Wed, 13 January 2016
This New Year’s episode is packed with fresh energy and perspective!
Also:
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): What Ancestry’s Retirement of Family Tree Maker Software Means for You
NEWS: New Records Online AUSTRALIA CIVIL REGISTRATIONS. A new browse-only collection of Tasmanian civil registrations (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 parish registers and registers of electors (both dating to the 1500s!) are now online at FamilySearch, as Lancashire parish records to 1538 and another collection of parish registers 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! Click here for the current list. PHILIPPINES (MANILA) CIVIL REGISTRATIONS: More than 400,000 indexed records for the city of Manila have been added to an existing collection of Philippines civil registrations at FamilySearch.org. WALES ELECTORAL REGISTERS. Over 1.6 million indexed names from electoral registers 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 first 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: births and baptisms and wills and probates. DIGITAL BOOKS. A new FREE collection of 150,000 digitized books is searchable at MyHeritage.com. 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 RootsTech 2016: What’s Happening! Here’s the schedule for my official RootsTech lectures and those of our regular Gems contributors: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: 11:00 Soothe Your Tech Tummy Ache with These 10 Tools, Lisa Louise Cooke Saturday: 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 register for RootsTech before January 18, 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”
MAILBOX: Where I’m From Picture books by George Ella Lyon recommended by Katharine:
MAILBOX: Family Tree Maker Sue’s email: she decided to use RootsMagic family history software and, following my suggestion, signed up for Backblaze cloud-based backup service.
Click here to read a blog post that answers Charles’ question about why not to continue using Family Tree Maker after it “expires.” Click here to read about specials for Family Tree Maker users and what I do with my master family tree. Click here to access Moving your tree from Family Tree Maker to Reunion, for Reunion 11 (for Mac) software, as recommended by Bill Click here to read which family history software I recommend and why Click here 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 Click here to read a detailed answer to Lydia’s question on Google searching coroner’s records The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox 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. Library of Congress: A Century of Law Making for a New Nation Preserve the Pensions: War of 1812 Pension Digitization Project
Genealogy Gems Book Club: A New Book!
Orchard House by Tara Austin Weaver Tara Austin Weaver's Tea & Cookies blog: www.teaandcookiesblog.com 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. Genealogy Gems Premium website members 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: Ellis Island Opens |
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Tue, 8 December 2015
Genealogy Gems Podcast
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:
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 Search Connect ™. 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 here. 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 Pain-Free Family History Writing Projects 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 Pain Free Family History Writing Projects. 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. The coupon code for this digital download video is LISA100 and it’s good through the end of 2015 when you click on this link. 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. Click here 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 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! Click here to learn more about this contest.
MAILBOX: The Case of the Missing Parents Continues
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 November 2015 Family Tree Magazine podcast, which I also host. That brick-wall-busting class is called Cluster and Collateral Research 101. DNA testing. Depending on which test she takes, her results may lead to common relatives descended from those “missing” parents. I recommended the “Getting Started” DNA guide I offer through the Genealogy Gems website. It’s an inexpensive and helpful way to start your DNA journey. As your DNA journey progresses, the entire series of DNA guides written by our resident DNA expert, Diahan Southard, can help with next steps.
SPECIAL INTERVIEW: Kathy Hawkins: Interviewing Tips for Older Relatives Here are four tips she shared that I especially appreciated:
Kathy shared information about Timeslips Creative Storytelling, which teaches caregivers how to have more meaningful, joyful interactions with memory-impaired loved ones. Click here 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 Citizens Creek. 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 Genealogy Gems Premium website membership, one LOW price gets you an entire YEAR’s access to current and ALL back episodes of the monthly Genealogy Gems Premium podcast. 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 my most popular classes on video, 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 Genealogy Gems Premium privileges.
DNA GEM: Filling Empty Seats at the Table with DNA Earlier this year we related the story 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 New York Times 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 story 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 AncestryDNA 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 http://shop.lisalouisecooke.com/
PROFILE AMERICA 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.” |
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Wed, 4 November 2015
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 Online Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington. 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 West Virginia, Maine and Jackson Co, Missouri. Of course, not every ancestor who married stayed that way: Ancestry has also updated its Idaho divorce collection and added a new collection of Oregon divorce 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 Digitizing 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 Ancestry 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: RootsMagic for Mac and More
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 Genealogy Gems website. 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 Genealogy Gems Facebook page. “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: Dezi Duz it, at www.deziduzit.blogspot.com. 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 www.genealogytranslator.com. 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, dygenerations.com. 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! Episode 14: How to Contact Long-Lost Relatives Episode 15: More Tips for Contacting Distant Relatives 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 http://familyarising.blogspot.com.au/. 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 Irish Catholic Parish Registers online from the National Library of Ireland. 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 blog post link 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 Hubspot Blogs. 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.
