” Select among several different images of flowers. Choose whether to leave a note and your name. Others who view this tombstone profile can click on your screen name and contact you through the site.                     INTERVIEW: Janice and Patrick Wright from Relative Race host Dan J. Debenham described how BYUtv’s original competition reality show came into being: “What could we create that would be very different from what’s currently out there and that would show people discovering family all across the country?" Four teams race from San Francisco to New York in 10 days. Their goal?  Find unknown relatives, complete challenges, and don't get eliminated. In this episode you will hear from Team Black: Patrick Wright is an executive at Alpha Media, a growing radio broadcast media company based in Portland, OR; Janice is a freelance Media Consultant. They joined the Relative Race show because they love travel and adventure.    BOOK CLUB: Interview excerpt with Tara Austen Weaver on Orchard House Author Tara Austen Weaver talks about gardening and family, and how tending a garden isn’t so different from nourishing family relationships.   DNA GEM: 3 Reasons to Test with Diahan Southard My youngest child, Eleanor, is nearly 8, so it was fun to have a 2 year old over the other day. She loved following Eleanor around, and Eleanor was equally thrilled to have someone to mentor in the ways of big girl play. I took special delight in listening to my daughter’s patient and surprisingly complete answers to our guest’s constant inquiries of “Why?” It got me thinking about the Whys of genealogy, and especially of genetic genealogy. I decided that there are three main reasons to have your DNA tested for genealogical purposes. It is primary information. In genealogy, primary information is given by a source with firsthand knowledge of an event, with the best primary information being created at or around the time of the event. I think we can safely say that DNA falls into that category on both counts. Therefore, it is an excellent source of genealogical information and should be obtained as part of a thorough genealogical search. It is a unique record. DNA possesses several qualities that make this record type stand out from the rest. First and foremost, it cannot be falsified in any way. No name change, no deception, no miscommunication or misspelling can tarnish this record. Even if it is not a complete record of our family history, the story that it does tell is accurate. It is a physical link to our past. So much of genealogy work, especially in today’s digital world, is intangible. We add ancestors to our pedigree charts with a click of our mouse, having no idea of their physical characteristics, never once setting foot in the same places that they did, or if they preferred bread and butter or toast and jam. But with the advent of DNA testing, I am able to see a physical connection between me and my ancestor. The first time I saw it seems unremarkable. It was just a blue line on top of a grey line, representing the location in the DNA where I had the same information as my cousin. But that line meant that we had both inherited a physical piece of DNA from our common ancestor, Lucy J. Claunch. That realization didn’t add names or dates to my pedigree chart- Lucy had been on my chart since the beginning. But it did add a sense of purpose and reality to my genealogical work. In short, it inspired me to know more about Lucy and to tell her story because I felt inextricably tied to it. Perhaps many of you don’t need a DNA test to feel similarly motivated, you already understand what I learned: Her story is my story. But because I have her DNA in me, I am able to take that idea one step further. Because she lives on in me, my story is her story. So I better make it a good one. Has your DNA motivated you to find out more about your story? Genealogy Gems readers and listeners get a special price on Diahan Southard's DNA Video Training    PROFILE AMERICA:  

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 188 Highlights from this episode include: RootsTech news and resources for everyone; New records online for Ireland and the United States; Two inspiring emails from listeners who unravel family mysteries with determination, skill and Google sleuthing; Motivating thoughts on organizing your family history research; A  update with more thoughts on the featured title  by Tara Austen Weaver and book recommendations from RootsTech attendees; A critique of a recent NPR article on genetic genealogy by Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard; and A great conversation with Cindy Cochran and Sabrina Riley of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Genealogical Society Library at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. NEWS: Findmypast creates new partnerships During RootsTech, .com announced new partnerships with RootsMagic, Legacy Family Tree, FamilySearch, Family-Historian, Puzzilla, Billion Graves and RootsCity. A press release stated that “Findmypast will make its vast record collection of more than 8 billion records available to customers via these partners. The rollout of these partnerships will begin in 2016, with exact dates to be detailed later….Customers using these various family history products will benefit from having Findmypast’s record collection embedded within the actual product in ways that each partner determines will benefit their customers most.” NEWS: More on the Family Tree Maker Roller Coaster On February 2, Ancestry.com announced an agreement with RootsMagic to connect their family history software with Ancestry.com by the end of 2016. Hooray for being able to continue to sync your online tree with your master tree at home in your own control, your own software, where Ancestry says you’ll also have access to Ancestry hints and searches. On the same day, Ancestry also announced the acquisition of Family Tree Maker software for both Mac and Windows by a company called Software MacKiev. According to Ancestry, “This new agreement means you will receive software updates and new versions from Software MacKiev, and have the ability to purchase new versions of Family Tree Maker from Software MacKiev as they are released.“ Ancestry hopes to have both these solutions fully functional by the time Family Tree Maker software stops being supported at the end of this year. NEWS: New Genealogy Records Online IRELAND CENSUS RECORDS. MyHeritage.com has added to its site “over  from the 1901 and 1911 censuses [which record every household member]. Both collections are completely free and contain images.”   IRELAND PARISH RECORDS. Findmypast.com subscribers now have access to an  to the National Library of Ireland’s free online collection of  from 1000 parishes, with over 10 million baptisms and marriages.    (US) DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH RECORDS. Ancestry.com has added a new collection of  from 14 states and has updated a separate but similar collection of  (1639-1989).   US MARRIAGES. Findmypast has just released an enormous collection of . “Containing over 450 million names from 1650 to 2010…the US Marriages collection will, when complete, include over 100 million records, 60% of which have never been published online before.” A third of the data are already online. NEWS: MyHeritage Audio Recordings : Use to interview relatives right from their profile in your family tree, where you’ll now find an audio icon that looks like earphones. Tap it to create a new recording or to access recordings you’ve previously saved. Listen to the recording anytime, download it to your own computer (which you should definitely do to store as your master file) and share it with anyone who is a member of your family website on MyHeritage.com.   Audio Recordings is free and available on the latest version of the MyHeritage mobile app on the  and .   NEWS: RootsTech Follow-Up Live-streamed RootsTech 2016 sessions by Lisa Louise Cooke: , with top tips and strategies taken from her book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox. The lectures below were streamed live from the Genealogy Gems theater in the RootsTech Exhibitor Hall. Click to watch them: give the video a few seconds to adjust to the proper orientation. by Lisa Louise Cooke, a followup lecture to the one above : this 30-minute lecture was streamed live by Lisa from the Exhibitor Hall. for that lecture.   MAILBOX: Here’s the news article Cathy sent in along with her email about learning more about her grandfather’s death. Inspired by the Genealogy Gems about Googling for coroner’s records to solve mysterious deaths, she went looking for coroner’s records online, too. “Well, I still haven't found the Coroners' Records but I did find a couple of newspaper articles - & apparently the body was indeed found on 21st December - but he had been missing since June!” MAIL: Trisha finds Railroad Retirement Board Records (redirects inquiries to The National Archives, which has an entire  dedicated to its Railroad Retirement Board records. Additional railroad history and genealogy suggestions: (see individual chapters)   BACKBLAZE NEWS  article on cloud-based computer backup service: “When it comes to backing up your precious data, investing in an online backup service is one of the smartest things you can do.” However, if you ever DO need to restore your hard drive, it’s not so easy to download the massive amounts of files you probably have. The solution has generally been to ship an entire hard drive to a customer, but that can cost $100 or more on top of regular backup service fees. The article gave  two thumbs-up for its new solution: the . It refunds the cost of those hard drives they send you when you return them within 30 days after restoring your data. It’s a $99 refund for USB flash drives and $189 for USB hard drives, so it essentially makes this a free service. Other leading cloud-based computer backup services either won’t ship hard drives at all or continue to charge large fees for it. Other online magazines-- and —gave similar reports.                     INTERVIEW: Lisa talks to Cindy and Sabrina at Union College Cindy Cochran of and Sabrina Riley of Union College on the What’s in their collection? Originals and copies of some government records; some of these exist on microfilm but are not online Local and regional historical materials that meet their own research priorities—they can refer you to other repositories as needed Reference materials and plenty of local expertise!   BOOK CLUB: Update from Book Club Guru Sunny Morton We hope you’ve gotten to savor by Tara Austen Weaver, the current featured book of the Genealogy Gems Book Club. You’ll love her mouthwatering descriptions of food; fascinating insights into gardening; and touching descriptions of how we nurture and harvest our family relationships in ways not so different from gardening. In the next episode of the free Genealogy Gems podcast, you’ll hear a snippet of our interview with Tara Weaver in the free Genealogy Gems podcast. Next month, will be able to hear the entire interview with Tara on the Premium podcast. Additional books that were recently recommended at the Genealogy Gems Book Club Open House at RootsTech 2016: by Julienne Osborne-McKnight , a memoir by Paula Williams Madison about the author’s journey into her family history, which resulted in a documentary by the same name , a novel by the international best-selling author Kate Morton about a woman who learns a shocking secret about her own past and has to comes to terms with it—a story inspired by Kate’s own family history by Sandra Dallas, the story of a midwife in 19th-century Denver, Colorado, in the Rocky Mountain frontier   DNA GEM: Diahan Southard Comments on NPR article Recently NPR published an article entitled “DNA, Genealogy, and the Search For Who We Are.” This sounds like exactly the kind of article that I would want to read, considering that I am, after all, Your DNA Guide. However, after only the first two sentences of this article, I stopped reading. I could already tell this was one of those articles, you know, the kind meant to sensationalize and not to communicate accurate information. I closed the browser page. I just don’t have time to read information that is meant to incite, and not to inform. But then I read some comments from some friends that had read it, and then Lisa asked me to review it for you, so I read it in its entirety. It was difficult to get through, even though it wasn’t very long. There are just so many things that are wrong with the presentation of this material. Let’s take three big ones. First of all, the “facts” are taken out of context. Yes, it is true, your genetic pedigree is not the same as your genealogical pedigree. Your genetic pedigree can only contain a finite amount of information while your paper pedigree can contain limitless amounts. In general, our personal set of genetics will only connect us to half of our fourth cousins, and it is true that if we go back far enough we will have zero DNA from some of our ancestors. The author implies that this kind of incomplete information is unacceptable and should be discarded. What he is missing is that by genetically connecting me to my fourth cousin, that fourth cousin is genetically connected to another fourth cousin, who I might not share DNA with, but through the testing and the genealogical research, I can confidently identify as kin. One of the powers of DNA is that it allows you to create networks with living people who can work together to verify and expand our knowledge of our ancestors.  Secondly, this author claims that DNA testing and traditional research are mutually exclusive. He claims, “…family and family history are one thing, and DNA-based ancestry is another.” I don’t think I even need to comment on that. That is just wrong. Genetic genealogy is just one more tool in our toolbox to help us answer family history questions. Before I go on, I think we do need a little perspective about where this author is coming from. As US citizens, many of us have enjoyed the rapid growth and general acceptance of the genetic genealogy industry. The author of this article gained much of his content from sources in the UK. Unfortunately, the UK has seen a stream of less-than-reputable companies hawking genetic genealogy-like products that are frankly a scam. So, from that perspective, caution when entering a genetic genealogy experience should be exercised.   That background knowledge, provided by my colleague Debbie Kennett in the UK made me feel a little sheepish about my initial hostile reaction to the article. But then I read again where the author states, “It is family that matters — and family is relationship, not DNA,” and I am back on my soapbox. Perhaps this author did not pay attention in 7th grade biology. DNA is family. That’s how this works. I have heard so many stories from so many of you reporting how it was this very DNA stuff that led you to a discovery about your family. Just yesterday I received an email from a woman who recently reconnected with a relative she found through DNA testing. She said, “Spent a week with Carolyn and her husband out in Colorado this Fall and the time spent together is beyond words.  It is as if we had known each other our whole lives.  But then again on a different level, I am sure we have known each other.” To me, that is a story worth telling, a story that is every bit as real as one that is discovered using only paper research methods. DNA deserves a spot in your family history research. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.   PROFILE AMERICA:  

This New Year’s episode is packed with fresh energy and perspective!  We welcome the  to the podcast. Judy takes on a Genealogy Gems listener’s fantastic question about the bounty land his War of 1812 ancestor never claimed. Also: The latest on life after Family Tree Maker software; A fresh look at why family history software is still relevant today; New strategies for using Google to answer your genealogical research questions; The new Genealogy Gems Book Club title; Why I’m so excited about RootsTech 2016, which is coming right up; New records online and up-to-the-moment emails with questions, tips and inspiring successes. NEWS: Family Tree Maker Software Discontinued Here’s the announcement and my initial comments that reached nearly 30,000 people on Facebook (at press time):   NEWS: New Records Online AUSTRALIA CIVIL REGISTRATIONS. A new browse-only collection of  (1839-1938) is now online at FamilySearch.org. It includes district registers, counterfoils of marriage certificates and some church records. ENGLAND PARISH AND ELECTORAL. Significantly-updated indexes of Kent  and  (both dating to the 1500s!) are now online at FamilySearch, as Lancashire  to 1538 and another collection of  back to 1603 that include Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire. ITALY CIVIL REGISTRATIONS: More indexed images continue to be added regularly to the free collection at FamilySearch.org! for the current list. PHILIPPINES (MANILA) CIVIL REGISTRATIONS: More than have been added to an existing collection of Philippines civil registrations at FamilySearch.org. WALES ELECTORAL REGISTERS. Over 1.6 million indexed names from  for Glamorgan and West Glamorgan, Wales (1839-1935) are now searchable at FamilySearch.org. BONUS AUDIO ON THE APP: BRITISH IN INDIA. Findmypast has published new record collections relating to British overseas travelers, workers and expatriates. The  includes “British people who either lived, worked or travelled in India from as early as 1664 up to 1961 with an index of births, marriages, divorces and deaths compiled by the Society of Genealogists.” There are also new collections from the India Office:  and . DIGITAL BOOKS. A new FREE collection of 150,000 digitized books is searchable at . Among the titles are family, local and military histories; city and county directories; school and university yearbooks and church and congregational minutes.   GEMS NEWS: RootsTech 2016: February 3-6 in Salt Lake City, Utah Here’s the schedule for my official RootsTech lectures and those of our regular Gems contributors: Wednesday: 3:00 YDNA Testing for Every Surname in Your Pedigree, Diahan Southard Thursday: 4:30 Proven Methodology for Using Google for Genealogy, Lisa Louise Cooke Friday: 11:00 Soothe Your Tech Tummy Ache with These 10 Tools, Lisa Louise Cooke 1:30 Proven Methodology for Using Google for Genealogy, Lisa Louise Cooke Saturday: 11:00 Soothe Your Tech Tummy Ache with These 10 Tools, Lisa Louise Cooke 1:30 What’s Special About US Special Census Schedules? Sunny Morton If you’ve been to my booth at a major conference in the past few years, you already know about the “Outside the Box” mini-sessions I’ve presented along with some of my partners in the past. These sessions have been SO popular that people end up lining the walkways around our booth, several deep, crowding the exhibit hall aisles in to listen and sign up for the free handouts. This year, I’m planning an even richer class experience at the Genealogy Gems booth. There will be 20 sessions, some of them shorter and some longer, taught by myself and my dynamic partners at Genealogy Gems and Family Tree Magazine. I have quadrupled the size of our booth so we can invite many more of you to come in, have a seat and hear these sessions in comfort, without having to stand in the aisles. Here are the FREE classes we’re teaching at Genealogy Gems booth #1230 in the RootsTech exhibit hall: Remember, if you , you’ll save a LOT on registration (you’ll pay $169 instead of $249 for the full 4-day event). Come by and say hello at our booth!   GEMS NEWS: “Where I’m From” Winners: Everyone who entered will receive a year of Genealogy Gems Premium Website Membership! In this episode you’ll hear Beverly Field’s wonderful poem, and you’ll hear from more winners in coming episodes. MAILBOX: Where I’m From Picture books by George Ella Lyon recommended by Katharine: Mama is a Miner Come a Tide Cecil’s Story    MAILBOX: Family Tree Maker Sue’s email: she decided to use family history software and, following my suggestion, signed up for . to read a blog post that answers Charles’ question about why not to continue using Family Tree Maker after it “expires.” to read about specials for Family Tree Maker users and what I do with my master family tree. to access Moving your tree from Family Tree Maker to Reunion, for Reunion 11 (for Mac) software, as recommended by Bill to read which family history software I recommend and why for more Family Tree Maker questions and a couple of bonus questions about keeping Ancestry.com subscriptions or transferring to MyHeritage, which does offer free desktop family history software that syncs with its online trees.   MAILBOX: GOOGLE SEARCHING CORONER’S RECORDS to read a detailed answer to Lydia’s question on Google searching coroner’s records is available through the store on my website at www.genealogygems.com.     INTERVIEW: Judy Russell Robert from Covington, LA wrote in with this excellent question! Here’s the full question and an accompanying image: “We have a copy of our great great grandfather's Warrant from the War of 1812. This has never been redeemed. I expect that the time for redeeming has long since expired but can't find confirmation of this anywhere. I have an affidavit from my grandmother dated 1911 stating the grant was lost or destroyed when she was a little girl being raised by her grandmother, the widow of one of the two brothers listed on the certificate. Her husband, one of those two, died before 1850 and therefore his will has no mention of the Land Grant. The certificate I have is a copy of a re-issue by the Commissioner of Pensions dated 1917. From the wording on the note the Commissioner scribbled on the copy he sent, it appears he hand copied the information on file onto a blank certificate and certified the copy.  I have attached a copy of the certificate we have (above) and a copy of what I have been able to fill in for what is not too legible (below). I have blanked out the family names and certificate number since it is not clear to me if it is or is not redeemable and I don’t have any control where this information may end up once committed to the internet. My main interest now is whether or not the certificate could still be good or if these grants have all “timed out” and none could therefore still be redeemable. I spent about a half day researching on the internet but could not find any information indicating grants were still redeemable after all this time.” Listen to the podcast to hear Judy’s advice about researching laws or statutes relating to our genealogy questions—and to hear how she answered this fantastic question.   Genealogy Gems Book Club: A New Book! by Tara Austin Weaver Tara Austin Weaver's Tea & Cookies blog: Tara’s recipe for Orchard House is one part food, one part gardening and two parts family drama, liberally seasoned with humor and introspection. The “book jacket” summary of Orchard House, from the publishers: “Peeling paint, stained floors, vine-covered windows, a neglected and wild garden—Tara can’t get the Seattle real estate listing out of her head. Any sane person would see the abandoned property for what it was: a ramshackle half-acre filled with dead grass, blackberry vines, and trouble. But Tara sees potential and promise—not only for the edible bounty the garden could yield for her family, but for the personal renewal she and her mother might reap along the way. So begins Orchard House, a story of rehabilitation and cultivation—of land and soul. Through bleak winters, springs that sputter with rain and cold, golden days of summer, and autumns full of apples, pears, and pumpkins, this evocative memoir recounts the Weavers’ trials and triumphs, what grew and what didn’t, the obstacles overcome and the lessons learned. Inexorably, as mother and daughter tend this wild patch and the fruits of their labor begin to flourish, green shoots of hope emerge from the darkness of their past. For anyone who has ever planted something they wished would survive—or tried to mend something that seemed forever broken—Orchard House is a tale of healing and growth, set in the most unlikely place.” In March, we’ll play an excerpt from an exclusive interview with Tara Austen Weaver in this podcast. will be able to listen to the full interview in March’s Genealogy Gems Premium podcast. RootsTech Book Club Open House: Thurs, Feb 4, 10am-11am at the Genealogy Gems booth #1230 in the Exhibitor Hall. Stop by and chat about books or family history or both! Free bookmarks, display copies of featured titles a win chance to win a great Book Club prize just for suggesting a book.   PROFILE AMERICA:

Genealogy Gems PodcastEpisode 186 This month’s episode celebrates upcoming holiday family time with a special segment on interviewing relatives. Diahan Southard offers her thanks for DNA connections that are helping fill holes left by adoption. And you’ll hear about: a great new resource from MyHeritage for connecting with other researchers, family history poetry from two Gems listeners, letters from the Gems mailbox and an excerpt from our new Genealogy Gems Book Club interview, which will appear in full later this month in the next Genealogy Gems Premium podcast. NEWS: MyHeritage Search Connect Genealogy companies are getting smarter, there’s no doubt about it. The latest smart-searching feature from MyHeritage.com is one great example. MyHeritage recently released . This is new technology that helps you find others who have been searching for the same rare surnames that may be on your family tree. Here’s how it works. For several years, MyHeritage has kept a database of who is searching for what ancestors. I can only imagine how huge that database is!  They have now put that database to use as a social networking tool. They whittled it down, at least for now, to just those folks searching for rare surnames. Just that database has 30 million names in it! Now when you search for those rare surnames in the SuperSearch area of MyHeritage, results from the database of other searchers are included in your search results (and they even get translated if needed, thanks to MyHeritage’s Global Name Translation tool). You can click to look at their larger search history to see if this is really a match for you, then contact them through the site. You can also search on that database separately . The database will continue to be updated weekly, so it will stay fresh. Also, you can opt-out if you DON’T want your past or current searches to be included in it. All you have to do is log in to your family site and click on your name in the upper right-hand side of the screen. Select ‘My Privacy, then on ‘My member preferences’ on the left and uncheck ‘Enable Search Connect™’.”                 GEMS NEWS: Contest Results Recently we ran a contest celebrating our milestone 1000th blog post on the Genealogy Gems website. We counted down our Top 10 posts of 2015 and many of you helped us share those posts on Facebook. Charles Meiser was one person who helped, and he won a copy of the Video course  by our very own Contributing Editor Sunny Morton.                     I do have a nice consolation prize for those who didn’t win: a coupon code for 25% off your own copy of . Her class is packed full of strategies to help you finally get your family history written. And her approach really helps you think outside the box about what really constitutes family history writing. She shares some fun and fantastic ways of passing along your family history without writing a 300-page volume.  GEMS NEWS: Write of Your Life Podcast A few months ago I was interviewed on the Write of Your Life podcast. The thrust of what I talked about was the importance of what I call “family founders,” those people we can look to in our tree for inspiration and think of as role models. Family history helps modern families grow and heal. The people we meet on our family tree—people with the same genes we have—inspire and teach and motivate us in ways they never could have imagined, and maybe we never could have, either, until we “met” them. to listen to the interview. And then I’d love to hear from any of you about how family history has meaning in YOUR life.     MAILBOX: Where I’m From Poems On the show I shared two special poems that have come in on the Genealogy Gems voice mail. You may recall that we have invited everyone to write their own version of poet George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From” poem. Between now and the end of the year, I encourage you write your own poem. Just make a list about where you’re from—the places, people, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, phrases, songs and rhythms that are part of your story. Shape it into a poem. Then call in to share it with us on our voicemail at (925) 272-4021. Those who do so by December 30, 2015 will be eligible for a chance to win a one-year Genealogy Gems Premium membership or renewal. Next month, I’ll share a couple more of your entries on the podcast. Give it a try! to learn more about this contest.   MAILBOX: The Case of the Missing Parents ContinuesI continue to hear feedback from our response to a reader question in which Sunny and I shared . I read some of your additional suggestions on . Lynn wrote in with her own “missing parents” case. The key strategies I suggested are: Cluster research, in which you try to recognize little migratory groups and use other members of the group to learn more about your own ancestor of primary interest. It’s a concept that Contributing Editor Sunny Morton wrote an entire how-to class on. She gave some great tips from that class in the , which I also host. That brick-wall-busting class is called . DNA testing. Depending on which test she takes, her results may lead to common relatives descended from those “missing” parents. I recommended the I offer through the Genealogy Gems website. It’s an inexpensive and helpful way to start your DNA journey. As your DNA journey progresses, written by our resident DNA expert, Diahan Southard, can help with next steps.   SPECIAL INTERVIEW: Kathy Hawkins: Interviewing Tips for Older RelativesKathy Hawkins is a music therapist and a Master Trainer for a program that works with memory-impaired adults. I asked her questions about aging and memory and how the severity of Alzheimer’s or dementia affect the quality of someone’s memories. We talked about strategies for asking questions that will elicit better memories, understanding the possible limitations of those memories and how to how to have more meaningful conversations with someone who suffers from severe memory loss. Here are four tips she shared that I especially appreciated: Cut out the phrase, “Do you remember?” Ask instead specific questions about “who, what”….etc. I’ve seen people shut down when they feel like it’s a memory test. Don’t put that kind of pressure on them. Your tone and your approach are so important. Don’t be sing-songy or condescending: they’re not a child. Treat them like an adult. The emotional integrity of someone’s story is still often intact, even with memory-impairment. The emotion attached to a memory or a person will likely be really sincere. But their chronology or details may get confused with other similar events that were also true. From the genealogy researcher’s point of view--whenever you can, verify facts (especially dates) with other sources. Don’t make everything about what they remember (or don’t). Be interested in who they are now: their thoughts and creativity. Kathy shared information about , which teaches caregivers how to have more meaningful, joyful interactions with memory-impaired loved ones. to see a pdf with some creative storytelling and arts materials that Timeslips offers.                 BOOK CLUB: Excerpt from Citizens Creek This month, over on the Genealogy Gems Premium podcast, our Premium members will hear an exclusive interview with Lalita Tademy, author of . In this episode, we also play a brief excerpt for you. If you’re enjoying these snippets of interviews and you’re not already a Premium website member, consider whether it’s finally time to take the plunge. With , one LOW price gets you an entire YEAR’s access to current and ALL back episodes of the monthly . That podcast is like this podcast—but on steroids. You get MORE meaty interviews, more fun conversations and exclusive, full-length interviews with the authors of our Book Club selections. You also have access to , which if you were to take them at conferences or purchase something like them from another web site would EACH be more expensive than the entire annual membership price. Why not try it for a year? Get as much out of it as you can—there’s definitely a year’s worth of materials to watch and listen to. At the end of the year, YOU decide whether to renew—I never auto-renew my subscribers. It’s always your choice to continue to enjoy .             DNA GEM: Filling Empty Seats at the Table with DNAAt this time of year when many of us are spending more time with family than we otherwise might, we often reflect on the empty seats at our table. We think of those who weren't able to travel to the family gathering, and back to those who have passed on. For some however, a long empty seat has been filled this year, thanks to the assistance of a DNA test. Earlier this year of Mary McPherson and her cousin Dolores Washington-Fleming who discovered a common connection through Peter Edward Williams. Mary is a descendant of his wife, and Dolores through his slave. Mary and Dolores welcomed this new connection and shared information about their common ancestor.  As they reunited for the first time, perhaps they talked about what life might have been like in the 1850’s in the south, and how their ancestors would’ve never guessed that the two of them would be gathered around the same table. As word spreads of the power of DNA testing to reveal the secrets of the past, many adoptees are flocking to genetic genealogy testing companies with the intention of filling the empty seats at their holiday tables.  The reported a touching story of Khrys Vaughan who felt her identity crumble when she found out she was adopted. Turning to DNA testing she was able to connect with cousins and feel a biological connection she didn’t know she had been missing. Even though she still has many open seats at her table, she felt that filling even one meant that she was no longer biologically adrift, but could now look at someone and say, “This is my family.” A similar broke recently out of California. Just days old, Jen Chervin was found outside a hospital in Yuba City, CA. That was 40 years ago. But this year, Jen used the power of the genetic genealogy database in combination with some serious genealogy work to find her parents. While neither is in a position to openly embrace her as a daughter at this time in their lives, Jen now has a name card to place at seats of honor around her holiday table, all thanks to a simple saliva test. This has been a landmark year in my own family. In one seeming miracle after another, I have added the names of maternal grandparents and great grandparents to my family tree as DNA testing has helped my mom fill in some of the missing pieces in her life. We have had a true Texas welcome from some of her paternal second cousins, and an outpouring of kindness from a maternal second cousin. While our place cards for mother and father are only tentatively penciled in, I know as I look around our genetic holiday table, I am excited about the new faces I see and I can’t wait to learn more. If you want to get started filling seats at your table, there is no time like the present to give yourself, or someone else, the present of DNA testing! The first rule in DNA testing is to test the oldest generation. So parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles should be first on your list. If you are that oldest generation, then pat yourself on the back and get swabbing! The savvy shopper begins with the test for all interested parties, and the YDNA 37 marker test from Family Tree DNA for all males. Then sit back and wait for the results to roll in! As they do, check back here at Genealogy Gems for tips on how to use that data to fill seats at your holiday table next year. And turn to Diahan Southard’s DNA quick reference guides in the Genealogy Gems store at   PROFILE AMERICAThe US Census Bureau’s tells us that “111 years ago, Connecticut inventor Harvey Hubbell moved household electricity from “shock it to socket.” In November 1904, he received a patent for the world's first detachable electric plug: the two-, now sometimes three-prong plug familiar to us today. Remarkable as it sounds, at the time electric terminals would extend out from a wall, and any electrical device had to be hardwired to them--a time consuming process with a chance of electrocution. Hubbell was no one-hit wonder, as in the 1890s he created an electric switch and patented the pull-chain electric light socket.”  

This month all of us here at Genealogy Gems are celebrating reaching a milestone 1000 blog posts on our website. But we’re not just celebrating our own genealogy writing. We’re celebrating YOURS! Today I have a special segment that celebrates what YOU have shared with us about your adventures in family history blogging. I also have a short, fun family history writing challenge to share with everyone, not just those who blog. I’ll introduce that challenge with a surprise guest—the poet laureate of Kentucky. Genealogy Gems App Users: Check out the Bonus Content video NEWS: More U.S. Marriage Records OnlineHave you noticed on our blog that every Friday we report new genealogy records online? Well, last week was a doozy in terms of U.S. marriage records. We had heard through the grapevine that FamilySearch had set itself to the task of tracking down every possible marriage record for the U.S. and it looks like they’re having some success! At FamilySearch alone last week, they published or updated indexed  marriage records in , , , , , , , , , and . Louisiana’s collection alone contains over a million entries, and Pennsylvania’s dates to the 1600s! But FamilySearch isn’t alone in the marriage record publishing frenzy. We noticed that Ancestry has just added  new marriage indexes for ,  and . Of course, not every ancestor who married stayed that way: Ancestry has also updated its  collection and added a new collection of  records. A lot of these are older but you’ll be surprised at how far into the 20th century some of these new marriage record collections are. Use these to recharge your research if you’ve stalled somewhere on your U.S. family tree! NEWS: National Archives (U.S.) Doing More DigitizingThe U.S. National Archives has signed contracts to digitize more of its historical records. The  are with FamilySearch and , and the records in question will include various items with births, marriages, deaths, immigration and military service information. So the National Archives has partnered with these organizations in the past, but this time around, the contract allows them to get records online faster by uploading digitized and partially-digitized collections before they’re even indexed, like FamilySearch already does. There are new provisions to protect personally identifying information, and will have a shorter window of exclusivity with their content. They invest in record digitization and indexing so they will have exclusive access to the images and indexes for a period of time, after which the National Archives can put the material on its site and share it with other partners. It’s a win-win even for those who don’t subscribe to Ancestry: you’ll just have to wait longer to win! And FYI, in case you wonder why FamilySearch and Ancestry seem so favored, the U.S. National Archives does sign content partnerships with other companies. Findmypast has a contract pending, and there’s already a contract with military records site Fold3. NEWS: for Mac and More I recently heard two really great pieces of news about genealogy software--for Mac users! First, is now available for FREE!  This is the get-started version of RootsMagic which introduces you to this excellent family history software. If you’re still exploring which family history software is best for you, give it a try! If you decide to upgrade to the full, paid version of the software, the transition is seamless and easy. Speaking of a full Mac version of RootsMagic, you may recall that last year they launched MacBridge for RootsMagic. This was really a great step forward, but there was an additional fee and it required extra steps to download and use. But now when you buy RootsMagic 7, you can install it on both Windows and Mac computers in your household....So your single purchase includes licenses for both. Great, right?! So if you already own RootsMagic 7 for Windows, you can head back to their website, and download RootsMagic 7 for Mac any time and use the same registration key that you got with your original purchase. And something I really love about Rootstmagic is the free and easy to access support they provide their users. There’s nothing worse than struggling to use your genealogy software when you’re hot on the trail of ancestors. Well they have just published two new free PDF RootsMagic user guides – one that’s all about installing RootsMagic for Mac, and another guide on how to create a Shareable CD. So now you have lots of new things to do when it comes to Rootsmagic.   MAILBOX  This month we are celebrating 1000 blog posts on the . It’s hard to believe we’re up to 1000 different posts on family history news, tips, stories and more! Who knew there was so much to say? But our blog is only a drop in the genealogy-blogging bucket! I keep hearing from so many of you about your blogging successes. So here’s a taste of what I’m hearing: “I absolutely love blogging about my family,” commented Diane on the . “Once I got serious, 2 years ago, I have really enjoyed it. I've connected with cousins and made many new friends. I write tips to help other researchers and that's also been very rewarding. It's a regular part of my life now. I would really miss it if I couldn't write.” Here’s another one. Debra wrote in to say, “I have been reading about blogging for genealogy on your website and finally decided to bite the bullet and start one. Now I am trying to figure out how to get it noticed and remembered that you asked us to send you the link if we started one, so here is the information.” Her blog: , at . I took a quick peek at it. It’s still a young blog, but I have to say that Debra is going about this the right way. Her blog posts are packed with family names and locations that can help other relatives find her, if they’re searching for those same names and locations online. She’s also got great stories and memories in her posts, which she’s added documents and photos to. That content will keep interested relatives reading, once they’ve discovered her, which may take some time—but it’s worth it! A new podcast listener and blogger wrote to me recently. Jolanta is a Polish immigrant to Northern Ireland and a professional translator. She says, “I only just discovered podcast as a medium and your podcast in particular. I am loving it! Love the book club, the tips and really everything about it! I drive a lot and it is recorded loud enough to comfortably listen in a car (unlike some other podcasts) and I still have quite a lot of shows to go so I will be occupied for a while!” She goes on to say, “Motivated by your show, I decided to take a plunge and start my own blog…I am not a native English speaker, but this is a way to challenge myself. I only have one post up so far and the next one nearly ready, but the more I listen to your podcasts the more ideas I have.” Since she wrote us, she’s added more to her blog at . I’m so pleased that the show is inspiring Jolanta, because she’s inspiring me! What a feat, to blog in your second language! She says that as an immigrant, she feels doing her genealogy is even more important, because since she left 11 years ago, her daughter has been born. Jolanta says, “She needs to know where her roots are!” and I couldn’t agree more. Good for her! Another Debra wrote in recently with this comment: “I am fairly new to your podcast series; I enjoy listening while I work on my quilting projects. You have inspired me to start a family history blog as a starting base for writing my family history. Last week, I listened to one of your early podcasts on the subject of cold-calling. I was amazed to hear how difficult it is for many people to reach out to others for help with their research into their own family history. I took that topic and wrote a blog entry about the first cold-call that I remember. It has inspired me to write about more cold-calls in the near future. I would like to invite you to read that entry on my site, . Thank you for your excitement and your inspirations.”  Well, you’re welcome, Debra, and thank you for sharing your blog post with your experience cold-contacting a distant relative: an experience that actually led to meeting that relative, who introduced her to another relative who lived in the old family home, which had a family burial plot in her back garden! What a great contact and friendship she describes! Mike from Sydney, Australia wrote to say, “Congratulations on a great podcast from Down Under. I listen to every episode during my travels to and from work. I recently watched your 'how to blog your family history' series on YouTube and became motivated to finally 'get on my butt' and do something. Your recent episode 184 with Judy's blogging experience was the clincher. I have now proudly given birth to my first blog at And it wasn't painful. It has only taken about 20 years since blogging has been around! Thank you for inspiring me and all your other listeners.” It feels so good to hear that so many people are getting into the spirit of blogging their family history! It’s never too late to start! I’ll share one last letter from Chris, who wrote in after we announced the new Chris says, “Since you turned everyone on to this latest resource I thought I'd share the results.” She sent me a link to her about using these, where she reports: “I was very lucky. I knew enough information to make a smart guess at exactly where to look and within half an hour I had baptismal records for three people in my dad's family.” In fact, these relatives she talks about have the surname Cooke, just like my married name. Do you still need more motivation to get blogging? I came across a marketing blog post on the power of blogging for businesses. Well, we as family historians are in the business of sharing our family history stories. So I think about things from that point of view when I hear the following, taken from a post on . First, businesses that blog attract two-thirds more potential customers than those who don’t. Likewise, family historians who share their family history online can attract interest from lots of relatives, including those they’ve never met and those they never knew were interested in family history! Second, blog posts can pull in new customers for businesses whether you wrote them yesterday or years ago. It’s worth updating older blog posts with more current information and keeping your current contact information on your blog, even if you’re not actively adding to it right now. Third, marketing experts say that by 2020, customers are expected to manage about 85% of business without even talking to a human. Wow! I think we’ll see some trending that direction in family history research, too. Increasingly, our relatives are likely looking for their family history online first—not as much by reaching out to distant relatives and relatives-of-relatives by mail or phone, though I still encourage that cold-calling approach that worked so well for Debra. Fourth, the only thing blogging costs is TIME! This speaks for itself. No expensive mailings or printing copies of books and photos, hoping your relatives will pay you back. Fifth, and finally, blogs are considered a highly trusted source for accurate online information. The personal touch of a blog, together with your responsible research and the sources you cite, can help your relatives trust what you’re telling them.   GENEALOGY GEMS FOR SOCIETIES A few months ago I heard from Richard. “I have been asked by my local genealogical Society to conduct and present at the meeting in August. My thought for the class was Internet Genealogy and providing a comprehensive overview on how members and non-members can increase their sources and find ‘hidden’ records on line. Can I include images of your website and small clips of some of your online free videos as part of the presentation? I would of course include the source information and provide credit for you. I am also planning to hype up your podcast as well since it has given me a number of new outlooks on the best hobby in the world. Thank you again for your continued information and assistance in every media format known.” Thank you, Richard! I’m so glad he wants to share Genealogy Gems with his local society. I’ve actually heard that from so many of you that I’ve created a new program to meet this need. Genealogy Gems for Societies is a premium subscription service just for genealogical societies and groups, such as libraries. This is a cost-effective way for groups to enjoy my high-quality family history video presentations their regular meetings. It includes: A year-long license to show video recordings of my most popular classes as group presentations Permission to republish articles and blog posts from our enormous online archive—remember? we’re up to 1000 blog posts now!—in your society newsletter. (Your newsletter editor will LOVE this feature!), and Discounts for your society and its members on Genealogy Gems live seminars and purchases from our online store.   INTERVIEW: Where I'm From with George Ella Lyon Today I arranged for a special segment that Contributing Editor Sunny Morton recorded with George Ella Lyon, the poet laureate of Kentucky, George Ella Lyon, whose own poem on family identity has inspired hundreds of people to write their own and has even become an official statewide initiative in Kentucky! One of those who wrote their own version of the poem was Sunny’s own 11-year old son Alex. Enjoy the conversation—and listen for that writing invitation I told you was coming! George Ella Lyon is the Poet Laureate for the state of Kentucky and the author of a very popular family history writing exercise based on her poem, “Where I’m From.” She uses her poem to encourage others to make lists about where they’re from, and shape them into their own poems. As she says on her , “the poem as a writing prompt has traveled in amazing ways. People have used it at their family reunions, teachers have used it with kids all over the United States, in Ecuador and China; they have taken it to girls in juvenile detention, to men in prison for life, and to refugees in a camp in the Sudan.” The “Where I’m From” poem has inspired a current initiative by the to encourage people to reflect on and document their own heritage. Of course, we hope this conversation will inspire YOU to write about where you’re from, too! Here are some of George Ella Lyon’s tips on writing your own version of “Where I’m From:” Just list whatever comes to mind to start: food, music, landscapes, people. Be open to whatever you think of. This is a process. It may take several days to craft your list.  Later, as you organize what you write into its final shape, go back and see which lines have the most energy. Read it out loud. What order feels right? The last part of my poem is a reflection, but yours doesn’t have to be. Have fun! Don’t criticize yourself. You can do this many times over the course of time. I have! You can write “Where I’m From” from your current point of view or looking back. Tell us where you are from!We would love to have you share your version of George Ella Lyon’s poem with Genealogy Gems! l invite you to call in and read your version of the poem on my voicemail: (925) 272-4021. Be sure to leave your name, phone number, and email address (phone and email will be kept private and NOT played on the show) so that you can be entered to win 1 year of Genealogy Gems Premium Membership (new or renewal). One lucky winner will be randomly selected on 12/31/15.    DNA GEM: Ethnicity Results: Exciting or Exasperating?Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide at Genealogy Gems Facebook follower Kate Vaughan recently wrote in expressing her frustration with her ethnicity results provided by . She gets right to the point when she writes, “the way they refer to the results is confusing.” Kate, you are not alone. Many genealogists have been lured into taking the autosomal DNA test at one of the three major DNA testing companies just to get this glimpse into their past. Remember that the autosomal DNA test can reveal information about both your mother’s side and your father’s side of your family tree. Many take the test hoping for confirmation of a particular ancestral heritage, others are just curious to see what the results will show. Though their purposes in initiating the testing may vary, the feeling of bewilderment and befuddlement upon receiving the results is fairly universal. Kate has some specific questions about her results that I think most will share. Let’s take a look at a couple of them. First up, Kate wants to know if our family tree data in any way influences the ethnicity results provided. The answer is an unequivocal “no.” None of the testing companies look at your family tree in any way when determining your ethnicity results. However, the results are dependent on the family trees of the reference population. The reference populations are large numbers of people whose DNA has been tested and THEIR family history has been documented for many generations in that region. The testing companies compare your DNA to theirs and that’s how they assign you to an ethnicity (and place of ancestral origin?).  Next Kate asks, “Do they mean England when they report Great Britain?” Or to put it more broadly, how do these testing companies decide to divide up the world? All of the companies handle this a little bit differently. Let’s look at Ancestry as an example. When you login to view your ethnicity results, you can click on the “show all regions” box below your results to get a list of all of the possible categories that your DNA could be placed in. These 26 categories include nine African regions, Native American, three Asian regions, eight European regions, two Pacific Island regions, two West Asian regions, and then Jewish, which is not a region, per se, but a genetically distinct group. Clicking on each individual location in the left sidebar will bring up more information on the right about that region. For example, clicking on Great Britain tells us that DNA associated with this region is primarily found in England, Scotland, and Wales, but is also found in Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. Basically, this is telling us that people with generations of ancestry in Great Britain are quite a genetic mix from many areas. The first chart here shows that if we are to test the DNA of 100 natives of one of these primary regions (England, Scotland or Wales) then 50 of them will have the great Britain “pattern” of DNA covering 60% or more of their entire genome, and 50 of them will have that pattern in less than 60% of their DNA. The fact that this half-way number is so low, only 60%, tells us that there is a lot of uncertainty in this ethnicity estimate because there is so much mixture in this region. Kate, for you that means that when you see Great Britain in your ethnicity estimate, it could mean England, or maybe it means Italy- Ancestry can’t be certain. But that uncertainty isn’t the same for every region. Pictured here is also the ethnicity chart for Ireland. You can see that half the people who are native to Ireland will have 95% or more Irish DNA.  Kate, for us this means that if you have Irish DNA in your results, you can be pretty certain it came from Ireland. From these tables you can see your membership in some regions is more robust than others, and Ancestry is using these tables to try to help us tell the difference. In the end, the ethnicity results reported by each DNA testing company are highly dependent on two factors: the reference populations they use to compare your DNA against, and the statistical algorithms they use to compute your similarities to these populations. Every company is doing both of these things just a little bit differently. Kate, if you want to get another take on your ethnicity results, you can take your data over to Family Tree DNA, or you can be tested at 23andMe. A free option is to head over to Gedmatch and try out their various ethnicity tools. If you need help downloading and transferring, you can head over to my website: .  Most people have found after searching in multiple places that their “true” results are probably somewhere in the middle. While these ethnicity results can be interesting and useful, for most they will just be a novelty; something interesting and exciting. I have found that their most useful application is acting like a fly on a fishing line. They attract our family members into DNA testing where we can then set the hook on the real goal: family history.    PROFILE AMERICA: The Statue of Liberty had a birthday just recently! On October 28, 1886, the now-famous Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor in New York City. Every school child in the U.S. knows this was a gift from France. According to Profile America, “the statue was the first glimpse of America for more than 20 million immigrants who came through nearby Ellis Island, chiefly from Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Poland. In 1910, the year of the greatest influx, some 15 percent of the U.S. population was foreign-born.” Each of those 20 million immigrants to the U.S.—and each of our other ancestors from all over the world—has a unique story. Of migration or change, loss and love, being favored by fate--or not-so-favored. All the stories I find—and all the stories I hear and read from YOU—tell me that we have so much to learn from our ancestors’ lives, so much to be inspired by. Their stories shape us and, in so doing, become part of OUR stories. That gives us double the stories to tell! I invite you to get sharing those stories, if you aren’t already. Blog if that works for you, because the world is your audience. Or write something else and share it in another way. Put together a short biography of a fascinating ancestor. Transcribe an old diary or interview. Write about your research journey and how your findings inspired you. However you most want to share it: just DO it! Your own legacy will love on. The legacies of those who love from the past will live on. And legacies of those yet to come will benefit from that which you’ve left for them.

In this episode I’ll kick things off with two fabulous online resources I think are Gems. Two of you wrote in with your own advice, one on saving your genealogy from theft and another with another tip on digital preservation. I found a funny poem online that the author gave me permission to share. And then Sunny will join me to announce our next Genealogy Gems Book Club pick—and we may or may not digress a little to talk about other fun things on our minds. So sit back and relax—or do whatever you love to do while listening to podcasts—and let’s get started. NEWS: Ancestry Web Indexes Did you see the recent article on the Genealogy Gems website about Ancestry Web Indexes? These are FREE resources that anyone can access. You don’t need to be an Ancestry subscriber or even create a free login on the site. Here’s what they’re all about. For the past few years, Ancestry has been indexing databases from other websites on their own site. They’re not stealing data or take credit for data from other places—everything is fully cited and points to the original sites. Ancestry is extending the power of its ability to help users find their family history online wherever it may be. They’re taking advantage of the fact that it’s already a place where people are looking and their site’s powerful search tools. What I think is cool is that you may have a better search experience at Ancestry than you would at the original site. Some sites that host databases or indexes don’t offer very flexible search parameters. If you search for Elizabeth Madison, they may not recognize “Beth” or “Lizzie” as acceptable search results, or alternate spellings of her last name. But Ancestry does. A subscription to that original site may be required to see any images or other content that’s members-only. But if there’s data out there, I want to know about it. Then I can decide whether I want to get access to it. Another bonus is that a lot of their big Web Indexes are from sites that are not in English. This gives English-speakers a portal to that data, in case they are intimidated by trying to search a site in another language or by applying Google Translate, which I teach about using in my book . Anyway, I think it’s just one more online tool we should all know about! Just within the past few weeks, here are a few new Ancestry Web Indexes: (that’s Emigration with an E—for people moving OUT of the country), more than 300,000 records from 1868 to 1908. An Indiana Marriage Index for 1806-1861, with another 300,000 records; Montreal, Canada and dating back to the 1760s; Alberta, Canada newspaper back to 1889; and , and for Gallatin, Montana back to the mid-1800s. Here’s a tip that wasn’t in our article: you can search for Ancestry Web Indexes by going to Ancestry’s drop-down Search menu. Click on Card Catalog, and do a title search for the word “Web.” You’ll see lots of results that say “Web:” followed by the name of the index. Just another helpful tip to get the most out of one of the world’s biggest genealogy websites, whether you’re a subscriber or not!   NEWS: Bomb Sight websiteWe’ve probably all seen images from the World War II bombing of London  in movies. You see Londoners hunched in tube station tunnels during air raids in The Imitation Game. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the Pevensie children are evacuated to the countryside to escape the Blitz. But for anyone who didn’t experience it themselves or grow up in the shadow of those bombed-out buildings, we don’t really GET the Blitz, when the Germans bombed London regularly for several MONTHS. There’s a new website and mobile app that that reveals the Blitz in a new way: Bomb Sight, . The core of this site is a digitized version of 559 bomb census maps that show where each and every bomb fell between July of 1940 and the following June. These maps were classified until 1971, and were previously only available in their fragile, original condition in the British National Archives. Now you can explore all those neighborhoods and read about the individual bombs that devastated them. You can even see related historical images and read stories and memories. It’s stunning to look closely at a neighborhood and see how densely the bombs fell. It’s also stunning to pan out to the widest view and see SO many dots. So many bombs. So much destruction. Take a few minutes, won’t you, and explore BombSight.org, and you’ll have a whole new appreciation for the bombing of London.   MAILBOX: Advice to a new family history bloggerRecently Judy wrote to me after she attended one of my presentations. She says, “Just wanted to know I took your advice and started a blog on one of my cold cases. Here's the link if you'd like to see it: ” So I took a look at Judy’s blog. Here is a summary of my comments: Her posts are packed with genealogical data She shows great use of search keywords: she even included all the name spelling variations! In addition to the wonderful information her blog provides to readers, it’s also wonderful Google “cousin bait” because others searching for all those names and places will find her I would love to see a "Next Steps" list after the Questions list (which I think was a great addition to the post) A Sobering Reminder about Computer Backups I met Kathy from Carmel Valley, California on the Legacy Genealogy Cruise this past June, which was SO much fun! Afterward, Kathy sent me this note: “Hi Lisa, I hope all is well with you and your family. I am still thinking about our lovely Caribbean cruise. I thought you might share a reminder with your listeners. My husband and I were out of town last week and were robbed. The robbers took only electronics (thank goodness) and did not mess up the house….another thing to be thankful for. But your listeners can not rely on external hard drives as backup. If the external hard drive is by the computer….the robbers will take that as well. Thank goodness we had a web-based backup. So we did not lose our precious research or photographs. It could have been so much worse. This is just another reason why your listeners should look at BackBlaze or another company that provides the same service. I am grateful that I did. Yes, we have to purchase new computer equipment….BUT we have our research and our photos. Gratitude, gratitude.” I’m so sorry Kathy was robbed. But I’m so glad she didn’t lose the most important part of her computer: what was on it. And I sure appreciate her sharing her close call with us. We’ve heard it before: the way to keep from losing copies of anything is to keep multiple copies in multiple physical locations. Kathy mentioned robbery, but another common scenario that would take out all your in-house computer storage is a natural disaster—a flood or fires, like the ones that recently plagued Carmel Valley where she lives (I hope Kathy wasn’t affected). But it’s a lot of work to back up everything yourself on an ongoing basis and keep distributing it to multiple physical locations. A cloud-based backup service does this work for you: both the backup and the offsite storage! Here at Genealogy Gems, I trust Backblaze as our official cloud-based computer backup service. Do your homework and find what’s right for you. But I did my homework and I recommend Backblaze. It’s less than five bucks a month for the peace of mind and security that your computer’s contents will ALWAYS be safely stored and available for you to retrieve from their secure online vault. I encourage you to check them out at . Digital file storageAfter listening to the most recent Genealogy Gems podcast episode, Bill wrote in with this great comment: “I was very interested in listening to podcast Episode 183 since one of its major segments dealt with preservation of old photos and videos. For the last three years (as time permits), I've been scanning my (and my wife's family's) old photos - mainly black and white. This is still a work-in-progress. Tried to do a good bit of reading about this subject (on the Internet) before I started. Also attended a genealogy seminar in 2009 where one of the presentations covered digital photo preservation.  “Based on what I've read and heard, the ‘experts’ generally appear to recommend using the .tif file format (versus jpg, gif, png, bmp) for capturing and retaining any photos you deem valuable or important. This decision seems to be driven by the loss-less nature of the .tif format versus the "lossy" nature of the other formats. There's no question that a .tif version of a given image is substantially larger than its jpg counterpart, too. Since the choice of a file format is a pretty basic (and important) aspect of the digital preservation process, I was surprised it wasn't mentioned in the podcast or associated notes. “After exploring the for a while, I located a page there that compares the various file formats for photos, videos, etc.” Then Bill shared this with me. I loved hearing from Bill. He’s absolutely right that TIF is preferred over JPG for just the reasons he mentioned. Kristin and I didn't cover that in our conversation due to time constraints, and the fact that we've covered the advantages of TIF over JPG several times before in past Genealogy Gems episodes (like with Sally Jacobs, The Practical Archivist, which is available for free online). We addressed image resolution because this is a specific area we haven't covered as much. Just a reminder, the Genealogy Gems coupon code for Larsen Digital is still good! The code is Gengem10, and it’s good for 10% off services like digitizing old photos and your family videos and film reels. Visit their website at www.larsendigital.com, call them at 800-776-8357 or send an email to .                 GEM: “Open Letter Grandma” Recently I came across this wonderful poem that resonated so well with me—and made me laugh—that I got the author’s permission to share it on the podcast. It’s called “Open Letter to Grandma” by Amie Bowser Tennant, and it’s posted on her blog, . (.)                 GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB: Our next Genealogy Gems Book Club pick is by New York Times bestselling author Lalita Tademy. Some of you have probably read her previous novels, Cane River and the sequel Red River. Cane River was an Oprah Book Club selection. I read these a few years ago and really enjoyed them. So I was really excited when I heard she had a new novel out. And even more excited when I found out I’d get to interview her for Genealogy Gems Book Club! Citizens Creek is a novel, but it’s based on the lives of real people. The publisher describes it as “the evocative story of a once-enslaved man who buys his freedom after serving as a translator during the American Indian Wars, and his granddaughter, who sustains his legacy of courage. “Cow Tom, born into slavery in Alabama in 1810 and sold to a Creek Indian chief before his tenth birthday, possessed an extraordinary gift: the ability to master languages. As the new country developed westward, and Indians, settlers, and blacks came into constant contact, Cow Tom became a key translator for his Creek master and was hired out to US military generals. His talent earned him money—but would it also grant him freedom? And what would become of him and his family in the aftermath of the Civil War and the Indian Removal westward? “Cow Tom’s legacy lives on—especially in the courageous spirit of his granddaughter Rose. She rises to leadership of the family as they struggle against political and societal hostility intent on keeping blacks and Indians oppressed. But through it all, her grandfather’s indelible mark of courage inspires her—in mind, in spirit, and in a family legacy that never dies. “Written in two parts portraying the parallel lives of Cow Tom and Rose, Citizens Creek is a beautifully rendered novel that takes the reader deep into a little known chapter of American history. It is a breathtaking tale of identity, community, family—and above all, the power of an individual’s will to make a difference.” Contributing Editor and Book Club Guru first considered this book for the Genealogy Gems Book Club because of the compelling history told about both Native Americans and African Americans. “But then,” she says, “the characters’ stories became more personal and more relatable and more obviously about family, relationships and legacy. We see how the experiences of one generation shape them—and how they shape themselves--and what effects all this has on the next generation. We see how the next generations look backward for inspiration and support and guidance, to see how best to manage in the present and think about the future.” Next episode, Sunny will share a couple of passages from the book about Rose, Cow Tom’s granddaughter, who becomes the keeper of his secrets.   DNA GEM: Some Suggestions for the Empty Handed Genetic Genealogists with Diahan Southard “Over one million people have had their DNA tested for genealogical purposes, and that number is climbing fast. If we were able to survey all of those who have tested, how many would answer that they are fully satisfied with their results? I think the level of satisfaction we feel with our genetic genealogy experience has everything to do with our expectations going in. “What did you expect going in? Many are drawn to genetic genealogy by the pretty pie charts and maps that reveal our mix of ancestral heritage. If they are expecting a nice addition to their coffee table pieces, they are pleased. If they are expecting a crystal ball into their ancestral heritage, they are often disappointed. “Likewise, when you see a 2nd-4th cousin on your match page, you may have every expectation that you can figure out how you are related to each other. But when that common ancestor remains elusive, many fear that the test is not helpful, or worse, inaccurate. “Recently we heard from Jenna on the . Jenna has followed the autosomal DNA testing plan perfectly: She tested first with Ancestry, then transferred to Family Tree DNA. She even went the extra step and uploaded her results into GedMatch, a free third party tool, and yet, she feels she hasn’t made any positive connections. “For anyone in this situation, here are 2 explanations, and 2 next-steps to help set good expectations for your genetic genealogy experience. “First, you need to know your own family history. If your family is not from the United States, or have only recently immigrated to the United States, you will not find very many matches in the databases. This will change as time moves on and genetic genealogy gains greater exposure and acceptance in other markets.  “If you do have ancestry from the United States, but are still coming up empty handed, it might be because you happen to be the pioneer in your family, the first to jump into genetic genealogy. While 1 million people is a lot of tested individuals, I am consistently surprised by the number of people I meet who have never heard of using DNA testing in genealogy. “Unfortunately, both of these explanations just require patience to be resolved. But, while you are waiting, here are 2 tips to get the most out of what you have: “First, as our Facebook friend suggested, start with a goal. In her case, she is interested in her paternal grandmother’s father. Anytime you are researching a male, if you can find his direct paternal descendant, a living male with his surname, you should have him take the YDNA test. “In the absence, or in addition to that, having as many descendants of your ancestor tested as possible will help you fill in the genetic gaps that naturally occur as DNA is passed down. But short of throwing more money at the testing companies, you can search each database by surname and location to look for others who might share these genealogical characteristics with the individual you are looking for. “My second tip is to focus on your closest genetic match and use all the available tools to investigate your relationship. This will involve using the Common Matches tools found at , , and . In this way you can find multiple individuals that may all be related to you through a single common ancestor. You can then use their known genealogies to look for overlapping genealogical information, like surnames and locations to help you identify your shared common ancestor. “Most people that I talk to who feel like their DNA has left them empty handed are just simply not aware of how to use the tools and clues at their testing company to tease information out of their matches. That I why I have written the genetic genealogy quick guides that do take you step by step through your results to make sure you are making the most of your DNA test results. “You can find these guides under the . I also offer customized DNA guidance like the help I’ve been giving Lisa, which she’s talked about in her free weekly newsletter. If you’re interested in a consultant, find me through my website, .”—Diahan Southard    

In this episode, a special expert joins us to talk about digitizing and storing your old movies, videos, and pictures—even further updating those old movies you’ve already put on CD. You’ll hear a juicy clip from our exclusive Genealogy Gems Book Club interview with the editor of the new Laura Ingalls Wilder biography, Pioneer Girl. And Your DNA Guide is here with a story of DNA and the President. NEWS: AncestryDNA Common Matches Genealogists are losing sleep lately because of a new DNA tool, but in a good way! I’m talking about AncestryDNA’s release of its Common Matches tool. Diahan Southard, our resident DNA expert, shared the breaking news on our website recently, within hours of when the new tool when live. She loves it so much she’s already spent hours using Common Matches, which she says is blowing her genealogy mysteries wide open. This tool pulls out shared matches between two people who match at 4th cousins or closer. The tool is on AncestryDNA’s main match page, between the “Pedigrees and Surnames” filter and the “Map and Locations” filter. This will take you to a blog post on our site with Diahan’s great visuals and explanation of how to use this new tool. We heard from Alana on Facebook after she read Diahan’s post. She said, “I stayed up for hours past my bedtime last night resolving hundreds of mystery matches. Everything makes so much more sense now. I’ve been mentally begging them to come up with a way to search for two surnames: this does an even better job than that. I did think it was funny how they broke the news by trying to sell me more tests. Oh well. I am SO thankful for this extremely useful new tool!” Have you tried it? Let us know how it works for you. We’d love to hear your success stories and how you’re making the most of DNA testing for genealogy.    DOUBLE YOUR CLOUD BACKUP SECURITY Recently , a sponsor of this podcast, let us know that we can now activate an extra layer of security to better protect the data we have stored with them.   The feature is called two-factor verification. It requires that we present both our account credentials and a verification code from a second device to gain access to our Backblaze account. That means someone who was trying to steal our data would have to have both our account information and access to the phone that's tied to the account. The option to require both these security steps can make Backblaze’s solid security even more powerful. It’s like you’re giving Backblaze permission to lock the doors to your data with two different keys instead of a single one, because you’re willing to take the time to use that second key whenever YOU need access.   This is just one more reason I’m glad I’ve chosen Backblaze as the official cloud-based computer backup service of Genealogy Gems! I sleep more easily knowing Backblaze is backing me up, 24/7, without me having to do anything but live my life, create and edit the many files that bring you this show, and keep my Backblaze subscription current!     NEWS: RootsMagic Update for FamilySearch Family Tree If you’re a RootsMagic user, did you install the required update recently so it will continue to work with FamilySearch? On July 30, last month, FamilySearch made some changes to its own site, which required RootsMagic to tweak things on their end to keep up.   If you’re running , look for the “Update Available” indicator in the lower right corner of your RootsMagic 7 program screen, and click on it. You will then be able to continue working with FamilySearch Family Tree as if nothing has changed. If you’re running Rootmagic 6, you can either upgrade to version 7 for around $20 or you can download the free RootsMagic 7 Essentials version and switch back and forth between them with the same database. Thanks for helping us spread the word to other RootsMagic users who are now scratching their heads when trying to work with FamilySearch FamilyTree!   MAILBOX: Keeping Track of Your Master Family Tree We recently heard from a new RootsMagic user, who bought the software to keep track of his family tree. He was still finding it difficult to corral all his data in one place. He wrote, “I have my family tree splattered everywhere: FamilySearch, MyHeritage and Ancestry. I’m afraid of losing control of my tree and would like some advice on keeping things straight. Each of the sites I go on seem to offer different information, so I started posting information on different sites. Can you offer any suggestions that I can use to centralize my data across different sites?” This is NOT just a problem Louis is having! In fact, I venture a guess that most people with online trees in more than one place have this problem and some may not even realize it. I look at my RootsMagic database on my computer as my MASTER database and tree. I may post things online, but only copies. Websites come and go and I want to keep ownership of my own master file on my own computer. With this kind of thinking, I can post my tree online but not lose control of it! When I post tree data online, I’m going fishing for family, so to speak. I’m trying to connect with cousins and gain research leads. With that in mind, I upload only the portion of the tree for which I want to generate those connections and leads. I don’t put my entire tree on each site because I don’t want to get bogged down with requests and alerts for far flung branches that I’m not focused on researching right now. To do this I make a copy of my database, edit it to fit my research, and then upload it. As I find documents and data on genealogy websites, I may “attach” them to the tree on that site, but I always download a copy and retain that on my computer and make note of it in RootsMagic. That way I retain control of my tree and my sources.   V and start boosting your genealogy research                 GEM: Digital Preservation If you’re lucky enough to have old home movies, then you are probably really concerned about how to preserve them and how to get them into some kind of format that you can share with your family and use in your own family history projects. And what about digitizing and preserving our old photos? We all have those. It can all seem like a pretty daunting task, and that’s why I’ve invited Digital Film Conversion expert Kristin Harding from  in for a chat. Here at Genealogy Gems we’ve been talking lately about the importance of backing up all your computer files, particularly since our experience with our new sponsor Backblaze has shown us how easy and inexpensive it is to have a first-rate cloud back-up service. But there’s an important step that has to happen before you can back something up: you have to digitize it in the first place! Bonus! Here's a coupon code for :  Gengem10 gets Genealogy Gems listeners 10% off!  Call with any questions at   1-800-776-8357 or send an email to .   Tips for digitizing still images Prioritize items that are the oldest, most special or rare, fragile or deteriorating (capture that image before it crumbles or fades). Resolve to scan at a higher resolution: Scan old family pictures at 600dpi for 4 x 6 photos. Very small photos (and images you want to enlarge from a small portion, like a group photo) should be 1200 dpi. That way, when you enlarge them, you’ll get the sharpest, most clear image possible. Consider the benefits of a professional scanning service like Larsen Digital: Professional scanners are faster and you get better color quality and contrast in your digital image. When customers bring in their photos, they all say “I just don’t have the time to do this myself!” Also, once a photo is scanned, it then usually needs to be cropped and digitally color corrected. Navigating your way through Photoshop if you are a novice can be time consuming & frustrating, and a pro can do this post-scanning editing.  Customers usually have slides and negatives, which are much more complicated to scan than photos. They often turn these over to a professional scanning company to ensure that they preserving their family memories at the highest quality. Learn more about how to organize the filenames of all your old images in a two-episode series on the free Family History Made Easy podcast: episodes and can also access my 2-part instructional video series, “” (where you can WATCH how to organize your computer files).   What about moving images? So many of us have old home movies. And we have them in lots of different forms like Super 8, and VHS. You are pretty adamant that we should preserve our old home movies as MP4 digital video files, not just on DVDs and CDs as many of us have done over the past several years. DVD’s don’t last forever! The ability to read DVDs from our devices is already fading. Digital video files also offer the convenience to edit your footage and upload files online to easily share with friends & family. But it is convenient to have these on CD and DVD, also, to easily share with relatives and pop into a DVD player (for those whose televisions aren’t hooked into their computers). These “hard copies” can be kept in a safety deposit box for safe-keeping. When MP4s are saved on our hard drives, then they’re easier for our cloud back-up service to keep backed up. A final tip: save multiple copies of all these to multiple locations. Kristin advises that all media should be stored in at least two places, preferably 3. “For example, your home computer would be one location; I think an external hard drive is always a smart bet because computers crash all the time. I personally believe that storing it with a cloud provider is critical to ensure that your media never gets lost or erased. If you have your files backed up into different locations, no matter what disaster strikes, (computer crash, floods, fire, moving) you will always have a copy safe somewhere.” Bonus! Here's a coupon code for :  Gengem10 gets Genealogy Gems listeners 10% off!  Call with any questions at 1-800-776-8357 or send an email to .        GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB: Pioneer Girl - an interview with editor Pamela Smith Hill Listen to  an excerpt from our interview with Pamela Smith Hill, editor of , edited by Pamela Smith Hill, is the never-before-published autobiography Laura wrote in the 1930s. The stories and memories she shares in it are the basis for her popular Little House children’s series.   Get the Full Interview:  have exclusive access to the full interview in the upcoming Genealogy Gems Premium podcast episode 127, to be published later this month. Your membership—just one low annual fee--gives you access for a full year to all the monthly Premium podcasts as well as past ones, so you can hear our interviews with other fantastic authors on books we’ve loved. You’ll also have access to our full series of Premium how-to videos, which include the Ultimate Evernote Education series, Google and Google Earth, and my other hottest topics.   DNA GEM: William Harding DNA test New evidence in a 90 year old paternity case came to light recently in the form of a DNA test.  While most cases of unknown paternity include an unwed woman and a child, this one had the unique distinction of also involving the president of the United States. recently named former president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923) as the father of Elizabeth Ann Blaesing after her son, James Blaesing, and two individuals related to the Hardings, were found to have shared DNA. Just to be clear, the DNA test results don’t and can’t name a specific relative as the shared source of any two individual’s DNA. Though we would like it to be, it is not DNA in, ancestors name and birth certificate out. The actual report from the testing company was that James Blaesing and Peter and Abigail Harding were second cousins.  This means that the shared ancestral couple for these three has to be among their 4 sets of great grandparents. The DNA alone cannot tell us which set. It was a combination of the DNA and the known genealogy that provided such a high level of confidence in this case. While there are certainly mixed feelings among members of the Harding family about this new evidence, this is clearly a win for DNA. A man who was thought to have never had children did in fact have one child, and now a grandchild. This preserves a genetic legacy for his family line that might have otherwise been lost. This is also a clear win for the power of curious descendants and the healing balm of time.  It was actually Harding’s grand niece and grand nephew who instigated the testing out of a pure desire to know the truth.  Time has allowed them this curiosity without threat of scandal and technology has provided the necessary tools to once and for all more fully understand their ancestor and the life he lived. AncestryDNA declared after this story broke that DNA testing can rewrite history, which may be true.  However, I prefer to think of DNA testing not as white out that can erase false accusations, but rather as a filter that allows you to separate fact from fiction so that history can reflect lives rather than lies. Here’s a that also comments on the lack of African DNA in Harding’s descendants. Get Diahan's DNA  to help you easily navigate your own genetic genealogy journey. Diahan Southard offers DNA consultations to help you with your results.     

  You know me, I love looking outside the genealogy box to discover strategies and inspirational stories that can help us be better family historians. In today’s episode, we’re heading back to World War II, and event that in some way touched the lives of every genealogist’s family, and we’re going to hear an incredible tale deception while at the same time gather research strategies, interview techniques, and compelling story telling methods that I know you’ll love and be able to apply to your own family history. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsors:                                                                    In the summer of 1944, a handpicked group of young GIs landed in France to conduct a secret mission. They were to create an elaborate façade of military might for an audience, the German army. These 1100 men had one goal: to fool the enemy into believing they were an American army thousands strong, and draw their attention away from the actual fighting troops.  Get ready to go behind the curtain of Twenty-third Headquarters Special Troops known as the Ghost Army with my special guest Rick Beyer, author of the book Rick Beyer, is not only a best-selling author, but he’s also an award-winning filmmaker, and popular speaker. He wrote and directed the acclaimed documentary film , which premiered on PBS in 2013, and is currently available here. (Photo above:  Rick Beyer. Photo by Brian Smith)  Please click images below for the book or DVD. Thank you for using our links to Amazon - you are helping us produce the free Genealogy Gems Podcast.     Watch the trailer for The Ghost Army:   The Interview: Rick explains the three divisions of the Ghost Army, and the deception they were responsible for. Radio, Visual:                     (Photo above: Dummy M4 Sherman Tank of the type used by the Ghost Army. 93 pounds fully inflated. Credit: National Archives)  and Sonic:                                             (Photo above:  Uncovering the Speakers of a Sonic Half-Track. Credit: National Archives)     We discuss the power of imagination and how these brave soldiers took advantage of that to defeat the enemy. Rick shares a story featured both in the book and the documentary film The Ghost Army where some men in France spotted some pretty bizarre things.                               (Photo above:  The Americans are very strong by Arthur Shilstone. Credit: Arthur Shilstone)  Then Rick takes us behind the scenes of the book to explore research strategies and in particular, effective interviewing techniques.               (Photo above:  Rick Beyer interviewing Ghost Army Veteran Jack McGlynn in 2007. Credit: Rick Beyer)  The book is compelling on many levels: the storytelling, the integration of all the art, photos and documents, and fantastic catchy chapter titles that make you want to read, and Rick shares the secret behind his success, particularly those catch chapter titles!                           (Photo above:  "Near Metz" by Sgt. George Vander Sluis, 603rd Camouflage Engineers, 1944. Credit: Jeff Vander Sluis)    Telling family history stories in a way that captivates non-genealogists can be a tough job. Rick shares his tips for telling great stories, particularly in a book format.                                             (Photo above:  Photo montage featuring some of the eleven hundred men of the Ghost Army. From the book The Ghost Army of World War II. Credit: Photos contributed by William Sayles, Dick Syracuse, Nathaniel Dahl, Jack McGlynn, Bob Boyajian)  A Very Special Gem: A Plate of Peas by Rick BeyerAttention Genealogy Gems App Users:  Watch Rick tell this heartwarming story. The video is part of your episode Bonus Content.    Visit Rick at     Be a part of       If you enjoyed this episode, I sure hope you will share it with your friends and family. If you have the Genealogy Gems app, it’s super easy to share an episode : Just tap the episode, and then tap to share it on Facebook, Twitter or by email. Your friends will thank you, and “It makes me feel really good that you are sharing these episodes that we work so very hard on. Thank you! "In the end, we may search with our computers, but we never want to stop searching with our hearts." Lisa Louise Cooke

Today, we’re turning back the clock to talk about two of my favorite eras, the 1950s and—well, the second one is a surprise. I’ll tell you later in the show when I introduce the NEW Genealogy Gems Book Club featured title! But first, we’ll talk a little news—from a new Google innovation to two new record collections online that fill in a hole in American documentary history. I’ll read some mail from YOU about the new Ancestry site and family history blogging. NEWS Wouldn’t it be great if your smartphone alerted if you left your keys or eyeglasses behind when leaving the house? Google is working on it, based on a recent  it filed. The patent describes a device that uses short-range wireless technology to link your smartphone with other must-have items like your wallet, keys or glasses. The idea is that if you leave a location with one item, but leave other items behind, an alarm will go off. A commentary website explains that “the user can control the amount of distance between the mobile device and the paired object that must exist before an alarm goes off. They can also control the type of alarm, as well as how often the device checks to see if all paired objects remain nearby.” Here’s a drawing from the patent. In one way, it makes me think that Google is taking its Alerts out of cyberspace and right into our daily lives to help them run more smoothly. Do you use Google Alerts? Setting them up lets me find out about new content online as it becomes available—24/7—relating to my favorite keyword searches. I use Google Alerts to automate my online genealogy searches and follow other favorite topics. You can learn more about Google Alerts AND how to search for patents like the one I was just talking about—for household items and inventions that shaped our relatives’ lives—in my book, * In last month’s podcast, I mentioned the Civil War Soldiers & Sailors Database in response to a question from a listener who was looking for a good resource for Civil War sailors. Unfortunately, as I stressed in the , the percentage of sailors included is still fairly low in that database. So I was pleased to see a new collection on recently: U.S. NAVY SURVIVORS.  to a post about it. Nearly 2 million records in this collection come from case files of approved pension applications between 1861 and 1910, so they include Civil War survivors and later Navy veterans until just before World War I. I love seeing all these new record collections that appear online that, ever so gradually, fill in the gaps to help us find our ancestors! At Genealogy Gems we blog about new record collections online every Friday—watch for those on our ! * Finally, there’s another record set coming online that will just be HUGE for those researching African-American ancestors. Freedmen’s Bureau records are finally being fully indexed! Anyone with African-American roots or who has ANY Southern ancestors should know about these. The Freedmen’s Bureau was organized after the Civil War to aid newly-freed slaves in 15 states and Washington, DC. Destitute whites were also helped. For several years the Freedmen’s Bureau created marriage records, labor contracts, and other records of families and their military service, poverty, property, health and education. The richest documents are the field office records of each state. (Here’s a  to a great article from the National Archives about these records.) A few field office records are already transcribed or indexed; you can find links at the . Now FamilySearch and other national partners have issued a call to action for the genealogy community to help finish indexing them all—an estimated 1.5 million records—within the coming year. A press release says the “records, histories and stories will be available on . Additionally, the records will be showcased in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is currently under construction on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and expected to open in late 2016.”   MAILBOX Recently I heard from Patty, who says, “Not long ago I listened to the podcast in which you encouraged people to send the links to their genealogy blogs, and after seeing this week's newsletter, I thought I finally would.” “I started a blog last summer to share my research with my family, which is fairly spread out throughout the country.  I also wanted to document a trip to Italy that my husband and I took last October, which included genealogy research as well as the chance to meet newly discovered relatives there. My website is Thanks for all the great info you provide!” You’re welcome, Patty, and I have to say, I hear from SO many people about the power of blogging your family history. Most people start because they’re just bursting to share their family history finds, and they want to do it in the small bite-size pieces that work so well on a blog. Many of them also hope to connect with other descendants who may stumble across their blogs and contact them. And you know, it really does happen! If you’re ready to start blogging your family history—or to get re-inspired and get BACK to it—I recommend you listen to my how-to series on the FREE or * Finally, we continue to hear feedback on the new Ancestry site. On the Genealogy Gems Facebook page, Cynthia told us, “I absolutely love it! At first I was confused, but took the time to figure out how to find what I wanted, add new facts, photos, etc. It was a challenge and now I will never go back to the old way.” Also on Facebook, Paris told us she misses the “show how we’re related” feature with its icon, and Ken misses now having the family group view. Nora also wrote in with more detailed comments on her three favorite features. In short they are: That when you are given the option to accept hints, you now have yes, no AND MAYBE options. (And I agree—that’s so much more practical to have a MAYBE option.) She loves the Lifestory view, especially since it gives the option of removing historical events you don’t want to include from an ancestor’s timeline. She finds it easier to merge facts about the same life event when reported by multiple sources. Nora even shares step-by-step tips for how she merges facts on the new site. Here’s a to her full comments, along with helpful screen shots. * A third piece of mail comes from Carol in St. Louis, Missouri. She was frustrated that she couldn’t read my entire email newsletter. “Would love to know what you are saying,” she says. But my newsletter email doesn’t fit in her email window. She says, “I don’t want to toggle to the right to see the end of each line and then have to toggle back.” I don’t blame her! That’s annoying. The good news is that anyone who has trouble with my emails not fitting in their viewers can fix it pretty easily. Email sizing is related to your computer’s screen resolution setting and a variety of other variables. It’s different for everyone. In cases where it doesn’t come through to your email account right, we provide a link at the top of the email that you can simply click to view the email on a new web browser tab fitted to the page. To get the free Genealogy Gems email newsletter, just sign up in the box in the upper right-hand corner . We don’t share your email address with anyone else and you get a free e-book of Google tips for genealogy just for signing up.   Sunny and I discuss her digital backup plan (or lack thereof!) My solution for her:                GEM: Find Your Family History in the 1950s What comes to mind when I say these words? Sock hops. Drive-ins. Juke boxes. Fuzzy dice. Letterman jackets. Poodle skirts, bobby socks and saddle shoes. 3D movies. Hula hoops. Of course, the 1950s. Do you remember any of these fads, or have you seen any family pictures that show them? Of course, the fifties weren’t all fun and games. Think the Korean War, McCarthyism, the Iron Curtain. The 1950s was also a time of complex social problems and conflict throughout the world. What about finding records about your fabulous family in the 1950s? You know, we’re always told to start researching the most recent generations. But national censuses and many vital records have privacy blackouts. So I want to mention four major resources for finding family in the ‘fifties: Oral history interviews. In many families, there’s at least one person around who remembers the 1950s personally. If there’s not, then look to the memories of the next living generation, who often know at least some important things about the past. Interviewing a relative is one of the most fun and meaningful ways to learn your family history. After all, you’re learning about the past first-hand (or second-hand, if you’re asking about someone’s parents). You can ask specific and personal questions of the kind that don’t appear on a census record. You can deepen your relationships with those you interview and gain a better understanding of the lives that led to you. Older people often love to have someone take a sincere interest in them. The Family History Made Easy podcast has a . Here are some tips about interviewing your family: Reach out with sincere interest in that person, not just their memories of others who have gone. Be patient and respectful when you ask questions. It can take a while to establish a rapport and discover the kinds of memories that person most wants to share. The best skill you can have is that of a good listener. Don’t interrupt. Don’t judge. And listen so intently that you can ask great follow-up questions. Newspapers are my second resource. Turn to these for more recent relatives’ obituaries and other articles that mention them. Use hometown papers to discover more about a relative’s daily life, current events that would affect them, popular opinions of the time, prices for everyday items and more. Thanks to the internet, it’s getting easier than ever to find family members in newspapers. Some newspapers have been digitized, though this isn’t as common with more recent papers that may still be under copyright protection. Still, you can use online resources to discover what newspapers served your family’s neighborhood, or even whether an ethnic, labor or religious press would have mentioned them. Each country and region has its own online newspaper resources. In the US, I always start with the US Newspaper Directory at Chronicling America. (In this case, DON’T start with searching digitized papers, which only go up to 1922.) From the , click on , and you’ll get a fantastic search interface to locate ALL newspapers published in a particular place and time, as well as the names of libraries or archives that have copies of these papers. Links for newspapers outside the United States include: , the and the . Remember, historical societies and even local public libraries are also wonderful places to look for newspaper holdings. My book, , gives you all kinds of tips for what to look for in papers and how to locate them, both online and offline, and in free and subscription resources. City directories are the third place I look for recent relatives. By the 1950s, most towns and cities published directories of residents, mostly with telephone numbers. I use annual directory listings to track families from year to year. These might give you your first clue that someone moved, married, separated, divorced or died. I can often find their exact street address (which is great for mapping them out!), who lived at the house and sometimes additional information like where they worked, what their job was or who they worked for. Ancestry has , clear up to 1989. But most other online city directory collections aren’t so recent, probably for copyright reasons. Look for city directories first in hometown public libraries. I would call the library and see if there is a local history or genealogy room where they handle research requests. Also check with larger regional or state libraries and major genealogical libraries. These are pretty straightforward research lookups and may not be that expensive to request copies of your relatives’ listings in each year for a certain time period. The fourth and most fun place to look for relatives, I think, is in historical video footage! YouTube isn’t just for viral cat videos and footage of your favorite band. You can look for old newsreels, people’s home movies and other old footage that’s been converted to digital format. It’s not unusual to find videos showing the old family neighborhood, a school or community function, or other footage that’s relevant to your relatives. Use the YouTube search box like you would the regular Google search box, because it’s powered by Google. Enter terms like “history,” “old,” “footage,” or “film” along with the names, places or events you hope to find. For example, the name of a parade your relative marched in, a team he played on, a company she worked for, a street he lived on and the like. It’s hit and miss, for sure, but sometimes you can find something very special. My Contributing Editor Sunny Morton didn’t really believe me that YouTube could be a great source for family history finds. She set out to prove me wrong—and I’m glad she did! Almost immediately, with a search on the name of her husband’s ancestral hometown and the word “history,” she found a 1937 newsreel with her husband’s great-grandfather driving his fire truck with his dog! She recognized him from old photos and had read about his dog in the newspapers. What a find! Her father-in-law was stunned, because he never met his own grandfather, who died in 1950. You can learn more in my all-new second edition of , which has an entire, newly-updated chapter on YouTube. So that’s four places to look for 1950s relatives: in family memories, newspapers, city directories and YouTube footage. So what ABOUT those 1950 and 1951 censuses around the world? Spotlight on the 1950 US Census: The 1950 US Federal census won’t be released to the public until April 2022. If you REALLY need an entry on yourself or immediate relatives, you can apply to receive copies of individual census entries from 1950-2010. It’s not cheap—it’s $65 per person, per census year. But if you’re having research trouble you think would be answered by a census entry, it might be worth it. to the page at Census.gov that tells you how to do this (it’s called the “age search service”). Ancestry does have a . It’s a little gimmicky, because it appears to be just a slice of their city directory collection from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s. But this is still a good starting point to target US relatives during this time period. I have some interesting factoids on the 1951 censuses for England, Canada and Australia, which aren’t available yet to the public. At , you can at least download a blank form for the 1951 census in England. That site says: “There was no census in 1941 and only limited population information from the 1939 National Register, making the 1951 census highly significant in tracking changes in society over 20 years. The 1951 Census revealed that the population of Britain had exceeded 50 million. It was the first census to ask about household amenities (outside loos) as Britain began to clear slums and rebuild housing after World War II. Questions about fertility and duration of marriage were reinstated. The Registrar General for England and Wales, Sir George North, asked women to be more honest about their age. Many women of the time felt that questions relating to age were of a too personal nature. Information from previous censuses suggested that women had adjusted their age upwards if they married young and down if they married later. Problem pages in newspapers and magazines were flooded with queries from distraught women, fearful that their true age would become public knowledge.” That’s so funny to me now, as our age is a basic piece of all our identifying records! So a good substitute for the 1951 census may be England’s electoral registers, at least for those who were qualified to vote. An Ancestry description of states that these “registers typically provide a name and place of abode, and older registers may include a description of property and qualifications to vote. Registers were compiled at a local level.” That webpage has helpful tips on searching registers by location through 1954. What about Canada? They do censuses every 10 years on the years ending in “1” also, and a population and agriculture census in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta every 10 years in the years ending in “6,” according to the . By law, you can’t get personal information yet from post-1921 census returns except about yourselves or for pension or other legal purposes. The site does say that “Third parties cannot obtain information about another individual without the individual's written consent,” which leads me to wonder you COULD get them if you did have consent, but that might not be easy or possible to get from the relatives you’re researching. You’ll hit up against the same privacy issues in Australia for 1951, but what is online is the entire , with free downloadable chapters on topics like land, transportation, communication, education, welfare, labor, wages, prices, the population, vital statistics, and several different types of industrial reports. You won’t likely find ANY ancestors mentioned by name, but you can read generally how the country was doing at the time.                 GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB:   The new Genealogy Gems Book Club featured title is , edited by Pamela Smith Hill. This autobiography was written by Laura in the 1930s, and is the basis of her popular Little House children’s series. But her actual autobiography was never published, and it’s the “grown-up” version—more detailed, more explicit—of all those stories and her recollections of family, and neighbors, wagon trains and homesteads: pioneering in an American West that was fading away. Across the cover of the first tablet she scrawled “Pioneer Girl.” These real stories behind the Little House stories will intrigue--and sometimes stun--any Laura Ingalls Wilder fan. What makes this book a standout and a prime candidate for genealogists? The immaculate research that went into it. The stunning example it sets for source citations, which consume large portions of most of the pages. And the often never seen before photos sprinkled throughout that bring the people and times to life visually for the reader.  

    Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 180 with Lisa Louise Cooke   Welcome to episode 180 of the Genealogy Gems podcast! Today we’re talking about big names, like Ancestry and Google and FamilySearch. We’re talking about big numbers—the possible price tag for Ancestry at auction—and small numbers: a handheld computer for under $100. We’re also talking about road trip tips, an important online Civil War database, a leading Canadian digital archive and EXCLUSIVE tips for using FamilySearch’s free digitized book collection, which now tops 200,000 titles. And because I’ve gotten so much demand for it, I’m sharing tips for backing up your data at Ancestry—not just your tree but your sources and DNA, too. Mixed in with all this news and how-tos is an assorted cast of listeners-with-questions and an inspiring story about long-lost siblings reunited by radio. Let’s get started! NEWS Certainly some of the biggest news buzzing around the genealogy world is the possible sale of Ancestry. Reuters that the buyout firm that owns most of Ancestry has hired investment bankers to put the company up for auction. The price tag, they say? Between $2.5 billion and $3 billion. So what could this mean for customers? Of course, it’s far too soon to say. Ancestry currently delivers over 15 billion genealogy records to over 2 million subscribers. Their current trajectory includes acquiring even MORE records pretty aggressively, which we love. But as I'm sure we’ve all experienced at one time or another, though, when any type of company gets sold, things can change. Or we could continue to see business as usual at the shaky-leaf genealogy giant. Mybest advice to those of you whose master family trees are on Ancestry is to download and backup your data. I'm not being alarmist or saying the sky is falling here! This announcement is simply a good opportunity to do something we routinely recommend anyway. I'll have specific advice for downloading your tree, checking your source material and getting your raw DNA from Ancestry later in the podcast. In another piece of news, have you notice that Google is now answering the questions you google instead of just giving you search results with the keywords in your questions? Say you Google the question, “What county is Chicago in?” Google will respond at the top of your search results with a big, fat “Cook County” headline followed by some key facts about the county. Google’s also creating a bit of a stir with its new Chromebit; it's a Chrome OS full size computer about the size of your hand, and it plugs into an HDMI on our computer. This sounds like a great option for on-the-go genealogical computing! A lot of folks aren’t fully cloud-based and they really don't ever plan to be: they like to work from a hard drive or desktop of some kind. So this offers them a portable way to do that. You could plug in at a public terminal--say at a library--or at someone else’s home computer, or even a television so that you could share pictures on a big screen. And best of all the Chromebit is as affordable as it is portable!  reports that Google says the Chromebit will be less than $100! MAILBOX Recently we heard from Jennifer, who is taking a little road trip, as many others of us in the northern hemisphere are contemplating in June. She asks a great question: “I’m tagging along on my husband’s thesis research trip to Columbus, Ohio. I have some ancestors from other parts of Ohio. I was wondering what exactly I could look for in a state’s capital city's collections and archives? I was thinking that the state capital may have a “gem” that I couldn’t find elsewhere, or even duplicated information [from local repositories].” Jennifer is definitely thinking along the right lines! Here’s our advice: At the state government level there are often two key resources: the state library and the state archives. These might be combined. One might be called the state historical society. You just have to look for each state. In Ohio, the serves as the state historical society and official state archives. But there is also a that serves as a repository for government documents and a resource for other libraries. Each has resources for genealogists, online and in-house. Look for some links to these in our show notes. In addition, public libraries of major cities often have excellent local history and genealogy collections. This is definitely true of the in Ohio’s state capital! We suggest you contact librarians before you go and ask what they have that can’t be found anywhere else, both on a state level and for locales you are researching. Often times that will include photograph collections, materials on old businesses, and newspapers on microfilm. If you can formulate specific genealogical questions that you want to try and answer and share those ahead of time with the librarian that will help her guide you toward the unique gems. Every state library and archive is unique, so consulting by phone with the reference librarian is the best way to go. Recently Tom wrote in with a question about a Civil War veterans database: “I’ve been a listener of your podcast for quite a long time. Great job. (Thanks, Tom!) “We have a grass-roots group trying to locate and document . Is there a good website where I can enter a name and unit identification and get results of the person’s [Civil War] service?  I’m having a really hard time finding US Navy sailors.” It sounds like Tom is conducting a very worthwhile project! An excellent resource–but still in progress for sailors with only about 20% of them–is . The site describes its resources as a “database containing information about the men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. Other information on the site includes histories of Union and Confederate regiments, links to descriptions of significant battles, and selected lists of prisoner-of-war records and cemetery records.” This is an excellent resource for soldiers. As far as sailors go, the site says, “The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System currently contains [only] the records of approximately 18,000 African American sailors, though additional records will be added in the future. The information in the Sailors Database is derived from enlistment records and the quarterly muster rolls of Navy vessels." A Howard University research team is behind this stellar effort, using muster rolls to fill in missing data or correct apparent misinformation. to an article from the National Archives about African-American servicemen in the Navy during the Civil War. If a Navy ancestor isn’t among those already listed, my first instinct is always to turn to Google searches first. I ran a search in Google Books for free digitized books meeting the criteria “civil war” “sailors” and there are some resources there as well. I'll put a link to these results in the show notes. Just one example? , which appears to be a published list of those who served from Manchester, N.H. You can learn more about Google searching for “niche” topics like this in the fully-revised and updated 2nd edition of my book, . Finally, we heard from Alexis with this energetic note about her ”genealogy podcast marathon:” “I just had to email you and say thank you for all you do!  I am 23 and finding that I am obsessed with family history.  No one around me seems to understand why but I love it.  And I was thrilled when I found your podcast!  Though still pretty young, I've been behind on some technologies like podcasts but now I'm addicted to those too.  It makes work so much better. Though I wish I didn't have to work at all so I could just research and apply what you teach us instead. Wouldn't that be great?!  I have been on genealogy podcast marathons. I'm still quite behind on genealogy gems since I just found you now in 2015 but I'm working through it!  And I started a blog of course. I just mentioned you in my last post as well. It's called Geneaholic Confessions at . It's just getting started but I really want to be a part of the geneablogger community ‘cause it sounds like you guys have tons of fun! Thanks for all you do!                 GEM: PROTECTING YOUR ANCESTRY DATA Okay, I promised you some tips for protecting your data on Ancestry, which you should do regularly whether the site is under threat of new management or not. First, download your current tree(s) to GEDCOM files onto your computer. Under the Trees tab, choose Create and Manage Trees. For each tree you have, choose Manage Tree, then Export Tree. At this point the green button should say “Download your GEDCOM file.” Just click on it and it will download. If you’re having difficulty, click “download tips” underneath the green button. I've heard that some of you have had difficulty downloading your trees to specific software, like Family Tree Maker or RootsMagic. For Family Tree Maker, read on syncing your updated online tree to your Family Tree Maker software. RootsMagic users should watch on importing your Ancestry tree into RootsMagic. Consult if you still need help. Next, check your sources! The Ancestry help section states, “Any pictures, charts, books, views, or similar items found in the original file will not be included in the [downloaded] GEDCOM. Vital information, notes, and sources are usually retained after conversion.” Check your GEDCOM to see whether your source notes are intact. Then make sure you have copies of documents, videos, photos and other items you may have attached to your tree. You don’t want them to disappear, should there be a hiccup (or worse) in service. Finally, if you have used AncestryDNA, download a copy of your raw DNA data. to show you how. We especially recommend this step! These tests are expensive. Tests for loved ones who are now deceased can’t be repeated. And Ancestry when the company has switched directions. (Again, I'm not trying to be alarmist about this, just cautious.) If you have relied on Ancestry or any other cloud-based service to host your only or master family tree, I recommend you do some homework and consider keeping your master tree on your own computer, and a backup file with all your other backup files. We here at Genealogy Gems use Backblaze as our backup service and we love them (visit for more information).           GEM: TIPS FOR USING FAMILYSEARCH’S DIGITIZED BOOK COLLECTION So here's another tip for you. Google Books, which I mentioned before, isn't the only place to find digitized family history books online. Another free and growing resource is .  They've reached a milestone 200,000 titles! This collection began 8 years ago and includes "family histories, county and local histories, genealogy magazines and how-to books, gazetteers, and medieval histories and pedigrees,” according to the landing page. Digitally-archived volumes like these are so valuable because they are immediately accessible and because they are keyword-searchable. Here are three search strategies to use for these: ·         Look for only a surname (in case the first name is written different ways or a different relative is mentioned). ·         In addition to surnames, search for the name of a neighborhood, street, church, school, business, type of work or other keywords that pertain to your family. ·         Use the Advanced Search feature to focus your search, like for a keyword in a title, or a type of publication like a periodical. Once you’re reading a book, you can click on the info icon (a circle with an “i” in it on the upper right) to see more information about the book, including source citation and copyright information. We were curious about how well FamilySearch's digital book Viewer interfaces with mobile devices. So we asked FamilySearch. Turns out, this is still a work in progress and in fact some browsers work better than others. Dennis Meldrum at FamilySearch told us that “Safari does not work well with the Viewer.” Neither do mobile devices like the iPhone or iPad. “The Viewer works best with IE or Firefox. It also works with Chrome, but the Adobe Tools do not work. We are aware of the limitations of the Viewer and are working to replace it by the end of the year." GEM: CANADIANA DIGITAL ARCHIVE Speaking of digital libraries and archives, I've got a great one to share with you. If you have Canadian roots, you should be searching Canadiana () regularly for family history information. Recently described Canadiana as “a digital initiative of extraordinary scale,…a joint effort of 25 leading research institutions, libraries and archives working together with the goal of creating Canada’s multi-million page, comprehensive online archive.” Its digital collections chronicle Canada’s past since the 1600s and most of its content is free. For example, the free “aims to digitize, preserve and make accessible Canada’s archival materials for Canadians and the world." Their large collection of genealogy materials so far includes immigration records, church records, land records, family histories, voters’ lists and more. Military history, government documents and aboriginal records are also well-represented. Check back often! More is coming, like and records of the Another part of Canadiana is . This gateway to digital collections from 40 repositories points to 65 million pages! Sample subjects include  Ontario genealogy and War of 1812 campaigns. This portal is also free to use. One part of the site that's awesome but NOT free? , with 5 million images already and expected to grow to 16 million. A subscription will run you $10/month or a year for $100, says that site, I'm assuming in Canadian currency. This is “a full-text collection of published documentary material, including government documents and specialized or mass-market periodicals from the 16th to 20th centuries. Law, literature, religion, education, women’s history and aboriginal history are particular areas of strength.” The site describes itself as “the most complete set of full-text historical content about Canada, including books, magazines and government documents.” Tip: scroll down on the home page to click the Genealogy and Local History portal, but don’t ignore the rest of the site! GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB This month we feature a meaty excerpt from our interview with Nathan Dylan Goodwin, author of . Genealogy Gems Premium subscribers can access the full interview in this month’s podcast episode. He tells us how he got started; we talk about the plot and characters and the challenges of creating genealogical mysteries with dangerous consequences for the present and more!   DNA GEM: INTEGRATING GENETICS AND GENEALOGY TOOLS Our very own Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide, joins us now. She talks about how the ideal genetic genealogy interface creates a seamless transition between genetics technology and genealogy research. AncestryDNA, she says, is really pioneering the integration with its newest product update. Read more about it PROFILE AMERICA Here's a this-month-in-history from . Ninety-one years ago this June, "Congress passed — and President Coolidge signed — the Indian Citizenship Act, which stated 'all noncitizen Indians born within the territorial limits of the United States be, and they are hereby declared to be, citizens of the United States: Provided that the granting of such citizenship shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of any Indian to tribal or other property.' "Prior to this act, about two-thirds of American Indians were already citizens by other provisions. Universal voting rights lagged until 1957, as various state laws were amended. Today, there are over 2 million single-race American Indians possessing this full citizenship and 566 federally recognized tribes." Wow, I had no idea there were so many federally recognized tribes! I close today with a story Contributing Editor Sunny Morton recently read about long-lost relatives who were reunited. We hear lots of stories like that now, relatives who rediscover each other online or through DNA tests. But this story happened in 1926! Sunny found the story in a newspaper article. The children of a man named Alonso Jones were sitting around one day listening to the radio. Then they heard the announcer say, "Alonso Jones, wherever you are, listen...Your sister wants to see you at Worthington, Ohio. She has not seen or heard from you in forty years. You were born at Antiquity, Meigs County, Ohio, at the time of the Civil War...." "You were reared by Captain William Roberts, an Ohio River flat boat man. You went with him on a produce boat when you were a boy and ran away while the boat was lying at the bank in Arkansas." The article reports that the man telegraphed his sister and arranged to meet her. All because she'd had a dream that the radio could help her find her brother, and she tried it, and it worked. What an inspiration! It reminds me of the value of thinking outside the box, of using all available technologies, and of never giving up when we are looking for family. Forty years after she lost her brother, she still thought of him, and she finally figured out how to find him.  Click below to visit our YouTube channel:

Have you ever felt like you got the short end of the genealogy stick when it comes to family heirlooms? Maybe you haven’t inherited much in the way of family photos or memorabilia, or maybe you feel like you’ve tapped out all the potential goodies that are out there to find. In this episode I’ll share an email I got from Helen, because she reminds us that you should never say never.  I’ve also got another amazing story about an adoption reunion. And we’ll also check in with our Genealogy Gems Book Club Guru Sunny Morton about this quarter’s featured book, The Lost Ancestor by Nathan Dylan Goodwin. And of course all kinds of other genealogy news and tips for you.  We’re going to take all that genealogy and technology noise out there and distill it down into the best of the best, the genealogy gems that you can use. I’m just back from several weeks on the road. Since we last got together in episode 178 I’ve been to Cape Cod to talk to the Cape Cod Genealogical Society about Time Travel with Google Earth, and all you Genealogy Gems Premium Members have that video class and handout available to you as part of your Premium membership – and if you’re not a member click Premium in the main menu at genealogygems.com to learn more about that.  And then Bill and I headed to Providence, RI where I was the keynote at the NERGC conference. That was my first time ever to New England so it was a real treat. And we teamed up once again with the Photo Detective and Family Chartmasters and held our free Outside the Box mini genealogy sessions in our booth which were very popular. Then I had a 2 day turnaround and Lacey and I were off to Anchorage Alaska to put on an all-day seminar at the Anchorage Genealogical Society.   Another great group of genealogists! And Lacey and I added an extra couple of days to explore, and explore we did. We booked a half day ATV tour to explore the National forest outside Anchorage. Now this was before the start of tourist season, so there we are, to gals driving out of town, onto a dirt road and waiting at the meeting spot in the middle of nowhere where we met Bob the Guide. He looked like he was straight out of Duck Dynasty! He showed us how to drive the ATVs, assured us that the bears weren’t quite out yet, and then packing his side arm pistol lead us out into the wilderness for 4 ½ hours of amazing scenery. It was like we had the entire forest to ourselves. This guide would pull over every once and while, whip out a telescopic lens on a tripod and in seconds would zero in on something way over on the mountain across the valley, and he’d say “look in there. See that clump of snow with legs, that’s a Mountain Goat, or that’s a Dall Sheep.” It was incredible. We saw moose, and muskrat, the biggest rabbit’s I’ve ever seen in my entire life, which Bob the Guide called bunnies, and he was right, the only thing we never saw was bear. But that was just fine with me and Lacey! So after our mountain safari we flew home and I gave an all-day seminar in my own backyard in Denton, TX, and then Bill and I jumped in the suburban and drove to St. Charles Missouri where I spoke at the National Genealogical Society Conference. St. Charles is just on the other side of the river from St. Louis, and we were pleasantly surprised to find the a quaint little main street. Diahan Southard Your DNA Guide here at Genealogy Gems was with us and Diahan and I drug poor Bill in and out of every “foo foo potpourri” shop they had when we weren’t busy meeting so many of you at the booth or in class. It was a 4 day conference, which is A LOT of genealogy, but we had a blast and again teamed up with Family Chartmasters, The Photo Detective and Family Tree Magazine for an Outside the Box extravaganza of free sessions in the booth. And this time Diahan Southard joined in with sessions on Genetic Genealogy. And all this reminds me of an email I received recently from Shelly. She writes: “I am a new listener and new premium member of Genealogy Gems.  Thanks for getting me motivated to organize my research and get back into learning my family history. I had never thought about attending a genealogy conference before but listening to your podcasts has gotten me interested in going.  There is a conference coming up in less than two weeks only 1 1/2 hours from me in St. Charles, Mo. I can't afford to attend the actual conference, but would it be worth it to just go to the free exhibit space? I listened to one of your podcasts that mentioned you and a few others give free mini classes. Please let me know what you think. Thanks, Shelly” I told Shelly that I thought it would absolutely be worth it. In fact, that is one of our goals with our free Outside the Box sessions in our booth - to give everyone a free opportunity to experience a genealogy conference. The hall is very large, there will be loads of exhibitors, and you not only attend any and all of our sessions, but at most larger conferences you’ll usually also find companies like Ancestry, MyHeritage and FamilySearch holding sessions at their booths. Well Shelly took my advice and she wrote back. She says: “Thanks for your encouragement to attend the NGS exhibitor area!  I was able to attend on Friday and enjoyed looking at all the booths and talking to some of the exhibitors.  I was also able to attend a few Outside the Box sessions also, although yours were too crowded to see or hear very well!  Thanks so much for doing this.  While waiting for a free session to start in another area, I overheard two men talking about DNA for genealogical purposes and privacy.  My ears perked up as they discussed an instance where a DNA sample sent to Ancestry.com was used to help solve a crime committed by a relative of the DNA tester.  I don't have enough information to form any opinions on that case, but the question of privacy came up when I was asked my mother to take a DNA test for me.  The first thing she said was that it sounded interesting but she was worried whether the government or the police could get ahold of the information.  I encouraged her to read the privacy information on the site and to let me know, but I told her I didn't see how anyone could get the information.  Her curiosity got the better of her, as I knew it would, and she agreed to the testing and I am awaiting the results.  The funny thing is that my mother does have a criminal history and has served over ten years in prison (I was raised by my father from age 5).  Hopefully there aren't any serious unsolved crimes my mom has been involved in!  She is 64 now so hopefully the statute of limitations has passed for most crimes.  I will let you know if the FBI come knocking on my door :)” I want to say thank you to all of you listening who stopped by the booth and welcome to all our new listeners who got to know us at these recent conferences and seminars, we are very glad you are here! Recent Family Tree Magazine Evernote Webinar: In the last year I've moved from Earthquake central (California) to Tornado Alley (Texas) and it's been a bit of an adjustment to say the least. 2 weeks ago while I was presenting a webinar on using Evernote for genealogy for Family Tree Magazine when my husband silently placed a note in front of me. It said that we were under tornado watch and if it got any worse he was hauling me off the computer and into the storm shelter! I hung in there, and thankfully it blew over and we finished the webinar. Genealogy wins again! (And yes, the video of the webinar is coming soon to Premium Membership.) Then last night we spent about an hour in our shelter room while our county got pummeled with torrential rain, non-stop lightening, and yes, even a few tornadoes touched down. Our devoted dogs Howie and Kota instinctively blocked the doorway to the shelter in an effort to keep us safe. They did a good job, and all is well! All this threat of danger and destruction has reinforced my decision to bring into our Genealogy Gems family a brand new sponsor. Backblaze is now the official back up of Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. If you've been to the RootsTech conference then you may already be familiar with them. Backblaze is a trusted online cloud backup service that truly makes backing up all your most precious computer files super easy.  The thought of losing my genealogy files is too much to bear. Now I can concentrate on keeping my loved ones safe through the storms of life because I know Backblaze is taking care of my files and photos! Many of you have asked me which company I use to back up my files. I've done my homework and Backblaze is my choice. I invite you to visit and get all your files backed up once and for all.   “Dear Lisa, Thanks for the latest email. I have been using Backblaze for a year now. I thankfully have not needed their complete services :-), but I love the feeling of being protected. Have a great weekend! It was so nice to meet you at Roostech in February. Thanks, Ellen” Tyler Moss, the dean of Family Tree University wrote me after a recent webinar I gave for them: “One woman typed an ellipsis (…) in to the chat box. I messaged her back and said “I’m sorry, did you mean to send a question? All I see are three periods.” And she said, “Oh no, I’m just in wonder at all the awesome things I can now do in Evernote!” The webinar we were doing was called “Enhance Your Genealogy with Evernote” and in that session which we recorded on to video as well I covered 10 terrific genealogy projects you can use Evernote for to improve your research, organization and productivity.  My motto these days is, save time by being more efficient so you have more time to spend with your ancestors, and that’s what this training session was all about. And the good news for all of you who are Genealogy Gems Premium Members is that the video and downloadable handout are coming very soon to the Premium Videos section of genealogygems.com. Look for the announcement of its release in our weekly free newsletter. You can sign up for the free Genealogy Gems weekly e-newsletter on our homepage. GEM: Evernote Library Project Create an Evernote Genealogy Book Library: Create a new notebook called “Library” With your smart phone or tablet, snap photos of the cover of each of your genealogical books Send the photos to the Library notebook in Evernote (on your mobile device tap the share icon and tap Evernote. You will need to have authorized the Evernote app.) Another option is to email them to your unique Evernote email address which will also place them in Evernote. Evernote will apply Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to each image making them keyword searchable. To see if you already have a book, tap the notebook and then search an applicable keyword. Inspiration and motivation from Helen: A recent email from listener Helen reminds us to search our basements and attics for unique and amazing family history finds. There’s no substitute for being able to tell family members’ stories through their own words and photographs. “I just had to tell you about my recent find. My late father-in-law served in the Canadian Navy for 39 years, entering Naval College when he was only 14. Most of my knowledge about his life came from talking with him before he died. Of course, then I did not know the questions to ask. “About a month ago, I was preparing for a lecture on his life for a local World War 1 Seminar. I starting looking around in our basement as I knew we had some material from when we cleared out his house when he died, but I had no idea of just what exciting material I would find. “I found his personal diaries, with the earliest from 1916! The journals give an amazing first-person record of naval service from a person who devoted his life to the service of his country. I was able to weave his actual words into the somewhat dry official record of his long time service [ending with] his being presented with a Commander of the British Empire medal shortly before his retirement. “I am so grateful that the family saved these invaluable documents through the myriad of moves that a naval officer’s career entails. In a different box, I found his photographs from the same era—some even earlier than the journals. I am now seriously considering publishing the journals along with the photographs, as they deserved to be shared.” Genealogy Gems Premium members can to access Premium podcast episode 116 to hear a discussion between two authors of books on life-story writing, and to access a Premium podcast AND video on how to make a family history video Her Birth Mom Was Her Co-Worker! Birth Family Reunion A woman recently went searching for her birth mom after receiving a copy of her adoption records (these  in her home state of Ohio). She didn’t have to search very far: just in a different department at her workplace. “When [La-Sonya] Mitchell-Clark first received her birth records in the mail on Monday and saw the name Francine Simmons, she immediately plugged it into Facebook,” reports the story on . It didn’t take long for her to recognize her mother as a woman who worked at the same business she did. “Following a tearful reunion, the two…discovered that they live just six minutes away from one another,” reports the article. La-Sonya also learned that she has three birth sisters, one of whom also works at the same company. Wow! Company picnics and water cooler chats must suddenly seem a lot more meaningful after this birth family reunion. Learn to use your own DNA to search for genetic relatives (whether you’re adopted or not!) in our with CeCe Moore, a leading expert who appears regularly on television shows to talk about finding family with DNA.     Genealogy Gems Book Club Our featured book for the 2nd quarter of 2015 is Sunny's Book Recommendations: by Nathan Dylan Goodwin by Nathan Dylan Goodwin by Stephen Molyneux by Yaron Reshef Jimmy Fox’s Nick Herald Genealogical Mystery series: , and Nathan Dylan Goodwin does have two other titles in the same series. I’ve read them both. Hiding the Past takes us into a genealogical mystery set in World War II and it’s a similar type of read as The Lost Ancestor. I enjoyed it. The Orange Lilies is a novella set at Christmastime. Here Morton puts his skills to work—and his emotions—to confront the story of his own origins and a family story from the Western Front in World War I a century ago. It’s a more personal story and Nathan I think is pushing into newer territory as a writer in dealing with more intimate emotion. But I like seeing Morton have these experiences. I also have a few more titles to recommend along these lines. It’s that “If you liked this book, we think you’ll also like…” The Marriage Certificate by Stephen Molyneux. This is a novel. I opened to the first page and the About the Author made me laugh: Stephen, amateur genealogist, lives in Hampshire and the South of France with two metal detectors and a long-suffering wife.” The book opens with a scenario many of us may be sympathetic with. A genealogy buff buys a marriage certificate he sees on display at an antiques gallery. He begins researching the couple with an idea of returning the certificate to them. Eventually he uncovers several secrets, one with some money attached to it, but others are also chasing this money. It may sound a bit far-fetched but it doesn’t unfold that way. I like the surprise twists that bring the story into the present day. I also liked living out a little fantasy of own through Peter, the main character: that of being that genealogical research hero who brings something valuable from the pasts to living relatives today. Another book I recently enjoyed is Out of the Shoebox: An Autobiographical Mystery by Yaron Reshef. This one’s a more serious, and I think a little more sophisticated, read. In this memoir (so a true story), Yaron gets a phone call about a piece of property his father purchased in Israel years ago. He and his sister can inherit it, but only if they can prove that man was their father. He goes on an international paper chase into the era of World War II, the Holocaust and the making of Israel. Then a forgotten bank account surfaces. There’s more, of course, in Yaron’s two-year quest to understand the tragedies of his family’s past and recover some of its treasures. There’s another series I’ve been made aware of but haven’t read yet. This is Jimmy Fox’s Nick Herald Genealogical Mystery series: Deadly Pedigree, Jackpot Blood and Lineage and Lies. The hero is an American genealogist who lives and works in New Orleans, of course one of the most colorful and historical parts of the U.S. I’ll put links to all of these on our Genealogy Gems Book Club webpage, which you can find at .  

Episode 178 Lisa Louise Cooke Niche record collections that might just be what you are looking for. Interview with genetic genealogist CeCe Moore about using DNA for genealogy research, adoption, and the Finding Your Roots TV show. Announcement of the Genealogy Gems Book Club book for the 2nd quarter of 2015. A listener shares an update on adoption records in Ohio.   NEWS: RECORDS CANADIAN MENNONITE PHOTO ARCHIVE: is now online with over 80,000 images of Mennonite life from across Canada and dating back to 1860s. says that the archive “is a project of the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada  and includes Mennonite archival partners in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario.” An online ordering system allows visitors to order image copies for noncommercial use. GEORGIA NEWSPAPERS: The Digital Library of Georgia  “The North Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive provides online access to six newspaper titles published in three north Georgia cities (Dalton, Gainesville, and Rome) from 1850 to 1922. Consisting of over 33,000 newspaper pages, the archive provides historical images that are both full-text searchable and can be browsed by date. The site is compatible with all current browsers and the newspaper page images can be viewed without the use of plug-ins or additional software downloads. The archive includes the following north Georgia newspaper titles: Gainesville News (1902-1922), Georgia Cracker (Gainesville) (1894-1902), North Georgia Citizen (Dalton) (1868-1921), Rome Courier (1850-1855), Rome Tri-Weekly Courier (1860-1880), Rome Weekly Courier (1860-1878). The Digital Library of Georgia will add additional titles from the region over time. OHIO GENEALOGY INDEX. The Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, OH has created an online to some of its most valuable and unique genealogical records, including original funeral home and Bible records. Also in the index are Jewish marriages and death notices, an index of names in a significant African-American manuscript collection, a 1907 Cleveland voter registration index, a photo database of Cleveland military personnel from WWII and the Korean War and a biographical sketch name index. Currently, there are about 320,000 records in the index; more are being added on an ongoing basis. The Society primarily archives records relating to Cleveland and northeast Ohio. Soon to be added are indexes to the 1870 mortality census for Ashtabula, Ohio and indexes to several church records collections. WWII CADET NURSING CORPS (US): The , new on Fold3, contain membership cards of women who joined. According to Fold3, the cards “are organized by state, nursing school, and cadet name. Some cards include the date of admission to the school, date of admission to the corps, and date of graduation (or date of other reason for termination from the school). Others contain details like the woman’s marital status, father’s/husband’s name and profession, years of college completed, place of residence, and how they heard about the corps. Still others also record the woman’s age in addition to the previously mentioned information.” MICHIGAN DEATHS. Images of Michigan death certificates from 1921-1939 are now available for free at . “The index for records from 1940-1952 will be made available in the next few weeks, with additional certificate images to be released each year as privacy restrictions are lifted (1940 images will be released in January 2016),” says a press release. NEW ZEALAND ORAL HISTORIES. A new  is now available. “The aim of this website is to capture this rich history and create a resource that nurses, students, academics and family members can access in order to gain a better understanding of nursing history in New Zealand,” says the site’s home page. The site contains a “large collection of oral histories including abstracts, recordings, photos and other information. These histories have been collected from nurses who trained during the 1950s and 1960s and capture both the everyday elements of nursing practice along with some of the more unusual. Here you are able to listen to stories, read brief abstracts, and view photos of the nurses.” Got a story to tell? They are accepting new interviews. There’s also a section on hospitals and one on nursing uniforms. WWI WOMEN. FindMyPast has posted over 9,500 UK records that illustrate the various roles played by woman during the Frist World War. These include: §  . It’s a relatively small collection but rich in material on each woman. §   (ADM 318) details the service history of women who served as officers in the Women’s Royal Naval Service during the First World War. §    contains the details of nearly 7,000 enlisted women who served as Wrens during the First World War. §   is an index of 31,090 Women’s Royal Air Force service records held by The National Archives.                 MAILBOX: Adoption: Recently Genealogy Gems Premium member Katharine wrote in this with newsworthy gem: “Recent adoption records are being released in Ohio. Such an exciting time for those adoptees yearning to connect with their bloodlines! Before the bill took effect, they allowed birth mothers to redact their names. Out of 400,000 only around 110 took them up on that.  There’s also a preference form with the birth records where the mother can request not to be contacted. I wonder how often that might not be respected.  It’s such an interesting situation for someone to be in.” Thanks for the news, Katharine. She sent us this link to a local news story that covers the story. Want to learn more about accessing adoption records in any state? Check out the  at the FamilySearch wiki for a terrific overview and helpful links. Also, try running a Google search for the name of the state and  the keywords adoption and genealogy. You’ll find lots of great resources, like  on adoption records at the Pennsylvania state library or  from the State Historical Society of Missouri. The right Google search can shorten your search for the records you want! This tip brought to you by the newly-published, fully-revised and updated 2nd edition of by Lisa Louise Cooke.                 GEM: CeCe Moore on DNA CeCe writes the popular award-winning blog “Your Genetic Genealogist” and is a well-known speaker. Currently she is working as the genetic genealogy consultant for two PBS television shows “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.” and “Genealogy Roadshow”. She serves as the lead “Ancestry Advisor” to 23andMe and is the Co-Director of the Global Adoptee Genealogy Project. She is frequently consulted by and quoted in the press in regard to the emerging personal genomics industry.   GEM: Genealogy Gems Book Club We got excellent response from readers and listeners about Orphan Train, our first quarter book. Book Club member and listener Karen  said, “I just finished "Orphan Train" and thought it was very good. It's hard to believe that children were treated like that. I've often thought while doing my own genealogy research that it's amazing any of us are here at all given the difficult lives many of our ancestors lived.” But now it’s time to talk about our next Genealogy Gems Book Club selection. Our next book is , the most recent book in a mystery series by British author .     In , we meet the hero of the series, Morton Farrier. He’s a forensic genealogist whose cases are usually quite tame, but occasionally he takes on a job that leads him into dark and dangerous corners of the past and the present. He reminds me a bit of that famous fictional British detective, Sid Halley in Dick Francis’ books, because Morton takes at least a punch or a bullet and threats to his personal life in just about every episode. Fortunately his girlfriend is a police officer in training, so she doesn’t mind these occupational hazards so much. Morton is hired to find out what happened to his client’s great-aunt Mary, who disappeared without a trace a century ago. A tame enough premise, but then we get to the historical setting of her life story: a grand English estate where she’s a maid who’s thinking above her status. This is a drama that will speak to Downtown Abbey lovers for sure. With her proximity to a grand family comes proximity to money and power, which have a definite effect on how Mary’s story unfolds. We follow Morton to his favorite research haunts—where he scuffles with his nemesis, a grumpy librarian and envy his budget, which allows him to order vital records at will by express mail. Maybe we don’t envy the lumps and risks he takes, but they’re fun to read. The Lost Ancestor has a different feel than our previous two books, best-sellers that were a little more literary. I hope you will find it a welcome change of pace. This is a genealogy-specific find and a great choice for both men and women. It’s an excellent pick for holidays, weekend relaxing, or curling up indoors or outdoors, whatever the weather permits in your corner of the world. My hammock just went up, and it’s still hanging there empty and hopeful for it to warm up just a little more.   CLOSING Visit the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel             Please SUBSCRIBE while you’re there. Check out our new video son Evernote and DNA.    

This episode features our interview with Christina Baker Kline, the author of our Genealogy Gems Book Club featured book Orphan Train. The book spent five weeks at the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestselling list as well as time at the top of The Bestsellers List in Canada, and by now after reading the book you know why. Christina will share how the book came in to being. And why she first hesitated to write it. And how, although this is a novel, in fact the details of Vivian’s story are true thanks to her extensive research. And Christina sheds light on the effect that being an orphan had on the children of yesterday and the children of today. NEWSAnd I want to kick off this episode with something new here at Genealogy Gems. You know, a lot of announcements and press releases about new record groups constantly cross our desks – some large and some for niche. Well we are now going to round these up for you in a blog post at genealogygems.com every Friday. Watch for the genealogy records that your ancestors might appear in–but also watch for the kinds of records that may be out there for your kin, which might help you break down your family history “brick walls.” PRISON RECORDS. Kingston, Canada, Penitentiary Inmate Ledgers, 1913-1916, . According to “The ledger includes frontal and profile mug shots, the inmate’s name, alias, age, place of birth, height, weight, complexion, eye colour, hair colour, distinctive physical marks, occupation, sentence, date of sentence, place of sentence, crime committed, and remarks of authorities.” And speaking of FlickrIf you’re interested in historical photos, there has never been a better time to try the Flickr Creative Commons. Flickr is a popular photo-sharing site that’s keeping up well with the times: its new app was on the “Best of 2014″ App Store list for iPad apps. It’s a great platform for sharing your favorite photos with family and friends. But wait, there’s more! An important part of the Flickr world is Flickr Creative Commons, which describes itself as part of a “worldwide movement for sharing historical and out-of-copyright images.” Groups and individuals alike upload old images, tag and source them, and make them available to others. Like what kinds of groups? Well, there’s the photostream, with over a million images in its photostream! And how about the (U.S.) , with over 23,000 photos? Look for your favorite libraries and historical societies–and check back often. New additions post frequently. For example, as of December 2014, The Netherlands Institute of Military History now has a photostream. According to a blog announcement, “The Institute exists to serve all those with an interest in the military past of the Netherlands. Its sphere of activities covers the Dutch armed forces on land, at sea and in the air, from the sixteenth century until now. The staff of the NIMH administer a unique military history collection containing approximately 2 million images, of which they will be uploading many to the site.” At this posting, only a couple dozen images show up so far, like the one shown here. Check back–or check with the Institute to see what they’ll be posting soon–for more images. Here’s a tip: Those who post images to Flickr Creative Commons offer different rights to those who want to download and use their images. (and searchable here by the kinds of rights you want), those rights may include the ability to use a photo as long as it’s for noncommercial purposes and proper credit is given. Perfect for a responsible, source-citing genealogist! CEMETERY HEADSTONES. The is now also searchable at FamilySearch.org. The original site with over a million headstone photos isn’t new. But some people don’t know about the site, and its search interface isn’t as pretty or flexible. So we think it’s nice that FamilySearch is hosting that data, too. According to FamilySearch, the collection is still growing. “This collection will include records from 1790-2013. The records include a name index of headstone inscriptions, courtesy of , which is a family history database of records and images from Canada’s cemeteries.” HISTORICAL PROPERTIES MAP INTERFACE. The state of Delaware in the United States has launched an updated version of its . Use this interface to explore houses, districts and National Historic Landmarks in your ancestor’s Delaware neighborhoods. Maybe a place they lived, worked, shopped, worshiped or attended is still standing! Not sure how to find record sets like these for YOUR family history? Here’s a tip! Use the “numrange” search operator in Google to locate records from a particular time period. Do this by typing the range of years to search (first and last year) into your Google search box, with two periods in between (no spaces). For example, the search “Kingston Penitentiary” 1900..1920 brings up the ledgers mentioned above. This tip comes to you courtesy of the book by Lisa Louise Cooke–the fully-revised 2015 edition that’s packed with strategies that will dramatically improve your ability to find your family history online.   MAILBOX From Cassandra: "I stumbled on your podcast a few months back and enjoy listening to it when occasion permits. Today, I listened to episode 22, where you spoke about turning your video iPod into a Family History Tool. Although technology has come a long way since 2007, the topic of this podcast reminded me of how fortunate I am in having an iPad mini. I appreciate that you emphasized the value of mobile devices in aiding the genealogist in various tasks. Your podcast brought to mind an experience I had last summer where my tablet became my genealogy tool. I went to visit my great aunt living just 30 minutes north of me and talked for an hour about her parents, siblings, and grandparents. (All of which were recorded.) The next visit I made was two weeks later with my parents accompanying me. We arranged for my aunt and her younger sister to be there. Bringing stories and photos, we had a marvelous evening! Besides recording animated conversation and anecdotes, I was able to use my tablet to "scan" pictures. With their permission, I have since edited and shared photos online along with their stories. As circumstances would have it, one of my aunts suffered a stroke only a month later. This has been a great sorrow for my family, but in thinking back I am so grateful I had the time to visit with her; what an opportunity to have preserved those precious conversations and photographs! Thanks for your podcast and for the valuable tips and stories.  P.S.  in my blog along with the value of using tablets in family history work in July last year. There is a picture of me and my Aunt Connie with my impressions of the first visit"     From Terri:  "I am so glad I found you and all the fun things you have to offer to all of us working on our Family History.  I was listening to a webinar with Gena Philibert-Ortega and she mentioned your Genealogy Gems Podcast and how useful it was.  So I went on immediately and downloaded it on my iPhone.  It has been so much fun and I have already gleaned so many helpful hints from it.  Recently, on my drive from San Antonio to Houston and back, I listened to many the ones in your archives.  Well, the Podcast led me to your website where I decided to become a premium member and have already taken advantage of many of the videos and podcasts.  I then signed up for the newsletter.   I have installed Google Earth on my computer and have already begun plotting my Family History.  It is so much fun!  With your great video on using old pictures to help find places you lived, I have been able to find the home we lived in right after I was born, 57 years ago.  It still stands, and except for a few minor renovations and a paint change, looks very much the same.  I have attached the old pics and the one from Google Earth.  It was a very exciting moment!  (I am the little one crawling around on the right of the picture) My father is 79 and he has been the one, for many years, encouraging me to delve into the family tree.  We have some interesting story lines out there that have been fun to look into.  One of the things I found was an American Revolutionary Ancestor, in my father’s line, which led me to apply for the Daughters of the American Revolution and my app was accepted in December.  I was inducted this last weekend and my dad was there to see it.  That was a very special moment.   After watching your videos on YouTube, I have started a blog, "Unearthing My Family Roots”.  It is in it’s infancy but I am enjoying it and hope to start incorporating family history and genealogy into it after the “Cruise Log” is complete.  You can find the blog .   As you can see, I am taking full advantage of my membership, so you can imagine my disappointment when I found out that you are coming to my local genealogical society meeting (Genealogical Society of Kendall County) in March and I can’t be there.  We are expecting our second granddaughter around that time in Missouri and I am going up to help. :)  I know you will be wonderful and everyone will go home with lots of takeaways.  Thank you for all you do and I look forward to all your future GEMS!" From Lisa: Thanks for writing and I'm thrilled to hear you have become a Genealogy Gems Premium Members and that you are enjoying it! And I'm particularly happy to hear that you are putting Google Earth to good use. Congratulations on your new blog. You are a talented writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed your series on the day you found the family bible and shared it on Google+. It is so similar to my own introduction to the family history obsession! I'm sorry to hear I won't get an opportunity to meet you at the upcoming seminar. I'm really looking forward to Kendall County because all of my dealings with the folks there so far have been delightful. Recently I heard from Sue, whose story offers a compelling reason to use Google Scholar for genealogy research! Read it below–then I’ll tell you a little more about Google Scholar: “I’ve been using computers for genealogy research (among other things) for about 30 years and am pretty good at finding most anything on the internet whether it pertains to genealogy or something else. It’s a continuous learning experience because computer, the internet and genealogy on the internet are always changing and updating. After hearing your seminars at RootsTech 2015], I tried out a couple of Google searches for my husband’s 3rd great-grandfather Silas Fletcher. Silas lived on Indian Key in the Florida Keys in the early 1820s. My husband and I and our son visited Indian Key several years ago and the young lady who took us out in the boat had actually written her college thesis on Silas! Of course, we didn’t think to get her name or any other information. So I Googled “scholar paper Silas Fletcher’ and the first item on the search turned out to be her thesis! I also found a second thesis on Indian Key and a research paper a third person had written–and they both contained information on Silas. In the footnotes I found references to deed books (book number and page number) that contained statements written by Silas, his wife Avis, their daughter Abigail and Mike’s 2nd great grandfather William H. Fletcher about their lives and movements in the Florida Keys. With that information I went to Familysearch.org and found the deed books I needed for Monroe County. I was able to go find their statements very easily instead of having to ‘browse’ through the books on the off-chance I would find something (which I do if I don’t know the exact book where the record would be). I can hardly wait to try out the rest of what I learned at your seminars to see what else I can find!” Sue’s experience is a great example of using Google to dig for your family history. One little-known feature on Google is , which would help Sue and anyone else more easily find material like what she describes: doctoral dissertations, theses, academic papers and more. Your keyword searches in Google Scholar will target results from academic publishers, universities, professional societies and more. Though scholarly literature gets a bad rap sometimes for being boring or highbrow, they do something genealogists love: THEY CITE SOURCES. Sue cleverly read the footnotes of the materials she found and they led her right to a key source she needed. Here’s another resource she could find using the details found on Google Scholar in a Google Image search: a map of his community! My newly-updated, revised book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox has an all-new chapter on using Google Scholar. Among other things, I show you advanced search strategies and how to use Google Alerts with Google Scholar for continuous updates on your favorite search results.          GEM: Interview with Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan TrainOur Featured Book – 1st Quarter 2015  by Christina Baker Kline spent five weeks at the #1 spot  on the New York Times Bestselling list and is now on top of The Bestsellers List in Canada. When you read it you’ll see why. Here’s the storyline: Vivian is an Irish immigrant child who loses her family in New York City and is forced to ride the ‘orphan train.’ Orphan trains were a common solution in the late 1800s and early 1900s for care of abandoned or orphaned children in New York City and other places. The children were loaded onto trains and paraded in front of locals at various stops across the countryside, where they might be claimed by just about anyone. After following Vivian’s life through her childhood and young adulthood, we fast-forward. Vivian is 91, and a teenage girl named Molly comes to help her clean out her attic. Molly is a Penobscot Indian who is in the modern foster care system. Gradually they realize they have a lot in common, and you’ll love the ways they each respond to that. To me, the book is about the importance of family identity. Each of us has a family storyline that existed before we were born and brought us into being. Vivian’s and Molly’s experiences remind me how important it is to know and value our family backgrounds. Of course I loved learning more about orphan train riders, too. That chapter of history is now a vivid reality to me. . Tune in to upcoming episodes of the as we talk about Orphan Train and interview Christina Baker Kline!   Northwest Genealogy ConferenceAugust is a beautiful time in the Pacific Northwest, and I’ll be heading to Washington state for the upcoming  Northwest Genealogy Conference in Arlington WA, just one hour north of Seattle  August 13, 14, and 15, 2015.    The Northwest Genealogy Conference will feature 3 full days of classes from speakers like Cece Moore and Judy Russell, and I will be there as well teaching 3 classes on Evernote and mobile technology. And there will be an exciting exhibit hall where you can see genealogy products and services up close. If you’re new to genealogy, they’ve got something just for you too! The is sponsoring free Beginning Genealogy Classes in conjunction with the that will be held on Wednesday 12 August from 1:00pm to 5:00pm at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center. Seating is limited, and pre-registration is required. Registration opens on April 1, 2015 Head to    Profile America: Deadly InfluenzaWednesday, March 11th. One of the most devastating public health crises in history hit the U.S. on this date 97 years ago — and experts are still studying it, hoping to head off a similar global pandemic. The first cases of what was called “Spanish flu” were reported among soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas. By October, the worst month, 195,000 Americans perished. By 1920, nearly one-in-four Americans had suffered from this strain of the flu, killing about 600,000. Worldwide, estimates put the death toll up at 50 million or more. Even less dramatic strains of flu can be deadly, necessitating medical research. There are some 112,000 medical scientists and 6,700 medical laboratories in the U.S. today. The output helps America’s 737,000 physicians and surgeons in maintaining our health. Profile America is in its 18th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau. Sources: NAICS 621511     

In this episode we are going to check in with our Genealogy Gems Book Club Guru Sunny Morton on our featured book , and some additional books you’ll want to add to your reading list that also provide insight in to how you can approach writing your own family’s history. And Your DNA Guide here at Genealogy Gems, Diahan Southard, will be here to tell you how to Social Network Your YDNA with Surname Projects But first I’ve got the RootsTech Run down for you. Last week I spoke at RootsTech 2015 which was really a two-fer conference of both RootsTech and the Federation of Genealogical Societies national conference. So needless to say it was bigger than ever. If you didn’t attend, why should you care? Because FamilySearch which is the organization behind RootsTech has really, and I mean really, upped the family history game if you will. Even though they are a non-profit, they are really leading the industry, and having a huge impact on the types of genealogy resources and services that are being developed, which directly affect your family history research. And “Family History” is the key phrase there. At a FamilySearch VIP event I attended the leadership made a point of saying there is a distinct difference between genealogy and family history. We may often use these terms interchangeably, but they made this point with purpose, to drive home the fact that they are concerned with more than just genealogy; the building of your tree and tracing of your lineage. They are extremely focused on “family history”, and from what I know about you, you are too. Family history is the holistic approach – the stories, the photos, the legacy you are creating through your research. It’s not that its critical which words you use, but I think they focused on the distinction to really help the community understand what their focus is. For example, the keynote speakers included Former first Lady Laura and Jenna Bush, (who by the way did a phenomenal job and were witty and thoroughly enjoyable),   as well as Donny Osmond, and American Idol star David Archelta. There were some negative comments about these choices floating around on social media before the conference, but for anyone who attended and saw the presentations it all made perfect sense. They all spoke, and sometimes sang, to the heart of family history. I know for all you listening, your heart is certainly in it. They offered incredible inspiration and I think everyone walked away rejuvenated and recommitted to their research. And research just isn’t the right word. They came away motivated to continue on the legacy of family history they are building. And really that is the job of the keynotes. To set the tone and inspire and motivate, because there were plenty of  indepth classes and a huge variety of topics to fulfill the educational component of why we attend conferences . Let me give you a run down on some of the stats: FamilySearch, which was formerly the Genealogical Society of Utah, celebrated its 120th birthday last fall. It now operates 300 cameras in 50 countries around the world collecting digital genealogical sources. They released two mobile apps in 2014, FamilySearch Tree, the mobile companion to Family Tree on the FamilySearch website, and The Family Search Memories app which helps you collect, preserve, and share your favorite family photos, stories and spoken words. They are launching a new indexing program which will be part of the FamilySearch website which can be used on most desktop computers, notebooks and tablets. And to give you an idea of the scope of FamilySearch Indexing , there are 321,000 volunteers who have indexed 160 million records in 2014 alone, bringing the total of records indexed to 1.26 billion. These are records being made available to all of us free on the familysearch.org website. In June of 2014 FamilySearch surpassed publication of 1 billion images. It took 7 years to get there and the billionth image was published in FamilySearch’s growing collection of Peruvian records. IF you consider that a single digital image can have several historic records on it, that means there are actually billions of record images on FamilySearch. FamilySearch projects that it will take just 3 to 5 years to publish the next billion images. And as for new record collections, in 2014 FamilySearch published 38 million obituaries, 10 new Freedmen’s Bureau field office collections, and new and updated collections all around the world. One of the coolest things they unveiled is their new Discovery Centers. This is something that they announced last year, and our contributing editor Sunny Morton got a chance to go through the one in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City while at the conference.  Here is a link to . The FamilySearch Discovery Center is focused on offering families simple and powerful in-person family history experiences. Each visitor gets a unique, personalized experience where they learn about themselves and where their family came from, and how they lived. They can even record a video about themselves or a family member.  You’re in luck if you live in the Seattle area because a center is expected to open there in June of 2015. The two centers will serve as a testing ground to fine tune the centers and then open more around the world.   (Image above: Amy, Sunny and Lisa at the Genealogy Gems booth) So while I was at the conference I presented three classes for FGS which included using Evernote for Genealogy which was a packed house, using criminal cold case strategies for your brick wall genealogical cases, and video marketing for genealogy societies. For RootsTech I taught Turn your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse and, and building a genealogy business which was for the Rootstech Innovator Summit.   (Image above: Lisa and Diahan filming a segment at RootsTech) And of course we had the Genealogy Gems booth in the massive expo hall where we teamed up with FamilyChartmasters, The Photo Detective and Family Tree Magazine to once again present  our Outside the Box booth sessions where folks could join us for ½ hour session on topics like Google Search, Evernote and a whole lot more.   NEW! Map for African-American Genealogy Resources after the Civil War The time period after the U.S. Civil War is a messy era for searching for African-American ancestors from the South. Millions of people were emerging from slavery, without documented histories of who they were or who they were related to–many without even consistent first and last names. A new website helps researchers locate important African-American genealogy resources from the post-war Reconstruction era.  is a map-based tool for helping you find the Freedmen’s Bureau offices and hospitals, Freedman’s Bank offices, “Contraband Camps,” U.S. Colored Troops battle sites and other locations nearest your ancestors that may have created records about them. Many of these record sets are just coming online or are newly indexed and are free to search, so the timing couldn’t be better. What it is a fantastic tool! I’m so pleased to see this site. Now those who know what location they’re starting with can easily glance at a map and click to see which of these resources exist in a specific locale and where to find them online or offline. Listen to my interview with African-American genealogy research expert Deborah Abbott, PhD, in the FREE   Danish GenealogyMyHeritage has announced a new arrangement with the Danish National Archive to digitize, index and make available online millions of Danish genealogy records. According to MyHeritage, these include: “Danish national censuses, including approximately 9 million images and 31 million records, covering the years of 1787 through to 1930.  One of the most enlightening sources of historical content, census records provide a glimpse into a family’s past listing information about each household including the names of occupants, information on residence, ages, places of birth and occupations. Church records (3.9 million images) containing approximately 90 million names from 1646 to 1915. The Parish Register provides information regarding anyone who was born, baptized or confirmed (after 1737), married or died in a particular parish. The records include rich information about a person’s family: for example, for baptisms they list the date of birth, date of baptism, name of the child, parent’s names, occupations and residence, and often names of witnesses and godparents.” According to MyHeritage, “The records, spanning almost 300 years, provide a window to the lives of Danish ancestors during fascinating periods in history including the Napoleonic wars, liberalism and nationalism of the 1800s, the Schleswig Wars and industrialization. “The records will illuminate the lives and times of noted Danish historical figures such as Kierkegaard and Niels Bohr. Celebrity fans will be able to look into the family history of Danish Americans such as Scarlett Johansson and Viggo Mortensen for clues on their success. Many of the records will be made available on MyHeritage as early as April 2015 and the rest will be added during the year. MyHeritage is a leader in family history for those with Nordic roots and is “the only major company providing services in Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish. With more than 430,000 users in Denmark and an additional 600,000 registered users in Sweden, 500,000 in Norway, and 280,000 in Finland, MyHeritage has amassed the largest Nordic user base and family tree database in the market.” Just one more reason we at Genealogy Gems are pleased to have MyHeritage as a    MAILBOX From Judy: "After reading your message about "getting materials back home", I thought I'd share something I've begun. Because of working on family genealogy, I have become the recipient of several family items. We have no children, just a niece and nephew who do not live nearby. So...To make sorting things easier for family at the end, I've begun a photo album with pictures of family heirlooms with a message included that tells whose item it was or who made it and/or a story about why it has been special. I'm in hopes that at least they can try to find and save these items instead of trying to guess or having to take the time to go through all of the family binders where most are also recorded."   From Sharon in California About Nov. 13 newsletter: "Lisa, in today’s email you talked about walking through your front door and seeing things differently.  Since you are a big fan of Google and Google Maps, I wanted to tell you about a speaker that we had at our San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society meeting one time who talked about using maps in genealogy.  And he said the first map we should use is the map of our house.  I thought that was a little Silly, until I thought about the first house I remember, when I was 3 or 4 years old (and I’m now 74).  As I walked up those stairs to our apartment, I remembered so many things about that house.  As I “mapped” the layout of the house, each room brought back Memories.  Memories of my bedroom where when I had measles and my Dad brought me little Scotty dog magnets and we played with them on my bed.  In the kitchen, where my Mom taught me to eat vegetables that I didn’t like by piling on the butter.  The back porch where the ice Man delivered blocks of ice.  And many, many more.  Each house, and it’s map brought back individual memories.  Maybe this isn’t genealogy, but it is family history, or maybe only MY history, but it was fun going through all those memories."   From Deanna: "I was very touched by the story of your husband's relative whose mother took her own life due to what sounds like depression.  I have a loved one who has anxiety and depression, and I am so thankful we live in a time where education, resources and medical options are available to assist those who are struggling. I am also thankful for your podcast, Genealogy Gems, which was a great source of encouragement to me during a difficult season of being the caregiver of my struggling loved one. The research tips inspired me to keep looking for those elusive ancestors, and the many stories reminded me that most life journeys have difficulties.  Most importantly, however, I was reminded that we humans are quite resilient.  Thankfully, my loved one is doing much better now, yet I still look forward to each and every Genealogy Gems podcast.  In addition, I am planning on attending the upcoming seminar in Vero Beach, FL, which is being hosted by the Indian River Genealogical Society.  Although it's a bit of a drive for me, I couldn't miss seeing you in person!  Thank you for all you do, and may God bless the life journeys of you and your family!"     GEM: Genealogy Gems Book Clubwith Sunny Morton Our current featured book,  by Christina Baker Kline, is getting some nice thumbs-ups from Genealogy Gems readers. Just to catch you up, this is the story of two women. It starts with Vivian, an Irish immigrant child who loses her family in New York City and is forced to ride the ‘orphan train.’ She’s placed with several different families across the Midwest, with different results, but it’s the same premise at every home: her life starts over fresh there, with new rules and expectations and little or no recognition of her past or personality. After following Vivian’s life through her childhood and young adulthood, we fast-forward. Vivian is 91, and a teenage girl named Molly comes to help her clean out her attic. Molly is a Penobscot Indian who is in the modern foster care system. On the show, I read a passage from when Vivian meets Molly. On first glance, they are so different: an old white lady with money and a Native American teenager without resources. Molly immediately judges Vivian. But Vivian’s response totally disarms her. And that’s when it starts to get fun. I hope you will have a chance to read Orphan Train before our interview with Christina Baker Kline next month! More Good Reads from the Genealogy Gems Book Club: Fabulous Family Histories I think a lot of people make genealogy goals at the new year: goals like writing up your research. I’ve noticed that one of things people often stumble over when they try to write family history is what style of writing to use. Do they want to write like a college professor, scholarly and objective? Or should their personal feelings and opinions be part of the story? Or, even more nontraditional, should they fictionalize their ancestors’ stories like a novel? My book recommendations this month are three published family histories—all fascinating reads—that happen to be examples of different kinds of writing. by Emily Bingham is perhaps the most engaging scholarly family history I’ve read. It’s based on thousands of letters and other documents that make me just go green with envy—like, how did she FIND that document??? There are more than 50 pages of endnotes. I don’t think the author is related to the Mordecais. My sense is that she’s a historian who came upon a gold mine of a family, in terms of documentation, personality and themes she saw emerge down the generations of this family. I do like to read well-written scholarly history, especially about families and religion. I am fascinated by how religious beliefs make people tick, and their effects on family and community life, especially for a family like the Mordecais who belonged to a marginalized faith at that time in U.S. history. On the show I read the opening paragraph of the introduction, to give you a sense of her voice. Many of you may have read  by Ian Frazier, which came out several years ago and was popular among genealogists. Ian also wrote the best-selling books  He’s an expert observer, insightful, compassionate, funny and honest. So it’s no surprise he also uses a first person voice, or the use of “I” when writing about his explorations into family history. On the show I read a passage from page 9 where he is writing about his ancestor’s hometown of Norwalk, Ohio, and we compare how different his voice is, but how effectively he wraps together his own experience with his research.  by Patsy Trench is a first-person narrative about her Australian ancestors, who were among the first European settlers in that fascinating country. Patsy actually quit her job and traveled from London to Australia several times to research the story of her fourth great-grandmother and other relatives. She describes the book she wrote as “a hybrid: part family history, part memoir, part novel. The skeleton of the story…is as true as I could make it…. But I have put flesh on the bones, invented personalities for real people, circumstances behind the facts, all in the cause of turning my family saga into what I hope is an entertaining read. The dramatised scenes are from my imagination but the outcome of them is fact.” (Introduction, page 5) She cares a lot about her research, so she tries to make it clear in the text what’s based on evidence and what’s speculation, and she includes a detailed appendix that spells out where she took liberties. On the show I read a passage from page 86 about something her ancestor may or may not have done upon her arrival in the colony. You can hear the author’s playfulness as she openly decides to buy into an unsubstantiated account for the purposes of good storytelling. Then she tells a good story, and we have a sense of the setting, other characters, social life and current events in her ancestor’s new life in Australia (whether or not that specific incident actually unfolded as it did).  All in all, these three books—great reads in and of themselves—are also great examples of the different kinds of storytelling methods and voices we might choose to adopt when we write about our ancestors’ lives. Happy reading from the Genealogy Gems Book Club!   GEM: Your DNA Guide at Genealogy Gems, Diahan Southard Family history organizations and studies based on individual surnames have been around for years. They are now integrating YDNA research into their efforts. Use surname projects to enhance your paternal DNA research!   Surnames are the flagships of our genealogical research. We name our files after them and we tag our research with them. We wear our last names proudly on pins and necklaces and T-shirts.   But surnames can also be misleading. Illiteracy, language barriers, and just plain carelessness led to misspellings and alterations, not to mention those ancestors who blatantly changed their name to avoid detection.   The advent of has changed the way many genealogists view surnames and their role in their genealogy. Because a man’s YDNA is the same as the YDNA carried by each of the ancestors in his direct paternal line, the YDNA can act like a filter, clearly indicating which men with a particular surname, or variant, truly share a direct paternal line.   So how has YDNA testing affected family organizations that do surname research? I asked Debbie Kennett, a regular contributor to the International Society of Genetic Genealogy and who is also involved with the . The Guild of One Name Studies was established in 1979 to promote public understanding of one-name studies and preserve the information obtained by those studies.   “Virtually every common surname is now the subject of a DNA project,” says Debbie, including “just over 500 Guild members who are running a DNA project. That number has jumped up considerably just in the last couple of years.”   The quality of those projects varies. Debbie tells us that a quality YDNA project includes three elements: “presenting the DNA data, recruiting people from different countries and also correlating all of the genealogy information.”   Jean Morrison, a member of the Morrison surname project, says that because of DNA testing, “identifying where in Scotland this family originated prior to coming to America ca 1728 has become a realistic goal. The Morrison Q Group has identified through Y line testing at 111 markers, 22 individuals with an MRCA (most recent common ancestor) within eight generations.” In plain English, this means that a definite YDNA pattern has been associated with her Morrison surname and with a common ancestor eight generations back.   Noel and Ron Taylor were two early adopters of YDNA testing for their Taylor family project. Their first samples were submitted to the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation in 2000. The former president and currently the head of the board of trustees for the Taylor Family Society, Noel says that using DNA “caught the attention of many people in our organization….It renewed great interest in the hearts of many people who had been doing research for many years [who may have] lost interest and were somewhat discouraged.” The Taylors have made significant breakthroughs with their DNA testing. They have connected several Taylor lines back to a common ancestor, verified their paper trails, and even found a line of Hodges that were actually Taylors!   It appears that YDNA is becoming part of the research plan for most family societies. But Debbie tells us that there is still much room for improvement in her organization. “Not all Guild members are running [DNA] projects. We have something like 2,700 Guild members so we are still not at the stage where the majority of Guild members are running projects.”   Besides The Guild, other organizations have been created to assist genealogists with their surname research, including a new organization just launched in November. ’s goal is to “to build a collaborative environment where members are encouraged to develop their own approach to the investigation of their surname.” Kirsty Grey, chairman of the Surname Society, says that DNA testing has taken a front seat role in the research of one of their founders as well as several early members. “DNA is one of the many strands of family history research (and to a greater extent, surname studies) which can connect individuals, often where genealogical research cannot.”   That really is the bottom line. DNA, especially , can tell you things about the surnames in your pedigree that you can’t learn in any other way. If you haven’t yet, it’s time to jump on the YDNA bandwagon and see what your DNA has to tell you.   DNA for Genealogy Resources: Quick Reference Guides by Diahan Southard   (for the best deal): ; Get the NEW AncestryDNA and FamilyTreeDNA 2 guide bundle Digital Guid es:    to learn about expert consultations with me. You’ll get customized guidance on which tests to order and how to maximize your results for your genealogy research.   New! MyHeritage Digital Guide: (Click image above to order)   Pre-Order the 2nd edition of           Watch the newly

  I’m pretty excited  about this episode because it’s just jammed back with all kinds of fun stuff! (image right: my Grandson Joey excited about his new wagon!) First, Genealogy Gems Contributing Editor Sunny Morton will be here to announce our new Book Club read for this first quarter of 2015.  And it is fantastic! Even better, the nationally acclaimed author who wrote it will be joining us on a future episode to give us the back story. Then, since it is January that means that a lot of television shows are ramping back up, and one of those is the Genealogy Roadshow on PBS. And not only will it be back with new episodes, it will also feature a new addition to the panel of hosts. Professional genealogist Mary Tedesco is joining Genealogy Roadshow and she will join me a little later in this episode to talk about her experience on the show and also about her specialty which is Italian research, which I couldn’t be happier about since we haven’t had a chance to delve into Italian genealogy until now. Our Genealogy Gems DNA Guide will also be here. And I have a very special announcement for you at the end of the show.   MAILBOX: Read: Epitaphs from Genealogy Gems listeners on Facebook: From Cindy:"One of the most fascinating epitaphs I've ever seen is in Monticello, Florida. It reads, "Remember reader as you pass by, as you are now so once was I, as I am now so you shall be, prepare for death and come with me." The date of death was in the 1880s. The tombstone is made of metal instead of stone." From Jan: "Most memorable epitaph to date: In Memory of Elizabeth Palmer who should have been the wife of Simeon Palmer who died Aug 1776. This in the Old Commons Cemetery, Rhode Island." Jillian writes in about the story of Mary Ann Munns Cooke’s untimely death "What an amazing, heartbreaking - yet somewhat uplifting - story. I feel compelled to share a similar struggle on my family tree - it is a bit long (for all of the details, I would advise reading my blog at ), but the shorthand version involves my great-great grandmother being widowed by the Spanish Influenza, and her children being taken from her by a corrupt politician, who uses his connections to incarcerate her in an insane asylum to gain control of her late husband's property and mineral rights. She survived it, miraculously, and went on to live a happy life, even getting to see her great grandchildren being born. My grandmother told me that her father was forever changed by what his mother endured, but he was the most forgiving man she'd ever met. It reaffirms your statement that bad things may happen, but you don't have to let it determine your outlook, your path. Much love to you and your family for overcoming and living out a legacy that recognizes the struggle, and the acts involved in overcoming."   GEM: Book Club with Lisa and Sunny Morton Our last featured book, She Left Me the Gun, was a memoir by a woman raised in England who researched her South African past. This time, we fly across the pond to the new world, to a bestselling U.S. novel, by Christina Baker Kline (image right). is one of my favorite books. I’ve read it twice and recommended it more times than I can count. I thought a lot about whether a genealogy book club, which is based on researching real history, should incorporate novels. But genealogists are three dimensional people; we’re not all fact and no fun, right? I have loved historical fiction from the time I read A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by EL Konisburg. It’s a kid’s chapter book about the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine told from her point of view as she and the cast of characters from her life were sitting on a cloud in heaven waiting for her husband King Henry II to get into heaven. That novel bred in me this love for re-imagined history, in which the stories and lessons from past lives are repackaged in a way that’s meaningful to us, in a way that we’re willing to listen to. But back to Orphan Train. I’m guessing that many of you have already read it and loved it—if you have, raise your hands on the Genealogy Gems Facebook page and tell us so! If not, here’s a teaser for you. Orphan Train follows the story of Vivian, who as an Irish girl immigrant with another name entirely loses her family and is forced to ride the orphan train. What was the orphan train? It was an early, special urban brand of foster care in which homeless or neglected children were gathered up and put on trains out to the country. They advertised ahead of time their stops in little rural railroad depots, where essentially the children were lined up and local residents could come pick up kids and take them home. Essentially the children were advertised as free labor sources for farm families. So, Vivian rides the orphan train and we follow her childhood through some challenging placements with a few families and then into young adulthood when she is still trying to pin down an identity for herself. Then we move ahead in time. As a 91-year old woman, Vivian meets Molly, a teenager in today’s foster care system. Molly comes to Vivian’s home to help her clean out her attic because she’s gotten in trouble and needs community service hours. Molly thinks this old lady has nothing in common with her, not knowing anything about Vivian’s own trials as an orphan rider. So what makes this a good read for family history lovers? The core of the story is about family identity. Both these girls were separated from their families at a young age—they were told their past wasn’t good enough and they were re-booting their lives from scratch. You can’t do that to a person without serious consequences to their psyches. This book reminds me how important it is that each of us has a storyline from the past that existed before we were born, and brought us to who we are today. It’s perilous to break that story up or to be ignorant of it. The author spent a lot of time with the real stories of people who have lived in foster care or who rode the orphan trains, so the feel of the book would be authentic and real even though it’s not wholly factual. The orphan train history is so fascinating itself and this is a great way to be introduced to that chapter in history—which I have read is not limited to the U.S. I have read that about 100k children rode orphan trains in Canada, too. Read the Genealogy Gems Book Club Book for 1st Quarter 2015: by Christina Baker Kline. Next month Sunny will be back with a few more suggestions for fun things to read and a teaser from the book, and then in March we’ll have an interview with Christina Baker Kline. Please visit our wonderful sponsors:     Profile America: Ellis Island Opens Thursday, January 1st. The place where many of our ancestors first stepped ashore when they came to America seeking a new life opened on this date in 1892 — Ellis Island in New York Harbor. The very first immigrant processed at the new facility was a 15-year-old Irish girl named Annie Moore. Over the course of more than 60 years, some 12 million people flowed through the center. Some sources say the number is considerably higher. The peak year was 1907, when just over a million immigrants came to Ellis Island. The complex now belongs to the National Park Service and is visited by several million people a year. In 1910, the foreign-born represented nearly 15 percent of America’s population. Now, after falling through 1970, that figures sits at 12.9 percent.   GEM: Mary Tedesco on Genealogy Roadshow and Italian Genealogy Mary M. Tedesco is also the founder of ORIGINS ITALY at originsitaly.com, which is a firm specializing in Italian and Italian-American genealogical and family history research. She speaks fluent Italian and travels often to Italy where she conducts genealogical research and visits family. Watch the new season of the Read about it on the Genealogy Gems Blog: Visit Mary at Origins Italy at Mary’s favorite websites for Italian research: Things to know about Italy: Italy is subdivided into 20 regions Records are at the town level   Your DNA Guide with Diahan SouthardI am a huge proponent of the Chromosome Browser as an essential tool in genetic genealogy. I do agree that it should be a part of any genetic genealogy experience.  I have been in meetings with Ancestry and they do have their reasons for not providing one, with privacy being paramount in their minds.  The idea that we can have quick and relatively inexpensive access to our ENTIRE genome is a daunting thought.  We can't possibly know what will lie ahead in the many industries implementing this amazing scientific advancement.  Ancestry is just trying to be forward thinking. I too feel that this makes them seem like an overprotective parent that keeps their child in the house at all times behind two padlocked, steel-enforced doors, just so they won't wander out into the street and get hurt. And it is very frustrating.  But on some level I do understand their perspective.  They have a VERY long term perspective.  They are planning and thinking about where this technology will be in 5, 10, 15, 20 years.  At that time will will surely have moved away from the SNP testing we are doing now to full genome sequencing.  At that very high level of comparison there will be many things that a chromosome browser could reveal about our health.   I think with the implementation of DNA circles Ancestry is trying to implement tools in the areas where they are comfortable, and actually capable.  Yes, they are making mistakes.  But so are the other testing companies.  Yes the trees are flawed. They did release the DNA circles as Beta. I too have ready many concrete accounts of how this tool is making mistakes.  But they are in uncharted territory here.  No other company is trying to so fully integrate traditional genealogy with genetic genealogy, and there is something to be said for that.  And, you will probably agree that one of the biggest frustrations with any testing company is getting people to post their family trees and/or respond to your inquiries about their family trees.  By making inclusion in the Circles contingent upon having and linking your sample to a family tree (even a flawed one) it does encourage more people to post public trees.  Of course, it does completely ignore anyone without a family tree- again, frustrating. Learn how with my series of quick guides ( or the for the best deal); ;   Lisa’s Announcement:Pre-Order the 2nd edition of at a very special price. Reg. $24.95  Pre-order Sale Price: $19.95 Completely updated with loads of new content! Everything you need to know to stay up to date on using Google for your family history.

               In this episode I'm going to share a personal story from my own family history just recently uncovered, and pull from it 3 powerful strategies that you can start using right away to further your own genealogy research in newspapers. My husband's grandfather, Raymond Harry Cooke, was born March 6, 1894 in Tunbridge Wells, England. Ever since I first started researching his family I have been aware that Raymond's mother, Mary Ann Cooke, died at a young age, around 40 years old. What I didn't realize was that in the back of my mind I sort of made some assumptions about what happened to her.  I knew she had lost one child in child birth, and had one living child, Raymond. Though the answer as to her exact date and cause of death have been elusive, I haven't been in a big hurry to find the answer, because I guess deep down I assumed that she had lost her life in a third pregnancy. So it remained one of those genealogy projects I put off for a rainy day.  This hypothesis was unexpectedly shattered last week!  Not long ago I posted on the Genealogy Gems blog about  hitting over 9 million digitized pages. Last Wednesday evening I decided to take an hour out for my own genealogy (which I rarely get to do these days) and do some digging to see if I could find anything about Mary Ann's death.  With the site's powerful advanced search engine I located the answer within minutes. And it was devastating. (Image left) 3 Tips for Finding Family History in Newspapers: Look for "Search" Clues in the Articles You Find After absorbing the story of Mary Ann's untimely death, there was still work to be done. I went back through the article with a fine tooth comb making note of every unique details that could possibly be used in a future database search such as addresses, name variations, neighbors, friends, occupations, etc. This will lead you to: Look Beyond Known Names In my case, I noticed that Mary Ann Cooke was referred to as "Mrs. Cooke" in one article, and "Mrs. Cook" in another, so I omitted her first name and ran searches under both options, resulting in even more articles. And in the article about "Mrs. Cooke", her son Raymond was referred to as "Master Cooke". Indeed even more articles existed under that name as well. Go Beyond People Search for the addresses of locations where they lived. And don't necessarily include their name. Simply searching the address can give you a kind of "house history" set of search results, revealing who lived there before, descriptions of the home and its contents and who moved in after your ancestors left. In my case, I located an article about the Cooke home (by the address) being up for sale several years before they owned it. That article included a fairly detailed description of the property. The final article found in the British newspapers was also found only by address (as the Cooke name wasn't mentioned) and it detailed the contents of their household up for sale. The auction was held in prepartion for their move to Canada. Resource:  by Lisa Louise Cooke               GEM: Interview with Emma Brockes, Author of , and More Reading Recommendations "When a parent dies, you the child, your relationship with that history changes almost over night. It suddenly becomes much more relevant to you. because you feel like you're the only one left in a position to remember it. So, having never wanted to know anything about my mother's life, suddenly after her death it seemed imperative to me to find out absolutely everything. And to remember her that way. It felt to me that I couldn't, how does one put it, I couldn't stake out the parameters of what I had lost, until I knew everything there was to know about her, and of course there was this huge black hole in her background which I knew nothing about." Emma Brockes Read Sunny's blog post Genealogy Gems Book Club: MORE Great Books Recommended to find out about two more excellent books for genealogists.   GEM: Your DNA Guide at Genealogy Gems: Ancestry DNA Update Read Diahan's blog post  at the Genealogy Gems blog.    

We all need a little inspiration now and then, and in this episode I hope to bring you some through good books, inspiring comments from other listeners, and some new ideas to try. Once I got past the organization of my new office, what I’ve really enjoyed doing is devoting time to display family photos and artifacts, and just decorating the room. It may seem frivolous, but I don’t this it is. We spend a lot of time in our offices, and you may have a home office, or corner of a room where you work on your genealogy.  Considering the importance of the work and the time you spend doing it, I think it’s time and effort well spent to put effort in to inspiring decorations and displays.  (Lisa's new office display)   MAILBOX: Feedback on the “Lizzie” interview from AlvieI am thoroughly enjoying the podcasts and videos. Recently I drove to South Florida and listened to the episode about Lizzie Milligan.  It sure brought back lots of memories.  Many years before I got heavy into genealogy a co-worker of mine gave me a large box of post cards which was passed to him by his grandmother.  These cards were mailed during the digging of the Panama Canal and these were cards sent to his grandmother by her future husband from Panama. They were so very interesting reading but I had no use for them so I turned them over to our local museum in Lakeland, FL.  I don't know what became of them.   Kay loves MyHeritage too "Loved this podcast today - I listened while I walked my 3-mile loop.  Just want to share a MyHeritage story. I had uploaded a small GEDCOM at least a couple of years ago and never done much with it.  They had no record matching to speak of in the beginning and all the family matches were to persons who had much less information about the families than I did.   However, at RootsTech last winter, I talked to one of their reps - told him I would probably just let my subscription run out.  He convince me to try uploading a larger file, get the data subscription, and in fact offered me a free three months to try again - so I really couldn't say no. Now a bit of background.  I lived in Alabama for several years - and probably about 15 years ago the newspaper had published an extended article about the Sultanadisaster, the steamboat that exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis on 27 Apr 1865 with the loss of some 1600 lives  - the Cahaba prison where so many of those unfortunate men on the Sultana had come from was only about 50 miles from us.  At that point I'd never heard of it but I became quite fascinated and interested in the story and read everything I could find - I discovered that most of the released Union prisoners who died on the Sultana were from Indiana, Illinois & Ohio and knew that I had family in Indiana during that War, but didn't think there was any personal connection. After I began to work with MyHeritage again, up popped a Kokomo Daily Tribunenewspaper obituary of the brother-in-law of one of my paternal great-grandfathers, who had died in 1925 in Howard County, IN.   And there it was - he had been on theSultana and had suffered serious burns the result of which remained problematic for the rest of his long life.  It was thought that infection from the old burn wounds were the ultimate cause of his death.  In fact, he had been reported as dead to his family, because of the unbelievable chaos that surrounded the rescues.   What joy there must have been when he did return home! I always wonder when this sort of serendipity happens.  Was I always fascinated by this saga because I knew that somehow there was a family story involved? Anyway, I, too have become a believer in MyHeritage!  The brother-in-law never applied for a pension, or otherwise mentioned his service and I had the information about where he was buried.  As a collateral relative, he wasn't really a person I spent much research time on.   I probably never would have done a thorough newspaper search.  But there it was - nicely found for me and connecting to another bit of history!"     GEM: BOOK CLUB conversation with Sunny Morton “When [your] parent dies…your relationship with their history changes almost overnight. It suddenly becomes much more relevant to you because you feel like you are the only one left who is in a position to remember it. So having never wanted to know anything about my mother’s life, suddenly after her death it seemed imperative to me to find out absolutely everything….It felt to me that I couldn’t…stake out the parameters of what I’d lost until I knew everything there was to know about her.” -Emma Brockes, on She Left Me the Gun  Book Recommendations: Suggestion from Mary:  by Mani Feniger Here’s one along a similar theme of secrets in a mother’s past and the mother-daughter relationship. One of our listeners, Mary, wrote to us about it. She said, "I just ordered this book and thought you might be interested in reading it. I am looking forward to reading it myself.” The book is The Woman in the Photograph by Mani Feniger. Here’s a little blurb on the book: Mani Feniger wanted nothing to do with the relics of her mother's life before she escaped from Nazi Germany in 1936. But when the fall of the Berlin Wall exposed the buried secrets and startling revelations of her mother's past, she was drawn into an exploration-of history and family, individuality and identity, mothers and daughters-that would change her life forever." Listener suggestion from Mike:   is by John Bailey "Here's a book I found that you and your listeners might also enjoy.  recounts the story of a poor emigrant family and what happened to one of the daughters.  I found it fascinating.  The story is non-fiction and takes place around New Orleans in the first half of the 19th century.  There is much family research involved, some heart-wrenching descriptions of what the emigrants suffered, and delightful insights into the New Orleans of that time period.  It's the kind of research that we family historians love to do but is more dramatic than many of the personal stories we work on."   Profile America: Thursday, November 13th “Even the most mundane items we take for granted have to be invented by someone. This month 110 years ago, that someone was Connecticut inventor Harvey Hubbell. In November 1904, he received a patent for the world's first detachable electric plug: the two-, now sometimes three-prong plug familiar to us today. Remarkable as it sounds, at the time electric terminals would extend out from a wall, and any electrical device had to be hardwired to them. A time consuming process with a chance of electrocution. Hubbell was no one-hit wonder, as in the 1890s he created an electric switch and patented the pull-chain electric light socket. Electrical supplies for builders and homeowners are available at nearly 29,000 locations in the U.S., including 6,500 home centers and 12,500 hardware stores.”     Improvements in Using Autosomal DNA for GenealogyDiahan Southard, Your DNA Guide You may recall from our recent DNA discussion on the Genealogy Gems podcast () that Ancestry.com recently discontinued their mtDNA and YDNA tests (the two that trace our direct maternal and direct paternal lines) to focus on autosomal DNA (which delivers information about both your mother’s and your father’s side of your ancestral tree). Well, recently I attended an all-day meeting hosted by Ancestry.com: a summit to talk about current trends and accomplishments at Ancestry DNA , and ideas about the future of DNA testing at Ancestry.com.  The meeting included a diverse group of Ancestry representatives, from CEO Tim Sullivan to members of the marketing, scientific, communications, and even computer science departments, as well as some of the top voices in genetic genealogy. It was an open and lively discussion, and I walked away with a few gems I want to share with you today. More Powerful DNA Hints Coming In AncestryDNA, the ‘shaky leaf” hints are meant to help you find a common ancestor between you and your DNA matches. The computer code behind the old hints was not very efficient. Lazy, in fact. It started at the bottom of your tree—and the bottom of your match’s tree—and slapped on a shaky leaf at the first sign of a shared common ancestor. While this method worked for a large number of cases, it was leaving a lot of stones unturned. But the IT guys at Ancestry have beefed up the computer power, allowing them to cover a much greater distance through our trees and the trees of our matches before making a judgment about the best place to assign that shaky leaf. The result? Better hints about how you and your match COULD be related. Remember, the leaf is still just a SUGGESTION on how you and your match might be related. It is not a crystal ball. Did You Know? Ancestry DOES store your DNA samples in a secure location. Ancestry spent months designing their own DNA collection kit. Ancestry was able to attract some of the brightest scientists in the field of population genetics because of YOU. You with your documented pedigree charts and your willingness to help move this science of discovering our ancestors forward. Looking Ahead There is no question that the genetic genealogy industry is rapidly advancing, and our discussion with Ancestry certainly didn’t disappoint. While I will be sharing with you in future posts about some of the exciting changes, I do want you to be ready for one that will be coming online fairly soon. It has to do with your matches. If you have been tested by AncestryDNA, you may have been initially excited, then nearly immediately overwhelmed, by the number of individuals listed in your match page, all claiming to have some kind of connection to you and your family tree. All three major genetic genealogy testing companies (AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, and 23andMe) are using basically the same laboratory methods to glean information from your DNA. What differs is how they use that data to draw conclusions about your ethnic heritage and about your relationships to other individuals. As it turns out, AncestryDNA has been reporting far more individuals as your relatives than it should have. You can think of it like this: You have sent out tickets, in the form of your genetic code, to an exclusive party where you (of course!) are the star. However, you have lost the guest list and you are counting on the testing company to check the ticket of each guest before they enter your party to be sure they were really invited. AncestryDNA was relatively new in the role of party bouncer, and in the interest of not turning away any VIP guests, they initially allowed guests into your party who had (gasp!) forged tickets!! But as AncestryDNA admits more guests, the experience it’s gained in party monitoring is starting to show. You see, each of the forged tickets has some unique qualities that have started to send up red flags to the team of scientists at AncestryDNA . They are now in the process of carefully documenting what each forged ticket looks like and tossing those unwanted guests out on their ear. The short of it: in the near future your match list at Ancestry will be much shorter. Which is good news to you, as it means only those invited genetic cousins will be around eating hors d’ oeuvres and ready to talk about your shared common ancestry. Each testing company has its strengths and weaknesses. It was good to have a bit of insight into this one company and come to a greater understanding about why it is they do what they do. It is a great time to be in this young genetic genealogy industry, with so much room to grow and change. I will let you know when I find the next genetic gem. Use our affiliate link / ad to get free shipping and help support the free podcast.   GEM: Couple Celebrates 80 years of Marriage Read  Watch the video and see photos through time of the successful couple at       

In this episode I've got some exciting news, a cool free online tool, advice on translation, stories of inspirational finds, DNA for genealogy, and a Star Trek take on the innovations of yesteryear!  NEWS: FamilySearch’s free  interactive map to see the FamilySearch England & Wales 1851 Parish map.   What Has Replaced Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness?Facebook is the new RAOGK. And the upside is that Facebook expands the resources to folks who may be in a position to help through a shared interest while not necessarily being a genealogist. If you don’t see a group that meets your needs, create one! From your Facebook account: 1. on the left side of the page under GROUPS click “Find New Groups” 2. Here you can join groups (Facebook will likely recommend some based on your profile interests) 3. In the upper right corner click the green + CREATE GROUP button 4. Give your group a name and select whether it is public or private 5. Start posting content to your group page 6. Start promoting the page on your profile page while also friending other genealogists and soon you will likely have a vibrant group that can assist each other based on a shared interest.   MAILBOX: From Dot: Australian Newspapers - I had to let you know how grateful I am to you and your podcasts. Thank you so much for helping our family put flesh on the bones of our ancestors. In Episode 167 of Genealogy Gems you mentioned Paul Nauta at FamilySearch let you know “that the National Library of Australia has added an additional 35 historic newspapers to their online collection at . In the last couple of weeks we have found over twenty articles referring to our great grandparents and family, Charles and Margaret McIntosh.  Charles McIntosh came to Australia from Scotland in 1856 and worked for the NSW Railways in various locations before settling in a Gate House Cottage in Moss Vale  As well as finding obituaries for family members including our Great grandmother, we have found other interesting articles. I have included a few examples:  between the pub and the house , about $300. An unwelcome visitor was found in the house – a big black snake, A cousin in California sent a description of the Golden Gate Bridge. From Kathy Needs Help Translating Swedish Gems - I just returned from an amazing trip to Sweden.  Through the help of the local genealogical societies I was able to locate the descendants of an older sibling who did not emigrate to America.  My new found Swedish cousins were so delighted to meet my husband and myself.  They knew they had American cousins, but had no idea where we lived.  They had pictures and letters sent from California in the 1890's, describing my great grandparents' experience.  My grandfather even wrote inquiring about a nice Swedish girl who might like to come to California.  Priceless.  (He did find a nice Swedish girl in California). During this trip I picked up brochures, books etc....all in Swedish.  I remember that you had a question from one of your listeners about how to translate a book in another language.  You talked about scanning the pages and then what?  I would appreciate any ideas, thoughts you might have on this subject. Be sure to remind your listeners about the local genealogical societies.  Swedish genealogists spent 5 days with me looking for churches, graves and farms.  They were absolutely wonderful! Lisa’s Answer: Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode 96 covers translation tools.   Check out the chapter on Google Translate in my book    Amy and Jillian’s recorded comments Jillian’s genealogy blog: Win a free PDF article! If you would like to receive a copy of the article I wrote for Family Tree Magazine called “Technology RX” which includes 10 of my top favorite tools for managing technology, a 5 page pdf article. All you need to do is call and leave a voice mail comment or question at  925-272-4021 Be sure to clearly leave your email address too and if we use it on the podcast you will receive the Technology RX pdf.      GEM: The Genealogy Gems Book Club Do you love to read? Then you’ll be happy to hear that we are launching the new Genealogy Gems Book Club! This is an idea we’ve been percolating on for quite a while, and many of you have sent in recommendations for riveting books to dig into. I can’t think of anyone who reads more voraciously than our own Contributing Editor Sunny Morton. So I’ve asked Sunny to be our Genealogy GemsBook Club Guru! The first month of each quarter Sunny will introduce our featured book. The next month we’ll talk about it, as well as introduce you to a few more book gems in case you need a few other good reads to hold you over until, and our final month of the quarter where we’ll give you a sneak peek at our interview with the author to get their insight. As always, Premium members get to take this feature to the next level. In that last month on the Premium Podcast, Sunny will join us for an extended chat with the author about the family history aspects of their book. Our first Genealogy Gems book is She Left Me the Gun: My Mother’s Life Before Me by Emma Brockes. She’s an award-winning journalist from the UK who, after her mother’s death, began investigating hints of her mother’s difficult childhood in South Africa. Here’s a bit from the back of the book jacket, “Brockes begins a dangerous journey into the land-and the life-her mother fled from years before. A chilling work of psychological suspense and forensic memoir, She Left Me the Gun chronicles Brockes’ efforts to walk the knife-edge between understanding her mother’s unspeakable traumas and embracing the happiness she chose for her daughter.” This is an amazing, page-turning read. It’s a memoir that is also, as one reviewer described, part family history, part investigative reporting, part travel narrative. It’s beautifully written, funny in parts, very self-aware that she is working her way around a sensitive topic with relatives she’s never met. Sunny tells us what she thinks you will especially appreciate about this book: "I think they’ll love the way the writer describes her research and discovery process: online research, the South African archives, her discovery of her grandfather’s conviction of a serious crime that her mom’s family didn’t even know about, on top of his crimes they did know about. Then there’s the historical context: how her mother’s life straddles apartheid-era South Africa and the UK. It’s a first-generation immigrant’s tale. I think they’ll appreciate the difficulties she describes in intruding into people’s lives to ask very personal questions about the family past, and her description of the relationships between her aunts and uncles. One marvelous take-home for family historians is her ability to absorb the tragedies of the past without being sunk by them. And finally, anyone who has ever written their own family history will be absolutely inspired by the way she writes so compellingly, with such compassion but without being too sentimental." In a couple of months, we will have an interview on the show with the author Emma Brockes. The interview is fascinating whether or not you’ve read the book, but the reason we’re telling you ahead of time is that you’ll love it even more if you read the book. Sunny gives us a hint: "So I’ve done the interview already and I’ll give you a teaser. My favorite part of the interview is something she only touches on briefly in the book: how to tell the stories of living relatives in print without hurting their feelings or your relationship with them. That was one of my favorite parts of our conversation because I can tell she cares about her family a lot. I’m really excited to share this book with GG audiences. Again, the book is  by Emma Brockes." .     Your DNA Guide: National Geographic and New Zealand with Diahan Southard Recently a group of 100 residents from a very cosmopolitan city assembled together to determine what exactly it was they had in common. What they learned about themselves that evening, has a direct impact on you, a genealogist interested in identifying your ancestors. Those 100 residents were from Wellington, New Zealand. Their host? Dr. Spencer Wells, Director of the National Genographic project.  Their admittance fee to this party? A cheek swab. You see, 800 years ago the first inhabitants of New Zealand were just beginning to explore their new territory. They had arrived from the eastern islands of Polynesia and lived in relative isolation for over 500 years. While first discovered by the Dutch in 1642, New Zealand wasn’t regularly visited by Europeans until the late 18th century. Therefore the study of New Zealand’s populations can give us a relatively recent look at what has been going on all over the world for thousands of years: indigenous populations being mixed with outside population groups. For Spencer Wells and the National Genographic Project, sampling people of New Zealand would provide a rare opportunity to study the genetic effect of a recent collision of populations. We can think of mixing populations like adding a tablespoon of salt to a glass of water. At first it is easy to see the two different substances co-existing in the same location.  But soon the salt becomes part of the water- creating a new substance, with only a small portion of the original substances remaining. This is what happened throughout history as outside groups arrived and intermarried with indigenous populations. The goal of population genetics as a field of study, and specifically of the National Genographic project, is to look at the modern day population (in our example the salt water), and be able to identify which ancestral populations are present (in our example, determine which parts are salt, and which parts are water. This of course, without knowing beforehand that you were dealing with salt water!). The National Genographic project has identified 9 ancestral regions from which they believe all modern populations descend. These nine would be like our salt, and our water.  They have then described how 43 reference population groups (our salt water) are comprised of their own unique mix of these 9 groups.  They can also describe the origins of your direct maternal line, and if you are male, your direct paternal line. This information was gathered for the Wellington residents and it was determined that the original Polynesian population, and a small East Asian population, are certainly the minority among a predominately Western European population group. This information will help groups like the National Genographic Project to determine the possible migration patterns of other peoples and cultures. What does this mean for genealogy?  This kind of research helps fuel the Admixture results (the pie charts and percentages) reported to you by a genetic genealogy testing company when you take an autosomal DNA test.  It is this research that helps genetic genealogists look at your DNA and pick out the essential, ancestral elements- your salt and your water- and determine how your unique mix- your salt water- reveals information about the origins and migration patterns of your ancestors.  at the Genealogy Gems Store.     GEM: A Star Trek Journey Through October Innovations You know, through history October has turned out to be quite a month for technological innovation, particularly those that affect our every day lives through modern conveniences. In this very special Profile America segment, come with me as we boldly go where no man has gone before! From Census.gov: Tuesday, October 21st. An invention was demonstrated on this date in 1879 that lit the way for a dramatic change in the rhythm of Americans' daily lives. At his Menlo Park, New Jersey laboratory, Thomas Edison set up the first incandescent light bulb, which burned for almost 14 hours. Within a few years, some cities had installed electric streetlights. The number of homes across the U.S. with electricity grew steadily, but even in 1940, more than one-in-five houses was without power. Today, there are over 10,000 electric power generating establishments. American homes on average use nearly 11,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year. The national average bill for this power is just over $107 per month, but over $203 in Hawaii. Wednesday, October 22nd. "10 - 22 - 38 Astoria." That cryptic sequence indicating date and place was the very first photocopied image, created on this date in 1938 in Astoria, New York. A man named Chester Carlson developed a method of making dry copies of documents on plain paper, known as xerography -- which we take for granted in using photocopiers today. Before his invention, copies were made either by using carbon paper when typing or by a mimeograph machine for large numbers of copies. Both were messy and cumbersome. The first commercial copiers became available in 1959. Now, 76 years to the day after the first photocopy, making copiers is a $2.2 billion a year business in the U.S. Saturday, October 25th. A melted candy bar led to the invention of one of today's most-used kitchen appliances. Percy Spencer of the Raytheon company was working on a military radar device in the mid-1940s when he noticed that his snack had gotten soft. Intrigued, he experimented with irradiating some kernels of popcorn, which promptly burst. Further work led to the first microwave ovens, which cost only a little less than a new car. On this date in 1955, the first consumer models were introduced, but they required installation and cost $1,200. Countertop models came along in 1967. Now, more than nine out of 10 homes across the country have microwave ovens, and manufacturing microwave ovens and other electric cooking ranges is a nearly $2.5 billion a year business. Sunday, October 26th. Doing laundry was a wearying, time-consuming chore for many centuries. The industrial revolution and American inventiveness attacked the ancient chore on this date in 1858, when Hamilton Smith patented a rotary washing machine. But it was hand-driven and proved to be hard on both the operator and clothes. People continued to use the tub and washboard, even after the first electric washer came along in 1908. A few years later, the agitator-type machine appeared and gained immediate popularity. Finally, in the late 1930s, the fully automatic washer with a spin cycle went on sale. Today, over 85 percent of the nation's nearly 119 million households have a washing machine. Wednesday, October 29th. The scene on this date in 1945 at Gimbel's department store in New York City was shopping chaos. Big ads the day before had trumpeted the first sale in the U.S. of a new writing instrument that guaranteed it would write for two years without refilling -- the ballpoint pen. By the end of the day, the store had sold its entire stock of 10,000 at $12.50 each. The idea of the ballpoint pen was first patented in 1888 by John Loud of Massachusetts, who never made any pens. Now, ballpoints are the standard. Vast selections are offered by the nation's 7,400 office supply stores, which employ some 94,000 workers.   AmazonPlease use our Amazon box on any page of this website to begin your searches for online shopping. Doing so financially supports this free podcast at no cost to you.  Thank you!