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
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 website, “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 Kentucky Arts Council 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:”
Tell us where you are from!
DNA GEM: Ethnicity Results: Exciting or Exasperating?
Facebook follower Kate Vaughan recently wrote in expressing her frustration with her ethnicity results provided by AncestryDNA. 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: http://www.yourdnaguide.com/transferring. 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:
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. |
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Tue, 6 October 2015
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 The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox. 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: Danish Emigration (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 marriages and burials dating back to the 1760s; Alberta, Canada newspaper vital events index back to 1889; and Births, deaths and marriages 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 website There’s a new website and mobile app that I have to recommend that reveals the Blitz in a new way: Bomb Sight, http://www.bombsight.org/. 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 blogger 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 www.backblaze.com/Lisa. Digital file storage “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 Larsen Digital site for a while, I located a page there that compares the various file formats for photos, videos, etc.” Then Bill shared this webpage URL 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 episode 57 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 info@larsendigital.com.
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, RootsBid. (Click on the link to read the poem.)
GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB: Citizens Creek: A Novel
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’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. 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
“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 Genealogy Gems Facebook page. 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.
“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 Store tab at GenealogyGems.com. 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, YourDNAGuide.com.”—Diahan Southard
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Wed, 2 September 2015
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 link 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 Backblaze, 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.
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.
Visit our sponsor MyHeritage.com 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 Larsen Digital 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 Larsen Digital: Gengem10 gets Genealogy Gems listeners 10% off! Call with any questions at
1-800-776-8357 or send an email to info@larsendigital.com.
Tips for digitizing still images
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 32 and 33. Genealogy Gems Premium members can also access my 2-part instructional video series, “Hard Drive Organization” (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.
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 Larsen Digital: Gengem10 gets Genealogy Gems listeners 10% off! Call with any questions at 1-800-776-8357 or send an email to info@larsendigital.com.
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 Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, 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: Genealogy Gems Premium members 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. The New York Times 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.
Get Diahan's DNA quick reference guides to help you easily navigate your own genetic genealogy journey. Diahan Southard offers DNA consultations to help you with your results. Learn more here
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Sat, 8 August 2015
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 The Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, and Other Audacious Fakery 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 Ghost Army
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 Beyer
Visit Rick at Rickbeyer.net Get the book here and support the free podcast Get the DVD here and support the podcast Rent the film here and support the free podcast
Be a
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 |
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Fri, 10 July 2015
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 patent 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.
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, The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox. * 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 blog post, the percentage of sailors included is still fairly low in that database. So I was pleased to see a new collection on Fold3 recently: U.S. NAVY SURVIVORS. Here’s a link 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 blog! * 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 link 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 Freedmen’s Bureau Online. 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 DiscoverFreedmen.org. 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.” 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 Family History Made Easy Podcast or watch my YouTube channel version. * 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 link 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 on the Genealogy Gems home page. 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: www.Backblaze.com/Lisa
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 great episode on interviewing your relatives. 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 home page, click on US Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present, 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 British Newspaper Archive, the National Library of Australia digitized newspapers webpage and the Newspaper Collection webpage for Library and Archives Canada. Remember, historical societies and even local public libraries are also wonderful places to look for newspaper holdings. My book, How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers, 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 over a billion U.S. city directory entries online, 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 The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, 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. Here’s a link to the page at Census.gov that tells you how to do this (it’s called the “age search service”). Ancestry does have a 1950 U.S. census substitute database. 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 Office for National Statistics website, 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 London electoral registers 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 Library and Archives Canada website. 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 Year Book Australia for 1951, 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 Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, 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.
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Tue, 16 June 2015
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 recently reported 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! A write-up at ReadWrite.com reports that Google says the Chromebit will be less than $100!