Do you have enough time to work on your family history the way you would like to? How about taking on someone else’s family history? In this episode I’ve invited someone who has jumped over his own family history to diligently working on a perfect strangers…or did he jump over it? It’s a very interesting story! We’ll also be talking later about coping and in fact excelling even in the face of technological change.  I’m home for a week before I head back out on the road. And the next stop is Naperville Illinois and the Fox Valley Genealogical Society where I’ll be presenting a full day seminar on Sept. 27, 2014. The following week I’ll be at the Pima County Genealogical Society in Tucson AZ and then in October the Heritage Quest Library in Sumner Washington.  I hope you’ll check out my full schedule at and perhaps join me at one of the upcoming events.  Improvements at Genealogy GemsWe have a new easier way to get exactly the content you want from the Genealogy Gems website! We've added a new feature to the bottom left hand corner of the Genealogy Gems homepage: Select Content by Topic. Now finding the content you want, whether a podcast episode, blog article or video, is as simple as selecting the topic from the drop down menu. For example: Looking to learn more about DNA? Select "DNA" in the list. Are you new to family history? Click "Beginner." You can also access our complete archive of blog articles in the "Blog Archive by Date" drop down list just below Topics. We are really striving to make the website something you can turn to every day not only for the latest in genealogy, but for the topics and content you need when you need them. This is your website!   Family History Jewelry Also new to the Genealogy Gems website has been so new items in the store including some exclusive genealogy research quick sheet bundles, and a beautiful line of customizable jewelry, perfect for showing off your family history. You can select from rings, pendants, and a charm bracelet – each one customizable with family photos creating true heirlooms. In fact Marlene was so excited about how her customized jewelry turned out she called in to tell us about it. “You are a genius.  I just received my bracelet from lisa lisson.  I did a generation picture of my Mother and 4 Mothers going back to my 3rd Great Grandmother.  It is beautiful, and sacred.  Thank you for hooking up with this website, I am thrilled.  You really care about me and my needs.” Marlane You can find the jewelry created by Esther’s Place . You’ll be amazed how quickly they will create your jewelry and affordable it can be. I’ve got them working on a bracelet right now that features the women in my family tree.   Silver Surfers: Internet Use by Older AdultsWe reported on a very interesting infographic recently on the Genealogy Gems blog called  Interesting Stats:  In 2012 Baby Boomers aged 47-65 spent an average of 27 hours a week on the Internet Of the seniors that are online, one in three are using social media. A big change from just back in 2009 when only 13% of seniors online were using social media. In fact 1 in 5 Twitter users are over 50 49% of online seniors have a Facebook account Seniors aren’t just socializing, they are shopping too. 59% of seniors online have made a purchase online in the last 3 months Here’s what you had to say on the : From Sheri: "Lisa, My sister and I met you at RootsTech this year. We're already planning next year’s trip! I read the article about silver surfers and just wanted to say that when I was a kid (Fairbanks, Alaska) we had party-line phones, one TV station! My mother wrote letters to her family in Idaho regularly and long distance phone calls were very rare! I'm a baby boomer and have always been interested in technology. I do most research online with Ancestry, Fold3, FamilySearch, etc. I haven't jumped into the blogging pool but who knows! I'm currently starting to work on suggestions from your Google Earth CDs, putting together family tours. Love your podcasts. You are my favorite "source". Sheri" From Diane: "Thanks for the article about the silver surfers. I saw you when you spoke to the San Diego Genealogical Society and learned a lot. I am a major social media user. I am on many FB groups, use Twitter, Pinterest and have my own genealogy blog. I am a baby boomer. Party lines were in use when I was a kid and for parts of my growing up our household didn't even have a phone. Here is a link to ."  From Sandee: "When I was a kid, we communicated mostly by letter -- which soon fell by the wayside because they took so long to write, were full of scribble-outs and add-ins, and had a long turnaround time. Phone calls were for really important stuff and emergencies. When I went to college, my parents gave me a tape recorder and several REELS of tape so I could send oral "letters" home (which I don't think I ever did). My dad read the Dick Tracy comic strip and said that someday we really would have wrist-worn telephones and would be able to see each other as well as talk. In spite of all the complaints about constant contact via cell phones and text messages and emails, modern-day communication seems to foster friendships." Check out      Candace says: "When I was young we had a party line with 8 families. We weren't supposed to listen in to other conversations, but we all knew which ring indicated the best news." Candace’s memories remind me of the Andy Griffith show! From Lynn: "You asked about seniors and 'net usage. I mostly use e-mail and delight in being able to stay in touch on a daily basis with my 94 year old cousin in Michigan. She is the only person in her assisted living facility with a computer.” Thank you to our sponsors:   MAILBOX: Natalie in TX has success with one of Lisa's Tips: “I attended your 3 classes this past weekend at the Houston Genealogical Forum and I really enjoyed them as I do all of your classes. I have done a lot of work already on newspapers for about 20 years with interlibrary loan and traveling to libraries and newspaper offices out of town.  My small towns' newspapers so far have hardly shown up online but slowly that is changing.  So when I finished your class I used some of your Google search tips on some newspaper sites.  Some things worked, others didn't but one thing I'm glad you mentioned was do not overlook was if a hit came up on a newer date, not to overlook it.  I went to the Old Fulton Postcards website and he mainly has New York newspapers on his site but he also has The Rogersview Review from Rogersville, Tennessee.   So I found  several hits on that site but the one I wanted to tell you about was I was looking for my 3Great Grandfather Williamson Tucker and there were a few hits but one was in 1995 and the other was in 2001.  So I clicked on the 1995 article and it was a picture of New Hope Baptist Church and the first two sentences said "New Hope Missionary Baptist Church was established in 1833. It was given in a land grant by Williamson Tucker in memory of William C. Bailey."  Then the 2001 issue which was a listing for Hawkins County churches and had New Hope on it,  and it gave a little more info that William Bailey gave land to the church but never made a deed for it.  He then died and then my ancestor Williamson Tucker acquired the land from the Baileys and then deeded it to the church.   Wow, I did not know that, and I probably would have skipped over those two hits because they were so late dated.  So thank you for the tip!   I've been writing a paper on my grandfather the Rev. Ellis Birl McLain who was a Methodist minister who lived in many places and so far I have found him in 15 different newspapers in six states so I really do know the importance of searching newspapers.”  Linda from South Australia writes in about Dealing with Chaos: “I just read your advice on ‘dealing with the chaos’ (a problem that has been tormenting me for ages) and a very bright light went on in my head when I read your suggestion for using Evernote to store things for future research.  I use MS OneNote to store some of my loose bits of genealogy info, but I haven’t organized them well.  I’ll use your tip – the simple idea of having a ‘future research’ section for each family makes me feel better already! The harder part will be putting something in there, leaving it for later, and then going back to what I was looking for in the first place – I’m easily distracted!  Especially when someone I’m NOT looking for turns out to be more interesting than the one I AM looking for.” Del in California has been busy using Google Earth for Genealogy: “I finally got around to watching the Google Earth video CD I purchased from you last January when you were here.  I have been doing the map overlays, which is really a neat feature…It served a practical use, as I have a plat map of the whole of Bent County, Colorado upon which I have marked all the locations where we own mineral rights (passed down from my grandfather).  I can then use the transparency feature to compare the holdings with the actual topography.  I also have overlaid plat maps of various ancestors who had original land patents in Indiana, Colorado, and Ohio.  A couple of the ancestors donated land for cemeteries, which I have visited and are visible on Google Earth and marked on the overlay maps. Fun stuff…would not have been able to actually make it work without the CD.” book    GEM: Project Lizzie – An Interview with Ron PloofWe’re all working on our own family tree, but have you ever considered working on someone elses? Someone you’ve never met and you don’t know their descendants? Storyteller Ron Ploof is here to share how and why he took on such an endeavor, and some of his successes and challenges along the way which he is documenting on his new website Project Lizzie at In this interview we head back to 1976 when Ron was 13 years old, and helping his uncle who had just bought a house in Massachusetts. Exploring as 13 year olds do, Ron found something intriguing in the attic of that house – a stack of 99 postcards tucked away. He’s held onto them for the past 38 years. Ron was always fascinated with the pictures on the front of the cards, but in 2012, he started studying the stories on their backs. And that's when he could see that 86 of them were addressed to a Mrs. Lizzie Milligan and postmarked between 1904 and 1925. He has spent the past year-and-a-half trying to learn as much about her, including a trip from California to Massachusetts to find her gravesite. Ton started publishing Lizzie's story online in February of this year. Ron has asked his readers to join in the hunt, which begs the question: Why should his readers care? It’s a very important question, because we all have had a non-genealogist relative ask us the question: Why should I care? Even when they are related to the person! If we can share the why, we can more successfully share the journey. 2/24/18 UPDATE: Read the final installment on Profile America — Wednesday, September 17th On this date in 1787, the Constitutional Convention wrapped up in Philadelphia with the delegates accepting the document and sending it on to the states for ratification. Less than two years later, the new U.S. government had to take out a loan. This week in 1789, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton was in negotiations to borrow nearly $192,000 from the Bank of New York and the Bank of North America. The money was needed to pay the salaries of President Washington and the members of the first Congress. The loan was obtained in February 1790 and paid off in June. Today, the president's salary is $400,000 a year — more than twice the amount of the first loan — and the debt of the 50 united state governments is around $1.15 trillion. Sources: Kane's Famous First Facts, 1104, 3804   Coping and Exceling through Techological Change Recently I was teaching an online class, and one of the students was stumped because the class materials said to use the Advanced search link on Google.com and it wasn’t there. She stopped worked and posted that she couldn’t do it because the link wasn’t there. This is a perfect example that we really need to cultivate our problem solving skills in today's constantly changing online environment. I totally get that it can be frustrating to visit a familiar website or refer to something in a book (or a class!) and find that things are not as they used to be. In this case, Google removed the "Advanced Search" link from the Web Search and Image Search home pages. And I’ve had situations where I went to teach an iPad class, and the night before a new operating system was released changing practically everything! However, if we come to expect change then we won’t have to be quite so surprised and frustrated when we run into it. And of course in most cases that change is really an attempt by the website to improve and evolve, although that can seem debatable when it's something you enjoy or depend on. When you run up against change, you are better equipped than most to deal with it. As Genealogists the sleuthing skills we have honed become our greatest assets! The quickest way to determine what's going on when something changes online (which again can happen nearly every day) is to just "Google It!" After reading the student’s message, that's exactly what I did, because I didn’t have the answer on the top of my head either. So I went to Google.com and searched on: google advanced search no longer on home page.  The results quickly led me to the answer: At both the Image Search page (google.com/imghp) and the Web search page (www.google.com) the Advanced Search has been moved to "Settings." Simply click "Settings" in the bottom right corner and you will find "Advanced Search" there as one of the options. The good news is that chances are, if we've noticed a change, others are already talking about it online, and often will have already shared the answer. "Googling it" is often the easiest way to determine what's going on, so that you can get on with your family history work. So until we meet here again, get on with your family history work! 

Lisa shares her recent research successes: Getting in touch with a distant German cousin through MyHeritage Organizing and “Visualizing” the German photos from her Great Grandmother’s Scrapbook (below is the inscription by Louise's siblings in the front cover of the scrapbook) Using Google Earth to plot out each photographer studio listed on the back of the photos in the scrapbook Finally identifying the people in one of the first old family photos she received (separate from the scrapbook) by using the “location “groups” visualization and her RootsMagic database family group sheet for the Nikolowski family   GEM: Sunny Morton’s interview with Lisa Kudrow, Executive of the U.S. TV series Producer of Who Do You Think You Are? Celebrities that will be featured on the U.S. TV show  Who Do You Think You Are? season five (and second on TLC) features popular celebrities from TV and film. Tonight's episode features Valerie Bertinelli (One Day At a Time, Hot in Cleveland)  Set Your DVR: Who Do You Think You Are? Season 5 Wednesdays.   This episode was sponsored by:                            

Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode #113 Who Do You Think You Are? has become a worldwide television phenomenon, starting in the UK and making its way around the world, telling the stories of well-known celebrities in search of their family history. July 23, 2014 marks the debut of season 5 of the series here in the U.S. and the show’s Executive Producer Dan Bucatinsky is here to tell us more about it. We hope you enjoy the free access to this Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode! Benefits of Membership: 110+ Exclusive PremiumPodcast episodes Video recordings of Lisa’s most popular classes New video & audio content each month All for just $29.95 a year. Don’t miss another day… BONUS: For a limited time new members will receive the exclusive digital PDF ebook of a collection of Lisa’s most popular articles from Family Tree Magazine! (the ebook will be emailed to you within 24 hours of purchase)   About Dan Bucatinsky Dan Bucatinsky won the 2013 Emmy Award in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series category for his portrayal of James Novack on the hit Shonda Rhimes series, Scandal. Bucatinsky wrote, produced, and starred in the 2001 indie romantic comedy All Over the Guy (Lionsgate). In 2003 he and partner Lisa Kudrow founded Is Or Isn't Entertainment, which produced the cult, Emmy-nominated HBO comedy The Comeback co-starring Bucatinsky as publicist, Billy Stanton. Thanks in part to their rabid fanbase, The Comeback is returning to HBO for six episodes beginning this November. Dan and Lisa’s acclaimed docu-series Who Do You Think You Are? recently received its’ second Emmy nomination, for Outstanding Structured Reality Program. The show returns for a fifth season on TLC this month. Season five (and the second season on TLC) will feature six popular celebrities from TV and film: Valerie Bertinelli (One Day At a Time, Hot in Cleveland) Jesse Tyler Ferguson (ABC’s Modern Family) Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, and currently starring in NBC’s Parenthood) Kelsey Grammer (Cheers and Frasier ) Rachel McAdams (movies like Mean Girls, The Notebook) and her sister, Kayleen McAdams. Cynthia Nixon (HBO’s Sex in the City) Tune in to “Who Do You Think You Are?” Season 5 onthe TLC channel on Wednesday, July 23 at 9/8c. The 5th season opener features actress Cynthia Nixon (of Sex in the City) We hope you enjoyed this special episode of the Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast.  

Catch a glimpse of the silent movie era and how it was an integral part of your ancestors’ lives. In this episode, I find out more about the silent movies my grandmother catalogued in her diary, and how they molded a generation. The cultural influences of the “Picture Shows” Below is a page from my grandmother’s journal documenting the silent films she saw that year, including the actors who starred in them. Just like today, the stars who light up the silver screen were mimicked and followed for fashion trends, hair styles, decorating ideas, and moral behavior. Understanding who the role models were at the time gives us a better understanding of the cultural influences of the era.  Films are NOT primary resources, but they certainly paint a picture of life at any given time in history. Finding silent films in my area To learn more about silent films, I started with a simple Google search, altering my search criteria until I found movie theaters that showed silent films in my area. The first theater I found was the Stanford Theatre, located in Palo Alto, California. It was first opened in 1925 and stood as Palo Alto’s premier theater house for several decades. In 1987, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation bought the theater and restored it. It is now owned and operated by the non-profit Stanford Theatre Foundation. - The website provides all the movie schedules from 1929-1961, compiled from ads that appeared in the Palo Alto Times. Vaudeville acts were also regularly included in the lineup. And the Wurlitzer organ live accompaniment was a staple. Grandma’s Diary Entry – Sunday, April 22, 1928 I have to lead singing at church. Walter and I went to the lake. Met Helen Weathers and Jesse Jay and Ed Taylor. Helen and I went in swimming. Went to the show afterwards. The vaudeville was keen. Lew Cody in “Adam and Eve.” The first silent movie I saw was “Diary of a Lost Girl”, a German movie starting Louise Brooks. It was a late entry silent film released on April 24, 1930. It tells the story of an innocent young girl, who is raped by the clerk of her father’s pharmacy. After she becomes pregnant, she is rejected by her family and must fend for herself in a cruel world. It was not the wholesome far I expected but was riveting nonetheless. (I must acknowledge the organ accompaniment of Dennis James because he added a drama and magic to the film that was priceless.) The next film I saw was the classic 1923 comedy “Safety Last” starring Harold Lloyd. This is a must-see, full of laugh-out-loud humor. I was starting to get a feel for what drew Grandma to the pictures as a young girl. It was magical, glamorous, and hugely expanded her social network.   Society’s views on the silent film era To learn more, I was combed through newspapers from her home town in the 1920s at the State Archives. I came across two newspaper articles: “Getting Back to the Home” from January of 1925, and “Harking Back to those Old Home Days” from February 5, 1925. The first article leads in… “Much has been said as to the methods of checking the crime and rebelliousness among the young people of today. The automobile, trains and other means of travel as well as moving pictures, dance halls, etc. that attract young people, and so lead them to seek amusement away from home have contributed to the fact that the home is not the center of attraction for the majority of families as it once was.” The article went on to say that there were plans in the works for a community get-together. The February 5th article reported the events of that evening, which was called “Back to the Home.” The local residents ate pumpkin pie, sang songs, listened to speeches and music, and comic readings. (And I happened to recognize the name of the cellist in the orchestra as being the man who signed as witness on my great-grandfather’s naturalization papers!) The even was a huge success and was deemed “something that will in surely bear repeating.” Immediately my grandmother’s diary entries bemoaning her mother who was “from the old country” started to become clearer. Grandma felt that Great-Grandma just didn’t understand her. Having experienced the thrill of the old movie theater experience myself, and reading in the newspapers how it was affecting society, I began to better understand that she lamenting more than just the woes of being 15 years old. Society was changing. And as a mother, I began to sympathize with my great-grandmother’s plight of trying to raise three teenagers in the new world. Enjoying Silent Movies at Home I live 25 minutes from a little town that has a Silent Film Museum devoted to a company that produced hundreds of them locally back in the teens.  Every Saturday night, they show two shorts, and one full length movie each week with live piano accompaniment. Last week my husband and I went to the regular Saturday night show, and we found ourselves watching the original full-length versions of two movies about San Francisco in 1906.  In the last podcast, I covered the San Francisco Earthquake and other historical events, and included a Youtube.com playlist that I created full of old and new videos about the earthquake.    The first movie short was called “A Trip Down Market Street.” This is in my Youtube.com playlist under the title “San Francisco 1905 - 1906 (short form).” The Archivist at the museum said that research has uncovered that this film was shot just about four days before the earthquake hit in April 1906. The filmmaker shot the entire movie from the back of a cable car slowly moving down Market Street toward the Ferry Building. He told us that the reason the movie survived is that the filmmaker shipped the film to their New York offices for processing just one day before the quake. The second movie short was produced by Blackhawk Films immediately following the earthquake, () and was aptly titled “Destruction of San Francisco.” Portions of this film can also be found on the YouTube playlist. If you don’t live within driving distance to a theater showing silent films, here are some options for viewing at home: Netflix (UPDATED) – They have an incredible catalogue of films that can be hard to find. You can stream movies from any device at home at . Type “silent” in the search box and click the GENRE matches tab. You can also search by your favorite silent movie star (Mary Pickford, Clara Bow, Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks, Jackie Coogan, etc). Not all films are available to stream, but many can be delivered in DVD form with a subscription to . Turner Classic Movies (TCM) – - Go to the website and type SILENT in the search box, then click GO. Scroll down to the KEYWORD MATCHES to see what’s available. They often run “Silent Sundays.” I find the best way to approach TCM it to review the schedule for the week on my cable TV menu, and set movies of interest to be recorded. The Public Library – A quick search of my local library catalogue online showed dozens of silent movies. I found that searching a particular silent era actor as an “author” worked better than searching ‘silent movies’ alone. Beware, movies held over the one week time limit incur hefty fees. But the titles were free, and in the case of my local library, I can place a request for a movie from another library in the same county system, and they will deliver it to my local branch and hold it for me for pick up free of charge. For a global search of libraries try Amazon.com – If you have a specific title or actor in mind, a quick search will tell you if Amazon has it. And if it’s been released, they probably do. However, browsing is more challenging. To narrow your search to only silent movies, select DVD  in the SEARCH area, and click GO. Then click “BROWSE GENRES.” From the next page click CLASSICS. Then, in the Browse box on the right, click SILENT FILMS. I got over 400 results.  If you’re not looking for a Charlie Chaplin film, add “-Chaplin” to your search and you’ll get the results down to 282 films. You can help support this free podcast by always starting your searches in our Amazon search boxes located throughout the Genealogy Gems website at Ebay.com – If you’re looking for a title that is particularly hard to find, EBay may be the best source. Grandma’s Diary Entry – Friday, November 2nd, 1930 “Alfred, Len, Mama and I went to the show in Merced.  “Four Son’s.”  It was sure good!” I looked the movie up at IMDb.com, the biggest movie database on the internet. The description stated that the movie revolved around a mother and her four grown sons living happily in a German village prior to WWI. The oldest son, Joseph, yearns to go to America, and his mother gives him her savings to realize his dream. After the war begins, two of the sons go off to battle and are killed. Meanwhile, Joseph becomes an American citizen and joins the army to fight against Germany. The youngest son then leaves to join his battalion, and is killed in battle. After the war, Joseph goes home to New York and sends for his mother. She makes the journey through Ellis Island and they finally reunite. My grandma’s parents had emigrated from Germany in 1910, just prior to the start of the war.  Great-grandfather came over first to find work. When great grandmother discovered she was pregnant with Alfred, she followed three months letter, which was sooner than planned. She secretly made the trip with her 3-year-old daughter. I had to get a copy of this film! I couldn’t find “Four Sons” at any of the usual places, so I went to Ebay.com. There I found someone who had a copy, and I bought it. The movie was extremely moving, and I cheered for the naive yet faithful mother as she made her way alone through the confusing world of Ellis Island and the streets of New York. This movie must have been very touching for Great grandmother to watch, and I would guess that it generated conversation about her own trip.  Many years later, Grandma fulfilled a life long dream and made the trip to Ellis Island to see it for herself. Before her death, she told an eager granddaughter all about Mama, the journey through Ellis Island, and about her love for the moving pictures. GEM: Interview with Sam Gill – April 19th, 2007 Do you by chance research your own family history? Not much now. As a child I helped my mother quite a bit with her genealogical research, joining her on trips to libraries, helping at home, typing up manuscripts, filling in sheets, etc. My mother published a little pamphlet on the John Ashton family of London, Ontario, Canada for which I’ll provide a link to a recent description. In my youth, I also recorded via reel-to-reel tape, important family members (father’s mother in depth; mother’s step-mother briefly; mother and father, and siblings casually) in the 1960s and 1970s. They—the older family members-- are all deceased now, and I am very glad I did this. I am currently transferring these tapes to CD. My brothers George and Paul are very interested in family history, too—now, actually more so than I am, which is very surprising considering my brother Paul showed very little interest in family during his youth. I was extremely interested in family history in my youth, but not as much now, unless it be to discover whatever I can about the personal relationships family members had to one another, as well as to their friends and other loved ones. How accurately do you think they portray life at that time? One needs to be very careful with film, today as well as yesterday. Most film—even documentaries—often depict people as they want to be seen, or to perform in stories the way they themselves want to appear, or the way the filmmakers specifically want their characters to appear. I have a friend who once coordinated the locating of antiques in the Los Angeles area for Christie’s in London, who commented that frequently the furniture he saw in teens silent films of the fairly common society-drama type, were extremely high-end antiques that would command extremely high figures in current auctions, and are the kind of antiques never seen in today’s films, or at least very rarely. I mention this because it’s a good example of the fact that each person may see something of interest that another person would not even notice or care about. Also, films from the silent era can be important historically and culturally in showing us the way life was; but as with any photograph, it may take a lot of interpretation and understanding to know exactly what it is that we are looking at. What influence do you believe the young medium of movies had on the culture of that time? Huge influence. I believe films from the very beginning had an enormous impact on our culture, and the culture of every country when and where films began to be shown. And as sound was added, even with radio, and later with the immediacy of television, the impact has become even more profound. Many immigrants have commented, too, then as now, on the importance of going to the movies to learn the language and culture of their new country. I believe youth especially has been affected, but probably all ages. I mention youth because young people are so impressionable, and so things such as fashion, dating techniques, job aspirations, desires of where one might live and play, attitudes toward family and community, nearly every aspect of life has been represented and thus made available to audiences for their “selecting,” taking what each person wants or “needs” and leaving the rest. With what they take, they can mold their lives, or re-define what it is they believe they know and want. How would you advise a family historian to approach the silent movies as a resource?  See as many films as he or she can, starting with whatever seems of most interest—documentaries; travel films; comedies; dramas; westerns; whatever. For more of the genuine “feel” of the movie-going experience, I believe what we are doing here at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum on Saturday nights, is very important. These silent films were shown with music accompaniment, which aids greatly the impact and accessibility of these films. With what movie or actor / actress would you recommend they start to become introduced to silent films? That’s an interesting question, and one that gets at the root of what I mean when I say these films can have a profound impact on a person—especially youth. Just as someone today may be enormously impressed with Johnny Depp or Christina Ricci, or a film about the mafia life, or corporate life in New York City, or even a horror or fantasy film, the same holds true for silent films seen today. Each of our audience members seems to relate in a highly individualistic way to a film, often to a particular “star”—perhaps being impressed with the steely reserve of William S. Hart; laughing at the often-surreal physical stunts of Buster Keaton who becomes a kind of Every Man against the harsh realities of our physical world; the adventurous-spirit of Douglas Fairbanks; the spunkiness of Mary Pickford who never let anything get her down; and so on. The film A TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET (1906) has become a great favorite here, where a camera was placed on the front of a street-car heading down from about 8th Street to the Ferry Building in April 1906 just a few days before the earthquake and fire. Horse-drawn wagons, cars and vehicles, automobiles, people on foot, bicycles, you name it, all these methods of transportation are fascinating; but most fascinating, we are watching the people themselves, some oblivious to the filming, others intensely interested, staring right at the camera! Any other thoughts on the subject as it pertains to folks interested in learning more about the era of 1900-1930? There are more and more films available on DVD but I still love books, and what one can discover going to the library and pulling film books off the shelves to read at one’s leisure—historical works, cultural studies, picture books (even coffee table books), encyclopedias, biographies and autobiographies, corporate histories of film companies, on and on. It’s all fascinating, and it’s all out there…to be discovered. Many years ago, someone told me he thought I “lived in the past,” and implied that that was a pretty terrible thing to do. I answered, “I don’t think of it as LIVING in the past, but of EXPLORING the past, like an archaeologist.” I think the truth of that may be the same for genealogists, to explore the past through the discovery of family history, which is after all, human history.

Get up to speed on the world of DNA and Genealogy in this episode. We’ll explore in depth the ramifications of Ancestry closing down some of their DNA tests along with other businesses in their portfolio. Then you’ll meet Your DNA Guide, Diahan Southard. She’s a genealogy gem who will be joining us here on Genealogy Gems on a regular basis to help guide us through the murky waters of DNA research in easy to understand, and FUN terms.   Ancestry is shutting down 5 areas of their business In a recent media conference call Ancestry gave us the heads up that the next day they were going to announce the closures, and those of us on the call had the opportunity to ask questions before the announcement. While the spin is that they want to focus their efforts "in a way that provides the most impact, while also delivering the best service and best product experience to users" It is clear that these businesses were not their most profitable. It makes good business sense, and we certainly do want Ancestry to remain profitable so that it can remain in business. But that doesn't mean it won't be painful for many customers. The 5 areas shutting down are: Genealogy.com MyFamily MyCanvas LegacyDNA (y-DNA and mtDNA tests will be retired),  English version of Mundia These closures definitely did cause some pain with their customers, and I know that includes many of you listening right now. In fact I started receiving emails almost immediately that morning that Ancestry went public with this, and many of you also posted your comments on the  which I invited you to do in the newsletter article I sent out. In that article I told you that one of the most surprising moment in the conference call was when the Ancestry execs on the call were asked if the DNA samples that customer submitted, particularly those samples of deceased relatives) could be returned so as to be further processed by other companies.  The answer: No.  When pressed if they would allow customers to upgrade tests run on those samples before they were destroyed (yes, they made it very clear they will be destroyed) the answer was that well...they hadn't really thought about that. Leave it to genealogists to ask the important questions, and my hope is that Ancestry will take this question to heart before the closing date of September 5, 2014.  , and click through on the area you are interested in to get more answers to questions about the closures.  My impression during the call was that they were caught off guard a bit by the push back from those of us on the call regarding the DNA samples. Ancestry is focused on profitability - and I don't blame them for that, they are in business. If they don't remain profitable they go out of biz and we all lose. It probably wasn't as easy for them to think through the impact on every day family historians because some if not many of the top execs (and I've met them – they are nice people) are not genealogists. So first I want to share with you some of the comments I’ve received, and then I will give you some of my personal opinions on the subject.   Please click image to visit our Sponsor: & tell them you heard about them on The Genealogy Gems Podcast!   Comments from You: Graham in Australia writes: "This morning I found the following Ancestry DNA announcement in my email and felt the need to immediately respond. No sooner had I sent my response and your newsletter arrived on this very subject. I thought you might be interest in my response as I am sure there will be many people out there who will be similarly betrayed. I paid out some $250 in 2009 to have my Y-DNA test done with them knowing that this was going to be a long term investment to possibly find matches. I am glad Ancestry don't hand my superannuation savings. To ancestry: I am disgusted that ancestry is taking this action. You appear to only be after short term gains rather than the long term which is where the strength of DNA testing resides. In 2009 I invested in my Y-DNA test knowing that this will likely take several years to yield useful paternal match results which was the main thrust behind doing the tests. I don't know who is my biological paternal grandfather and have through the matching facility I have been in contact with the closest person yet and while quite distant it has given me some direction and hope that a match can be found in the future. Your action to remove this has just killed that possibility.  I for one will not be considering taking any autosomal tests with you as this will likely be dumped sometime in the near future." Roxanne in Oregon writes: "I am very upset with Ancestry.com and their comments about not returning DNA (Y & mt) samples or giving the opportunity to upgrade the test. Could this be just the beginning?  I understand about “business” but their policy of “destruction” is not acceptable.  This seems to violate a code of ethics that we have all come to rely on when giving samples to further science as well as our own research.  Who knows what the future will hold after we are long gone? Surely our DNA samples will become more helpful as testing becomes more acute. At the very least samples should be able to be transferred to another DNA lab, even if one needs to pay for it.   Who can we write letters to at Ancestry.com and at what address? Maybe if they get enough response the policy of “destruction” will be re-analyzed."    Ken Chahine on June 12, 2014 in AncestryDNA Comments of note on the Ancestry follow up post: “Also, did anyone else notice that they mentioned that many of the samples are past shelf life? How does FTDNA guarantee 25 yrs of maintaining our samples?” “What I’m a little less clear on is why you’re just deleting the results off the website. Can’t you simply archive them so that they’re viewable? Does it really take that much effort or bandwidth to simply let me see my mtDNA haplogroup?” “BUT I have to question how committed you are to my research when you delete a valuable tool that I paid you for.” Susan on the Genealogy Gems Podcast fan page on Facebook: “Ancestry.com should NOT destroy the DNA! Especially for persons now deceased. They should make every effort to return samples if people ask for them by a specific date. I guess they're thinking about liability issues and bogus requests but I'm sure they can figure out a way to ascertain that the person asking is related to the DNA.” From Tom: Facebook page and online petition to persuade Ancestry.com not to destroy their YDNA and mtDNA samples and data. "Stop Ancestry.com's DNA Dump"    Lisa's opinion on all of this: It comes down to personal responsibility and forward thinking I think it's a mistake not to offer alternatives to their customers for retention of the samples. However, I always preach to you, my listeners that you need to retain control of all that is important to you and be responsible. We must be responsible and not put it in someone else's hands. When you test (particularly an older relative), you should save a sample and keep it in your lock box at home if it matters to you. I'm sympathetic to all involved because this is new territory and it's easy to miss thinking through the ramifications. But it's just like I recommend that you never use Ancestry as their one and only tree. Post your tree, that's fine, but retain the master on a database on your own computer, and then back up your computer! Finally, I think offering only autosomal is trendy rather than a true comprehensive product tool for the genealogist. I just published some excellent "Getting Stared" DNA Guides in my website store for this very reason. No test and no company is right for everyone. So in my opinion Ancestry is now no longer offering a true complete DNA service to genealogists. They are capitalizing on a trend. This is just my personal opinion of course. Linda writes: "I just purchased a dna kit from Ancestry.  Knowing now that they are discontuing that part of the program, can I send sample elsewhere?  Suggestions of what, where, how to get this done?” Lisa's Answer: If it were me, I would probably get a refund and start fresh with FamilyTreeDNA. Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode 92 includes an interview with their founder Bennett Greenspan. Also, we in our store that are excellent resources: Getting Started: Genetics for the Genealogist Y Chromosom DNA for the Genealogist Randy in Seattle was concerned about another one of the businesses Ancestry is dropping MyCanvas: “I just got a notice that Ancestry is dropping it’s MyCanvas service.  I can understand not wanted to invest a lot into trying to keep it up to date with other printing services.  However, they are not only dropping the service, they are doing it in less than 3 months, all content will be deleted, there is no way to export the existing projects, and there is no alternative service to which all the work which has gone into existing projects can be transferred.   I am a long time Ancestry member and a follower of your podcasts and web page.  Generally I defend ancestry against a lot the complaints people have about them but this is pretty disheartening news for me.  I have puts 100’s of hours into creating a number of ancestry projects and having a printed copy is not the same as having the electronic version available to update and get a new updated print. Do you have any suggestions on how to make concerns known to ancestry, and do you think there is any possibility of getting them to modify their plans.  I would be happy with finding some place or way to download the electronic projects and would at least appreciate more time to get my existing projects finished and printed, especially those I am creating for extended family who will want time to review and print their own copies.” Lisa’s Answer: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. You can visit their original blog post on the subject . Leave a comment on that particular post - they are monitoring it. You can also click through on the MyCanvas link for more info. You can also tweet them on Twitter at @ancestry As to an alternative, personally I use Lulu.com. While it is not a genealogy site, it is excellent and print on demand publishing (books, photo books, calendars, etc.) They have been around quite a while and publishing is all they do, so I expect them to be around for a long time to come. Katharine in Ohio is also going to miss MyCanvas wrote: “My heart sank when I received the email from Ancestry.com about their MyCanvas section retiring. I just printed another chart as a wedding gift and have a couple more in the works. The service was just what I wanted, easy to work with, prompt and provided a beautiful product for a reasonable price. I've heard of Heartland and will investigate them. Can anyone else recommend places to have charts printed?” Lisa recommends:   Please click image to visit our Sponsor: & tell them you heard about them on The Genealogy Gems Podcast!   GEM: Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard has worked with the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, and has been in the genetic genealogy industry since it has been an industry. She holds a degree in Microbiology and her creative side helps her break the science up into delicious bite-sized pieces for you. She's the author of our DNA guides    

Get ready to lay a foundation in your knowledge of Colonial American genealogy research. Beth Foulk is here to walk us through early immigration to America, Indentured Servitude and Bondage, and the records and resources that can help you locate your ancestors from this time period. But first... NEWS: Lisa's youngest daughter Hannah got married last weekend!    NGS 2014 Conference in Richmond VA In addition to teaching conference classes Lisa teamed up with Maureen Taylor (The Photo Detective) and Janet Hovorka (Family ChartMasters) to provide “Genealogy Outside the Box” free 30 minute sessions in the exhibit hall. Stay tuned for more announcements of more sessions at future genealogy conferences! New Newspaper Collection The National Library of Australia has added an additional 35 historic newspapers to their online collection at . The greatest concentration of newspapers in this latest update is from New South Wales. Most of the new additions cover the date range from about 1875 to 1960, with many in the 1910 to 1945 era. Most of the additions appear to be from small towns. Hat tip to Paul Nauta at FamilySearch     MAILBOX: From Chris on Family Relics: "I loved your comments on "most treasure family relic" in the latest podcast. I'm very fortunate to have pictures and artifacts from my mother's side, but unfortunately I know very little about my dad's side and have only a few things. I could relate to the woman whose answer was "nothing".   One consolation for me has been a few little things I could find out with just a little digging. I   Finding the things I mentioned at least lets me stand in the shoes of my ancestors and imagine life in that place and at that time. It's not as nice as a "relic", but it brings them to life as real people. I think that's important in genealogy as well. Love the podcast!" Judy writes to as a follow up to the Google Earth for Genealogy Webinar “I was so excited about your workshop. Legacy presenters are good but you are among their best. In fact I received an email from my friend: After watching today's webinar and seeing the gal search the GLORecords for land patents I tried for William Breeding.  S C O R E ! ! ! ! !  I had tried searching for land patents for William Breeding in the past with no success. My great results are due to finally getting confirmation that it is William Jackson Breeding for sure and watching this gal search today. Thanks for the heads up on this webinar!!!” Watch  at the Genealogy Gems website.   Barbara is Shocked: "I really enjoy your podcasts, and was listening to your latest one when your piece about not so happy memories really struck a chord with me.  I recently asked for the file of my Great Uncle from the Australian War Memorial.  He was in World War I in France.  I found that he had been charged with desertion and sent to goal( (jail)!  What a shock, and I don’t think many of the family know a lot about it.  Reading through the transcript of the court marshal and the history of this time of the war, it was pretty clear he was a young man in shock after seeing several of his fellow soldiers die,  who did not know what to do.  He got separated from his troop and wandered around for a couple of days until he found another company and was arrested.  Later he got TB and this probably shortened his life.  A sad story, and during my research, I found that 306 Commonwealth solders were shot for desertion.  It is quite a controversial part of our history as (thank goodness) the Australian Army refused to allow any of its soldiers to be executed, and this caused some issues with the English officers. A new law passed on November 8th 2006 and included as part of the Armed Forces Act in the UK has pardoned men in the British and Commonwealth armies who were executed in World War I. The law removes the dishonour with regards to executions on war records but it does not cancel out the sentence of death.  I have decided not to put any of the information online, but keep it in the family archives.  Anyone in the family who decides to go looking will find it at the war memorial site, but my uncle did not marry or have children, so that does seem to lessen the impact." Barbara also asks for your help: I am trying to track down the family of an Australian sailor from WWI who wrote some lovely postcards.  I bought them at a garage sale several years ago, and have only just got around to reading them.  I would really love to give them to the family, as they are very touching. Here is what I know from them: The writer was on board the SS Gilgai in December 1915 to February 1916, traveling from St Vincent, Cape Verde to Boston, USA. He was not the captain or 2nd officer, as these are referred to in the postcards He refers to someone, possibly a son in Australia, as Jack He refers to his wife always as My Darling Girlie He had a friend on the SS Calulu He may have been in charge of the offloading of cargo or the engines. He bought his wife a trinket made of seeds and a table centrepiece while overseas (perhaps they are still in the family?) I can be contacted via my blog Genealogy Boomerangs if any listeners have information. Any help you can give would be appreciated, and thanks again for the great podcasts, I love hearing about all your travels and experiences.    Welcome  to our new sponsor: MyHeritage.com! This episode is also sponsored by RootsMagic. Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting this FREE podcast!   GEM: Colonial Research with Beth Foulk Look for the bibliography on her website:  During the 1600s and 1700s three-quarters of all immigrants were indentured servants and another 50-60,000 were convicts "transported" to America and sold into "slavery" on the plantations of Maryland & Virginia as their sentence for the crime. The conditions in England were abysmal, and for many this was the only out of a broken social system that had failed them. Beth discusses: The social conditions in England The social construct that gave rise the culture of indenture Who was indentured? (male, female, young, rural) The two types of indenture. (self and spiriting (kidnapping) What life was like once in service in America.  The length of term and life thereafter. The social conditions that gave rise to the shipping of convicts to America (this was before Australia became a penal colony) The black market business of shipping convicts to America.  Who did this and why? How was it done? The Transportation Act of 1718 and the attempt to regulate this business. What life was like on board the ship. What the selling or auction process was like. What life was like in America as a "transported convict" Who was transported (not all convicts) Records  1718: The Transportation Act is passed, which included: 1.    Who could be shipped 2.    Surgeon must be on board 3.    Dictated the number of convicts that could be on board Definitions: Bondage (aka Convict in England)   Question:  Where can the genealogist look to identify if their ancestor was indentured or in bondage?  Answer:  The Old Bailey Online – London’s Central Criminal Court 1674 - 1913 (free)  Full transcripts of every court hearing during this time period From the website: “The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913 A fully searchable edition of the largest body of texts detailing the lives of non-elite people ever published, containing 197,745 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court. If you are new to this site, you may find the Getting Started and Guide to Searching videos and tutorials helpful.” Also look for: Runaway records Newspapers of the time. Books of transcripts and abstracts of runaway notices (These could include a physical description) The pre-eminent authority: Author Peter Wilson Coldham Books in Amazon  Other possible records for Indentured: Contract (very rare) Land Records Probate Deed Church (references to “Servant”) Other possible records for Convicts: Census (if your ancestor is the only one with that last name in the area,that could be a clue they were a convict) There were also Political Prisoners. Look for Diary or Transcripts Visit Beth’s website: Go to “Indentured and Convicts” blog posts Email Beth at [email protected] SONG: The Death of Wolfe (Song used with permissions from Archiving Early America website) Come all ye young men all, let this delight you, Cheer up ye, young men all, let nothing fright you, Never let your courage fail when you're brought to trial, Nor let your fancy move at the first denial. So then this gallant youth did cross the ocean, To free America from her invasion, He landed at Quebec with all his party, The city to attack, being brave and hearty. The French drew up their men, for death prepared. In one another's face the armies stared, While Wolfe and Montcalm together walked, Between their armies they like brothers talked. Each man then took his past at their retire. So then these numerous hosts began to fire, The cannon on each side did roar like thunder, And youths in all their pride were torn asunder. The drums did loudly beat, colors were flying, The purple gore did stream and men lay dying, When shot off from his horse fell this brave hero, And we lament his loss in weeds of sorrow. The French began to break, their ranks were flying, Wolfe seemed to revive while he lay dying, He lifted up his head as his drums did rattle, And to his army said, How goes the battle? His aide-de-camp replied, Tis in our favor, Quebec, with all her pride, nothing can save her, She falls into our hands with all her treasure, Oh then, brave Wolfe replied, I die with pleasure. Watch the video:  By the Colonial Williamsburg YouTube channel For more inspiration and information .   CLOSING: Why You Do Genealogy In the Feb newsletter I shared a video where I explain why I do family history, and asked all of you to share what motivates you on the Genealogy Gems Podcast Facebook page. Here’s what some of you had to say: Paul wrote: "To start with my Aunt gave me 2,000+ names when I was baptized as she knew the Church members do a lot of genealogy. Many of the stories I found were interesting. But I also got to know my father who was killed about 7 months before I was born." Tim wrote: "Just the whole destiny thing. When I go back several generations, I wonder what IF he had never married her, what IF she had not moved to this town, met her husband, what IF they had stopped having kids just before my gggrandfather was born...etc. I am who I am and where I am because of decisions that were made long ago. Just kind of cool." Margaret: "Really nice video. I pursue my family history because I want to take myself back to THEIR time, find out what their lives were like, follow their journeys, trials, tribulations and day-to-day lives. Through census records, city directories and Sanborn maps I discovered my 2nd great grandpa lived around the corner from an ice-cream store in Savannah, with a dairy right behind it! How cool is that!" Peter: "I do research because I want to know who my family is, where they came from and what they did. After a 20 year search to solve one of my family line missing links I solved it and yelled whoo who, it felt so rewarding."  Margaret: "My mom had always described herself as a Heinz 57. I'm much more curious about just what/who had contributed to who I am. Having roots that reach into ancestors from Germany, England, Mexico and Spain by ways of RI, IN, TX and California make for interesting research!"

I’ve been enjoying time at home getting the new house decorated.  I have a wonderful sort of wall niche area in the living room that is perfect for a family history display, so the wheels are turning on what I want to do there. I’ve been pinning lots of ideas on Pinterest for that. And of course I’m getting in my time with my grandsons Davy and Joey. Now that Joey is a year and a half and running all over the place, it’s just playtime bedlam at Sha Sha’s house.  I'll be speaking in Round Rock, TX at the How to Reopen and Work a Genealogical Cold Case But soon May will be here and that means I’ll be heading to the National Genealogical Society Conference in Richmond Virginia. And we are going to do something very unique at NGS this year. In addition to my three scheduled presentations, we’ve got ourselves some extra booth space this year, and I’ll be giving what we are calling Outside the Box Sessions.  You know how it is, you head to a big conference, and you’re running for one 1 hour session to the next. And they are usually pretty big classrooms. Well, we are going to getting outside of that box, and holding 30 minute sessions in our booth area on the topics you’ve told me you want most. As presenters we don’t get to have the final say on which of our presentations is selected for the main conference, so it’s really exciting to have this unique way of offering the topics you ask us for. It’s   a smaller intimate setting, the sessions will be packed with tips you can start using right away, all participants will get a free ebook of the handouts for those quickie sessions, we’ll have prizes and you’ll even have some treats to nibble on. I am really excited about doing this, and I think you’ll find it refreshing, fun and informative.  I’ll doing four sessions – one each day of the conference Ancestral Time Travel with Google Earth Evernote Quick Tips for Genealogists Tablet Tips and Tricks for Genealogists Google Search Strategies And, I’ve invited two of my dearest friends, Janet Hovorka of Family Chartmasters, and The Photo Detective Maureen Taylor to join me and present some of their most popular topics!  So in all, you’ll have a dozen ½ hour sessions to choose from to reinvigorate your genealogy research. If you want to get outside the box, come hand out with us, get the ebook, nibble on some treats and get away from the huge crowds.   New Videos at the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel:    with Drew Smith  with Brian Edwards  With Michael Cassara A conversation with long time Genealogy Gems listener Michael Cassara who presented a session at RootsTech this year and I thought it was so interesting I asked him to sit down with me to talk more about it. Michael shares one of the ways that he likes to give back to the genealogy community. He buys old inexpensive photographs and does his best to track down family members today and get those ancestors back in to the hands of their families. And he shares some of techniques he uses to do that which you could certainly use in your own family history research. MJ watched the video and left this comment: “I sooo agree with the karma of sharing our genealogy and our photos. I love the Find a Grave / BillionGrave photo idea. And I know myself about good karma. I found some studio photos of a distant relative, contacted a direct descendant and sent the photos to him. He wrote back and said "my Dad looks just like his grandmother, and never knew it before! And what a gift for my son." A few weeks later a postcard collector wrote me and asked if I wanted postcards sent by my grandfather. You bet! She sent 3 envelopes full with photos of my grandparents, my great grandparents and possibly my great great grandmother as well as aunts, uncles and cousins. I had never seen most of them before. What a gift.” Go to and  watch the video and leave your comment about your experiences.   Not all Family History is Happy Memories In what seems to be the exact opposite of the usual obituary you come across as you are searching through newspapers, The Blaze reported that a Reno newspaper has removed an obituary supposedly submitted by children glad their mother was dead. The obituary was published in the Reno Gazette-Journal last September in acknowledgement of the death of Marianne Theresa-Johnson Reddick. “Marianne Theresa Johnson- Reddick born Jan 4, 1935 and died alone on Sept. 30, 2013. She is survived by her 6 of 8 children whom she spent her lifetime torturing in every way possible. While she neglected and abused her small children, she refused to allow anyone else to care or show compassion towards them. When they became adults she stalked and tortured anyone they dared to love. Everyone she met, adult or child was tortured by her cruelty and exposure to violence, criminal activity, vulgarity, and hatred of the gentle or kind human spirit…” Read more: Nobody’s family is perfect. Certainly mine isn’t. But I do think that one of the incredible things that Family history can do is shed light on the truth, and provide the power to change things for the next generation and make a difference. I’ll never forget back in probably about 2008, early on when I first started speaking at conferences regularly, I was at a Family History expo in the exhibit hall, and a local man, who appeared to be homeless, came in to the public hall, and he was absolutely distraught and angry about the pain he endured at the hands of his family, and he was hurt and deeply angry to see the family history expo being held there. In the end security guards helped lead him away, and I felt so sad for him because he was obviously in incredible pain, and he most likely didn’t have the ability or resources to actually reap some of the benefits that come from learning about your history, your whole family’s history. Not just the line of people who got way off track and caused pain, but as we know there are infinite lines out there, and there’s a lot to learn from all of them, so that history does not repeat itself. And just as importantly, that we have the opportunity to discover the gems in our tree, the unsung heroes, people who did do a good job and contributed to society. In the end, we get to pick who we admire, and we get to decide those areas that we will not perpetuate. After all, if our history stays in the dark, it is apt to look and feel even larger and scarier, but it is also apt to repeat itself. I’d love to hear from you on this subject. You don’t to share specifics. But how has learning more about your family history empowered you. And if you think it has caused harm, I’d like to know more about that too. Finally, to wrap up this segment before we get to the mailbox, I just want to send out a big thank you to some very nice folks out there in the genealogy community.   Evernote for Genealogists Thanks Yous As you probably know by now we published our Evernote for Genealogists quick reference guides, and I just want to take a moment to thank the wonderful bloggers out there who helped spread the word about these 4 page cheat sheets. A big thank you to: Thomas MacEntee: “You know what I love about these guides on Evernote? They are easy-to-use, the information is laid out in a format that makes it easy to find what you need, and it truly is something you can keep referring to as you work your way through Evernote and its features.” Randy Seaver, Amy Coffin of the “I hate to sound like a salesperson, but I found this quick guide to be helpful and extremely easy to read. The tables are concise and the lists of quick keys are impressive. This guide is a keeper.” Renee Zamora of Sue Maxwell, James Tanner, “I had been using extensively for quite some time. But was faced with dilemma when the program began to evolve rapidly. I simply lost touch with all the features being added and did not understand why I ran out of storage space and was shut down when I didn't purchase some upgrade. So, I transferred what I was doing on Evernote and used alternative products. So, solely because of this handy guide, I now understood the product. I already had the program on all my devices so transitioning back is as simple as clicking. What I needed clarified was how the program functioned vis a vis the difference between the "free" version and the "paid" version. With that out of the way, I am back in the Evernote use realm. Now, I probably could have figured out all the stuff from the Evernote website, but this made it easier for me to get going and actually do something.” Thanks again to all the bloggers who took the time to give the guides a test run. They are available in our store both for Windows and for Mac. Genealogy Gems Premium Members can enjoy several Evernote videos as part of Premium Membership: How the Genealogist can Remember Everything with Evernote (Beginner) How to Organize Your Research with Evernote (Intermediate) Making Evernote Effortless (Intermediate) BRAND NEW!   New RootsMagic Video Our long time podcast sponsor RootsMagic just published a new video I think you’ll be very interested in. It’s called Importing an Ancestry Family Tree into RootsMagic. Have you been wondering how to do this?  Well, now they have a short video that will show you how.  Currently this is limited to trees that you are the owner / manager, since Ancestry doesn't appear to allow downloading a tree belonging to someone else. You’ll find the MAILBOX: From Jane in Edmonton, Alberta: “Need your advice (as I am sure do thousands of others!!) First of all, let me take time to let you know how much I am enjoying my subscriptions to your Genealogy Gems and your podcasts.  I purchased subscriptions at the Alberta Genealogy Conference in Edmonton last year, and have been thoroughly enjoying them. I am still very much a genealogy novice.  I have dabbled on Ancestry for a number of years, but have never really had time to devote properly.  Last year I decided to try to get a little more serious, and joined the local Genealogy Society, and having retired in December, I finally feel like I should be back on this in earnest, and am wondering if you could give me some needed advice. I love Ancestry.ca, and have also dabbled in Scotland's People, the free BMD Index out of England, and of course, Family Search with the LDS.  I am finding, however, that I often end up wandering around in circles and mazes as one thing leads to another, and another, and ...   I am sure you know what I am talking about.  I'm now wondering if I would be best to take it one person at a time - to find out as much as I can about that person in that point of time, before going on to another.  I seem to be jumping back and forth between my Dad's family, my Mom's family, their families, etc. until there are times that I find myself at a certain point, only to wonder "Where was I going with this?"   I have started trying to make notes about facts as I spot them, but setting them aside to continue on the current charted course, but find that I end up hopelessly out of order and just as lost. Any advice as to how to attack this would be appreciated more than you can imagine!  I am afraid that, sadly, I am one of those individuals who is now wishing I had asked more questions when I was younger, as I am now the "older" generation, and so am relying on my own memories of stories told by my parents and grandparents back when I was young enough that I'm not sure I paid attention.  I do have four siblings, but when I speak to them, I often wonder if we all grew up in the same family, as their remembered timelines differ greatly on some events than my own.” You are not along in this genealogical dilemma! It's easy to let the records start to take over and lead you around. One way to combat that is to set a genealogical goal - define what it is you want to know. It might be something very specific about a particular ancestor, or it might just be to fill in the blanks on one particular family. Early in my research focused on one grandparent, and working backwards, I would strive to fill in all the blanks on that person, then their parents, then their siblings. I wouldn't "leave" that family until I felt that I had filled in as much of the family group sheet as possible. In fact, we have sort of lost track of the "family group sheet" in this technological age. But it is an excellent tool for keeping you on track and focused on the blanks that need to be filled. An additional strategy is to have a process for dealing with information that comes your way that is a bit off track. Often we feel like we have to pursue it or we'll lose it. I like to use Evernote (free at ) to capture data that I'm not ready to deal with right now, but definitely want to pursue later. I create an Evernote "notebook" for that family surname, and a note book called "future research". Drag and drop "Future Research" onto the family surname notebook which will create a "stack."  Now you can create notes and drop them into the "Future Research" notebook which is inside the applicable family. Add tags to your note like "newspaper," "death record," etc. and some good searchable keywords so that the note will be easy to find when you need it. Now you can capture the item, file it away, and stay focused on the task at hand. If you would like to learn more about how to use Evernote for genealogy I have a quick reference guide (PDF) in my store that will work wonders in keeping you organized.   From Mary Jane in KY “Thank you Lisa, I received your ebook fine, and now have it installed on my desktop. I've been watching a lot of your videos, have watched the ones where you had interviews at Rootstech. Each day I watched on my computer, the selected Rootstech programs as they were presented. Last week our Kentucky Genealogical Society and Kentucky Historical Society had an all day Saturday viewing of 10 of the programs given out there.  It was a special program that the Kentucky Historical Society and Kentucky Genealogical Society were chosen to participate in viewing - called a Family History Fair. Your program was one of them - How to Use YouTube for Family History: Setting Up Your Own YouTube Channel. And all those syllabi were available for us to print in advance. We had 135 people to attend.  We were very privileged and it was much appreciated by a large crowd of people. You are such a pretty gal, with a bubbly personality. Kiss those babies for me.  I've just become a great grandmother. I really enjoy your Genealogy Gems, have received your newsletters for several years, but I don't use anything but the computer. It's something about the older generation not being able to learn all these other gadgets.” You can watch free videos from the RootsTech 2014 genealogy conference at   From Steve in Cedar Falls, Iowa This is all your fault :) Yes, this is your fault! That sounds ominous, but this is a good thing! I say your fault because you are the one who encouraged me, on your blog, to start blogging about family history. I started two blogs- one for the paternal side and one for the maternal side. The paternal blog is and the maternal blog is  . My intent was to create a place where family could see the family history that I had found. But something else happened in addition to this intent. A guy in New York came across my maternal blog and emailed me that he had something I might be interested in. It was about my third great grandfather who was born in Germany. Before he came to America, he was a part of a German colony in Guatemala. I knew that, but had no proof of when and where he married or even where in Germany he was from. This gentleman from New York is originally from Guatemala and is connected to my third great grandmother who was also part of this colony. He sent me a copy of an original church record from Guatemala giving the date they were married in Guatemala AND the name of the town in Germany that he was from and his date of birth. It gets better! The German town was named Rellinghausen. When I put Rellinghausen in Google Earth, it kept taking me to Recklinghausen. Now this Recklinghausen is just north of Essen which is the place that I thought the family was from, so it seemed reasonable to assume this was the place and it had been misspelled in the Guatemala document. I order LDS microfilms from Recklinhausen and found not even one instance of the name from 1816 to the 1840s! So, I ruled out Recklinghausen. Next I entered" Rellinghausen” into Wikipedia and found that Rellinghausen had been a separate town before 1910. In 1910, it was annexed by Essen! That’s why it was not showing up on Google Earth! Next step was to contact the diocese in Essen about possible records for this ancestor. With the help of Google Translate, I wrote to the diocese office (found with a Google search) and gave the name and date of birth for this third great grandfather. I received an email back from a church secretary who said she was sending it on to someone who might help. About two weeks later, I received an email from the parish priest from the church in what was once Rellinghausen. Attached was all of the birth information including parents. I probably would have never found this otherwise! So, yes, this is all your fault and I’m VERY happy to blame you! Thanks so very much for the encouragement!” Lisa’s Answer: What an incredible story! I will happily take the blame for any part of it. :-) Google Books Tip: Be sure to search Google Books specifically for "Rellinghausen" "happekotte". A few interesting things in there. Google Translate Tip: And remember that using Google Translate will change "happekotte" as well as prevent you from seeing some snippets on books not fully available. So you'll want to search both in German and English. Steve’s Reply: “Thank you for the additional ideas for searching. The ideas that you put out there on your podcasts, the contacts someone makes through a blog, looking at possible clues in other public trees on Ancestry ALL go to show you that genealogy is much more fun and much more successful when it involves collaboration. Thanks again.” - Steve   From Carol: “I’m new into genealogy.  I’ve worked on my maternal grandfather’s side of the tree and had some success.  Yay!   Now I’m trying to work on my maternal grandmother’s side and it is more difficult.   I seem to be generating a lot more paper and search theories this time.   Is there anything out there that is a  digital basic checklist.   Something that you can check off - like census, birth record, death record, etc. Love all your Evernote tips!” Free Records Checklists and Forms: Family Tree Magazine  Ancestry.com    From Kris: “The last few months, I've begun packing up our house in Santa Clara, CA for a major life change.  This requires dividing up our 'worldly possessions' into 2 parts (one for France and one for our US home, which will be in Florida).  I spent whole days listening to your pod casts (via the app which I love on my iPhone 4s) and made it back to 2011.  Your pod casts are wonderful and as the family genealogist (for mine and my husband's family), listening to you gave me renewed energy during the long, tedious days of packing.  It occurred to me that after all this effort, I will have much more time to work on my family histories and pursue the huge file I have titled "needs further research." My favorite podcast moments thus far are:  listening to your moving challenges as you relocated to Texas  (misery loves company : ), the guest who stated that it is 'not advised' to shred original documents after digitizing them, the 'Flip Pal' interview, the daunting task of catching up on technology and the learning curve that comes with that, and your suggestions for all of us to make the family names and dates more interesting, in order to get other family members excited about our family history. Thank you for all you do for genealogists!  I met you once at our local library where you gave your Google class, and hope we cross paths again.  In the meantime, be kind to yourself.  Get well soon!   WEDDING IDEAS From Kirsty: “I have some very happy news. I got engaged last week, a very happy time for us. I remember you had talked about a family reunion sometime in the past , and I wonder if you had any tips of getting family history information out of my family while there are all at the wedding.” Lisa’s Answer: Congratulations on your engagement! How exciting. I've been busy planning my youngest daughter's wedding. She's getting married in May. I would suggest searching family reunion websites for ideas you can convert to a wedding reception. A search of Google and Pinterest.com should help you locate them. If you have  your guests seated at tables, that's a great opportunity to provide an icebreaker that can double as a family history gathering opportunity. You could have a form at each place setting for them to fill out. If you are having a videographer, you could have a short list of questions at each table, and when he comes to their table he records them answering the questions. (What's your earliest child hood memory?  Who's the earliest ancestor you have a photograph of? What are three things you remember about Great Grandmother? Etc.) If you they won't be at tables, you could have a family history table (next to another table they are likely to visit such as guest book table) and have your activity there. Let them know that this is their gift to you. You could even have some sort of treat or little sticker they can wear that says "I shared the family history, have you?" (In the U.S. when you vote they often give you a little lapel sticker that says "I voted.")  Or you could create the "Sweet Memories Candy Bars" that feature family history that I write about in my book  

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 13 Originally Published 2007 Remastered March 2014 By Lisa Louise Cooke   From the MAILBOX Hello Lisa: I have just finished listening to your podcast on tracing family members through school records. You mentioned some sources to research. Many years ago I came across a list or resources to be found in the home. I still have the photocopy I made,  but it does not say who originally created it. I believe I found it at my local LDS.  Anyway since putting it on my site, I and others who have come to that page have added to it. I really like your show and look forward to receiving your newsletter. Allan Scahill   GEM:   Memorial Day & WW II Service Records With the month of May comes Memorial Day, and in Episode Thirteen I thought it would be a good time to do a quick check for some military records.   If you have relatives who served in World War II here are a couple of free ‘must check’ websites for you. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): The WWII enlistment records for the years of 1938 through 1946 are listed on the NARA website.  These records contain the majority of enlistments, approximately nine million men and women who enlisted in the U.S. Army, including the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.  What I like about the NARA records is that they include the Army Serial Number, which I’ve not seen on the Ancestry version of the records.  And of course they are free at the NARA website.  They also have searchable WWII Prisoner of War Records. Another great website for searching for soldiers traveling overseas or returning home after the war is . I hadn’t thought of searching for traveling soldiers until I heard Steve Morse speak about it at a recent seminar.   As soon as I got home from the seminar, I used his form and immediately found my Great Uncle Elzie returning home on the Ile de France after being injured in the D-Day invasion.  With the availability of New York passenger lists up to 1957, many new research doors have been opened. If you’d like more information or historical background on Memorial Day, visit the .   GEM:  Family History Books By now you may have seen my videos A Nurse In Training Part 1 & Part 2 on A Nurse In Training didn’t actually start out as a video but rather a book.  I have found that by breaking up my research into digestible chunks of time and self-publishing them in hard cover books my extended family is able to understand and enjoy our family’s history. I started self-publishing about a year ago.  We don’t live close to our families, so Christmas gifts have to be purchased ahead of time and shipped.  Family history books turned out to be a fantastic way to start sharing some of my research findings in an affordable way that could be easily mailed. In the past I’ve sent CDs full of photos and documents. But in the end I think they were a bit overwhelming to the non-genealogists in the family. I think there are many reasons for this: Computer CDs are perceived as something technical and hard to use.   The material is chopped up, and individual photos and documents don’t tell a particular story smoothly and easily. I think they’re also perceived as very time consuming.  Folks just don’t feel like they have the time to sit down and really give it the attention it deserves.  Also, many people find reading on a computer screen hard on the eyes.  The solution: a good old fashioned book!  Books are still hard to beat for telling a story in words and pictures in a user friendly way. But where to begin the story, and where to end it?  That’s the big question!  The temptation is to tell the story of one generation of the family.  That’s usually just too big of a project to take on.  The book will likely end up being lots of dates and names and not a lot of room for much else.  And there’s always the risk that it won’t be completed if it’s too large an undertaking. I wanted my family to get to know these people in our family tree intimately.  That meant focusing in much closer than an entire generation of the family.  In the end, I started with my favorite ancestor:  my grandmother.  I’ve transcribed many years of her diaries as I talked about in Episode Two.  One of the stories that really emerged out of them was her years spent in nurses training in the 1930s.  I learned so much through her journal entries, and I knew I had a good collection of photos from that period.     I decided that my starting point would be her graduation from high school and her decision to enter the nursing field.  By the time I had pulled everything together from 1930 to 1933, I had more than enough for a nice size book.  It’s really important to create your book with your audience in mind.  Your audience is your family member who will be reading the book.  Here are my Top Six Tips for making your book fascinating to your reader: #1 The Should Book Convey An Overall Theme Start by reviewing all the available material you have.  That will give you a good sense of what the time period was like for your ancestor.  You’ll also start to understand their goals, experiences, and emotions.  Ultimately a theme should begin to surface.  In the case of A Nurse In Training, I wanted to communicate my grandmother as a young woman taking on a new adventure away from home that ultimately led to this warm, caring woman’s successful career as a nurse.  I also tucked a bonus subplot in there of how she just happened to meet her husband at the same time! You don’t need every scrap of research and every photo to get this theme across.  It’s your job to be a sharp editor and to pick out the critical pieces.  You want the words and photographs that clearly communicate your theme to the reader. #2 Create a Book that can be Read in One Sitting Like it or not, if it takes too long read, they probably won’t.  Strive to create a book that doesn’t look intimidating.  I create books that are ten to twenty double sided pages.  People will be willing to pick up a thinner book off the coffee table.  If it’s well done they’ll find that all of a sudden they’ve finished the entire book without wanting to put it down.  The final goal is that they will walk away with a real sense of having gotten to know that ancestor. #3 Your Book Should Contain the Best of What You Have This goes back to conveying the theme and being a strict editor.  My grandma had many funny stories, but there just wasn’t room for all of them.  I picked the best of the best.  Anyone who reads the book should hopefully come away with the fact that she had a sense of humor and could laugh at herself.  So keep the content of your book focused, full of graphics and photos, and including the best of the best.  If you can capture their interest in the first three pages, you’ll have them for the entire book. #4 Include Lots of Photos and Graphics A picture is definitely worth a thousand words.  Since the number of words in this size book will be limited, photographs will be your best friend.  If you’re lacking in family photos, many of my previous podcasts will give you countless ideas for locating associated photos.  In A Nurse In Training I included scanned images of skating rink tickets, programs and announcements from my grandma’s scrapbook, and journal pages in my grandmother’s own hand.  These types of items really add texture and interest to your book, as well as help the reader to see that you’ve really done your homework. #5 Keep It in Chronological Order This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to get side tracked and start going back and forth in time.  Believe me, for the reader’s sake keep things in chronological order. You as the researcher know this information backwards and forwards, but this is probably your reader’s first exposure to it.  Be gentle with them and keep it straight forward and simple.  Your reader will thank you. #6 Go for High Quality High quality glossy pages, good image quality and a hard cover binding all shout to the reader “I’m worth your time, read me!”  For example, I found a drawing of Dameron Hospital where my grandmother worked, but it was a low quality image and didn’t translate well in the book.  As much as I wanted to include it, I ended up leaving it out. I’m glad I did; it wasn’t critical to the book and there were other ways to communicate the hospital to the reader. Keeping these tips in mind, let’s talk about how to publish your own family history book. I create my books in the Kodakgallery which is now Shutterfly at . There are several websites out there offering the ability to publish your own book.  I chose Kodakgallery because the program was very easy to use, the price was competitive, publishing and shipping time was FAST, and the quality was excellent.  I saw a book that a friend of mine published of his father’s World War II service years and it was gorgeous.  Again, quality is really key. Hopefully, these books will become family keepsakes and you’ll want them to be the highest quality possible. I use the Classic Photo Book style which is 9” x 10-1/4" in size and includes ten double sided pages for a total of twenty pages, but you can certainly add more.  It comes in a hardcover that you can do in linen fabric, smooth matte or leather.  It also includes a window in the front cover that you can see your first photo through.  I really like that feature because it never fails to capture people’s curiosity and entice them to pick up the book and take a look. They also have a larger Legacy Photo book which is 12” x 14”.  This is the size my friend used that worked really well because he was including large images of newspaper pages about the war. I’m going to walk you through the steps of setting up a book in Kodak Gallery because it’s a resource I feel very comfortable recommending.  But again, there are other options out there, and my guess is that the publishing process would be pretty similar.  I have provided a Kodak Gallery link for you at my website at GenealogyGems.TV on the STORE page.  If you decide to use Kodak, I would really appreciate you accessing it through this link because it will help support the production costs associated with producing this podcast.   In the Photo Books area of the website, click CREATE BOOK. The first thing you’ll do is choose a cover material for your book.  I used black leather for A Nurse In Training which is really nice and has a light sheen to it.  It is $10 more than linen or matte.  I created a Guest Book for my daughter’s wedding where the right side pages were photos of the happy couple and the left side pages had space for guests to sign and write notes.  I used linen for that cover in the color “baby pink” and really liked that as well.  Ultimately, I think it comes down choosing a cover style that compliments the theme and contents of the book.  Once you’ve made your selection, click the NEXT button. You will then need to choose a page design for your book.  For A Nurse in Training I used the design “Time After Time.”  It has a lovely antique look.  Go ahead and pick one you like.  Don’t worry, you can always change the page design any time before you make your final purchase.  When you’re ready, click NEXT. This will bring up a box asking if you want to auto fill your book with photos you’ve already uploaded to the website, or if you want to add them page by page.  If this is your first book, I think page by page is the way to go. Now you’re getting to the fun stuff: adding content to your book.  Anywhere you see a text box you just click inside of it and start typing.  The space for text can be somewhat limited though, so always preview your pages to be sure you didn’t lose any text. To upload photos look below the image of the book and click the UPLOAD PHOTOS link.  You can browse your hard drive and select the photos and images you want to include.  On the publishing page your photos will appear beneath the book.  Just grab the photo and drop it into the DRAG PHOTO HERE box where you want it to appear.  You can preview the pages as you go by clicking PREVIEW right below the book spine.  Images can be adjusted with zoom & arrow movement features. Keep clicking next page until you have filled all the pages.  Each page layout can be altered by clicking the CHOOSE PAGE LAYOUT button in the upper corner of the page.  Using a variety of layouts can add a lot of interest to your book.  Ultimately you’ll be selecting the layouts that accommodate your images and text.  Don’t be afraid of leaving white space on pages.  It makes the book easier to read and enjoy.  Another nice feature of the book is the cover page.  Select a good, clear, preferably simple photo of your subject for the cover page.  It will be seen through a vellum page from the cover.  Under the photo you will want to put the title of your book, and on the second line add your name as author. On the backside of the cover page you will want to create your dedication page using a text only page layout.  Here’s an example of what you could write: First Sentene: State who the book's audience is Second Sentence: Give credit to those who contributed materials Third Sentence: STate your personal goal for the book, as well as your name and the year published. I gave copies of my book about my grandma to my mom and my uncle.  It was the first time in years that I’ve seen tears in my uncle’s eyes.  He loved it; no toaster or tie could have made a better Christmas gift.  The following Christmas I did a book about my father-in-laws WWII naval years and sent a copy to everyone on my husband’s side of the family.  In the months following as I received RSVPs for my daughter’s wedding they were still raving about the book and how much it meant to them.  More than anything, they were so surprised to realize how little they knew about their father’s patriotic service.  It’s a joy to create these books as well as to give them.  They’ve stimulated wonderful family conversations and I know they won’t end up in the next garage sale.  Remember: your research can be fascinating and understandable to others in your family.  It just takes a little creativity and effort.  What good is it sitting on a shelf?  Don’t wait until you are done with your research.  It will never happen.  Start putting pieces of your family history directly into your family’s hands with a beautiful family history book.   

In this episode you'll hear what you've been missing and how to get it from the Ancestry Wiki. Also how to do a very specialized type of Google search you may have never tried, a French-Canadian genealogy resource, and more. Top 10 Reasons I Moved to Texas: 10. They have something here, it’s called weather 9. I live on an acre now so my neighbors don’t complain that they hear me over here talking to myself 8. There’s a Soft Surroundings store in Southlake! And a Pottery Barn, and a Coach purse store, and… 7. Genealogy Bloggers Amy Coffin and Caroline Pointer. If you know them, you understand 6. Wise County has just launched a new genealogy society and they wanted a speaker who lived less than three hours away 5. It’s been almost 10 years since I filmed a reality TV show out here, so I figure they’ve moved on. 4. My cat Ginger is from Texas and what she meows goes 3. After 18 years in California I finally get to have a pool in my backyard 2. They don’t have chicken fried steak  in California 1. My Grandsons - Davy and Joey!   A few years ago while attending a genealogy conference, I decided to conduct some on-the-fly interviews for The . I asked folks to tell me about the most prized family heirloom that they possessed.  I heard about everything from the door knob of a woman’s parent’s bridal suite, to the bedazzling flapper dress worn by a great grandmother. All were interesting, but I was stopped in my tracks when one woman looked at me with pain in her eyes and declared “I have nothing. Not a thing. My cousins destroyed everything.” It was a difficult concept to digest. As the acknowledged “keeper of the family history flame” in my family, I’ve been fortunate enough to have inherited an abundance of family heirlooms from both sides of my parent’s families. How sad it would be to have nothing concrete to hold in your hand; nothing to help you feel the generations that held the item before. Since that day I’ve remained inspired to help people find ways to track down information and artifacts that make up their family history. Time and time again, I’ve found that just when you thought there was nothing left to find, an item will resurface. The quote (surely based on the famous words uttered by Winston Churchill in 1940) is one I cling to when it comes to genealogy: “Never give up! Never surrender!”   This motto has never been so gloriously justified as it was recently when a woman from Indianapolis, Indiana received the surprise of a lifetime this Christmas.  The Purple Heart awarded to Pat Davis’ father, (a father she never met) was found recently and returned to her. Watch the compelling video below where the daughter holds the unearthed piece of family history in the palm of her hand.  Kyla wrote: "I had old photos and letters returned to me by a woman who found me on a genealogy message board. Her father had obtained them from my brothers who were throwing them away. It was like a miracle."   NEWS: RootsTech 2014 may have come to an end, but SCGS Jamboree is just around the corner I’m pleased to return this year to speak at the 45th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree. This popular conference, hosted by The Southern California Genealogical Society, runs June 6 to 8, 2014 in Burbank, California, USA. The theme of the 2014 Jamboree is Golden Memories: Discovering Your Family History. It promises to pack tons of fun into a long weekend, as it always does. My classes on Friday and Saturday include: Who Needs Google Reader? Flip Out Over Genealogy Content with Flipboard! Learn how to use the free Flipboard app to turn your favorite genealogy web content into your own free customized digital magazine. You will flip over how fun and easy they are to create and share. Perfect for genealogists and societies! Ultimate Google Search Strategies for Genealogists Learn Google search techniques, tricks and tips to achieve better genealogical search results, and then elevate your search to a strategic level. Finally, see how all of this applies across the spectrum of free Google Tools. How to Create an Exciting Interactive Family History Tour with Google Earth. Learn to tell your ancestor’s story in a captivating multi-media way in Google Earth. Incorporate images, videos, genealogical documents, and historic maps and bring it all together in a virtual family history tour for sharing and research analysis. SCGS Jamboree 2014 welcomes 55 , over 60 , 134 for a variety of experience levels, and . Online registration is open on the , and the  is ready to take your reservation. Hope to see you there!    Genealogy Test Reveals Dad’s DNA Swapped in Artificial Insemination It’s not uncommon for genetic DNA tests to reveal that you’re not related to people you thought you were. But here’s a twist I’ve never heard before. A family who had a daughter by artificial insemination of the husband’s sperm eventually decided to do some DNA testing for family history. Imagine the wife’s shock when she discovered that her husband and daughter shared no DNA!  They got a bigger shock when they did a little research. Apparently the biological father worked at the lab that handled the family’s insemination process. The man is dead now, but it appears he may have deliberately swapped in his own sample for the father’s. Of course lots of questions have come up–including how many other children may have received the DNA of a man who was a convicted kidnapper. My heart goes out to this family and to others who now fear their genetic fatherhood was hijacked. Read the full story  (it’s popped up in several news outlets now, but I first saw it at KUTV.com).   Newly Remastered and Republished Podcast Episodes  – The Family History Library Catalog  – Using Family History Centers Part I  – Using Family History Centers Part II   What’s New at Evernote“Synchronization is now about 4X faster than ever before. This applies to any version of Evernote that you use. Sync now often takes a couple of seconds to complete, and when you get a new phone or computer, downloading your notes will take much less time. If you have a small account, you might not notice that much of a difference. On the other hand, if your account is large, or you’ve been using Evernote for many years, or you share notebooks with other users, or your entire company uses Evernote Business, you’ll see massive improvements.”   BillionGraves Now Accepting Your Documentation I’m hearing so much these days about source citation and I love it! Everyone seems to be getting smarter and better at sourcing their research finds. And genealogy websites are making it easier and more collaborative. Here’s just one example, an announcement just made by BillionGraves: “After months of work in response to hundreds of user requests, BillionGraves has added several new features designed to validate and enhance the headstone records found on BillionGraves.  The Supporting Record feature now allows users to upload evidence-based documents that support the BillionGraves records that have been collected through our mobile Apps. This means that users are now able to upload headstones, birth/death, burial, marriage, cremation, and many other types of records without needing a smart phone. Thousands of records are being uploaded every day and are breaking down genealogy brick walls and making connections that once seemed impossible. While working closely with our users and genealogists we found that there were many headstones and burials that just couldn’t be accounted for with our current systems; including unmarked graves, cremation scatterings, destroyed stones, and so on. Our Supporting Records features eliminate this problem while maintaining the validity and accuracy of the BillionGraves database.”   MAILBOX: Answer to A Genealogical Google Search Question Jo-Anne: “Is there a Google Earth Cd of the 1932 L.A. Olympic Games?” Lisa’s Answer: I would try the following Google Search as follows... "1932" Los Angeles "Olympic Games" "google earth" .KMZ Quotation Marks around a word or phrase mean that the word or phrase must appear in all results.  Adding .KMZ or .KML tells Google that you want Google Earth files as the highest priority. Put quotation marks around the file designation and you’ve just told Google to ONLY return Google Earth files. Lisa wants to know: “What type of Google Earth files / maps / tours would you be interested in finding?”   What Would You do? From a concerned listener: "I have a dilemma I'm not sure how to handle. I have a recent ancestor that I never met, but my parents knew. This ancestor did some remarkable things in his lifetime, but also some terrible things to members of his family, some of whom are still living. I want to write about the good things he did, but I don't want to upset the relatives he hurt. Do you have any suggestions on how to handle recent ancestors with difficult pasts?" Lisa’s Answer: I'm sure different folks have different ideas on this. But for me, living relatives come first. If it causes pain to someone living their life today, then I would hold off. I would also feel I was being somewhat deceptive to write up only the positive elements of their life. Deception can be created by omission. And our life activities are interconnected. For example, if a man built and incredible company, it might have been at the expense of his children if they never received his love or time. That is part of the story. To tell the true and complete story, I don't believe the genealogist can cherry pick. And therefore there are times when we must leave stories and lives alone until telling their stories would no longer cause harm to living people. I certainly would not want to allow "terrible things" to continue by bringing it back up in public. That's just my personal opinion on the situation. I hope all goes well in whatever you decide. Lisa wants to know: What do you think? Have you faced this situation, on either end?   A Podcast for French-Canadian Research:  Thank you to our wonderful sponsor GEM: The Ancestry Wiki with Crista Cowan In this gem, Crista Cowan explains how to find the wiki, how to search it, and how to explore it because "we don't know what we don't know." From Ancestry: “Do you want to know what birth records exist for a specific county? Did you just discover that your ancestor was in the military and need to know what military records might give you the most information about him? The answers to these (and MANY other) genealogy questions can be found in the Ancestry.com Family History Wiki.”   Producer: Vienna Thomas Contributing Editor: Sunny Morton  

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 163: Get ready to flip out with me over Flipboard. It’s a free app and web tool that you have to see to fully appreciate. In this episode I’ll take you behind the scenes at Flipboard in the Silicon Valley and talk to the folks who create the product that helps you enjoy the online content you love. I’ll also share a little discovery I made about family history when I threw my back out over the holidays (there’s got to be an easier and less painful way to do family history research!) and get you up to date on all the genealogy news. The back pain in my family history was there all the times but I didn’t recognize it!  My Great Grandmother Louise’s “hand on hips” stance in many of the old family photos was more than just a sassy attitude. It reflected a family history of back pain that plagued my grandmother, my uncle, and me. And what do you suppose folks will think a 100 years from now when the news stories are long gone, and they are reviewing the footage of the sign language guy at Nelson Mandela’s funeral?  A reminder that not everything we see in old home movies and photos may necessarily be as it seems?   NEWS: Read: Happy 4th Birthday Genealogy Gems App!  Get the App: For For For For   New Episodes of Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast The fourth annual Rootstech conference, hosted by FamilySearch, will be held February 6-8, 2014 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition to renowned keynote speakers, the conference features over 200 classes, hundreds of booths in a huge Expo Hall, and evening events. Pinterest Pinterest as has given users three more “secret” boards where you can pin privately. Visit Lisa’s Pinterest boards at MAILBOX: Keith wrote: “I previously wrote you a few months ago when I launched my own blog, . I am happy to report that tomorrow marks my 150th post. Thank you for reading my first message on your show. I have since had it listed on Geneabloggers and started a weekly picture post, Wordless Wednesday. After spending a considerable amount of time trying to break down brick walls, I'm currently focused on learning about my, and my wife's, great grandparents, which I call "thickening the branch. In the new year I plan on releasing eBooks containing all my research from the past six months with accompanying trees. All of it is thanks to guidance I get from listening to your podcast. Thank you for all that you've done and will continue to do.” Congratulations on your blog's milestone! Now anytime someone searches Google for one of your ancestors they will find you.  I'm so happy to hear that the podcast has been helpful to you in your journey. From Maryann: “Sitting here addressing Christmas cards and grabbing a bit of lunch when I decided to check my email. Spotted your email and opened it up. Skimmed through it, went back to the top again to check out more of what you wrote about the RootsTech 2014 Flipboard magazine you put together. Looked over at the stack of cards still waiting, but thought I'd grab a few minutes to just get it downloaded. Thanks to your book, I already have and use Flipboard, so it didn't take long to find the magazine and subscribe. It looks FANTASTIC. Can hardly wait to sit down and spend time reading through the articles and watching the videos. Right now, though, that stack of cards is shouting me, so I'd better set aside my iPad (after reading your book, I chose a mini, and am forever grateful for the help your book gave me, especially in setting up my apps) and get back to them.” And Taunja is also flipping over Flipboard: “I've had Flipboard on my smartphone and didn't know what to do with it! Just subscribed to the Rootstech magazine and it looks wonderful...thanks so much! Looks like a better learn a little bit more about Flipboard.”   GEM: Flipboard Interview If you’ve been listening to this podcast since the beginning, or have gone back and caught up on the previous episodes, then you know that I was a big advocate of iGoogle as a way to stay organized online. And one of the things I used to love to organize were all my favorite podcasts, blogs, and videos having to do with family history. I say used to because back in November 2013 Google did away with iGoogle, much to my dismay. They want their users to focus on Google+, which frankly is not a favorite of mine. In fact I was just reading the other day that Google’s CEO was saying that they made a big mistake in underestimating social media online, and that has put them in a position of constant catch up. Well, it didn’t take long to track down some great alternatives, and in this gem I want to focus on the one I flipped out over for tracking and enjoying my favorite online media like blogs and videos. It’s called Flipboard, and if you have my book Turn Your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse, then you’re probably already familiar with it. Now wait, don’t turn off this episode because you don’t have an iPad. You don’t need one to use and enjoy Flipboard. It’s a free app for Android and Apple devices – so we’re talking all kinds of smart phones and tablets can use it. Now while the app allows you to pull together all your favorite RSS feeds together and displays them in a beautiful way, Flipboard also has a Magazine feature.  In a recent issue of the free Genealogy Gems eNewsletter – which you can sign up for on our homepage at – I wrote an article all about a magazine I created all by little self using the free Flipboard web tools. These magazines – and I really call them magazine issues, because they are like stand along issues of a magazine – can be viewed on your computer web browser as well as the app, and you can add content from all over the web, and share it with others. When I saw the magazine feature for the first time my mind just started racing with all the genealogical possibilities. I’ve created several free magazines that you can enjoy, and I’ll tell you more about how to access those at the end of this segment. But first, we’re going to head to the Silicon Valley and meet with the folks at Flipboard to get an up close and personal look at the company, the app, and these awesome magazines. In this interview I travel to Flipboard's offices in Palo Alto, the home of a few names you might recognize, such as Facebook, and meet up with Todd Lapin. He is on Flipboard’s editorial team and runs their new blog focused on discovering of great content  and he also runs their MagMakers twitter handle: RootsTech 2014: Where Genealogy and Technology Converge is a free magazine available in the free app  and on the web at The magazine pulls together great web content from RootsTech speakers, exhibitors, and official bloggers in one beautiful and convenient place. Looking for more great genealogy themed Flipboard magazines? Check out two more new issues from Lisa Louise Cooke:   Genealogy Gems Premium Members can hear for about using Flipboard for Genealogy in the upcoming Premium Episode #106 later this month. The episode will also include additional notes and instructions.    

Wondering how to get your kids and grandkids engaged in family history? Looking for worthwhile activities for the kids over the Christmas break? In this episode author Janet Hovorka provides answers. Our children are the future of our families, and there's no better time to help them engage, explore and enjoy their family history!  App Users: Be sure to check out the audio Bonus Content in the Genealogy Gems App! NEWS: of the 1 year digital subscription to Family Tree Magazine. Amanda’s Blog: Read about Where You Can Find Over a that are Now Indexed!    MAILBOX: From Gary: “There was a recent episode of the Las Vegas Based  “CSI” show in which a genealogist was used  to help solve a crime and the head CSI guy (Ted Dansen) and the Genealogist debated about Genealogy being a science.  Only took them 1 hr  (and 30 commercials) to do what takes us a live time –Hummmmmm!!!” Premium member Roger in Utah: “Thanks for another great podcast – this time on MY ancestral homeland of Norway.  I have spent many hours using the   website.    While you can use the English version, parts of it are only in Norwegian. Norway, like most Scandinavian countries, has put nearly all of their parish records online.  It is a wonderful resource. You have to learn what some of words are, such as birth, Christening, confirmation, marriage, death, etc. But even just these can help a lot. If you learn a few more Norwegian words, you can more fully access the vast amount on information available on that site.  In that podcast you also talked about taking a risk and contacting someone about possible family information. Through some of my Norwegian research I found a man who lives in a little town about an hour north of Oslo. He is the leader of a group called the Hadelandlag Society. Hadeland is a region of Norway. I got an email address for this man, Ole, and contacted him. He has been wonderful to me.  He went to a local repository and looked up information on my family from the information I gave him. Of course, I thanked him profusely for helping someone he did not even know. We have now emailed several times. Certainly the “risk” paid off. I have also found some US chapters of the Hadelandlag Society and have become a member.   And I found some distant cousins as a result,  one in Canada, and one in Minnesota. We email somewhat regularly. See what taking the “risk” can do.” Matt Has a Mystery and is Looking for Extra Sets of Eyes: “Thank you for your podcasts! … even listening to the older podcasts can provide needed perspective on how to break through your brick walls. Speaking of brick walls, mine may be crumbling. I've been trying to trace the parents/ancestors of my great-grandmother. Up until this past summer, I had no information whatsoever. On May 30, 2013, I found an 1855 New York State Census entry that may tell me who her family is. I wrote up a about the current status of the search and I'd be interested in your thoughts.”  From Alan in Minneapolis, MN: “I started listening to the podcast about a year ago, and it's been a great reminder of things that I had forgotten how to use Google for.  Thanks to your hints, I've found descendants for 2 of my wife's great-great uncles who moved away from the farm in Illinois and we lost track of. The Google tips from early on in the series have even helped in projects at work- my colleagues think I'm spending hours searching for things that I'm finding in a couple minutes with some of the tricks. Also after hearing about blogging your family history for at least the last 3 pod casts,  I've finally decided to take the leap and start publishing my discoveries on a blog () so I can post there rather than send emails and miss some of the cousins or send Facebook messages and miss the others.  I've only written two posts (one's up one set to publish Sunday morning), but I hope this is something I can keep up. Just a note to say thanks.” Janice in Montreal started a genealogy blog: “I attended several of your presentations at the BIFHSGO conference a few weeks ago and really enjoyed them. Partly as a result of hearing your advice, I have started a blog on which I'm posting the short family history articles I've been writing, as well as comments on the research process. The story called "An Economic Emigrant" explains why I'm a Canadian rather than an American. Please take a quick look when you get a chance.” . Ethan is looking for some Fold3 help: “I recently went to look for the graves of my great-grandparents and learned in doing so that their son, my grandpa's brother, died in WWII.  Since he has a very common name, George L. Allen, I have been unsuccessful in trying to look up his records on or other search engines.  Any hints on how to narrow my search?  This is the information I was able to obtain just from his headstone: Private First Class, 63rd armored infantry battalion, 11th armored division.  He died Jan 6, 1945, just as the war was dying down.  Other than that, I don't know if he was in the Pacific or in Europe.  My search yields thousands of results.  Any help would be appreciated!” Lisa’s Answer: Fold3.com does have some educational videos on YouTube. In particular: . If you don't get the full answer you are looking for, leave a comment on the video to ask a more specific question or ask how to contact them with your question. YouTube is interactive when it comes to comments and I would anticipate they would respond. Family Tree Magazine Webinar Recording:   GEM: Helping Your Kids and Grandkids Engage in Family History with Janet Hovorka Janet is the author of the book Zap the Grandma Gap Available Workbooks:    Above: Janet Hovorka, Owner of FamilyChartmasters  Visit the free Website for more CLOSING: Sign up for the FREE Genealogy Gems Newsletter at Explore Lisa's brand new Pinterest Board:  

I was so impresssed with Yngve Nedrebø, the Chief archivist at Riksarkivet (National Archives of Norway) who I recently interviewed for the Family Tree Magazine podcast that I'm publishing an extended version of that interview here on the Genealgoy Gems Podcast. This is a "must hear" for those with Norwegian heritage. In this episode you'll also hear from a fellow listener and get a chance to see his family history tour that he created in Google Earth using the techniques I teach in the Google Earth for Genealogy video CD series. And we'll get a taste of the history of coffee. Linda from Ventura Seminar writes in about her recent success: “I just loved your presentation Saturday at the Ventura Genealogy Seminar.  I learned so much and feel very enthused to really get to work on all this.  In fact I was so encouraged I got brave and called a telephone number that I had found for a possible 1st cousin, once removed.  And surprise, it was him and we had a lovely 30-minute conversation and I’m going to send him information and he and his wife invited me to Florida to visit!!  How about that.  It was so exciting, still haven’t gotten over it.” Linda said that she was encouraged enough to get brave and make that telephone call. That can be a pretty scary thing. We all have things that we need a bit of bravery to do. And that brings me to an important question that I posed in the most recent edition of the free Genealogy Gems Newsletter. Having you taken a technological RISK lately? This was the key question I posed in the newsletter: Are you fully embracing technology so that you can connect with those that matter to you, both living and in your family tree? There's not as much RISK as you might think. As I always say in my classes: "you can't break it, so go for it and give it a try!" And of course Genealogy Gems is here to help.   MAILBOX: Eric shares his Google Earth Family History Tour: “This is my most complex Google Earth Project ever.   I hope you enjoy it.  It’s really been a hit with my family.  They don’t glaze over right away, LOL!  After viewing it I couldn't help but wonder if there was video out there. And sure enough I found a few. I'm sure there are more with potential: B17s taking off from Podington:  Focke-Wulf Fw 190: YouTube video update: If you’ve had trouble embedding videos recently in your own family history tours, or genealogy blog, it's actually YouTube that is causing the problem. If you look closely at the YouTube embed code they are (for some unknown reason) leaving off the "http:" and so the code doesn't work. Copy and paste the embed code into a Google Earth placemark and then correct the URL so it is complete and it will work for you. (Do note though that the person who uploaded the video can opt not to allow it to be embedded. If that's the case, there will be a statement on the video page)   Cameron is Looking for Death Certificates “I am 23 year old recent graduate of nursing school and a huge fan of your Genealogy Gems podcast. I've been researching my family history for about 5 years off and on, and I've discovered more than I've ever imagined. I've been listening two your show for about 3 months now after I discovered it, and I appreciate all of the helpful tips. However, I still have a little problem. I can't seem to find the maiden name of one of my recent ancestors Sallie Mosley. She was born in 1863, I assume in Emanuel County, Georgia. She married James Mosley in the 1880's. I know that the courthouse in Emanuel county burned several times, so that could be why I can't find a marriage record. I have found a death certificate on Ancestry, but isn't very detailed unless you order the certificate. If I visited the courthouse, could they possible dig up a detailed death certificate?”   From Lisa: I ran a quick Google search and found the following on the "Death certificates are open to the public. You must be a member of the immediate family to acquire a death certificate with the cause of death. Our Death certificates on the local level begin at 1927 and back to 1917 in our state office." So depending on when she died they may be able to be of help.  I would also recommend contacting local historical and genealogical societies. They often have the inside scoop on what's available and how to access it locally. A quick Google search should help you make contact. Run the search in Google Earth and it will plot them out for you on the map!   GEM: Norwegian Genealogy and the National Archives of Norway One of the shining stars on the Internet that offer rays of research hope for those with Norwegian heritage is the National Archives of Norway’s Digital Archive. Lisa’s special guest: Yngve Nedrebø, Chief archivist at Riksarkivet.    GEM: Wartime Coffee Bean Counting Given what seems to be the ever-growing profusion of coffee vendors, imagine what a crisis it would be if coffee were suddenly rationed. That's exactly what happened this month in 1942 because the war had interrupted shipments and people were hoarding coffee. But rationing lasted only until the next summer. It's thought that coffee was introduced into America by Captain John Smith, one of the founders of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia. Its popularity jumped after both the Boston Tea Party and the beginning of Prohibition. For those who don't make their own coffee, there are just over 19,000 coffee shops across the country, and they sell more than $10 billion worth of coffee a year. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <>. Sources:    

In this episode you will meet other listeners who are getting the word out about their family history through blogging as well as give you some genealogy blogging pointers,and I will introduce you to one of my first “Favorite Genealogy Gems” Look who I ran into in Detroit: Steve Luxenberg, author of "Annie's Ghosts" Cruise with Lisa It’s always a joy for me to get to get out and about and meet so many of you in person. And, have I got an amazing event to tell you about where we can get together in person, talk genealogy and experience the joy of travel! I’ve just signed on with Itinerary:  day 1 – depart Tilbury, London – 6pm (boarding from 12.30pm) day 2 – at sea day 3 – Invergordon, Scotland – 7.30am-10pm day 4 – Kirkwall, Orkney Islands – 7am-6pm day 5 – Stornoway, Outer Hebrides – 7.30am-10pm (transfer to shore by tender) day 6 – Tobermory, Isle of Mull – 7.30am-4pm (transfer to shore by tender) day 7 – Dublin, Ireland – 8am-5.45pm day 8 – St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly - 9am-6pm (transfer to shore by tender) day 9 – St Peter Port, Guernsey - 7.30am-6pm (transfer to shore by tender) day 10 – Honfleur, France –  9am-5pm day 11 – arrive Tilbury, London – 9am You’ll have around 40 topics to choose from, held mostly in the evening so there will be loads of time to explore the landscape. My understanding is that this cruise is filling up very quickly so if you’re interested be sure and click the links above for more details.   Brand New in the Genealogy Gems Store Quick Reference Guide “a nice easy to grab and use laminated cheat sheet that can instantly answer your most important questions and give you easy ways to use Evernote more quickly and efficiently.” Evernote is certainly the fastest-growing note-taking technology out there, so it is no wonder that it is incredibly popular with genealogists. But there is so much packed in to it that I notice that many genealogists aren’t taking full advantage. Keep this handy cheat sheet close at hand and you’ll have everything you need. This four page laminated guide includes: A Getting Started Checklist Quick Key Break Out Boxes – packed with keystrokes to speed up your use of Evernote Specialized Note-taking Actions How to Get the Most Out of Clipping Tips for Maneuvering the Desktop Client Genealogical Organization Recommendations Little Known Search Strategies Specialized Genealogy Focused Techniques such as Source Citation Tips, Clipping Recommendations, and Using Reminders Evernote Premium vs. Free Comparison   Genealogy News: and FamilySearch recently announced that they have made an agreement to jointly make a billion global records available online over the next five years by digitizing, indexing and publishing the records from the FamilySearch vault. Ancestry.com expects to invest more than $60 million alongside thousands of hours of volunteer efforts facilitated by FamilySearch.  The companies also announced in early 2013 an additional project where they plan to publish 140 million U.S. Wills & Probate images and indexes over the next three years—creating a national database of wills and other probate documents spanning 1800-1930 online for the very first time.   Daughter Receives WWII Soldier Father's Letter Decades Later Watch the Video:   MAILBOX: In this episode we celebrate listeners who are sharing their family history through blogging: New Blogger Keith is a Son of a Swift I have run a personal family history site for the past five years and now, based on your advice, launched my own genealogy blog. I already had a tumblr account, so I started (Son of Swift is a translation of my name from the original Gaelic, O'Seibhleain).  Thanks for the great idea and I will continue to listen as I conduct my research into the future.”   Chris is Now Blogging    “OK listening to the folks in your latest podcasts convinced me. I started my own genealogy blog last month. So far there's not a lot of "traffic" but I've gotten good reviews from the family members…Hoping you have some tips in mind for a future podcast...sort of a maintaining a blog for the long run -tips and tricks type thing. Take a look and let me know what you think. LOVE the podcast.”   Follow up from Chris: “After getting my feet wet, I decided to join GENEABLOGGERS network at  . Wow. My first goal was realized just after that. I found another blogger who is a "double cousin" through two different branches of my family. Thanks so much for your advice.”   Margaret is on a Family Album Journey “I started my blog a couple of years ago, but I decided to really blog regularly back in May.  I'm using the photos in my Davis ancestors' family albums from the 1880s as a springboard for my blog posts.  They lived in Savannah, so I'm really focusing a lot on Savannah history and the photographers there.  It's been fun.  I took a break when I went on a family vacation in July, so I'm struggling to get back in the rhythm of posting.   I tend to do a lot of research just for my posts, so it can take a lot of time, but I love it! Thanks for the inspiration and all the great information.” Wayne Uses Blogging to Discover Genealogy “I have started a new blog about genealogy. It is a place where I can tell stories, relate experiences and pass along tips discovered while doing research on my family; through volunteer activities, including as an Online Parish Clerk; and from projects completed as a genealogical consultant. The first post is in place and I have many more in preparation." Premium Member Sandy is Digging into her Family Roots “I am a new blogger, on your last podcast you said to email a link to our blogs. I watched your videos to get me started. i do have fun with it. I hope you like it.” Sandy’s blog has been featuring a series of letters home written during World War II." Steve is Poking Around the Past “On September 1st I finally managed to get my family history blog started, and I'd like to invite you to take a look. I call it Poking Around in the Past, and I gave you a mention (link) in my first post.” From Gloria who describes herself as “A Die Hard Fan” “I have a blog but haven’t really dedicated it to genealogy although it ties in sometimes as I use it for building my platform for my upcoming adoption memoir. Feel free to take a look at Family Links Matter. I put together a Facebook group page—The Groton, MA LONGLEY line—and family members post and share info, pictures, and a lot more. I met a third cousin and her daughter, several 7th cousins, and more. It’s a great resource for all of  us. Check it out Groton MA line LONGLEY   Lisa’s Blogging Tips Include great visuals – old photos, public domain images, etc. Your readers will enjoy them and they may help in your blog’s Google search results ranking. Give your readers an easy way to subscribe by email Give it a try by subscribing to the Genealogy Gems Blog through email using Instructions for Subscribing to a blog via email: (feel free to add these to your blog) Look for the orange RSS button to get the feed address for a blog or podcast. Copy the RSS feed address for the blog Example: The Genealogy Gems blog the feed is Go to Paste  the blog feed URL in the “Feed” field on the Blogtrottr website In the next field type in your email address Select how often you want to receive the email notifications of new posts Click the orange “Feed Me” button Emails of new posts will now be delivered to your email address as requested Let your readers know that the service is available to them by adding a Text Widget to the side bar of your blog with the above instructions and a link to Blogtrottr. Try assigning themes to your blogging days. It can help you get a jump start on writing, as well as help you determine which areas are your favorites that you may want to focus on my more in the future as your “niche.” Check out Geneabloggers at for genealogy blogging support and theme ideas. Break up long posts into several posts. They are easier for you to publish, and easier for your readers to consume. Collect blogging ideas in Evernote. Set up a notebook called “Blogging Ideas” and tags for your various subject areas such as: Family lines / surnames such as  “Johnson Family” Location based subjects such as “Texas History” Focus areas such as  “Memoirs”, “Old Photos” etc. Learn everything you need to know about using Evernote for genealogy by In addition to over 100 exclusive Premium episodes, membership includes my one hour Evernote class video, and the Evernote instructional mini-series.  Get the Quick Reference Guide in the Genealogy Gems Store   GEM:  Lisa’s Favorite Genealogy Gems (Just in time for Christmas!): Espy Frames by Jen Garrett As I get older, I find myself tiring of the same old gift giving every year. You know how it is – we all have too much stuff, and what we become more and more interested in is that which will last, and have a lasting impression on our family and those we love. So as I travel throughout the year I keep my eyes peeled for things that really stand out – items that are truly Genealogy Gems. Wonderful products that I want for my own home and family, and ones I think that you will appreciate and enjoy as well. So I’ve decided that Lisa is going to have her Favorite Genealogy Gems.  And the first one that I want to introduce you to today are I will never forget taking my annual walk through the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference exhibit hall this last year. I really didn’t expect to see anything earth shattering or new. But when I reached the end of the first row and turned the corner I was instantly mesmerized by what I saw. Laid out across a long table, and hanging on the walls behind it were the more glorious and spectacular frames I had ever seen. Most were large thick frames around mirrors, but a few encompassed vintage photos. But they had three very important things in common. They all were dripping with vintage gems, jewels, charms, buttons and antiques. They were all one-of-a-kind pieces of art, and each one told a very unique story.  Oh, and they had one more important thing in common. They were all created by Jen Garrett. In this gem segment of the podcast I want to introduce you to Jen. She is a very special lady, which an incredible talent for story telling through these incredible art frames. I hope you come away with is that there are new and creative ways to help tell you ancestors story. I have a very special hand tinted photo from the 1930s of my beloved Grandma Alfreda Burkett in her nursing cap, taken the day she graduated from nursing school. She looks so young, and beautiful and full of excitement for her new career, which would last for over 50 years.  I’ve waited to hang that photo in my home because I knew it deserved a special frame, and I’ve just never found one that did it justice. The frame that I bought that day, absolutely does it justice. It’s covered in vintage items from that era, all with a medical theme Exclusive Collection Hand Selected by Lisa I noticed it right away because the frame held a photo from that same era of another young nurse. She has been replaced with Grandma Burkett’s photo, and this framed piece is now, truly, a family heirloom. It hangs in my Genealogy Gems office, and it will be handed down for generations to come. Jen’s frames are an investment well worth making. And if you would like to acquire one of these very special frames you will find an exclusive collection now in the Genealogy Gems website store, just in time for the holidays. The frames are all truly incredible works of art! Even if you aren’t interested in purchasing a frame, may I encourage you to just go and You’ll be inspired. And once a frame I this collection has been purchased it’s gone forever, because they really are one-of-a-kind. Be sure to click on them to see the enlarged view. The photos don’t do the frames justice, but the larger images will give you a taste of all of the incredible and intricate details in them. On a PC you can hold the Control key and plus the plus key (+) to zoom in even further. Enjoy! Join Today: Sign up for the Free Newsletter on the homepage and get the free ebook 5 Fabulous Google Search Strategies for the Family Historian as a thank you gift!  

Come along as we solve a family history mystery with high-tech and low-tech tools, discuss who to begin African-American research, explore newly available Canadian records, and contemplate the value of work as well as the values we want to pass on to our kids and grandkids.   NEWS: Canadian Genealogical Records Now Available If you have Canadian kin, you’ll be pleased to hear that the 1825 census of Lower Canada is now searchable online. The 1825 census of Lower Canada counted nearly half a million people. Heads of household were actually named, with other members of the household counted by category. You can search by household name or geographic location. The 1921 census counted 8.8 million people in thousands of communities across Canada. According to the Library and Archives Canada Blog, the population questionnaire had 35 questions. The census also collected data on “agriculture; animals, animal products, fruits not on farms; manufacturing and trading establishments; and [a] supplemental questionnaire for persons who were blind and deaf. This represents a total of 565 questions.” The census was released this past June 1 from the national Statistics office to the Library and Archives. That office is processing and scanning the nearly 200,000 images for public use. It hopes to have them posted soon. You can start looking for your Canadian ancestors in the at which include that 1825 census and a new version of the 1891 census, too. If your family arrived in Canada after the 1921 census, check out the website for The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, where a million immigrants landed between 1928-1971. The much-anticipated (but little-publicized) 1921 Canadian census is now online and available for browsing at  They anticipate releasing an index later this year. When you click on the first link above, you’ll see that Ancestry.ca’s collection of Canadian census data goes back to 1851. Check out my post above to learn about online data back to 1825. It’s getting easier all the time to find your Canadian ancestors online! Genealogy Roadshow on PBS: More Genealogy TV Lovers of Who Do You Think You Are! and other genealogy TV favorites will be pleased to know that Genealogy Roadshow is filming for airing this fall on PBS. This has already been a popular series in Ireland, where Genealogy Roadshow is in its second season. The series premieres in the U.S. on KQED on Monday September 23.   MAILBOX: Death Certificate Confusion  Scott writes: “I wanted to send this death certificate to you and maybe you could talk about it on your podcast.  It's a reminder we can't take what we see at face value even from a primary source created at the time of the event.  On one line it says he died Jan 17, 1937 and another it says the attending doctor saw him alive on February 17 of the same year.  But then he was buried on Jan 20th.  It's really not all that clear whether the events took place in January or February from just this document.”    Lisa’s Reply: What is really fascinating about this document is how the slight variation in handwriting gives away the problem. The doctor was very detailed with the variety of dates he entered as Feb. when events took place. His “3” generally stands up or even tips forward a bit. But the Registrar, Mr. Popeland, distinctly tilts his “3” and “7” back a bit. And his hand is also heavier. Very quickly you see that Dr. Brallier completed his portion of the form and then, I would guess later, Mr. Popeland completed the remainder of the form and filed it. The big question is who made the mistake: was Mr. Popeland correct that it was January, or was Dr. Brallier correct that is was February? I searched Ancestry and MyHeritage because I was anxious to know the answer. After an initial search neither Dempsey nor his wife Ruby Lee appeared, which is rather curious. After trying all types of name variations, I finally went to our old friend, . I search on his wife "Ruby Lee Danner" in quotation marks and up popped one result - . Searching “Dempsey Danner” in quotation marks resulted in 7 hits, 3 of which were him, including an obituary at the Dr. Braillier has been vindicated. Perhaps Mr. Popeland had filed one too many certificates that day, or had his mind on something else as he entered January in the remaining blanks. And once again, the case is made that the person who was there at the time of the event in person got it right, and the one recording the event later did not. Kate shares some old time photo resources:  “…Old Time DC on Facebook.  It's brilliant.  It's a collection of DC photos from the past.  It's not owned by anyone and anyone can post.    I love looking at old photos trying to figure out what the world was like before…It would be so wonderful if people in various cities starting compiling things like this Old TIme DC Facebook page.  Many families have shared interest in various places and streets but most people didn't think to take photos of those things.” Lisa’s Tip: Try searching for names of towns and keywords like “photos” and “history” to see if there are similar groups on Facebook that can benefit your research. My example: I found a similar Facebook page for Margate Kent . It's a terrific use of social media!   GEM:  Interview with Dr. Deborah Abbott Genealogy Gems contributor Sunny Morton interviews Dr. Deborah Abbott, Ph.D., an adjunct faculty member at the Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama and currently serves as a Trustee on the Board of the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS).   Dr. Abbott specializes in African American genealogy, slavery, court records as well as methodology. Her genealogical research project about an African American Family from Kentucky entitled "From Slavery to Freedom to Antioch" was highlighted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Ohio) Newspaper under the title "Six-Volumes to Amplify a Family History" in 2008.   In this Gem Dr. Abbott shares her strategies for Starting the Search for African American Roots: Interview your family (both blood and non-blood!) Ask open ended questions Generate feelings Get an entire social history if you can. Try asking a question to frame the question. Like “who was the president when you were 12?” Debbie's Favorite Resources: Ancestry.com and Familysearch.org. Opened at the same time! Go back and forth between the two. Think of Ancestry as “the index” and FamilySearch as the “images.”  Example: Ohio Death Index 1908-2007   Slave Research: Follow the Census Research slave holder Pay attention to who is in the house, and who lives around them. Sometimes slave holders and former slaves share first names in addition to last names. “Once we get into the slave era African-America are no longer people, they are property.” You are looking for people as you would other property like land. You must look at the people making the transactions, all the way through their death.   Ohio had laws that governed the movements of African-Americans in the early years. Understand the history and the laws in the location and timeframe you are researching. In Ohio –African-Americans had to register.   Sat. Sept. 28, 2013 Detroit Public Library – Main Branch Debbie will be teaching on techniques for tracing African-American Roots Lisa will be teaching on Ultimate Google Search Strategies and Tips and Get the Scoop on Your Ancestors with Newspapers.   on the Value of Work, Looking to Ancestors for Values, and Passing on our Family’s Values to our Kids and Grandkids.    

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 158 August 2, 2013 NEWS: Attention Gmail Users:Google has revised the Gmail dashboard to now include tabs, separating your emails based on the type of content. Overall, I really like it, but I wanted to bring to your attention to the fact that your Genealogy Gems email newsletters will probably land in the Promotions tab, rather than your Primary tab. The problem with this is that we are used to focusing on what is in the in box in front of us, and I know I’m having a little difficulty retraining myself to check the other tabs. To ensure that you get your Genealogy Gems newsletter emails instantly, move the newsletter to your Primary tab. Click on the  email to grab, drag and drop it on the Primary tab. From that point forward your newsletter emails should show up in your Primary tab, and you won’t miss a thing!   The Genealogy Gems Podcast App is now available for Windows 8 phone, tablets and desktop! Our app provides you the ability to stream or download free Genealogy Gems Podcast content, and even share your favorite episodes. Here's what you need to know: Phone / Tablet:  First, for $2.99 from the Windows Phone Store.   Once installed, a live tile will be available on the start menu. Opening the app will provide you a list of episodes available for the show. You can swipe left or right to move through favorites, downloaded episodes, and recently played episodes.  Selected episodes will be highlighted with a check mark in the corner. Tapping on an episode you wish to listen to will open an in app player. Clicking on the three dots in the lower right hand corner will open up the menu shortcuts, giving easy access to marking episodes as favorites, downloading the episodes for offline listening, or sharing the episodes out with your friends. Desktop: ($2.99 from the Windows Desktop App Store.)   Opening the app will provide you a list of episodes available for the show on the right with a player on the left and utilizes all the standards of the Windows 8 navigation. Selected episodes will be highlighted with a check mark in the corner.   An episode can be bookmarked by marking it as a ‘favorite’, and episodes can be downloaded so that they are available offline.   When downloading a file, the status of the download will appear. Once an episode is favorited or downloaded, you can set the app to show only those favorite episodes or those downloaded files. You can also view a list of what episodes were recently played.   The Genealogy Gems Podcast app is the one and only family history podcast app available, and was named a Must Have Apps for Hobbies by App Advice.   Fold3 and Ancestry Trees Now when you discover an ancestor's record on Fold3.com, you can save it to your online tree at Ancestry.com.   According to Fold3.com's press release: "Whenever you see a green 'Save to Ancestry' button above a document or on a Fold3 memorial page, you can link that document or page directly to someone’s profile on Ancestry."   "You’ll be asked to log into your Ancestry.com account, and then you’ll see a drop-down list of your trees. Locate the tree you wish to save the document to, begin typing the name of the person to whom the record should be attached, choose the correct name from the list that appears, and then press save."   Watch this tutorial video to learn more and see how it's done:   OCLC and FamilySearch Partnership The patron catalog on FamilySearch.org is renamed the FamilySearch Catalog. It is re-branding of the FHL Catalog. FamilySearch is planning to load their catalog records into WorldCat by the end of the year. In the case of our very larger records, these may be abbreviated. Patrons discovering their catalog records on WorldCat will be able to click through from WorldCat to the FamilySearch Catalog to view the complete record. WorldCat will eventually show holdings in selected regional family history centers as well. There are currently no plans to change circulation policy. Films can be ordered to FamilySearch Centers as before. Other materials are not circulated.  However, they are scanning their books and have over 80,000 of them on line. There are links to them in the catalog. They can also be searched on Familysearch.org by selecting “Books”.   PAF Retires If you've been doing family history research for a while, you probably have heard of (and maybe used) PAF: Personal Ancestral File software. Well, it's been hard at work for a long time--as a true pioneer in genealogy computing--and now it's retiring.   It's not that your PAF software suddenly doesn't work. But as of today, July 15, 2013, you won't be able to get downloads, supports or upgrades from FamilySearch, which has made the software available since 1984.   What does that mean for PAF users? The current version of PAF supports exports to GEDCOM files, still a universal file type for genealogy software. So while GEDCOMs still remain supported on other software and online family tree hosts, you'll be able to transfer the data from your tree. Those who want to continue to use FamilySearch products (like Family Tree) are advised by FamilySearch to switch to software that partners with FamilySearch: Ancestral Quest, Legacy Family Tree or RootsMagic. Learn more about the PAF discontinuation, what it means to you and supported software options at FamilySearch.   And just to put in a plug for RootsMagic, a Genealogy Gems Podcast sponsor, RootsMagic 6 is the only software that is "share+ certified" by FamilySearch for use with Family Tree: the only software, as RootsMagic says, "certified to collaborate and share data and sources with FamilySearch Family Tree." If you're already using RootsMagic 4 or 5, you'll need to upgrade. Purchase RootsMagic 6 or order your upgrade here:     And speaking of RootsMagic: Now you can find short training videos in addition to free full-length webinars on RootsMagic's new YouTube Channel, RootsMagicTV at   If you're a RootsMagic user (or may be interested in becoming one), FamilySearch Family Tree or PAF user, you'll love these helpful tutorials.   And let your voice be heard: They are even taking suggestions for topics to cover in future short videos, too! email them at .     British Research The London Metropolitan Archives says that half the inquiries they receive are from family historians. This is likely due to their rich resources, click here to peruse the collection:   Because there is such a strong genealogy interest in the LMA, they are making a huge effort to reach out to genealogists. They're all about educating us and sharing what's at LMA through their website, hands-on classes, remote research services and partnerships with data sites like Ancestry and FindMyPast. All this from a city archive!   Check out this video they've made for family history researchers:     Were Your Ancestors "Vicious" or in "Chronic Want"?London Poverty Maps Map It Out! There is a fantastic blog posting on Mad About Genealogy about the Booth Poverty Maps, which look like a riveting way to understand your ancestor's 1880s London neighborhood.   According to blogger Linda Elliott,  "Booth employed a team of social investigators who walked around the London streets often in the company of the local policeman and recorded what they saw and heard. The notebooks that they filled out can be viewed online and make for fascinating reading with amongst other findings they record what the policeman thought of each street and sometime each building and its inhabitants."   Linda describes each category in greater detail in her blog post, along with everything a genealogist needs to know to use the maps   MAILBOX: Response to the update on Ancestry from Allen: “I just listened to your most recent show and wanted to comment on the Ancestry.com search updates you discussed.  I'm sure you have a direct line to them and wanted to offer some suggestions they might be able to use.   First, and I think you may have mentioned this specifically, it would be nice if there were a way to exclude certain records from a search, either automatically or by selection.  In particular, I am thinking that if I have a 1920 Census record attached to a person, there should be some way to exclude 1920 Census results from a search.  Clearly that is not a record I need if that person already has one attached.  Secondly, and related to the first, it would be nice if there were some "level of confidence" or other rating one could apply to a record match.  That way I could attach a record to a person with no confidence but still have it reference a certain person, or with a moderate confidence or high confidence.   This might also apply to relationships as well.  I think this would go a long way toward solving the problem of people posting incorrect information on their tree and others copying it.  The truth is, there is all kinds of information that we associate with our trees that we're not completely sure about but still feel reasonably confident about, but if there were some way to make that know, both to ourselves and others, it would help the situation.  Ancestry.com could then incorporate these into my first search suggestion, so that records with a high confidence would trigger a filter to remove other similar records that would not apply.  In any case, I love the show.  Keep it up.”   From Debbie Cook: My son sent me the interesting link below to a Flickr page that I thought might interest your subscribers.  They are older photos superimposed on to the existing landscape at:   UPDATE: Genealogy Gems Toolbar has been discontinued.   Sarah wrote in to say: “I want to learn how to use Roots Magic 6 that goes to Trees” Lisa’s Answer: You can watch the free RootsMagic class on "Using FamilySearch Family Tree with RootsMagic" on their website at   From Sherry, a Premium Member from British Columbia: “I wrote to you several months back to tell you about my new family history blog, "My Descent into Descent", (), and how you inspired me to create it. Well, you've also inspired me to use my new iPad, which my husband gave me for Christmas, as a tool for my research, and now for blogging. Recently, my sister and I took our long-awaited "Family History Road Trip" to New England, and I took my iPad along to blog from the road! I also brought along a keyboard, and would blog in the morning, using the Blogger app, while my sister and niece were still asleep. It was fun to share our experiences almost as they were happening, as well as the crisp and clear photos I was taking with my iPad. As my sister was more interested in the stories from our mutual family tree and less in the research, we tried to plan our trip to include destinations which would interest us both. As I have discovered that we are Mayflower descendants, one of the places we visited was the Plymouth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts. As you may know, it includes a near authentic replica of the village of Plymouth circa 1627, and has actors portraying the roles of the people living there that year. They are well-versed in the stories of the pilgrims they are portraying, and stay in character while they are conversing with you. I was hoping I might run into an actor playing one of our ancestors, but I couldn't believe our luck! Of the handful of actors we met, two were portraying our ancestors, Hester Cooke and Richard Warren! Who actually gets to talk to their long departed ancestors on a family history road trip? Thank you so much for the many ways you inspire and inform us all. I would very much like to recommend to your listeners that they consider blogging their family history. Since I started my blog in November, I have had over 4,000 hits, when I only expected to receive a few. Most excitingly, I had always wanted to connect with the descendants of my great grand aunt Lily. After telling the story of that part of the family in depth over several blog posts, I waited for several months before I heard anything. As it turned out, some of her descendants were curious about their family history, and while Googling some of the names, my blog popped up! They could not believe their good fortune in finding out so much about their tree all at once! I plan to visit them this coming week. They are excited to meet me and my husband, and have a family Bible to show me.” Leigh has a new genealogy blog! “I just wanted to let you know that I've been listening to your old Podcasts and working my way up to the present.  I'm on Episode 80 now, and I'm learning so much from you.  It has never occurred to me to start a blog, but after listening to your advice on the subject, I finally decided to give it a whirl.  I mentioned you and your Genealogy Gems podcast in the post and linked to your page.  I've heard you say that you appreciated that on previous podcasts, so I thought it would be okay.  If you'd like, you can view the blog at  . I love your podcasts, and once I'm caught up, I'm planning to become a Premium member.  Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone!" Winnie the Pooh Quote:  “You can't stay in your corner of the forest, waiting for others to come to you; you have to go to them sometimes.”   Thank you to our sponsor RootsMagic.com GEM: Behind the Scenes of the TV series Who Do You Think You Are? with Producer Allie Orton It was a sad day when NBC cancelled Who Do You Think You Are? here in the U.S., but genealogists are now drying their eyes and grabbing their popcorn because it’s returning to TV this month. The TLC channel has picked up Who Do You Think You? and the first episode featuring singer Kelly Clarkson premieres on July 23, 2013. Here to tell us all about it is Producer and Research Manager for the series Allie Orton. She’s a graduate of the University of Southern California, and began work as a researcher on the first U.S. season of "Who Do You Think You Are?" back in 2008. In her current role she oversees research development, coordinates communication between Ancestry.com and the research staff, and shepherds these compelling stories to completion! In this interview Allie shares: How she got involved in the show The impact of the cancellation How celebs are selected The research team makeup The art of storytelling Kelly Clarkson episode Stand out moments If it is getting any easier to produce the show Her favorite episode (hint: it’s this season) Her favorite person (OK, people!) to work with How she’ll be spending her time during the premiere What you can expect to see this season Book referred to: Exclusive for Premium Members: Allie’s Advice for Genealogists in Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode 100   STAY IN TOUCH: You can stay in touch with me all month long by subscribing to the free Genealogy Gems Newsletter right on the homepage of my website And here’s a thought to ponder until we meet here again: People don't care what you know until they know that you care

In this Blast from the Past episode we are turning the time machine back to May of 2007.  First up is Genealogy Gems Episode #11, first published May 07, 2007, which includes two great gems for you: How to Find Pictures from the Past with Google.com, adn a Family History Decoupage Plate Project. This is easy even for you non-crafters out there and the result is an heirloom quality decorative plate that tells an ancestors story. Then in this double header, Genealogy Gems episode # 12, which was originally published on May 13, 2007  features ancestor educational records and my Top 10 Tips for finding the Graduation Gems in your family history. Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode: #11 Original Publish Date: May 07, 2007 GEM #1 – Discover Pictures from the Past with Google One of the easiest ways to find photos on the web is with Google.com.  The ability to focus your search on images is often overlooked.  Let’s go over the basics: Go to google.com Notice the search box at the top of the page Above the box reading left to right you will see the word WEB bolded.  This means that when you enter a word or phrase etc you will be searching everything on the web.  To the right of the word WEB is the word IMAGES.  Click on it -  and it will now be bolded. Now when you enter a word or phrase all of your results will come back as images that Google found on the internet.  This could be photos, drawings, graphics, etc. There are additional “modes” you can search in with Google such as video, news, maps, books, etc. but for right now we’re going to focus on images. To find photos of specific people try putting their first and last names within quotes (i.e. "laura ingalls wilder"). If you've got a bit more time or a really unusual surname, then you could just enter the name and that should get you started. You can also find photos of old items and places from your ancestor’s life such as tombstones, buildings, their hometown, the kind of old car they drove.  If the page containing the full image doesn't come up when you click on the thumbnail, here’s what you can do: Use your mouse to highlight the URL website address that appears below the thumbnail and press Control C on your keyboard to copy the address. Click where it says “WEB” above the Google search box to go back to website searches.  Place your curser in the search box by clicking inside it.  Press control V on your key board and that will paste the URL address into the search box. Click the SEARCH button. The first result or two should be from that website that had the image you wanted. Look at the last line of the result for that website and click on the "cache" link. Now you are looking at a cache version, or in other words an older version of the website, hopefully BEFORE the image was removed or moved. By browsing through this version of the website, you will hopefully find the image you are looking for!   GEM #2 – Mother’s Day Project – Decoupage plate In my book it’s not enough to find wonderful photos on the internet that help tell the story of your family’s past, or have a boxful of old family photos.  It’s sort of like the old riddle “If a tree falls in a forest with no one to hear it, then does it make a sound?”  If a photo is tucked away in a shoe box, is it adding to the value of your research?  Not in my book. Family History is meant to be shared.  However, I believe wholeheartedly that we, the family historian are not the primary “customer” if you will.   I constantly challenge myself to see my family today as my “customer”.  I want the family’s history to be meaningful to them and ignite in them a pride, loyalty and reverence for our family.  So I’m always trying to come up with new ways to share what I’ve found that they will enjoy. Decoupage Photo Plate: Decoupage was a hot craft for women in the early part of the century, and it's definitely gone through resurgence in the last decade. As I mentioned in a previous episode of the podcast, my mom recently brought me a truckload of family heirlooms.  She and my stepdad have taken the plunge to sell their home and travel in a motor home full time.  When I was preparing for this episode, I went looking for the decoupage plate that I made her a couple of years ago for Mother’s Day.  I assumed it was in one of the boxes that she brought me, but I couldn’t find it.  When I asked her about it, she said to me, “I gave you your great grandmother’s tea set, your grandmother’s china, and pretty much everything else I had. But I didn’t give you the plate.  I’m keeping THAT!”  Hearing her say that meant as much to me as the plate probably means to her. So may I just say, if you pour some love and time into creating this plate, I guarantee it will be treasured.  Here’s the plate I made for my mom:     Wasn’t she a cutie patootie?!  I started by selecting photos that told the story of her childhood…at the top is a photo of the house her parents built the year she was born.  Going clockwise, the next photo is her as baby, then as a toddler in her crib with her favorite teddy bear, then as a preschooler in the coat & hat her mother made for her.  In the center is my favorite childhood photo of her, probably just before entering kindergarten.  I love that it’s a close up, her BIG brown eyes, and the dainty bows in her hair.  The design in simple, and very focused on its subject matter – my mom! The photos are glued from behind so they show through the glass plate.  I painted the back black, which seemed appropriate for the black and white photos, but it could be gold, or any color you want.  Let’s get started making this modern family heirloom. The supplies you need are simple and inexpensive: A clear glass plate with a smooth finish.  You can usually buy these at craft stores, or discount stores very cheap.  Maybe a dollar each.  I got mine at a kitchenware factory outlet.  Make sure you’ve cleaned it very well before you begin, and that’s completely dry. A sponge craft brush A jar of decoupage glue Good, fine paper-cutting scissors.  Cuticle scissors also work very well. Paint – choose a color you would like for the back.  Just a small bottle of acrylic craft paint and A flat paint brush – another option is to use pretty paper or tissue. Clear brush on acrylic varnish if you want a glossy finish on the back. A selection of photos you want to use.  Personally, I like the more monochromatic look – either all color, or all black and white, but you can do whatever looks good to you.  You can also use other images that compliment the photos.  Make copies of the photos.  You can scan them and print them out on paper, or take them to a copy center and color copy them.  Whether you are using color or black and white, you’ll want to color copy them to get the best quality.  You can also play around with sizing the photos the way you want them.  While I fit just five on my mom’s plate, they are all large enough to be seen clearly, even at a distance when the plate is hanging on the wall.   Experiment with laying out your design to fit the plate.  Keep in mind that the plate likely has some slight curvature to it, so you don’t want to just turn it upside down and draw a circle around it, because your design won’t end up quite big enough.  Cut your copies a bit larger than the area they are going to cover.  Also, if you want to add any words, now is the time.  You can draw directly on the copy or print out something and cut it to fit.  In my case, felt like a picture was worth a thousand words! When applying the cutouts, you'll be working in reverse: the first images placed on the plate will be in the foreground of the design when viewed from the front of the plate. Start by applying the prominent images to the decoupage medium. Glue the edges firmly to the glass. Turn the plate over to check the placement of images Put a nice even coat of glue on the photo, on the side you want to see. Don't worry about brush strokes, but be careful not to go over it too many times, you don’t want the ink to run.  Place the image face down on the back of the plate and spread the glue over the back of the photo. Turn the plate around so you can see the image from the front and work out the air bubbles from behind.  (you can try placing a piece of wax paper over the photo and use a roller  over the wax paper to go over it and smooth it out and get the air bubbles out. Turn the plate over and check the results. Continue place the images until the entire plate is covered. Let it dry (24 hours should do it) Use painters tape to tape off the edges before you apply the acrylic paint to the back of the plate.  Let dry.  Apply a second coat, or sponge on a second color if you want to.  Let dry If you want a glossy finish on the back, apply an acrylic varnish.  Let dry   Genealogy GemsPodcast Episode #12 Original Publish Date: May 13, 2007 TODAY’S GEM – Top 10 Tips for Finding the Graduation Gems in Your Family History 1.  Establish the Timeline:  Check your genealogy database to figure out when your ancestor would have attended school.  I’m going to be focusing on high school, but this could just as easily apply to researching the college years. 2.  Family Papers & Books We always start our research at home, so go through old family papers & books looking for Senior Calling Cards, High School Autograph Books, Journals & Diaries, Senior Portraits, & Yearbooks   3.  Newspapers – Search for announcements,  honor rolls & other articles about end of the year activities.    It’s easy to say search newspapers, but it’s not always that easy to find them.  So here are some ideas of where to look for historical newspapers… - Ancestry.com ($) - The Local Public Library Website in the town where your ancestor attended school.   Check their online card catalogue, or send them an email to find out if they have the years you are interested in, and to see if they will cooperate with interlibrary loan with your local library.  - The Library of Congress  <> - Family History Center in Salt Lake City.  Search the Family History Library Catalog online for your ancestor's location to find what newspapers they may have.  - Historical and genealogical societies.  - U.S. state archives and libraries 4. The State Library – Wisconsin Dept of Education website list of state libraries:  5.  State Historical Societies – in addition to newspapers as I mentioned before, state historical societies might have old yearbooks & photos. 6.  Rootsweb.com - Check the Message Board for the county & state you’re looking for, as well  post a message asking if anyone has access to yearbooks or other school info. 7.  Websites focused on Yearbooks –   Yearbook Genealogy.com website:    & The National Yearbook Project 8.  The US GENWEB site - Search on the county website where the school was located. 9.  Call the School – if they don’t have old yearbooks, they may be able to put you in touch with a local librarian or historian who does.  Go to www.whowhere.com and type in the school name in “Business Name”.  Call around 4:00 pm, when the kids are gone but the school office is still open.  EBAY:  Do a search on the school or town you’re looking for to see if anyone out there is selling a yearbook that you need.  Be sure and also search for old photographs or postcards of the school.  Here’s my extra trick: From the results page do a “Completed Listings” search & email potential sellers to inquire about the books you are looking for.  You might get lucky like I did! Don’t be afraid to ask – Ebay seller’s want to sell!  And if all else fails, set up an Ebay Favorite Search to keep a look out for you.  Go to my website and check out Episode #3 for instructions on how to do this.  

In this episode you will get a sneak peek at new changes coming in Ancestry search, and we will look for women in naturalization records. But first here is what you can do... When Technological Changes Get You Down  The Mayhem commercials from Allstate are a riot, but of course all that mayhem is not all that funny when it’s happening to you. Sometimes it feels like technology companies are having a little mayhem fun with us when they get us all up and running with their software program, or app, or phone, or tablet, or whatever, and then bam they change it all up.  Mayhem! It’s not really that we don’t want new technology and that it’s always mayhem. But rather:   MAILBOX: A Listener Takes Action and Gets a Win! In most recent Genealogy Gems newsletter called “How Google Broke My Heart” I lamented the fact that Google is no longer digitizing historic newspapers, but put out a reminder that all of the newspapers that they have digitized to date are all still available for free online. And then I shared a cool webpage that my friend Dave Barney at Google shared with me that provides an easy to browse catalogue of all of the newspaper titles and they the years they cover. In response to that article, a listener, Chris, shared what happened after reading the newsletter.  Chris says... "Just read your article and went to check it out. I was able to find my grandfather's obituary, who died a month after i was born. Thanks for the tip!" So there you have it, the benefits of not just reading the Genealogy Gems newsletter, but taking action on it! I love hearing how you all take the gems and run with them!   Criminal Past Follow up Here is an email from a listener with Australian roots, and they are writing in about the last episode where I was talking about the new collection of criminal records at findmypast.com: “Your most recent podcast (excellent as always!) touched on transportation of convicts from UK.  The National Archives of the UK has an excellent podcast series, with many casts focused on genealogy issues.  Highly recommended for anyone with UK ancestors.  The podcasts are recorded talks given by their own professional Archives listeners. In one recent series, they discussed transportation, clarifying a lot of misunderstandings in the process. To start, the prisoners were not convicts in the sense that we use the term these days.  Violent criminals in those days were hanged.  Those transported were primarily debtors and those that committed property crimes.  These folks were not forced to emigrate.  Instead, they received a 7 year sentence.  After completing their sentence, they were free to stay or to return to England.  Perhaps the most interesting detail to me was the role the American Revolution played in the settlement of Australia.  Before the Revolution, transport was to North America.  After the war, that channel ceased to exist.  It took several years for the British to find an alternative, Australia.  So, if not for our revolution, Australia would not be what it is today.” Mike has a question about how to put names to faces. He writes: “I recently came across a class photo of a company of Navy recruits graduating on 13 June 1944 in Farragut Island, Idaho. My Father is one of them. But as I was looking at this mass of individuals (many of which would be dead within the year of the photo being taken); I thought “why not put the photo out to the general public and ask people to try and ID everyone in the photo.” I just do not know how to go about doing that the best way. That is when your name came to my mind to ask. Yes, I have digitized the photo, it is huge, so individuals would have to magnify the image.” Lisa’s Four Strategies for Crowd Sourcing Photo Identification: Well, Mike I’ve got 4 tips for you and anyone looking to try to put names to faces with the help of the genealogy community and the public at large. 1) - this is a free website where you can submit your photo, include as much info as you know about it, and then others can search the site and hopefully make identifications. This is a well-respected site that has been around a long time, and I have interviewed the founder (), who is great and passionate about old photos. 2) Consider creating individual photos of each man from the original digital scan. This might come in handy so that people can get a good look at their faces. 3) Consider creating your own free genealogy blog, even if it is just to post one article about the photo. Think of it as your own personal message board. You could include the photo (and some of the close-ups I mentioned creating) and then write up a description of what you know about the photo, the class, the location, etc. Make it as keyword rich as possible so that others will find it when they do Google searches on these keywords and topics.  is free and easy to set up in just a few minutes. 4) Another type of "personal message board" would be a YouTube video. Just film the photo, zooming in and out on the faces. Many video editing programs will let you add the photo to the software timeline and zoom in and out just like a camera.  There is a free program called Jing that might work. Or Windows Movie Maker, etc. Again, add all that keyword rich text to your video description and title, and be sure to add appropriate TAGS to the video. All of that will help it get found. Mike took my advice and set up his own free genealogy blog:   Gem posted on the Genealogy Gems Facebook page at . Marge Mero says: "Lisa, we found this quilt in the Main Street Museum at Polson, Lake County, Montana. It has my husband's grandmother's name stitched into this square. (Mrs. S. E. Salter). We also found a Red Cross quilt with relative names at a museum in Lanigan, Saskatchewan. Your posting was a good reminder to watch for quilts in museums." on Facebook because you’ve got to see this quilt!  This episode is sponsored by:   GEM: Women in Naturalization Records Women’s suffragists demonstrate in February 1913. Photographer unknown. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division. We’re also nearing the completion of the enormous Community Indexing Project of U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Records. Already we can search newly-created indexes to millions of naturalization records at FamilySearch.org. But often we don’t find the women we’re looking for. Let’s look at why. But I’ll warn you, the reasons aren’t pretty. In the past, women had very few legal rights. None could vote. Married women had even fewer rights. Their legal identity disappeared when they married, swallowed up in their husband’s. Married women did not handle legal matters in their own name, own property or keep their own money. Sometimes they did not even have legal liability for their actions. This was known as the legal principle of coverture. In 1855, a law was made that women who weren’t ineligible for other reasons (like race) were automatically made citizens when their husbands were naturalized. There was no extra paperwork or court costs. Their husbands’ papers (in combination with their marriage records) served as proof of the women’s citizenship, even though before 1906, you will not usually find the women’s names even listed on their husbands’ applications. This represented a step forward for most married women, but not all. If a husband didn’t naturalize, the wife couldn’t naturalize without him. (On the flip side, if a U.S.-born woman married a foreigner, she often lost her U.S. citizenship, whether or not she left the country. This problem wasn’t fully resolved until many years later; learn more about the laws and resulting paperwork in Naturalization laws were not applied evenly, and some women got their citizenship anyway. Eventually, as women won voting rights in various states in the early 1900s, men who applied to naturalize were sometimes denied because their wives, who would be granted citizenship and therefore voting privileges, didn’t speak English or meet other requirements. Men complained that their wives’ nationalities were getting in the way, a problem women had lived with for years! In 1922, women gained the right to naturalize independent of marital status. If their husbands were already citizens, they didn’t have to file declarations of intentions (the first step in the paperwork process), just a petition (the second step in the process). Otherwise, they had to fill out both sets of papers. Eventually even this link to their husbands’ citizenship disappeared, and they just filled out their own entirely separate paperwork. What about unmarried women and widows? They could apply for naturalization, but in especially before the 1900s, they sometimes didn’t if they had no property. They could not vote and the law didn’t always treat them fairly. They saw little benefit in investing the funds and time in applying for citizenship. It’s fascinating how much we can learn about the status of women by the way they were treated in the records we research. It reminds us to look past the paperwork to the reasons and intentions behind it, if we really want to understand how people lived. To our foremothers, both those who gained citizenship and those who were denied it, we salute you!   CLOSING: From Georgia: “First things First: Thank you so much for all you do for genealogists. I recently retired and it was my interest in your podcast long before the last day, that drew me to genealogy. While accurate data is of the most importance, I must confess, I am in it for the stories. Your website and podcast have captured my philosophy perfectly. I want the past to live for my family, not just sit politely on the dusty bookshelf. Second thing: It was with your encouraging podcasts and an unrelenting techie grand-daughter, I have begun a website and blog for my families (Doudna, Brown, Allison, and Gillingham), "Billies Girl" at . I am still in the beginning steps, but am having more fun than I ever expected.  I would like to add links to your website on the pages. But, as I am, admittedly, ignorant in the ways of web-world, I am not sure if this is something I can just do or if I need to get permission from other sites to link them. I would of course be identifying and giving credit for anything I link too. I think I can thank you for bringing me through that touchy first bit of retirement. Thanks again.”  Georgia Congratulations on your new blog! And I am always happy to have listeners link to Since my daughters are all now "leaving the nest" there have been many times over these last few years that I have been grateful to have the podcast and my listeners for helping me get through that "touchy" transition. I am very glad if I have been a help or encouragement to you in any way.  

A lot has been happening in the genealogy world while I have been on the road, and my job is to boil it down so I can bring you the best genealogy gems and that’s what we are going to do in this episode.   NEWS: RootsTech If you didn’t make it out to Salt Lake City for the huge RootsTech conference – and I do mean huge – don’t fret because they have lots of video recordings online for you including a panel that I participated in where the topic was the Future of Genealogy. If you have ever wondered what is coming down the pike, and what some of the leaders in the genealogy community would like to see, I think you will enjoy this .  While it was a tall order to get up there on that stage and try to foresee the future, we had fun trying. I would be interested in knowing what you think is out on the horizon for genealogy, and what you would like to see on the horizon for genealogy.   and we’ll share some of those ideas on an upcoming episode. RootsTech Report from Sunny And if you would like to hear more about what went on at RootsTech here's a there written by our own Sunny Morton, contributing editor to Genealogy Gems.   FamilySearch Records Update There are new digitized images for Australia, Austria, China, England, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, the U.S. – In fact in might be faster to announce where they are NOT digitizing records! Read Read Your Ancestor’s Criminal Past If you have British roots, you will want to check out the new collection available on Findmypast.com: a half million criminal records dating from 1770-1934!   This sounds like a pretty gripping collection, whether you've got British roots or not. It contains records like mug shots, court documents, appeals letters and registers from prison ships (which were used when mainland prisons were crowded). According to Findmypast.com, the records "provide a wide variety of color, detail and fascinating social history, chronicling the fate of criminals ranging from fraudsters, counterfeiters, thieves and murderers and their victims." The 500,000 records you can search now are only a fifth of the full collection of 2.5 million that will be online soon.   The company calls this the largest collection of historical criminal records from England and Wales to be published online and is done in association with the National Archives (UK). Findmypast.com members can to access the criminal collection directly (make sure the box for "Institutes and Organizations" is checked). Read more about it here:   Digitized War of 1812 Pension Files on Fold3 According to the National Archives, pension files for the War of 1812 rate among their most-requested materials. But the files haven’t been easy to use because they’re only at the National Archives–they haven’t been available in published, microfilmed or digitized form. You have either had to research the pension files onsite in Washington, D.C. or order copies from the Archives. Not exactly easy access. This is about to change. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), The National Archives, Ancestry.com and Fold3.com are partners in a huge effort: to preserve and digitize 7.2 million pages of War of 1812 Pension Records and make them available for free online.    Who Do You Think You Are? TV Series Update #WDYTYA In recent weeks, that Kelly Clarkson has filmed an episode. A seeing her in Americus, Georgia and that they were shooting footage at . .   Newspapers are reporting that the Danish Broadcasting Corporation is filming its own version of “Who Do You Think You Are?” According to the and the (Illinois Valley), popular Danish actress Suzanne Bjerrehuus was in the area filming stories of her great-great-grandparents, who emigrated from Denmark to the American Midwest in 1869. (They apparently left behind one of their six children, from whom Bjerrehuus descends.)   Genealogy Jamboree:   Church Records for Genealogy on Archives.com About 4.6 million genealogical records from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are now available on Archives.com. This project represents a unique collection for Archives.com, which partnered with the ELCA Archives to digitize and index about 1000 rolls of microfilmed records of affiliated church. According to the company, this collection represents records that have never been online before. It eliminates the major barriers we usually have in researching church records: not knowing which specific congregation an ancestor attended; not knowing where those records are now and not having easy access to them.    Online Historical Maps: From David Rumsey to the DPLA Genealogists rely on historical maps to help us navigate the geography of our ancestors’ lives. One of the most important resources available online is the . Well, Rumsey recently announced on his website that he will be making more than 38,000 of his historical maps–everything he’s currently got online–available at the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).   Google’s free program Google Earth includes nearly 150 historic maps in the Layers panel.  You can also add historic maps downloaded from Rumsey’s site to Google Earth by using the Overlay feature. My video tutorial series called will show you how. You can also get step-by-step instructions in my book .   MAILBOX: Lee has some questions, and perhaps you do too: Question: How often do the premium podcasts come out?  Answer: Typically there is one new premium episode and one new premium video every month.  And the real value in Premium Membership is that when you join, you get the entire back catalogue of Premium podcast episodes and video. That means as soon as you become a Member you will have access to over 95 exclusive Premium episodes and over a dozen videos of my most popular classes and topics! Question: Does the premium version cover different material than the free version or the same topics but with more depth? Answer: Premium podcast episodes are commercial free, and very similar in format to the free show although the material I cover is different, and we often take time to go more in depth into particular genealogy topics. Question: Is it possible to buy one episode of Premium to try it out before subscribing for the full year?  Answer: Actually, the free podcast is the "free trial" for Premium. If you like the free podcast, you will love Premium! Question: While searching the iPad App Store for anything new in genealogy, I see there is a paid app for Genealogy Gems but little descriptive information. Is this just for listening to the podcast? Is the price one time or for each episode? Or, have I discovered something new that you are about to tell us all about?  Answer: The Genealogy Gems app is a one-time $2.99 purchase (which goes toward development and updates) and conveniently streams the free podcast on your mobile device. It also includes "bonus features" like unique short video, audio, images, and pdfs unique to the app. Click for the Genealogy Gems iPad app: Click for the Genealogy Gems iPhone app:   Joyce asks about region-locked video: Question: Is it possible to watch the UK version of Who Do You Think You Are? online?  If so I want to.  I need to attend their conference one of these days also. Looks like you had a blast! Lisa’s Answer: Unfortunately, the UK version is not available outside of the UK online. Many television video providers do what is called "region-locking."  However, if you are really determined to watch, a quick Google search can uncover some work around. From the BBC website: Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only, but all BBC iPlayer Radio programmes are available to you. One more thing - occasionally folks upload episodes to YouTube such as . Watch them soon as you can because they are often removed due to copyright issues.   New Genealogy Blogs Blogging is in the family at Matt’s house…I love your show and look forward to every episode. I've been researching for close to 20 years now, but because of podcasts, blogs and all the other electronic communications that have come along with the Internet, I feel more connected and involved in the genealogy community than ever. I want to thank you for always encouraging us to start our own blog. I finally made that jump yesterday. My daughter, who is only 11, and has her own blog about doll crafts has also been encouraging me, so I thought I better get with the program. You can check it out at I can't promise anything about how often I will post, but I do appreciate the encouragement you always provide to your listeners. Thanks for providing a great resource to the genealogy community. p.s. Just in case you want to check it out, my daughter's blog is: Amanda also has a new blog…I have been catching up on all the genealogy gems podcasts for the last month (I sometimes hear your voice when I don't have my headphones in!  :)  Anyway,  I just recently became a premium member, and I'm working my way through those podcasts and videos to catch up.  I just wanted to write to say thank you for doing what you do.  I can really tell when I listen that you love what you are doing.   I've been "working" on our family tree since 2003 or so, but only in the last year have I gotten serious about it... and only after I started listening to you have I realized about sources.  So, I now have a tree with over 13,000 people in it and most of it isn't sourced.   I wanted to let you know that I have started a genealogy blog (mostly so I can go back and source everything from the beginning).  I have had a blog in the past just about my kids and other general stuff, but I never kept it going.  I'm already thinking differently about this one because of all the possibilities there are...   the address is , I hope you'll check it out.  It's about more than just the Feeser line of our family, but since that's my last name now, that is what we used as the title.   Just after my very first post some of my first cousins (who I talk to a lot) let me know about some pictures and information they have, and one of my cousins even has a recording of our great grandmother that she did when she was younger (she's the oldest cousin).     Linda likes to blog and laugh…I have been meaning to write to you for some time now to thank you for your marvelous podcast. I have been a faithful listener to Genealogy Gems since the beginning and have enjoyed your stories, insights, and how-tos.  You have a gift for expressing the joys of learning about our family history, not to mention a contagious laugh!   Your podcasts have kept me company on walks, while doing chores, even when waiting in line. On a warm June afternoon a couple of years ago, I found myself doing just that - listening to your podcasts on immigration records and taking copious notes as I stood in line for several hours at the Palo Alto Apple Store, waiting to "early-adopt" my first iPhone.  Some hours later, I logged onto Ancestry.com to search for my elusive Italian Schiavone family, using your tips.   What a surprise when I found my great-grandfather Vito and his oldest son, Pasquale, in the Ellis Island records!  Your tips on how to read the ship's record led me to Pasquale's petition for immigration - and to so much more…When I finally tumbled into bed at 5:00 a.m.. my sweet (and very understanding husband) asked me why I had stayed up for so long.  I could hardly begin to tell him, because I was still crying tears of joy. Not long after that, I reconnected with a cousin I had lost touch with and since then have made new connections with long-lost cousins I had never known from this side of the family…It turned out the other cousin remembered my grandfather Schiavone.  He had invited her family to stay at our home while our family was away on vacation.  She actually rode my tricycle and played in my sandbox!  Can you believe what a small world?  And all of this thanks to you.  Unfortunately, this cousin passed away just last year, but I feel so blessed to have met her and to have made the other connections, who I will always treasure. By the way, I want to echo your enthusiasm for the rewards of blogging about family history.  It is so much fun, not to mention a great way to record family history for our children and for those who are searching for their roots.   But there are other rewards, too, in that researching and writing about our families allows us the opportunity to really reflect on their lives and understand them better.  This can in turn sometimes lead to some wonderful discoveries we may not have made if we had not reflected on their stories in this way.   I invite you to visit my blog, called Many Branches, One Tree, at Bill is celebrating 160 years down under on his blog…I thought you might like to hear about another blog you inspired.  I created a web site dedicated to the Jessep Family history back in 1997.  It holds just the facts and covers the many spellings of the name.  This is my father’s page so you can see what I mean.   My Jessep line arrived in Australia on the 29 Sep 1854 and I suddenly realized that in 2014 our line will have been Down Under 160 years.  Now that is something to get excited about and provided a starting point for the story.   The blog also allows the story to start and get added to with the help of others.  This gave it the  purpose it had been missing.  The about page has more information:    GEM: Interview with Chris Whitten, Founder of of my interview with Chris was done for the Family Tree Magazine podcast. In this episode, Part 2  Chris talks about the   According to Chris: "This is really a major advance on WikiTree. It makes it much more useful for people who just want to stick their toe in the water and see if cousins are already participating here.”  

Travel back to #RootsTech - You'll hear 10 Top Tips for How to Bust Through Your Genealogy Brick Wall, and get the scoop on the new partnership between OCLC / WorldCat and FamilySearch. From Lisa: If you didn’t get a chance to attend a genealogy event yet this year, don’t fret, because in today’s episode while I get back to my laundry and packing to travel to Tennessee to present a genealogy seminar, you are going to hear two recordings we did at RootsTech. First up is Jay Jordon, President of which you may know as the WorldCat. We got a chance to sit down at to chat about their new partnership with familysearch which will bring the familysearch catalogue to . Watch the Video: Then you’re going to hear 10 Top Tips for How to Bust Through Your Genealogy Brick Wall – The winner of the free RootsTech registration that we gave away on the Sarah Stout, got an opportunity to sit down with me and Canadian Genealogy Guru to discuss her brick wall () which spanned the Canadian and US border. But the locations weren’t really the important thing here. The 10 Tips that Dave dished up can really be used by every family historian to achieve genealogy success. Watch the Video: Dave Obee’s Top 10 Tips: 1. Create a Timeline – “plot her life…it’s easier to see the holes.” 2. Understand Geography – “plot movements” 3. Find Every Possible Record 4. Understand How Records Were Created 5. Read Every Local Story in Newspapers at that Time 6. Tap into Local Knowledge – “Locals know more” (historical and genealogical societies) 7. Go There if You Can in Person 8. Look for Negative Proof 9. Collaborate with Other Researchers 10. Be Diligent About Proof Resources Mentioned in the video: by Lisa Louise Cooke by Lisa Louise Cooke   Lisa's Events: to see where Lisa will be presenting next to book Lisa for your next event  

Enjoy a blast from the past with episode #10 featuring Steve Morse and his One-Step website. Then delight in Darius Gray, a genealogist and storyteller who provides tips on sharing your family history stories with your family, (recorded at #RootsTech 2013) GEM: A Blast from the Past -Episode: # 10        Original Publish Date:  May 01, 2007 GEM: Stephen Morse On August 21, 2007 I attended a seminar sponsored by a local genealogical society.  The speaker was Stephen P. Morse who is very well-known in the genealogy community for his ingenious database search tools available to everyone free from his website: It’s estimated that nearly 40% of Americans today have an ancestor who arrived in the United States at Ellis Island.  I know I certainly do.  Well, ship’s passenger records are really exciting to find and to work with.  If you have an ancestor who came through Ellis Island, you’re going to want to make it a priority to find their record.  Steve Morse, described to those of us at the seminar, the success and the frustrations that he encountered in trying to retrieve records from the ellisisland.org database. Steve experienced much of the same frustration that we often do.  However, he just happens to be a world renowned engineer.  He holds electrical engineering degrees from three universities, which he put to good use when he designed the Intel 8086, the predecessor to today’s Pentium processor.  And being an amateur genealogist he put those skills to good use by developing the One-Step Ellis Island website to make those records easier to find.  Since that time the One-Step site has really been expanded to include new search capabilities and an array of color-coded search forms. Today Steve recommends use of his Gold Form that searches all New York passengers using enhanced search options.  It uses the database at ellisisland.org but has its own search form and search engine that provides the enhanced features.  When you use the Ellis Island website you’ll most likely have to keep going back and revising and adding to your search to get what you need.  But using the Steve’s Gold Form website, all the search criteria are there on one page for you to choose from and use.  You’ll be using your search time much more effectively – and you know me, I want to get the most I can out of my research time. The One-Step website started out as an aid for finding these ship passengers in the Ellis Island database.  Shortly afterwards it was expanded to help with searching in the 1930 census.  Over the years it has continued to evolve and today includes over 100 web-based tools divided into twelve separate categories.  They range from genealogical searches to astronomical calculations.  He even has a last-minute bidding form you can use for e-bay!  If you listened to Episode 3 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast on Ebay, then you know that I was excited to hear that!   Please let other genealogists know about how much you enjoy the Genealogy Gems Podcast: If you’re enjoying the show & have an itunes account, would you please do me a favor?  Go to the  and leave a positive review.  Thanks!   GEM: Interview with Genealogy Guru and Storyteller Darius Gray at RootsTech 2013     your genealogy group about how to use Google Earth for Genealogy! to see where Lisa will be speaking next in person        

Show Notes Lisa Louise Cooke I am back from speaking at the Who Do You Think You Are? Live conference in London, and I’ve brought back some gems for you for this episode which I’m excited about. I got to spend about a week in England and this time around got to do some touring with my friend Janet Hovorka owner of Family ChartMasters. We went to Windsor castle which I’ve always wanted to see, and it did not disappoint. What windsor castle can teach us about family history. It’s all in the details! The highlight for me was going to Jane Austen’s house in Chawton, Hampshire. I’m an Austenphile, and I soaked in nooks and crannies of the home where she lived with her sister Cassandra. It was fantastic seeing the little desk where she worked on her books like “Pride and Prejudice” and “Emma.” Janet and finished up the tour with tea at across the street, where hundreds of china tea cups hang from the ceiling, and where I had the best bowl of tomato soup in my entire life! Oh yeah, I was there for a genealogy conference. And yes, WDYTYA Live lived up to all expectations. Janet and I had a booth and I taught classes on Google Search and using your iPad and tablet for genealogy. The classes were sold out and people were lined up around the walls. The turn-out they get for this event is just incredible. I haven’t heard the final numbers, but word is it was well over 12,000 people over the three days. So here’s my own genealogy story from the event. Now, if you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while then you may remember me telling you about my first trip to WDYTYA Live and how after one of my presentations several of my husband’s distant English Cook cousins met up with us and we sort of had an impromptu family reunion upstairs in the expo hall. One of those in attendance was Louise Cook (without the “e”) who is married to my husband’s cousin Peter. I know, it gets a little confusing with Louise Cook and Lisa Louise Cooke! But anyway, Louise and I stay regularly in touch, and we met up at the conference this year.  She found me after one of my classes and we got to visit, and she told me that she was going to help out with her friend’s society booth. So we are walking back to my booth, and when we arrive, she looks up and laughs because the Lincolnshire booth was right next to ours and there was her chair!  Can you imagine if we had not already met, that Lisa Louise Cooke, and Louise Cook would have been sitting right next to each other throughout the conference not knowing that our husbands were related by way of their third Great Grandfather? ! The moral of the story: Next time you sit down at a genealogy conference introduce yourself to those next to you, you never know who you might be related to.     NEWS: Find My Past Series now on the website Find My Past, the hit UK television show, is now available to view via . Find My Past, now entering its second season, links living individuals to real historical events found in their family tree and now on for free and watch Find My Past episodes that aired in the last 30 days at no cost. Missed an episode or want to watch your favorites again? Findmypast subscribers can watch all episodes for an unlimited time. Every episode will be available to watch on a week after it airs.      MAILBOX: Delray wants to know where the Family History Podcast Show Notes have gone... “I've been listening to your podcasts for over two years now:  GenealogyGems and GenealogyGems Premium.  ALL of the podcasts are on my iPod, so that I can listen to them over and over.  It seems each time I listen to your podcast, I learn something new that I missed last time.  Somehow I missed the fact that you used to have a podcast called Family History: Genealogy Made Easy.  I'm going to be teaching a class to genealogy newbies in April, so I've been listening to these older podcasts to see what you shared with beginners.  You mention the "show notes" like you do in GenealogyGems, which are always a life saver when I miss a web address or something; however, I cannot locate any "show notes" for the Genealogy Made Easy show.” Lisa’s Answer: The Family History podcast is in a bit of transition right now. We are no longer part of the Personal Life Media network and so all of the show notes pages that they previously hosted have been removed from their website. We are now working to transition the Tunes podcast feed. As soon as that happens, we will start republishing the show on the Genealogy Gems website. Gus chimes in on Genealogy Podcast No. 148 “Here are my thoughts on internet rip offs. I have both a blog and a web site and my feelings are that if I put anything up there, people will steal anything and use it for their own use. I have copied myself from two books, one published in 1888 and another published in 1895, I don't feel that I am really stealing from these old books. In the book from 1888, I gave credit to the original author, (my ancestor) in a new book." Dan shares his experience with copyright: “When rock legend Ronnie James Dio died in 2010 I used his obituaries as a starting point for genealogical research on his ancestry, blogging about what I found at "".  Two people contacted me politely requesting permission to reprint the information, so in my experience people have been quite respectful of copyright.  One of those people wanted to add my findings to the Hungarian Wikipedia page on Dio, increasing my reach as a blogging genealogist beyond my wildest dreams.  Getting the Word out on a Genealogy Blog “I regularly listen to your podcast through iTunes and see that sometimes you feature blogs on your show.  I've been meaning to write to you for quite some time now and am hoping you can let your audience know of my genealogy blog. My blog, called “,” features a family history of the Breeding family.  Our roots are specifically in the following areas: Wythe County, VA; Overton County, TN; Carroll County, AR and Tulsa, OK.  Over the past two years, I have tackled genealogy from a different perspective: that of looking at my great-grandpa Hugh Breeding’s trucking company.  At first, I merely intended on putting together some basic facts and figures on the company and calling it a day.  However, I have really gotten into the history of the company and the place it held in the trucking industry…the employee vignettes featured throughout my company research really drives home the story of the company on a more personal level as well as adding much more color to the overall history of the firm.   GEM: WDYTYA Round Up Interview with Dr. Turi King Full interview on Premium Episode 97   Lisa’s Articles: Check out my two article in the March / April 2013 issue of Family Tree Magazine The Evernote vs. Microsoft OneNote Quick Guide  and The Toolkit Tutorial Using the David Rumsey Map Collection  

In this episode we wrap up my 50 Fabulous Family History Favorites List On Friday I babysat my two grandsons Davy and Joey, and I put together a little game that was prompted by a listener email. You met long time listener and Premium Member Dot in Australia during our virtual Christmas Party in episode 147, and after the show aired, Dot wrote me to say how much she enjoyed it and to tell me about a little concentration game she put together for her granddaughter.  When my kids were growing up we called in the Memory Game and I know some folks call it the Match Game. But no matter what you call it, it’s the game where you have a set of cards that are all pairs, and you lay them upside down in rows on the table and two at a time turn them over trying to find matches. The person with the most matches wins. Dot made up cards with photos of her family members. She writes: “She opened the little box I was holding and went through the photos one by one. We put a few pairs down at a time, and as she turned them over she matched them. I included our pets as well.” I wrote Dot back to let her know that MyHeritage.com had something similar. You have to sign in to your free account. In the menu you will find the MyHeritage Family Game under the Apps tab When Davy, who is three years old, arrived on Friday I got to thinking about all this, and I quickly whipped together a set of cards using photos of family members and ancestors. How to Make a Quick Memory Game: Software:  Microsoft Publisher Create one rectangle outline shape the desired size of the cards Copy and paste the shape to fill up the page. (I fit 6 cards per page) Duplicate the page enough times to have enough cards for a game. (I just started with 9 pairs) Using the Insert Picture feature, fill each rectangle with a digital photo from your computer (adjust the size of the image to fit the rectangle so all the cards would be uniform.) Print them out on Glossy Photo paper Cut out the cards It was a lot of fun and a great way to incorporate family history in to daily activities. I think when we do that it makes family history more of a natural part of our kid’s lives. Dot also mentioned to me that she found an app for her iPad called Match. (Update: this app appears to be discontinued. Try Match the Memory at )  And the other fun things I did this weekend was watch a movie called Play the Game. My daughter Hannah told me about it and set it up in my Netflix Instant Queue when she was here over the holidays, and we finally got a chance to sit down and watch it. If you’re looking for a Valentine’s movie to watch with your sweetie, this is it. It is a little independent film from 2008 starring one of my all-time favorites – Andy Griffith. It’s about the relationship between a young man and his grandfather, and how they coach each other through their love lives. It’s funny, and sweet, and that’s very refreshing. You can check it out at the movie’s website called     GEM: 50 Fabulous Family History Favorites Free ChartsGenealogy charts in one form or another have been around since people started keeping track of their family history. And even with all the technology we have today, sometimes there is just no substitute for a paper chart to help you work through the complicated relationships in your family tree. My first favorite gems are in the chart category, free charts that you can use online and offline to help you keep things organized, as well as help you share your family tree with others.   26. About Genealogy View, download, save and print free family tree charts and forms including U.S. Census Extraction forms. In this collection you will find traditional family tree suitable for printing, as well as interactive charts that allow you to type in the fields online (using the free Adobe Reader program) before saving them to your computer.    27. Ancestry.com Deep in the Ancestry website are a diverse collection of free downloadable forms and charts. Select from Ancestry Ancestral Form, Research Calendar, Research Extract, Correspondence Record, Family Group Sheet, Source Summary, US, UK and Canadian Census forms.             28. Family Tree Magazine   Offers a wide selection of free downloadable charts including a Five-Generation Ancestor Chart, Family Group Sheet, Research Calendar, and Repository Checklist. You’ll also find forms for Cemetery Transcription, Immigration, Records, Oral History, Heirlooms, and census extraction forms for every US enumeration.   29. MarthaStewart.com At marthastewart.com they offer an online decorative Family Tree Fan Chart template suitable for framing.  In the search box on the site’s home page search for “Family Tree Charts” and you’ll find several lovely charts in the results list that include instructions and downloadable templates. You’ll also find other “good things” including free videos and family tree display ideas.   30. FamilyChartmasters.com The Family ChartMasters chart creation tool--Family ChArtist-- is a great way to make a decorative 8.5x11 chart suitable for scrapbooking, framing or other craft projects.  Enter your information manually or via gedcom and choose one of the simple pedigree chart designs.  You can edit your information and then choose from hundreds of borders, background and embellishments or even use your own pictures in your chart.  Movies You can tell by the way I opened this show that I love a good movie, and I particularly love movies with family history themes and stories of immigration. This next group of favorites is what I consider to be some of the best:   31. “Writer Nick and his wife Emily are expecting their first child. When a necessary home repair proves too costly to afford, Nick must swallow his pride and visit his father, a proud immigrant stonemason with whom he has a difficult relationship, and ask him to do the work. Confronting the issues of religious and family tradition which have separated father and son causes Nick and Emily to reevaluate their lives and the things they value most.” Starring the incredible Judy Holliday who you’ll remember from the original version of the movie Born Yesterday, and Richard Conte   32. Sweet Land The Movie website: When Lars Torvik’s grandmother Inge dies in 2004, he is faced with a decision – sell the family farm on which she lived since 1920, or cling to the legacy of the land. Seeking advice, he turns to the memory of Inge and the stories that she had passed on to him. The movie is based on Will Weaver’s short story A Gravestone Made of Wheat and shot on location in Southern Minnesota. 33. The Emigrants Starring Max Von Sydow. In episode 24 I mentioned the book which was made into a movie.  (Swedish: Utvandrarna) “The Emigrants” is a 1971 Swedish film directed by Jan Troell. It tells the story of a Swedish group who emigrate from Småland, Sweden to Minnesota in the 19th century. The film follows the hardship of the group in Sweden and on the trip. The film is based on the first two novels of The Emigrants suite by Vilhelm Moberg: The Emigrants and Unto a Good Land.”   34. (British title The Anatolian Smile) A 1963 American dramatic film directed, produced and written by Elia Kazan, from his own book. In this tale, loosely based upon the life of Kazan's uncle. Turner Classic Movies has started showing it occasionally, so check their schedule.   Conferences and Events One question I get asked a lot is about conferences. Most folks don’t have the time or money to attend them all, and I often get asked, if I could go to just one which would it be? Well, first and foremost it’s the one that has the kind of classes you are looking for  for your particular research, but I do have some overall opinions on conferences that I think you really can’t go wrong with. 37.   38. WDYTYA Live in London (Update: This conference has been discontinued) 39.   Stuff for Kids Every day that we invest in genealogy research it becomes even more important that we capture the interest of the next generation in family history. If we don’t, it could all be lost and for nothing. This next group of faves are tools you can use to accomplish this important task. 40. 41. 42. 43.   My Favorite Episodes 44. The Forensic Linguist Dr. Robert Leonard   45. My interview with Venice   46. Interview with Lisa Kudrow   47. Chris Haley sings   48. Steve Luxenberg and   49. Interview with Gena Ortega   and   50. Heritage Quilts  

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 150 In celebration of this 150th episode and my 50th birthday, I bring you: A Birthday from Long Ago 50 Fabulous Family History Favorites  Websites: 1. Familysearch.orgThey are the leaders in free online records. While it’s tempting to just start typing in ancestors name for searches and hoping for the best, a strategic genealogist determines what type of record they want to find for a question about their ancestor, and then uses the catalogue to determine if FamilySearch has those records. Catalogue is one of the links above the search box, and while it doesn’t stand out, that link is really the key to understanding what familysearch has to offer. Click it and try out all the variations of searches from place names to keywords. 2. Ancestry.com They are the big daddy of the subscription genealogy record sites, and of course in addition to records you can build your family tree on the site. One of the questions folks usually get around to at some point is how to delete and merge data in their Ancestry family trees, and I recently posted a video by Ancestry’s Krista Cowan that explain exactly how to do it. 3. Library of congress American memory I’ve discussed this gold mine of public domain free ephemera several times on the show including and of course in Episode 54 I explained how I used the American memory website to locate the original sheet music for one of the songs in the Name that Tune segment. 4. US Bureau of Land ManagementIf you are looking for U.S. Homestead records then this is the site for you. And if you haven’t been there in a while you’ve got to check it out because they’ve upgraded the site and added loads of new content in including original Field Notes. 5. Google books Premium Episode 91 – Paper, Ink and Books. One of the gems I tell my students in my Google classes is that even if they have no other interest in Google Books, go there and do a search on Ancestry Magazine, because although the magazine is no longer published, all ten years of issues are digitized, online and searchable at Google Books. Now that’s a gem! 6. Google.com How could I not include Google.com as a favorite website. I wrote an entire book about it for goodness sake. A piece of noteworthy news: have you noticed the changes to Google Image search lately?  I’ll be highlighting those in an upcoming episode. 7. Stanford University’s  Data Visualization Mapping Journalism’s Journey West You can see examples of it in action at my youtube channel in the newspaper Research playlist. And I give you everything you need to know about it in my book How to Find Your Family History In Newspapers 8. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Published by the Newberry Library, it is a genealogist’s answer to changing county boundaries over the years.    Video in Premium Episode 70 9. FamilySearch’s Research Wiki OK if you’re not using this you are just plain old working too hard!  This site is where all the greatest research minds at the Family History Library come together just to help you find your family history. I particularly turn to the Research Wiki when researching internationally as they have some fabulous international consultants who outline what you need to know get started, all the way to the depths of the most obscure records that are available. 10. Davidrumsey.com Genealogy is all about location, location, location, and that means that historic maps are vital to your research. David Rumsey is a cartographer here in the San Francisco Bay Area who has spent his entire life collecting over 150,000 historic maps from around the world. And over 30,000 of them have been digitized and made available online through his website. Here’s a tip: be sure to sign up for a free account to his website so that the highest resolution maps will be available to you to download. And don’t just stop with downloading the map, import your maps into Google Earth so that you can view areas today and in the past. My Google Earth for Genealogy video series shows you have to do it step by step and it’s incredible what a difference it can make to you research. I’ll have a quick little video in the show notes for you so you can see a preview of it and the other techniques I teach on the video series. YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Another fabulous gem out there is YouTube. Did you ever think that YouTube would be a fabulous genealogy gem? Well, it really is, and video is the fastest growing segment online and it’s not just cute cat videos and stupid pranks.  There’s a ton of great genealogical related content, and I want to share some great family history channels to get you started 11. USNational Archives YouTube channel You’ll find hundreds of videos, and of course not every one of them would be applicable to genealogy, so I recommend you click the Browse Videos link under the banner at the top and then click Playlists. This will sort the videos into topics. And of course, as with all YouTube channels you can search by keyword in the channel’s search box in the upper right corner. Since Google owns YouTube, you can use all the Google tricks I’ve taught you over the years and in my book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox to find exactly what you are looking for. I particularly love the 1940 census playlist and the one called Tracing WWII 12. AncestryCom Here again you will find an amazing number instructional videos and the great thing about Ancestry’s channel is that they give you a list of all the playlists right on the channel’s home page so you find all the videos for a particular topic you are looking for. If you are a paid subscriber to Ancestry, this channel is really key to getting the most out of the website. 13. FamilySearch Channel FamilySearch offers over 70 videos, and is a particularly worthwhile channel for folks who are new to family history research. But let me tell you, if you need a bit of inspiration, or just a feel good moment, don’t miss their new video called A Survivor’s Pearl Harbor Experience. I will have it in the show notes for you. It is one of my favorite videos. 14. UniversalNewsReels With over 600 videos you are almost guaranteed to find something on any world even topic. According to the channel’s description: “In the pre-TV era, people saw the news every week in their neighborhood movie theaters. Newsreels were shown before every feature film and in dedicated newsreel theaters located in large cities. Universal Newsreel, produced from 1929 to 1967, was released twice a week. Each issue contained six or seven short stories, usually one to two minutes in length, covering world events, politics, sports, fashion, and whatever else might entertain the movie audience. These newsreels offer a fascinating and unique view of an era when motion pictures defined our culture and were a primary source of visual news reporting.”  I fully admit that one of my favorites in the bunch is Much Ado About Hairdos filmed right here in the San Francisco Bay area in the early 1950s.  I think I might give that Leopard hairstyle a try. 15. Library of Congress channel 1218 videos. Use the Playlists!  You’ll find Timeless treasures and contemporary presentations from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. at the Library of Congress Channel. The Library is the steward of millions of recordings dating from the earliest Edison films to modern day presentations held at the Library. Again look to the playlists link to help you sort through the videos. Some gems of note are the Spanish-American War playlist of videos, and America at Work, America at Leisure playlist which is an incredible collection of 150 films. Here’s a description of that playlist from the channel: “Highlights include films of the United States Postal Service from 1903, cattle breeding, fire fighters, ice manufacturing, logging, gymnastic exercises in schools, amusement parks, boxing, expositions, football, parades, swimming, and other sporting events. The majority of the films presented here are from the Paper Print Collection, while the remainder are from the George Kleine Collection, both residing in the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division (M/B/RS) of the Library of Congress. Both of these collections have printed catalogs available in the Motion Picture and Television Reading Room at the Library. The films were selected from these two collections on the basis of the activities pictured in the films and the quality of the available prints. As many different types of work, school, and leisure activities as could be found were sought in order to show the broadest possible representation of activities at the turn of the century. The selection is limited, however, by what is available from these collections; not every possible occupation or leisure activity from the turn of the century is represented. The films in the Paper Print Collection were deposited for copyright from 1894 to 1912 as positive pictures on paper. Many were deposited in this manner on paper rolls frame by frame. For preservation and access purposes, the Library of Congress has made 16mm prints of these Paper Print titles, and has more recently been making 35mm prints of selected titles.” This collection is a wonderful way to revisit how folks spent their time in the early part of the 20th century. 16. Depression Era Cooking with ClaraClara Cannucciari is 96 year old cook, author great grandmother and YouTube star. In these fabulous videos Clara recounts her childhood during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era. You’ll learn how to make simple yet delicious dishes while listening to stories from the Great Depression. If you love these videos as I do, you’ll love Clara's book: "Clara's Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories, and Recipes from the Great Depression" and I’ll have a link to that in the show notes. 17. Mike O’Laughlin Channel If you have Irish roots this is a must see channel. Mike is an author of Irish Books, a producer of the Irish Roots Café Podcasts, and a lover of Irish folk Songs. And he’s been at all this since 1978. You’ll find over 25 videos including some really wonderful old Irish songs sung by Mike himself overlaying some captivating imagery.   MOBILE APPS: 18. Flipboard Download the free app, sign up for your free account, and then load Flipboard up with RSS feeds for all your favorite genealogy blogs, podcasts, and video channels. You will end up with a gorgeous color “glossy magazine-like” layout that you can easily flip through and enjoy. 19. Dropboxsign up for a free account and then download dropbox to your computers and mobile devices. You will then have seamless file sharing and synchronization, as well as the added benefit of having your files backed up on the Cloud. 20. PinterestThink of Pinterest as a fun online bulletin board that makes it easy to store and share the gems you find on the Web. Check me out on Pinterest and follow my family history boards: 21. EvernoteEvernote can help the genealogist remember everything! Sign up for a free account, download the desktop client to your computer, and then get the free apps for your mobile devices and you’ll be all set to start taking notes of every kind. Notes are automatically synchronized so you are never caught working on an old version.  Genealogy Gems Premium Members can watch the video of my full length Evernote for Genealogy class. 22. RootsMagicHot off the press, this long awaited free app allows you to take your entire genealogy database with you! Check out the free recorded video webinar called RootsMagic for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch at 23. CycloramicShell out 99 cents and you’ll have an app that will spin your  iPhone around in a circle taking glorious panoramic videos and photographs. Just set your iPhone on Vibrate, set it on a flat smooth surface and watch it spin. 24. Best Phone SecurityThis free iPhone app is produced by RV AppStudios LLC. According to the app’s description “It senses when it's been touched or moved. Then, a loud alarm starts blaring and a bright red light flashes, making the joke on the thief! To stop the alarm you have to enter your security PIN.  Use alarm on your iPhone/iPod/iPad when in public or also to catch those sneaky friends and family who try to peek into your iPhone when you're away. What really happens when you're in the shower, sleeping, or just away from your device. Use this high quality app to trigger an alarm.” This could come in very handy when you are researching at libraries! 25. PocketboothBy Project Box, 99 centsSnap old time photo booth film strips with your family and friends. A fantastic activity for Family Reunions! Stay tuned for the next episode where we wrap up with the second half of the list!

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode: # 07        Original Publish Date:  April 8, 2007 The April 15 tax deadline is looming: did you know that The Civil War income tax was the first tax paid on individual incomes by residents of the United States? by Cynthia G. Fox on the subject called Income Tax Records of the Civil War Years.  It appears on the National Archives website and is excerpted from the Prologue Magazine Winter 1986 edition, Vol. 18, No. 4.  GEM #1:  Anna-Karin’s Genealogical Podcast Anna-Karin Schander lives in Sweden and she publishing a podcast in English about Swedish-American genealogy. It will contain both information about Swedish genealogy and history and records and what happened to the Swedes who immigrated mainly to USA (but also to other countries) and the records they left.  She includes wonderful old traditional Swedish music as well.  GEM #2 – A website dedicated to the only war fought on American soil by Americans: The Civil War SONG:  Battle of Manassas Gov. Sam Houston-Texas: “Let me tell you what is coming. After the sacrifice of countless millions of treasure and hundreds of thousands of lives you may win Southern independence, but I doubt it. The North is determined to preserve this Union. They are not a fiery, impulsive people as you are, for they live in colder climates. But when they begin to move in a given direction, they move with the steady momentum and perseverance of a mighty avalanche.” , South Carolina 146 years ago this week on April 12.  3 million fought - 600,000 died. Chances are someone in your family tree fought in the war. But one thing we know for sure, if you’ve traced any of your family lines back to the 1860s in the US, then you have folks in your tree who lived through and were deeply affected by the Civil War.  We’re going to want to learn more about their experience in order to understand their lives.  This will lead us to more genealogical leads. Read about the Civil War in the newspapers that your ancestors read. In addition to the newspapers available by paid subscription on Ancestry.com, there’s a terrific free resource! Go to Click on The Civil War Years 1860-1866 Follow the links to topics of interest.  Locate ancestors who may have fought in the war. A terrific website is the Areas of the System:   The CWSS includes 6.3 million soldier names from the National Archives, which were compiled by NPS'   in the CWSS project. As of February, 2000, volunteers in over 36 states had completed the data entry of all the 6.3 million soldier names from 44 states & territories. The two final editing processes for the records have recently been completed.   The NPS and its' CWSS partners are committed to eventually include the names of all Union and Confederate Naval personnel. Given that the records sources for the Navy are not as well organized as the Army records, nor are they micro-filmed, the target date for this is still to be determined.   The CWSS will include histories of over 4,000 Union and Confederate units (regiments), which will be linked to soldiers' names and battle histories. These will be completed this year as part of the CWSS site. The site currently includes regimental histories of units from 44 states and territories.   The unit histories are linked to histories of the 364 most significant Civil War battles already on the Internet from the NPS' . These battle histories were compiled as part of a report to Congress by the Civil War Sites Advisory Committee.   The current version of the CWSS includes prisoner records of Union prisoners at Andersonville and Confederate prisoners at Fort McHenry.   The National Park Service manages 14 National Cemeteries, all but one of which is related to a Civil War battlefield park. The NPS is planning on listing all names of burials in these cemeteries on the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System. The first phase involves data taken from written records of Poplar Grove National Cemetery at Petersburg National Battlefield, and also includes images of the headstones.   This feature of the CWSS includes information on over 1,200 Civil War soldiers and sailors who received the Congressional Medal of Honor. And National Parks Featured  areas of the site: NEW STORIES - The National Park Service Civil War Institute – Stories of the Civil War addresses the social, economic, political & military aspects of the war. EDUCATE – for teachers providing civil war curriculum materials from national parks & lesson plans on building a family history. BLACK HISTORY - Looking for more on the civil war on the internet? Check out the Military Indexes website and follow the links to a wide range of web resources.    Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode: # 08        Original Publish Date:  April 15, 2007 It’s Tax Day – Check out your ancestor’s tax records using the links at GEM #1:  Great San Francisco Earthquake Song: “Hello, Frisco!” By Harvey Hindermeyer, a 1915 wax cylinder recording by The Edison Co. 101 years ago, on April 18, 1906 at 5:13 am an earthquake nearly 8.0 on the Richter Scale hit San Francisco.  A slip in the San Andreas Fault caused Shock waves up and down the Pacific Coast.  Hundreds Died.  Fires did the most damage. My Great Grandma was 7 months pregnant with my maternal grandfather when the quake struck. They were living at on Kentucky St., in the city at that time, and I can’t imagine what she must have gone through. In 1906 my Great grandpa worked as a motorman on a cable car. Shortly after the earthquake he went into a very sensible new career – Life Insurance Salesman!   A great place to start learning more about this moment in   Next stop… April 18-23 Earthquake Timeline Earthquake Newspaper Clippings Eyewitness Accounts San Francisco Fire Department Report U.S. Army & Navy Operations During the Earthquake and Fire Engineering and Scientific Reports Relief and Recovery Efforts San Francisco One Year Later Photographs of the 1906 Disaster Audio:  When I did a search in Google for San Francisco Earthquake Audio I found “” an audio recording by National Public Radio. The website not only allows you to listen to the original broadcast, but offers a truly multimedia presentation including a timeline, photos, and videos Book Resource: But how were genealogy records impacted by this catastrophic event?” The San Francisco 1906 Earthquake Great Register. Led by Gladys Hansen, San Francisco City Archivist Emeritus and her team. Video of Gladys talking about the project: On the website, Gladys Hansen states the following “Because of government and financial interests of the time, the official San Francisco death toll has always been extolled as remarkably small. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors official count in 1907 was only 478. It was thought that a high death toll would hamper the rebuilding and repopulation of the city.” Originally Gladys focused on the 1906 Earthquake Dead using the death dates  between April 18, 1906 - May 19, 1906. However with the Governor's Earthquake Task Force now defines an earthquake death as "… an immediate fatality resulting from an earthquake or an earthquake-caused injury or illness that becomes fatal within a period of ONE YEAR following the earthquake." This dramatically broadens the scope of the research. Gladys and her team are now embarking on an effort to compile an accurate account of those affected by the 1906 earthquake. This time they are looking for information on everyone who was in San Francisco at that time, not just those who died. They consider all stories. Book Resource by Gladys Hansen   GEM #2  Shake Up Your Research Strategy Step 1: Locate the event on a Timeline. History.com – Step 2: Internet Searches Google (For Alerts see Episode 3) Google Images Ancestry EBay (see Episode 3) State Historical Society State Archives Census – Find neighbors and do a quick Google & Ancestry search on them. YouTube.com (see Episode 4 for more info on using YouTube)

Welcome to the first episode of 2013, and there is certainly a lot already going on this year, and this episode is packed with genealogy news, your emails and of course gems tucked in along the way. NEWS: One of the longest running and best known websites is Cyndislist at cyndislist.com. The website is run by Cyndi Howells, and for over 16 years she has meticulously catalogued all of the websites that are devoted to genealogy.  Anyone can go to cyndislist.com for free and follow the topic links to find online resources on just about any area of genealogy. Back on Nov 1, 2012 on Facebook describing how she had discovered that another website had copied her entire website – not just a few links, but the entire website, and made it available on their website. According to Justia.com, a site that makes available public information on Dockets and lawsuit filings Cyndi's List and Cynthia Howells has formally against the alleged content snatching website. But the real shocker, the website in question isn’t some random spam website, but rather one that was launched in 2012 by an established genealogist, Barry Ewell. The site is called MyGenShare and in addition to free content Barry offers paid membership for access to all the content.  Because there is an active lawsuit the folks involved can’t really talk about it, so we don’t have much more information. But we will keep you informed as we learn more, and I would be interested in to know what you think.   RootsMagic App for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Now Available The good news is that the free app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has now officially been launched and is available in the iTunes app store. According to Michael Booth, Vice-President of RootsMagic, a version of the app for Android devices will be available in the near future. While the app does not give you full functionality of the RootsMagic software, it does put your family tree information at your fingertips, and provides a lot of useful features including: Access your actual RootsMagic files via iTunes or Dropbox Easily search and explore your family tree View pictures, notes, and sources  Browse lists of your information and view more information about sources, to-do items, research logs, media, addresses, repositories, correspondences, and places. Useful tools including a perpetual calendar, date calculator, relationship calculator, and Soundex calculator. RootsMagic for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is free and now available in the Apple App Store. It does require the RootsMagic desktop family tree software or the free RootsMagic Essentials software to create, edit, or add to your genealogy files. More information is available at .   The Southern California Genealogical Society’s popular Jamboree Extension Webinar Series. If you are looking to brush up on genealogy research or learn some new skills from the comfort of your own home, than these webinars are for you  Jamboree Extension Series webinars are conducted the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month. Saturday sessions will be held at 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time. Wednesday sessions will be scheduled at 6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  For information and to register for the 2013 sessions,  Coming up in the next few months:  Wednesday, January 16 -  6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Linda Geiger Woodward, CG, CGL     Saturday, February 2 - 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time. Eric Basir     Wednesday, February 20 -  6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.  Michael John Neill     Saturday, March 2 -  10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time Lisa Louise Cooke       MAILBOX: Leanore wrote in to say “I listened to your virtual Christmas party where you asked each person what they were doing genealogically for Christmas.  Though I've done several fun things over the years, this year I didn't do anything (except host the whole group for Christmas.) But, one of our daughters created a very special book of our family's past Christmases.  We lived overseas for many years so each country has its own couple of pages with photos of our holiday celebrations there.  What a "trip" and a wonderful gift!” And Jean wrote in to say: “I enjoyed listening to everyone you talked to during your virtual trip around the world.  However, I must say what I enjoyed most was listening to Davey as he explored your home and the Christmas decorations.  I loved listening to the young voice so filled with excitement and enthusiasm for everything he found!” Cindy has a Question about Place Names: “I'm trying to clean up my place names in my database and I came across some that are before a state became a state and even some before we were even a country. I have an ancestor who died in 1704 and my tree reads: Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. OR, Should I be naming places for what they are now? I think it should be the name that the place was at the time of the event, but I seem to be the only one.” Lisa’s Answer: There are arguments on both sides. A quick Google search served up several writings on the subject in support of both using the modern location, and using the location at the time of the event.  I’ll have links in those in the show notes for you. article article Personally, I use the location name at the time of the event. Many times I have to do a lot of work to determine the name of a location at the time of the event (like a German village that now is technically Poland), and it would be easy to lose track of that. And besides, when I am looking for the records, I typically need to look under the village name. Another consideration is that place names continue to change. So if you use "modern day" names, they are only as accurate as the date you entered them. To play it safe, I often include the modern day name in parenthesis so that I have everything I need just in case. Most important: being consistent and doing what works well for you. I got an email from two brand New Genealogy Bloggers: The first is Vickie Long and she says: “I have been listening to your podcasts for months – and I’m almost caught up to the current one.  Tonight I took the plunge and with the help of my dear husband I started a genealogy blog – .   Thanks for your encouragement.” Or use the URL Address: and Jackie in Australia also has a new blog: “Am very excited to continue learning and adding to my Blog - you have inspired me to do this and I am having lots of fun - some of my family are keen for me to keep doing this!  My blogspot is only a baby at the moment - I'll give you the address - but please remember it's only just been conceived!” Congratulations to you both for putting your family history out there and I wish you great success and hopefully even a few new cousin connections!   QUICK GEMS:   CLOSING: is now available to view for free on the Genealogy Gems website.        

Jump on the sleigh and make the rounds with me to friends of the podcast. We'll making surprise stops at listener's homes, drinking hot cocoa with long time friends  of the show and genealogy experts, visiting with the newest member to the Genealogy Gems team, and my Grandson Davy will even make a guest starring appearance!  

In this episode we discuss the latest genealogy news, one listener's fabulous use of Google Alerts, and Maureen Taylor's new history film project.  NEWS: Google Earth 7Google as just released Google Earth version 7. Google Earth is an amazing tool for genealogy so new enhancements are always welcome! This new version enables you to explore a number of cities around the world in 3D, from Long Beach, California, to Rome, Italy. The 3D imagery uses the enhanced modeling capabilities, previously found on only mobile devices. In my video I go into detail about 3D models and even give you resources for how you can get your own 3D models of everything from your house, to your ancestor’s home.  Download the new Google Earth 7 and get even more 3D imagery.  You’ll find comprehensive and accurate tours of more than 11,000 popular sites around the world, including our growing list of cities where new 3D imagery is available. A big change with this new version is the feature which serves as sort of a virtual local expert that suggests places nearby that you might want to explore and providing you with background information on the location.  You’ll find the tour guide along the bottom of the screen, and it looks like sort of a film strip of thumbnail images representing various tours that are available. These change based on where you are on the Google Earth globe.   What’s new in RootsMagic 6 VideoAnd there a favorite genealogy program that just got a new fresh update. RootsMagic 6 is now available, and you can see what’s new in the newest version of the genealogy database program in a brand new video they’ve published on their website at  In the video you will see new features in action such as: Online Publishing  Find Everywhere feature Live Timeline View WebTags CountyCheck Explorer If you are a current paid user of RootsMagic, you can upgrade for just $19.95.  New users may purchase RootsMagic 6 for only $29.95. Order online at Special Holiday Offer Now through Dec. 20, 2012 Order gift copies of RootsMagic 6 for just $19.95 (plus shipping).  You can also order other RootsMagic products at that same $19.95 price. Order the special holiday at or order by phone at 1-800-ROOTSMAGIC ).   The next item here is that the Family Tree Service coming soon to FamilySearch.orgAccording to a FamilySearch press release, “Within the next few months, FamilySearch will make available to everyone on its website. The first of many updates planned for FamilySearch.org, Family Tree will provide a free and engaging way to discover, preserve, and share your family history. Family Tree will also offer specialized tools to make temple work for your ancestors even easier and more convenient. Watch an  that shows 7 reasons to be excited about Family Tree. Family Tree will enable you to: Save family information into a genealogy tree Edit and delete incorrect data, including relationships Connect and collaborate with others on shared family lines Show where information came from Link to online photos and documents If you have questions about what Family Tree will be like or how it will work, you can log in to  that offers online courses, how-to videos, informational handouts, and step-by-step training. Get started with Family Tree today by watching the  or reading about it on the . Family Tree will be open to everyone in the next few months. Ireland - National Archives launches new websiteThe National Archives of Ireland has launched a new genealogy website at  which will initially host the 1901 and 1911 Censuses, Tithe Apportionment records from 1823-37, and Soldiers' Wills from 1914-17. New at ScotlandsPeople Scottish wills and testaments from 1902-25 now online at the ScotlandsPeople at Millions of Old Newspaper pages added to FindMyPastfindmypast.com has just published millions of pages of historical newspapers from not only England, but also across Wales and Scotland as well. This collection contains local newspapers for the period 1710-1950. More than 200 titles are included. Go to  Ancestry.com launches newspapers.com  On November 29, 2012   Inc., announced the launch of , a web site designed to offer a collection of more than 800 U.S. newspapers dating from the late 1700s into the early 2000s.  Comprising more than 25 million pages, Newspapers.com offers a historical and present-day newspapers ranging from the New York Times to small town and local newspapers throughout the United States. According to Ancestry’s press release “The search capabilities on Newspapers.com are specifically designed for newspapers enabling users to easily search by keywords, location, time period and newspaper name.” The yearly subscription rate is $79.95 for subscribers and $39.95 for Ancestry.com or Fold3.com members. Newspapers.com also offers a 7-day free trial that can be activated at . Ancestry has launched a new  site at Ancestry.comYou can access Community Support by clicking on “Get Help” at the top of the Ancestry.com homepage. Once on Online Help, you will see a button for “Ask the Community” on the right hand side. That link will take you directly to Ancestry’s new Support Communities.  Buys Geni.comMyHeritage have just bought our long-term rival Geni.com - and also raised $25million in new funds. As a larger community, the users of MyHeritage and Geni.com will now receive matches with the other website family trees, and MyHeritage’s Record Matching, will benefit Geni's users, who will get access to historical records never available before on Geni.com. MAILBOX: Jessica has a new blog and a question about photo storage: “…after about the 10th podcast in a row where you encouraged us to start our own blog, I finally got the message.  I started my very own "geneablog" a couple of weeks ago.  I only have three posts so far, but I'm pretty proud of it.  Please check it out and let me know what you think.  I'd love you to let your listeners know too, because that would be even more feedback!  I am writing my blog from the perspective of my relentless quest to better understand the life of one particular ancestor of mine, William Park.  I call it "Knowing William" and it writing it really makes me happy.”  Visit her blog at  “I recently listened to episode 119 where you talked to Michael Katchen from 1000memories.   I went to the site, signed up, and uploaded pics to my first shoe box.  In the interview I remember words like "social networking", "memorials", and "genealogy".  I am confused.  All I saw on the site was my shoe boxes and some not-very-informative FAQs.  I know it has been a while, but have they changed the whole premise of the website in less than a year?”  Lisa’s Answer: Congrats on your new blog! Remember posts can be short and sweet, and pack them with searchable keywords so other researchers can find you in Google Search. RE: 1000Memories. They have indeed changed up the website since the interview. I agree with you, it seems watered down now, and not as obvious as to how to make the most of it. They seem to be focused on "simplicity." Barbara Shares A New Use for Google Alerts“My Great Grandfather, Edmund Charles Clark, was a builder in Bendigo, and many of his houses still stand in Wattle Street Bendigo today. I spent a lovely day photographing them, but I cannot go up and knock on all the doors however! So I have a cute way of finding out just what those houses look like today especially on the inside. I have an alert in Google for "Wattle Street, Bendigo" and it works a treat. Every so often one of the homes goes up for sale or rent, and one of the real estate websites has pictures of both inside and outside. These come up on my search and I get to see inside the homes that are still standing. One is up for rent at present and here are the pictures from Realestate.com.au of 172 Wattle Street. Isn’t it lovely?  It is still much in original condition.   The  function is really useful for genealogy, and I first found out about it from Genealogy Gems – so thank you very much for the gem."   GEM:  Maureen Taylor’s new gig – bringing revolutionary war history to filmPamela Pacelli Cooper, President, Verissima Productions Maureen Taylor, Author of The Last Muster Revolutionary Voices: A Last Muster Film, Directed by Maureen Taylor with Verissima Productions New Gem for Premium Members! Sign in to your Membership and go to Premium Videos to view the brand new video Genealogy on the Go with the iPad (and tablets too!) The iPad is built for hitting the road and is ideally suited for family history due to its’ sleek lightweight size, gorgeous graphics and myriad of apps and tools. In this class I will teach you “the tablet mindset”, the best apps for the tasks that genealogists want to accomplish, and my Top 10 list of iPad Tips and Tricks. By the end of class you will be able to turn your iPad into a family history powerhouse!

In this episode I’ve got another blast from the past for you.  We have reached deep into the podcast archive and retrieved episodes 5 and 6. In Episode 5 we touch on using the video website YouTube for genealogy, and then I walk you through how to Bring Sites Back From the Dead with Google. Then we wrap things up with a cool little way to Spice Up Your Genealogy Database. In episode 6 I have a gem for you called Cast a Shadow on Your Ancestors, and we cover the free genealogy website US GenWeb    Episode: # 05  Original Publish Date:  March 25, 2007 MAILBOX      Email this week from   Mike O'Laughlin of the : “Congratulations on your podcast!  I am sure it will help many folks out there. I was glad to see the fine Irish families of Scully and Lynch on your latest show notes!” GEM:  You Tube Follow Up Note: The Genealogy Tech Podcast is no longer published or available. YouTube in the news – the concern was raised by Viacom this month about YouTube benefiting from their programming without compensating them, which could mean copyright infringement.  While the course of YouTube could change depending on the outcome of this suit, the attraction for family historians remains strong because of the nature of the content. Software mentioned: Pinnacle.  Final Cut for MAC.  Limits with Movie Maker I posted 2 videos – A Nurse In Training Part 1 & 2   Click the Subscribe button to receive notification of new videos   GEM:  Bring Sites Back From the Dead with Google                                                     When you get a "File Not Found" error when clicking on a link, it doesn't mean the information is always gone forever.  You may be able to find it in the Cache version.    Google takes a snapshot of each page it examines and caches (stores) that version as a back-up. It’s what Google uses to judge if a page is a good match for your query.  In the case of a website that no longer exists, the cache copy us a snapshot of the website when it was still active hidden away or cached.    Practically every search result includes a Cached link. Clicking on that link takes you to the Google cached version of that web page, instead of the current version of the page. This is useful if the original page is unavailable because of: 1.      Internet congestion 2.      A down, overloaded, or just slow website - Since Google’s servers are typically faster than many web servers, you can often access a page’s cached version faster than the page itself. 3.      The owner’s recently removing the page from the Web   Sometimes you can even access the cached version from a site that otherwise require registration or a subscription.    If Google returns a link to a page that appears to have little to do with your query, or if you can’t find the information you’re seeking on the current version of the page, take a look at the cached version.   Hit the Back button and look for a link to a "cached" copy at the end of the URL at the end of the search result. Clicking on the "cached" link should bring up a copy of the page as it appeared at the time that Google indexed that page, with your search terms highlighted in yellow.   If you don’t see a cached link, it may have been omitted because the owners of the site have requested that Google remove the cached version or not cache their content.  Also, any sites Google hasn’t indexed won’t have a cache version.   Limit:  If the original page contains more than 101 kilobytes of text, the cached version of the page will consist of the first 101 Kbytes (120 Kbytes for pdf files).   Really looking for an oldie but a goody?  Try the   It allows you to browse through 85 billion web pages archived from 1996 to a few months ago.   To start surfing the Wayback, type in the web address of a site or page where you would like to start, and press enter. Then select from the archived dates available. The resulting pages point to other archived pages at as close a date as possible. Keyword searching is not currently supported.     GEM:  Spice up your database Search Google Images, then Right click and save to your hard drive. Use Silhouettes Find something that represents what you do know about that person.  It really does help you see them more as a person and less as an entry in your database – their occupation, a reader, a sport, etc.     Episode: # 06 Original Publish Date: April 1, 2007 You can learn more about Jewish roots at the 350 Years of American Jewish History website , The Home of Jewish Genealogy   GEM:  Cast a Shadow on Your Ancestors In the episode #5 I shared a little gem that would spice up your genealogical database – adding silhouettes and artistic images to the file of an ancestor when you don’t have a photograph.  Probably the most famous silhouette these days are the silhouettes used by Apple for advertising the iPod digital music and audio player.  It may surprise your teenager or grandchild to learn that the first silhouettes were done hundreds of years ago.  Back then silhouettes (or shades as they were called), they paintings or drawings of a person's shadow. They were popular amongst English royalty and the art form quickly spread to Europe.  A silhouette can also be cut from black paper, and was a simple alternative for people who could not afford other forms of portraiture, which, in the eighteenth century, was still an expensive proposition. The word took its name from Étienne de Silhouette, but it’s uncertain as to whether his name was attributed because he enjoyed this art form, or as the story goes because the victims of his taxes complained that they were reduced to mere shadows. Either way, the popularity of Silhouettes hit new heights in the United States where they were seen in magazines, brochures and other printed material. But they faded from popularity as Photographs took over in the 1900s. As a follow up, I want to share with you a simple technique for creating your own silhouettes. You can use ordinary snapshots to create a visual family record.  Take a photo of a person in profile against a neutral background.  Blanket the photo background with white acrylic or tempera paint Fill in the image with a heavy black permanent marker, curing the shoulders down for a classical pose.  Add fun details like cowlicks, eyelashes, hats, and jewelry that express the person’s personality with a fine felt-tip pen. Photocopy the doctored photos onto quality art paper.  Since glossy papers work print best, you could also use your computer scanner to scan the image into your hard drive.  From there you can add it to your database, or print it out onto glossy photo paper for mounting. To represent folks in your family tree, create a silhouette of your father to represent his Great Great Grandfather, and add a farmer’s hat and rake to represent his profession of farming.  Chances are dad has inherited some of his profile anyway.  Have fun with it and be creative.  But of course be very sure to label to silhouette appropriately as a creative interpretation rather than a literal rendering. You can also do silhouettes of your family including extended family and arrange the portraits together on a wall.  Use black painted frames in a variety of shapes and sizes and hang in a way that represents the family tree / relationships. Check out the Art Café Network website for a by Katherine Courtney.   For More detailed how-to information, they have   2 Silhouette books to turn to: by Kathryn K. Flocken         GEM:  GenWeb Pages Last year the website celebrated its 10th Anniversary.  The USGenWeb Project consists of a group of volunteers working together to provide Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. The Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free access for everyone. Organization within the website is by state and county. You can go to the homepage of the website and click on the state of your choice from the left hand column.  From the state page you can select the county you wish to search in.  However, when I know they name of the county I want to search in,  I’ve found it’s often quicker just to search at google.com and do a search like  “genweb sibley county mn”  The choice is yours.  Remember to use the Google search gem that I gave you in episode one (see episode #134  ) to quickly search within the county website.   Many don’t have search engines of their own, and so that’s when I first really started using that search technique.  These county sites are often very rich though, and after a focused search, it’s rewarding just to wander the site.  It will help you become more familiar with the county! You’ll likely find databases of Births, Deaths, Marriages, townships histories, plat maps, surnames, and a host of other topics. Because each county has its own volunteer coordinator, the information you will find varies from county to county.  And as always, info is being added regularly, so you need to book mark them and return on a regular basis to see what’s new.  Be sure and share your resources as well.  That’s the power behind the GenWeb project – volunteers.  Volunteering your county resources will enrich other’s experience and will likely lead to connections that will continue to further your own research. Book Mentioned in this episode:  by Rhonda McClure  

Today's gem focuses on a challenge that we all face as family historians – getting organized, archiving all of our stuff, and digitizing materials an d photos. I know that’s biting off a big chunk, but it’s such an important one. And in this episode I’m going to start to break it down for your with the help of the Family Curator, Denise Levenick who has written a book called How to Archive Family Keepsakes.  She’s got lots of practical advice to share. NEWS: FamilySearch recently announced that their U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Community Project is Half-way to its 2012 Goal of 30 Million Records In August of this year, FamilySearch announced its next major U.S. community project-U.S. Immigration and Naturalization. The project will create an extensive, free, online collection of U.S. passenger lists, border crossing records, naturalization records, and more-invaluable to genealogy researchers. See what U.S. Immigration and Naturalization projects are currently underway, or check on their status at .  You can join the community of online indexers and arbitrators helping to make passenger lists and naturalization records freely searchable on . Current and Completed Projects  To view a list of currently available indexing projects, along with their record language and completion percentage, visit the FamilySearch . To learn more about individual projects, view the FamilySearch .    Canadian Military Records Ancestry.ca has also announced that they have launched some New Canadian Military Records Collections Read about it on my Blog:    Google recently announced that , doubling the number of special collections and updating over 250,000 miles of roads around the world. Google has increased Street View coverage in Macau, Singapore, Sweden, the U.S., Thailand, Taiwan, Italy, Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and Canada. And they are launching special collections in South Africa, Japan, Spain, France, Brazil and Mexico, among others. . They’ve also recently updated the Google Earth satellite imagery database. This refresh to the imagery has now been updated for 17 cities and 112 countries/regions.  So Google Earth has never been better for genealogy research. And of course if you would like to learn more about what Google Earth can do for you as a genealogist, check out my free YouTube videos which show you what you can learn in which is available at the Genealogygems.com store.    Genealogy Gems Premium Membership Update I’m happy to let all of you Premium members know that I’ve put together a quick little video that will walk you through the process of setting up your Premium podcast feed in iTunes.You’ll find a link on the premium episodes page once you’ve signed in that will take you to the video and instructions for setting up your Premium iTunes subscription. I have also added a video recording of one my most popular classes to the Premium Videos collection. It’s called How the Genealogist Can Remember Everything with Evernote. From Premium Member Kelly: “Thank you so much for your podcast on Evernote. I've been on YouTube watching videos about it but they were hard to follow and more advanced or to techie. Your podcast was easy to follow and went over the basics and I really appreciate that. I think I finally ready to try it.” If you would like to be able to watch the Evernote class from the comfort of your own home please join us as a Genealogy Gems Premium Member which you can do at     MAILBOX: From Patience: “I have noticed in your podcast, other's podcasts, blogs, and at workshops I have attended that there is a concern about the next generation.  I do understand, but I wanted to share with you my experience in hopes of easing everyone's worries.  I am 23 years old, and let me tell you I stick out like a sore thumb at workshops as I usually am the youngest by at least 30 years.  That being said when I started researching I met one of my cousins on , and we really hit it off we have all the same interests, and are like long lost twins.  For a while I assumed that she was retired, and much much older than I, but after several emails I found out she is only two years older than me!!! I too worry about my generation, but I think after some maturing, most will at least have an appreciation for the past, and everything it has to offer, or at least I hope...But all I know is that there are two very pretty twenty something girls thousands of miles apart that would rather research and learn that go to parties...so that seems pretty hopeful I think.”   Jennifer Takes the iPad on the Road “Kudos for turning me on to a nifty iPad shortcut. Your latest book has some tips in the back, which is where, of course, I skipped to after dutifully reading the first three chapters or so. The tips about swiping the comma/exclamation point to create an apostrophe, and the other shortcut for quotation marks, are so great! I will no doubt find many other useful items when I return to reading. Honestly, your books are so full of wonderful information, I have to take a break before my head explodes (not pretty).” Pat Oxley, a Genealogist on Facebook posted her review of my new book on Facebook last week.  "Despite another day of coughing and basically feeling yuk, I bought and downloaded 's new book "Turn your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse." It is FABULOUS! I worked my way through the book, taking notes and then downloaded and played with some of the apps she suggested! Thank you Lisa Louise! I will say it's a terrific book even if you're NOT a genealogist. Many of her suggested apps could be applied to many different hobbies and interests. You can buy it through Lulu.com.” Get the updated book: Mobile Genealogy   GEM: Interview with author Denise Levenick, The Family Curator Archiving, organizing and digitizing family treasures is one of the greatest challenges for genealogists. In her book , Denise Levenick presents a game plan that breaks down the steps and provides a clear picture of the end goal. The worksheets and checklists provide the kind of practical advice I look for in “how to” books. No fluff, just common sense, and usable information that lead to success. Get your copy of Denise's book and start getting organized now!       Denise May Levenick is a writer, researcher, and speaker with a passion for preserving and sharing family treasures of all kinds. She is the author of How to Archive Family Keepsakes and creator of The Family Curator blog , voted one of the 40 Best Genealogy Blogs in 2010 and 2011.   Gem: One More ThingFrom Tina in the UK: “Your recent blog post about items found when clearing out a house reminded me of my most significant find in my stepfather's attic. He died in July 2009 and my mother wanted to clear out and sell their big house and move to a retirement flat to be near the family in Bristol. I should explain that my mother and father divorced when I was a baby and my stepfather was like a father to me.  We threw out masses of stuff - he never did, EVER! - but this was mostly correspondence, company reports for all his shares etc which we sifted through without much of note being found. Then, in the attic there were two extraordinary finds: (1) a box full of the small notebooks he kept from his schooldays till a few years before he died…early ones and especially the ones of his years in the Army in India and Burma…The later notebooks are a record of his expenses - with dates, items and expenses which brought back many memories (eg doll for Tina - bought  in New York on holiday in 1958 - I remember it well, it was a sort of pre-Barbie!). Every ice-cream he ever bought us - there was a LOT of ice-cream (he loved it)! (2) my grandfather's old attache case - full of letters from my stepfather's mother between about 1978 and her death in 1993. There were hundreds of them - and yes, I read every single one and they have formed the basis of the story of her life (yes, she also left a small diary, a collection of her own recipes of family favourites, and a very simple family tree), which I am now writing…what VERY little there was seemed to be in answer to some of his questions...It just shows how the smallest things can provide clues.”  Thank you Tina for sharing this – it certainly does remind us that clues can come from anywhere. But it also reminds us of something else – that while it’s wonderful to have our history recorded so it can be remembered, sometimes it’s the smallest things that are remembered most:  Like ice cream.  I think I’m going to sign off now and take my grandson Davy out for a cone. I hope he remembers it, because I know I will. Who will you invite out for a an ice cream and spend your precious time with today?

In this episode you will hear how one man’s passion for geography and history were saved from destruction, and you’ll find out what a portable scanner can do for your genealogy research and mobility. My Latest Travels I wrapped up my recent round of travels last week with a trip to Sumner, Washington where I spoke at the Autumn Quest Annual Seminar sponsored by the Heritage Quest Library. It was a packed room and we spent the day talking about how to find your family history in newspapers, using Google Earth for Genealogy, how to find living relatives and most importantly how to save your research from destruction. There seemed to be a bit of serendipity involved in this particular speaking engagement, which was booked many many months ago. Recently Bill’s mom made the big move to a lovely retirement home and she really wanted her kids to get together and go through the house and pick up the items they wanted to keep, and then prepare the house to be rented out. As it turned out, amazingly enough, this was the ideal weekend to corral all four kids together to do that before the renovations on the house started. So after Saturday’s seminar, on Sunday we all got together and although my mother in law was very happy to have moved and really wanted to the kids to do this, it was just hard to get started. Since I didn’t grow up in the house it was a little easier for me to see the task at hand from more of a practical point of view, and I was sort of nominated to guide the process. And it actually worked out really well. Everyone was very comfortable with how the remaining items were divided up, and there were lots of family photos to go around. I was fortunate enough to receive my mother-in-laws father’s original Royal Typewriter. I think it’s probably from about 1910 and is in pristine condition. It’s all cleaned up and in my studio now inspiring me to continuing writing and blogging. And I also received a small journal with the handwritten life stories of her parents. So I have my work cut out assembling the stories and photos and I hope to get some coffee table books printed as well as do a video that the family can enjoy. We’ll see if I can get that done in time for Christmas. I’m sure many of you listening have also gone through this process of closing down a parent’s household. If you have an interesting story, or came across an unexpected gem or call and leave your story on the voice mail line at 925-272-4021 and I might just share it on an upcoming episode. Geographic History Saved Now I mentioned to you that I taught the class Save Your Research from Destruction, and though that title may sound a bit over dramatic, time and time again it proves accurate. Quote: "I think there are at least a million maps here," he said. "This dwarfs our collection — and we've been collecting for 100 years." Thank goodness there are folks like Matthew Greenberg, who came to the rescue of a century of old maps. He’s my hero!   GEM: Interview with Gordon Nuttall of Couragent, Inc. and the Flip-Pal I’ve been a longtime fan of the Flip-Pal portable scanner and I use mine all the time. You’ve probably heard me mention it before on the show, and I often have specials on the Support the Podcast page on my website where you can save money, and at the same time your purchase helps to support this free podcast. Over the years I have received questions from many of you who are trying to decide if it really makes sense to get a portable scanner, and wanting to better understand what it can do for you and how to use it. So I decided it is about time to get all the answers together for you in one podcast gem. And who better to get those answers from than the inventor himself, Gordon Nuttall, CEO of Couragent, Inc., the company behind the Flip-Pal.    Thank you for helping make the free Genealogy Gems Podcast possible!   Just a Few More Things – Evernote How the Genealogist can Remember Everything with Evernote    

Have you ever wondered how the Internet works?  I mean, how data from your computer actually makes to another computer somewhere else around the world? I found a very cool video that really manages to explain a very complex process that happens in a matter of seconds in a way that actually makes a lot of sense. And yet while it made sense, after I watched it it was almost harder to believe that it really works at all because it’s so amazing. Even if you are typically a person who doesn’t bother to click on videos, you have got to check out How Does the Internet Work in the newest of edition of the free Genealogy Gems Podcast email newsletter. Go to and enter your email to sign up.   NEWS: RootsTech   Ancestry Read Lisa's blog post: While the world’s largest online family history resource, Ancestry.com, awaits a possible buyout, they are keeping busy buying other companies. Reuters reported that Permira Advisers LLP has emerged as the front-runner to take Ancestry private in a deal that could exceed $1.5 billion. () Ancestry also released the following press release about the company’s latest acquisition, San Francisco based 1000Memories. You can learn more about 1000 Memories by listening to my interview with Michael Katchen, Director of Business Development at 1000Memories in  .   Job Opening   Google Books Learn more about using Google Books for genealogy in my book   New Premium Episode 92 Old maps can tell us a lot more than just where our ancestors lived: They put events into geographic context, reveal surprising genealogical clues, and can be incorporated into Google Earth for analysis and storytelling. In the newest episode (#92) of the Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast I’ll tell you about a terrific example of a website that has set the goal of have every image they possess (allowable by copyright) digitized and on their website by early 2013 I’m also going to tell you about something pretty shocking that happened to me recently while speaking at an international genealogy conference. I was really taken by surprise, and received some unexpected questions. I will share those with you as well as some solid answers. It’s another packed episode. If you are a member sign in now to start listening.    MAILBOX Stephanie also wrote in with an opinion about Ancestry Trees “So here are my "2 bits".  I am new to all this and honestly never considered my public tree as published.  I have used the Ancestry tree as a if were my workbook, just as if it were a software package like Roots Magic.  Because I consider it a workbook I add names as I find them and work the family as a group to document the information AFTER I add them.  It simply never occurred to me that others would see this as complete, documented information.  I have kept my tree open since I want to be open to contacts.  When I see hints from other trees I simply avoid the un-sourced ones.  The Ancestry hints have moved me along much faster than I ever could have before.  I truly hope others who get angry could see my point of view. Thank you so much for teaching us, you have made this journey so much more enjoyable and effective!!!” From Loretta: Ancestry Trees “I've had a little different reaction towards the "polluted" online trees... sarcasm. At the beginning of the year I started a blog, . I post on Tuesdays and Fridays. Both days could be considered tips for beginners but Tuesdays are examples of what NOT to do. All the examples are actual online trees and because of the propensity of newbies to mindlessly copy other trees most examples are not just on ONE tree. It makes for a lot of head meets desk moments but I'm enjoying it. Hope you and some of your listeners will too.” Ricky in Birmingham, Alabama asks about citing sources and paper and file organization &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;A HREF="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_mfw&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fgenegemspodc-20%2F8001%2F57c224a1-85ab-43d7-9fb9-1175aa0b4fc7&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;Operation=NoScript"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Amazon.com Widgets&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/A&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;   GEM: New Family History Bloggers Family History blogging is hotter than ever and the ideal way to get your research out on the web where others working on the same family lines can find you through Google searches!  Many of you have been taking advantage of free blogging services like Blogger at Mom Cooke’s nagging here on the podcast, and reaping some rewards.  So let me highlight a few listeners who have turned in their “Round To It” for a “Gitter Done!” First up is David Lynch who started a blog on his St. Croix research “I recently started in my genealogy and find your show both entertaining and helpful.  The reason I’m writing is that sometimes we forget that the world wasn’t homogeneous throughout the 1800s. Right now, I’m writing a series on illegitimate births on the island of St. Croix from 1841-1934. From my research, it seems that over 77% of the children born were to unmarried households.  Typically they formed stable family units, but just didn’t marry. In fact, in my personal family history, I have a set of ancestors who had 16 children and got married after their 12th child was born.  In the US at the same time, only about 4% of the children were illegitimate.” Jennifer shares her blog “Just wanted you to know that I've started my own blog, based largely on the encouragement in your podcasts.  What appealed to me was that it's a medium where I can share information, but not in a way that's an online family tree.  This will prevent readers from copying and pasting family tree branches, without slowing down to learn some context.  It also allows me a forum to correct some gigantic errors floating around out there about my ancestors.  I finally woke up to the fact that I've moved to the head of the line in the experience department.  I've placed a lot of tags on the entries, so the information is easily located in Google.”  Sonja Hunter wrote in to share her blogging success First, I would like to thank you for putting together your podcasts!...I only became a listener about a year ago, but have been working my way through old Genealogy Gems podcasts as well as the Genealogy Made Easy podcasts, mostly while gardening.  I also wanted to let you know you inspired me to start blogging. I rang in the New Year by starting a blog about doing genealogy in my hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan. One primary goal is to highlight helpful area resources. I imagine this will be most helpful to those new to conducting family history research in the area. In addition, I am trying to include Kalamazoo area or Michigan history items that I think are interesting. One example is an article I found in the local paper describing what Kalamazooans from 1884 imagined life would be like in 1984. I've also written about poisonous cheese in the 1880s, diphtheria and the case of my gg-grandfather's brother-in-law who may or may not have committed suicide by slitting his throat. I consulted Paula Sassi for that case and plan to blog about her handwriting analysis in the future.  Thank you for inspiring me to embark on this project! I'm learning a lot. And keep up the good and valuable work you do on your podcasts!   (With Handwriting Analysis by Paula Sassi) From John in Maryland: “I want to thank you again for everything you do to inspire people to be enthusiastic about their family history.  I learn so many "Gems" within all of your resources and put many of them to practice.   You are the family history "Go-To" person in my book.  I recently started a blog for the primary reason of documenting my findings so that I wouldn't forget what I've been discovering.  The blog also appears to be a good way to share my success stories with others that may be interested.  I credit you for introducing the idea of using a blog in Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast.  When I first listened to the podcasts about blogs, I didn't think it was something that was applicable to me, as I felt I had no new information to share with others since many experts like yourself already handle this.  However, I'm giving it a try and enjoy it so far.  I really like how I'm able to place images within the text to help convey my information.”   And finally Shannon Bennett has really made a blogging splash.  She writes: “I have been hemming and hawing on writing to you and finally took the plunge to do it.  Last spring a friend of mine told me about your podcasts (yes all of them) since I had just started into family research.  She thought I would like it, and boy was she right!  I have taken you on my iPod to drop my kids off to school and pick them up again, cleaned house, grocery shopping as well as everywhere in between. The wealth of information I have gathered from your podcasts have been very helpful, and I have loved all the interviews and tid-bits that have come along the way as well.  There is no way that I could just pick one out of so many to be my all-time favorite.  Maybe a top 10 list would cover it. However, I do have to blame you for the latest adventure in my life, which is why I am writing.  Listening to you tell us, in almost every episode, about the importance of having a family blog finally sank in.  The first couple of times I heard you say it I thought to myself “there’s no way I would/could ever do such a thing, I barely have time to keep up with my Live Journal account.”  A few weeks went by and the thoughts began to change to “hmmm…maybe I could do this.”  Then after 4 months of thinking about it I started to do some research into how to run a successful blog.” Shannon took the plunge and applied to Family Tree University to write for their Family Firsts Blog.  “I come to find out that they are looking for their second blogger.  I sat…I thought…I clicked the application button.  Yes, on a whim I entered because I thought I had nothing to lose.  You see I never win these types of things. A month goes by, and I have given into the feeling that well it was a good try but of course I didn’t get it.…then later on that week I find out I won it! So thank you, I never would have entered let alone thought about creating my own blog less than a year into my family research, without you and your wonderful podcasts.”      

In this episode we are pulling back the curtain on the Antiques Roadshow, as well as talking a bit about what to include and not include in your family tree. I’m just back from Odessa Texas where I presented a full day seminar at the Permian Basin Genealogical Society. I got to enjoy a big dose of Texas hospitality and had an absolutely wonderful time. Next up I’m heading to Kelowna British Columbia for the Kelowna & District Genealogical Society Conference where I will be again doing four presentations as well as a Meet the Speakers panel.    MAILBOX: Family Tree Magazine Digital Subscriptions from Kathy:  “I subscribe to Family Tree Magazine.  Can I download my print subscription to my iPad....as you can with other subscriptions?  Or do I need to pay for each issue that I download? Family Chart Masters helped me with my Family Tree Chart.  It was beautiful and was a hit at our Family Reunion.  Janet was so helpful.  Thank you for the recommendation. Love your podcasts.” Lisa’s Answer: The Family Tree Magazine digital subscription is separate from the print subscription, unless you have purchase their VIP Subscription. So you can either purchase individual digital issues from the Shop Family Tree Store, or you  can purchase a separate annual digital subscription. I think they keep it separate because not everyone wants both. Click here for a $10 off coupon for ShopFamilyTree and when you use that link it also supports the free Genealogy Gems Podcast.  Thank you! Get Lisa’s Book: Mobile Genealogy   Replacement for RAOGK From Mary in Iowa: “In Podcast #139, Ricky asked about a successor to the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness website.  There are actually three Facebook groups (not pages) carrying on the task of looking up genealogy information and other requests.  They are RAOGK, RAOGK - USA, and RAOGK - International.  You need to be a member of the Facebook group to post a message or request, but most requests for membership are granted quickly.”   Scott from Oakland Maine: “I am in need of some advice regarding an un-cooperative family member.  My father’s brother wants nothing to do with our family, and in years past once referred to himself as the “black sheep”.  He has absolutely no interest in genealogy and is not at all willing to be a part of the family story that I am putting together.  My question is, how do I reference this character in my tree.”   Lisa’s Answer: I imagine every family has a tough nut on a branch of the family tree!  I’m a firm believer in the truth, and what I would do if it were me is to include basic data (that is publicly available) on him on my private, personal family tree. On trees and other info you make available publicly, (such as an online family tree) I would list him and his immediate family only as "Living" and whether they are male or female. In the end you have to do what seems right for you.   From Glenn: “Just wanted to say a quick thanks for both podcasts you produce…I've been interested in the Family History for some time…Recently my interest has arisen again, of course I have made classic mistake in not documenting everything, and just collecting names, dates and so forth.  So in the last 6 months I've been citing sources and updating the database. One of the quandaries I have is when do you stop, not so much vertically, but how wide do you go, in relation to cousins, second cousins and families? Probably the main question I have is trying to decide whether to get a subscription to Ancestry.com or not, I feel I'm at that stage where online document will help out, in filling in the leaves on my branches.”   Lisa’s Answer: Go as wide as you want and are interested in. I would recommend adding basic info for someone you find who you won’t be pursuing, so that if down the road you run in to a brick wall and you need to do some cluster research or reverse genealogy, you will have new leads to follow. RE: Ancestry - I think you will find that Ancestry membership is a very cost effective and time saving way to do your research. Mine has been invaluable. See if you can find a 7 day free trial to check it out and confirm they have the kinds of records you need.   GEM: Diane Haddad Pulls Back the Curtain on Diane Haddad is the Managing Editor at Music in this segment: The Antiques Roadshow Remix By The Elusive MrHatchard   GEM: Halloween History Tidbits Follow Lisa on Pinterest   GEM: Newspaper Milestones On September 15, 1982, USA Today began publishing On September 18, 1851, the New York Times issued its first edition On September 25, 1690, the first newspaper in America was published for one day in Boston before being shut down by British authorities unhappy with its content.   Get Lisa’s Book How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers  

Published Sept 11, 2012 Enjoy a Blast from the Past with Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 140. You'll hear episodes 3 and 4 from 2007. Show Notes EPISODE 3 - Originally Aired March 11, 2007 A big thanks to Bill Puller of the Genealogy Tech Podcast, for mentioning the Genealogy Gems Podcast in his March 7 blog.   New to Podcasting?    GEM:  GOOGLE ALERTS & EBAY FAVORITE SEARCHES (aka eBay Alerts)   GOOGLE ALERTS: Check out Bill Puller’s podcast of the Genealogy Tech Podcast You can create a thousand!  (Idea:  Start with those items you highlighted in your family journals (See episode #2 below)   EBAY FAVORITE SEARCHES: How to create a Favorite Search in eBay: Enter keywords in to the “All Items” SEARCH box click SEARCH (Consider clicking the Search title and description box to insure you are getting everything) Once you get the search refined to give you good results, click “Add to my Favorite Searches” (just below the search line on the right side of the screen) This opens a window where you can elect to create it as a new search, or replace one of your existing searches.  Usually you will just be creating a new search.  Make sure the “Email me” box is clicked so you will receive email notifications when new items are listed.  You can choose how long you want to receive emails.  (This can be modified at any time through My EBay) Click SAVE SEARCH You’ll probably receive your first emails tomorrow morning! Examples: LARSON screwdriver SPORAN – San Joaquin Cotton Oil bale of cotton   GEM: FAMILY HISTORY DISPLAYS Shadow Box "L J Larson" Diana's Wall Display EPISODE 4 - Originally Aired March 17, 2007 HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY 19 Presidents of the United States have claimed Irish heritage. One-third to one-half of the American troops during the Revolutionary War 9 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Irish Americans. Today, approximately one in four Americans can trace their ancestry in part to Ireland. A Tribute to My Irish Roots-"Michael Lynch came to America first, and bought his land in Wisconsin in 1857.  He then wrote to a friend still in Ireland, and asked him to find him an Irish wife.  Margaret Scully was 16 at the time and agreed to go.  She traveled with her brothers Dan & Tom Scully in 1860.  They were married April 10, 1860 in Stillwater, MN." Michael’s land was covered in timber.  He cleared all the land with oxen.  Margaret was very afraid of the Indians.  There were terrible Sioux Indian uprisings in the area at the time.  Family she would not stay in their cabin alone while Michael was clearing the land.  So she would take the children and hide in the woods." Margaret (nee Scully) Lynch Born July 17, 1839 in Limerick, Ireland She died at the age of 87 and left behind 7 of her 8 children, 40 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.    Find your Irish ancestors now with this book: In Search of Your British and Irish Roots: A Complete Guide to Tracing Your English, Welsh, Scottish, & Irish Ancestors [Paperback] and support the free podcast. Angus Baxter wrote a terrific book about finding your German ancestors which I found invaluable.  “In Search…” will take you step by step back to Britain and Ireland, even if you are new to family history research.   From the MAILBOX: Kay Alderman saying that she’s enjoying the podcast and has added Genealogy Gems to her new genealogy blog called Another Amateur Genealogist.  (Update: no longer available)   DVD Gem: Berkeley Square My eldest daughter and I have been glued to this DVD since we started it.  We are both HUGE Pride & Prejudice fans (The A&E version) and are thrilled to find a serial of the same caliber. Berkeley Square follows the intertwining lives of three London nannies at the turn of the 20th century.  Each episode (and there are 10 – yummy!!) is packed with romance, intrigue, and plot twists that have kept us glued to the couch.  We’ll be watching these nannies over and over in the future just as we do Lizzie and her sisters! and support the free podcast.   GEM:  YouTube.com YouTube.com lends itself beautifully to family history research by offering a very creative method for not only sharing family photos and videos, but really telling your families story.  What is it? YouTube is an online video streaming service that allows anyone to share videos with others by uploading them to the site.  In addition, it allows member to view the videos of others.  The website address is youtube.com  Sign up is easy and free:(Update: If you have a free Google account that will be your YouTube account) To become a member of YouTube, go to the "" page (), by clicking SIGN UP in the top right corner of the home page. Choose a user name and password, and enter your information. Click the "Sign Up" button and you're done.  Caution:  Be aware that there is objectionable content on YouTube.   Nonetheless, it is a powerful medium for genealogists to use, and I predict it will go by leaps and bounds when it comes to family history and history in general.   Videos I found relating to my family’s history: This video was a photo montage set music.  The villages are part of Poland today, but the video shows them as they were before World War II.  South East England old film A nine minute film made up of very old film footage from the 1920s offering a tour of Margate, England and surrounding villages. (Update: no longer available) Get this book and max out the potential of YouTube yourself: YouTube for Dummies. and support the free podcast. Remember,  isn’t just for teenagers anymore! “Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Published August 29, 2012 Let's get ready to go back to school - family history school! And I've got some exciting new to tell you about! Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #139 brought to you by two times Grandma Lisa Louise Cooke.  Yes, indeed my second little Grandson was born on August 15, 2012 about 2 ½ weeks early, and he and his mommy my daughter Vienna are doing marvelously. His name is Joseph, and we’ll all be calling him Joey which I absolutely adore, and even better his middle name is Cooke. Life is good, and being a Sha Sha as Davy calls me is heaven on earth that’s for sure. Genealogy News: This month Ancestry announced that it has completed the records indexing process for the 1940 U.S. Federal Census, which you can find at . Since the initial release of the 1940 U.S. Census by the National Archives in April, Ancestry.com has progressively published information state by state.  But now, no longer will you have to look up enumeration districts.  Now all 134 million records are now searchable for free by name, date, place of birth and other key information recorded in the census. You’ll also be able to make corrections or update information that is incomplete, leading to a better overall database of information. Assisting you with navigating the 1940 U.S. Census is Ancestry.com’s Interactive Image Viewer, which enables users to browse document pages with simple graphical overlays. The viewer adds highlights, transcriptions and other functionality directly on the Census page. This enables users to access small census fields by scrolling over them and getting a pop up that magnifies the information that was recorded by census takers. In the 1940 census you find information on whether your ancestor’s owned or rented their home, the value of the residence and how many people lived there. For the first time, census takers in 1940 also asked questions specific to income and education. And you may be surprised what you will not find, like details on military service, whether they could read or write, and whether they spoke English which were all questions that were asked in prior censuses. You will find the 1940 census in its entirety at FamilySearch Volunteer Opportunity: US Immigration & Naturalization Genealogy Project FamilySearch also has indexed the 1940 Census with the help of more than 160,000 volunteers, and they are launching a new volunteer opportunity. Now they are turning their attention to the U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Community Project, an indexing effort to make passenger lists, naturalization records, and other immigration related records freely searchable online. Hundreds of thousands of North American volunteers are expected to contribute over the next 18-24 months, focusing initially on passenger lists from the major US ports. If you of your genealogy society wants to pitch in you can visit for all the details. Read more about it:     In my last , I mentioned that , the Library of Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, Congress’ historical newspaper website, sent out a newsletter on using Civil War maps printed in the New York Daily Tribune. I just have to share more on this with everyone!     And finally, here’s something fun from George Mason’s University’s History News Network website: If you have teens in your family then chances are you have heard the phrase OMG which stands for oh my God. But have you ever wondered who started it? You may have thought it was Alicia Silverstone in the 1995 movie Clueless, but actually you have to dig much further back in history to find its origins. All the way back to 1917 in fact.    MAILBOX: Amy in Santa Rosa, CA posted the following question on the Genealogy Gems Facebook Fan page: "On your podcast, I hear you recommend Roots Magic for genealogy software, but I have a Mac and as far as I can tell, it only works with PCs. I thought at one point you mentioned you were starting to use a Mac, so I'm wondering if you use different software on the Mac or if you use a PC for your genealogy software. I used to use Family Tree Maker before my PC crashed, but thought I'd do some research before buying software for the new Mac …Just thought I'd get your opinion, since I value your expertise on the podcast. It is probably just as well that my PC crashed because I never did any source citations (didn't know about it when I started genealogy and now it just scares me!), so I'll be learning how to do that as I add names back in..." Lisa’s Answer: While I use both Mac and PC, I only do genealogy on the PC which I prefer. I did publish a series of segments on comparing genealogy programs for the Mac starting with Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 51. Go to and click PODCAST in the menu to get to them. Amy has one more question: "Do I include the grandpa I grew up knowing on my family tree or the biological grandfather. I'm inclined to include the biological one, that feels right. How do others in this situation do it? Wouldn't it be "blood" lines, not "fake" lines? My father really wants to know about his biological father, whom sadly never knew he existed. He died in a VA hospital, would that be a good place to contact for information? I have his birth and death certificates and his mother's death certificate. The only people I know anything at all about in that family are my biological grandfather and his parents." Lisa’s Answer: In regards to your other question, I'm afraid you may not have much luck with the VA hospital. Hospitals are notorious for closed records, although in my interview with author Steve Luxenberg, he talked in and about how he worked around some of those challenges. Stick to proven genealogy methodology to find out more about him. Start with his death and move backward in time. I would look for a newspaper obituary, census records (if he was alive prior to 1940), general ancestry.com searches, and military records. As for the family tree in your database, adoptive parents are just like step parents (which are included on our trees) and can, and I believe should, be included. explaining how many users have accomplished this. It's perfectly ok to have 2 sets of parents because that was the reality of the situation. And it only seems right as adoptive parents do the actual parenting. I can't imagine leaving them out. I hope that helps. Good luck and thanks for listening to the podcast! Brandt has a question about place names "In going through some of my records, I've come across a few where the records were created here in the States, but name places back in Europe or elsewhere. The place names are often spelled phonetically, and sometimes I can't figure out what they were trying to say even with a Google search. Do you have any tips on figuring out how to find misspelled foreign place names" Lisa’s Answer: Gazetteers are always great resources, but when I'm really stuck I often (not surprisingly) turn to Google.  Type the location name (to the best of  your knowledge) and run a search.  Google will do it's best to suggest the closest matches to names it can find.  It's even better if you can include an additional key word or two to help Google narrow it down.  So if the place name is a village in Germany, type the village name in, and add the keyword Germany.  If you have a surname associate with it you could even try adding that as perhaps there are people today in the location with that surname.  With a few tries you might just get the answer.  And consider running the search in Google Earth since it is geographic in nature.  It's the same Google Search engine. Ricky in Alabama also has two questions "I'm still working my way through your genealogy gems podcasts. One thing I'm curious about. I have gone to a library and found obituaries on microfilm. I print the image, then scan it when I get home. So it saves as a .jpg. When I save it to my database (FTM right now but I just got roots magic5) it saves just like a photo. Should I create a word document and insert the image making it a document? Same for death certificates I've saved from microfilm." Lisa’s Answer: I just save them as jpeg, and make a note in the source citation in RootsMagic. No point in creating extra work. If you want more detail attached to the image, consider going into your computer files and adding data into the Properties of the image. On    On the PC:  1.    Open Windows Explorer and locate the image on your hard drive          2.    Right click on the image          3.    Select Properties          4.    Click the DETAILS tab          5.    Enter keyword tags and details about the image To keep jpegs and other files organized and coordinated with your genealogy database, check out the Hard Drive Organization video series that is part of . Ricky’s second questions: "I was listening to an older Genealogy Gems podcast recently, and I heard mention of the web site Random Act of Genealogy Kindness…is this site back online. If not, are there any sites similar to it??" Lisa’s Answer: With Social Networking sites so abundant now, my first stop would be Facebook. Many genealogists befriend genealogists around the country and put out a request when looking for help. And you can search for friends by location.  If you're not active on Facebook, I would recommend going to the   and going to the state and then county website for the county where you need the help.  Many county sites have LookUp help and ways to connect with those in the area who can be of help.  And of course if you are looking for help with obtaining a photograph of a grave, try  or   This time of year everyone is heading back to school, and it’s a good reminder that not only could we benefit from continuing to pursue our own genealogical education, but in an effort to foster an appreciate for our family history and ensure its survival we really need to be educating the children in our families about family history, what it means, why it matters and even how to learn more about it on their own.  Earlier this year at the National Genealogical Society conference that was held in Cincinnati, Ohio a young mom approached me and told me she just published some books on how to teach your children about genealogy.  And this wasn’t just a book but rather a curriculum. Branching Out Curriculum by Jennifer Holik If you’re not quite ready to jump into a curriculum, maybe you’re just not sure that your kids could actually really get interested you’ve got to check out the Chart Chick blog by my friend Janet Hovorka.  Janet has been sharing her personal genealogy journey with her kids, and she calls it like it is. You’ll be inspired and entertained and you’ll pick up some great gems along the way for working with kids on family history .   Read my Family Tree Magazine Facebook Interview:   Exciting New Book In this episode Lisa mentions: Turn Your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse by Lisa Louise Cooke The updated book is called Mobile Genealogy: How to Use Your Tablet and Smartphone for Family History Research and is available .    

Published August 8, 2012 In the last episode we took a big bite of food family history, and in today’s episode I’ve got part 2 of my interview with Gena Philibert Ortega, author of From the Family Kitchen: Discover your Food Heritage and Preserve Favorite Recipes. MAILBOX: From Alvie in Lakeland Florida: “Would it be possible to share the recipe for the cookie - was it a sour cream cookie?  The one your husband loves.  My wife loves to bake cookies to share and she has all sorts of recipes and folks rave about her cookies.” Lisa’s Answer: You'll find the sour cream cookie recipe that I talked about in the interview at the bottom of a blog post that I did a while back called “Family History Never Tasted So Good”  You’ll see a picture there of my husband with his Nanna, and at the bottom of the post just click the image of the cook book page and it will be large enough to read the recipe. From Tina: “I've just been watching your video about the Toast-tite.  I remember we had something similar (although it wasn't called a Toast-tite) when I was growing up in Brazil - except that it was square (kind of makes more sense when the bread is square ...) and it made simply the best toasted cheese sandwiches ever! And when I went back to Brazil in the mid-1980s, you could STILL buy them!  I wish I still had one - they were far better than the electric toasted sandwich maker that I bought later on ... I love foodie memories!”  From Laurie in Ridgefield, WA: “I want to share with you a craft project that I created for my two grown sons.  I didn’t realize at the time that what I created fit into the topic you have discussed about how to get the family involved in history.  At the time I not even created a family tree yet!  As I am sure you are aware we pass down recipes within a family and as it grows and moves away those tastes of “home” are often missed. It could be Grandmas bread baking or an aunts cookies. Memories etched deep in our senses.  Both of my boys have called me from the grocery store to ask how to cook a favorite dish. This got me to thinking close to the holidays about a homemade cook book filled with family favorites.  I scoured the old copy of the church fund raiser, a cookbook my mother in law submitted recipes too.  Digging up more favorites from my recipe box and contacting family members asking them for a favorite recipe along with any story that went with it.  I then purchased blank cookbooks in a binder style.  Transcribed onto the computer as documents printed to PDF, each recipe has its own page that lists the person’s name and any story & tips.  This gift turned out to be the highlight of the day and they poured over it and then I heard them talking about the food and memories.  Now, my boys tell me when I cook something new and very good… that’s one for the book.  It has turned out to not be just a book on a shelf but one they use often.” From Carol in Flagstaff, AZ: “I have several interesting cookbooks pertaining to my history. One is a Joy of Cooking, published during WWII, which includes a section on meal planning during rationing. The other is from a Norwegian heritage society in Seattle…What would be good ways to share this information with other Family Historians?  (I could scan portions of the books.)” Lisa’s Answer: Be sure to check the copyright of the old cook books you have. Do a Google Search on “copyright guidelines” for more information.  I think a great way to share them would be to blog about them.  And if you want a quick and easy way to start blogging for free watch my How to Blog Your Family History Videos at the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel at Blogging is not only a great way to share with your family and friends, but your articles will be searchable by Google which means other folks out there who are interested in the same things can find your blog and comment. And chances are you could possibly use brief excerpts of the books in an editorial fashion in a blog, but again just read through some of the copyright guidelines available online. You could also create a book where you share the original recipe, then include “your take” on the recipe, and include photos of you making the dish and old family photos that tie in.  I have a series of Premium Podcast Episodes with videos that show you how to use print on demand services to create your book quickly and easily online, and affordably. The beauty of print on demand is that you only pay for exactly the number of books you want.  There’s no minimum order number. And if your family and friends want a copy than can buy it right from the website rather than you having to be the middle man, which is especially nice for folks who live across the country from you. From Sean: “I enjoyed that episode and it got me thinking of our cookbooks.  I've got a recipe box that came to us via my wife's grandmother that I'll be taking a closer look at this weekend.  As for me, my first cookbook was a copy of The Joy of Cooking that my parents bought me when I first left for college.  Although as the family chef I haven't made a lot of markings in it yet, we have pressed many leaves and flowers between its pages (within wax paper between the book's pages).  Several of the leaves and flowers are still there, but now with our 20th wedding anniversary tomorrow, I'm going to take some time with Jennifer to see if we can identify where and when those artifacts were saved.” Lisa’s Answer: I think it would be great if you starting making notes in the margins – like that a recipe is someone’s favorite dish, or the first time you make it – I think we could all do some of that to share a little more with our descendants.   GEM: Culinary Family History with Gena Philibert Ortega Part 2 In this gem I’m going to welcome you back to the warmest room in the home, the kitchen. Here amongst the pots and pans we are going to meet back up with my friend Gena Philibert Ortega, author of the book From the Family Kitchen: Discover your Food Heritage and Preserve Favorite Recipes. In the last episode #137 we talked old cookbooks, where to find them, and what they can tell us about our family history. In the final part of this interview I get to turn the table on Gena a bit and ask her some food family history questions that she encourages her readers to ask in their families.  When you click this link to buy Gena’s book you are helping to financially support the free Genealogy Gems Podcast at no additional cost to you. Thank you!       at the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel (Please be sure to click the SUBSCRIBE button while you are there!)   BONUS VIDEO:  Gena and I hit the kitchen to make a blast from the past.   at the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel.  Be sure and leave a comment, "Like" the video, and pass it along to your friends!   Genealogy Gems App users will find the video in the BONUS CONTENT for this episode.   Cool Cooking iPad Apps (click images below:)       I really hope you’ve enjoyed this look at family history and food, and that it’s inspired you to rummage through the back of the cupboards, and ask around the family for those recipes, cookbooks, memories and even old cooking utensils so that you can bring your family’s culinary history back to the forefront and preserve it like a Ball jar of good peaches. And one last little gem for you: If you enjoy reminiscing about the food of days gone by I want to recommend a video series to you that I have enjoyed for years. It’s called Clara Cooks and I’ve added a few of my favorite episodes to my Food and Family History Playlist at the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel. Just go to and scroll down and you’ll find the playlist in the column on the right.  And there you’ll also find my video interview Gena and our little cooking in the Cooke kitchen segment.  Bon Appetit!   GEM: Getting the Scoop from the Genealogy Gems Facebook Fan Page From Kat on Facebook: “Love Genealogy Gems :) I just listened to the podcast that was talking about adding pages to your news feed up in the like button option. I am not convinced that your feed stays visible with just saying show in the news feed since Facebook is constantly changing things. Another tip for seeing pages on Facebook: On the home page of your news feed, on the far left column you will see pages and groups that you recently visited. If you hover your mouse over that address a little edit icon pops up and then you can add that page or group to your favorites. These favorites stay pinned to your left column and when people make comments or the page updates a little number shows up next to the page link. I hope this helps someone here :)” Join us at the Genealogy Gems page at Facebook:

Published July 22, 2012 In this episode author Gena Philibert Ortega and I talk about her new book From the Family Kitchen: Discover your Food Heritage and Preserve Favorite Recipes. Who doesn’t love yummy home cooking? There is a lot to be learned about our ancestors, and in particular those elusive female ancestors, through a study of our culinary history.  We’ll be talking about the invaluable genealogical records that are so often over looked, ways that you can really dig in to your fabulous food family history, and I’m even going to share a recipe and utensil that our grandmother’s use and that you can still use today to make super scrumptious treats for your family. (Video coming to the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel!)   NEWS: Speaking of grandmas, I finally found my awesome grandma in California in the 1940 census and it was a snap because the California index along with several other states on July 13, 2012 by Ancestry.  Grandma and Grandpa were just 3 months away from moving in to their first real home which they were in the process of having built, and from the birth of their first child, my mom.  FamilySearchFamilySearch continues to add records to the free familysearch.org website. They just announced that they have added the 1881 and 1891 Scotland Census Indexes and Millions More records for Brazil, China, Ecuador, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Other Countries.   Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems website: We’ve got an entirely new website for you, and thanks again to all of you who have been writing in. I know we’ve had some hiccups along the way getting the Premium feed switched over, but that’s up and running now, and let me remind you, Premium Members are now getting all 88 Premium Episodes published to date. In the past you would get the most recent 6 episodes and then a new one each month. But now, you have a wealth of episodes available to you.  I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be able to make all of the content available to you Premium Members, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but the old site just couldn’t handle it. is now a HUGE value – same price, at least for now - $29.95 gets you one whole year’s access to all of those episodes. Donna wrote: “My question is how do I access the early premium episodes, I always listen to Genealogy Gems / Premium via iTunes?” Lisa’s Answer: Sign in to your premium membership. From the menu go to Premium Episodes and there you will find instructions for updating your premium podcast feed.  It’s important to delete your current premium feed in iTunes first and add the new feed. The need feed will download all the episodes for you and then bring you the new ones as they are published.   Mike wrote in to say: “The new website looks great.  Having recently redesigned one at work, I know how much time it can take.  I particularly appreciate the back catalog of premium podcasts and have started listening to them.  And I hope that your video on hard drive organization will finally motivate me to get electronically organized. Keep up the good work!” Lisa’s Answer: Thank you very much Mike I really appreciate it! I am really tickled that the new site was Randy Seaver’s Tuesday Tips on July 10, 2012 on his wonderful Genea-Musings blog which you will find at www.geneamusings.com Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems website his Thank you Randy!   Life After iGoogle Follow up In Genealogy Gems podcast episode #136 I gave you a neat solution to the demise of iGoogle. As you know Google has announced it will be discontinuing iGoogle which is the way you can customize the Google homepage just for you, and here on the podcast we’ve talked many times about how to customize it specifically for genealogy research. Now while it won’t go away until later in 2013, there’s no time like the present to make a switch and Netvibes.com is a great alternative. So in our last episode I walked you through a special process for converting your tabs and your RSS feed gadgets to a new free Netvibes account to get you started in the transition.  And I also published a video at the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel to show it to you step by step. I’ve heard from many of you that you love the Netvibes solution: Nanby said: “Thanks for saving our iGoogle pages. I am going to work on your solution.” Lee wrote: “Looking forward to your help in converting from iGoogle, and LOVE that all the Premium podcasts are available.  Thank you thank you!” Kim commented on the Genealogy Gems blog:    “I glanced at NetVibes this weekend, but knew you would be addressing the issue!  I loved your comment, ".....this will be fun"!  You actually make it so easy for us to follow along and yes, even make it 'fun' :) Appreciate the tutorial and I'll be watching for more.” I you've been trying to get your genealogy vibe on by converting from iGoogle to Netvibes but you’re having trouble (and I've heard from a couple of you) rest assured, it does work. However there are a few things I want to remind you about. First, this only converts your iGoogle tabs and your RSS gadgets such as gadgets you have for following blogs and podcasts. It can’t convert gadgets that were made specifically for iGoogle because they are coded for iGoogle.  However, don’t worry because there are lots of great Netvibe gadgets that can do many of the same things.   Also, in this conversion, it is MANDATORY that you follow the directions exactly!  It won't work otherwise. So for example, while it might seem like it should be easier to just drag your mouse over the code to highlight it for copying rather than right-clicking and using SELECT ALL which I tell you to do in the instructions, don’t do it, because I found that it absolutely can make a difference.  I don’t know what that is, I’m not a programmer, I just play one on TV, so that’s why I really tried to carefully write out the instructions in the show notes, and demonstrate them in the video. I know that it may seem like you are doing too many extra steps by copying and creating an .XML document just to turn around and convert it and then copy it as a .TXT document, but every single step as I described it is critical to the conversion working properly. So if you’re having trouble, I would recommend printing out the instructions from the show notes page, and doing each step and checking it off to be sure you don’t miss anything. But please, if it gets frustrating, just know that you do not have to convert iGoogle.  I don’t want you to get bogged down with the conversion and pull your hair out. Simply start a new Netvibes dashboard and add the feed manually by using copy and paste.  It will take a little longer to make the transition, but it’s not that bad and it will save you from further headache. And stay tuned because I'll be doing additional videos showing you how to start a Netvibes page from scratch and then how to really jazz it up which is going to be really fun! Now I just want to answer a couple of specific listener questions in case it will help the rest of you.   Don wrote in to say that sometimes the Command bar wasn’t visible in Internet Explorer, and he’s absolutely right. Some folks will not have their Command bar activated so that might cause some confusion when you try to follow the conversion instructions. How to Activate Your IE Command Bar 1.      Right click on a bit of blank space in the browser bar area at the top 2.      a little popup menu will appear 3.      from there you can check mark Command 4.      the bar and the Page menu will become visible Leroy wrote: “I watched you podcast on Netvibes. Nice solution to the loss of iGoogle. Want to know if Netvibes runs on both Mac OS and Windows platforms? Thanks in advance for the assistance.” Lisa’s Answer: Like iGoogle, Netvibes is on the "cloud" and resides on the Netvibes website.  This means it can be accessed by any computer, regardless of operating system. It also means you can access your homepage from any computer no matter where you are with your user name and password which makes it very flexible and portable. Julie from AZ wrote to say “Been trying to sign up for a basic account, and can't get pass the sign-up page.  Every user name imaginable seems to already be in us.  Just keep getting the same message.  Any suggestions?” Lisa’s Answer: Netvibes has been around about as long as Google which is quite a while in technological terms, and I notice the same thing with Google when it comes to user names being used up. What I would recommend is to just get a little more unusual with the name you choose.    One idea that works also for passwords is to create a user name that stands for a sentence:   I Am Migrating To Netvibes From iGoogle  =   IAMTNFI (the first letter of each word)   Kay writes: “I listened to the most recent Episode 136 and was so excited! First of all, it's terrific news about the Premium service and the access to all the podcasts.  This has always been very frustrating to me - I listen while I walk and then most of the time I would forget to save the podcasts on my hard drive before they were gone forever.   So glad to hear there is a solution to iGoogle.  BUT the transfer isn't working.  When I attempt to convert the source file from my iGoogle page to the OPML format, I get one of two results.  Either nothing because the file is "too big" or I get an OPML file that's only about 8 lines long - this is a file that will not import into NetVibes dashboard.   I just get "0 files imported".   Lisa’s Answer: I heard from a couple of you that you also got an error message like Kay did saying your iGoogle code was too big to convert, and you told me you have pretty big iGoogle pages. I have a pretty large iGoogle page with 12 tabs full of gadgets and I just went through the instructions again and it converted.  I don’t know why that happens, and I can’t seem to replicate the problem, so the best thing I can suggest is that you make a list of the iGoogle gadgets that you have – the ones that are not RSS feed gadgets – and then delete them before going through the conversion process. That should make the overall file smaller.  And then you will have a list of the kinds of gadgets you were using in iGoogle so that you can look for replacements in NetVibes.   And the "zero files" result is the same one I got when I was just highlighting and copying, or when I didn't save the code into an XML file first and then re-open it and copy it into the conversion box. I'm guessing with your know-how you might be doing some short cuts that just don't work in this case.   UPDATE: Genealogy Gems Toolbar has been discontinued   Reset your homepage – Janice is talking about the page that the little house button on your browser is set to.   How to Change Your Homepage in Firefox back to Google: 1.      Go up to the menu (Make sure your Menu bar is on and visible) and clicking TOOLS 2.      Select OPTIONS 3.      Select the GENERAL tab in the pop up window 4.      Paste http://www.google.com in the "Home Page" field 5.      Click OK 6.      That will reset your Home button on the Firefox browser back to Google.   Internet Explore: just click the little arrow next to the button and follow the menu prompts to reset it to http://www.google.com   John asked about another feature. “I recently reinstalled your toolbar on my IE9 browser.  I've found this to be a very useful tool.  However, I noticed a few things changed soon after adding the toolbar.  When I add a new tab in my browser it defaults to what I believe to be a Bing search page with your logo on it.  I miss my old New Tab page where I could click on several of my most used sites.  I'm not even sure what the default was prior to adding the toolbar.” Lisa’s Answer: When you install the toolbar it will set the page you get when you click to open a new browser tab page, to a search page which shows a search box and a Genealogy Gems logo. If you don’t want a search page on new tabs, you can change it back to the default page that shows your most recent pages as options to click when you open a new tab.   How to Reset New Browser Tabs: 1.      Click the wrench icon in the toolbar menu 2.      Click the ADDITIONAL SETTINGS 3.      Uncheck the box for "show a search box" for new tabs   Thanks to all of your who have installed the free Genealogy Gems Toolbar. I really want you to enjoy it and hope these customizations help you do so! GEM: Interview with Gena Philibert Ortega When you click this link to buy Gena’s book you are helping to financially support the free Genealogy Gems Podcast at no additional cost to you, and you'll save money.Thank you!      at the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel Please be sure to click the SUBSCRIBE button while you are there!   BONUS VIDEO:  Gena and I hit the kitchen to make a blast from the past.   at the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel.  Be sure and leave a comment, "Like" the video, and pass it along to your friends! Genealogy Gems App users will find the video in the BONUS CONTENT for this episode. Cool Cooking iPad Apps (click images below:)       

Published July 8, 2012 Everyone is concerned about Google pulling the plug on iGoogle, but in today's episode I have a fantastic solution for you. And you will find the companion video at my and as the video bonus content in the .  And the new has been launched! It’s here! I promised you it was coming and it has. The brand new website is up and running at genealogygems.com and at lisalouisecooke.com. You’ll find Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems in both places. The old site was 5 years which is ancient in techie years, so it was time. Back in the Fall of 2011 I began laying the framework for the new site, well aware that the old one had become cluttered, and it wasn’t keeping up with all the new versions of web browsers out there. Things were starting to not display properly. A few months later in March 2012 listener and Premium Member Simona wrote me to tell me she had noticed it too.  And she had some opinions about the magazine delivery nature of the podcast episodes.  The original model for the premium podcast was like a magazine. When you subscribe you get the last few episodes, and then each new episode as it was published.  After about 3 months the oldest episode would drop off and the new one would come on. There were a few reasons for this which included the capabilities of the old site. Here’s what Simona had to say: “I downright LOVE your productions Lisa and think you are the sweetest and smartest. But I get frustrated and even -dare I say- annoyed with the shelf life limit of your premium podcasts. You see I very rarely hard-wire sync my idevices to my notebook pcs. So I end up missing more premium podcasts than I download and listen to.” OK, well I obviously completely agree with Simona on her comments on the website, and the email just helped support the decision I had made to invest in a new site. And I hope Simona and all of you are happy with all the changes and upgrades.   NEW SITE UPGRADES: Everything is on one site: The blog, the free episodes, Premium Membership, and our brand new store. The free iTunes podcast feed and the Premium feeds are both functioning now. Premium Membership includes ALL past episodes, and continued access to those episodes while you are a member. But the big news for Premium members is that premium membership is no longer a magazine subscription model. I’ve built a site that is set up to hold all the gems I’ve created for you over the last 5 years, and the many more years to come.  Yep, right now we are on Premium episode #88 and ALL 88 episodes are available to you as part of your premium membership.  What we are creating for you is a growing catalogue of gems and tutorials and genealogy entertainment that you can tap into when you want it.  And Genealogy Gems Premium Membership gives you access to all of it!  And of course each month we are adding new premium episodes and videos so that catalogue will just keep growing and growing. You know sometimes a gem or topic isn’t what you need this week, but it’s exactly right for what you want to do 2 months from now.  Now you can sign in to your membership and grab the gems you need when you need them. And I hope you are as excited about the amount and accessibility of content as I am! Now Simona brought up a question about accessing the premium episodes and downloading them to her devices.  Here’s the thing – as I’ve said many times before iTunes doesn’t support premium membership sites, so we have had to custom build a feed for you so that at least you can add your premium content through iTunes. But for now that still means plugging in your iPod. Technology is moving quickly though and we are constantly searching for ways to make that process easier, and unfortunately we have to rely on Apple to help make that possible. I’m really proud that we have managed to build a way to deliver premium content to you through iTunes and I’ll let you know if and when we develop a method for wireless download, as is available for the free podcast through our Genealogy Gems App (available in the iTunes app store and at Amazon for Android.) And I’m very happy to say that the response to the new website has been 100% positive. I had braced myself for some folks who didn’t want change, but so far not a one. You were ready for an upgrade as much as I was. Here’s what just some of you had to say: Robin in Ohio says: “Your new web page is AWESOME!  Love the colors, layout and info. All your Gems are sooooo helpful, upbeat and truly some great genealogy fun!!!  I look forward to listening to your podcast while riding my bike and gardening. You are such a genealogy-go-getter and amazing example to me.    Thanks for sharing so many GenGems and some of your life events along the way.  It makes the person behind the cyber voice so pleasantly real.  Thanks for sharing your talents with me” Sue in Nevada says “What a drastic difference!  It is so neat, concise, and user-friendly.  Can't wait till it is fully up and running.  It was worth the wait....” Sue in Nevada Teri says: “Wow. Really nice look. Makes you a destination site!” Christine commented on The Genealogy Gems Podcast Facebook Fan Page: "I just "peeked"--1000% improvement!  Not only is it more user-friendly, the design & colors are more "you" I’m ecstatic that you love the site and I hope that those of you listening who have been listening on your mobile device and maybe haven’t stopped by the website in a while drop in and see what Robin, Sue, Teri and Christine are raving about.    Facebook Fan Page Attention all Facebook users! There's been an upsetting development in the way that site is run, and the unfortunate result is that many of you are no longer receiving Venice's posts. What they've done affects all fan pages.  It used to be that whenever I posted a status update it would send it out to every single person who is subscribed to the Genealogy Gems page. Well, no longer. Now it tells us, underneath every post what percentage of subscribers it has actually sent that post out to. And usually that number is right around the 25% mark. Which means that the site deliberately and arbitrarily chose 75% of you to not receive it. But here's the rub: On every single individual post, it now offers us a "Promote" option, where we can pay them money to increase the number of fans who will receive that specific post. To get the note/video/picture/song to show up on the walls of 100% of our Facebook fans, it could cost us around $50. Not as a one-time payment, but rather PER POST. But there is something you can do.  Follow these instructions to guarantee that you'll receive all of our subsequent updates: 1) Sign into Facebook. 2) Go to: 3) Hover your cursor over the "Liked" box. 4) Put a checkmark next to the words "Show in News Feed." I’m sorry for the inconvenience and really appreciate your support!   RIP iGoogle From Barbara: “Hi Lisa, Greetings from a Canadian Premium Podcast listener. I got a notification on my iGoogle home page today and was gobsmacked (my ancestors were British) to see that they are discontinuing iGoogle on the 1st of November next year.  This seems really strange, given that they just released the new update a short time ago, however that’s Google for you.  If you don’t like what they’re doing today, wait awhile – they’ll be doing something new by tomorrow.  This is one change that’s going to be rather sad for me.  I’ve enjoyed my iGoogle home page.  I sure hope they have something exciting and new coming to make up for this.” From Linda: “I just looked on my iGoogle home page, and it says iGoogle will not be available after November 1, 2013? (--happens to also be my birthday, so an easy date to remember, for me at least) What?!?!? I have got it all set up, thanks in part to you, and now it is going away...it just ain't fair. You are going to need a new webinar telling us what to do now, cause I don't have any idea how to make it work in Chrome! There is life after iGoogle, and I have a solution for you!   GEM: Life After iGoogle In this gem we are going to look at Life After iGoogle. It’s pretty challenging to stay organized online isn’t it? It seems like every day something new is happening, and it can take some superhero powers to stay up to date while you’re still working on today’s to do list. That’s why iGoogle was such a gem!  In webinars, presentations, my book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox and as part of Premium Membership I have taught thousands of you   how to convert iGoogle into your personal genealogy homepage. We added gadgets that could accomplish the tasks you needed to get done, then expanded with tabs, and even dressed it all up with custom themes. And I’ve heard from so many of you have it revolutionized your online computing and research experience. However, in 2012 as we here in the U.S. were celebrating Independence Day and the freedom we enjoy, Google very quietly announced that it was doing away with iGoogle. The online freedom we were so happily enjoying came to a screeching halt. Ouch! Now even though I’m known as the Google Guru, first and foremost, I see my role as genealogy gems goddess. And that means that I am primarily focused on bringing you the best gems, not just Google gems.  So after a good 5 minute mourning session by the iGoogle gravesite, I got to work on a new gem that would meet all of our homepage needs, and dare I say even surpass iGoogle in some areas. And don’t worry, what I’ve come up with isn’t going to force you to start from scratch. We’re going to move much of your iGoogle content to a brand spanking new genealogy homepage and then add lots of gems to it. Today I’m very happy to introduce you to Yep, there is life after iGoogle.  And once you get into the Netvibes vibe you’re going be doing the genealogy happy dance.  So let’s get started. Guess what: Netvibes has been around as long as iGoogle! Both were launched in 2005. But here’s the thing, Google never figured out how to make money with iGoogle, and that plays a huge role in why it’s going away. However, the Netvibes team discovered early on that a personal dashboard just wasn’t all that conducive to a bunch of advertising to the pay the bills, and so they expanded their business model to provide expanded premium products to businesses at a price, that allows them to continue to provide the free service to their individual users. The fact that they have figured out how to make their business profitable means that there’s a much better chance that the Netvibes dashboard will be around for a while. And believe me, with the demise of iGoogle Netvibes has already seen a bump in users, and I predict that’s about to increase dramatically. The first thing we need to do is import your existing iGoogle content into Net Vibes. And if you don’t have an iGoogle page, cool – it just saves you from having to do this step, but hang in there because you are definitely going to want to set up a Netvibes genealogy dashboard with the rest of us which we will do in just a minute. PLEASE NOTE: Follow these instructions EXACTLY. Any deviation will cause it not to work. And be sure to use Internet Explorer NOT Firefox for this procedure. 1.      Log in to a Google account. 2.      Go to this page: 3.      In your IE browser menu click on PAGE (in the COMMAND bar, which if it is not showing you will need to activate)    select SAVE AS and name the file iGoogle_code.xml (save it as an XML file to your computer’s hard drive) 4.      Open the XML file that you just saved 5.      Right click on the page and select SELECT ALL and then copy right-clicking and selecting COPY 6.      Go to this page: Scroll down until you see a box 7.      Paste the code in the first box 8.      Click the CONVERT TO OPML button 9.      Copy the converted code 10.  Open a new document in Notepad 11.  Paste the code on the page 12.  Save the file: From the menu select File – SAVE AS and name the file to_netvibes.txt (You are just going to save it as a text file) 13.  Go to 14.  Sign up for a free BASIC account and select the Default layout. 15.  On the starting dashboard click ADD CONTENT in the upper left had corner of the page. 16.  Click ADD A FEED (the orange RSS button) 17.  Under the feedback next to OPML: click IMPORT 18.  Browse your computer and select to the to_netvibes.txt file 19.  Click the IMPORT button 20.  This will import any tabs and RSS feeds that you had in iGoogle This looks a LOT like iGoogle don’t you think? Making this move is going to be a breeze because the two services are SO much a like! Now of course, not all of the iGoogle gadgets converted. That’s because they are iGoogle gadgets. You’re going to have to locate new gadgets from Netvibes. I’m going to set you up with some of the most important gadgets you’ll need.  And you can bet I’ll be covering more customized gems in upcoming Genealogy Gems Premium episodes.  Under Add Content there are a couple of different areas where you can get gadgets, which are called Widgets in Netvibes.  In addition to using the search box, you can browse Categories, select from  Essential Widgets, and you can add more RSS feeds which you’ll use to follow podcasts, blogs, and other types of syndicated content. Let’s start by deleting the iGoogle gadgets that didn’t convert properly. Just click the little X button in the upper right corner of the widget just like you would have in iGoogle. Essential Widgets are your desktop tools. Lisa suggests: To do Webnotes MailWizard Bookmarks Facebook Twitter Before we go any further, let’s clean up and organize a bit.  Moving widgets around is super easy. Click the title bar of the widget, drag, and drop. And there you have it, in just a few minutes time you’ve made the dreaded move! Stay tuned because I have a LOT more great stuff for you to do to get your genealogy vibe on.    GEM: Genealogy Gems Song by Mike Steward ArtistSignal is a music contest: Click to Vote for Michael’s music.  

Published June 19, 2012 In this episode we’re going to follow up on Episode #133 and my interview with Henry Louis Gates about his show Finding Your Roots with an conversation with one of the celebrities profiled on the show, Linda Chavez.   NEWS: FamilySearch FamilySearch announced that it hit the halfway point for creating a searchable index for the 1940 U.S. census, which has been an unprecedented genealogical community effort made up of more than 125,000 volunteers More states will be added in the coming weeks. You can follow the day-to-day indexing status at and search completed states at However, the 1940 census is not the only record collection that FamilySearch has been working on .  They have recently added project for records from Argentina, Mecklenburg, Germany, Italy, Norway—1875 Federal Census [Part F], Panamá, Slovensko, and Venezuela   Find My Past TV SeriesAs you know by now the TV series Who Do You Think You Are? in the US has been cancelled. However, genealogy themed television in the UK seems to continue to thrive.  According to an article on the UKTV website called “UKTV signs deal with Brightsolid for second series of AFP Find My Past on Yesterday”   My HeritageOn June 11, 2012: MyHeritage held an international online press conference and  announced that it has reached the milestone of one billion profiles. The billion individuals in nearly 23 million family trees, created by the millions of families using MyHeritage worldwide, constitute a gigantic network for discovering family heritage and connecting to relatives.   MAILBOX: Janelle Collins in Australia: “Thanks to your podcast on creating a Google blog ! … Do I need to have my ancestors’ names in the blog title rather than in the text of the post itself for a search to bring up my blog post?” “Also, LOVED the 10 Minutes More song...Do you know if there are lyrics available so I can show it to my husband to read instead? Many thanks for all your hard work in making so many podcasts. I listen to them daily while I drive to college and back most days.” Lisa’s Answer: Congratulations on your blog!  When it comes to optimizing your blog for search, you want keywords included that other genealogists will be searching for.  So include them when possible in both the title and the body of the blog post. Consider also adding location names or other significant keywords that people will be looking for, and links to relevant websites.  You can find lyrics on the . Alvie in Florida: “I just got back from my morning bike ride - usually an hour - and I enjoyed listening to your interview with Dr. Gates.  He is such a fascinating man. Of course, I would never take away from the whole the fact that your interview skills played an enormous role in eliciting the right responses.  You were keenly aware of your audience and their desires. Thank you for this fantastic podcast.” Richard in Sacramento, CA: “I was wondering when someone would do it, and you did. Thanks. As all of the various genealogy blogs concerned themselves for three years with “Who Do You Think You Are”, Henry Louis Gates Jr. competed against two of those years. In both cases, I personally believe that he did a much better job than the NBC series.” Jay in Brisbane, Australia is New to Genealogy: "I really want to thank you for your show. Not only have I found each and every episode informative and inspiring (and, yes, I've downloaded every single episode in iTunes!), helping me get starting growing my fledgling family tree, but you've also inspired me to and share the stories I discover." If you are new to genealogy like Jay is, listen to my   If you haven't already discovered it, you've got another 46 episodes ahead of you. :-) Also New to Genealogy From Ricky: “I got totally hooked on Genealogy research this past January. In this short amount of time, I have gained A LOT of information and documents. I have listened to your podcasts. ALL of the Family History Made Easy, ALL of the Genealogy Gems and now I've started the Family Tree Magazine podcasts. I just can't get enough. I've subscribed to GG and FTM on iTunes, and I am a Premium GG subscriber. Now that I'm learning how I SHOULD HAVE been doing my research, I have a question. Should I, STOP and go back and try to do good source citations to all of the information I currently have???  Thank your for your advice.” Lisa’s Answer: The answer is yes. However, all though it sounds like a lot of work, you'll actually benefit not only by verifying all of the data and getting it sourced properly (which will pay off big dividends in the long run) but all genealogists experience new finds and insights when revisiting sources.  You know more than you did when you first got the information, and that helps you see things in a new light.   Find-A-Grave Shocker from Roxanne in Vancouver, British Columbia: “Yesterday I put onto Find-A-Grave the details of my dad's cousin's grave in California. I was able to include the grave's exact location as I received that information a few years back from the cemetery office….I kid you not but I received a "success" email from within 1/2 hour. I couldn't believe it, is someone playing a game and put something else there? I clicked the link and oh my gosh, there was the picture of the headstone and even more exciting was that the cousin's wife shared the same headstone.”   GEM:  Interview with Linda Chavez Linda Chavez is chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a non-profit public policy research organization in Falls Church, Virginia.  She also writes a weekly syndicated column that appears in newspapers across the country and is a political analyst for FOX News Channel.  Chavez authored Out of the Barrio: Toward a New Politics of Hispanic Assimilation (Basic Books 1991)         A Key to Genealogy Brick Walls Before I wrap up this episode I wanted to share something that happened to me the other day, and the lesson it taught me about genealogy that I think we can all benefit from.  A few weeks ago my youngest daughter Hannah came home for a few weeks break when the college term ended.  Bill and I and Lacey and Hannah went out shopping on a Saturday afternoon, and when we go to the second store Hannah wasn’t feeling very well so she said she was just going to wait in the car. So I handed her the car keys, and we all went inside to finish our final errand. 

  June 11, 2012 Episode 134: You asked for it!  Here's a blast from the past: Episodes 1 & 2 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast! Episode 01 February 25, 2007 by Lisa Louise Cooke My goal in creating this podcast is to provide you with inspiration and innovation to help you get the most of out your research time.  There's never enough time to work on your family tree, is there? So when you have some precious moments to dig into your roots, you want to be mining gold nuggets, not dead ends.  Genealogy Gem: Google.com allows you to restrict search results to a specific website.   1 - Go to your favorite genealogy website 2 - Highlight the website address (URL) 3 - Hit the Control key and the letter C at the same time on your keyboard  (this copies the website address to your computer's clipboard.) 4 - Go to Google.com 5 - Click in the Google search box to place your cursor there 6 - Hit the Control key and the letter V at the same time on your keyboard  (this pastes the website address in the search box that you just copied from the other site.) 7 - Hit the HOME key on your keyboard (this takes your curser to the beginning of the URL address in the search box) 8 - Now type a keyword you want to search (a surname for instance) 9 - Hit the space bar on your keyboard 10-Then type SITE: (be sure to include the colon after the word SITE:) 11- Click the SEARCH button You will receive search results just like a regular Google search, except these results show only pages where your keyword appears in the website you chose to search, rather than every website on the internet! Believe me, once you use this gem, you will never go back to slogging through hundreds of pages that have nothing to do with your family.  Try it today! I hope you'll subscribe to this podcast so you won't miss a single gem packed episode.   with feedback, suggestions, and questions. GEM:  Transcription of Family Journals & Letters Start with what you know.    Then talk to your oldest relatives first before you lose them.    Ask for letters and journals  Invest time into combing through and transcribing them into a digital format (such as a Word document)  Print it out and go through it with a highlighter  Highlight, names, places, dates, etc.  Create a list of the highlighted items and do a Google search on each (both text & images where applicable)  Transcription is worth it!  One of my inspirations:  the autobiography of my husband's grandfather Raymond Harry Cooke born March 6, 1894 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England.    This journal led to the discovery of the following photograph... The Rose Theatre Staff  in 1914 (Material courtesy of the City of Regina Archives": Bottom left corner: Raymond Harry Cooke.  To his upper right, Miss Belle Osborne.  They later married, and remained so for over 50 years. Please .  Be sure to let me know how you heard about the podcast.   

May 19, 2012 Discover what Dr. Henry Louis Gates hope to convey in the final episode of his series Finding Your Roots.   NEWS: I just returned from NGS and had a chance to visit with many listeners including: Lisa Lisson of the Are You My Cousin? blog    and Debra writes the Deb’s Research blog     I also taught classes while there.  My first class was on using the iPad for Genealogy, and while I think the students learned a lot, I know I certainly did. Folks were coming up to me throughout the conference sharing their favorite apps and tricks. Great app for the Kids: Talking Tom Cat (Android)    GEM: App Jumping If you have an iPad, you probably find yourself using a couple of different apps at a time.  When you are in an app, just use four fingers and swipe side to side to jump from app to app that you currently have open.  For this to work you need to make sure that you have “Multi-tasking Gestures” activated under the “General” tab in your Settings.   GEM: Four Finger Swipe Now as you are doing the Four Finger Swipe you’ll probably notice that you have some apps open that you no longer need open, and if they are open they are taking up battery resources. It’s a good idea to close these down, which is more than just pressing the HOME button to get out of the app. Use four fingers and swipe from bottom to top and this will reveal a horizontal line of the apps you have open.  Press and hold one of the apps to start them all shaking and a minus sign will appear on each. Press the minus sign on each app you are not currently using to close them.     NEWS:       GEM: Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. What does it mean to be Latino? On May 19, 2012, the season finale of the PBS TV series that explores race and identity through the genealogy of some of America’s best-known personalities, seeks to answer that question. Through the family histories of actors Michelle Rodriguez and Adrian Grenier, and Linda Chavez, an author, syndicated newspaper columnist and political analyst for FOX News, viewers will discover that Latino identity emerged from the tangled histories of European, Native-American and African peoples. The three subjects of Sunday’s episode all share Spanish colonial roots, yet each views their identity very differently: as Native American, Puerto Rican, Dominican or simply Latino. At the helm of this series is Henry Louis Gates Jr.  He holds a Ph.D. in English Literature, and is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University, as well as the director of the W.E.B Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. He’s best known for PBS productions like African American Lives, Oprah’s Roots, and African American Lives 2. This week I was fortunate to grab some time with this very busy man to talk about the final episode of this newest series, Finding Your Roots.   Get Lisa's Free Newsletter .  If you do you’ll receive my free ebook 5 Fabulous Google Search Strategies for the Family Historian absolutely free, and that’s a sweet deal indeed!      

Published May 3, 2012 Decipher your ancestor’s head gear with Maureen Taylor (AKA The Photo Detective) with tips from her new book Bonnets and Hats. And then grab your spouse for a genealogical musical number. NEWS: Thanks for the Shout Outs: Going the Extra Yad by Emily Garber  at the blog   FamilySearch Update The 1940 U.S. census indexing project was launched this April as part of a broad . - Over 85,000 volunteers have already completed 20 percent of the census project. - A record number of active indexers used the program in a single day—34,947 volunteers.  - In one day more than 3.2 million records were indexed and 1.5 million were arbitrated.    The Genealogy Gems News Blog   Pinterest My pinterest boards Pins from genealogygems Follow me on pinterest icon  MAILBOX: Sterling is lucky to have old family photos but needs some help preserving them. He writes:  “I've become a regular listener of your Genealogy Gems podcast and I find that I'm enjoying it as much as any of the NPR radio shows that are my listening mainstays. I've learned so much from listening to you over the past few months and I'm deeply grateful. I have a question that perhaps you or one of your listeners know the answer to. I have a family photo album, circa 1915, in which all the photos have been glued to black construction-type paper…Can you or anyone listening suggest a safe method for removing these photos from their old pages in order to recover the information that's on the backs of them? An answer from The Practical Archivist Sally Jacobs Sally also writes: “My advice was to use interleaving sheets to protect the image side of the photographs from the acidic paper, rather than deconstruct her ancestor's scrapbook. That advice still stands, but your listener has brought up one of the few exceptions to this rule: Information has been written on the back of the glued photographs. That doesn't mean I'm giving Sterling a green light to soak his ancestor photographs.  NOTE:  Water and photographs should not be mixed by anyone who isn't a trained conservator! The scrapbook format is difficult to process because of the different elements from which it is made. The adhesive may be water soluble and simple to soak off. Try to isolate a leaf of the book with some plastic sheeting (i.e. place a piece of plastic under the leaf to avoid damaging the leaf below). Place a damp piece of blotting paper over one of the newspaper clippings under a light weight. Leave it for about twenty minutes then very carefully, using a spatula, lift the newspaper from the leaf. Place the newspaper clipping between two pieces of dry blotting paper to dry." Thanks to Sally Jacobs the Practical Archivist.  You can get lots more greats preservation advice from her at   Swedish TV Series: Line in Denmark wrote in again to give us an update on a popular Swedish TV show about family history: “I have some exiting news about the Swedish tv show that I mentioned in my last email. "Everything for Sweden."  On this link they are “I have taken up your advice on contacting long lost family members. I still don't have the courage to phone them, but instead contacting them on e-mail. So far it has been a big success. I would never have done it if I hadn't listened to your show. So thanks! Love your podcasts - please keep on making them!” Beverly Loves the Podcast: “I'm a relatively new listener and premium member. I was bitten by the genealogy bug when I was about 12 years old and now I'm a grandmother. I've been calling myself a reformed genealogist because the "bug" has been dormant for a while…Thank you for all you share with your listeners. You have a real gift for communicating in a clear and personable way. I look forward to all your gems I have yet to uncover.”   Get your free audio book and over 40,000 audio book titles to choose from at Audible:     GEM: Interview with The Photo Detective Maureen Taylor, author of the book Bonnets and Hats     GEM: The Genealogy WidowerThe other day I was doing my usual trolling of the web searching for new genealogy gems, and I found a very musical oe that I want to close out the show today with.  If you have a wife or husband like mine who really isn’t in to genealogy, gather them around the computer or iPod because I’ve actually got something on the show they are going to totally identify with.  This is a special song that comes to us from Michael Stewart also known as The Genealogy Widower…  You can download a free copy of Michael Stewart’s song the Genealogy Widower .  

April 26, 2012   NEWS: The big news is Ancestry.com’s acquisition of Archives.com My Classes at the Genealogy Jamboree Conference: TH-001 - Conversation with the Author: Steve Luxenberg and Annie's Ghosts TH-013 - Common Surname Google Search Strategies SA-020 - Sharing The Joy: Projects That Will Captivate The Non-Genealogists In Your Life SA-034 - The Google Earth Scavenger Hunt – Fascinating Family History Fun! SA-040 - 10 Ways to Add Volume to Your Family History with Video  MAILBOX: Ashley discovers the important of citing her genealogy sources: I wanted to drop you a note to express my deepest thanks for all of the work that you put into the podcast.  I'm just shy of 30 years old and I've been working on my family tree since I was about 15, but even after all of that work, I'm still learning something new every day! …I wanted to share with you is that I just finished listening to episode 20 of the FH:GME podcast (all about the GPS and the importance of sourcing) and my own sad tale with sources:  Like I said, I started family tree research when I was about 15.  I stumbled on a four page report that my grandmother had ordered through a professional genealogist in the 1970s and was immediately hooked.  Unfortunately, NOTHING is sourced in that report.  I asked my Gramma about it and she told me that even she had found some errors (for example: she had four older half-siblings that were stillborn or died shortly after birth.  The report said that they were all born and died in February, which my Grandmother adamantly claims isn't true.) But I based almost my entire tree on that report.  Then I made things worse by accepting any family trees on Ancestry.com as fact, adding names, dates and information willy nilly from people who may or may not have been related to me.  It wasn't until I realized that one branch of my tree had "traced" itself back to Julius Caesar (who was his own grandfather, according to the tree) that I went, "... wait a minute." I'm starting the process of creating a new, sourced, accurate tree.  It’s probably going to take me just as long to fill out the branches, but it will be worth it in the end.  And I have you, and the fantastic resources you bring to the podcast, to thank!   Thank you so very, very much.  Your podcasts are such an invaluable tool and listening to them make me so excited to try a new method in my own research. Jack in Newport News, Va wants to know what do to with the folks who may or may not be ancestors: “We all are searching for the "right" people but sometimes we find, or seemingly find, the "wrong" people. With the massive number of records on-line these days, it seems quite easy to find someone with the right name and age-range and, often even close to the right area. Sometimes I can eliminate a find based on some fact, but often there’s less certainty. What is the suggested best practice for handing a wrong, or possibly wrong, person/fact?” Lisa’s Answer: This is a good question and one we all face at some point. In the end I think it comes down to two things: 1.      What works best for you 2.      And however you decide to handle it, do it consistently! My personal preference is to make notes in the correct person. If there is no "correct" person in my database, then I will create an "unknown" person in that spot and start adding my finds to that profile, even if it's just in the notes section, so that it's all in one place. It's critical to cite your sources on ALL data along the way so that you know where it came from and you can find it again. Challe needs help saving old books: “What does one do to get the information out to the next generation that might not have access to these books?  How do you continue the work without reinventing the wheel of all the research that they did?  How do you make corrections if needed? I am concerned that the information will be lost and I am unsure as to what to do about it.” Lisa’s Answer: I turned to my friend and book publisher Leland Meitzler owner of Family Roots Publishing at , for an answer to your question and here’s what he said: “This is an ongoing conundrum, and a question that's not easily answered. The bottom line is that the person should contact the next of kin, and attempt to buy the copyright, or at least the publication rights - just as a publisher would do. And it needs to be in writing. Failing that, use the "data" within a succeeding publication, being very careful to obtain, and cite the original sources, and if those are not available, cite the book and author without copying word for word what they published. Honestly, it's tricky, and not something I'd want to attempt. If the book was published prior to 1923, all this is not an issue. The item is in the public domain. If published after that date, but before 1978, there's still a good chance that the book may be out of copyright, if the author didn't renew. After January 1, 1978, the copyright is good for the authors lifetime, plus 70 years. Actually, it's even more complicated than that, but that's the basics.” Leland recommends:     GEM: The Defective, Dependent and Delinquint Special Census of 1880 with Jana Broglin, CG, OGSF The DDD: Supplemental Schedules 1 through 7 Download Jana's pdf "s".  A special thank you to Jana for making this available!  U.S. Federal Census – Visit Jana’s Website:  

Published April 16, 2012 In this episode learn more about APG, find out what’s new with RootsMagic 5, and get started searching the 1940 census.   NEWS: Diane Haddad and I just spent some time on the Family Tree Magazine podcast going over everything that’s been happening with the release of the 1940 census.  Diane is the Managing Editor of Family Tree Magazine and writes the Genealogy Insider blog, and she’s been doing a terrific job covering the records release, indexing efforts and early finds in the 1940 census. You can hear the entire April episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast at And you can read more about it my article called at the Genealogy Gems News Blog. where you can read about the official opening ceremony at the National Archives and check out a really cool infographic put out by Archives.com that guides you through the process of finding your relatives in the 1940 census before the index is finished and released.  Because there isn’t a searchable name index yet, you’ll need to follow a simple three step process: #1 Write down where you ancestor lived.  You can ask older references, check old city directories, voters registrations, previous census and the like to come up with a pretty reliable list. #2 Go to   Enter your family’s location to find their enumeration district.  This is key to finding them without a published index. #3 Use the Census Maps to narrow your results #4 Enter the enumeration district number to view the image Who Do You Think You Are? on NBCIf you’ve been enjoying the new season of the TV series Who Do You Think You Are? on NBC, then you’re really going to enjoy the deleted scenes videos I have for you on the Genealogy Gems News blog.    Rob Lowe   National Archives The National Archives continues to publish some great videos on their YouTube channel and here’s one that I really enjoyed: Also part of that series is another new video that the National Archives released on …   New Free RootsMagic Webinars Announced RootsMagic has released Version 5.  At the Ohio Genealogical Society conference in Cleveland I got a chance to sit down with Bruce Bruzbee, the President of RootsMagic and he tells us what’s new. It was so great to have a chance to sit down with Bruce and hear about all the upgrades, and he mentioned the free webinar series that they’ve been doing, and all of those have been recorded and are on their website at RootsMagic.com Installing and Upgrading RootsMagic 5 New Media Tagging in RootsMagic 5 New Source and Citation Features in RootsMagic 5 New Research Logs and Manager in RootsMagic 5 New Timeline View in RootsMagic 5 Installing and Upgrading Personal Historian 2 Apr 19 - New County Check in RootsMagic 5 Apr 26 - New Reports and Options in RootsMagic 5 To sign up for the free webinars, visit the webinar page at: Read     Thanks for the Shout Outs: by Jenna, Desparately Seeking Surnames Blog   By: Carolyn L. Barkley, Genealogy and Family History Blog   From Eylse’s Genealogy Blog   MAILBOX: From Jean: "Thank you so much for letting me be a gem!".  I loved how you played the "Cooke's reel to reel version and then the iTunes version of "Thine Alone".  I definitely spent a lot of time talking with myself and debating whether I had the nerve to send that email!  I know you've always said that almost all contacts with genealogists are extremely rewarding, but this was just about my first attempt at communication.  I am so delighted that it solved your mystery! …You have a marvelous gift for making all of us feel special, and you've certainly helped me get even more motivated to explore my family history, thanks again.” From the Voice Mail Line: “What do you do with big or numerous files? How do you annotate them in your tree for future reference when you pass the tree on or share it with others? I’m talking about PDFs of big books or articles or a large collection of photos where hundreds of megabytes may be involved. They’re too cumbersome to keep inside programs but they should still be referenced to be able to find that file later on.” Lisa Recommends: Cite your sources! Send large files for free with Share large files for free with   GEM: Interview with Kenyatta Berry, President of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) Kenyatta D. Berry is a lawyer, businesswoman and genealogist with over 15 years experience in genealogy research and writing. A strategic and tactical professional with over twelve years progressive experience in Business Development, Marketing, Sales, Operations, Product Marketing and Law. Kenyatta is looking forward to helping APG continue to grow as an organization and serve the needs of professional genealogists worldwide. Her research focus includes African American genealogy, Virginia genealogy, Land records and House Histories. Ms. Berry is a member of the Council Member of the Corporation for the New England Historical Genealogical Society. She has been featured in Jet Magazine, on XM Satellite radio and a researcher for NBC Dateline and WETV.  

Published March 22, 2012 Genealogy Gems Book Club: Our featured book is Running Away to Home by Jennifer Wilson. In this book, Jennifer takes us on a once and a lifetime genealogical journey where she walked in her ancestors shoes and lived among their descendants. : and help support the free Genealogy Gems Podcast.    Thank You!   Visit Jennifer Wilson’s website:     About Jennifer: Jennifer Wilson has been writing for 15 years for folks like Esquire, National Geographic Traveler, Better Homes & Gardens, Traditional Home, Budget Travel, AAA Living, Parents, Midwest Living, Iowa Outdoors, the Chicago Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, (the dearly departed) Gourmet and many others.   SPECIAL VIDEO CONTENT: watch on   Genealogy Gems App Users will find a special video about the interview as bonus content for episode 129. Get the (Search "Genealogy Gems")   If you enjoyed this episode and the video, please do me a favor and click the thumbs up button for the video at YouTube, you’ll find it right under the video.  And you’ll also find ways there on Youtube to share the video through Facebook and Twitter for all you Tweeters out there. Thank you for sharing!      for more information on Jamboree.  

Published March 9, 2011 In this episode we'll talk to Chris van der Kuyl, CEO of brightsolid. By Andrew Martin of the History Repeating Blog Mark Olsen of  MyHeritage / World Vital Records WDYTYA recap at the MyHeritage blog Else Churchill and her team from the Society of Genealogists in the UK really do a brilliant job organizing the classes for Who Do You Think You Are?   NEWS: I’m honored that my Genealogy Podcasts and Blogs 101 class is included in the group. I really enjoyed introducing more people to podcasts and blogs I’ve heard from a lot of folks that this really opened their eyes to a medium they didn’t realize was out there for them to enjoy for free.  Debbie writes: “Wow.  All I can say is Wow.  I am a 52 year old mother of 4 in Bountiful, Utah.  I have been watching the RootsTech Live presentations online and have just finished watching yours.  It was amazing and inspiring.  I consider myself somewhat tech savvy but have veered away from Blogs.  (Just the sound of the word Blog infers something that will weigh you down.)  But after your presentation I am anxious to try iGoogle and add blogs and podcasts tailored to my interests.  I had no idea.  And thanks for pointing out the Google blog search option.  All the genealogy-focused search options now available through Google are exciting. I am hopeful you will add all your RootsTech presentations to your podcasts.  They sound fascinating.” And during that presentation I encouraged viewers to get their own genealogy blog started so that they can get information out there that might help them connect with other genealogists researching the same family line.  And Carol wrote me shortly after the conference to let me know that she did just that! She writes: Marlene also wrote in about RootsTech. She says: “The Rootstech Conference was so awesome.  I learned so much about podcasts, I am willing to try it out. But first I am the craft queen, especially when it comes to crafting my family history.  The last day of the Rootstech I had to leave early.  I didn’t get to your last class that I had waited so long for.  Do you have a podcast of the steps for creating the crafts you make with your family history?? I see the instructions, but I wanted to watch you in action.  p.s. Thanks so much for your signed book on find family through newspapers.  I can’t wait to get started. Marlene” Genealogy Gems YouTube channel: And the 4 part Family History Christmas Wreath series Also, several projects discussed in class are featured in my book "Genealogy Gems" available at my .   MAILBOX: Hi Lisa, I love your podcasts, but I'm still catching up!! Back in 2009. you ran a series of "Name that Tune" challenges, which I absolutely loved, I think I have old time music in my DNA. It took me a day to recognize the "Missouri Waltz," I knew "The Dark Town Strutters Ball" right away; when I was little I named my doll "Honey" and always thought of those first lines "I'll be down to get you in a taxi, Honey...", I knew "I'll see you in my dreams" don't know if you are old enough to recall "Sing along with Mitch" when it was on TV, but we had all Mitch Miller's Sing Along albums and "I'll See you in my dreams" was among them. Okay, so that brings me to the reason for this email. In Episode 56, you celebrated "I'll See you in my dreams" and then played a brief 30 seconds of another tune, it was a violin instrumental. Well as I said I've listened up to 59 and I've never heard the result for that last tune. I think it may be "Thine Alone" by Victor Herbert. It was from the operetta "Eileen". Herbert was born in Ireland and emigrated to America, his more famous songs include "Ah Sweet Mystery of Life" and "The March of the Toys" from "Babes in Toyland" but he seems to have written hundreds of songs.  You had a loyal listener named "Jeannie" who called you with the names of the first 4 songs, I laughed at the similarity in our names, but anyway, I'm going crazy, did anyone else ever recognize that song? If you go to iTunes, there is a good instrumental version of "Thine Alone" on the Album "The Music of Victor Herbert & Sigmund Romberg" performed by George Melchrino. It is a lovely song. I can't tell you how many wonderful memories those songs gave me!! Yes, I am working on my Family History and really enjoy all your podcasts, videos, blogs and advice. I did finish your Family History: Genealogy Made Easypodcast series, got to get to work on the  too!! Thank you so much for all you do! Jean  Sue:    Paula really is amazing and if you’d like to learn more about her and handwriting analysis head over to   GEM: Interview with Chris van der Kuyl, CEO of  brightsolid companies:  

Published Feb 21, 2012 In this episode you'll hear from UK presenter and historian Nick Barratt.   GEM: Listener Betty Wynn Betty talks about how she uses my book   GEM: Interview with Nick Barratt   “Dr Nick Barratt obtained a PhD in history from King's College London in 1996, editing the 1225 Exchequer pipe roll and several Exchequer receipt rolls from the 1220s when the National Archives: Public Record Office maintained a site at Chancery Lane. On joining the National Archives: Public Record Office at Kew later the same year as a reader adviser. Nick started work in television whilst working at the BBC as a specialist archive researcher for a number of programmes. His valuable links to the largest archival institutions in the country and expertise helped lay the foundation of the network he has in place today. This network allows Nick and his team of researchers to effectively complete projects in any archive across the country.”  

Published Feb 10, 2012 In this episode we cover the latest news from RootsTech 2012, my video interview with Nick Barratt, and an in depth look at Find A Grave with the website's creator, Jim Tipton. NEWS: Watch the recording of my presentation website. It’s part of the Saturday Recap Video. Roots Tech was the public debut of my new book Everything You Need to Know About How to Find Your Family in Newspapers and I just want to thank everyone for the amazing response.  It’s really obvious that a comprehensive book on newspaper research was LONG overdue. Get the book at the   Autographed copies still available a very limited time about and watch my chat with Genealogy Gems Podcast listener and contest winner Carol Genung. GENEALOGY GEMS APP BONUS CONTENT:  Listen to the interview with podcast listener and contest winner Carol Genung.  Watch my chat with television presenter and historian Nick Barratt.   Brightsolid (Now FindMyPast)Now one of the big players in British online records brightsolid made a HUGE splash at RootsTech 2012 not only with it’s huge and colorful display at the front of the Exhibit Hall, but also by announcing while there that they have formally entered the US genealogy market with the launch of a ground-breaking, "pay-as-you-go" website: . Read all about it: Customers of the new site will be able to search all US census records from 1790 to 1930 and it will also house the 1940 US census records, when they are released later this year. My Heritage / World Vital RecordsAlso making news was MyHeritage.com. They have recently acquired World Vital Records.com and now are also making a splash onto the U.S. scene.  I spoke with CEO Gilad Japhet and he told me they have just opened a U.S. office in Provo Utah and will be introducing some exciting new changes in the near future that take advantage of the huge new record collection they have acquired from World Vital Records and will make it easier than ever to build your existing MyHeritage family tree.   FamilySearch Launches Mobile Indexing AppFamilySearch announced a mobile Indexing App at RootsTech that is meant to expand the capability of volunteers to help make the world’s historic records searchable online.  The mobile device app works on Apple iPads, iPhones, and Droid smartphones. MAILBOX: From Pat in New York: “Lisa--Once again I find myself driving along listening to you and mentally adding "To Do" items faster than the speed limit will allow! :)  It's like having tea again with a childhood friend -- your comforting tone is oh-so-soothing at the end of the day for the drive home.” Read Pat’s blog post at      “Lost Goose” newspaper notice which was a particular gem found in old small town newspapers.  From Tina in the UK: “Your new newspaper book: I wondered if the content might be solely to do with US newspapers, or do you cover other countries too?  I'm interested as I haven't had a lot of luck.” The book is first and foremost a newspaper research process.  This applies to newspapers regardless of their location.  It does however include a fairly extensive International newspaper Appendix.  It is of course impossible to make it complete, however it will certainly give you some great leads, and also provide you with a sense of what is out there and other types of similar websites to look for.  While newspaper research starts online, it very often ends offline.  And certainly the worksheets would be applicable to all newspaper research. Sandi wrote: "Just got my signed copy today. Thanks, Lisa! I know I will get lots of GEMS :) I foresee this being a well-used workbook." Nancy wrote: "Got my signed book in the mail today. Well done. Lots of fantastic tips.  and references for all states. I'm reading through it. Thanks, Lisa,  for a great book" Newspaper Lecturer Bret Petersen wrote: "I sure wish that I had had a book like that when I started researching newspapers!” Question from Dave:  “It's funny that I feel like I can call you Lisa although I have never met you in person.  I just renewed my premium membership for the second year So I have been following you for quite a while.  I love your shows; Gems, premium, and family tree magazine! I listen regularly and always can't wait for the next issue to come out!” “On to my question: I was reviewing your hard drive organization videos (fantastic by the way)  and noticed you mentioned Springfield Ohio as an ancestral home.  I too have relatives there. I am currently fascinated by my civil war veteran ancestor Samuel S Cowan…I was wondering where to locate possible obituaries for Springfield?  What News Papers were commonly read there?  Thanks again for all you do to feed mine and others addiction to family history!” of the Jerseyville IL Victorian Days festival.  Lisa Recommends:   Also check out my video on Using Newspapers in Genealogy at     Alison Shares a Grandma Names Followup “I saw this article in The Australian newspaper today & it reminded me of your stories about Davy so I thought you may like to read it. (Click image below to enlarge) From Alan: “I very much enjoy your podcast.  I wanted to share the name my granddaughter uses for me, one that I think any genealogist might love.  We were Skyping one day and my son referred to me as Dad.  This was confusing to my granddaughter, so he explained that I was Old Dad – and that has ever since been my name.”   GEM: Jim Tipton – FindAGrave   GEM: Your Life in 5 Minutes (Part 6) with Sunny Morton  Get Sunny's book "Your Life & TImes: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories by clicking this link:   

Published Jan 24, 2012 In this episode Genealogist Shirley Gage Hodges will share her genealogical wisdom with you as well as talk about her status as "perennial student." NEWS Marilyn attended my class called Inspiring Ways to Captivate the Non-Genealogist in Your Life and wrote in “I attended your class during the Arizona Family History Expo.  I enjoyed it very much!” Hear Me in Persongo to the Genealogy Gems Website at and Seminars in the menu. That’s what I do to be sure I’m in the right place at the right time! Jamboree:The 43rd Annual Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree is now Burbank, CA  June 8 through the 10 of 2012. My Brand New Book is Available: Here’s what Steve Luxenberg, Washington Post associate editor and author of Annie’s Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret said about the book:   "Read it. Study it. Absorb it. But above all, use Lisa Louise Cooke’s new book as the guide and instructional tool that it is meant to be. As a veteran of research and libraries, I found all sorts of nuggets and new resources. Beginners will find an embarrassment of riches, including an impressive appendix with a comprehensive list of online routes to national, international and local newspapers. This is as close as you’ll get to one-stop shopping for learning about historical newspaper research." And that’s really what I wanted it to be – One stop shopping for everything you need to know about finding your family history in newspapers.  There are some incredible stories out there waiting to be found, and this book is going to get you there!    MAILBOX: Myron from Iowa writes: “I have a Genealogical Gem that I think you would like to hear about. I have a recording of my Great Grandma's voice. My father served in the army 1946-1950, sometime while he was in the service his family took a trip from Nebraska to New York City. While visiting the Empire State Building, at the top there was this coin operated machine that would cut your own record, recording your voice, that you could mail to your friends.  My mom has that record. I recorded the record to a wav file and it sounds really bad.  I don't understand German so I hope they aren't saying anything bad. Enclosed are some photos of it and the wav files from it.”    Is there anyone out there who speaks German who could translate this recording for Myron?  If that’s something you can help with, that would be amazing.  .  I’ll share the results here on the show. there was definitely genealogically serendipity involved in this email from Myron because just before receiving it I had come across a video on YouTube that I thought was absolutely wonderful, and right along the same lines. Video:  No More Questions! from on . GEM: Interview with Genealogist Shirley Gage Hodges, “The Perennial Student” “Everyone has something to learn.” You can read Shirley’s articles on genealogy at the The Immigration Experience Genealogy Gems App users check the Bonus Content for this episode for additional Immigration notes from Shirley!  What keeps Shirley motivated: Finding the stories of her ancestors Learning more about ancestor’s connection with our country The lesson Shirley learned after her search for Grandpa Larkin: “We do have to be so careful!  He was a grand old gentleman, and I would have loved to have him as a Grandfather.”  Alas it turned out the he was someone else’s Grandpa! Shirley Has Her Eye on the Future with These Historical Projects: The Harvey Girls Amazing Women of the West Creating a Family History Christmas Wreath. Learn how to make one for yourself!   s of Family History Christmas Wreath at the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel.   CLOSING: Thanks for the Shout Out I want to say thank you to some bloggers who have given me a shout out lately: The Posted the blog article about my recent speaking engagement at the Sacramento Central Public Library. And Genealogy Blogger and podcast listener Kim Von Aspern invite me to sit down with her a few weeks ago for one on one interview and she is publishing it as a blog series at her Check out her articles:      

Published Jan 10, 2012 What’s Black, and White and READ all over?  Your Ancestors in old newspapers! In fact, your ancestors could be anywhere!  Most likely they were mentioned at some point in their own local paper, but they might also show up in a neighboring towns paper, or in a paper located thousands of miles away. Nothing is more exciting than finding information in an old newspaper that adds to your family history!  And I’ve been working feverishly on a new book that I can finally tell you about that is going to finally give you the answers and resources you need to be successful finding your ancestors in the new.  It’s called and that’s exactly what it is.  It’s everything you need to know.  This book is going to change all that. I spell out a step-by-step process and give you a worksheet you can copy and use again and again.  There are tons of websites, search tips, and 3 very Cool Online tools that probably aren’t using but you should be! Stay tuned because we’ll be doing an official launch very soon, and I’m going to have a very special opportunity for you to get a signed copy of the book first.   NEWS: Polish Genealogy Podcast by Dave Newman New Website:  . Also now in iTunes Keynote Workshop at Who Do You Think You Are? Live in London I’ll be on the . is FINALLY published! My Classes at RootsTech: Thurs. Feb 2 at 11:00 am a hands on Google Workshop Friday Feb. 3 at 9:45 am Genealogy Blogs and Podcasts Saturday Feb. 4 at 1:45 Inspiring Ways to Captivate the Non-Genealogists in Your Life Improved Blog Search from Google Now you can search for blogs specifically focused on the family history topics that mean the most to you! New Google Search Option: 1. Go to Google.com 2. Search on specific keywords (ex. County Cork Ireland Genealogy) 3. Click “More” in the Search Options Column on the left side of the page 4. Click “Blogs” 5. Click “Homepages” or “blog Homepages” 6. Now your search results are for blogs focused on those keywords and not just individual articles 7. Click the RSS or “Google” button to add the blog to your Homepage in a Gadget (Learn more about transforming Google.com into your own Genealogy Research Dashboard by )   MAILBOX: Timothy wrote: “I want to thank you for having Steve Luxenberg on podcast episodes #120 and #121 to discuss his book Annie's Ghosts.” PBS documentary “Triumph at Carville: A Tale of Leprosy in America”    “Your interview with Steve also spurred me on to conduct further research into two other folks that I have been researching, both of whom died in the South Carolina State Hospital. The following brief history is from the South Carolina Department of Archives and    History, "The State Dept. of Mental Health has undergone several name changes in its history. The original name was the South Carolina Lunatic Asylum (1821-1895) which was followed by the South Carolina State Hospital for the Insane (1896-1919), the South Carolina State Hospital (1920-1963), and finally the State Dept. of Mental Health (1964 to the present)." I am now currently awaiting to hear back from the archives.” Book Reviews Have a Voice:  Post positive reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and Lulu for genealogy books you enjoy! Richard Needs Your HelpAs I was going back over some items I have in my Aunt’s photo collection, I found two items that I can’t seem to find out anything about. Maybe you or your listeners can help. They are called “Foto Folds" and are raised pictures in a foldable container. I’ve attached three photos: 1)      Foto Fold – Closed image shows the two closed. One is the back and the other the front which is die cut. 2)      Foto Fold – Opened image shows both opened. One is a single picture and the other my Aunt, Her Brother and their Mother. 3)      Foto Fold – Side View shows that the item is not flat but raised. The raised part fits into the cut out piece on the right which then closes to the foldable container. They are most likely dated between the late 1940s and early 1950s.   What do you think our descendants will wish they had of ours 100 years in the future? Chris in Norwalk, CT chimed in with “Voice recordings (or, to go a bit further, video).  My family has had a touch of music for a few generations now.  My great-grandfather was a musical performer & my great-grandmother played piano. In fact I had recorded him singing shortly before he died.  Unfortunately, the tape was lost long ago.  In another branch of my family, I had a great-grandfather who was a bandleader in Providence, RI.  He played cornet & years later my father took it up as well…I play as well, but can't hold a candle to him.  I wish I thought to record him as well.” Google Earth Sharon in White Lake, MI   “I watched your webinar on the Roots Magic  It was fantastic.  In October, I went with my elderly parents and my husband to the Rives, Michigan cemetery where my great great grandparents were buried.  With the information I picked up in your webinar, I discovered that the original homestead was on the same road less than a mile north of where they were buried.  It was so neat being able to see where my family first located.  Thank you very much!” Kevin Writes to Share a Success Story“I have you to thank.  If not for your podcast about Familysearch.org and Family History Centers, I may not have found my great grandfather, Emanuel Babiuk's birth record from Ukraine…Your podcast (even though it was published several years ago) pointed me in the right direction to help me find, order and view the film at the local FHC.  If not for you, I may have had to wait for the film to be digitized and indexed.  P.S.  I subscribe to anything Lisa Louise Cooke and have 66 Gems and 13 Premium Gems to entertain me.” From Dan in North Carolina“I have been listening to you podcast for a while now and have gotten a lot from it…I decided to write a book about my father. I spent the summer collecting stories and photos. I decided to use the web site . This way anyone that wanted a book could order one. I finished about a month ago and had a lot of fun in the process.  I know most of the stories if not all but when you put them all down in a book it takes on a new life.  Again thank you for the motivation I need. Next? Maybe my grandparents.”  GEM: Interview with Tom Kemp, Director of Genealogy Products at GenealogyBank Click here to search   GEM: Your Life in 5 Minutes with Sunny Morton Part 4 Get Sunny's book "Your Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories by clicking this link: 

Published Dec 10, 2011 This Sha Sha has been busily working to finish making Davy’s birthday present since his big birthday number 2 is coming up on Dec. 15.   In Genealogy Gems Podcast I told how I decided to make Davy a Blues Clues card table playhouse.  You remember throwing a blanket over a card table when you were a kid and it became a play house on a rainy day, right?  Well this one was a bit challenging because there is no pattern for a Blue’s Clues playhouse so I just made it up as I went along.  But thanks to the Internet and my trusty iPad I was able to come up with something that looks pretty close to the real deal. Here are a few snapshots of the playhouse.  And it doesn’t just look like Blue’s house from the outside, but I lined the panels with fabric that looks like the wallpaper in her house, and even sewed some features in felt like the table and telephone and the framed picture of the felt people on the wall. You know to me what we are doing today with our kids and grand kids and in some cases great grand kids is just as important as researching our family history – in fact it’s more important!  Creating memories with our loved ones is creating family history right now.  And to me there’s nothing more important than that.  Get your free audio book and over 40,000 audio book titles to choose from at Audible:     NEWS: Genealogy Gems Premium Members have been enjoying episodes on the lately covering how to use the iPad and other tablets out there in the marketplace for our family history.    New Ancestry App UpdatesAncestry.com has a popular free app that lets you take your Ancestry.com family tree with you on your iPad.  The newest version of the app now includes the shakey Leaf Hints that you also see on their website.  Plus there is a simple merge tool that helps you quickly add new relatives and information to your family tree.  It also allows you to automatically adds information to photos, allows you to change your tree privacy settings, adds an integrated user feedback support feature, and is faster and more stable than previous versions.  New Free Podcasts by National Archives Records Administration in iTunes U features WWII news reels     Irish Records:  FindMyPast.ie has recently announced that they have launched exclusive access to the Irish Prison Registers 1790-1920. The collection is made up of over 3.5 million entries across 130,000 pages. Provides useful tips and recommend tools to help you discover your documentary heritage and navigate the LAC website.   Lisa’s Book Featured in Online Magazine was featured in the most recent issue of  (p.40) A big thank you to all of you who have bought the book because those purchases I think helped bring it to the attention of a non-genealogy publication!   My Presentation Schedule for 2012 Feb 2 – 4 , Salt Lake City, UT We’ll be celebrating the 5 year anniversary of The Genealogy Gems Podcast!    FamilySearch has just announced that the RootsTech 2012 . RootsTech will reward developers who introduce the most innovative new concepts to family history with $10,000 in cash rewards and increased visibility.    Feb 24-26 - Who Do You Think You Are Live! In London. Presenting Harness the Power of Google Earth for Your Family History and Google Search Strategies for the Family Historian. And I am very excited to have been invited to be part of a very special panel discussion on using technology for genealogy as well.   March 3  in Bountiful, Utah   March 10  Phoenix, AZ   April 12 – 14  Cleveland, OH   April 28  San Mateo, CA   May 5 , San Luis Obispo, CA   May 9 – 12 , Cincinnati, OH I’ll be there not only debuting some brand new presentations, but you will also find me at my booth in the exhibit hall so be sure and come on by and say hi. June 1 – 3 in Kinston, Ontario Canada. The new version 5 of RootsMagic now offers us a Timeline view.  Now we can really put a person’s life in context with events from their own life and from the lives of family members. But the awesomeness doesn’t stop there. They have added even more customer requested features: a research manager which lets you create and track unlimited research logs, the ability to filter the people view, as well as enhancements to multimedia, sources, to-do lists, and much more.  There's a little something for everyone! See the free demo of the new features in RootsMagic 5 at RootsMagic Webinar page called .   MAILBOX: A Genealogy Newbies: It’s amazing to me that the podcast is about to celebrate it’s 5th birthday, and I know many of you have been listening for almost that long.  But it’s also so rewarding to know that there are new folks coming on board all the time.  Not just to the podcast, but also just discovering the joy of family history. Newbies Eric and David wrote in about their experience. Eric says “I'm still fairly new to genealogy, only getting started after last New Years and have to say your podcasts have helped a lot (and are always entertaining). Thank you! Your newest premium member, Eric” David in Australia writes: “Thank you for making this kind of information available to everyone, it shows a truly kind nature in a person who wants to share their experiences and I have found this the trait of most people I encounter who are into genealogy. You have done a wonderful job and I love it all.” Dan in North Carolina wrote in to say he is also Enjoying the Show . "have been enjoying your podcasts for a while now. This summer I took on a project to write a ." Linda in Sweden and Line in Denmark wrote in about a Swedish TV show Everything for Sweden on the webiste Guy Interview on a Swedish Morning Program   Line says: “I recently stumbled over one of your Podcasts, and after listening to just a few episodes I was hooked. I listen to them every day at work. Some times even twice. Extra benefit: I´m shaping up my english! While waiting for the next episode, I always listen to older episodes.” Jennifer in Napa, CA wrote in about the new ordering system at the Family History Center branch libraries.  “As of August 23, the U.S. West and Northwest have been added to the areas already using this system.  You can now place an order for films online, instead of having to make a trip to the library just to place an order.” (blog post)    GEM:  Taking Family History to Young and Old in the Community Interview with Merv Scott, Project Director, Victoria Genealogical Society Ask Granny Fore more information Visit the VGS Programs page at the Victoria BC Genealogical Society “Ask Granny”© founders Judy Russell and Greg Crane are pleased to announce that the Victoria Genealogical Society of Victoria, BC, Canada, has been named “Ask Granny”© chapter of the year.   The project group, led by Merv Scott, has not only worked to revise our “Ask Granny”©materials for Canadian spelling and usage, he has graciously offered to share those files with others in Canada.  Merv  reports that their calendar is filled up through Spring of 2012 with “Granny” session in local retirement facilities.     Your Life in 5 Minutes (Part 3) with Sunny Morton  Get Sunny's book Your Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories by clicking this link:  Profile America: Christmas Lights

Published Nov 27, 2011 In this episode you are going to hear from Forensic Genealogist Leslie Lawson.   Genealogy News   Return of Who Do You think You Are? NBC has just announced that the TV series Who Do You Think You Are? will be returning to television screens here in the U.S on Friday, February 3 at 8pm.  Since this falls at the same time as the RootsTech conference I wouldn’t be surprised if they plan a group screening for attendees.   RootsTech 2012 The winner of the free RootsTech 2012 registration is Carol Genung.   So I look forward to seeing Carol there and hopefully many of you listening – there’s still plenty of time to register for the conference at rootstech.org.  And for those of you unable to attend I’ll have videos that bring the experience to via your computer in the comfort of your own home.   New Records at FamilySearch They’ve added a wde range of new records from 20 countries, including  Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, England, Dominican Republic, Germany, Italy, Philippines, and the U.S. The U.S. additions include records from California, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.   RootsMagic Update RootsMagic has released a minor update  (4.1.2.1) which fixes a few issues.  Read more at the   Google Milestones   Google Earth has now had more than 1 billion downloads!    Google celebrated it’s 15th birthday in September 2011.   1000Memories Shoebox App 1000Mempories has launched a new free iPhone app called  "Shoebox" that they say is like putting a scanner in your pocket.    S   Watch a   Listen to Lisa’s interview with Michael Katchn of 1000Memories in     MAILBOX   I had the pleasure of being invited up to Victoria British Columbia in October 2011 to give a full day seminar on using Google for Genealogy at the Victoria Genealogical Society. I had a marvelous time and I’ve had the pleasure of hearing from several who were in attendance that day including this email from Mike who wrote in to say.   “I couldn't make the seminar, sadly, but my better half -- Kate -- went and she came home brimming over with ideas, two books, a couple of DVDs and a ton of excitement!  We've been putting some of your ideas to great use, and having some walls get knocked down. Outstanding stuff!  I've also started listening to the GenealogyGems podcasts starting with #21, and in the first episode I already found some great hints on how to get US Naval records for my great-grandfather. Where have you been all my life?!  Thank you again for everything you do for the Genealogical community. You ARE one of the Genealogy Gems!! “     Feedback on Steve Luxenberg Interview A topic causing my mailbox to overflow was my interview with Steve Luxenberg and his wonderful book Annie’s Ghost       Maureen posted on my Facebook Wall” “Genealogy Gems episodes 120 and 121 are, by far, two of the best family history research podcasts that I've ever heard. Steve Luxenberg author of Annie's Ghost was full of great research ideas. These podcasts are keepers!"   Brandt posted: "Thanks for the interviews with Steve Luxenberg and the recommendation for Annie's Ghosts. I LOVED the book, and the interviews added a lot to it. Hope he writes another one soon!"   Larraine posted: "Annie's Ghost by Steve Luxenberg is excellent. I can't put it down! It's thanks to you Lisa that I discovered the book after listening to your podcasts."   Julie M. emailed: “I just had to tell you how enjoyable your interview with Steve Luxenberg was! After the first part, I immediately ordered his book for Kindle (through your site, of course) and started it right away. It is compelling reading and I'm hooked on it.  What a great story told by a quality story-teller! I find it hard to put it down and look forward to getting back to it as quickly as possible. Perhaps you need to start a "good reads" section in your podcasts or newsletters. Hooked on your podcasts and trying to catch up on all of them.” I think that’s an excellent idea! or leave a voice mail and tell me if you would be interested in a Genealogy Gems Book Club.    Find out more about the book at . Click on "Behind the Book," to view documents not part of the print edition.     More Terms of Endearment for Grandparents: And there’s another topic that we’ve discussed here on the show that you’ve been continuing to write me about and that is terms of endearment for our Grandparents.   Sharon’s cute quip: “When my son was born, my father would lean over him and put his hand on his belly and shake him a little bit saying "You little bum, you little bum!".  Well guess what my son started calling Grandpa from the moment he could form the word, "Bum!…As always Lisa, thanks for informative and entertaining podcasts!”   What Will Our Descendents Covet? In this next email, long time listener Pat poses an interesting question: What do you think our descendants will wish they had of ours 100 years in the future?   What comes to my mind I there is one thing that is becoming more rare today but has been around forever - our own handwriting. Everyone used to write letters and yet today we call, text and email. And yet handwriting is so personal. I think perhaps our descendants will be yearning for those rare handwriting examples.   I’d love to hear from the rest of you listening.    or leave a voicemail comment at 925-272-4021.   Laurie asks: “If I become a premium member, how do I listen on my iPod?  Is that only available on the computer?”   As a you can add our custom Premium Membership iTunes feed to your iTunes to subscribe to the premium podcasts. All the instructions are included in the show notes for the Welcome episode.  You can also download the mp3 files from the website and manually add them to your iPod if you wish.   Family Health History: Lisa wrote in recently with some questions around family health histories.  She writes: ”I was recently told that I have breast cancer and that got me thinking about what other medical issues I should be aware of...I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction to finding out my family medical history.”   Lisa I'm so sorry to hear about the diagnosis and I hope that it is early and very treatable.   I think Google Books would be a great place to start as they have all of the Ancestry magazines digitized and online. A quick search of medical history brought up several promising articles. here are some to get you started: Building a Tree of Prevention (article) article in Ancestry Magazine (section of article) has a health history focus I wish you a speedy recovery and I hope these resources are helpful to you. Take care!   Feedback from Kari on one of her favorite Genealogy Gems episodes: “I love your podcasts.  I have learned so many things from you and your guests.           was one of my favorites.  Your story about the barbie clothes and the sewing box brought back memories for me!   Kari asked about possible resources for creating a family calendar.  Lisa’s suggestions:   Family Chartmasters (for more custom 1 sheet work) Click image below:   Costco (for more quick and traditional calendars)    (for good quality, fast service and variety of sizes)         Get your free audio book and over 40,000 audio book titles to choose from at Audible:     Audiobook tItles mentioned in this episode: The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro Finding Oprah's Roots: Finding Your Own by Henry Louis Gates   GEM: A Forensic Genealogist Interview with Forensic Genealogist Leslie Lawson.  Leslie specializes in missing heirs, and kinship determination. Visit Leslie's website:  Lawson Reserach Services, LLC at     GEM: Your Life in 5 Minutes with Sunny Morton Visit Sunny online at Get Sunny's book "Your Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories by clicking this link:    Lisa’s “iPad for Genealogy” article will appear in Family Tree Magazine Jan 2012 issue and it starts mailing to subscribers 11/8

Published Nov 3, 2010 In this Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 121 and part 2 of my interview with Washington Post editor Steve Luxenberg, author fo Annie’s Ghosts.  From the emails, Tweets and Facebook posts I’ve received from so many of you, it sure looks like you enjoyed part 1 of the interview in episode 120 as much as I enjoyed doing it.  Jenna at the Seeking Surnames blog tweeted “the Annie’s Ghost podcast was great!  It’s a close runner up to the Sha Na Na Guy as my favorite!” Jenna is referring to Dr. Robert Leonard who I interviewed in episode 89 and 90 about the topic of Forensic Linguistics.  I have to agree that Dr. Leonard is one of my all time favorite guests, and Steve is certainly up there with him! And you’ll remember that I introduced Part 1 by reading the email from Jay in New York. Well after listening to episode 121 Jay sent me a follow up email saying, “Awesome interview with Steve Luxenberg about his book "Annie’s Ghosts". It hit the nail right on the head. Thank you!” Steve is such a riveting writer and speaker, and it’s fascinating to hear how someone who is not a genealogist, but rather a journalist approached his family history search in an effort to find the answers to mysteries in his families. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed reading Annies Ghosts.  This book inspired me, gave me concrete ideas for pursuing my own family history research, AND kept me on the edge of my chair.  What could be better?   GEM SERIES: My Life & Times with Sunny Morton (Use the above link to purchase the book at Shop Family Tree and you'll get free shipping and you'll be supporting this free podcast. Thank you!)

Published Oct 20, 2011 Fire up your Kindle!  In this episode I'm going to introduce you to the author or a riveting book full of secrets, family history, and discoveries!   GEM: Interview with Steve Luxenberg, author of Annie's Ghosts We’re going to mix things up a bit in this episode, and I want to start off with an email I received recently from Jay in New York who writes:   “I have been catching up with all of your family history podcasts. Over the years I have collected a wealth of information on the family. Some good, some not-so-good, some out in-the-open, some hidden.   How do you deal with revealing "forgotten" items about family members to other family members? I had an uncle who had a marriage at a very young age, and would like to have forgotten about it. My mother told me about it. I put it on the tree. While showing off the fruits of my labor to his family this "forgotten" marriage was revealed with not happy responses.   The things we find in our tree may not always be "good", How does a person deal with that? and revealing it to others?”   This is a great questions, and it’s sort of a cooincidence that this episode’s publish date coincides with Family history Month and Halloween because we’re going to explore ghosts and skeletons in the closet.   But actually there’s nothing really spooky here, but rather these are things that can be found in many family.  Secrets, small and large.  Skeletons in the closet that are often closely guarded by others in our family.   It’s a tricky business navigating your way through the shakier branches of the family tree, so I’ve invited a special guest to the show who has done an incredible job of climbing those branches in his own family.   Steve Luxenberg is a Washington Post associate editor and award-winning author. In his 25 years at The Post, he has headed the newspaper’s investigative staff and its Sunday section of commentary and opinion.  Steve is going to join me for the full episode to talk about investigating and dealing with family secrets as he did in  his book Annie’s Ghost.  It’s a riveting tale that kept me feverishly tapping the “Next Page” key on my kindle.    is about a family secret that Steve stumbled upon in the late 1990s.  His mother, who had always claimed to be an only child, had a sister, Annie.  And while that was a big surprise all by itself, it was just the beginning of a series of secrets and revelations that Steve unearthed by tapping into his long career as an investigative journalist, and employing newly found genealogy techniques and strategies.  In this interview we talk about being aware of what’s missing in records and stories, rather than just focusing on what is on the page.  For those of you who are Premium Members this discussion is a great follow up to Premium Episode #77 where we talked about being more keenly aware during our research. Steve’s also going to share he thoughts on storytelling, which he truly masters in this book.    And then we get into some of the genealogical techniques he used.  How to avoid Tainting Memories in Interviews, and how to balance the give and take as well as win trust with the person you are interviewing.  And speaking of trust Steve describes how he was able to be incredibly successful in obtaining sensitive documents and getting cooperation from various government agencies and other repositories.   He’s also going to tell us about a little known legal maneuver that he made that really made the difference for him in obtaining some of the most closely held documents and how you can use it too!   And finally he’ll share his personal feelings about what it was like to get a add a new member to his family, his long lost Aunt Annie.   Resources Mentioned: Dillingham Commission's report on immigration, in digitized form, courtesy of the Stanford U. library. Vol. 4 describes immigration conditions in Europe (much of it focusing on Italy, if I remember correctly), and Vol 37 examines voyage conditions, focusing on steerage.       Quotes from Annie’s Ghosts:  “What I didn’t expect, as the week wore on, was that the family would expand to take in a new member.  But that’s what happened.  As people dipped in and out of the records, as the debates flew about what we knew and what we didn’t and whether we should be digging around in the past, Annie gradually became a part of the family consciousness.  She was no longer just a name on a hospital record.  She was no longer just a secret.”   “I stopped thinking like a son and started thinking like a journalist.”   “I offer to send her the letters; it’s an unexpected present for her, and I’m glad to be able to make the offer, because it allows me to give as well as take, something reporters can’t often do. It’s also a good way to win trust.”    “I want to make sure that if she knows about Annie, she tells me before I tell her, so that I capture her spontaneious memory first.”   Stay tune - Episode 121 wil feature part 2 of this interview.  App users: check out the Behind the Scenes Steve and Lisa video!    

Published Oct 5, 2011 When you were little did you play in card table tents or forts?  I sure did. When I was wandering around the house complaining of being bored on a rainy day, my mom would pull out the old folding table used for card games, throw an old blanket over it, pull out some old pots and pans and hand them to me and tell me to go play house.  Something magical seemed to happen when I crawled under the fabric walls.  My imagination would let loose and I could happily play for hours.  So I’ve decided to create a special card table house / fort for my grandson Davy.     Davy loves the old TV show "Blue’s Clues" which was hugely popular here in the U.S. when my kids were little.  Nowadays the only place I seem to be able to find it is on Netflix and YouTube.  Blue is a dog and she lives in an adorable little yellow house with a red roof with her friend Steve who follows her clues.    Last week I headed to the fabric store with my trusty iPad full of photos I found online of the inside and outside of the Blue’s Clues house, and I spent two hours up and down the aisles looking for the closest matching fabrics I could find.    Each side of the house is double sided – the outside fabric is the bright yellow and the inside is one that looks like the wall paper in blue’s house.  And of course it will have the windows and curtains, and  flowers and lizards and frogs on the outside and I even found a little unfinished wooden mailbox at the fabric store that will be transformed into the purple mailbox outside Blue’s house.  If Davy has half the fun playing in his Blue’s Clues house as I am having making it then it will be a big success!   In addition to creating The “Blue’s Clues fort” for Davy’s birthday which is in December, I also still need to come up with Christmas present for the family.  Last year I did calendars for everyone in the Cooke family that sported images for events related to each month.   This year I’m thinking about framing charts.  It’s amazing I haven’t gotten around to this already, but I think it’s about time. My friend Janet Hovorka just happens to own the company Family ChartMasters and she’s going to be here in a day or two for the Family History Expo being held in my area (Northern California) this weekend.  So I will be picking her brain and spending a good deal of time on their website. She told me that I have there are loads of new styles of charts to choose from.   If you’re looking for Christmas present ideas for the family this year, why not consider a family tree chart? Hopefully you’ve got your genealogy data in a database so you can just export your gedcom and make it gorgeous for a gift they can enjoy for years to come.    If you decide you’d like to check out Family ChartMasters– which of course I highly recommend – I’d really appreciate it if you would click the image above to visit their website because when you do you are also supporting this podcast and making it possible for me to keep the free podcast episodes coming.  So thank you very much!   And by the way, many of you have asked what happened to our Amazon links on the website which were another way that you were helping to support the podcast. Well, Amazon dropped their California affiliate producers because of some recent tax law changes.  But I just got an email saying they are reversing that. This is awesome news because I just can’t get through  all my Christmas shopping without Amazon, and I know that many of you shop online too. So I’m going to get that reinstated asap – keep an eye out for the Amazon links on the homepage at genealogygems.com and I will also return it to the toolbar. (UPDATE: The Genealogy Gems Toolbar has been discontinued)  Thanks for being patient and being such incredible supporters of this little old podcast!   NEWS:   WDYTYA is reporting that Marisa Tomei has just been added to the roster of celebrities who will be featured on the new season of Who Do You Think You Are? here in the US.  Joining here are Martin Sheen and actor Blair Underwood.    has added records for China, Hungary, Mexico and U.S. Records Include Illinois, Maryland, New York and Washington.   Ancestry.com announced the release of the and it’s free to the public.    also recently added some new records. Two million railway employment records from the UK National Archives are now available on the site.     Convict records available for free online for Australia The free website at   is based around the British convict transportation register compiled by the State Library of Queensland - it includes about three-quarters of the 160,000 convicts transported to Australia between 1787 and 1867.   Database of Virginia Slave Names The RVA NEWS is reporting that the has launched an online and searchable database called “.”  It’s a free service featuring a sizable portion of the over 8 million records in VHS archives.    RootsMagic just released the long awaited Personal Historian 2.  This is their software that helps you write the story of your life and of other individuals.  If you’d like to learn more about the new Personal Historian 2 you can watch a recording of their recent free webinar at   For a limited time only, RootsMagic is offering a special introductory offer for Personal Historian 2. Through October 31, 2011, Personal Historian 2 is available for a special introductory price of only $19.95, saving $10 off of the regular price.  The discount is available only on the Personal Historian website at http://www.personalhistorian.com or by calling 1-800-766-8762.    New Aussie Genealogy Podcast There is a new family history podcast focused on Australian Genealogy called Genies Down Under.    A while back Maria Northcote, herself a Genie Down Under, wrote and asked me my thoughts on podcasting and said she was thinking about putting a show together, and I’m very happy to say that she has done it.  She has launched a brand new website called Genies Down Under and she wrote me again to tell me all about it and she writes:   “I really must say thanks for you for your inspiration to podcast in general, to blog and to get deeper into family history – one of my big passions in life. I dated the first podcast with a 1 October date as I didn’t expect the launch to become live so soon!”   You can subscribe to .  Visit the       MAILBOX:   The background music for this segment is called  “Bethena” and is available on the fantastic CD by Frederick Hodges called Picnics. Visit   Grandparent Terms of Endearment I think I struck a chord with so many of you out there when I told you in the last episode who I’m hanging in there waiting for my little grandson Davy to call me Grandma.  My email box was over flowing with the most wonderful stories of the terms of endearment you use in your family for grandmothers and grandfathers.    Maria in Australia: In her family theydistinguish between her mother’s parents and her father’s parents by using their married surnames: Grandma Northcote or Grandfather Walters.   Elizabeth in Needham, Massachusetts: “While we've used Grandmother and Grandfather in my family, my uncle was known as "Grand Sir" to his grandchildren. (My aunt is known as Grandmother.) I really must find out how that name evolved and write down the story.   In my husband's Jewish family, grandparents are Bubbie (for grandmother) and Pop-pop or Zaydee (for grandfather), though when Bubbie's mother was still living, she was Bub-bub to her great-grandchildren, to differentiate her from Bubbie.”   Suzanne in Panama City, FL: “…my husband(‘s family) was much more creative. Two of his grandmothers were named after what kind of road they lived on: one was "Bumpy Road Granny" the other was "Smooth Road Granny". He had another grandmother called "Chicken Granny" because she had chickens running around her yard. And a fourth grandmother was called "Big Ole Granny". She was called that not because of her size but because she was actually the Great-grand mother.   Liz posted on my Facebook page: “When my daughter was learning to talk, she called my mother Daygar, my sister Elaine was E.T. and then became Aunty and my father was Pa. She had her own language! She called marshmallows yesyellows, O'Henry Bars were YoHomy Bars and gingerbread men were Bundermen. She was very inventive!”   Laurie in Calif. writes: “(This photo) was taken on the front porch of my great grandparents' home in Reeseville, Wisconsin c. 1928.  The names were written right on the bottom of the picture, thankfully, and the writer referred to Lena (my great aunt) first as "Bammy" before crossing it out.  I always appreciate it when someone writes names on photos, but this one is more appreciated as it reveals the quirky nickname "Bammy" for Grandma.  Gotta love it.     Christine writes: I just received my "Ultimate Google for Genealogists" Collection from Family Tree Magazine.  I can't wait to delve into it & get my "Lisa fix" between podcasts!  When my maternal grandparents were alive, they affectionately called each other "Pappy" for some reason.  Apparently when I was a toddler, I heard that as "Happy" & that's what my sisters & I called my grandmother for the rest of her life.  It was a well-fitting name, too, because she always was happy!   Teri in Iowa writes: My oldest daughter called her grandmothers "Little Grandma" and "Big Grandma" because my mother lived with her mother so that she could remain in her own home! Memories!   Elizabeth writes: “I have 3 grandchildren, girl twins, Ryan and Riley who are my son's children and a 2 year old boy, my daughter's son. When the twins were about 16 or 17 months old, Ryan couldn't say the "grr" sound of "Grandma and Grandpa" so she came up with the name  "Mo-ma" and when I pointed to my husband and asked "What is his name?". She quickly replied "Mo-pa". Her twin Riley, quickly picked up the name and started to call us "Mo-ma" and "Mo-pa". 3 years later when my grandson arrived he fell into step with his cousins, Ryan and Riley, and has started to call us "Mo-ma" and "Mo-pa". These grandchildren have 3 sets of grandparents: me and my husband; my ex-husband and his wife and my daughter in law's mother and father, who are called "Nanny" and "Pop Pop".   Debra writes: “My parents were named Bumpa and Nini. Bumpa started with the first born grandchild being unable to pronounce Grandpa and somehow it came out as Bumpa and stuck. Nini because my mom didn't want to be called grandma :) They ultimately had 17 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren before their passings in 2007. I'm Noni to my 7 grandchildren but dad is just plain ol' grandpa. Thanks for all the informative podcasts-love listening to them on my walks with my two Jack Russells, Leroy and Mabel!”   And then there was this terrific message from JT: “When our son Miles was just starting to talk, he had trouble with the usual consonants so "Grandma" just wouldn't come out no matter how hard he tried. One day when my mother-in-law stopped by he was so excited to see her he just stood in the center of the room, his arms held out as he tried to call her.   You could see in his face how hard he was trying. He rose up on his toes, his hands opened wide and he almost began shaking as the word traveled up his body and burst our his mouth.... "HEM-MIE!"   Not even close to "Grandma", but it seemed to work for him - seemingly satisfied, that's what he called her from that day on. Little sister Lily has adopted it as well and my mother-in-law couldn't be happier that she has what must be a completely unique name from her grandkids.   I enjoy your podcasts and always learn something new - thanks so much!”   But I have to say, I think my favorite email came from Tim in San Jose CA who writes: “I recently listened to your podcast which included your discussion of names given to grandparents. I thought I would share some of the names we used for our grandparents growing up.   When I was born, I had 4 living grandparents, and 5 great-grandparents, who were all direct ancestors -- not from second marriages. During my growing-up years, they all lived within 5 miles of my family and we saw them often. So, it was a challenge to uniquely identify each grandparent.   There were the usual names, such as Grandma and Grandpa McBride for one set of grandparents, and Grandma and Grandpa LaMonte for a set of great-grandparents. Another set of great grandparents were Granny and Louie. Why we called him by his first name, I don't know -- all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren called him my his first name. I guess "granny" comes from my Ozark heritage.   But there were also a couple unusual names. If someone was just listening to my sister, cousins and me talk, they would hear something like Grandma In-da-green, or Grandma and Grandpa In-da-ellow. When my older sister was quite young (she was the oldest of all the cousins on that side of the family), she identified one of our great-grandmothers as Grandma In The Green House (which, over time, was shortened to Grandma In The Green) and one set of grandparents as Grandma and Grandpa In The Yellow House (which became Grandma and Grandpa In The Yellow).   I have not previously included these names in my genealogy data base. But, I have now added these names and stories behind them since I know we used these terms in family letters. It would be good to have notes how these names came about for when future generations are reading these letters so they know who we are talking about.   Thanks for the podcast. I enjoy listening to each one as soon as it come out!”   I think that is priceless!  Tim really got the message I was hoping to send in bringing this topic up.  This is part of your heritage. Take a few moments and get these wonderful terms of endearment and their origins into your family history records and database.  You’ll be glad you did!   I’m sending out a 1 year premium membership to JT for recording his terrific story, and also to Tim for his Green House and Yellow House Grandparent story.  Simply wonderful!   And thanks to all of you who took the time to write in.  Thanks for being part of this podcast episode.  It’s most fun when it truly is a conversation!   Genealogy Gems Premium Membership Clíona from Ireland wrote in with a questions about Premium Membership She writes: “I’ve been listening to some of your podcasts and I’m interested in signing up to see the Premium Videos. Would my subscription give me access to previous Premium Videos such as those mentioned in your podcasts, or just the future ones? Thanks and well done on some very good podcasts.”   Well Cliona, thank so much, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the free podcast! When you become a Premium Member, you get: .        The 6 most recent Premium Podcast episodes .        The Google Earth for Genealogy video series (7 videos) .        The Google: A Goldmine of Genealogy Gems video series (13 videos) .        The 2 part Hard Drive Organization video series As each new premium podcast episode is released the oldest drops off.  For now, all of the videos listed above remain - when I'm going to change some out I provide advance warning. So as you can see there's lot of video content waiting for you :-)        GEM: 1000Memories Interview with Michael Katchen, Director of Business Development at     CLOSING:   Here’s one more email from a listener. Kate in Ann Arbor Michigan took the time to write in and just make my day.  She says:   “Thanks for the updates to your podcast. Your app is wonderful. Each day I find new ways to enjoy your presentations. Now I can share your podcast by text. I can now easily share your podcast with my tech challenged friends. Your discussion with "ole Myrt about quilting will be sent to my sister-in-law who  is part of a large quilt group inLancaster Virginia. You inspire me with both genealogical info and your tech info.  Last week I was at an Apple store. The young geek saw my ipod touch and asked me my favorite app. Of course your app was the first mentioned. I think he was impressed. We  shared info on "DropBox". I learned about that from you.”

Published Sept 17, 2011 Everyone has a special name for grandparents in their family.  In ours we have Nanna, Grandma, and even Pat-Pat.  I look forward to the day my grandson Davy calls me Grandma.  While I wait, tell me the unusual terms of endearment used in your family for grandparents.  Email or leave a voice mail and be included on the show:  (925) 272-4021   Listen to the episode:   NEWS: FamilySearch has added millions of new records of both Confederate and Union soldiers who served in the American Civil War. Also now available for viewing are newly added notarial records from Canada, church records and civil registrations from Mexico, and records from England.  From the UK National Archives: The UK National Archives announced that findmypast.co.uk has just released 1 million , dating from 1918 to 1941.  at the UK National Archives website to help with your research into merchant seamen.   Apprenticeship recordsOver half a million have been added to the site.  They cover Scotland, England & Wales during the years 1710-1811. To learn more about apprenticeship records, check out the   Australian military recordsYou can now access the records of Australian soldiers who fought in the Great War free at the . If your relative was an Australian soldier, the Office of Australian War Graves at the offers free photographs of Australian solder’s graves. Our wonderful sponsor absolutely free.     What's New in Personal Historian 2 Creating a Shareable CD with RootsMagic If the webinars don’t fit your schedule they will be posting a recording of the class on their website at that you can watch at your convenience absolutely free!  And it stays free – it doesn’t disappear in a month.  I love that about the RootsMagic webinars!   Lisa’s Upcoming Speaking Engagements:  9/25/11 - Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento, CA 10/7 & 8/11 - Northern California Family History Expo, San Mateo, CA 10/21/11 - Waterloo Iowa Public Library Webinar 10/22/11 - Webinar for the Hayden Idaho Family History Center Fall Family History Seminar 10/29/11 - Victoria Genealogical Society Seminar, Victoria, British Columbia 11/11 & 12/11 - Georgia Family History Expo, Duluth, GA Feb 2 – 4, 2012 – RootsTech, Salt Lake City, UT   MAILBOX: As you’ll remember I had an interesting conversation with DearMYRTLE in Episode 117 about the abbreviation FL that showed up in podcast listener Dot’s family history research. She was wondering what it stood for, and DearMYRTLE was intrigued as well so she did a bit of investigation on it which we discussed in the show. Well several of you wrote in with your thoughts on the subject: Sean writes: “My first thought was that the abbreviation would stand for "found living" and it sort of makes sense based on the discussion.  Finding this abbreviation in research could provide an important clue to narrow down when and where a person lived.” And Dot chimed in with: “Rob and I do however think there is a time when it is handy for genealogists to use it. If you don’t have birth and death dates, we think that  instead of having nothing, fl. gives you dates  as a rough guide as to when the ancestor lived  and you can always extend the dates once more information is found.” Dave wrote in with a different take: “It does refer to someone’s “productive” time, but typically it refers the time that someone is known to have practiced their profession.   Usually, it is used when no biographical information exists…In genealogy, it is less likely that this kind of sourcing is useful, since the person is tied, biologically, to a time and place.  We know the age ranges for life events, so we can guess better. That said, it is very useful to be able to interpret information of this kind.” It’s always nice to hear when the gems I talk about here on the show sparkle in your own research.  Tina wrote in recently to share not one but two examples: “I just wanted to thank you for putting the idea into my head that Paula Sassi might be able to contribute something to my knowledge about a relative…  I gave her a bit of background to the handwriting I submitted and she came back with insights and suggestions in areas that I hadn't mentioned, but nonetheless knew or suspected - all astonishingly accurate.  I am just so grateful to her - and to you!” “And can I give you another thank you?  This is an old one, but still the most useful tip I think I have ever had: go back and look at original documents again, and again, and again.  Each time I do so, I seem to notice something I had missed the first few times, or now meant more because I had more information.  Invaluable.  Thank you!”   Thomas On Facebook asked about using children’s sidewalk chalk as a mediaum to read gravestones better. Lisa says: Tombstone rubbing is a touchy subject and there is no concensus on the matter.  Some people are against rubbing any substance on a tombstone because each one reduces the clarity of the stone. Certainly the chalk wouldn't harm it, but the application could.  Be  careful to check with the local authorities at the cemetery to get permission if you decide to go forward. My preference is to take multiple photograph and manipulate them with an editing program to alter the light, contrast and sharpeness which can often reveal what can't be seen with the naked eye. Watch the video I produced for Family Tree Magazine called  "Grave Transformation" iGoogle ChangesBeing the Genealogy Google Guru has some challenges.  It seems like as soon as I tell you about something Google is doing, or publish a tutorial video or article Google goes and changes everything.  Like the Google News Timeline which bit the dust recently. Well all iGoogle hasn’t been immune to that constant change and after some serious hair pulling Pam wrote in asking for help. She says: “My iGoogle page has changed in the last week. The whole left side is different but I can't remember what was there before.” Lisa answers: The only significant change I see is that "add stuff" link has been removed and now is an "add gadgets" button on the left above the tab names.  If you don't see your tabs it's because the are now retractable.  There is a little arrow that hides and reveals the tabs column.   GEM:  PERSI with Allison Stacy of Family Tree MagazineAs you know in addition to the Genealogy Gems Podcast I also produce and host the monthly for my friends at Family Tree Magazine.  In the September 2011 episode I recorded a segment with Allison Stacy the publisher of Family Tree Magazine about PERSI at Heritage Quest Online.  My guess is that you’ve heard of PERSI but maybe it’s been a long time since you checked it out or maybe you’ve never gotten around to searching this incredible database. It’s been ages for me, so I really enjoy chatting with Allison about it and it really reminded me what a goldmine it is.    GEM: Another Free Transcription Software ProgramA big hat tip to podcast listener Phil Rowly who wrote in to share a gem he spotted recently. Phil writes: “I keep a regular eye on some of the best sites covering freeware and I've recently noticed another piece of transcription software - with the advantage of being free - which is specifically aimed at transcribing data in tabular - rather then free-form - layout. The resulting data is then saved as a csv file, which can be imported into a wide range of standard programs for further analysis &c - eg Excel, Word, databases, etc.”     Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast, it was GenScriber is a desktop application, designed for transcribing genealogy documents from images of census registers, church/parish records etc. and was designed to be easy to use. No installation is required. Just unzip and run it. You can even run it from a pendisk.  There are versions for Linux and Windows, and it’s free for personal and non-commercial use    

Published Sept 6, 2011 Are you having a Picnic?  Problem In Chair Not In Computer! r - says Google  They had a recent failure but Google says it wasn’t the car it was a PICNIC! See the photos at Kiera posted on my Facebook wall after the webinar saying  “I listened to your Webinar on Google Tools today. I wanted to hit myself over the head for not having those tips sooner. I've put them to use today, and already, they're helping me immensely! A million thanks!!!!!!!!”   Book Lisa to Speak If your genealogy society doesn’t have the budget to fly out speakers in person, webinars are a fantastic alternative.  Find out more about .   NEWS: AppList for Hobbies has finally been released! We also had some exciting news around here recently.  Appadvice.com published their and named the Genealogy Gems Podcast app as a must have for family history. In other genealogy news, Ancestry made an interesting move recently.  They decided to put out a press release about the fact that the images and indexes to the 1940 U.S. Federal Census will be made free to search in the United States when it becomes available in mid-April 2012. Interestingly it was just before Archives.com made their big announcement that they are going to be addint the entire US Federal Census to their website.  I blogged about this at length in an article on my website called   It really is going to be interesting to see Archives approach to challenging the Big Fish, and Ancestry’s response to being challenged. Footnote.com has decided to focus primarily on military records, and they have a new name for it that reflects that.  Footenote.com will now be known as Fold3 which comes from the third fold in a traditional military flag folding ceremony.  Ancestry has also explanded their U.S. School Yearbook Collection    MAILBOX: I caught by surprise the other day when Ruth replied back to that email and she said: “I owe you a Thank You!  I have learned so much about Google in just the first 50 pages! Wow! Do to time constraints, most of my genealogical research is conducted online and Google is certainly my favorite search engine. You book is a fantastic guide to the Google universe!  P. S. I've been listening to The Genealogy Gems Podcast for a long time. Also a great help to my research!” Aisha wrote: “I grew up away from my extended family and my grandparents died before I got to know them. So, genealogy is helping me to connect and learn about my relatives. Thanks for the tips and gems.” To learn more about vital records check out my Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast series. focuses on the search process and specifically death records.  Maria asked “What should my next research step be? I've been googling his name, as well as searching on Ancestry.com. My MIL may have half-siblings, and a biological father who could still be alive somewhere! I would love to further my research...Any suggestions would be appreciated! I love your podcast!” In addition to standard genealogical searching methods, focus on unique identifiers about the man.  A name of one of the boyfriends siblings? His father's occupation? One of their neighbors? How far he lived from her? Something that can be used to narrow down the right man in the census. When things look the same on the surface, we need to find what is unique about them and follow that lead. Good luck Maria! Randy in Nebraska wrote in with a question just about everyone faces at some point. He says: "My questiion is: how do you cite information from someone else's work while they have great citations themselves?  How much should a person retrace sources when the information is 'published' on the internet or in family histories?” Published family histories are wonderful finds, and yet they can have errors or omissions. First I would spot check a number of the sources to see if they are verifiable and accurately recorded.  Ideally you would verify all of them, but realistically that is difficult to do with lengthy published works.  Also published and properly cited family histories are in a different category than a family tree published online, which can be notoriously inaccurate and not properly sourced.  It's very easy for errors to get picked up and added to an online family tree. I would recommend that you read the article Using Published Family Histories from the Mar-Apr 2002 issue of Ancestry magazine, And as for proper citations, the go-to book is Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian by Elizabeth Shown Mills. Ericson in California wrote to tell me that he’s been bit – hard! He writes: “Thank you for all the guidance and inspiration you have given me. In a matter of six months, I've caught-up listening to your Family History podcast, Family Tree Magazine podcast and the Genealogy Gems premium podcast. To date, I have cataloged 265 individual relatives. My parents think I've gone off the deep-end with this bug! Is there an easier way to understand and remember the degree/removal terminology, such as "first cousin twice removed"? When I reach-out and introduce myself to new relatives, they give me a blank look when I say these terminologies. It's gotten to the point where I would just say "distant relative" or "cousin", which seems overly simplified.” Check out the But in reality "distant cousin" makes the point and can be less aggravating for all concerned!   GEM: Should Your Genealogy Research Flourish?My good friend Dear MYRTLE joins me in this episode to discuss a listener's question about the abbreviation "fl" which stands for "flourish."  Check out with all the details on the history of the term and genealogy experts opinions on it's use in our research. Myrt also gives us the scoop on the Genea-Quilters 1812 Preserve the Pensions Quilt. "Our Genea-Quilters Group on FB has just agreed to support the Federation of Genealogical Society's 1812 Preserve the Pensions by doing a quilt. We're very excited about this project, and find it a wonderful way to support this wonderful digitization project. The records will always be free.     The        

Published August 20, 2011 This special episode of the Genealogy Gems Podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree held in June 2011 in Burbank, CA. My special guests are Allison Stacy, publisher of Family Tree Magazine, and Paula Sassi, Certified Graphologist.  Paula analyzed the handwriting of Allison's ancestor Amelia Essel.  Writing sample:   She also interpreted the handwriting of John Owen Dominis, the ancestor of our contest winner Heather Wilkinson Rojo.

Published August 6, 2011 In this episode you're going to learn the details that go into planning a trip to your ancestor's homeland. NEWS: called Monday Midwest Family history Expo posted on 8/1/11.  GEM: More Online Newspapers This week the Library of Congress updated Chronicling America to include newspapers from 3 new states added to the program in 2010 and additional coverage for 1836-1859. New Mexico, Tennessee and Vermont are now included with 22 other states and the District of Columbia in Chronicling America's almost 4 million pages of historic newspaper pages, published between 1836 and 1922.  So you can start searching at   Swedish Genealogical Society of Colorado is going to host the SwedGenTour 2011 September 17, 2011 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Aurora, Colorado.  You can register at the       Genealogy Gems Podcast App Users are getting a special bonus with this episode.  Swedish Researcher  Yvonne Hendrickson has graciously provided a a terrific pdf file called How to Find Your Swedish Roots.  GEM: Railway Records has partnered with the UK’s National Archives to launch the Railway Employment Records, 1833 – 1963, an online collection containing the employment-related records of British railway workers dating back to the invention of the locomotive in the early 19th century. The records date from 1833 and by the middle of the 20th century. FamilySearch recently announced that they have digitized historic records from eight countries and added them to FamilySearch.org.  In addition to 1.8 million new U.S. records, collections from seven other countries were added including Canada, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Mexico, Philippines, and Poland. Newspapers The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced on July 27, 2011 awards totaling $3.8 million to 13 institutions representing their states in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). These means there will be new digitized historic  newspapers coming to the free section of the Library of Congress website in mid-2012.     Your chance to help bring the 1812 records Indiana Genealogical Society - You can find out more about the .Thanks for a wonderful podcast and all your genealogy gems!  Visit Tina’s Blog: New Video Cast on YouTube on UK News at YouTube packed with over 50 family history related videos.  Nick Barratt and Laura Berry of Your Family History magazine out of the UK at . They have created a new YouTube video channel called appopriately enough . MAILBOX: RootsMagic questions so  I went right to the source Bruce Buzbee, founder of RootsMagic and he’s got the answers.  “Would I create a "land" fact in the entry for my great-grandfather, and just describe the land in it?  Thanks again for your terrific podcasts. I just started listening to the Family Tree podcasts, and am excited to start using the tips shared in those episodes as well.” Bruce recommends adding a "Property" fact type (which is one of the fact types built into RM and which is officially supported in GEDCOM).  You can use the date field to show the time period the land was owned, and can use the note to enter any description of the land. Then he recommends using the various documents as sources for that fact type. When you are adding a new source to RM, you can type "land" into the "Search for source type" field on the "Select Source Type" screen to filter the list of source types down to ones relating to land records. Kai has a question about image and source citations. "I've always attached source media to events/facts and now I'm wondering whether  there's any point in going through and removing every media item from the individual events/facts and instead attaching it to the relevant source. Since sharing events between people is so easy, I haven't seen much point in doing it before now.”  Bruce says there probably isn't a compelling reason right now to move existing images from events to sources or citations.  There may be in the future, but we would also work to make it easier to do that at that time.  Kai’s second question is “I'm wondering whether you record your negative research (i.e. searched particular resource, nothing found) within RM."  Bruce says "RootsMagic allows you to add facts (of any type... birth, marriage, death, etc) and set the "Proof" for that fact to "Disputed" or "Proven false".  It then draw that fact on screen with a redline through it. Second, when entering a source citation, you can enter the "Quality", which follows the BCG standard and allows you to set the "Evidence" to negative.  However, that doesn't mean the source is wrong.  It means that the source didn't contain the information you expected to find in it.” And finally Kate wrote in asking for help with migrating from Family Tree Maker to RootsMagic and found a right on the RootsMagic web site.  .  GEM: Preparing for a visit to the National Archives Here are Lisa’s tips for preparing for a research visit: 1.  National Archives in the UK video series called 2. Do a Google search by file type SEARCH:  National Archives Genealogy Research .ppt at the National Archives powerpoint presentation  3. Check out Lisa’s interviews with Margery Bell of the Family History Centers which are full of great ideas for preparing for a research trip, regardless of whether it is to the National Archives or the Family History Library.  episodes 17, 18 & 19  Genealogy has no borders! Keith in the UK sent me one of those recently through Google+.  He writes: “I've only just started listening to your podcasts, and think they're brilliant! I like the fact that you cover off places outside of the US as well, as its hard to find a good UK podcast. Keep up the great work” British Home children Follow up Bill wrote in recently to share his connection to a recent episode:  “I love your podcasts! Episode 111 featuring a gem on British Home Children touched my heart especially. My mother's father was one of the Britsh Home Children.”  During my stay with them in England, Mom's cousin said that she thought that my grandfather Richard Ing had come to Canada as one of the Barnardo Home children, mentioning that she and her husband knew some of the Bernardo family personally. I said that I had never heard of him coming out with Barnardo Homes. Much later, I discovered that she was right about him being one of the British Home Children!  You can read more from Bill about his Ing family at his genealogy blog at blog: GEM: How to Travel to Your Ancestor's Homeland Kathy Wurth About Family Tree Tours: Family Tree Tours provides research assistance to genealogy enthusiasts and ancestry trips to German-speaking countries. Whether a group heritage tour, private genealogy tour, or independent heritage trip, owner Kathy Wurth and on-the-ground German expert Matthias Uthoff provide you the opportunity to learn more about your family roots, to connect with family, and to learn about your ancestors before they made their emigration journey. With a passion for both genealogical research and travel, Kathy and Matthias work closely with you to ensure your family research trip is a success. “No family tree research is complete until you experience the place your family came from,” says Kathy Wurth, owner of Family Tree Tours. “There’s no feeling more exhilarating than walking the streets your ancestors walked. Even if you don’t know your hometown, our European Heritage professionals help you paint the picture of your ancestors’ lives. Our new website helps us make your research come alive.”

Published July 21, 2011 Git yer lasso and git ready for the Genealogy Records Roundup in this episode. Then I’ll show you how to improve your online security, introduce you to family history blogger Becky Jamison, and share my own person story of genealogical serendipity. Records Round Up The Library and Archives Canada has announced the launch of an updated version of its finding aid to locate electoral districts in its federal voters' lists collection from 1935 to 1980. This updated version provides for each of the 892 microfilm reels of the collection, the electoral year, the province, the exact name of the electoral district and the page numbers for each microfilm.  You can find it at The Library and Archives Canada also recently announced the release of a new version of the online database Lower Canada Land Petitions (1626-1865).    This version includes digitized images of the actual petitions for all individuals listed in the database. Corrections to entries, including suggestions received from users, have also been integrated into this updated version. You can find the database at .  has added Free Records for 10 Countries. And their U.S. collection additions include records from Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Collections covering several countries were updated.  Germany and Mexico church records were the two largest collections added.  You’ll also find 25 million new images of historic records for 16 countries including records for Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, England, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Wales AND over 8 million civil registration records for the Netherlands.   The 1930 U.S. Census indexing project is also coming to a completion.  They will now start some new U.S. projects that you might want to consider helping out with as a volunteer. They have plans to building a nationwide marriage index. There are several projects already underway, and many new marriage projects are coming. They have started a Civil War era initiative that will include record collections expanding before and after the Civil War, which should come in very handy.  Archives.com.  While they are newcomers to the genealogy records field, they are getting new records out there as well.    Archives.com recently announce that there are 17 million new U.S. vital and military records available on Archives.com! These new birth, death, marriage, and military records make up 30 unique collections. Here is a quick summary of the new records: Military Personnel Records - including personnel records from the Vietnam War and Gulf War eras. They boast nearly 16 million in all, and say that these records cover individuals who served in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and National Guard.   In the Vital Records category they have added Texas Birth, Death, and Marriage Records - dating anywhere from 1800 to 2011 and cover the following counties: Fort Bend, El Paso, Cooke, Montgomery, Tarrant, Burnet, Hood, Denton, and Kaufman. There are 1.4 million new Texas records in total. They have also added Colorado Marriage and Death Records from Delta County, located in the western part of the state. Over nine thousand new records have been added. South Carolina Marriage Records - a collection of four thousand early South Carolina marriages covers years 1641 to 1799.    Future U.S. Records: 1940 Census Here in the U.S. we are already talking about records that aren’t due for another year.  Yep, we’re talking the 1940 US Population Census Schedules. It’s still more than 9 months away, but in the time it takes to bring a new descendant into the world the National Archives will be delivering the 1940 US Population Schedules to the public. And there are a couple of guys who have been on the forefront of this event, none other than Steve Morse and Joel Weintraub.  And Joel has been my special guest on a past Premium episode.  Of course we are all chomping at the bit to dig into the 1940 census even though there won’t be an index when it’s first released. However, the guys have put out a press release about what you can do to get ready to search, so let me give you the scoop here: It says: “It will not be name indexed, so it will be necessary to do an address search in order to find families.  Address searching involves knowing the ED (enumeration district) in which the address is located..   The National Archives (NARA)  earlier this year indicated they had plans to make available in 2011 the 1940  ED maps of cities and counties, and ED descriptions,  but their recent move to consider having a 3rd party host all the images may have appreciably set back this timetable. The only website that currently has location tools for the 1940 census is the Steve Morse One Step site ().  There are several such tools there, and it could be overwhelming to figure out which tool to use when.  There is a tutorial that attempts to clarify it () and an extensive FAQ ().  We are announcing the opening of another educational utility to help people learn about the different 1940  locational search tools on the One Step site, and information about the 1940 census itself.  It is in the form of a quiz, and should help many, many genealogists quickly learn how to search an unindexed census by location.  The new utility is and is called ".  Not only is it informative, we hope it is entertaining.” 1940 Census Training is Now Online But there’s still another way to prep for the big release, and that is to learn more about the 1940 enumeration process and the national Archives has released four short videos created by the US Census Bureau prior to 1940 that were used to train enumerators on their general duties and responsibilities, as well as the correct procedures for filling out the 1940 census.   at the national Archives channel at YouTube.    Newspapers   The British Library is one year into its plan to digitize 40 million news pages from its vast 750 million collection, housed in Colindale, north London. According to their recent press release, this Fall, the library will reinvent its cavernous vaults as a website, where amateur genealogists and eager historians will be able to browse 19th-century newsprint from their home computer.”  Also recently announced by The British Library in conjunction with Google is their partnership to digitize 250,000 out-of-copyright books from the Library’s collections.    Once digitized, the collection will be available for full text search, download and reading through Google Books, as well as being searchable through the Library’s website and stored in within the Library’s digital archive.  Selected by the British Library and digitized by Google, both organizations will work in partnership over the coming years to deliver this content free through and the British Library’s website (www.bl.uk). Google will cover all digitization costs. The project will digitize a huge range of printed books, pamphlets and periodicals covering a large time span - 1700 to 1870. It will include material in a variety of major European languages, and they will be particularly focusing on books that are not yet freely available in digital form online. Deceased Online website is sporting some new records: 313,000 records for Edinburgh’s Seafield Cemetery and Crematorium and for Warriston Crematorium. Also, by early August www.deceasedonline.com will have added another 1.25 million burial and cremation records from the north of Scotland to South Devon.  MAILBOX GEM:  Citing SourcesSean writes:  “One strategy that I have recently begun when posting data to my genealogy blog is to include footnotes and reference lists showing what sources were used to find the data.  This isn't a difficult task at all, since all of the data and the source citations are in my local RootsMagic database.  So, all I need to do is to copy/paste the source information when I paste the data into a blog post.  An example of this strategy is in my about our Curtis line that I posted. If more genealogy research blogs listed their sources with the data, we would all benefit from the shared research even more.”  GEM: Supporting this Free PodcastRichard in California wrote in to ask if the new so-called Amazon Law is impacting Genealogy Gems. Good news: You can still support the free podcast by clicking our Amazon icons and links GEM: Getting off Spooky Spokeo In this gem I’m going to explain how to get off Spooky Spokeo   You remember earlier this year that I told you about a new website called Spokeo, a people search engine that organizes vast quantities of white-pages listings, social information, and other people-related data from a large variety of public sources. They say that their mission is to help people find and connect with others, more easily than ever.  And that they certainly do.  In fact I remember calling the site a bit spooky they way it so readily gave not only information but photos and all kinds of their data on people that you search.   But of course, that makes it a go to site when it comes to finding long lost relatives.   Della wrote in about her experience with Spokeo and a few questions about online security. She writes:   “I do not want my name and all my personal information showing up on any site where someone has evidently gathered the information from the public domain and is offering it to the public either for free or for a charge…How do I opt out of my name even appearing on this site?”   It is no wonder that identity theft occurs and that the occurrence is rising. Della is obviously concerned about her privacy and in this technological age, managing our online presence has become an issue that all of use should keep in mind.    In reality it’s not really that Spokeo is reaching into areas that were previously forbidden.  Here in the U.S. we have always had public information.  I think the real difference is that the Internet offers information vendors a hugely accelerated method for delivering that information.  It used to have to be compiled in books and updated at a very slow pace.  Or even more difficult you had to make a personal trip to the location where the information was held, and of course back in the day, few people would have ever bothered.  But the information has always been available.    The one exception that comes to mind is Facebook, Google+, Twitter and other social media websites.  These didn’t exist in the past, however, the only reason personal information, photos or what have you are there, is because WE put it there.   And putting info out there isn’t necessarily bad.  It’s just that with that freedom comes responsibility to manage and protect it appropriately.  Tweaking the security settings can make a huge difference in what’s available publicly.  And the new Google+ seems to really have made that quite a bit easier.  Facebook could learn a few lessons about making it easier for folks to manage their security.  The features are there, but it can take a bit of digging to find them and change them.   But let’s get back to Spokeo.  I 100% agree that if you don’t want all your data so easily searched on the site, there should be a way to manage that, and I’ve done a bit of research on this and you can.   To request that Public Information about You be removed from Spokeo.com people searches, you’ll need to use their “Remove A Listing” tool at .  This page also contains information about sending written requests for removal.  This process is only intended to remove information available through Spokeo.com and cannot remove the information from the third-party public sources, such as phone books, and government websites.  And as I said, information is public from a wide range of sources and it’s computer databases and Internet search and delivery that makes it seem like there’s so much more than there used to be.  In that respect Spokeo is the messenger.  Julie also wrote in about Spokeo to say “Yes, that is spooky-o, because I found myself, address, and even a Google earth picture of where I live, and I'm a survivor of domestic violence still unable to escape my ex-husband after 30 years of divorce.” And Julie’s concern is totally understandable!  These types of sites are a double edged sword to be sure, and the emphasize the fact that information has always been public - it's just now they make finding it much easier. To learn more about Spokeo’s privacy policy visit their . You can also contact the folks at Spokeo, which is located in Pasadena, CA through their TIP:  If you have a camera with a GPS setting then your photos have geographic location tags attached to them. When you post those photos online, strangers will not only see your photo but they will also see exactly where you were at the time you took the photo.  This is especially important to remember if you are posting photos you took at home on Facebook or other sites.  Check your camera instruction manual for information on how to turn off that feature when it’s not needed, and you’ll have taken an important step toward taking responsibility for your online presence.  GEM:  Interview with Genealogy Blogger Becky Jamison GEM: Winthrop Cookbook App Users Bonus Content:  Whip up a batch of sour cream cookies yourself with the recipe PDF download!

Published July 4, 2011 In this episode you'll pick up tips for family history writing success from John Paul Godges, the author of Oh, Beautiful, An American Family in the 20th Century.   Jamboree   Genealogy Gems Podcast LIVE! featured Allison Stacy, publisher of Family Tree Magazine and Handwriting Expert Paula Sassi   Click the “Like” button on the   Genealogy Gems Facebook Fan Heather Wilkinson Rojo’s letter dated May 11, 1887 written by her first cousin 4 times removed John Owen Dominis was featured.  What a fascinating story that turned out to be.  The Live podcast is coming soon!   where Denise Levenick did a nice write up of the Live Genealogy Gems Podcast.   from Jamboree     Colorado Family History Expo Bev wrote me after the Colorado conference to say... “Thank you so much for your help in getting this up and running for me.  I went to all of your classes on Saturday at the Colorado Expo and I learned so much from you and enjoyed your very upbeat and enthusiastic demeanor.  I love your book on the Google Toolbox.  I had no idea that Google had so much to offer.  And you made it so simple to understand for someone who is somewhat knowledgeable about computers like me.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I can't wait to see your next book.”    Ruby Coleman’s at her Genealogy Lines Blog.  Thanks Ruby!   MidWest Family History Expo In Overland Park Kansas July 29 & 30, 2011   San Mateo County Event Center Oct 7 & 8, 2011   November 11 & 12, 2011    New Television Programme: Find My Past on the UK's Yesterday Channel UKTV has signed a deal with Brightsolid, the company that owns Find My Past and Genes Reunited, to launch a new 10-part one-hour series called Find My Past. Each week the show will use the findmypast.co.uk website to focus on a famous moment – such as Dunkirk or the Jack the Ripper attacks – to connect "three seemingly unrelated members of the public."     Genealogy Gems named one of the 101 Best Websites   The website has been named one of our annual 101 best family history websites in the September 2011 issue of Family Tree Magazine.       MAILBOX: New listener Barbara from Sydney Australia “I just wanted to thank you for your genealogy gems pod cast.  I discovered it recently and downloaded all the episodes so I can listen to them on my commute to work on the train.  It is the best ½ hour, each way, of my day and this morning I had to drive to work and really missed listening to you!  Only 2 weekends ago I had an email from a cousin in California I knew nothing about, and she was able to give me some clues that meant I was able to find my (I should say our) family in Ireland.   I think that making that connection has been the most fantastic thing about researching my family history so far.  My mum always said we had family in the US, but I never knew who they were.  Now I have a cousin there.  How fantastic! Thanks again for your pod cast, It’s really fun to listen to, and I thought you might like to know how far you have traveled.”   Ancestry Thoughts Carol wrote in to share her thoughts on Ancestry and other genealogists she’s attempted to contact for collaboration:   “Almost everyone I have contacted has chosen not to respond – either their email bounces or there’s just silence.  This ‘silence’ is so prevalent in my genealogical inquiries (historical societies, message boards, surname websites, etc) that I have to wonder if genealogy is a collaborative sport at all.   Carol also shares her Ancestry wish list: “Here’s what I want from Ancestry (besides better indexing):   - I want members to populate their public trees with accurate info (tall order, I know). - If they’re using Ancestry as a whiteboard, then make it a private tree. - I don’t want Ancestry deciding what’s correct info and what isn’t.  - And I would like the courtesy of a reply when I attempt to make contact or to correct wrong information.   Thanks, Lisa, for providing tips and techniques to the genealogical podcast community – keep up the good work!"   Marilyn also wrote in with a common question of folks new to family history about Ancestry and Family Tree Maker.   Just Do It Roger emailed recently about how timely was: “The Christmas gift was still given but how grateful we are for the precious moments we shared. You never know – do it while you have time. So, thanks again for another great podcast and for all you do.”     GEM: Interview with the author of Oh Beautiful! John Godges   John’s Three Point Process for Writing About Family History:   Outline: Start with a hypothesis providing a focused theme and starting point.  Including and excluding info. John carefully selected his chapter titles because they are what guided him in his writing.   Talking: Having a talkative family is helpful, but even if your family is low-key, strive to help them feel comfortable to share.   Questions – Asking the write questions goes a long way to helping relatives open up.  John emphasized 3 questions about “reflection”:   1) When in your life was it most difficult for you to be true to yourself?   2) Was there any particular group or role model that had a particularly important influence on your life?   3) When in your life did you most feel connected to something larger than yourself?   Read Oh Beautiful, An American Family in the 20th Century by John Paul Godges   If you decided to buy a copy of this compelling book, I sure appreciate it if you do so through by clicking this Barnes & Noble image to get to their website to make your purchase.    (As you may have recently heard, Amazon has cancelled California resident affiliates, which unfortunately has affected Genealogy Gems.  Thanks for your continued support of the free podcast through our other fine online shops like Barnes & Noble.)     Lisa on the Genealogy Guys Podcast Check out the Genealogy Guys podcast and    

Published June 20, 2011 Get ready to be inspired while you listen to kids embracing their family history at the Kid's Camp lead by Charlotte Bocage.  In this episode you'll hear from the instructors, kids, parents and grandparents that all shared a very special day exploring the joy of genealogy. Genealogy Gems Podcast App users can also check out Bonus Content:  Genealogy Blogger Elyse Doerflinger of shares with the kids her favorite place to go digging for records Get the Get the

Published May 28, 2011 This week we did a 90 minute and the response has been fantastic.   I’ve had so many emails from those of you who attended, and I can just read the excitement in your words.   After the Google Search Tips and Tricks webinar Penny wrote: "Loved your last webinar for RootsMagic.  I had the reputation for being pretty sharp with Google searching, but you leave me in the dust."   And Eileen wrote: "Fantastic webinar! I can't wait to try it out!"   And after the Google Earth for Genealogy webinar Valerie wrote in saying : "Great show, learned a lot!!! Cant wait to get started  with Google Earth!!! Ordered your 2 disks right after the webinar!!!"   Mary says "Your Google Earth webinar this evening was golden!  Thank you for giving so much to the genealogy community."   Kim wrote: "GREAT Webinar....learned so much.....I'll never get any rest, tonight! Thanks Lisa!"   to view recordings of the webinars     NEWS: features an interview with Richard Gray   just added 175,000 Northamptonshire burial and cremation records to their website and they should be available online by early July. The first data release comprises burial records for seven towns in the English East Midlands area of north/northeast Northamptonshire: Broughton, Burton Latimer, Cransley, Desborough, Pytchley, Rothwell and Rushden. In all, there are approximately 24,000 records in the first batch of data, dating back to 1888, the largest of which is Rushden. The data comprises register scans and grave details for all 24,000 burials. Photos of all memorials in Broughton, Cransley and Pytchley cemeteries are also included and there are some photos for memorials in other cemeteries.   The remaining 151,000 records are from Kettering's two cemeteries, London Rd and Rothwell Rd, and the town's Crematorium which serves a large area stretching across much of north Northamptonshire and into the neighbouring west Cambridgeshire and south Leicestershire. These are expected to be added to the Deceased Online database in early July so put it on your calendar to check back on the website then.   just Completee the 1930 Mexico Census and have announced it is Now Available Online for Free! These are part of a total of  59 collections that were updated in this release, comprising 25 million new images and records for 19 U.S. states and 16 countries.  You can search all of these updated collections now for free at http://www. .   Updated Genealogy Gems App The Genealogy Gems Podcast app has been updated and is now iPad compatible, in addition to other improvements.           Google has abandoned their master-plan to archive the world's newspapers Google announced this month that they have notified their partners in their News Archive project that they would stop accepting, scanning, and indexing microfilm and other archival material from newspapers, and was instead focusing its energies on "newer projects that help the industry, such as , a platform that enables publishers to sell content and subscriptions directly from their own sites."   Thanksfully, Google did say in a press release email that it would continue to support the existing archives it has scanned and indexed. It added, "We do not, however, plan to introduce any further features or functionality to the digitized news product."  So it’s not going away, it’s just not going to grow or be officially supported.   What we don’t know is whether Google will finish indexing the newspapers it has already scanned. I hope so, but many folks out there aren’t very optimistic about it...We may still see this content pop up in other places, and I will keep my eyes and ears open for that and let you know when I know more.  Seems like a GREAT opportunity for sites like Ancestry or Genealogy bank to step in don’t you think?     MAILBOX: As we approach the memorial day holiday, Brandt from Washington wrote in with a question about Military Records.  He writes: "I recently found this Civil War pension application index record for one of my ancestors, Alexander B. Shute (and he sent me the card which you can see in the show notes). The index references two applications for pensions, one for an invalid, and one for his widow. Do you know how I could go about finding these applications? I'm very interested in seeing what they can tell me about Alexander. Thanks for the fantastic podcast, and keep the gems coming!"   Diana Chrisman Smith, an instructor for Family Tree University provides an answer:   "For Civil War veterans, the invalid file for the veteran and the widow's file are filed together at the National Archives (NARA) in Washington, DC.  If there was a file for a minor child, it would also end up in the same file.    There is a project underway in partnership between NARA, Footnote and FamilySearch to index and digitize all of the Civil War widow's pension files --- however, at this time they are only about 2% complete.   The index card for your Alexander Shute indicates that he did receive the requested invalid pension and his widow received her requested pension (there are both application and certificate numbers for both).  These application files should indeed show you information about Alexander.  However, this widow's pension file is not among those yet completed when I checked.    For those who ARE digitized in this project, the images of the complete file are available online at Footnote.com, by searching for the widow's name, the veteran's name, or the widow's certificate (WC) number.    For those who are NOT yet completed in this project, the next option is to request the file directly from the National Archives (NARA).  This may be done in one of three ways:   1. Visit the National Archives in Washington, DC, where the originals are located and view the file, making whatever copies you wish personally - this is the least expensive option if it is in your "neighborhood," since you may be selective about which pages you may wish to copy.   2. Visit  and obtain Form NATF-85 to request the document copies by mail.  The instructions indicate the price for the file (currently $75.00 fo the full file, up to 100 pages + $.65 for additional pages).     3.  Complete and submit the form NATF-85 online (same prices apply, but service is faster).    As the digitization project progresses, more files will be available online, making access easier - for now, NARA is about the only game in town for most pension files.   Note that this information is for UNION veteran files.  The access for Confederate files is different, and the subject for another day."   If you are interested in learning more about Military Records you can join one of Diana’s upcoming classes at Family Tree University:     Barbara writes in about how to find proof.  She writes: "I recently found a record for my gggrandmother at the St. John’s Almshouse.  The age is only a couple years off.  How can I verify that this record is indeed for her.  Even on my other side, the cemetery stone of my ggreatmother has the wrong date of death.  What alternatives do I have to prove this, other than hiring a professional genealogist?"   Lisa recommends: 1) Do some searching in the to see if you can find any articles that give you more insight into poorhouse records and the St. John's Almshouse records specifically.  2) Try contacting a reference librarian at a leading repository and posing a few specific questions to see if they can set you in the right direction.  I would recommend the National Archives UK and the in Salt Lake City.  The latter you can contact by email.  But strive to be specific with you question and provide a digital copy of the records involved if possible.     GEM: Roger Kershaw on Britain's Home Children Not long ago I got an email from Michelle who had a suggestion for a podcast gem.  A segment on British Home Children.  While I had heard that term before, I hadn’t come face to face with it in my own research.  Michelle explained in her email that these children were orphans or impoverished youth who were shipped to Canada from Great Britain through philanthropic agencies between 1869 and the 1930's. Michelle said he has an uncle whose grandmother and some of her siblings were British Home Children and she would be interested in learning more about them.    In this episode you’ll hear an interview with Roger Kershaw who joined the National Archives in the UK in 1986 and is now the head of Military, Maritime, and Family records for the Advice and Records Knowledge Department.    Canada designated 2010 as the year of the British Home Child and the journal spotlighted the subject with an article in each edition. The Journal is very well done, and these articles are particularly excellent as they shed so much light on this important part of history.   Get in touch with the Alberta Genealogical Society at      

Published May 17, 2011 In this episode we cover little white lies told at the turn-of=-the-century about divorce, and The Photo Detective Maureen Taylor joins us from Who Do You Think You Are? Live in London.   "Like" the     NEWS:    National Archives EStore Opens Online Click the Bargain Vault link in the menu    The National Archives UK 9 June 2011, they will be taking part in #AskArchivists Day along with other archives from around the world. #AskArchivists on      A new service helps you synchronize between your computer desktop family tree database programs and some of the popular online family tree websites.     Ancestry.com Example of WebSearch:  .       MAILBOX: includes the webinar recording of Getting the Scoop on Your Ancestors From Old Newspapers   Google Search Tips and Tricks        Upcoming webinar   If you would like to talk to Lisa about possibly doing a webinar for your group, email Lisa’s Seminars and Webinars at Genealogy Gems   Juliana asks about PAF and records from Brazil . Search the FamilySearch Wiki on brazil research.    Elizabeth has a question about turn of the century divorces:  “I have found a handful of couples that around the turn of the century that had separated or divorced, but one or both of the people told the census taker they were "widowed".   Until I realized this was happening I simply took the "widowed" at face value and moved on. Are there resources you might suggest for finding divorce information around the turn of the last century?”   by the Department of Commerce and Labor Bureau of the Census from 1909.  This is an incredibly comprehensive book covering marriage and divorce statstics for not only the U.S. but around the world.    On page 50 the report comes right out and states:   “It should be remembered, however, that in th eUnit3ed States the number of divorced persons reported by the general census of population is grossly deficient, because many persons who are divorced, being sensitive in regard to the fact, report themselves as single or widowed.”    Search “Divorce” in the       GEM:  The Photo Detective at WDYTYA in London Interview with Maureen and some of the folks waiting in line   Websites mentioned in this episode: Photos through the Ages using ) free signup     Lisa’s upcoming appearances: The June 9-11, 2011 teaching classes and presenting the Genealogy Gems Podcast Live!   June 24 & 25, 2011.   in Overland Park, Kansas on July 29 & 30, 2011    

Published April 30, 2011 In this episode listeners chime in on Ancestry online trees, Lisa shares an inspiring story, and talks with Mike Litterst of the National Parks Service about the Civil War 150th Anniversary web site.   NEWS:   FamilySearch Over at , with their most recent additions to the website they are now up to 600 free    Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree App iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad: you get the app from the iTunes app store by searching for "genealogy" or 'jamboree" or point your iPhone's mobile browser to All other phones like the Android, and BlackBerry: point your mobile browser to The for Android is now also available in the Amazon App Store.   Jamboree Webinar Extension Series These are a great way to get to not only preview what’s coming at Jambopree, but also you get to  participate in some of the great presentations that happen at Jamboree even if you can’t make it there in person this year   RootsMagic Upcoming Free Webinars Tuesday, May 24, 2011 5pm Pacific / 6pm MDT / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern   Watch the recording of Google Search Tips and Tricks with Lisa Louise Cooke     by an unnamed Daily Mail reporter published on April 13, 2011    Learn more about the Great War in Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode 67 The Western Front Association at the Who Do You think You Are? Live conference 2011 in London       MAILBOX:   Many listeners write in about Ancestry online trees.   Pam and Roxanne comment on the fact that the women in Steve Buscemi’s family tree on an episode of WDYTYA? were listed with their married names and not their maiden names.   "Thank you Lisa for all these wonderful podcasts, they are a highlight to my week and I always look forward to them.' Roxanne, Vancouver BC And finally, I always LOVE to hear when someone out there discovers the podcast, and Karen in Vermont did recently and wrote in: "A few weeks ago I was delighted to find your two podcasts: Family History and Genealogy Gems.  I am a self-taught family historian who has been working on the genealogy of my husband and myself for the past several years.  I wish I had found your podcasts when they first came out.  They would have undoubtedly made my job much easier!…Thank you so much for your podcasts and I can't wait to work my way through them all to see what other discoveries I can make!"     GEM:  Interview with Mike Litterst of the National Parks Service         NEWSLETTER: Sign up for the free and receive the free ebook – 5 Fabulous Google Search Strategies for the Family Historian.     

Published April 8, 2011 In this episode we cover Census Records Tips and Tricks.   MAILBOX:   "Keep coming up with these gems, you never know where they may lead!" from Angela who asks about Date Discrepanies and Lookalikes  “All of her life my grandmother was sure that she hadn't been told the whole truth about her birth.”   Garry in British Columbia wrote in about A Gem Found in the    Letitia in Ashford, England writes “Picnic: Problem In Chair Not In Computer!”    Phyllis from Porland OR is a new blogger and has a question about the "First I want you to know how much I enjoy your podcasts.  I really appreciate all the hard work you put into getting information to us about how to successfully trace our family roots and for encouraging us to start a blog.    I started my blog last October.  The site name is and once word got out about the site, family members that I never knew I had contacted me to give me information about our ancestors.  I was even able to find a relative of my great grandmother and my great grandfather in Pescasseroli, Italy and have begun corresponding with them!  So exciting."   APP TIP:  If your iPhone or Android Genealogy Gems Podcast app is acting up check for app and phone updates        In each episode we usually upload a few extra bonus goodies.  With the last episode I included a video version of my interview with Dick Eastman, and I often include photos and other documents, and those are unique to the apps, so be sure and click on Bonus or Extras once you’ve selected a particular episode.   Sean writes in about Citing Wikipedia Sources in your family history research Sean recommends using the text "Permanent Link."  Read more about it at the Finding the Flock Blog   Ken in Washington DC has a beef with Ancestry "First, thank you for the time and effort in putting together your podcasts.  I walk several miles to work each day and find the podcasts a wonderful way to pass the time.  I started with all of your archived episodes when I found the series early last year, finished those up last summer, and now eagerly await each new one."   Tammy in Oklahoma asks about old WAC Broadcasts "I'm a long time listener and happy to say that I am now a Premium Member as well!" I was recently transcribing letters that my grandmother sent home while she served as a WAC in London and Paris during WWII.  Her name was Louise Liberty Osborne.  She was quite a character.   One of the last letters I was working on mentioned that she appeared on the National Broadcast of the U.S. Army Hour which was on Sundays from 12 to 1:30.  The letter is dated May 14, 1944.  Do you know if recordings of these broadcasts still exist?  that specializes in old radio logs Set up some Google Alerts ("army hour" + 1944 for example) and Ebay Favorite Searches.  There are also several Old Time Radio podcasts in iTunes    Susan writes: I love listening to your podcasts. You have so many great ideas for family research. I learn something new with every broadcast.  I was wondering if you or any of your listeners have had any luck in finding family records at a church in Germany.  Lisa's Suggestions: The best way to start is with familysearch.org.  Look up Osnabruck in the online.  Under the location you'll find a large number of record collections.  Click on Church records and follow the links to the records you need.  You can then order the microfilm from your local Family History Center (or if the records have been digitized and are online that should be indicated on the page) and view them at the center.  If you're new to using Family History Centers I've done several podcast episodes in my podcast on them and how to use their records. The is also a tremendous online free resource to learn more about doing German research and answer questions that pop up along the way.   GEM: Census Tips and Tricks Lisa interviews Jason Harrison of Familysearch  

Published March 25, 2010   Dick Eastman joins Lisa in this episode to discuss Cloud Computing.   Season 2 of the is coming this March 28, 2011   featuring interviews with many of the experts who attended the RootsTech conference.    Curt Witcher's visionary look at "."      Brian Pugh of FamilySearch called       Big Thank Yous To: Le Maison Duchamp    The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox Book Reviews: Available at the Genealogy Gems Store at Lulu press:   Craig Manson of the GeneaBlogie blog   Ian Hadden at Ian Hadden’s Family History   1911 Scotland Census     MAILBOX:   Jennifer in CA wrote in about how much she enjoyed the about Evernote. Brandt asked a question about Fraternal Organizations:  From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967 by David T. Beito a professor of history at the   GEM: Interview with Dick Eastman on Cloud Computing    

Published March 8, 2011 Who Do You Think You Are? Live in London was fantastic!  I can't wait to tell you all about it in this episode!  Like the Genealogy Gems Podcast on Facebook Above: The gates at Hinchingbrooke House forged by Harry Cooke GEM: Create your own Family Reference Library and Catalogue with Jan Gow Recorded at the RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City Resources mentioned in the interview: Hooked on Genealogy Tours PO Box 25-025 Auckland 1130 New Zealand Phone:  64 9 521 1518 Beehive Books Jan Gow has been a genealogist, tutor, author and lecturer at local, national and international levels (and cruise ships) since 1985. Service includes the APG Board and the New Zealand Society of Genealogists as treasurer and president. Owner of Beehive Books (since 1987) and Hooked on Genealogy Tours (since 1992) – each year preparing and escorting genealogists to Salt Lake City and the UK. Awarded the AFFHO (Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations) Award for Meritorious Service to Family History in 2006 

Published Feb 8, 2011  In this episode Lisa chats with Josh Taylor of NEHGS about genealogy, technology and the future. Tips for Getting the Most from a Conference 1. Sit up front 2. Introduce themselves to the people sitting next to them 3. Attend classes that wouldn’t normally attend.  Try new topics, and let the presenters really lay out the topic and see how it might apply to their own research. Genealogy’s Star Blog article:   Unveiled their new website which features Illinois Resources for Genealogy Researchers The U.S. National Archives Records Administration new Online Public Access prototype    So try it out at   send your comments and feedback to . NARA’s first mobile app: “Today’s Document.”   Tutorial video on how to use the new Today’s Document application: The Today’s Document is absolutely free and you can get it at the Android marketplace and the Apple iTunes Store.  The Library and Archives Canada recently announced that within the next seven years, they will put most of its services online.  Ancestry.com has decided to disconnect their Expert Connect Service as of March 18, 2011 Jenna wrote in saying that the recent episodes of the Genealogy Gems podcast weren’t showing up on her Genealogy Gems .  If this happens to you it may be because a more current version of the app has been released.  Simply check for the app update on your mobile device, download it and you’ll be up and running again as Jenna did.  Get the Genealogy Gems Android app at the Android Marketplace, or the in the iTunes store.     MAILBOX:  Bill Buchanan and Kim Fillmore wrote in about some great genealogy gems they found on   Update: The toolbar has been discontinued.   GEM: Interview with Josh Taylor of the TV series Who Do You Think You Are?    New Blog Series Check out Lisa’s guests post on the Genealogy Insider blog    

Lisa's New Book is Here!   Genealogy Blog:     Lisa's Upcoming Appearances:   All day seminar on Google at the in Southern California conference Feb 10-12 in Salt Lake City to speak on Google Search Strategies   Tips to Avoid Disappearing emails First go to your spam folder and select the emails you want and then click the Not Spam button – it may be called something else in your email, but most services have one.  Create a Contact In your email system for the sender of the email.  So for my newsletter, you would just  add ur  as a contact.   GEM: Interview with Kory Meyerink 50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites   GEM:  Interview with Chris Bair (with thanks to Chris Bair for sharing)

Published Jan 5, 2011 NEWS: 1916 Candian census of the Prairie Provinces at the Library and Archives Canada You can access the digitized images of the 1916 census online in two different ways: by Province, District Name, District Number, and Sub-district Number. Using the ," you can browse the microfilm reels page by page.   New Video on the Civil War from NARA Inside the Vaults: Discover the Civil War In this video just under 4 minutes the creators of NARA’s Discovering the Civil War exhibition  share little-known facts and extraordinary discoveries found in the fantastic Civil War holdings at the National Archives.   For more information on the  Discovering the Civil War exhibition, head on over to .   BBC iPlayer To Go International Now if you’re like me, and you live outside of Great Britain,  at some point you probably popped in on the BBC website to check out the British version of the TV series Who Do You Think You Are? Only to discover that the video is shown on the BBC iPlayer and it’s blocked to international visitors to the site.  The scoop is that the BBC plans to offer overseas access to the BBC iPlayer.  However, it’s not going to be free.   on the BBC iPlayer for iPad So for now, stay tuned.   On the blogging front A.C. Ivory announced right after the new year that he has launched a new version of his   Google Gadgets Update   Cemetery Justice Search Tip:  When it comes to newspapers, Webpage addresses change a lot. In cases like this where you have some of the original text, just type a sentence or two exactly as it appeared in the article.  Or how it appears in the snippet that came with the search result where the link is now bad.  In this case I just typed a sentence or two exactly as kathy quoted it to me in the email and the new webpage for the article was the first item in the search results list.  That’s little gem that works nearly every time.   Mailbox: New Genealogy Blogger Cynthia DeBock   Check out her first post entitled   It's always fun to hear how folks got bit by the genealogy bug.     Jen Alford writes: I just wanted to thank you for the great how-to videos that you did for the family history wreath.  I made one for my mom for Christmas this year and I can't wait to see her reaction!  I've also started a genealogy blog http://jen-gen.blogspot.com and have been enjoying the responses from the family that read it.  Thanks for all the inspiration!  I'm a premium member and love all the extras you have on there.  Keep up the good work! It doesn’t get much nicer than that!  Thanks Jen!   GEM: The New Google EBooks is now available in the U.S. from a new . You can browse and search through the largest ebooks collection in the world with more than three million titles including hundreds of thousands for sale. VIDEO: Introducing Google eBooks   But even if you aren’t interested in buying ebooks don’t overlook Google eBooks.   Try this: Go to google.com/ebooks Search on the word Genealogy, In the upper left corner under price click the Free Only Link. Try searches on topics of interest to you and you’ll probably be surprised at what you find.  And since this is just getting off the ground, you will definitely want to check back periodically to see what’s been added.   APP USERS: Check out the Bonus Content PDF for 2 more Google Books Search Strategies!   GEM:  The New Google Earth 6 To download the new version just go to    The big difference you will notice is that Street View has changed. Instead of finding it in the Layers Panel, you will now find a person icon, or what’s referred to as the Pegman, in the upper right corner by the navigation tools. Zoom in, click and drag the Pegman icon on to the area where you want to see Street View and after a second or two thick blue lines will  pop up if street View is available in that area.  Just drop the icon and you’ll immediately be flown in to street view.  I guess the pegman icon is to represent that the view will be from a person’s perspective, at street level.   Another big difference is that street view is more stream lined. Rather than clicking from one camera icon to the next to move around, simply use the arrow keys on your keyboard to travel around, and as you do the view continues to update automatically. The idea here is that it’s doing it’s best to simulate the walking around the street experience.  And as before you can swing the map around for a complete 360 degree view, as well as look up and down. VIDEO - Learn Google Earth:Street View  Easy-to-use historical imageryIn the new 6.0 version, they’ve made it easier to find historical imagery. When you fly to an area where historical imagery is available, the date of the oldest imagery will appear in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. If you click on this date, you’ll instantly be taken back in time to view imagery from that time period. The Historical imagery controller will appear so you can  browse through all the historical imagery available for that location, or simply close the time control and return to the default view.  It’s very slick and a great time saver!  Learn more about how to use Google Earth for Genealogy, I’ve got the answers for you in the Google Earth for Genealogy DVD series available at    

Published Dec 23, 2010 NEWS: Lisa's Upcoming Speaking Engagements: Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE Conference in London Lisa will be speaking on Sunday Feb. 27, 2011 at noon. Use the Promotional code SOG2425 to purchase discounted tickets. , January 21 & 22, Mesa Convention Center The Whittier Area Genealogical Society , January 29, 2011 in Columbus, OH, March 31 - April 2, 2011 in Edmonton, Canada, April 16 & 17, 2011 Southern California Genealogical Society in Burbank, CA, June 10 - 12, 2011 featuring a LIVE podcast! Coming Soon! Lisa's brand new book The Genealogist's Google Toolbox Stay Tuned for the release date! Book Lisa for your next society seminar or conference Click here for a list of available presentations, and Lisa's bio For more information or to request a booking email Launch of Podcast Android App The Genealogy Gems Podcast Companion App for Android is now available in the Android marketplace and at iPhone, iPod iTouch .  Give the App as a gift from the app page in iTunes. Click the down arrow next to the price. The new podcast media player on the for each episode. Just released: Premium Episode 60 Features Rootsmagic and Ancestry answers, and Rethinking Journals with 10 Questions You Need to Answer.   MAILBOX: Lee Van Bergen wrote in asking about the Genealogy Gems Podcast iGoogle Gadget. (Update: iGoogle has been discontinued) Amber Creix Prat wrote to share a resource: "Thanks for keeping up your podcast and I can't wait to listen to the next episodes of both the free and premium versions!" Check out Amber's genealogy blog called Tackling Brick Walls One Brick At A Time Research Question: Shelly Johnson wrote in for some advice on how to locate a death record for an ancestor who likely died in the early 20th century in Marylnad. Links and suggestions from Lisa According to their list state census records aren't available. Turn your attention to state and county death records in Maryland.  FamilySearch Wiki gives a good overview of what might be available.  Maryland State Archives website who died jan. 30, 1908 in Talbot Co., MD Archives of Maryland Online at New Blogger Premium Member Kevin Boyles started a new genealogy blog called ell them you heard about Rootsmagic on The Genealogy Gems Podcast! GEM: Interview with Kendall Wilcox, Do your own Generations Project: 1. What is your motivation for doing this?  What is your "why"? 2. Laser focus on your motivation 3. Populate the tree following the lines that will help you find answers to your why 4. Mix the chart with your family and social history 5. Walk in your ancestor's shoes 6. Share your experience and watch it ripple and impact others. (write, tell, blog, photo essay, etc.) The resources will be on the new blog website.  All future seasons will have an episode devoted to doing your own generations project. APP USERS: Check out the exclusive photo montage video!                        

I was hoping I could squeak out episode 102 by today, but unfortunately I'm still down with the flu.  (It should have been out over the weekend.)  So while I'm recuperating I hope you will enjoy this Christmas project: The Family History Legacy Christmas Stocking. This is the project I told you I was working on in the last episode.  It's brought to you by our wonderful sponsor . Here is the two part video series showing you everything you need to know to make a stocking like this yourself.  You can also view these videos at the .  The written instructions and supply list has been posted as a separate downloadable pdf document on this podcast feed. 

Published Nov 20, 2010 T   Mesa Family History Expo January 21 & 22, 2011Mesa Arizona Convention Center.   - Effective Use of Technology Thursday, January 27th  -  Saturday January 29th  9:00AM- 5:00PM New England Historic Genealogical Society 99 Newbury St. Boston MA, 02116 Ancestry  Thegenealogist.co.uk reached an agreement with The National Archives, UK to acquire and publish online the 1911 England and Wales Census. The complete set of 1911 Census records go live on Ancestry.com by county, starting in late 2010 and completing in 2011.    NARA announced New Options Now Available for Reproductions of National Archives Holdings If you’re looking to order copies of NARA’s holdings – including copies now available in digital form – you can use one of the following methods: m from frpom the NARA website For microfilm orders, researchers can use the o   or FamilySearch recently published its first digital Chinese collection, along with additional digital image collections from Belgium, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, and Puerto Rico. Twenty million additional indexed records were also published for Civil War and Revolutionary War collections and the 1851 Census for England and Wales. Library of Congress  - 1100 finding aids will now lead remote and onsite researchers to more than 32 million archival items. Australian Newspapers The National Library of Australia has launched a new version of their and a user forum  Google Earth UpdatesThe Google Earth and Maps Imagery team has just released another extensive batch of aeriel and satellite images. Check out: The Baltimore Maritime Museum in Baltimore, Maryland U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Get the complete picture of the updated imagery KML download and view in Google Earth for viewing in Google Earth.     “Who Do You Think You Are?” is coming back for a second season in January 2011, and is already doing some at the State Archives in Trenton NJ.  Read about.   MAILBOX: From Pat:  “I just listened to your 100th episode with great nostalgia.  Can something so "young" in years still create nostalgia for breaking a milestone such as this?  YES!…I did notice how many callers mentioned blogging thanks to your encouragement and lessons.  I wonder if that might be an interesting survey--how many people started blogs directly thanks to your influence in Genealogy Gems?  I know I did!”  Michael wrote in about Google Earth for Genealogy: “I have very much enjoyed learning about GLO Records and Google Earth.  I went back to the site yesterday and discovered that they have enhanced their website. At …Thank you again for a great program, I have been plotting my families birth, marriage, death, burial, land patents, etc.  It has been very revealing and helpful in suggesting new places to go look for more info.” Robert wrote: “I am a relatively new listener to your Genealogy Gems podcasts…Being in the over 50 crowd and not very "techy savy", I had my daughter help me and now I am busy catching up on all the episodes.  I routinely listen to them when I go on my daily runs through my iPhone.  What a wonderful and I cannot begin to thank you enough.” See Lisa at: April 16 & 17, of 2011Edmonton, Alberta GEM: Professional Genealogist Interview with Alvie Davidson, of      

Published Nov 7, 2010 In this episode we take a sentimental journey back over the first 100 episodes of The Genealogy Gems Podcast including some of Lisa's favorite gems and interviews, show milestones, and listener messages. Fave Gems: Google Site Search - Vehicular Forensics - The Band Venice - Lisa's story and Heritage quilts - Handwriting Analysis and Leatherheads - Irene Johnson, Genealogist and star of the Ancestors series on PBS - and Lisa Kudrow, Who Do You Think You Are? - Kendall Wilcox, the Generations Project - Forensic Linguistics for Genealogy with Dr. Robert Leonard - &   Thanks to the following folks for the messages of congratulations: The Staff at Lisa Alzo, Genealogist, Author and Speaker Holly Hansen, President of Sean Lamb, and A.C. Ivory, Denise Levenick, "Penelope Dreadful" of the Paula Hinkel, Chair of the Bruce Buzbee, President, Amy Coffin, Elizabeth O'Neal, Roger Grua Brandt Gibson Teri Chaffin Maureen Taylor  Dot Elder   Emails from Connie, Teresa, Simona, Chris and Crystal Blogs mentioned: and   Milestones: Newsletter ( and get the free Google Search Strategies e-book) Premium Membership Launched () The Genealogy Gems Toolbar - UPDATE The toolbar has been discontinued.   The first podcast in front of a live audience -   Sharing Gems: Christmas in July (Sweet Memories Candy Bars) Family History Dislay - Mother's Day Plate -   Video Gems: Subscribe free to the l at YouTube Socks to America - Sweet Land with Ali Selim - Heritage Quilts - Video:   by shopping online through the and website links on the Genealogy Gems website.   Thank you to our sponsor:   Listen to Crystal Bell's story in of the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast      

Published Oct 21, 2010 Join us as we highlight and explore the beautiful online magazine   be sure to check out the Bonus Content Video!!  LINKS to websites mentioned in this episode: Craig Manson's Shades Contributor Blogs: Denise Levenick - r Sheri Fenley - Maureen Taylor - Denise Olson -   Thanks to our wonderful prize donors! Bruce Buzbee of Rootsmagic.com maker's of: Rootsmagic 4 Family Atlas Personal Historian Family Reunion Organizer     Genealogy Gems :

Published Oct 7, 2010 Episode 98 - The Journey Takers NEWS: Thank you to the Genealogy Bloggers who blogged about the new Google Earth for Genealogy Volume II DVD: Dick Eastman - Randy Seaver - Thomas MacEntee -   Diane Haddad      Jenna posted on Facebook about the recent Google Earth for Genealogy edition of the Premium Podcast: "Premium Episode 55...two thumbs up!"     on interview with Susan Kitchens     MAILBOX:   Simona MacAngus wrote in to say she loves the “You have a fantastic podcast!  And I have to say, you have such a clear pleasant speaking style that is a pleasure to listen to.  You keep a "smile" in your voice throughout the podcast.  Wonderfully refreshing and one can catch every word you speak.”   “We have been spending a lot of time together lately Lisa Louise.  You have been going with me on walks with my dog, on drives into the town and even talking me to sleep at night! Finally I went to your   site today to subscribe to your newsletter.  Its like I can't get enough of what you have to teach.”    “Hi Lisa, I've only recently started my genealogy and listening to your various podcasts has been a huge help with my research. You're so warm and friendly that it makes it a pleasure to listen.” Kirsty Martin on Genealogy Wise    Brandt asked about Buffered Paper: Go to the and do a search on: Buffer paper is not always called "Buffered" - in fact you tend to get a lot of other types of results.  What you're looking for is Paper buffered with calcium carbonate 2-3% alkaline reserve, pH 9 ±0.5, acid-free    Ann and Barbara were wondering the same thing: do you have to have a Paypal account to sign up for   Answer: No,You can pay with a credit card through paypal without having to have a paypal account.  You will see in the bottom left corner of the check out page (where it also asks you to log in to Paypal) "Don't have a Paypal account?" and you just click the CONTINUE link to pay with a major credit card.  It's the same as swiping it at any store.  I've been using Paypal for 4 years now and have never ever had a problem.  It's is very safe and secure!   GEM: Interview with

Sept 23, 2010 Lisa share her latest research breakthrough with Google Earth, and Susan Kitchens joins her on the show to talk about recording family history interviews.     NEWS: The Genealogy Gems Podcast is featured in Elyse Doerflinger's article called Podcasts: Download Your Genealogy! which appears in the of Internet Genealogy magazine. at the Library of Congress just announced they have added 380,000+ historic newspaper pages including 3 new states: Louisiana, Montana, and South Carolina. The next episode will feature Lisa's interview with genealogist and author Lisa Alzo about tracing immigrant ancestors. is celebrating its 20th year this month. Disney is adding a bit of history to its TV lineup.  The Marblehead Patch News out of   The series is going to launch in November 2010 although no specific date has been announced.   MAILBOX: Belinda Slocumb's asks about records for military families. Brats : Our Journey Home  DVD with your suggestions for Belinda.   RE: Scanners From listener Ermadene Tilly: on-line and on phone class "Joy of Organizing Photos. Mentioned: Canon CanoScan 200, (not for slides) Note: not available through Amazon. Grace Dobush the preservation expert at Family Tree Magazine covers scanners in the September 2010 episode of The Listener Bruce Horn also chimed in on Scanners: "Hi Lisa, Thank you so much for your wonderful podcasts.  I have really found them useful as a beginner in the world of genealogy.  If you only want to scan prints, I would recommend the Canon Lide 100 mainly because it is small and cheap."   Pat Kirkwood wanted Lisa's previous podcasts on Organizing Your Hard Drive, "P.S. Love the podcasts.  I recently discovered them and Love, Love, Love, listening to them." Listen to the by Lisa on Organizing Your Hard Drive. There are 2 premium videos on the subject as part of Genealogy Gems Premium .   GEM: Recording Relative Interviews with Susan Kitchens   Lisa's Upcoming Speaking Engagements: , Oct 8 - 9, 2010 (Attend the on Friday night!) , Oct. 23, 2010 California Genealogical Society , Oct. 30, 2010  

Published Sept 8, 2010 Upcoming MilestoneGenealogy Gems Podcast Listener Denise Coughlin posted on Lisa's Facebook wall the other day and said "I realized as I was filling up my mp3 player for the rest of the work week is about to hit 100!!  Congrats and keep 'em coming!!"  To celebrate, call the voice mail line - 925-272-4021 - or record and email an mp3 file with a message for the 100th episode.  We can have a sort of virtual birthday party for the podcast! Coming Soon!Google Earth for Genealogy Volume II DVD is coming October 1, 2010.  Kick off Family History Month by rockin' your ancestors world with Google Earth!  Grab Volume I today at     NEWSPodcast Interview with Lisa:Listen to Marion Vermanzen's on the Marion Vermazen Podcast. Records Website News:Ancestry recently announced that 10,000 yearbooks are now in the U.S. School Yearbook collection from almost every state in the U.S. spanning 1875-1988. FamilySearch announced the addition of over 200 million new searchable historic records online representing 18 countries.  Read at the Genealogy Insider blog. Listen to the September episode of the Lisa's upcoming classes at MAILBOX Sign up for the free Genealogy Gems Email Newsletter and receive the free e-book 5 Fabulous Google Search Strategies for the Family Historian.  "It's very good information!  This is a terrific tool to have up my sleeve."  - Karen   GEM: Why a Podcast Listener Turned Genealogy Blogger Premium Podcast Member Mary Lohr recently took the plunge and began her own genealogy blog. http://www.maryjlohr.wordpress.com Mary writes: "Thank you for encouraging your listeners to blog!"   Mark Your Calendar for Lisa's Upcoming Speaking Engagements: Oct. 8 & 9, 2010 Pleasanton, CA  Oct. 23, 2010 9am to 3:30pm at the Hemet Library in Hemet, CA Hemet-San Jacinto Genealogical Society Seminar Pre-register at by Oct. 13 Oct. 30, 2010 California Genealogical Society   Book Lisa for a presentation, webinar or seminar at your Genealogy Society or event.       null

Published August 24, 2010 NEWS: Genealogy Gems Podcast has been selected for inclusion in the brand new podcast director for the Blackberry launched by Research in Motion known as RIM.   Listener Rick Rissmiller wrote in:"GREAT news about the Blackberry app. Right now I download from i-tunes each week and save on my laptop then connect the blackberry and transfer so I can listen as I do thing around the house. I am a new lsitenere and have downloaded all of your previous podcasts and each week as I sit on my tractor mowing and triming 3 acres I listen to 3+ hours of great information and entertainment from you. Thanks for all the great work." Thanks for the Shout Outs from the following genealogy bloggers: Susan Peterson -   Tonia Kendrick -    A. C. Ivory -   Upcoming Genealogical Events: New RootsTech ConferenceFebruary 10 – 12, 2010Salt Lake City Utah   Alberta Family Histories Society Saturday, October 16, 20108:00M - 4:00 PMDeerfoot Inn HotelCalgary, AB, Canada  New England Historic Genealogical Society and Ancestry.comFamily History DaySaturday, October 16, 2010Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center Boston.      Lisa’s upcoming appearances:Family History Expo October 8 & 9, 2010  Pleasanton, California   The Hemet San Jacinto Genealogical Society SeminarSaturday, October 23, 2010Classes include Solving Family History Mysteries with Google EarthWhat You Must Know To Save  Your Research From Destruction.       California Genealogical Society SeminarSaturday Oct. 30, 2010.  This is going to be a Google DayOakland, CA The TV show Who Do You Think You Are? has been renewed for a second season, which it looks like will probably air after the first of the year.    New Family Tree Magazine Podcast Episode August 2010 episodeYou can subscribe to the for free in iTunes   MAILBOX: How to Fix Relationship Mistakes in Your Online Family TreeJennifer Hodnett, Product Manager for Ancestry.com "In your Personal Member Tree you may find later that a spouse you previously entered really was married to a different person or that a child really belonged to a different set of parents. You can now easily fix relationship mistakes in your tree by detaching and reattaching individuals in your tree." First, bring up the profile page for the child you want to detach from the mother.   On that Profile page, click on the brown Edit this person button, located just below the name of the person at the top of the page. On the next screen, there will be 5 tabs at the top.  Click on the Relationships tab, which will be the second one from the right.  This will display the individual's current relationships. Now, to dissolve or break this relationship, find the name of the individual you want to detach from this person and click the Remove link to the far right of their name.  In the case described at the beginning, you’ll want to look for the incorrect mother and click the Remove link next to her name. A pop up will appear that will ask you if you are sure you want to remove this relationship. Assuming you’ve selected the correct person, click the OK button to finish detaching this person from the selected mother. o   Be reassured that doing this will not remove this person from your tree; it only detaches them. You can still find this person from the List of All People in your tree. 5 .After selecting OK, you’ll return to the Relationships tab for the detached child.  You now want to return to the child’s profile page and you can do this by clicking the Return to [name of person] button at the top left corner of the page. 6.     6. Once you’re back on the profile page, click on the Add Mother link under the name of the father in the “Family Members” module on the page  7.     7. A box will appear that will allow you to add the mother.  In the Add Mother box, at the top of the page, look for the link to “select someone already in your tree” and click it.   8.     8. You will then be directed to a list of all people in your tree.  Find the name of the correct mother and  click the orange Select button next to her name.  9.     You will end up back on the child’s profile page and will be able to see under the “family Members” module that the correct mother is now assigned to that child.  You can now repeat the process for each child that needs to be changed. My thanks to Heather Erickson at Ancestry for connecting me with Jennifer, and Jean I hope this helps you out.   I will also have a short video including graphics that demonstrated this answer to the question of how to correct mistakes in your Ancestry online family tree. Will wrote in recently to follow up to Will Clifton’s email  which I read on Episode 94 of the podcast.    “Your podcasts continue to be informative and fun to listen to. Keep up the great work! regarding Will Clifton's question on where to access the the nonpopulation schedules - some of them are available on Ancestry.com.” Selected U.S. Federal Census According to Ancestry, the Non-population schedules contained in this database include agriculture, industry/manufacturers, social statistics, and supplemental schedules. For , look for the . Lucy writes:  "I listen to your podcast every morning on the way to work hoping that by the time I get home, I can remember one tidbit that I can use. I am needing some help.  I need to find a good scanner. I want to locate a good quality scanner that I can scan both color and black and white.  Article by Rhonda in the January 2005 issue of the magazine.  "The Skinny on Scanners."  on the 2005 compilation CD and as a Plus article on the website.                                  If you’ve purchased a scanner recently that you think is really good drop me a line at [email protected] or leave a voice mail at 925 272 4021 and I’ll share it on the next episode and see if we can help Lucy out. Lucy also sent me a message from her iPhone asking for more information on the Genealogy Gems iPhone app.     The advantage to having the Genealogy Gems Podcast app  is that you can:  - stream and listen to the show without having to download it and take up storage space - It includes Bonus content on most episodes: extra audio, video, images, documents. - You can visit the website, email me, or call the show right from the app. - You can listen to the show in the background and be able to do continue doing other functions on your device.   GEM:  Paper Preservation with Scott Haskins There’s one common challenge that every single genealogist must content with – and that’s how to deal with all the paper.  An more specifically, how to care for most precious papers amongst our collection.  The old, perhaps damaged one of a kind documents that we can’t afford to loose.  Scott M. Haskins is the author of the book  "How To Save Your Stuff From A Disaster." null

Published August 5, 2010 NEWS:   Canadian Census    at the Vancouver Sun online about why genealogists are up in arms about the new restrictions on Canadian census information.       National Archives UK Take a listen to the National Archives UK podcast episode  that explores the creation of the census, with the mass organisation of enumerators, temporary clerks, permanent civil service clerks and registrars, and according to the podcast webpage, it includes fascinating stories that lie behind each census, to help us better understand the records we think we know so well.   U.S. census training films online  The US censuses are released when they are 72 years old so the 1940 Census is due out in 2012.  for U. S. Census enumerators.   Family Tree Magazine  Listen to the new of the Family Tree Magazine Podcast featuring my interview with David Fryxell who’s article Fancy Free features the brand new 101 Best websites for genealogy research which just came out in the September 2010 issue of the magazine.   Online Classes  Free Webinar   Family Tree Magazine Answers Your Questions   Recorded Webinar How to Find Living Relatives: Unleash Your Inner Private Eye. Get the full hour video recorded webinar as part of your . There’s a TON of information there for you including some little known websites providing online access to information.      FamilySearch Over 12 million digital images from thousands of microfilm, representing 8 countries, were published online for free viewing this month at (FamilySearch.org, click Search Records, and then click Record Search pilot) and coming soon to .     New Google Images Tip: for faster scrolling through many pages, taking advantage of standard web keyboard shortcuts such as Page Up / Page Down. It’s all about getting to the info you need quickly   MAILBOX: "I recieved my copy of "Internet Genealogy" magazine today. One of the articles is called Genealogy Podcasts.... Where to download your favoriite shows! I am happy to report that the very first Podcast listed in the articel is none other than my favorite "The Genealogy Gems Podcast"! Congratulations Lisa! You're the BEST!!!"   Cherie Bonebright Baxter on Facebook     July 24th is ""   Listener Tim thinks that would be a great day for a family reunion.“I really enjoy the podcast ... keep up the great work!”    Lacey comes up with gems too! Family History calendars for Christmas presents.   Thanks to Listener Belinda for bringing a neat film project to our attention.   A Documentary   Will of Louisiana writes: “I must say I have really enjoyed the extremely useful information! I started by downloading your first podcast and have "listening" my way toward the most current.”    Is there a way to access these Agricultural and/ or Manufacturing Census records online?   Nonpopulation Schedules at NARA including Agriculture and Manufacturing Episode 9 & 10     GEM: Interview with Project Genealogist for Who Do You Think You Are? Canada Specialist in early Ontario (Upper Canada) records.    Who Do You Think You Are? at the The including Email for the Canadian Broadcasting CentreCall toll-free phone (Canada only): 866-306-4646      

Published July 21, 2010 NEWS:   By Schelly Talalay Dardashti   Film:  Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldbert .  The Goldbergs came to radio in 1929 and didn’t finish it’s TV run until 1955.       “Gertrude Berg who created the character Molly Goldberg was shown in polls to be the second most respected woman in America, after Eleanor Roosevelt.”   at The Museum of Broadcast Communications     Genealogy Bank.com has added millions of family history records. The records included obituaries, birth and marriage announcements and other helpful information from 186 newspapers in 40 states.     Ancestry.com  On July 14th, they released the new Australian Birth, Marriage and Death collections, which contains 14 million names between 1788 and 1985.  Angela Garner from talks about the details in her recent or search the collection directly at .    Ancestry.com has announced the official closing of the acquisition of the Genline.se, the leading Swedish family history website. The specifics of the acquisition are available in the full . Ancestry recently released a new version of the Ancestry.com Tree-to-Go iPhone application in the iTunes App Store. Check it out at .  Also available: App users: You will find a pdf article by Lisa and Wallpaper included on the app for this episode.      MAILBOX:   Barry Helfand asked if there is an equivelant to the Bureau of Land Management in Canada for homestead records.   to the web page at the Archives Canada about the land patents which includes a link to the Western Land Grants Database   Here's a to the database which includes information for locating land grants for other provinces not included.     GEM: Interview with Genealogy Bogger Craig Manson Visit Craig's  

Published July 5, 2010 The LIVE Genealogy Gems Podcast #91 has been reformatted for the iPod.  You may need to delete the downloaded episode from iTunes and download it again by clicking the GET button to get the reformatted video. "Attend the Jamboree virtually" by checking out these online resources: The Blog posts about Jamboree: "I especially enjoyed her presentation on Google Earth for Genealogy" by Craig Manson by Joan Miller by Schelly Dardashti Blog by Cheryl Upcoming Conference: 42nd BYU Conference on Family History July 27-30, 2010 BYU Conference Center, 770 E. University Parkway, Provo, UT Information  Family History Expo in Pleasanton, California New at FamilySearch: New Family History Library in Riverton, UT Library of Congress Who Do You Think You Are? UK lineup announced Find out what the Brits think of the U.S. version of the show Lisa's guest blog series at Family Tree Magazine's MAILBOX: Update: iGoogle as been discontinued Liz Thompson wrote: "You sure interview some interesting people!" Brandt Gibson wrote to say how the Genealogy Gems Podcast has helped him get the scoop on his ancestors!  "Thanks for helping restore my faith in a gold mine of genealogical information!" Check out the Get the Scoop on Your Ancestors in Old Newspapers recorded webinar which is part of   New Listener Blogs: Marie Peer asked who the podcast guest was that provided custom family charts:  Janet Hovorka of Generation Maps.  Marie wrote: "Thank you for the excellent podcasts.  I really enjoy listening to them.  I keep thinking that you are going to run out of topics but you don't. You are very creative." Darren Engh posted on Facebook about a website he really likes called for records in Norway.  He asked for recommendations for information about Candian immigration.  Lisa recommends the book by Dave Obee. (This link supports this free podcast - thanks!!) GEM: Interview with Dave Obee "Every province is different.  Canadian research is fairly recent research." Canada doesn't have anything like the SSDI.   Websites the Dave recommends:  

Published June 17, 2010 On Saturday June 12, 2010 we presented the Genealogy Gems Podcast show in front of a live audience at the Southern California Genealogy Society .  Our intention was to record the audio through the sound system, but alas there was a glitch.  However, all was not lost.  I did hand our volunteer helper and Premium listener Susan Moss my Flip Video Camera and thankfully she captured much of the show.  (Thank you Susan!!)  So please keep in mind that this is videotaping on the fly, in an outdoor Pavilion with no extra lighting and planes flying overhead!  But regardless of the challenges, we had a wonderful time, a packed house, and I'm so happy that we can bring this videocast presentation to you to give you a glimpse of the fun. 

Published June 2, 2010 NEWS: New images and webpages at the Canadian Genealogy Centre at the Library and Archives Canada website. Ocean Arrivals 1919-1924 have been digitized and are available online through the Microform Digitization Facebook Updates Privacy Settings Learn more about the new settings by watching their new series of blog post Happy 2nd Birthday Check out on the Genealogy Insider Blog MAILBOX: Nora wrote in looking for tips on finding records from an institution that has been closed down. Carl Mueller asks about the proper way to share sensitive family information received from newly found distant cousins.  Michelle Teague wrote "Just downloaded the on my iPhone.  I love it!  I'm only on episode 3 but what I've heard so far has been a great help."  Michelle also shares a terrific story about a connection made on Ancestry that lead to receiving a bundle of precious letters written by two sonds to their mother during WWII. about Michelle's story at the Visit Salt Lake City blog. Phil and Carol Ellis wrote in to say they discovered genealogy podcasts at my class at the OGS conference in Toronto. "You have now opened up a whole new world of genealgoical leads and tools." GEM: Forensic Linguistics with Dr. Robert Leonard PhD Part 2 Items mentioned in Part 1 included: is the author of 8 books on Forensic Linguistics. featured on the TV series The Devil's Strip Case.  A from the Discovery Channel show Solved Author Kathy Reichs, Forensic Anthropologist "You carry traces of every place you've ever lived in your speech.  They might not surface all the time, but then at the oddest times they will."  Dr. Robert Leonard Advanced Google Scholar Search TIP: Oxford English Dictionary Ask your local library if they have a subscription or talk to the Reference librarian TIP:  Dr. Leonard's approach to analyzing writing... Read it through.  Look at the words, sentence patterns, rhythms, grammar, punctuation, specific words, odditities.  Try reading the text backwards to focus on the words. TIP:  Forensic Linguistics can apply to recordings as well as the written word.   and the Library of Congress TIP: Transcription Software program called TIP:  Try a global view of the documents you have.  Lay them all out and look at them as a whole. More fun with Dr. Leonard... Short clip of very rare footage from the original 1970 documentary on Woodstock. Genealogy Gems Podcast LIVE at the Southern California Genealogy Society Jamboree.  My guests included: - Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective - Suzanne Russo Adams, Ancestry.com and Researcher on Who Do You Think You Are? - Chris Haley, Genealogist and Artist Read more at the Southern California Genealogy Get the for your iPhone, iTouch, or iPad and check out the Bonus Content for this episode!

Published May 21, 2010 Google Earth for Genealogy NEWS Free Records at Footnote You'll find newspapers ranging from small towns to major cities and dating all the way back to the 1700s. Watch the webinar recording of the Getting the Scoop on Newspapers Webinar in . New Records at They have recently added 166 newspapers from 42 states here in the U.S. Search for newspapers at . AL, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NE, NC, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV Genealogy Gems Updates 2013 Update: iGoogle has been discontinued by Google Genealogy Gems App This is the app for the iPhone and iTouch and now iPad that allows you to stream the podcast and get all kinds of bonus content. How to download the new version - 1. Go on to your iPhone or iTouch 2. Go to the Apps Store 3. Click Updates 4. Select the Genealogy Gems App 5. Download the free update Genealogy Gems Toolbar New Feature has been discontinued MAILBOX New announced by Bill Buchanan Bill did on the Genealogy Gems Podcast. Brandt wrote in asking about the microphone attachment for the iPod so that you can record audio. 1. Go to http://www.genealogygems.com 2. Click on the menu on the left 3. Do a search for iPod Recorder in the Amazon box   Kathy Ott recently wrote in asking for suggestions on beginner genealogy guides for a gift. Recommendations are the Beginner Genealogists Bundle It's a fund combination of get started tools that get the user up and running quickly.  If you want to spend a bit less, try the Beginners Guide to Genealogy also by  (search the word BEGINNER) Elyzabeth wrote: I recently became really interested in t he Who Do You Think You Are? TV series.  It sparked off a whole new passion for me.  I just signed up for your and I've been listening to the Genealogy Gems and .  As a newbie, they have been an asset to my research with all your tips and help.  Thank you very much!  It's so exciting each time I discover a new ancestor to connect to my family tree or find a document giving me a little more insight or verification.  It is absolutely amazing to see how not that long ago, an ancestor came to America or how they were involved in a significant historical event.  So thank you for all your recommendations, interviews, and for creating such a fun and informative podcast to listen to.  I can't wait to show off what I have found to my family. GEM: Forensic Linguistics for Genealogy Lisa interviews Dr. Robert Leonard Ph.D. of the Hummert case as described by Dr. Leonard. at Hofstra University Online Class Visit listener

NEWS: Findmypast.com has expanded its collection of British military records with the release of the Royal Marine Medal Roll 1914-1920. They have also announced their take over of It will be relaunched as  (using this linked image helps makes this free podcast possible - thank you!) Ancestry has launched a new wiki that includes two books - The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy and Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.  The wiki can be found at the Ancestry also has announced that it plans on releasing Family Tree Maker for the Mac later this year. FamilySearch Over 300 Million new names have been added online at the FamilySearch Record Search Pilot 1. Go to   2. Click Search Records 3. Click Record Search Pilot Genealogy Gems My article Undercover Genealogy appears in the July 2010 issue of Family Tree Magazine (and you'll also be supporting this free podcast - thank you!) Upcoming Classes: Attend one of my classes at Family Tree University I'm also now a contributing blogger for the Visit Salt Lake City website. on Newspaper Research. Get my books in the iPhone / iTouch / iPad users be sure and MAILBOX: New Listener Blogs: Maria in Australia.  Try out the free Shapes tool for creating collages like Marie did Connie Williams, Califonia.  Challe Talbot wrote in asking about how to approach incorrect data in online family trees.  I have some thoughts on that. GEM: A Criminal Past Interview with author Ron Arons about his book GEM: Google Look Alikes Check out the new features of Google Search Be sure and scroll all the way to the bottom of your search results page. on the Google News Timeline Be sure and Subscribe for free to my while you are there! Related Search - in the search box type related:keyword by Lisa Louise Cooke

Stay tuned for upcoming Genealogy Gems Webinars: "I have participated in other webinars but your relaxed and friendly style really make it fun!"- Martha Zervoudakis   "Thank you so much. It was wonderful. I could almost see you standing in front of the classroom. Please do more!" - Joan Sanaker     NEWS: FamilySearch New indexing projects announced. Recently Completed Projects: Deutschland, Baden, Achern, Kirchenbucher, 1810 to1869 Part B France, Paris, Registres Protestants, 1612 to 1906 Part C U.S., Indiana, Clay County, Marriages, 1811 to 1959 U.S., Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey 1910 Federal Census      World Vital Records has been announcing the addition of passenger data files to their site: The Italians to America Passenger Data File 1855 to 1900. Germans to America passenger data file 1850 to 1897 Russians to America Passenger Data File 1834 to1897   For our British Listeners: WDYTYA? US series to air in the UK starting April 25.   The  Southern California Genealogy society Jamboree January 11 thru 13, 2010 in Burbank, CA.  And the Early-Bird Discount Deadline is fast approaching.        MAILBOX: Carol Kendall asked about the Transcription program recommended on the Family History podcast.  The Transcription software was discussed in Family History A software program called available   Deborah Mullins Vernon asks about adding sources to online Family Trees   Feedback on "I had my popcorn while I watched Part 2, 3, 4 of Google Earth videos.  I am learning so much.  Thank you!"  - Susan Miller Hawkins     GEM: Scouting for Ancestors Interview with Mark Tucker    asks for advice on searching for live people, and specifically Girl Scouts. she has a newspaper article about her. In the article is a picture of her with three Senior Girl Scouts. She would like to try to find them or their decendants to offer them a copy.  When it comes to finding living people you can find a lot of information about that in Premium episode 3 which is all about finding living people using private eye techniques.  The archived episode is available through the   Lisa's article  is the cover story on the newest issue of Family Tree Magazine (July 2010)    Mark Tucker of the ThinkGenealogy blog is not only passionate about scouting, but has been doing his homework to investigate what type of family history information might be gleaned through researching an ancestors scouting history.   And what better time than now to talk about the Boy Scouts as this wonderful organization celebrates it's 100 years of scouting this year.   So let’s listen in and see what Mark Tucker can tell us about scouting in our family history.   If you would like to learn more about scouting:   For Boy Scouts head to the website    For the Girl Scouts visits their and you can go directly to the on the site to locate and get in touch with the council where ancestors participated in scouting.    Check out Genealogy blogger Denise Levenick’s blog post   by Denise Levenick   If you have any experience with researching your scouting ancestors or find a gem after listening to this episode, please .  I know we would all love to hear about!     The Scoutmaster handbook on Also Search Boys Life And Scouting Magazine   Try scout searches on Family History Library :       You can help make this free podcast possible by getting to your favorite shopping website through the links on the Genealogy Gems website.  Thank you!  

Note to Users: New Wallpaper Bonus Content this episode! A big THANK YOU to the in Jackson, Ohio for sharing Genealogy Gems with their website visitors.  Footnote Update Their Interactive Census will remain free to the public through April 30, 2010 They've also added new content and ehanced their image viewer! Family History Expos Update To get reconnected with Family History Expos go to http://www.fhexpos.com Lisa's Big News The new  video series is now available! You'll be amazed what Google Earth can do to ROCK your family history! MAILBOX: Check out these new blogs from Genealogy Gems Listeners: by Bernadette Farrell Olden by new premium member Richard Yehle Archival Storage Followup Listener Diane recommends stamp mounts for newspaper clippings   New listener John W. Oliver heard about Genealogy Gems on the . Tell them you heard about on the Genealogy Gems Podcast! GEM: Interview with Kendall Wilcox, Watch The Generations Project TV series on BYU Television Watch the latest episode: Alternative content to be on the show. GEM: Who Do You Think You Are? (using this link supports this free podcast - thank!) GEM: Webinar for Premium Members! can watch the "Getting the Scoop from Old Newspapers" video in the Premium Videos section of the Genealogy Gems website. 

Who Do You Think You Are? airs on Friday nights at 8:00 p.m. on NBC. Premium episode 43 features Lisa Kudrow in part 2 of a behind the scenes question and answer (available for a limited time.) British Records: 1883 - 1900 are now available at National Archives UK at the National Archives Genealogy Gems Podcast "Now this is what genealogy is all about!" Download the FREE at Rootsmagic GEM:  Interview with Susanna deGroot, PLCGS Great websites for Dutch research: (National Archives) of the Netherlands More information on the in Toronto, Canada May 14-16, 2010 GEM:  Family ChArtist Interview with Janet Hovorka, Owner of

The Genealogy Gems Podcast is Three Years Old This Month!   THANK YOUS on genealogy podcasts   Renee Huskey wrote in her Free Stuff Friday post about the     Recently Completed Projects Argentina, Balvanera. Registros Parroquiales 1833 thru 1934 [Parte A] Canada, British Columbia.  Deaths, 1872 thru 1986 [Part 4] Jamaica.  Civil Births, 1878 thru 1899 [Part A] Norway.  1875 Census [Part 1 U.S., Florida. 1910 Federal Census U.S., Georgia. 1910 Federal Census U.S., Indiana, Clark County. Marriages, 1811 thru 1959 U.S., Indiana, Dubois County. Marriages, 1811 thru 1959 U.S., Indiana, Harrison County. Marriages, 1811 thru1959 U.S., Maryland. 1910 Federal Census U.S., Montana. 1910 Federal Census U.S., Tennessee. County Marriages, 1790 thru 1950 [Part A]   The FamilySearch Family History Library is now making its popular classes available at FamilySearch.org, where anyone anywhere in the world can access them for free at a time that is convenient for them.    FamilySearch is continually adding new online offerings. Classes on how to read English handwritten records are currently in development. All of the classes can be accessed on by clicking on Free Online Classes on the home page.     FOOTNOTE Unlike any other historical collection on the web, the Interactive Census Collection has the unique ability to connect people related to ancestors found on the historical documents.  Simply by clicking the Im Related button for a name on the document will identify you as a descendent and also list others that have done the same.  Never before has it been as easy to connect with distant relatives through historical documents. Finding a record featuring an ancestors name provides not only an emotional experience but also a connection with the past.  On Footnote.com it’s more than just finding a name on a census record.  Interactive tools allow people to enhance the documents by adding their own contributions including:                       Photos                       Stories                       Comments                       Other related document   Who Do You Think You Are? Do you belong to a genealogy society?  Perhaps nows a good time to hold some beginning genealogy classes like the San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society has done.   MAILBOX: Travis wrote in to say he has been inspired to get started in genealogy research: This morning I did a quick search on my iPhone. In the App store and i found your podcast. I listened to about 15 or so episodes. Starting at the beginning. I really enjoy your podcast and cant wait to get caught up and see what other goodys you have in store for me!!   Comments on    So kudos to both Lisas for what you have done to raise the excitement for genealogy!   online on the NBC website    Thanks to my conversation with you several months ago, my search for my mother is only resulting in increasing information…I love you for your enthusiasm and dedication to this work.  Crystal Bell, a fan forever.   Listen to Lisa’s interview with Crystal Bell Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast     From Tim.  A Question  Henry Culbertson Wood who was orphaned at a young age.  His Mother died when he was less than a year old.  His father and Mother were never Married and his Father disappeared.  He lived with some people for a time then went to Hillside Mission Indian school in Skiatook, OK.  (Possibly an Orphanage for Indians.)  Henry was born in 10 Jan 1879 in Indian Territory around what is now Checotah, OK and died 13 Aug 1948 in Kellyville, OK.  According to Dawes papers his Mother's name is Martha J Rowland or Rolin, both spelling are in the Dawes Papers and He said he thinks his father's name was Henry Wood.  He applied and added his Daughter Ora in 1901.   If you have suggestions or leads for Tim or leave a voice mail at 925-272-4021     Hard Drive Organziation Lisa's article Organizing Your Hard Drive appears in the May 2010 issue of the   Companion at the Family Tree Magazine YouTube channel     From Mary. Feeling Lucky with Discount and seminar   "I just became a Genealogy Gems Premium member and quite frankly I do not know why I waited so long. I always thought your regular Genealogy Gems podcasts were terrific enough, but I must say the premium content is over the top!"    And Katharaine Ott share some genealogical success she had at   Only a genealogist regards a step backwards as progress.   Now through March 31, 2010 get $10 off by Rootsmagic.   GEM:  Interview with Bryce Roper, Produce Manager, FamilySearch Hear the rest of the interview in Genealogy Gems   Updated every three weeks.     GEM:  Fess Parker Tribute It was almost exactly a year ago that Darby Hinton who played Fess Parker’s son in the Daniel Boone series was on . Darby Hinton shared his admiration for Fess.   My prayers goout to Darby and his family who I know will miss Fess Parker in a very personal way.  He was a big man!     by Fess   at the Archive of American Television website. Genealogy Gems App Users Bonus Content: Video version of Darby's Tribute to Fess Parker.      

All 6 videos are also part of Family Tree Magazine's   Lisa’s recent blog posts about the new TV series Who Do You Think You Are?         Upcoming Conferences: Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree June 11 - 13, 2010 Marriott Los Angeles Burbank Airport Hotel and Convention Center   Ontario Genealogical Society May 14 - 16, 2010 Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 15 is the last day to take advantage of their early-bird registration rates.    MAILBOX:  Marian asks about and citing sources.    Lisa recommends Elizabeth Shown Mills' book   Carol asked for advice in purchasing a new mp3 player for listening to podcasts and audio books.        Cathie asked about adding New Family Search to the toolbar (2013 Update: The toolbar has been discontinued).    Jean wrote in about Who Do You Think You Are? "The more we can support shows of this nature and quality, the better in my estimation.  They make history come alive and as Lisa said gives me an appreciation for what my ancestors endured.  I like to think I have benefitted from their sacrifices and it has helped make me the person I am.  As always, thanks for your informative podcasts.  I can hear the smile in your voice and your enthusiasm is catching.  Keep it up!"    Kevin asked about getting started with British Research Lisa's recommended sites:     Subscription Record Sites:   Nancy wrote in about the two part Hard Drive Organization video series in   Susan in Wisconsin writes "I work at the Family History center in Brookfield, Wisconsin.  I am currently teaching our consultants how to use Roots Magic 4 in an effort to transfer their huge PAF files onto New Family Search. I have been looking at different information regarding the upcoming NBC show "Who Do You Think You Are" and came across this page. I am very interested in learning new searching tools to help our staff and patrons without paying the high cost of conferences. Thanks for all you are doing."   GEM: Paper Preservation Listener Debra wrote in looking for advice on preserving newspaper clippings. Sally Jacobs, The Practical Archivist at Read her article   Sally's Tips:  Decision to make:  keep or reprint   Sources:      Sign up for the e-newsletter and reeive the free e-booklet 8 Blunders People Make When They Scan Photos and How To Avoid Them All   While at Sally's site, check out The Preservation Answer Machine   Encapsulation kits:       GEM:  Genealogy is Reconstructing the Dash Listener Gail Hamilton sent in a gem of poem that will get you thinking not only about your research but about the "dash" you are creating today!   App users check your Bonus Content for special Motivational "Dash" Wallpaper!  

Share Who Do You Think You Are? with Friends and Family Share Genealogy Gems Podcast with your friends and family   Who Do You Think You Are? premieres on NBC on Friday, March 5 at 8:00 pm.   NEWS:    Lisa will be speaking at the in Toronto Canada being held may 14 through the 16, 2010 at the Doubletree by Hilton at the Toronto Airport.      Veterans History Project Marks Tenth Year with Events and Initiatives The Veterans History Project was created in 2000 by Congress as a national documentation program of the to record, preserve, and make accessible the first-hand remembrances of American wartime veterans from World War I through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. Volunteer interviewers may request information at or the toll-free message line at (888) 371-5848.     Family Search they have announced some new record digitization projects: Brasil, Pernambuco, Recife - Registro Civil, 1900-1920 Italia, Napoli, Castellammare di Stabia - Atti di Morte 1809-1936 [Parte B] UK, Bristol - Parish Registers 1837-1900 [Part B] US, Guam and Samoa - 1920 Federal Census US, Kentucky - 1910 Federal Census US, Maryland - 1910 Federal Census US, Massachusetts - 1910 Federal Census US, Tennessee - County Marriages, 1790-1950 [Part A] US, Virgin Islands - 1920 Federal Census     MAILBOX: 3 Ring Binder Tabs Followup   Acid Free, 5-Tab, Pack of 5 The sheet protectors fit 8-1/2" x 11" material and are acid free and archival safe won't lift print from your pages. Escalating Ancestry issues Al Wilson asked for advice in escalating an issue with Ancestry and Lisa provides two strategies for resolving the case of the missing WWI Draft Registration Cards.     Blogs & Tollbars Michael wrote in to say that the thing he loves about listening to podcasts is that something always pops back in his mind a few days after listening.   Michael’s Blog:  Update: The Genealogy Gems Toolbar has been discontinued  Here’s an email from Paul Dunlop who writes: “I just came across your Genealogy Made Easy podcast #001 Get Inspired and Get Started. I began really researching my family just before the holidays…It’s been helpful to listen to the beginner podcasts….Much as I fear I have got the bug and cant stop this!…Great show.”   Paul Dunlop   Rootsmagic and Mark Tucker Barbara Starmans wrote to say she’s migrated to Roots Magic 4 and “I’m enjoying the program more than ever now that it incorporates all the features I was looking for when I wandered away to another software a couple of years ago. “     Barbara says she’s relying on the book Evidence Explained   Lisa's interview with Mark Tucker   Thanks for your great podcasts! Barbara J Starmans You can check out   GEM: Interview with Irene Johnson Part 2   Jerry Springer video links from   Irene's Tips: - Study about maps before you come to make the most of them. - They are out on the floor in big cases with wide skinny drawers.  Don’t hesitate to ask for help. - Use Gazateers in conjunction with maps - You need to understand the geography of a country. - Document everything – where you are getting your information from.    Lisa: "You can’t be lonely being a genealogist!"   Irene's Thoughts on Grandchildren and Adoption: “We have a heritage to leave them”   Irene's Bottom Line:  "Don’t Be Afraid – Ask the Questions!"     Become a Genealogy Gems   GEM: Profile America – The First Telephone Book   and the transcribed list of telephone subscribers in New Haven, CT in 1878      

  MAILBOX:   for the Genealogy Gems Podcast e-Newsletter You’ll get Lisa's 20 page e-book called 5 Fabulous Research Strategies for the Family Historian free in your welcome email.  Follow the techniques in the e-book and you’ll better results with your Google Searches when you’re online doing your research!   And if by chance you have already signed up you haven’t been receiving the newsletter be sure and add genealogygemspodcast at gmail dot com to your email contact list so that your email provider won’t think they are spam.    Thank you to genealogy blogger Joan Miller for her wonderful review of the Genealogy Gems Podcast iPhone App on .     Teri wrote in asking for suggestions for genealogist training and certification.  Lisa recommends the article Shaping Up by Sunny Morton in the March 2010 issue of   at the Seattle campus of the University of Washington   program at Boston University. You can take that program online.   Genealogical certification is offered by:     BCG does offer   Listen to Lisa’s interview with Sunny about the article in the February 2010 episode of   or subscribe for free in   Michelle writes in about her new blog and how much she enjoyed Lisa’s Google Earth presentation on at the recent Family History Expo in Mesa.  “I was so excited about it I went home and shared your tips with my husband who likes Google Earth but had NO IDEA what it could do.  The next time I go hunting for a homestead, I'm going to do it this way.  It's much easier than getting the old state highway maps that also show the township, range, info!  Plus like my hubby pointed out, it would be much more comforting when we are out in the backcountry after riding down 20 miles of dirt roads to have that visual to tell us that yes, we ARE on the right track.”   “As always, I'm looking forward to what wonderful new adventures you will be taking us listeners on in your upcoming podcasts.  You are a treasure chest of information!”   Stay tuned for the release of Lisa’s new Google Earth for Genealogy DVD.       GEM: Interview with Lisa Kudrow   Lisa talks with Lisa Kudrow about her new television series Who Do You Think You Are? premiering March 5, 2010 at 8:00 pm on NBC   Spread the Word!  Email your friends and family and share this episode with them to generate excitement and viewership for this new genealogy themed show.   The Genealogy Gems Podcast is sponsored by Rootsmagic         Lisa will be teaching for Family Tree Magazine called Search Engine Tips & Tricks: Google Techniques to Boost Your Research  on Tuesday February 23, 2010 at 4pm Pacific and 7 pm Eastern.  For more information go to the .   podcast will wrap up with one more episode.  

THANK YOU to all the genealogy bloggers who got the word out about the new Genealogy Gems iPhone app which is now available in the :   Kimberly Powell of the     Miriam Robbins Midkiff of     Schelly Dardashti of the   Amy Coffin of the   Lisa has gotten great feedback from those of you who have already downloaded the .      Apple Announces the iPad   at the BBC       Thank You:        Ancestry Magazine Closes It’s Doors Ancestry Magazine will be publishing it’s last issue in March of 2010. Go to and just type Ancestry in the search box to see past issues online.      MAILBOX:   Question from member Teri : Are there 3 ring binder dividers large enough to use with sheet protectors? Lisa suggests: , 5-Tab Set   Judy in Ocala requested photos of Lisa’s family history wall display describe in   Rebecca Pittman of Chicago asks for leads on researching ancestors who served as U.S. census enumerators.     “Do you have any recommendations for locating records about his role as a Census Enumerator? I’m sure there would’ve been an application form, payroll information, etc. for Census Enumerators. I searched Worldcat for any books on the subject and the National Archives for records and have not had any luck.”   Bill Maury, Chief of History at the U.S. Census Bureau says that   All of the records that are available are at the National Archives in Record Group 29…the records are partial at best but some are both extensive and informative.   features my interview with Bill Maury   Histories of Enumeration Procedures for Each Census: â   in 1930   Records of the Bureau of the Census   (Tip:  Search the page for “Personnel”)    Mary Bowden wrote in to say she has started her own genealogy blog. “Thanks, I loved the live podcast!”     Podcast listener Marie has also    Gordon Churchill asks for recommendations for a way to publish a “book of stories and events that I have been able to find, together with the dates and places, so that grandchildren and others who come to it will find something that has some life in it, not just historical records.”   Lisa suggests Kodak Gallery  for more on publishing a family history book with Kodak Gallery   This Podcast is sponsored by: Tell them you heard about Rootsmagic on the Genealogy Gems Podcast!   GEM: Interview with Irene Johnson     Irene’s Tip:  Do your homework before you visit the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.    Do Your Homework Before You Come: - Scour the online catalog - Decide what you need - Ask for help when you visit   Lisa’s Tip – print out the items you want from the catalogue and prioritize them.  Determine which items are available only in Salt Lake City.   Watch Irene in the   The Library is divided up into sections: B2 - The British Collection B1 - The International Floor – “the only place where you will find all the Swedish records under one roof!”  (they are scattered amongst the various archives across Sweden)    The Vault – There are many films that are not located in the library but rather in the granite vault.   Request ahead of time, or as soon as you arrive.    to Index   The Main/ 1st Floor – Computers and Family Histories

This episode is a LIVE presentation of The Genealogy Gems Podcast presented at the in Mesa, Arizona on Friday, January 22, 2010. Lisa introduces her Stage Manager (and daughter!) Lacey Cooke. 2013 Update: the Genealogy Gems Toolbar has been discontinued. GUEST: Gena Philibert Ortega, Worldvitalrecords - www.worldvital.com Genealogywise - www.genealogywise.com   GUEST: Thomas MacEntee, Geneablogger The Top 10 Genealogy Blog Myths   This LIVE show is sponsored by Lisa chats with Bruce Buzbee about Rootsmagic 4 Download the FREE Rootsmagic Essentials to give it a test drive! GUEST: Anastasia Tyler, Ancestry Anastasia was recently featured on The Martha Stewart Show Anastasia discusses the new NBC TV show Who Do You Think You Are? that premieres on March 5 at 8:00 pm. Jerry Springer Videos Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 She also talks about what's coming up at Ancestry in 2010. The Ancestry Blog: Become a

Happy New Year!! Contest Winners Announced: The winner of the FTM Organize Your Genealogy Life CD: Carroll Berryman The winner of the 2 day admission ticket to the Mesa, AZ Family History Expo: A.C. Ivory of UT 2nd winner: Patty Mitchell of AZ. Lisa will be speaking at the in Toronto, Canada May 14 through the 16th of 2010 at the Doubletree Hilton at the Toronto Airport The Armchair Genealogist: By Lynn Palermo  can now be automatically downloaded to iTunes. For more information sign in and go to the main Podcast page. and receive the downloadable e-book 5 Fabulous Google Research Strategies for the Family Historian. BRAND NEW: The Genealogy Gems Podcast iPhone app is now available for the iPhone and ipod iTouch.   NEWS: ANCESTRY Ancestry's new online family trees website,   Also at ancestry they've announced the release of new and improved images for U.S. Federal Censuses. They’ve got clearer images for 1790-1900, and are working on 1910 through 1930. They’ve also posted better indexes for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1900 FAMILYSEARCH They have some New Projects you may want to know about. Canada, British Columbia—Deaths, 1872-1986 [Part 3] U.S., Indiana, Clark County—Marriages, 1811–1959 U.S., Minnesota—1875 State Census U.S., Rhode Island—1905 State Census [Part 2] U.S., South Dakota—1935 State Census [Part 2] Added newspaper pages online from 117 newspapers and 32 states including: Augusta Chronicle (GA) Seattle Daily Times (WA) City Gazette (SC) New York Herald (NY) New York Herald-Tribune (NY) North Philly Free Press (PA) Political Digest (PA) MAILBOX: Premium Member Patti Wilcox writes in: "Thank you thank you! I'm so happy with the iTunes feed for Premium members. I love being able to easily add to iTunes and now maybe I'll be the first to listen to new episodes!” and recommends Mac users use Safari rather Firefox to initially subscribe to the feed. Genealogy Questions: Long time listeners Richard Yehle has a question about adoption research He writes: "An ex-brother–in-law’s father had two brothers born in 1914 and 1916 who were placed in an orphanage in Stockton CA in an unknown year (I’d guess between 1920 and 1930). The family is looking for information on these two brothers but don’t know where to start. I can’t find either of them in the 1920 or 1930 census, nor their parents for that matter. They moved from New Mexico to Bakersfield CA by 1910 and apparently to Stockton CA at some point later, again my guess is after the death of the mother – but we don’t have that date. The location of the two orphans are not known. I suppose it’s possible that they took the name of their adoptive parents which could be a problem. The original surname is Torres which is also reasonably common. Any suggestions on where to start looking for these two?" Do a - here's one on San Joaquin County orphanages Here's a from 1910. Full text of "" is currently under construction but it looks like they plan on providing information about adoptions in the county. If you have strategies for Richard  Toolbar Emails: The Genealogy Gems toolbar has been discontinued.   GEM: Mona Golabek Listener Belinda recommended a to Lisa featuring pianist Mona Golabek and her unique presentation of her family history. Listen to: CLOSING: Lisa bids goodbye to the origins of her given name – the world’s longest-running daytime soap opera “As the World Turns” starring Eileen Fulton as Lisa Grimaldi (below).  The name "Lisa" was one of the top girl names in the 1960s.

NEWS: for the Genealogy Gems Free e-Newsletter Footnote.com - In honor of Pearl Harbor Day  they are making their interactive available for free for the month of Dec 2009.   MAILBOX:  Michael in Irvine, CA writes in about The Genealogy Gems Toolbar.  2013 Update: The Genealogy Gems Toolbar has been discontinued. Listener Gordon Churchill writes in to ask about using compiled genealogical records in his research. Podcast: Listener about the new ABC show "Find My Family" which aires on Monday nights at 9:00 pm GEM: Interview with Maureen Taylor about Hairstyles book Above: GEM:  Family Storytelling During The Holidays Holly's podcast of the Family History Expos Podcast has been discontinued. This podcast is sponsored by:

Are you ready for Christmas yet? If you would like to help out the podcast while you shop, just click the box below... ...to access the and look for your first item.  When you do that Genealogy Gems will get credit for anything you buy while you're on the Amazon site - and you don't pay anything extra!  Thank you! NEWS: RootsMagic, Inc. announced the immediate availability of , free desktop genealogy software based on their award-winning RootsMagic 4 system. RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake that allow the public to easily start tracing their family trees.   The folks at familysearch have added some new record collections which can be searched for free at the FamilySearch.org Record Search pilot (click Search Records, and then click Record Search pilot). The new records include: - Brazil Catholic Church Records 1805-1979 update - Massachusetts Marriage Records, 1842â1915 - Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records Spain Municipal Records, 1837â1870 - United States 1920 Federal Census for Texas, Ohio, and Iowa Footnote.com recently released "" of historical records. Genealogy Gem Rhinestone Pin.  is no longer available   MAILBOX: Crystal writes in with an update on her family search Liz Pidgeon wrote in about Genealogy Gems Podcast featuring Joe Bott of the website. "There is an Australian equivalent called Photo Rescue though no way as big at: and I know that people also post "unknown" photos to Flickr groups.â AC has been diving into his family history and wrote in with a neat story of what it can mean to an older relative when we spend time with them and ask about family history.   about podcasts. Susan shared a fun free website that features the music of yesteryear Upchucky Radio Hits of the Profile America: 1810 census  about the 1810 census  GEM: Part 2 - David Rencher on David Rencher is the Head Genealogist at familysearch and in today's episode you"ll be hearing part 2 of my interview with him on the past, present and future of familysearch.org. Profile America: Automobile Update: The Genealogy Gems Toolbar has been discontinued.

New to the Podcast?  Click the media player on the right to begin listening or .  ( to learn more about how to download and subscribe to podcasts in iTunes.  to watch a video tutorial) News: Attend one of Lisa's classes: Lisa will be speaking at the , Arizona on January 22 & 23, 2010 Archived Premium episodes are now included in   2013 Update: The Genealogy Gems Toolbar has been discontinued. MAILBOX:  Listener Megan Kyser asks if  the podcast might have a DNA episode someday?  and  she adds, "My whole family listens in the car on trips- yes; even the 5 and under crowd! Lisa covered DNA in of The Genealogy Gems Podcast   She will also be interviewing a DNA specialist for the November episode of which will be out later this month. And Lisa recommends a for her under 5 fans! Listener Rhonda Schneringer of South Dakota and says-"in this podcast, you mention a class you teach called "Sharing the Joy".  You describe it as projects anyone can do to share your genealogical information with family members who aren't "into" genealogy yet.   Can you tell me where I can find information about these projects?" The details of the projects Lisa covers in the presentation can be found in her video Sharing the Joy.  The projects featured in the class included: Decoupage Plate - Chapter 11 Sweet Memories Candy Bars - Chapter 20 (this is a big favorite!) Family History Wall Displays - Chapter 3 Publishing Your Own Family History Book - Chapter 13 A four part video series is available at the at YouTube for the Family History Christmas Wreath project:   GEM:  Interview with David Rencher, Head Genealogist at Family Search David discusses the digitization for FamilySearch, how research has changed, the future of the Family History Library online catalog, and the opportunities that technology offers the genealogy world.  It's a rare opportunity to hear from the decision maker himself about the records that impact your research.   This podcast is sponsored by:

Sit back and enjoy this episode about a Gem of a web site:    Founder Joe Bott tells us what drove him to create the site and some amazing and inspiring stories of Ancestors found! Here's a link to the photograph of that Karen Hammel found on the DeadFred web site. Our Dog Howie was featured in BARK! magazine (below) 

NEWS: Lisa covers digitized newspaper records recently posted at the Library of America's web site As well as news from including new records, the new social networking with records feature, and updated to their Member Connect Feature. Watch Lisa's 2 part video series on Member Connect with David Graham of Ancestry.  Go to the at YouTube and Click on the Videos section. of The Genealogy Gems Podcast at Facebook.    MAILBOX:Lisa stops by Mike O'Laughlin's to ask the Irish research expert for some advice for listener Maria Romano about her Hickson and Carey ancestors from Clanmorris, County Kerry, Ireland.    Mike has some great leads for Maria and anyone with Irish ancestors. Then Lisa shares some advice from German Genealogist Baerbel Johnson of the in Salt Lake City on German research in response to listener Teri Chaffin's question about her Matzdorff family. Danny from Baltimore wrote in to comment on Genealogy Gems Podcast and the story about the man who found his family history book digitized on . "Copyright infringement and plagiarism is always a topic near and dear to every genealogist.  A discussion on "fair use" typically results in a heated debate but to assume that since a library has a copy of a book and that an arrangement between the library, a company (Google) and various literary organizations permitting the digitalization of the library's collection automatically implies the granting of digital rights to that collection is flabbergasting.â  Danny from Baltimore Web sites mentioned:   (9/3/09) about Google books from the BBC  Tina Kelly writes to say how excited she was to be able to get some of the archived Premium Episodes from the   Premium Episodes now on Lulu:And more episodes are coming soon! Limited Time Savings:  Save 14.92% on your order (up to $25) with coupon code PINTA  Sale Ends Oct. 12, 2009. And Russ Karr writes to share the highs and lows of his research, and his curiousity about an ancestor that died in an Insane Asylum in San Jose in 1920. Resources mentioned by Lisa: on The Genealogy Insider Blog Attend Lisaâs classes:Redding, CaliforniaOctober 16 & 17, 2009 Listener and Premium member Pat Dalpiaz shares how she proudly wears her new Genealogy Gem Rhinestone Pin whenever she has a new discovery, and shares two of her most recent discoveries generated by working on her family history blog. $11.95 + $1.50 shipping to the Continental U.S. Designed personally by Lisa Louise Cooke and made with high quality Czechoslovakian and Austrian crystals, this custom rhinestone pin is bound to generate genealogical conversation when worn. Measures approximately 2" x 1", secured with pin back.  Limited quantities!  

Something new this week...I'm trying out a videocast of the Genealogy News segment of The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 73. Click the video file attached to these show notes (which ends with the "mp4" extension) to play on your computer or download to your Video iPod from iTunes (should be available in iTunes Oct. 8 mid day) I want to hear from you! Did you watch the videocast? Do you enjoy getting your genealogy news this way? Did you download it to a Video iPod? Email your comments to genealogygemspodcast at gmail dot com or leave a recorded message on the voicemail line: 925-272-4021. Thanks for watching this special addition of The Genealogy Gems Podcast! Lisa

News: Read Lisa's Blog post "" by Tamie Dehler, Tribune-Star  Mailbox: A listener writes in to share her experience with Genealogy Wise Join the at Genealogy Wise. Check out the free program that listeners are raving about.  GEM: Probate Records with Jana Broglin, CG How to Find Probate Records: Research the local jurisdiction Find where wills are filed Look in Index of Testators or General Index to Wills Request the packet Jana's Tips: Don't overlook Vouchers / Receipts Ask for numerous short pages to be photocopied onto one page Just because you find a guardianship record, don't assume both parents are deceased. Visit GEM: Sorting your bookmarks alphabetically in Safari (Mac) Thanks to listener Eiya Loki How to Sort Bookmarks: 1.  On the top of your screen click on Bookmarks 2.  In Bookmarks drop down menu click on Show All Bookmarks3.  In the left pane under Collections click on Bookmarks Menu 4.  click on any bookmark in the right pane 5.  Go directly up to Edit at the top of your screen and click on it 6.  Click on Select All from the drop down menu 7.  Open up Finder and make a folder on your desktop called "bookmarks" 8.  Double click on the folder to open it up. 9.  Then on your keyboard press Command-J. This will open a little window.10. About in the middle of this window you will see the words Arrange By: with a drop down menu right next to it, click the drop down menu option Name.11. Now go back to Safari and drag a third of Safari's window out of screen 12. Position the finder in the empty half of the screen. 13. Go back to the Bookmarks Menu 14. Click and drag all of your bookmarks in the Finder window. 15. There the will be automatically sorted even the bookmarks inside folders! 16. Go back to Safari and re Select All to your bookmarks just as you did before but this time after you have all you bookmarks highlighted 17. Go back up to Edit & click Delete in the drop down window. 18. Go back to the Finder window and Select All just as you did before 19. Drag the bookmarks back into Bookmarks Menu in Safari.

  And at this conference I am debuting a brand new item that I've been working on for months and it's ready, and it will be available for the first time at the .  It's actually inspired by you - you know you are all such gems to listen in to the show, and I was thinking about that, and it just seemed to me that there ought to be something wonderful to wear that shows off what a real genealogy gem you are.   So this weekend I'm making available for the first time the Genealogy Gem rhinestone jewelry pin My grandmother always wore sparkling costume jewelry and I was fortunate enough to inherit it, and this pin fits right in with all the wonderful vintage pieces.  So if you would like your very own pin to declare to the world that you are someone you care about is a genealogy gem, be sure and stop by the Genealogy Gems booth in the exhibit hall.   Pin is sold out and no longer available. MAILBOX:   Russ from Tucson, AZ wrote in to ask about how to locate some Californians in his family tree, and a very happy outcome followed: Well the "little angels" were in my court because the same day I emailed you I was listening to your old archives in the premium member section when I heard you mention the "acts of random kindness" which I emailed the same day, well someone who lived near the cemetery was able to get a hold of a record of my great grandfather's burial date but said there was no date of death.  Using that date, I manually went into the Oakland Tribune obituary archives and went back a few days before the burial date and there was his obituary! Kay wrote in to share her experiences with Member Connect on Ancestry.  to Lisa GEM: Member Connect with Ancestry Part 2Interview with David Graham, Director of Product Management In this episode, we wrap our personal tour of Ancestry's new Member Connect feature. GEM: Family History Thoughts with Lee Drew In this gem I am happy to feature another wonderful blog post from genealogy blogger Lee Drew called "Choices and Consequences."   I'm going in for some surgery in early September and I know that recovery may take around 4 weeks, so you may not be hearing from me as regularly as usual, but I hope that you stay in touch and be patient until I'm up on my feet again.  I'm going to try to get some things wrapped up before hand, so hopefully you members won't notice any difference in the regularity of premium shows and videos.  And actually I'm having a blast with this new video series coming up and I know you'll love it.  I appreciate your understanding and patience and really canât wait until I can get back to the microphone with more genealogy gems. Thanks so much for listening friend, I'll talk to you soon!  

Google announced last week that it has quadrupled its searchable archive of historical news articles, many of which are free to access.From the The National Archives just announced that it has launched what it calls a Narations blog.  The is going to focus on online public access to records of the U.S. National Archives MyHeritage.com, has announced the release of Family Tree Builder 4.0.   The Family Tree Builder software is available for about Google's new improved search BBC News  MAILBOX:Sean shared his recent discoveries and then had some questions about the 1930 census and the Office Use Only columns.   GEM:  The site is described as "Census microdata for social and economic research".  It's an excellent and little known web site that is dedicated to collecting and distributing US census data. Its goals are to: Collect and preserve data and documentation Harmonize data   Disseminate the data absolutely free    But as the column implies, the census taker was instructed not to write in column 26D so in this case the instructions can't help much.  Column 26D was filled in by the staff at the census bureau after the census taker completed the task.  The codes written in the column were to assist them in tabulating statistical information which they reported to Congress. Unfortunately these numbers really don't provide additional information because they just reflect what was written in the Occupation columns by the census taker GEM: Tools for Occupation CodesBut if you have a curious streak and would like to see exactly what the codes meant I've got a gem for you.  Steve Morse the author of the One Step Tools shares your curiosity and he created a page on his website called  You can learn what the occupation codes in Column 26D mean by visiting this page:     GEM: Agricultural Census (Non-Population Census)Farm # - It refers to the Special census called the Farm ScheduleListen to Family Tree Magazine podcast #12 Census secrets with Curt Witcher for more information. at the National Archives at the National Archives   GEM: Member Connect with David Graham. Director of Product Management at Ancestry.com gives us a tour of the new Member Connect feature.    This episode is sponsored by Rootsmagic

NEWS: For the month of August 2009 Footnote.com is providing free access to the 1930 census images.  To get the free access just go to   and register with your email address.  by Diane Haddad at Family Tree Magazine.  National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections  (NUCMUC) is celebrating it's 50th year. National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections is a free Library of Congress program.  Information about the manuscript collections of participating US libraries is being entered into the catalog search engine. Family History: Genealogy Made Easy - Features the Footnote Maven on the Genea-musings blog about the episode of the Family History podcast features the very gifted writer Denise Levenick who write the blog, and also has an alter ego known as Penny Dreadful who writes occasionally for the Footnote Maven's blog. And you get two bloggers in this episode because it also features my interview with Schelly Talalay Dardashti who writes the blog on Jewish genealogy.  Both these ladies are very experienced bloggers and will give you great tips on blogging, including dispelling the myth that you have to be technically inclined to blog!   Google Books: on the subject    So what do you think about this?  Have you published your family history?  Does it matter to you who owns the digital rights to your work?  I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.  or call the voice mail line at 925 272-4021 to have your thoughts included on the show. GEM:  Profile AmericaAugust 1 - First US Census GEM: Tony Burroughs is an internationally known genealogist, author, and former adjunct genealogy professor at Chicago State University. He lectures throughout the United States and Canada on all aspects of genealogy.   He is the author of the book Black Roots: A Beginners Guide to Tracing the African American Family Tree published by the Fireside Division of Simon & Schuster and I recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Tony about his work and his approach to the research process.   Tony was so much fun to talk to  and has so much knowledge about such a variety of subjects.   If you'd like to see my interview with Tony that was filmed at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree you can view it in it's entirety at the . GEM: My Mother Was A Quilter by Lee Drew his   and his blog GEM:  Profile AmericaAugust 2 - The First News Reel for the free Genealogy Gems e-Newsletter:  To stay up on everything going on at Genealogy Gems be sure and sign up for the free e-newsletter. Just go to the website and click the Sign up button in the column on the left and when you do that youâll get the 20 page e-book on Google Research strategies as a thank you gift.  See Lisa in person: Family History Expo Sandy, Utah just outside Salt Lake City August 28 & 29, 2009 with your questions and comments  

NEWS: The Genealogy Guys are going to be at the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Little Rock, AR  Sept 2-5 2009 recording their show before a live audience on Sept 3 at 3:30 pm. Listen to Drew Smith interview Lisa on the Genealogy Guys Podcast   The Library of Congress has launched "The on iTunes U, featuring historic video and sound recordings.  Lisa discusses the start up and rocky road of the new social networking website for genealogists called Genealogy Wise by familylink.com to Terry Thornton  So where do we go from here?  Well, I still wholeheartedly encourage genealogists to network Where Are Paper of Record's Records?It"s all still pretty murky.  But it seems to be a pretty unanimous decision that Paper of Record was really a terrific newspaper website and though Google and WVR so far are not offering the same kind of search capabilities, they both seem to have some of the content.  So my recommendation is to check first - which is free, and then check to see if WVR has the newspaper you're looking for.  Lisa's Video on the Google News Timeline (Update: The Timeline has been discontinued.) If you have information about the progress being made with the paper of records content I'd love to hear from you so I can update everyone here on the show.   or call the voice mail line at 925-272-4021 to leave a message that I can play on the show. GEM: Profile America40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing - July 20 Visit NASA's website's Watch the Launch- as you would have seen it on July 16, 1969, at 9:26 AM EDT T-minus 00:5:59 and counting   GEM: Interview with Geneablogger Thomas MacEnteeThomas talks about how to do genealogy blogging, his own numerous blogs, and some tips for you to get started blogging about your own family history.  Watch the video version of this interview at the    Thomas MacEnteeâs Blogroll:                             GEM: The July 2009 Family Tree Magazine Podcast EpisodeSnippet of my interview with Eric Grundset, Library Director at the Eric's fave collection: GRC National Index 2 Volume - Vital Records of Americans in China and Korea Mark your calendars: Join Lisa at the Family History Expo in Sandy, Utah just outside Salt Lake City August 28 & 29, 2009.  

For more info on next year's Jamboree: Read Lisa's Blog Posts about this year's Jamboree: Listen to Lisa's one on one interview with Tukufu in   NEWS: Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Members can watch the webinar  in the members-only area. Lisa's article called Grave Transformations appears in the September 2009 issue of Family Tree Magazine on news stands now. Watch the video for step-by-step instructions. GEM: Interview with Randy Seaver, Genealogy Blogger Randy's Blogs:  

Published June 7, 2009 GEM: 65th Anniversary of D-Day I've written a  about the D-Day anniversary that includes an article that appeared in the Yorkshire Post about how the memory of WWII is slipping through the cracks of time.  In my own family my grandfather's brother Elzie Cecil Moore who we called Uncle Elzie participated in the invasion of Normandy and received the bronze star and a purple heart for a shot he took to his shoulder during the invasion.  Shortly after that he received a second purple hear for a shot he received through his face.  Growing up I always noticed that scar on his chin and thought it was a cute dimple, not realizing until I started asking questions about family history that it was from a bullet. Above:  Elzie in Boot Camp My Grandmother Pauline Moore worked at the Kaiser Shipyard in Richmond, California building the Navy ships that sailed the Pacific.  She was the secretary to the Dock Yard Manager for Yard #2 and that meant that she helped hire and process all the Rosies.   In fact, when the Yard was finally closed down at the end of the war, Grandma was the last women through the gates.  Like so many women she sacrified time with my dad was born in 1939 and was not yet in school.  But she often told me it was one of the happiest times in her life because everyone was pulling together.       Above:  Grandma Pauline during WWII Check out the post on the Genealogy Gems Blog where you will find a link to the Yorkshire Post as well as a video of the events of D Day.     NEWS: On the genealogy conference front there are several great events coming up:     The Family History Expo in Loveland, Colorado June 12 - 13, 2009.   The Southern California Genealogical Jamboree in Burbank, CA on  June 26 - 28, 2009 which I'll be attending. I'll be teaching two classes on Google, a beginning and Advanced, and I'll also be on the panel for the Son of a Blogger Summitt with Dick Eastman, Steve Danko, DearMyrtle, George Morgan and others.  And when I'm not doing that I'll be at the Family Tree Magazine booth in exhibit hall.    I'll also be at the Family History Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah August 28 & 29, 2009  Genealogy Records Update: In May of 2009 announced that it has published millions of records from Southern states to its free online collection.         The most recent additions to the Indexing Project:     Alabama Statewide Deaths 1908 to 1974 (Index)  Arkansas County Marriages: 1837 to 1957  Civil War Pension Index Cards (Digital Images)  Florida Deaths 1877 to 1939 (Index)  Florida State Censuses: 1855, 1935, 1945 (Digital Images)  Georgia Deaths 1914 to 1927  Louisiana War of 1812 Pension Lists (Images)  North Carolina, Davidson County Marriages and Deaths, 1867-1984 (Digital Images)  Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 (Index)  Texas Deaths 1890 to 1976   West Virginia Births 1853 to 1990 (Index)  West Virginia Marriages 1853 to 1970 (Index)  West Virginia Deaths 1853 to 1970 (Index) Thank you for supporting this free podcast by clicking the and other sponsor links to do your online shopping! GEM: Interview with Kathy Meade of Genline.com Lisa talks with Kathy about new Transcription Service Also check out Lisa's other interview with Kathy Meade in the June 2009 episode of the          You need to be registered, but no credit card is required to register.    Visit with Kathy in person at the upcoming Family History Expo in Loveland, Colorado on June 12 - 13, 2009.  She will also be at the in Burbank, CA June 26 - 28, 2009.  Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member GEM: Paper of Record / Google News Archive of what is currently online in the Google News Archive, as well as content that will be added in the next three months, and the records that at this point in time will not be added due to lack of display rights.         

This special Memorial Day episode is dedicated to the men and women who lost their lives defending our country. (This podcast episode is an Enhanced Version which will include images that will appear on your Video iPod screen or in iTunes artwork area.  Download the mp4 file to your hard drive or download in iTunes)

This special Memorial Day episode is dedicated to the men and women of the armed forces who lost their lives defending our country.(This podcast episode is audio only)  

Published May 11, 2008 MAILBOX: Lisa reads an email from Mark Winter in Hixson, TN TIP:  "I use my digital camera to help document my findings.  It is also very helpful in copying photographs so I don't have to take the originals.” QUESTION:  “I have had several relatives ask for book of the family.  In a podcast do you discuss considerations in what kind of "book" to produce?” ANSWER: The Genealogy Gems Podcast I cover publishing family history books using Kodak Gallery.  I think these books are great for creating something beautiful and easy to read to share with non-genealogist relatives.  They love them because they can read them in one sitting and they can be packed full of wonderful old family photos. Of course there are many different approaches you can take when publishing a family history book and the Kodak books are just one approach.  Stay tuned because I plan on covering publishing more in depth in the future on the If you want to share your genealogy stories or have a question do like Mark did and . GEM: Profile America - Odometer Inventor William Clayton  GEM: Interview with George Morgan   Today  

April 26, 2009 Get a free copy of my e-book 5 Fabulous Google Strategies for the Family Historian as a thankyou for NEWS:  Lisa discusses 9 newspaper databases being launched by Genealogy Bank  MAILBOX FOLLOWUP:  Russ Worthington's answers to a listener's question on familial relationships in Family Tree Maker.    Listen to GEM: Online Downloadable Source Citations It's A Gem of An Idea!  Mark Tucker who writes the ThinkGenealogy blog posted a provocative video on April 20, 2009.  The blog post is entitled .    The heart of his proposal is this:  In order to encourage quality genealogy research among their customers, shouldn't the websites that sell access to genealogical records online also provide a source citation for those records that the user can download and include in their research?  As it stands today, when we download let's say a page from a census record or a page from a newspaper, there's often times nothing on the digitized image itself to indicate which database it came from, or even a location or date.  Mark emailed me to say âever since our interviews in St. George, I have not stopped thinking of ways to get the message out for simplifying citing sources using Evidence Explained.  And he sent me a link from Elizabeth Shown Mills. Randy Seaver's comments on the subject at the    This last week I had a chance to sit down and interview genealogy blogger and lecturer for the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast and I took the opportunity to ask him for his input.  We really need to hear from at this point are the genealogy subscription records websites themselves.  It's their product that we are talking about.  And in the end, these digitized genealogy records we are talking about citing sources for are indeed "products."   And for companies like Ancestry and World Vital Records / familylink.com this is about business.  I contacted both Ancestry and World Vital Records to do brief interviews with their reps about this proposed idea, and how they see it potentially fitting in to their future business plan, and also to hear what they think of this grass roots effort amongst their valued customers - In these tough economic times it must be great to see the interest that their customers have in their product and their willingness to stay engaged with them and provide input as to what elements could be added to their products to add increased value and draw for their customers. I've done many interviews with folks from Ancestry with the help of their very efficient and responsive publicist, as well as interviews with folks at familylink.  Most recently I had a great time interviewing the COO of familylink Steve Nickle who gave us a terrific sneak peek at their newest venture called Genseek.  And you can listen to that interview in Genealogy Gems Podcast .   In this episode I will play for you the responses from both Ancestry and familylink / World Vital Records to my inquiry about whether record sites providing source citations for the records they provide to their customers.  Yep, you heard it correctly.  For the first time in two years of this podcast not only did they not provide a telephone interview, they didn't respond to my inquiry at all.   That's never happened before.  The silence is deafening! As a genealogy media producer I'm pretty disappointed in both Ancestry and World Vital Records responses because any time they send out a press release or want to talk about a new venture they are launching I have welcomed the information and provided it here on the show and on my blog, as so many of us who podcast and blog do â and that kind of passing the word on has got to help their bottomline.  This is the first time that I haven't had a reply within 24 hours of an interview inquiry with Ancestry.  And I think that tells us a lot! Elizabeth Shown Mills:  "I suspect they'll do that catch-up (and she's referring to how these companies will have to go back and cite sources for the thousands of databases they've built up over the years) only if newer companies adopt Mark's recommendation and the older companies then feel the pressure to compete." So what do you think?  This is one of those questions that affects all of us.  or leave your comment on the Genealogy Gems voice mail line at (925) 272-4021 and I will play it on the next episode.  Let your voice be heard!  GEM:  Google News Timeline The Google News Timeline has been discontinued. GEM: Interview with Maureen Taylor Maureen discusses her upcoming appearance at the Southern California Genealogical  GEM:  Profile America Casey Jones  Share the Podcast...If you enjoyed what you heard in todayâs show and you find this free podcast helpful then be sure and spread the word.  Podcasts are still fairly new to most folks, and your friends, and genealogy society may just need someone like you to introduce them to the wonderful world of free podcasts.  So I hope you'll help me get the word out by sharing the website address

Published April 12, 2009 SHOW NOTES Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast The Genealogical Proof Standard is a tool that the pros use and I really want to encourage all researchers professional or not, to follow it as well because it causes you to stop and think before passing on information.  In episode 23 I'm providing you with a free downloadable research worksheet that incorporates the elements of the GPS while prompting you to find and even more importantly document those sources.  NEWS:  In March Ancestry reported that they added or updated more than 775 databases and or book titles on Ancestry.com. That's an average of more than 35 titles each weekday. New and Updated Content and Web Site Improvements at Ancestry are covered. MAILBOX:  Listener Question regarding Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum Edition. "I have at least one instance in my husband's tree where two first cousins married. This, of course means that some of the tree overlaps itself. I can not get the FTM software to recognize that the people are the same-Do you or any of your listeners know if I am just missing something or can it not be done?" If you have an answer to this dilemma please at or call in and leave the answer on the voicemail line to be played on the next episode at (925) 272-4021  GEM: Interview with Tukufu Zuberi By now you have probably heard that the Southern California Genealogical Society is holding their annual Jamboree on June 26 through the 28.  But what you may not know is that there's a lot more to the Jamboree than just great classes and the exhibitors.  For example, at the Friday night banquet they have arranged for a very special keynote speaker - and I'm really excited to have him on the show with me today.  You know his as one of the sleuths on the PBS series , Tukufu Zuberi. Dr. Tukufu Zuberi is an important academic voice. He is the Lasry Family Professor of Race Relations, Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology, and the Faculty Associate Director of the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania He is best recognized for his research on African and American society, and for developing and expanding the Africana Studies program at the University of Pennsylvania and receive the FREE 20 page downloadable e-book 5 Fabulous Google Research Strategies for the Family Historian

March 28, 2008 . The show is all about making improvements and changes in your life and I got a chance to share what genealogy has meant in my life and how it can be a positive journey for everyone regardless of their background.   Jim Mowatt over at the HistoryIne podcast invited Lisa to be a part of the show.  Jim has always been a macro history guy, but he has finally caught the genealogy bug and he invited me to come on and give a pitch to his listeners about why researching their own family history can be fascinating and actually dove tail into their love of world history.   Historyzine Episode 14.   Genealogy Gems was featured in the March 20, 2009 World Vital Records Newsletter.  I recently interviewed Steve Nickle the President and Chief Operating Officer for familylink about their brand new website that will be launched here in the next few months called GenSeek. .     In today's episode it's time to shake off Winter and we're going to do some Genealogical Channel Surfing!   GEM: Part 3 of Lisa's Interview with Darby Hinton, Actor and Producer   Grab your surf board and get ready to ride the wave of the final segment of my interview with Darby Hinton who played Fess Parker's son for 6 years on the old Daniel Boone series.  In today's episode Darby is going to tell us all about his brand new television series that he's working on called Hintons Living History.    Darby Hinton shared what it was like growing up in Hollywood the son of an actor, and a child actor himself.   I got a chance to share the research that I did on the Hinton Family Tree with Darby & his wife Shan. In this final interview, Darby explains how his background in Hollywood and his interest in his family history have merged together in an exciting new television series that he's producing called .   GEM: Hang Ten with Ken Marks, Executive Producer of Legend Seekers.  We spent of my Family History Genealogy Made Easy podcast talking to Ken about this new show that features the discovery and portrayal of real life family history stories.  In today's interview, Ken is going to give us a personal look at their brand new website that just launched this week, and how YOU can submit your own family stories for inclusion in the series!   So grab your remote and get ready to channel surf the genealogy wave!     GEM:  Profile AmericaA Favorite Drink Goes on Sale March 30, 2009  GEM: Who Do You Think You Are TV Series Scheduled   Bloggers are reporting that the new Who Do You Think You Are TV series which is coming to America from the UK has won it's spot back on the Spring calendar.   It's great to see this wave of genealogy shows hitting the airwaves, and my hope is that it will bring genealogy to the forefront of the television viewers minds as a fun and challenging endeavor.   for the free Genealogy Gems e-Newsletter  

Published March 14, 2009 I am just back from attending the Family History Expo in St. George Utah.  And once again my Google classes were packed!  In fact I got word that both my Google: A Goldmine of Genealogy Gems Parts 1 and 2 classes broke attendance records. Here are some of the folks you're going to hear from on today's show- We talked about how to set up a genealogy iGoogle page, Google Alerts, Site Search and a wide range of brand new Google tools that can be used to move your research forward. MAILBOX:  I got an email from Tina Kelly who lives in the United Kingdom and she has a question about obtaining vital records here in the U.S. and since I have lots of listeners outside the U.S. I thought this would be worth sharing. GEM: Interview with Steve Nickle, President of Familylink.com  Steve Nickle, President of Familylink.com shares some exciting news about a new website they are preparing to launch called GenSeek.   GEM:  Part 2 Interview with Darby Hinton of Daniel Boone Fame  In our last we got to spend some time with Darby Hinton who was a child star back in the 1960s, and for six of those years he played Isreal the son of Daniel Boone played by Fess Parker in the hit TV series Daniel Boone.  In part 2 of my interview with Darby and his wife Shan I get to share what I found on the Hinton Family History. I've got more genealogy podcasting for you over at the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast. In Episode 21 I'm going to share a tool with you that will help you navigate your genealogy research.  It's called the Genealogical Proof Standard, or GPS.  And my special guest on the show is Mark Tucker of the ThinkGenealogy blog who has created a terrific visual map of the GPS.    Listen to because that's how you'll find out about what's coming up in the show, where I'll be speaking and some of the cool websites and tips that are only mentioned in newsletter. 

Published March 2, 2009 In this 60th episode we celebrate the two year birthday of the Genealogy Gems Podcast.  And Lisa's very special guest is Darby Hinton who played the son of Daniel Boone on the hit TV series Daniel Boone that ran from 1964 to 1970.   Darby is currently working on a television pilot for a new series called Hinton Living History. In today's episode is part one of Lisa's interview with Darby, who talks about his TV career which started before he could even walk.  Darby has appeared in in movies like the Son of Flubber, and classic TV shows like Mr. Ed, Wagon Train, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and The Big Valley.  But of course we all know him as Isreal the son of Daniel Boone, played by the wonderful Fess Parker.  He had a fascinating childhood meeting the likes of Walt Disney and having Charleton Heston for a godfather.  GEN CLASS WINNER:  Linda Scham of Illinois is the winner of the two free genealogy classes courtesy of  Congratulations Linda! MAILBOX:  Listener Teresa Redway emailed a brickway about her ancestor Isaac Lovell born in 1844 in Bristol, England. Lisa recommends  investigating both Isaac and Alfred further in England.  Look in church records for Alfred as a witness to the events of others in the church. Locate birth records in Allegheny County, PA:  Start with the site to find out more about the records available in that county as well as the history of county.    Another option is the website. Click through to Pennsylvania and to find more information on the vital records for the county. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, PA hold birth records for Pittsburg from 1870 to 1905.  Fee: $5 US which is a non-refundable fee for search and copy of a Birth record.  For Historical Context, Teresa can check out what was going on in Pennsylvania from 1869-1874 at the website.  About.com website has a timeline on .  also has a chronology of the cityâs history and lots of other great info.  The March 2009 issue of article called "Hard Times" by Fern Glazer on page 29.  GEM: Interview with Darby Hinton of Daniel Boone Fame  Darby Hinton was just seven years old when he signed on to play Isreal, the son of Daniel Boone which ran from Sept 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC.  And over 165 episodes he worked and played alongside the 6 foot 6" actor Fess Parker on the film sets in California and Utah.    In this episode you'll hear part 1 of my three part interview with Darby Hinton  and his lovely wife Shan.  Today we're going to start back at the beginning as Darby shares his memories of how he broke into the TV business, and what it was like to be working on the set of Daniel Boone. Watch The with Fess Parker on YouTube  

Published Feb 15, 2008 Family Reunions I'd love to hear from you if you've held a family reunion.  What kinds of activities did you plan, and what kinds of things did you wish you had thought of back in the planning stage?  I've been toying with the idea of having a family reunion on my mom's side of the family, but I could really use some good advice on the subject.  So   if you've organized a family reunion before and tell me about your experiences.  Conferences: The Southern California Genealogical  Society is well into their planning for their 40th Annual Genealogy Jamboree which will be held June 26-28, 2009, at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, in Burbank, California   I wrote about Amazon.com's recent announcement that the New Kindle 2 is ready for pre-order.  if you have or have used a Kindle.   Any time you from one of our website links and purchase something you help keep this genealogy podcast free.  Thank you very much for your support! Lincoln's Birthday:    Ancestry has just announced that they have posted five of those databases: 1.  Abraham Lincoln Papers (from the Library of Congress) 2. The New Orleans Slave Manifests, covering 1807 3. The Confederate Pension Applications from Georgia         4. The Confederate Applications for Presidential Pardons 5. The U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Family History: Genealogy Made Easy The Family History Library including catalog research tips that will help you get even better search results!   GEM: Profile America - The First U.S. Presidential Picture   GEM: Interview with Holly Hansen - Family History Expos Watch videos at at YouTube to the conference speakers and exhibitors at podcast. Feb 27 & 28, 2009:  St. George, UT |May 9, 2009: Logan, UT June 12 & 13, 2009:  Colorado Aug 28 & 29, 2009:  Salt Lake City, UT Oct 16 & 17, 2009:  Redding, California Jan.  22 & 23, 2010: Mesa, AZ GEM:  GenClass with Lisa Alzo   GEM: Profile America - Number Please?

Published Jan 31, 2009 #1  Diane Haddad's Family Tree Magazine The latest edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture has been published over at Small-leaved Shamrock   The next edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture will be a St. Patrick's Day "virtual parade" online. Anyone who would like to particiate is welcome, whether or not they have Irish roots.  For more information on how to participate or to check out the latest carnival head over to . Recent Genealogy Gems News Blog postings: I wrapped up my for the new year on Jan 21, 2009  I also Who Do You Think You Are?  Set your recorders to Monday nights at 8PM on NBC starting April 20.  There are some milestones going on these days as well.  The Library of Congress just crossed the 25,000 mark for books digitized.  A good article appeared about that on the Voice of America website: What's new at Lisa's podcast.  : I you a comprehensive overview of online family trees.  And then we go straight to the source with an in depth interview with Kenny Freestone, Senior Product Manager at Ancestry.com whose primary responsibility is their online family tree tool.  :  We continue exploring our tree options with Scott Huskey of Photoloom.com.  They offer an incredible online visual approach to trees and research that centers around your own personal family photos.  Then I talk to Sasha Masick of GeneTree, who spices up their family tree tool with a DNA testing component.  :  You've got to tune in to hear how to go from one name and birth year, to three generations of family in 1 hour or less.  It's absolutely possible, and I'll show you how in this episode.  Then as we finish up with online family trees, I thought it was important to go over the techniques for following up on all those great connections you can make by posting your family tree online.  We'll get started in Episode 14 talking about how to locate telephone numbers online, the prep work you need to do before you start to dial, breaking the ice and conducting the interview.  Then we'll finish up in Episode 15 on Feb 6 with what we as the interviewer should be doing during the call,  what to do if No Answers, we'll cover the "Must Ask" Questions, and how to wrap up the call.     NEW RECORDS ONLINE The folks over at the officially launched their website this month.  And they have added many of the counties that were unavailable during beta testing including Lancashire, Essex, Kent, Yorkshire (West Riding), Nottinghamshire and Herefordshire so you can now access those British census records from 1911. Update: World Vital Records is now part of MyHeritage. Recently added 20 newspaper databases from Mexico and Canada  ranging from 1833-1994: Agricultor Mexicano y Hogar (Ciudad JuÃrez, Chihuahua, Mexico) Apuntes Viejos (General, Mexico) Arte (Mocorito, Sinaloa, Mexico) British Columbian (New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada) Bytown Gazette (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) Cambridge Daily Reporter (Cambridge(Galt, Hespeler, Preston), Ontario, Canada) Canada Gazette (Ottawa, Federal Government Publications, Canada) Canadian Correspondent (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Charlottetown Examiner (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada) Correo Espanol (General, Mexico) Correspondent and Advocate (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Daily Mirror (London, England - London Area, UK) Diario del Hogar (Mexico D.F., Mexico) Drumheller Mail (Drumheller, Alberta, Canada) Edmonton Bulletin (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) Educador Practico Ilustrado (Mexico D.F., Mexico) Fin de Siglo (General, Mexico) Grand River Sachem (Caledonia, Ontario, Canada) Halifax British Colonist (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) Halifax Citizen (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) MAILBOX:Lisa answers an email from Rollei in Australia about photo preservation and Maria asks for advice on how to inquire about delicate subjects with an elderly relative. FAMILY HISTORY: Genealogy Made Easy   GEM: Profile AmericaFeb 3:  Income Tax History Gem:  Family History ValentineReview Genealogy Gems Podcast The gem was called Christmas in July and I showed you how to make cover a store bought candy bar with a home made Christmas Label that would evoke genealogical memories.  The candy bar made a great stocking stuffer.  Well, I'm up for chocolate any time of year, and Valentines day is a perfect time I think to take a new twist on that idea.  This time we have a new theme to inspire us - the theme of Valentines Day and love.  I'm guessing thereâs a romantic couple or two in your family tree.  Perhaps your bar could pay tribute to one of them or to a few couples.    You could give these candy bars celebrating the love of the past to your family of today.  Your kids and their spouses, grandkids, you get the idea.  Think how surprised and thrilled an elderly aunt or uncle would be to be remembered on Valentines day with a small package in the mail containing a family history candy bar.  Valentine my grandmother received in school If your feeling a little more grand than a simple candy bar, consider buying a heart shaped box of candy, tracing the lid, and creating a label that could cover the entire label with a custom message of ancestral love.  Use heavy weight or photo paper and attach it with a light coat of rubber cement or use double sided tape.  If the box is just a bit bigger than a piece of printer paper you could put the digital file you create on your computer of the label onto a flash drive and take it into your local copy store to print out in the correct size. Here again is your chance to share some of your family's heritage with your family today.  Kindle their interest in the familyâs history while showing them that you care with a sweet memories candy bar or valentine box. If you do create some sweet memory candy bars this Valentine's day be sure and snap a photo and .    I really enjoy seeing what you guys come up with! GEM:  Profile AmericaFeb 5:     

GEM: Profile America  Jan 12 Frisbees     GEM: Profile America Jan 13 Fuller Brush  GEM:  Interview with Sally Jacobs, The Practical Archivist PHOTO Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcastBe sure and listen to my other family history podcast called where in each episode what you need to know step-by-step to climb your family tree.  Also in at YouTube  

Published Dec 13, 2008 GEM: Name That Tune I'll See You In My Dreams was a big hit for Cliff Edwards who also performed it on the ukuele.  In fact he was known as "Uulele Ike." If you think you know the name of today's mystery song,  call and leave the answer on the voice mail line at 925-272-4021.    Dec. 24, 1968   In 1968 the three man crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans in history to orbit the moon.  Their hastily-planned mission saw them enter lunar orbit on Christmas Eve after a three day voyage from earth.  In one of a number of scheduled live TV broadcasts from the spacecrafts, the crew pointed their black and white camera at the lunar horizon and read the first ten verses of the Bible's book of Genesis.   History of British Christmas Traditions I thought it would be fun to ask my friend James Mowatt of the to tell us alittle bit about the history of Christmas in Britain, and describe how our British ancestors might have celebrated the holiday.   From 1940: Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret's Christmas Speech (Below: Princess Elizabeth along with her younger sister Margaret sending Christmas Greetings over the radio airwaves.)       From 1917:  Christmas, Christmas, Blessed Blessed Day      From 1916:  Christmas Eve  Music Box   A solo performed by Robert Gayler on the Celesta - Fantasie on old German Christmas Carols.     A celesta is  a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard.   It looks very much like a miniature upright piano or a large wooden music box.     From 1913: The Bells of Christmasa collection of Christmas carols performed by the Edison Band (below)    From 1911: A Christmas Classic - The Awakening of Scrooge  Music Hall Performer Bransby Williams (b. 1870 - d.1961) recorded this for Edison Records.   

Published Dec 1, 2008 Welcome all the NEW listeners who discovered the show at the Family History Expo in Mesa, AZ.  We're so glad you"re on board!  Watch this video to learn how to use the free iTunes software (you don't need an iPod to use it!), and subscribe to this podcast for free. Then watch this video to learn more about how to use the podcast website.   Watching Family History Expo TV is like your own Video Conference!  If you were lucky enough to go youâll get to see the folks you may have missed and get refresher info from those you did hear, and if you weren't able to attend, this is your chance to get some great tips and ideas from the experts who were there.  The next will be in St. George Feb 27 & 28, 2009 Lisaâs Classes: Genealogy Podcasts 101 What You Must Know To Save Your Research From Destruction Google: A Goldmine of Genealogy Gems Part I Google: A Goldmine of Genealogy Gems Part II And while I was in Mesa AZ, I finally got a chance to sit down and interview Dick Eastman.  Dick is always the one doing the interviewing and blogging, and I just thought it was about time I sat him down and got him to tell us his story.  And you can hear that interview in itâs entirety in of my other podcast Family History: Genealogy Made Easy. I love getting to talk to genealogy experts up close and personal and I also have really gotten a lot out of going through the genealogy research process step-by-step. It's a great refresher for me as well as hopefully will help folks new to genealogy get started.  It's a lot of fun! Fun at The Genealogy Gems News Blog featuring genealogy blogger Miriam Robbins Midkiff, Genealogy Podcaster DearMYRTLE, Family Tree Magazine Editor Allison Stacy, and managing editor Diane Haddad. Blog Post: .  Listen to my interview with Susan Kaufman manager, Houston Public Library's Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research in the Subscribe to The Family Tree Magazine Podcast free in . New at Ancestry: Sign up for the free Calling all Norwegian researchers!  The folks at Family Search are going to start indexing the 1875 Norway Census!   In the first week of December, they will start indexing the 1875 Norway Census. This will be a large segment of the census for rural areas of Norway, but not the entire census.  FamilySearchâs Historical Family Reconstitution unit has joined forces with the University of Troms in Norway to complete this project. The university is indexing the census records for the urban areas of Norway.  Pass the word along that anyone interested in Norwegian genealogical research is encouraged to help by volunteering as a New Google Gadgets: iGoogle has been discontinued about his musical mom Jeanne T. Lewis.  GEM: Interview with Curt Witcher, of the Allen County Library I got a chance to talk to Curt while attending the Federation of Genealogy Societies Conference in Philadelphia, PA this last Sept. 2008.  Curt explains about the wide range of census records that many genealogists aren't taking advantage of. Name That Tune!   You can even watch Guy Lombardo and Royal Canadians doing the  Darktown Strutters Ball in the 1950s (video below)      If you think you know the name of Mystery Song #3 that Lisa played on this podcast episode or call and leave the answer on the voice mail line at 925-272-4021 so your answer can be played on the show. A No Cost Way to Support the free Genealogy Gems Podcast. The holidays approaching and thereâs an easy way for you to get your online shopping done while supporting this show. By accessing websites like Amazon.com through the links on the and throughout the website, Amazon gives The Genealogy Gems Podcast credit for your purchases. It doesn't cost you anything more, but by using the links on our website, you do a lot to help keep the free Genealogy Gems Podcast coming. Thank you! Visit the the where you can watch lots of great genealogy themed videos. at Facebook. Catch up on what's going on in the world of genealogy at  

Published Nov 2, 2008 I am very happy to announce that  I just launched my brand new podcast called .   The new show really captures two areas of focus that are really sort of outside the focus of this show.  First, I wanted to do a show that anybody could stumble upon and with absolutely no prior experience in genealogy be able to listen to and enjoy and that would walk them step by step through the process of doing family history research.  It's like a long term free seminar that you can listen to and work along with! The other area I've wanted to focus on is success stories and words of wisdom from experienced genealogists.  As I travel around going to conferences and as I read my email, I hear so many great stories.  I wanted to have a show where I could really showcase these stories and the wisdom of experienced genealogists.  Newbies to genealogy will get a sense of what they can look forward to, and more experienced genealogists like you guys can enjoy hearing  personal stories from those that you have probably heard of in the world of genealogy.  So that's what you'll find at - Personal conversations and stories from the experts, and a genealogy how to course all wrapped in to one.  Flash video issue has been resolved. GEM: Profile AmericaCash Register History  GEM: Interview with Colleen Fitzpatrick, The Forensic Genealogist   Website GEM: Ben Sayer reviews genealogy software for the Macintosh computer:  MacFamily Tree. GEM: Quilting Family Traditions The ladies in our family are Connie Drew, Stacie Sanders, Steffanie Wicker, Shannon Stewart, Shellie Ireland and Brooke Drew  Lee wrote me to say "Seeing your own love of quilts, you know how precious these handmade creations will be to our descendants throughout the generations. And so it goes, passing on skills, love and enjoyment across the generations through the use of sewing needles..." Great Family Tradition & Heirloom Ideas from Lee and Connie Drew: Sister Quilts - Round up relatives from the neighborhood or around the country and start a tradition that will create lasting heirlooms.  If you don't have a lot of quilters in your family, how about doing cross stitch or scrapbook pages. Create a family tree wall hanging.  There are so many mediums you could use.  Quilting, applique, cross stitch, painting, the options are pretty limitless.  I love how Connie incorporated family silhouettes into the tree. Create unique heirloom clothing.  Not artistic or handy with a needle?  How about creating custom shirts on a website like .  Just upload your images and add text if you like.  How about a shirt for each person with the photo of the ancestor they remind you of most? And you could still sew in a little tag that says it was created with love from grandma like Connie did. Whether you're really artsy or don't have a creative bone in your body, there's a project out there for you that will allow you to express yourself, and promote lasting family traditions. More Resources: Genealogy Gems on Heritage Quilts  Genealogy Gems Presents Heritage Quilts Video at the   GEM: Linguistic Bit by James Mowatt Website GEM: Name That TuneAs you'll remember last episode (episode 53) I told you that I had recently inherited a reel to reel tape that was recorded in the 1960s by my husband's Grandfather and Grandmother Cooke.  I played this first of several songs on the tape for you had the old original sheet music.  The song is entitled Hush-a-bye, Ma Baby with a subtitle of the Missouri Waltz.  Lyric by J. R. Shannon.   music from an original melody procured by John Valentine Eppel, and arranged by Frederic Knight Logan. Thanks to those who wrote and called in for identifying the song for me!In this episode I play another song in the hopes that you'll be able to do it again.  Mystery Song #2 - NAME THAT TUNE! If you think you know the name of that song, or better yet call and leave the answer on the voice mail line at 925-272-4021. There are lots of ways to contact me: Join the Catch up on what's going on in the world of genealogy at Visit the the where you can watch lots of great genealogy themed videos

Published Oct 20, 2008   Lisa with her prized pumpkin   by WHRO FM radio:  Stories based on ghostly legends and lore of Hampton Roads, Virginia.  Thanks to my friend Michelle Gabriele-Harrell producer off the Halloween Haunts podcast. In iTunes: and the in iTunes  iGoogle UpdateiGoogle has been discontinued.    WorldCat:  I also wrote a blog recently called and I wanted to mention that there is going to be a Free seminar Oct 28 at 2PM Eastern / 11 AM Pacific online sponsored by WorldCat so I'll have a link to that posting so you can read all about it. MAILBOX:   Kerry Steward called in about some comments I made on Genealogy Gems podcast Episode #40.  Here are two articles about Henrietta Pruisner Tesch and Katherine Tesch Rugg's families. and GEM: Profile America - Oct. 13 Navy Month "Hit hard, hit fast, hit often"  Admiral "Bull" Halsey (above) GEM: Interview with Yvette Arts, Director of Content Partnerships at World Vital Records Update: World Vital Records is now part of MyHeritage.com Strategies for getting the most out of World Vital Records from Yvette Arts: First-time users/browsing: Perform a Basic Search. You'll get the largest search results by just searching by last name. Look over the results to narrow down all the possibilities. Try adding first name next. Some combinations of first and last names are more difficult to find exact matches for than others (e.g., John Smith). But if you have an unusual name like Jared Quackenbush the search will only return a few results. Next, if you know the location enter a full state name in the Place search. There are some results in their databases, such as for Google Books, that may not come up via the geographic.  Don't forget to try alternative spelling for a surname.   Additional Search Tips:  Entering a date is best when you only give a year.  If you already know a lot about an ancestor and now want to know specific information, try the Advanced Search.  Use broad search terms, not an exact year of birth.  Although you may know this information, mistakes may have been made in a document, or a first name may be abbreviated (e.g., Geo* is a good search term for George or J* may bring up a John that is otherwise listed as Jn). Excluding a source from a search because you have exact knowledge about an ancestor could lead to less accurate search results.  Members Only Podcast Episodes & Videos GEM: Profile America - Oct 24 is the anniversary of Chips the U.S. War Dog being awared the Distinguished Service Medal            Interview with Mary Ann Whitley who's father Herson Lamont Whitley served with Chips the US War Dog  by Mary Ann Whitley at the U.S. War Dogs Website  GEM:  - In today's MacGenealogist Minute with Ben Sayer, Ben's continues his reviews of Genealogy software for the Macintosh computer with a review of .  GEM:  Name That Tune - I need your help.  Several months ago I received a reel to reel tape that was recorded by my husband's Grandfather and Grandmother Cooke.  I'm going to play one song on each episode in the hopes that one of you dear listener's will recognize the tune and  with the name. Or leave a voice mail at 925-272-4021.  Thanks! Support the Show:  With the holidays approaching thereâs a wonderful way for you to do your online shopping while supporting this show.  By accessing websites like Amazon.com through the links on the and through the website, Amazon gives The Genealogy Gems Podcast credit for your purchases.  It doesn't cost you anything more, but by using the links on our website, you do a lot to help keep the free Genealogy Gems Podcast coming.  Thank you! Visit the the where you can watch lots of great genealogy themed videos. Join the Catch up on what's going on in the world of genealogy at  

Published Oct 6, 2008 "And this year I hit the jackpot when I was able to track down one of his long lost cousins who had a treasure trove of family history tucked away in the rafters of her garage." (Below: Bill and cousin) all about how to tap into your inner private eye to find those long lost living relatives.   Albert Farrington and chorus from 1914 sing "Rule Britannia"  GEM: Interview with Rick Crume Websites Rick refers to in the show:   and in   - new interface with New Family Search.  Family Tree Magazine Podcast   Genealogy Gems Premium:  and use Coupon code SAVE20 to get 20% off the anual membership  GEM:  Interview with Dr. Christopher Watts  Below: Harry Cooke's Apprenticeship Record, 1872   Additional Gems From Over The Pond:   Lisa's Interview with Feargal O'Donnell of the Irish Family History Foundation.  View the 2 part video series:   British History Podcasts:  with Tony Cocks  with James Mowatt  More Ways To Stay In Touch: Genealogy Gems on     

Published Sept 22, 2008 about my trip to FGS.    Sign up for the I enjoyed hanging out at the booth in the Exhibit Hall with editor Allison Stacy and Managing Editor Diane Haddad.  While you're at the you might want to click the SUBSCRIBE button which allows you to be notified when new videos are published so you donât have to check periodically.  My article "" is now out in the November 2008 issue of Family Tree Magazine.  GEM: Interview with Jim Beidler - Chair of FGS 2008 Conference Jim & Lisa GEM: Profile America - ice cream cone Today:Use the Coupon code: SAVE20 to save 20% off annual membership GEM: MacMinutes with Ben Sayer, In today's MacGenealogist Minute with Ben Sayer, Ben's reviews Reunion 9, the leading Mac genealogy application. GEM:  Podcaster Favorite Sayings Montage GEM: Census Abbreviations - at the Ancestors Search website.  

Published Aug 15, 2008 Welcome to the 50th Episode of the Genealogy Gems Podcast! The Louise Carousel - GEM:  Profile America August 16, 1862  Birthdate of Amos Alonzo Stagg GEM:  A Little DayDreaming with Genealogy Podcasters Bill Puller of the Mike O'Loughlin of   GEM: Interview with Tim Russell of the Prairie Home Companion Tim Russel of radio show Prairie Home Companion's Listen to Tim on Minnesota's news station, where he is the entertainment editor weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m.   Tim and Lily Tomlin on the set of the movie A Prairie Home Companion Profile America â August 20, 1920:   One of the nationâs first radio stations began broadcasting in Detroit    GEM:  Handwriting Analysis with Paula Sassi Alice McManus are eligible to submit their ancestors handwriting for possible analysis by Paula on the show.  a handwriting sample, a paragraph telling about the ancestor and why they would like to have the handwriting analyzed, and a photo of the ancestor if itâs available.  presented by MN Public Radio Announce Best Bals Dolls Winner:  Melissa Barker Join the to the FREE Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter for genealogy news & tips, and sneak peeks at upcoming episodes. The Song: The Family Tree featured on this episode is courtesy of the band Venice.  See Venice LIVE at one of the following Concert Dates:  

Published June 12, 2008 Episode 49 SHOW NOTES Coming in August:  Want to know what it was like to work with Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, and one of my favorites Lily Tomlin?  Then tune in next month to episode 50.  I'll be chatting with the wonderful voice actor from the radio show and movie A Prairie Home Companion.  Above:  Tim Russell and Garrison Keillor We talk about his love of family history and antiques, his amazing career in a very nostaligic profession of being a radio actor  and of course his work with Garrison Keillor and al the folks at YUMMY GEM:  Lisa's Peach Pie...Just out of the oven... GEM:  Genealogy Society Booth at County and State Fairs.  There are many things we do as members of genealogy societies, but I think this was one of the best activities I've come across.  Genealogy society members from neighboring areas come together to introduce the public to the joy of family history. NEW:  Family Tree Magazine including instructional video by Lisa Louise Cooke.  The article will appear in the November 2008 issue, but is available now free online.  All together it's a great resource for your friends who haven't yet tried podcasts.  Share these resources with your friends and genealogy society.   MAILBOX:  Premium Member Maureen Stephan shares a valuable Gem she recently found. GEM: Train Robberies 7/18 GEM: Part Two of my Interview with Kathy LennonIn Episode 48 we got started on my interview with Kathy Lennon of the Lennon Sisters.  Kathy is such a sweetheart and so fun to talk to that I just couldn't edit any of our conversation.  So Iâm bringing it to you in two parts, and today is part two of our conversation.  The Lennon Sisters In this episode Kathy talks about the tragic death of her father, and the strength of character of her mother and the values she passed on to her eleven children.  She also shares some insight into being a famous Lennon sister, and tells us all about her newest venture which has a family history twist to it. Premium Members can to be considered for an upcoming handwriting analysis by   Iâll be selecting ones that I think will be interesting to  all the listeners.  More information in  

July 4, 2008 EPISODE SHOW NOTES: This special episode of the Genealogy Gems Podcast is dedicated to the men and women serving in the U.S. military Patrick Henry's speech performerd by Harry E. Humphrey on Edison Blue Amberol, 1912  The Continental Congress - The You Are There radio show took historic events and dramatized them with "live radio" coverage style.  C1947-1950  The Star Spangled Banner performed by Thomas Chalmers and chorus (including Elizabeth Spencer).  Edison Records, 1915  Washington's Farewell Address performed by Harry E. Humphrey for Edison Blue Amberol  1912  If Washington Should Come To Life performed by Billy Murray on Edison Gold Moulded Record, 1906  Thomas Jefferson March performed by United States Marine Band on Edison Standard Record, 1909  Under Freedom's Flag performed by  Edison Military Band on Edison Gold Moulded Record, 1908  Fourth Of July Address at Hyde Park, NY by President Roosevelt (4 Jul 1941 My Country 'Tis Of Thee performed by Edison Male Quartette on Edison Gold Moulded Record, 1903  Edison recordings courtesy of the University of California, Santa Barbara 

Published June 14, 2008 GEM: Another look at the Handwriting of Our Ancestors Melissa Roberge's great grandfather Robert W Hicks GEM: An Interview with Kathy Lennon Listen to Part One of my exclusive interview with one of America's Sweethearts, and let me tell you, she is a gem!  You know Kathy Lennon from her more than 50 years with the Lennon Sisters, but you may not know that she is also an avid family historian.    Lennon Sister - Premium Members post your stories  in the Forum for a chance to win a pair of Best Pals Dolls!  Who Were Your Best Childhood Pals? Genealogy Gems Premium Members are invited to come share your stories of childhood best pals, your own story or perhaps one about an ancestor, and be entered in our Best Pals contest for a chance to win a beautiful pair of Best Pals dolls, each with their own signed certificate of authenticity, and delivered in a Best Pals Tote Bag.  It's over a $60 value!  You may enter as many stories as you wish.  The winner will be contacted by email on July 31, 2008.   Kathy and Janet as children with dolls Best Pals Dolls   Kathy & Janet & The Best Pals The Lennon Sisters upcoming performances: November 1 - December 6, 2008Tony Orlando and the Lennon Sisters Show Welk Resort Center, Branson, MO.     NEWSLETTER UPDATE:  The free Genealogy Gems Podcast newsletter will soon see a new, colorful email publication.  I'm so happy to finally get the newsletter updated and I hope you enjoy the photos and the much easier to read format.  Subscribe to the Genealogy Gems    

Published May 15, 2008 The Free Monthly Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 47 SHOW NOTES... "Great aunt Polly" is at the top of page The University of Wisconsin / The nineteen hundred and eight badger Volume XXII (1908) Book II: classes, pp. 122 GEM:  Childhood Memories   Captain Kangaroo... ...and more recently....    The "DOO BEE SONG" came from this album from my childhood collection GEM: Family Tree & MeInterview with Shirlene Dymock GEM: Girding Your Loins with James MowattYou can find The Historyzine Podcast at Jim's and i GEM:  Birthday AlarmIdeas for Strengthening Your Family Using Enter ancestor birthdays into Birthday Alarm to help you make note of it in your family blog, or family newsletter. Use it as a prompt to send a an email to a list of contacts that you've worked with over the years to research that ancestor. Use the ancestor"s birthday alarm to generate a dinner time conversation about that ancestor on their special day.  Display a photo on the table, tell stories about them, and teach you children about the history of that side of your family.  GEM:  Paula Sassiâs analysis of Lars Johan Larsonâs signatureCongratulations to Genealogy Gems Premium Member Melissa Roberge, the winner is of the handwriting analysis by   And a special prize has been awarded to Premium Member Diana Larson for her terrific post in the . Lars signed his name as the enumerator on the 1900 U.S. Federal Census for Sibley County Minnesota.  GEM:  Premium UpdateHereâs whatâs new in the Genealogy Gems Premium Membership areaâ Premium Episode #1 -  I willl walk you through step by step on how to set up the Google Toolbar and use the features that will speed up your online searches tremendously! Premium Episode #2 - We do an in depth study of the records of the Works Progress Administration - the WPA â with certified genealogist and national speaker Paula Stuart Warren.  And as a special BONUS feature for members, Paulaâs 4 page reference guide on the WPA called The WPA Era: What It Created For Genealogists is available for download in the Premium Episode #2 show notes. Premium Episode #3 - You will get  7 Key Strategies From A Professional Private Investigator that will help you find your living relatives.  Strategies that brought me fantastic results! .      GEM: Special AnnouncementI'm very excited to announce that I've signed on as the Producer and Host of the new   It will be a free monthly half hour show available at the Family Tree Magazine website.  Episode One is jammed packed with great information and interviews, so stay tuned for the upcoming launch date.   

Published Apr 16, 2008 Episode 46  : To quote their email "The Generations Network, Inc. is encouraging consumers to validate and verify the legitimacy of a website before providing credit card information or paying for services." This is good advice.  You know the rules on the Internet really shouldn't be much different than the rules in our daily lives.  Find out about someone"s character and background before you hang out with them, and get referrals for unknown companies from people you trust.    Family Tree Kids:   Movie Gem:  Leatherheads: I'll have a link to the official website in the show notes as well as a video preview of the  movie.    MAILBOX: Pat Dalpiaz's grandfather "Weenie" Flynn was a star quarterback on the St. Bonaventure University (Alleghany NY) football team for 3 years.  He appeared in Ripley's Believe It or Not for his football leadership weighing only 117 pounds and leading the team to impressive victories.  Deanna Bullock wrote in to give a very good reason why you should subscribe to the free Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter.    GEM: Analyzing Your Ancestors Handwriting Story of how Grandmpa JB and Grandma Pauline's letters came into my possession:  .     Listen to some of the letters in .    Paula Sassi, Certified Graphologist.  .  Website  VIDEO: Paula Sassi featured on San Diego's Fox 6 News Learn more about Handwriting Analysis at   GEM: I am VERY excited to announce that we are launching a new service:  .  If you enjoy the free podcast episodes that we've made available, your gonna LOVE Genealogy Gems PREMIUM! Premium Members are going to have access to an exciting new area of the website available only to Premium members.  There you'll find Members-only premium podcast episodes.  You won't be able to hear these anywhere else!  It will be everything you love about the episodes you've heard so far, and much more.   For about the cost of a gallon of gas or a gourmet coffee a month you'll get all of these exclusive podcasts and videos! You won't find them on iTunes.  Paula Sassi certified graphologist has graciously agreed to analyze some lucky premium members ancestor's handwriting.  So once you are a Premium member, you will be entered for a chance to win an analysis of an ancestor's handwriting to be featured on a Premium episode.  So won't you join me, and become a Genealogy Gems premium member today!  I guarantee you're gonna love it, or your money back. 

Published Mar 31, 2008 Episode 45 SHOW NOTES MAILBOX:  Email from Linda Kvist in Sweden that includes a fun story about an immigrant who didn"t immigrate: "They were somewhat surprised that my father did contact them. In the church examine rolls it said that my dads grandfather emigrated to the US! He left the place and never came back. We know he never got to the US though. He met he's wife and the settled down in the area where she was born. So, in a way, we solved a clue for them as well!" GEM:  Mar 22, 2008 was the anniversary of the First Bank Robbery Profile America is brought to you  by the U.S. Census Bureau. CBSNews.com that takes a look at the precedent for bank robbery that Edward Smith set by profiling some of the most famous robbers in history.     GEM: Kidnapped!  Listener Greg Norland sent me a note to let me know about an intriguing podcast episode of the Chicago Public Radio's This American Life show that he had recently heard.  Song: Mystery of the Dunbarâs Child by Richard "Rabbitt" Brown. Here are a few pieces of the puzzle that Bobby Dunbar's granddaughter, Margaret Dunbar Cutright likely looked to when working on finding the truth about her grandfather.  From The Constitution newspaper, in Atlanta, GA.  On April 25, 1913      The of Opelusas City, in Fort Landry, Louisianna Look for Percy and Lessie Dunbar, and their two children Robert age 11 and Alonozo age 9.  Or were they both their children?  Be sure and take a look at the census during the last few minutes of The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar as they give the ending to the story and what happened to the people involved.    GEM: Prison Records:  My cousin Carolyn Ender shares her journey in locating the prison records for a man named George Jump who married her grand father's sister. Carolyn's Research Approach: Try to determine the facility / town where you think they served their time. Locate birth & death dates & the county where they lived during the suspected timeframe. Contact the Genealogical & Historical Society for that county and ask where you might find inmate records.  Possibly the closest Corrections Dept. Send a letter to the Corrections Dept. You may be directed to the Bureau of Prisons (www.bop.gov)  if it is a federal crime. Complete a Freedom of Information Act request form & provide copy of the death certificate. (Listen to and for more information of the FOIA.)  The BOP may refer you to NARA. They gave Carolyn a particular file # to ask for.  NARA requires written consent from the inmate's family members or they black out the info regarding family members.  They will require payment for copying.  If you know the inmate served in a Federal institution for a Federal crime, you can go straight to the Bureau of Prisons.  Consideration will have to be given to whether or not the inmate is deceased, how long he's been deceased, are his children living etc.  For State records, you could probably start with that state's Department of Corrections.  GEM: Blog And Podcast Gadgets: Update: iGoogle has been discontinued. GEM: Free digitised British newspapers access 1600-1900 .   "Bonnie Scotland" was performer:Alexander Prince circa 1914 for Edison Amberol and it is courtesy of the University of California, Santa Barbara Library. Thank You!  We appreciate when you support this free podcast by doing your Amazon shopping through the Amazon search boxes on the website.

Published Mar 14, 2008 Sign up for the free  where you'll also find out what's coming up on future episodes and get announcements first.  My Own Grandpa Video:                                                  The Family History Silhouette Cake          MAILBOX:  Roxanne Diakow Moos wrote to say that she visited an aunt and uncle in Saskatchewan Canada, and they took her to visit the old homesteads of two sets of great grandparents.  "To others who look at my family history album and see those pictures they see a picture of land with nothing on it but a field but to me I can picture an old building that used to be there that raised a family and can almost picture the kids (my grandmother and her siblings) running around playing." Learn about to find his father's birthplace in Japan in the March 4 Genealogy Gems News Blog   GEM: Canadian Border Crossings with Kathyrn Lake Hogan - Kathryn shares with us about Canadian Border Crossings into the United States and how many of our ancestors used this economic route to immigrate. GEM:  Digital Preservation Tips from the Library of Congress - . covering Computer files, finding Digital Materials, Digital Photos, email, and storage disks. And the GEM: Interview with Richard Black of the GEM:  U.S. Census Bureau - Flu Epidemic's 90th Anniversary, and the new (listen to interview: Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #43) Genealogy Gems News Blog on March 10.  :  A tribute to Women's history month, the new TV series Who Do You Think You Are being developed for American audiences by NBC, and Senior Moments Anyone?  Book: Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies is out of print. for Lisa's newest books, guides and videos.    

Published Mar 1, 2008 Thank you to Genealogy columnist Kimberly Powell of About.com  for listing the Genealogy Gems Podcast in her recent column called . The newest addition to the Cooke household: Vinney :  The British newspaper the Daily Mirror will soon be making available .  MAILBOX:    Lisa at the ranch her great grandparents worked it in 1918. GEM:  Interview with Dylan Barrell, Director of Digital Business for about the new Borders Concept stores that will feature genealogy. Upcoming Borders Concept Stores in 2008: Las Vegas, NV - Town Square - April Panama City Beach, FL - Pier Park - May National City, CA - Westfield Shoppingtown Plaza Bonita - May Alameda, CA - Alameda Town Center - May Noblesville, IN  - Hamilton Town Center - May Southbury, CT - Southbury Plaza - May Mira Loma, CA - Eastvale Gateway Mall -  May Lone Tree, CO  - Park Meadows Mall - May Wareham, MA - Wareham Crossing - June   Baton Rouge, LA - Mall of Louisiana - July Allen, TX - Watters Creek at Montgomery Farms - July Tukwila, WA  - Westfield Southcenter Mall - July New Orleans, LA - Garden District - October GEM:  New History Web Site from the Interview with Bill Maury, Chief of History Staff at the U.S. Census Bureau   Sign up for the FREE monthly  TODAY

Published Feb 21, 2008 Episode 42 SHOW NOTES of Genealogy Gems on her Feb. 12, 2008 episode.  And Dear old Myrt also listed of the Genealogy Gems podcast in her weekly Best of the column under Podcast.    Visit Venice at MAILBOX: Gary Falsken recommends the history podcast "" hosted by The Podcast Network. GEM: Interview with Allison Stacy, editor of featuring the Family History Expo   GEN: Interview with Kathy Mead of You know this episode is very special to me because it fall on the first birthday of the Genealogy Gems Podcast.  There are several exciting things in the works for Genealogy Gems this coming year.   What was your favorite gem this last year? Thank you for listening.  You guys are awesome!  We have no intentions of having Genealogy Gems podfade, and it"s because of you that we're still here!  Venice song:   We're Still Here

Published Feb 13, 2008 Episode 41  SHOW NOTES  A table full of listeners joined me at the Friday night banquet.  Jack Duffy and his daughter Anna Marie, Mark Baldwin, and Sue  and Albert Sevy all joined my husband and I and we had a grand time.  - at the Search for ancestors website - Thanks to George Morgan of the for talking about the Genealogy Gems Podcast on their Jan 16, 2008 podcast.  MAILBOXFrom Betty:   features several spots for Christmas Seals featuring celebrities such as Rosemary Clooney. From Melissa: a silhouette done 30 years ago in Paris by a street vendor.   Jim Mowatt of in Britain     GEM:  My book   The book is now out of print. Please visit the   GEM: Valentines SpecialSit back and enjoy these yesteryear stories of loveâand perhaps they will inspire you to ask around your family for the origins of the ties that bind in your tree.  First, a Depression era story of love between Pauline Herring &JB Moore   Nov. 2, 1934  Remember me and donât forget,  the blue eyed Girl is my pick yet.   (Below: Valentine JB sent to Pauline)     Next, is the story of Raymond Cooke and Isabelle Osborne.  Raymond was born in Tunbridge Wells, England in 1894.  He immigrated from England to Saskatchewan Canada in 1912, and in his autobiography he tells the story of how his love of music led to his finding the love of his lifeâ  "Take your girlie to the movies" was performed by Irving Kaufman on May 19, 1919.  Story read by Jim Mowatt of the .Ragtime music by   available on CD. Raymond Cooke and Isabelle Osborne 50th wedding anniversary  Happy Valentines Day!    Take Your Girlie to the Movies    When the show is over And its time to leave Don't forget to brush the powder From your sleeve... Take your girlie to the movies if you can't make love at home  (Original sheet music at the Indiana University Sheet Music Collections website!  )  

Published Jan 30, 2008 PODCAST SHOW NOTES The Genealogy Gems News Blog: And be sure and vote on the new poll question:  Thanks to the     and   for their recent acknowledgements of The Socks To America Video.  Watch MAILBOX:   (Left to right they are Guy M. Denton, Gladys V. Denton, Dorothy J. Denton and Guy V. Denton.) "Guy V. Denton 1895-1959 purchased this quilt from a lady from Arkansas who was traveling through Howard, KS.  It's obvious that it was not made with new materials as it did not wear well."  Kevin Clark, Cedar Park, Texas From Deb Atchley: "my quilters only gave me initials - not full names and birth dates.  I think I've solved most of the puzzle though."   From: Linda Kvist  - in Reunion 9 genealogy software I don't know if this is possible to do in any other genealogy software, perhaps you or any listener know? GEM:  Traits Handed Down   Chris Rock and Oprah arenât the only ones who have found significant tendencies and traits surface in their family history.  I feel compelled in this episode to share my top 10 list of important traits that I inherited from my ancestors! GEM:  Care, Storage & Display of Heritage Quilts with Ellen Koehn Quilt by Ellen Louise Koehn that hangs in Lisa's home... PLEASE NOTE: All of the recommendations in this gem are "Use at your own risk."  While they are things that have worked successfully for our guest, you must use your own judgment as to who to proceed with your own unique quilt.  At the grocery store:  Orvis Soap & Easy Wash.  Ellen also recommended the book  

Published Jan 20, 2008 SHOW NOTES   If you are new to the podcast, be sure that you go back to the new Genealogy Gems subscription listing that you created in your podcast directory and click that GET ALL button.  Clicking the SUBSCRIBE button will only give you the most recent show and future shows.  By clicking GET ALL all the previous episodes will download for you.   Go to the official Genealogy Gems Website and be sure and sign 1890 census:   MAILBOX: Diana Larson wrote to recommend the American Girl Collection:  "The American Girls Collection books are a great way for children (and adults) to learn about children living through different periods in American historyâAlthough the stories themselves are fictional, they are thoroughly researched, and each book concludes with a brief section containing factual information, photographs, and artwork about that particular time period..." Cathy Paris wrote in about the podcast.  about her dad, Gil Merrill born in 1913 in Franklin, NH  at the Genealogy Gems Podcast   GEM: Lisa's History Podcast Picks By Tony Cocks Website: Website: by the History Channel Josh Bernstein is the host of this series on the History Channel.  Season One.   2005.    4 episodes.  Season Two 2006.  12 episodes   Website: website devoted to WWI history: - From the History Channel Website: : The History Podcast by Jim Mowatt by Dennis Humphrey presents history through Old Time Radio programs.  - The History Channel videocast hosted by Adam Hart-Davis.   Website:  Website:  BRITISH HISTORY: National Archives Website:  Website:  REGIONAL SPECIFIC: Stories , legends, and tales b David Gibson Website:  DELWARE:    Brief historical facts from the first state in the Union compiled by the Deleware Archives.  INDIANA:  Produced by WFIU Public Media in Bloomington, IN. Website: MINNESOTA:  Twin Cities Public Television Website:  MISSOURI:  Michael O'Laughlin of the Irish Roots Podcast OZARKS:  The Museum is located in Springdale, Arkansas   Website:  PENNSYLVANIA:  Produced by WITF radio in Pennsylvania, this podcast covers a wide range of topics and at last count had 66 episodes! SAN FRANCISCO:  Website:  By the National Park Service.  Website:  GEM:  Heritage Quilts                          Lenora HERRING              William Jefferson MOORE                                                    The Quilt found in the suitcase "This quilt is for Ronald L. Moore.   It is the last quilt his Grandmother Herring made before her stroke and death.  She loved him so much.  I love you so very much Ron.  I am so proud of you as a son.  All My Love, Mother" A job started really by her mother Lenora Herring who had made the quilt.  From great grandmother Herring to my young daughters, the quilt had spanned five generations of us stubborn Moores, and brought us all back together again.  Here's a photo of the flour sack quilt that Carolyn refers to in the video: The quilts have always cared for the family - first warming them and then bringing them together, and now leading us to other ancestors we didn't know.  Women may not have had a lot of time to use the power of the pen to document history, but they did have some mighty powerful sewing needles! Coming Soon: An expert quilter who will pass on some ideas for all of us on how to properly care for our heritage quilts.   

    Published Jan 6, 2008 We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years and my wish for you is that you and your family are happy and healthy.  Sequence and Dutch Blitz:It's is a fast-paced card game that I understand was created by Werner Ernst George Muller, a German immigrant from Bucks County,Pennsylvania. The game is supposed to be very popular among the Pennsylvania Amish and Dutch community.  It's a lot like playing speed solitare with three other people all at the same time.  The Genealogy Gems video about the history of the Christmas seal called "" It is also now being featured on the RootsTube Channel at Rootstelevision.  Update: iGoogle has been discontinued .   about what to do with your Christmas cards when Christmas is over.  MAILBOX: Richard Yehle wrote in about  Genealogy Gems where I talked about the passport database at Ancestry and finding the back of the original form with the picture.   He gives some great examples of how, sometimes, there is even more to be discovered! Richard's experience with the passports is such a great example of not just looking for what you expect to find, but looking for the unexpected.  GEM:  Venice Interview"May You Always" was sung by The Lennon Sisters on the Lawrence Welk Show. The Lennon Sisters are the eldest of 12 siblings in the Lennon family, and certainly NOT the only ones with musical talent.   I recently had an opportunity to meet with their younger brothers Pat and Kipp and first cousins Michael and Mark who musically merge as the group Venice.  Watch a " debuted in 1999 on the band's album entitled Spin Art.  The Lennon Family Tree: all the guys are the grandchildren of Herbert Lennon who was born in Wisconsin.  His father John died in his thirties from a heart attack at a community picnic just before the turn of the century.  Herbert was raised by his mother Minnie under the roof of his grandparents, James and Kate Lennon.  Judge James Lennon of Appleton Wisconsin was born in Ireland in 1840 and immigrated in 1849 to America with his parents James and Mary Lennon.  James and Mary would be the great great great grandparents of the guys.  Kipp Lennon, Lisa Cooke & Pat Lennon - Dec. 2007 (c2007 Lisa Louise Cooke all rights reserved) Jimmy Lennon Jr., Mike Tyson & boxing announcer Jimmy Lennon.   Video:  Adobe Hacienda Video (Live) Be sure and  

Published Dec 19, 2007 THE MAILBOX:  Follow up to & the Passport Database at Ancestry...Will Haskell told us about his grandfather, Merrill Haskell, traveled to Russia in 1919 in his work as a public accountant for the YMCA.  Merrill Haskell's Passport application - but the woman's photo on the left doesn't match. A turn of the page reveals his grandfather! GEM: itunes GET ALLWhen you subscribe in iTunes to the podcast, only the most recent episode will download to your computer or iPod, so be sure to remember to go back to the and click the GET ALL button so that all of the back episodes will download.  You don't want to miss a thing!    Gem:  Search Yahoo and Google at the same time with GEM: - How Our Ancestors Made A Difference!It's very likely that your great grandparents, grandparents and parents put Christmas Seals on the Christmas cards and packages.  It all started on a stormy December night in 1903 a postman named Einar Holboell was working late in a post office sorting large piles of Christmas mail: Put this stamp with message bright On every Christmas letter; Help the tuberculosis fight, And make the New Year better.  .  Thank you so very much for supporting the podcast!  iTunes Goal: If you have an iTunes account and are enjoying the podcast, please go to the and leave your positive review now.  Thanks!  Watch the Song:  from the Christmas Movie Remember the Night  

Published Dec 10, 2007 SHOW NOTES Exclusive Kodak Gallery Discount: 20% OFF Photo books, Calendars & Cards through Dec. 11, 2007!  Go to the for more information and to find the link to Kodak Gallery. Got an iTunes Account? If you're enjoying the podcast, I'd appreciate it if you left a 5 Star positive review at the Genealogy Gems iTunes page.  This link will take you there: .  Thanks! NEW:  The Book Has Gone Digital! Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies is now out of print. GEM:  U.S. Passport Applications on Ancestry.comMy from December 5, 2007 continued...Not wanting to leave the database empty handed, I decided to search for some of my favorite Hollywood film stars: Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.    Lesson 1:  Be sure when you are searching the database to click the NEXT button and check the backside of the application page for a photo.     Douglas Fairbanks & Mary Pickford Passport Photos Lesson #2:  If your ancestors were servants or employees of those that may have traveled, it would be worth searching for those employers.  GEM:  The History of Sound RecordingsYou know the invention of sound recording was quite a milestone in genealogy if you think about it.  Never before had we had documentation of our ancestors voices.  There is certainly something very special about hearing not just the words, but the tone, and inflections.  Well, all of this sound recording was made possible by Thomas Edison, who 130 years ago this week . Book: Innovate Like EdisonA new book by Edison's Great Grand-niece Sarah Miller Caldicott  and Michael Gelb.   at the Library of Congress at the Library of Congress LISA'S 10 GOLDEN RULES for making your own family history sound recordings. #1  Get a reliable and affordable method of digital recording. Free recording/editing software: For portable recording you could use a handheld digital recorder, but I like to use my iPod with the  from Episode 22 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast.  #2 Make A List of Those You Would Like to Interview #3  Prepare Your Questions Ahead of Time #4  Keep The Interview Relaxed And Comfortable. #5  Don't Worry About Getting Everything The First Time #6  Respect the interviewees wishes #7  Take The Time To Edit #8  Make Cataloguing A Priority #9 Get Written Permission If You Plan On Sharing The Recording #10 Follow up with a thank you  

Published Nov 30, 2007 Episode 35 Show Notes    . Check out the genealogy quizzes at   YAHOOOOO - there's a genealogy gal on the Genealogy Gems Listener page!  Beth Green answered my call on Episode 30 and emailed a Simpsonized Version of herself.   GEM:  A Little Help From Your FriendsMy Top Three Tips for Tapping into the Strengths of Others:  Tip #1  Swap brick walls Try swapping brick walls with another researcher and look them over with a fresh pair of eyes.  I like to think of it as being a cold case detective.   Someone who pulls out an old file and goes over it with a fine tooth comb to see if anything's been missed.  Tip #2 - Assess your weaknessesLook honestly at your office and your research and make a list of areas where you could improve.  Then set out to find someone in your local genealogical society who has a strength in that area.  Tip # 3 - Two heads are better than oneTry working alongside a fellow genealogist.  Two heads are always better than one, and having someone that you can share the journey with is a wonderful thing.  There are over 500 genealogy groups on Facebook alone! Or try one of the new genealogy social networking sites that have been popping up lately.  GEM: The Library of Congress Webcasts:Presented by Laura Cohen Appelbaum and Wendy Turman of the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington.    a book and presentation by Vincent Virga GEM: Genealogy through the Looking Glass  I've enjoyed using children's books for many years to become acquainted with new and sometimes complex subjects.  They are little gems just waiting to help you take on a new area of genealogical research. For instance, does the subject of DNA still seem a bit foggy to you?   Try "" by Richard Walker, and "" by Fran Balkwill.   "" by Susan Hughes  is a great first timers introduction to the subject.   by Jeremy Thornton .  " edited by Mary E. Lyons.  (Disclosure: As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting the free Genealogy Gems Podcast) Juvenile Books can also be a great quick resource for the history of states and countries that you are unfamiliar with and have just discovered your ancestors spent time in.  So when you stumble into new territory, try taking a child's eye view and perhaps a child's curiousity as you approach the situation.  GEM:  Now for a little Pixie DustUpdate: iGoogle has been discontinued. Free monthly  

Published Nov 18, 2007 EPISODE 34 SHOW NOTES: New videos for you at the Genealogy Gems website: Genealogy for the next generation: Getting started documents for "" & "" by Venice. A very moving video highlighting a collection of photographs at the Library of Congress' American Memory collection taken by in the early 19th century.    MAILBOX: Wreath by creative podcast listener Linda Kvist, Sweden           review  Create your own Family History Christmas Wreath by watching the An email from Beverly Shaw : (my apology to Beverly - I mistakenly credited her email to Barbara Murphy in the show & didn't catch the error in time) "I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciated your Candy Bar idea.  Last month my husband's family had a reunion to honor his mother who passed away last year.  I created candy bars for the reunion using your idea.  Since Momma was an avid crocheter, I found a background of a crocheted doily and added 2 different photos that fit the theme.  I designed it so that I could fit 2 on each 8 1/2 x 11 sheet and printed a master copy.  I then took my master to Office Max and had them make 50 copies.  After wrapping a mixture of Hershey Milk Chocolate Bars and Hershey Milk Chocolate with Almond Bars, I filled a basket with the 100 Candy Bars, tied a bow on the basket handle and they were given out as mementos.  I am attaching a picture of the filled basket.  Thank you again. I received many complements." If you're looking for stocking stuffer ideas, there's still plenty of time to make the Sweet Memories candy bars. Beverly Shaw's beautiful Swee Memories candy bars From Barbara Murphy: The German, Irish and Italian groups of the genealogy societies on Long Island have put together new genealogy databases online. and Follow up on Google Gadgets: iGoogle has been discontinued.   GEM:  A Thanksgiving Celebration   What Shall the Harvest Be? Sowing the seed by the daylight fair, Sowing the seed by the noonday glare, Sowing the seed by the fading light, Sowing the seed in the solemn night: O what shall the harvest be? Refrain Sown in the darkness or sown in the light, Sown in our weakness or sown in our might, Gathered in time or eternity, Sure, ah, sure will the harvest be. Sowing the seed by the wayside high, Sowing the seed on the rocks to die. Sowing the seed where the thorns will spoil, Sowing the seed in the fertile soil: O what shall the harvest be? courtesy of the University of California, Santa Barbara "OUR NATIONAL THANKSGIVING by Sarah Josepha Hale We are most happy to agree with the large majority of the governors of the different States -- as shown in their unanimity of action for several past years, and which, we hope, will this year be adopted by all -- that the LAST THURSDAY IN NOVEMBER shall be the DAY Of NATIONAL THANKSGIVING for the American people." Sign up for the free  

Published Nov 11, 2007 Episode 33 Show Notes The New Newsletter: iGoogle: Update: iGoogle has been discontinued Upcoming Conference Appearance: FamilySearch and My Ancestors Found have just announced that they are co-sponsoring the Family History EXPO at the Dixie Convention Center in St. George UT on Feb. 8 & 9 2008.  I'm very excited to let you know that I'll be teaching a class on how to use Google for your family history research.  GEM:  This old dog learned a new trick or how I got in touch with my own podcast:Update: iGoogle has been discontinued. The easiest way to subscribe and listen to all the past and new podcast episodes is now through the GEM:  Google Gadget for American Memory: Although iGoogle has been discontinued,  the American Memory Project is still thriving and can be visited at   GEM:  Genealogy Podfading:I really appreciate your partnering with me to keep the Genealogy Gems Podcast from podfading as so many others have done.  Christmas is a great time to lend your support.  Our sponsors are established, trusted and secure, and your information is ALWAYS private.  Thank you friends! GEM:  Silhouettes by Kathryn Flocken: Here's another little blast from the past gem in .  I got an email from Kathryn recently which included a really neat short video about the silhouette work that she does: Video: Silhouette of genealogy podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke by Kathryn Flocken GEM:  :There are 2 areas to explore:  Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses from 1790-2000It contains a record of all census questions, enumerators instructions, and brief histories of every census. And... Histories of Enumeration Procedures for Each Census: The procedural histories provide detailed information on the collection and processing of each item on the questionnaire. You will learn how enumerators were selected, how they were trained and supervised, and how the public was prepared for the census takerâs visit. I hope you're busily working on your from .  There are 4 videos there on the website to walk you through how to do that.  Have fun!

Published Nov 4, 2007 Episode 32 Show Notes Listener Mailbox, and Invite Your Ancestors to Christmas!  The Mailbox:  Email From Dave Green: "Attached (is) a find on ebay. I hadn't thought to look there for family mementos. I typed in the tiny town of Fiat, IN and it came back with a matchbook from the store my grandparents had owned there!  Thanks for the valuable gem." Email from Judy in Memphis: Hi, Lisa, a few weeks ago I contacted you and said I was going to do the this Christmas. I thought you would enjoy seeing how they turned out! I have only actually put the candy in two to try it out but will wait until closer to Christmas so the candy will be fresh. I used the 3.5 oz Dove Bars, dark chocolate. I will send them to 47  people in the family who will enjoy the candy and hopefully the memories. The front says:  "In Memory of Daddy, (Kenneth) who gave us our love of chocolate and Mother (Mildred) who made all those wonderful desserts. Love, Judy."  The three children on the front are my two sisters and me at Christmas about 1946. The picture on the back is of the same children and our parents, about 1960. I hope they enjoy this little gift. Thanks so much for the idea. Again, I love the podcast and have gotten a lot of useful information. You make it really fun. GEM:  Invite Your Ancestors to Christmas - Create A Family History Christmas Wreath Joy to the World  Edison Records  1906   This week, I"m very please to be publishing my first sharing with you how to create your own family history Christmas Wreath.  This wreath is so beautiful, and I'm really excited to have found a way to incorporate more wonderful family photos into our holiday decorations.  I've done my best to give you step by step instructions so that you can make your wreath right along with me.  Watch the which in total runs about 35 minutes - Here's an example:  Part 1 I really hope that you will take the time to create this lovely wreath.  I had so much fun making it, and I've already gotten oos and ahs from people who have seen it. I guarantee if you invest your love and time into making it, it will be appreciated by everyone who sees it. And I would love to see your finished projects!  So a photo as Judy from Memphis did with her Christmas candy bars.  It would be inspiration for us all!

Published Oct 28, 2007 EPISODE 31 SHOW NOTES Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies. The book has been discontinued . A special little .  Update: iGoogle has been discontinued. The website is evolving every day with new content, so be sure and visit regularly at   Be sure to click on the Link.  And you'll also find lots of other great tips that we've talked about to make Google work harder for your genealogy research. Please do let your research friends and your local genealogy society know about it as a resource for them too, even if they don't listen to the podcast. Gem:  The Irish Jig performed by the National Promenade Band in 1914 for Edison Records  American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to over 9 million items of written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. These materials chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America. Advertising 1850-1920 Architecture and Interior Design 1935-1955 Baseball Cards 1887-1914 Broadsides and Printed Ephemera 1600-2000 Chicago Daily News - Photographs 1902-1933 7 different Civil War collections with many, many photographs Daguerreotype Photographs 1839-1864 Depression Era to World War II FSA/OWI Photographs 1935-1945 Film, Animated 1900-1921 There are several Folk Music Collections Great Plains Photographs 1880-1920 Maps and Cartographic Items 1500-Present New York City Films 1898-1906 Nineteenth-Century Books 1850-1877 Nineteenth-Century Periodicals 1815-1900 Ohio River Valley 1750-1820 Panoramic Photographs 1851-1991 Pearl Harbor and Public Reactions Audio Interviews 1941-1942 Posters, WPA 1936-1943 Prairie Settlement, Nebraska Photographs and Letters 1862-1912 Railroads Maps 1828-1900 Revolutionary Era Maps 1750-1789 San Francisco and 1906 Earthquake Films 1897-1916 Sheet Music 1820-1860 & 1870-1885 Slave Narratives Audio Interviews 1932-1975 Small Town Life, Mid-Atlantic Stereoscopic Photographs ~ 1850-1920 Southern U.S. Personal Narratives 1860-1920 Traveling in America Books ca. 1750-1920 Turn-of-the-Century America Detroit Publishing Company Photographs 1880-1920 Upper Midwest Books ca. 1820-1910 Utah and Western Migration 1846-1869 American Variety Stage - Vaudeville  1870-1920 Western U.S. Photographs 1860-1920 World War I Military Newspapers 1918-1919 World War I Rotogravures 1914-1919 World War II Maps Military Situation Maps 1944-1945 Some of my other favorite areas of the Collections and Programs are: The VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT The NATIONAL DIGITAL NEWSPAPER PROGRAM CHRONICALING AMERICA â HISTORIC AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS The PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS ONLINE CATALOG :  LOC WEBCASTS Start by browsing the Biography and History listings. The library website also offers on a variety of subjects. The future: the library just signed a World Digital Library Agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization pledging cooperative efforts to build a World Digital Library website.  World Digital Library at the . GEM:  Genealogy for the Next Generation To get the attention of the next generation for genealogy I Simposonized myself. Simpsonize Me is no longer available.

SHOW NOTES for Episode 30 Published October 21, 2007  Website News:  New this week you will find a search box on the left side of the under the navigation menu.  I hope that you will use it and find it helpful in getting to where you want to go.  GEM: Interview with Ali Selim, Director of Sweet Land? In episode 29 I told you about a wonderful movie that I saw recently called . It's a film about Norwegian immigrants in rural Minnesota following WWI.  I feel so passionate about it not only because it's about family history, but because it's such a rare thing to find a gem like this that you can watch with your entire family. Ali's Grandparents William and Sophie Niemeier of Minnesota. This week I had a chance to talk to Ali Selim, award-winning director of Sweet Land, and we chatted about his immigrant parents, the power of memories and some of the terrific actors that he features in the film.  Ali Selim, Director When you're done listening to the audio podcast, you can watch the Videocast below.  Just double click on the Play button.    

Video Cast: An interview with the award-winning director of the film Sweet Land, Ali Selim.   Sweet Land is a story about family history, focusing on Norwegian immigrants in Minnesota circa 1920.  If you love historical fiction, and quiet thoughtful movies that you can watch with your entire family, then this is the videocast for you.  is available on DVD, and the beautiful nostalic music soundtrack is available through .  Take it from your friend, you'll love it. P.S. Rather read?  Try  

Published Oct 7, 2007 Episode 29 SHOW NOTES GEM: I had the opportunity to talk with Anna Swayne of the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation recently.  Listen as we walk through this emerging area of genealogy step-by-step and get a solid overview of how DNA testing can assist us in our family history research.  Suggested Reading: Megan Smolenyak & Ann Turner by Colleen Fitzpatrick  - SMGF's founder, James LeVoy Sorenson, was featured in a USA Today article in June. The article focuses on Mr. Sorenson's work in genetic genealogy as well as his other companies.  Sign up for the free Genealogy Gems   Check out what's new at the Get Lisa's new book:  Genealogy Gems:  Ultimate Research Strategies is out of print. Visit the for her latest books.   

Published Oct 2, 2007 Episode 28 Show Notes The first Genealogy Gems videocast was published last week:   Also available in the Genealogy Gems app.  Subscribe to the FREE Genealogy Gems Podcast ! Not only can you send video emails super quick and easy, but you can select one of their animated characters that you supply the voice for. Anytime you access Amazon through the links on my website and purchase any item on the Amazon site, you are supporting this podcast which I really appreciate!  Thanks to you guys I was able this week to double my podcast storage space which means I can create longer podcasts and also publish videocasts for you.  I hope you'll keep this in mind as we approach the holidays and you start doing your Christmas shopping.  It's because of you that the Genealogy Gems Podcast, website and videocasts are possible.  Thank you!  GEM:   GENEALOGY "COLD CALLS? My Lady of the Telephone was performed by Joseph A. Phillips and chorus for Edison Records in 1915    Interview with Carolyn Ender from Texas who has conducted dozens of cold call research calls.  1) Identify the person you want to call  2) Locate the Person's Phone Number        3) Plan ahead   Consider recording the conversation Consider getting a hands free phone   Consider time zones.   Choose a time when you are not rushed  Briefly review the family you are researching   Make note of specific questions you would like to ask.  Have your genealogy software program open    4) Get up the "nerve" to call  - Be prepared.  Say to yourself:  "I can do this.  This is important."  Remember, all they can do is say "no thank you." 5) Introduce Yourself  -   Immediately identify yourself with first & last name & town.  Indicate any family connection. Indicate who referred you to them. 6) Where to Begin  - Talk about the family line you are researching   Explain how you thought you might be related.  7) Reluctant Relatives  -  Share what youâve learned.  Share your own memories of a shared relative.   Mention something of particular interest in the family tree that might pique their interest.   Offer to mail them some information and call again once theyâve had a chance to look at it.  8) During the Call  - Take notes during the phone call.  Confirm information that you already have 9) When There's No Answer  - Leave a voice mail your name, number, why you are calling, & offer to call back.  10) Must Ask? Questions   Mailing address   Their birth date   Family photos, bible, documents? Copies only of course!   Can I keep in touch?   Can you suggest anyone else I might contact?  11) Wrapping up the call   - Thank them for their time.  Ask for email address. Offer to give them your address and phone number.   12) Create Documentation  Be sure to include the person's name, address, phone number and date of conversation. 13) Enter data into your genealogy database  -  This is a must.  Do it right away while it's on your mind  14) Create a To Do List  -  Go through the notes you typed with a highlighter pen to mark items you will want to research further.     15) Follow-up  Thank you card  Birthday cards & Christmas card  Follow up calls      GEM:        

The First Genealogy Gems Videocast: The Socks to America.(click POD icon at left or the mp4 file at end of this posting to view.Please allow a few extra moments video file to load) This is the documentary spoof (or should I say "sockumentary") video about the immigration of the fictitious Sockish-Americans.  Currently featured on Roots Television, the video is now available for FREE download onto your video ipod exclusively with this unique video podcast.  Now you can "Sock It To Yourself" anytime you like!  Due to the Socks huge popularity, I'm pleased to offer Socks mugs & posters, which are only available through the .                      The Socks to America Mugs: Immigration Story & I'm A Genealogist (Caution: Don't drink & watch the video at the same time as you will be in danger of laughing which causes spitting!) And the Poster...    

Published Sept 22, 2007 EPISODE 27 SHOW NOTES MAILBOX RE: WorldVitalRecords - is now part of RE: Judy's email chose "The Socks to America" as their homepage video last weekend.   Burning podcast episodes to CD: You can still do this, but why not just show folks at your genealogy society how to download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app so that they can enjoy it too? Thanks! Genealogy Societies are also welcome to use excerpts from my in their society newsletter when they include the following author credit "by Lisa L. Cooke, The Genealogy Gems Podcast at www.genealogygems.com".  GEM: Interview with DearMYRTLE - DearMYRTLE's Book ""  has been discontinued.  

Published Sept 10, 2007 EPISODE 26 SHOW NOTES I'll be at the Northern Utah Genealogy Jamboree in Ogden this Saturday September 15, 2007.  (Listen to Episode 25) Gem:  Organizing Your Internet Favorite BookmarksTo Rename Bookmarked Websites in your Internet Explorer Favorites: In Internet Explorer click the yellow star with the green plus sign Click Organize Favorites  Click to highlight the website link that you want to rename Click the RENAME button. Type the new name Press Enter key A more comprehensive organization strategy: First Level example: FUNNY STUFF GENEALOGY RECIPES STOCK TRADING, etc. Within the GENEALOGY folder you could have: Blogs Libraries Podcasts Societies Military Resources Surnames - containing folders for each major surname I'm researching.  Etc... To Alphabetize Your Favorites: Click the yellow star favorites button on your Internet browser This will open up the window so you can see the folders in your Favorites list Right click you mouse anywhere in the white space of that window click SORT BY NAME And all your folders will snap back into alphabetical order.  Be sure and Newsletter   Announcing the premiere of the newest Genealogy Gems Production: . This video is a documentary spoof (a la Ken Burns) chronicling the immigration of the fictitious "Sockish" people (aka Sock Puppets). I invite Genealogists & Historians alike to sit back and enjoy a chuckle at our favorite pastime.    

Published Sept 4, 2007 Book Announcement:  Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies from Season One of the Genealogy Gems Podcast is out of print. Please visit the for current book titles.  Newspapers:   The genealogy databases once included in World Vital Records is now part of . Gem:  Some newspapers carry a history section or a 'looking back'  column where they run old articles.  World Vital Records only had a sampling of years from the past newspapers that are digitized.  But the columns like "Twice Told Tales" that can be found in more recent newspapers, may include articles about the family that the website didn't have the originals of.  So don't dismiss those new issues - you may find some real gems! To subscribe to the Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter . The newsletter is absolutely free.    

SHOW NOTES Episode 24  Published August 26, 2007 The National Archives and Records Administration has taken the leap and raised their record reproduction fees.  The don't become effective until October 1, 2007, so youâve go a window of opportunity to order records at the old lower prices.  .   - Create a Family History Calendar.  Consider highlighting an ancestor each month.  It would make a wonderful holiday gift.  My book Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies from Season One of the Genealogy Gems Podcast is now out of print. Please visit the for my latest book titles. Correction:  The title of the book I mentioned in Episode 19 called Papa's Way is incorrect.  The title of the book by Thyra Ferre Bjorn is . Here's another Swedish Book recommendation that I received from Anna-karin Shander who lives in Sweden and is host of Anna-Karin's Genealogical Podcast.  The book is called The Emigrants - The Emigrant Novels Book 1 by Wilhelm Moberg.  ordered my copy.  With Fall coming, doesnât it sound wonderful to curl up on the couch with some hot coffee and a novel called "The Emigrants"?  GEMS:  A Tour of Genealogy Gems TV  Genealogy Gems TV pages have been replaced. Now you will find all of our videos at the Please click the red SUBSCRIBE button while you're there. That way you'll be notified of each new video as it's published.    COMING SOON!  InternationalVideos from Germany, England and Sweden. Attention Podcast Listeners:  Take a picture of yourself listening on your computer or listening to the podcast on your ipod and email it to me at .  You can make it funny, make it serious, you can hold up a sign saying that you're listening to the show or what you think of it.  Whatever you want to do is fine with me.  Include your name and let me know in the email if it's ok to use or not.  You may find your photo on the upcoming Listeners page where I can show off my awesome audience. 

Published August 19, 2007 Episode 23 SHOW NOTES The Mailbox: According to alert listener Richard, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests can receive acknowledgement letters from the US Dept. of Homeland Security / US Citizen and Immigration Services in just two weeks.  Richard's requests were placed on a speedier "simple track."  This means that response time has been drastically cut from the six months it took me to receive answers about 5 years ago.  This is good news for genealogists!  Better yet, you now have the option of requesting a CD with pdf file, instead of paper files, if the number of pages is over 15.  We"re all waiting with bated breath to hear back from Richard when he receives the final results from his request for his great grandfather's records.  GEM:  Follow up - Using Your Video iPod As A Genealogy Tool  Proactive listener Donna wrote this week to ask what the best format and resolution was for saving pictures to be viewed on the For photos to be viewed on a television screen, save them as JPEG files at 300 dpi resolution.       Update: Reduce the size of images quickly by running them through . Supply Checklist Photo Slideshow Troubleshooting Checklist  When plugging the  into your TV make sure each jack is firmly plugged in.   To begin slideshow, be sure to press the center iPod ENTER button TWICE when selecting the first image.    Make sure the TV Out feature under Photo Slideshow settings is set to ON.  Make sure your digital TV tuner is set to the appropriate input for the signal coming from the jacks that your iPod is plugged into.  GEM: Home Movie Hint  Please permit me to share a suggestion you may find useful...  I recently took a number of old movie reels (from the 1940s) out to be transferred to DVD, as I'd long intended to do. As much fun and as enlightening as these reels were to watch, I realized an unexpected bonus:  the scenes in these reels helped me identify my great grandmother and her sister in a photo I had sitting by.  Of course, I recognized my great grandmother and I suspected the other was her sister but these movies put that photograph in a context that allowed me to make that identification.  The clothing was the same and the  background matched so I was able to put names and approximate dates on these pictures!  The fuller context of the movie allowed me to identify the names, place and time for the photograph. I hurried down to the store with the rest of the movie reels.  I will remember that often photos are taken at the same events as movies were taken and that a single picture is merely a moment in time but movies can provide larger context. Thank you for your podcast and sharing your ideas.  I look forward to them."  Pat  Regarding Brick Walls:  If you're ready to give up you're probably closer than you think.  Or as they said in Galaxy Quest:  "Never Give Up, Never Surrender!"

Published August 12, 2007 THE MAILBOX "I also wanted to share a couple of photographs with you, she says.  During your third episode, you talked about creative ways to display your family history treasures, and I wanted to share with you something absolutely wonderful my aunt did for me. When my grandmother had to downsize and move into an assisted living facility, my aunt stumbled upon a beautiful silk baby dress and a pair of leather button-up baby shoes that had belonged to my grandmother.  She had these framed for me along with a photograph of my grandmother on her 1st birthday wearing them!  She gave the finished product to me because she knew how much I am fascinated by our family's history.  Sincerely,  Diana     Eleanor Mae Lees - 1st birthday Email from Barbara Murphy, NY: "On this weeks episode #21 you were talking about writing your memories. I received a book from my daughter last Christmas that does just what you are talking about.  It is "Your life story in your own words.  I think it is terrific because there was no way I was going to write anything anytime.  This book is a month by month calendar book.  Each month has questions to write about" Update: Anna-Karin's Swedish Genealogical Podcast is no longer being published. Use the time while you"re downloading podcasts to make a few entries into a memory book!  That's a gem of an idea! GEM:  Turn Your Into A Family History Tool  The Micro memo snaps easily into the connector at the base of the video ipod.  It has a flexible microphone and built in speaker. When you plug it into your ipod it automatically puts your ipod in Voice Memo mode with the option to start recording. How To Record From Voice Memo mode Select RECORD When you're done you just select STOP AND SAVE How To Download Recordings to Your Computer Plug iPod into your computer Open up iTunes (it will detect that you have new recorded voice memos on your iPod, and will ask you if you would like to download them into iTunes.) Click OK How Two Use Two Desktop Microphones For An Interview UnPlug the MicroMemo microphone from the MicroMemo unit Plug in a Plug two computer desktop microphones into the splitter How To Record With An External Microphone Or Other Source In Stereo UnPlug the MicroMemo microphone from the MicroMemo unit Flip the switch above the microphone jack on the Micro Memo to LINE.  Plug in your stereo microphone or cable from other source into MicroMemo Record as usual How To Load Images Onto Your Video iPod: Create a IPOD IMAGES file folder on your computer Scan or copy photos and documents and save them to the file Plug your iPod into your computer Open up iTunes. From the gray menu tabs Click PHOTOS Click the SYNC PHOTOS FROM box Click the gray box to choose a folder from your hard drive.  (This will open a window called BROWSE FOR FOLDER.  Navigate your way to your IPOD IMAGES folder.) Click on the IPOD IMAGES folder (the folder icon will open but you won't see image files) Click the OK button. Click the ALL PHOTO button Click the INCLUDE FULL RESOLUTION BUTTON. Click the gray APPLY at the bottom right corner of the screen. ITunes has now copied all of the photos from that folder onto your iPod.  You'll see that happening in the box at the top of the Itunes screen. How To View Your Images On Your iPod Eject your iPod from iTunes.  The main menu will appear on iPod video screen. Select PHOTOS from iPod menu Select PHOTO LIBRARY to view thumbnail images Scroll to the image you want to view and select it How To View Your iPod Photos And Videos On Your Television You will need:  Plug one end of the cable into the headphone jack of your iPod Plug the three plugs into the corresponding yellow, white & red jacks on your TV. Turn on your ipod From menu select VIDEOS Select VIDEO SETTINGS Select TV OUT and set it to âONâ? Click the MENU button and go back and select the video you want to watch Press play You will probably need to change your TV tuner to an AV input How To Create A Photo Slideshows In Your iPod Start at PHOTOS menu Select Slideshow Settings.  Set the time per slide (I suggest 5 seconds) Select MUSIC. Select a music Playlist, or Random.  Set the REPEAT and SHUFFLE PHOTOS settings to OFF. Select TRANSITIONS  (I like Dissolve) Navigate your way back to the PHOTOS page Select the folder of photos you want to play as your slide show. When you see the list of thumbnails and the yellow box is around the first image youâre ready to go so hit play.  So now you can gather the family around the television set and share your photos, and videos in big, living color with your I hope if you do purchase any of the items I mentioned today, you'll do it through the links on my website.  The links simply tell the vendor who referred you.  The price is the same and your personal information goes ONLY to the vendor.  By purchasing through my website link, you help support this podcast and defer the production costs.  So we all win. Your iPod is fun AND hard working.  Happy listening AND viewing!!  

  SHOW NOTES   Published August 5, 2007 Lisa's Movie Pick:  Full of Life (1957).  It's a really heartwarming movie about immigrants and their American born children that you can watch comfortably with your kids and your grandkids.   The novel by John Fante is still available:     GEM:  Freedom of Information Act Follow Up Email from Richard Hrazanek:  "I loved the tip about requesting your ancestor's immigration file through the Freedom of Information Act. Do you know if you can do the same thing with a person's military record." FOIA can assist you in obtaining military records. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Website article:    Rod Powers of About.com does a great job outlining article: Access to Military Records by the General Public, including genealogists who are not next-of-kin devoted to the 4th Infantry Division 224th Infantry Regiment Company "D" which his uncle served in.  Timothy outlines his experience with obtaining military records.   GEM:  Thanks for the Memories Get a piece of paper or pull up a word document.  Close your eyes for a second, and visualize a favorite memory from your childhood.  In my case I started with a favorite place, my maternal grandma's house.  But perhaps yours is the back alley where you and your friends played baseball, or your great uncle's garage where he showed you how to work on cars.  Whatever is meaningful to you. Now, open your eyes, and write your thoughts one at a time.  Just free flow it. They don't have to be complete sentences.  Later you can try your hand at writing more of your actual experiences or memories of a person.  Again, it doesn't have to be a novel or sound really professional.  It's just the memories from you heart. Tie together this gem with episode 20's Sweet Memories gem where we made a family history chocolate bar label for a candy bar that could be tucked in a Christmas Stocking as a gift.  Replace the Ingredient's list on the back label with a text box that includes these free flowing memories about the photo that appears on the front label. 

SHOW NOTES Published July 15, 2007 GEM:  A Long Look Sideways Have you ever heard the piece of genealogical advice that says if you get stuck with your own ancestor, look sideways  - at their siblings, aunts and uncles?  Well in this episode we stretch this idea even further by looking at folks who aren't even related to us in order to get a clearer view of our ancestor's lives. EXAMPLE  Here's a list of books that I've found that are about specific locations and experiences that apply to my ancestors: The Kinta Years by Janice Holt Giles (Oklahoma) Tunbridge Wells - I was born on the Pantiles, By Josephine Butcher (England) Still Life - Sketches from a Tunbridge Wells Childhood by Richard Cobb (England) Rebecca of Blossom Prairie by Maurine Walpole Liles (Texas) Papa's Wife by Thyra Ferre Bjorn -1956 (Sweden) Anything Can Happen by George and Helen Papashvily -1940 (immigrant experience) Places to find old or out of print books: Ebay.com, Amazon.com, Google Search, Garage Sales GEM:  Finding Your German Ancestors Town of Origin A little German village can seem like a needle in a haystack when you're starting with ancestors who made it to the shores of America.   But once you've found that gem, it will open up all kinds of records from their native land, and likely take you back several more generations. There are three important pieces to this Ancestral puzzle: The village name The Parish it belonged to The district or Kreis it was part of First step: find them in the most recent census and work backwards.  Look for immigration information.  The naturalization process created a lot of paperwork, and in that paper work your ancestors were asked for specific information about where they were born, where they immigrated from, the ship they traveled on, and when they arrived in America.  Naturalization was applied for at the county courthouse in most cases. Try the free GenWeb website    for the county where you think your ancestor's applied for citizenship to see what resources they have available.  Also, look up the county courthouse online for records and contact information. Declarations of Intent:  The first document filed for citizenshipPetitions for Naturalization:  The final papers The more recent the naturalization, the more likely you will find listed the place of birth, date of emigration and the ship on which they sailed. Brush up on your German border history.   Most recent border changes occurred in 1945 and 1871.    Consult a gazetteer at the library or online, and look up the town. This should indicate the parish and Kreis. Check :  Enter the last name, and the country as Germany to see if people with the same last name are listed in the same location you have pinpointed in Germany.  Also, Search PLACE under the link to find out what records they hold for that village.  Suggestion:  Put the village name in the first field and the kreis in the second. Next, Timelines are a great tool for seeing the bigger picture and determining how the little bits of information fall within it. One of my favorite German sites is Genealogy.net German Genealogy website & Visit the complete website at lisalouisecooke.com

This episode has been remastered and can now be heard in episode 206.

This episode is no longer available.

 This episode is out dated and no longer available.

Episode 11 has been remastered and can now be heard in episode 194.

This episode is outdated and no longer available. 

Episode 5 has been remastered and can now be heard in episode 145

What is a podcast? Podcasting, a word combining a reference to Apple's "iPod" and "broadcasting", is a method of publishing audio files to the Internet, and allowing folks like you to subscribe (usually free)  so you can receive new shows automatically. (More on how to do that below) It first became popular in late 2004, and has grown tremendously in popularity since then.  The beauty of a podcast show is that, unlike a radio show, you can listen whenever and wherever you want to.  And if you miss something good, you can rewind and go over it again.  It puts you in control of your listening while getting current and useful information on exactly what you want to hear about - which is of course GENEALOGY!  Does it cost money to subscribe the Genealogy Gems Podcast? Nope -  It's absolutely FREE! What is the Genealogy Gems Podcast about? My goal is to provide folks who are researching their family history with nuggets of  inspiration and innovation to help them get the most of out their research time.   Episodes are published on a weekly basis, and run from approximately 25 minutes long.  Show Notes with "how to" info, photos, and reliable resources are also published weekly at .  So how do I subscribe to the Genealogy Gems Podcast?  If you don't already have iTunes installed on your computer? Go to Enter your email address in the box on the left & click the Download itunes button Follow the prompts. Once installed, open up itunes on your computer  Now you are ready to subscribe to Genealogy Gems Podcast. Use your curser to highlight the following address:  Press the Control key and the letter C key on your keyboard at the same time to COPY the address to your computerâs clipboard In itunes, Select ADVANCED and SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST from the menu A small window will open.  Press the Control key & the letter V key at the same time on your keyboard to PASTE into the box. Click OK The podcast will automatically load into the Podcasts section of your itunes Library. You will now receive new episodes whenever they are published, & be able to listen to them in itunes anytime you want! Do I have to have an ipod to listen? Absolutely not.  You have lots of options to listen, but here are the easiest: In Itunes  (where you have subscribed to this podcast.  See "How do I subscribe" FAQ above.)  Open itunes on your computer by clicking on your desktop icon. In the left column under LIBRARY click Podcasts (these are the podcasts that are in your library file on your computer) All your podcasts will be listed on the screen Click the triangle to the left of the name "Genealogy Gems Podcast".  This will "open" the podcast so you can see all the episodes. Double click the episode you want and it will begin to play in itunes.  On this website - just click the media player in the upper right corner of each show. Of course I love using my ipod to listen whenever and wherever I want.  I just plug it into my computer's USB plug, open up itunes and itunes automatically loads my ipod with new episodes it has "caught" for me since the last time I plugged it in.  Hence the term "podcatcher"! How can I get started in researching my family tree? No point in reinventing the wheel here.  Click on this link: 

Episode 3 has been remastered and can now be heard in episode 140.

Episode 2 has been remastered and can be heard in episode 134