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 Ohio History Connection serves as the state historical society and official state archives. But there is also a state library 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 Columbus Metropolitan Library 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 Civil War Veterans buried in Washington state. 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 Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS). 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. Here’s a link 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? Manchester Men, 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, The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox. 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 http://geneaholicconfessions.blogspot.com/. 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 this article on syncing your updated online tree to your Family Tree Maker software. RootsMagic users should watch this YouTube video on importing your Ancestry tree into RootsMagic. Consult other online support options 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. Here’s a link 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 has disposed of DNA samples in the past 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 www.Backblaze.com/Lisa 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 FamilySearch's Family History Books collection. 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 (www.Canadiana.ca) regularly for family history information. Recently Newswire.ca 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 Héritage Project “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 local and regional newspaper digitization and records of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces. Another part of Canadiana is The Canadiana Discovery Portal. 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? Early Canadiana Online, 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!
This month we feature a meaty excerpt from our interview with Nathan Dylan Goodwin, author of The Lost Ancestor (The Forensic Genealogist). 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 here. PROFILE AMERICA Here's a this-month-in-history from Profile America. 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:
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Sun, 24 May 2015
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. 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 www.Backblaze.com/Lisa 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: “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 click here to access Premium podcast episode 116 to hear a discussion between two authors of books on life-story writing, and here 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 “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 Entrepreneur. 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 free Genealogy Gems podcast interview 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 The Lost Ancestor.
Sunny's Book Recommendations: Hiding the Past by Nathan Dylan Goodwin The Orange Lilies: A Morton Farrier novella The Marriage Certificate by Stephen Molyneux Out of the Shoebox: An Autobiographical Mystery by Yaron Reshef Jimmy Fox’s Nick Herald Genealogical Mystery series: Deadly Pedigree, Jackpot Blood and Lineage and Lies 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 http://lisalouisecooke.com/genealogy-book-club/.
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Fri, 10 April 2015
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: A new databaseis now online with over 80,000 images of Mennonite life from across Canada and dating back to 1860s. A press release 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 has launched an archive of north Georgia historical newspapers. “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 onlineGenealogy Index 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 WWII Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files, 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 Seeking Michigan. “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 web archive of oral histories of New Zealand nurses 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: § Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps Service Records 1917-1920. It’s a relatively small collection but rich in material on each woman. § British Women’s Royal Naval Service officer files 1917-1919 (ADM 318) details the service history of women who served as officers in the Women’s Royal Naval Service during the First World War. § British Women’s Royal Naval Service Ratings’ Service Registers 1918-1919 contains the details of nearly 7,000 enlisted women who served as Wrens during the First World War. § British Women’s Royal Air Force Service Records 1918-1920 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. http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/ohio/2015/03/18/adoption-records/24980157/ Want to learn more about accessing adoption records in any state? Check out the U.S. Adoption Research page 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 this page on adoption records at the Pennsylvania state library or this online resource 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 The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, Second Edition by Lisa Louise Cooke. http://lisalouisecooke.com/2015/03/recent-ohio-adoption-records-now-open/
GEM: CeCe Moore on DNA
GEM: Genealogy Gems Book Club
But now it’s time to talk about our next Genealogy Gems Book Club selection. Our next book is The Lost Ancestor (The Forensic Genealogist) (Volume 2)
In The Lost Ancestor 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
Please SUBSCRIBE while you’re there. Check out our new video son Evernote and DNA.
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Tue, 10 March 2015
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. NEWS PRISON RECORDS. Kingston, Canada, Penitentiary Inmate Ledgers, 1913-1916, are now available on Flickr. According to GenealogyCanada.blogspot.com, “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 Flickr 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 British Library photostream, with over a million images in its photostream! And how about the (U.S.) Library of Congress, 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. Described here (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 Canadian Headstone Photo Project 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 CanadianHeadstones.com, 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 CHRIS (Cultural and Historical Resource Information System) GIS tool. 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 The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, Second Edition 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 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. I posted about this experience 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 here. 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 Google Scholar, 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. Click here
Orphan Train 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:
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. Click here to order your copy of Orphan Train. Tune in to upcoming episodes of the Genealogy Gems podcast as we talk about Orphan Train and interview Christina Baker Kline!
Northwest Genealogy Conference 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 Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society is sponsoring free Beginning Genealogy Classes in conjunction with the Northwest Genealogy Conference 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 http://www.nwgc.org/
Profile America: Deadly Influenza Sources:Laboratories NAICS 621511 Physicians and medical scientists
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Mon, 23 February 2015
In this episode we are going to check in with our Genealogy Gems Book Club Guru Sunny Morton on our featured book Orphan Train 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 her blog post. 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. Mapping the Freedmen’s Bureau 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 FREEGenealogy Gems Podcast episode 159.
Danish Genealogy “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 sponsor of the Genealogy Gems podcast.
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 Club
Our current featured book, Orphan Train 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: 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. Mordecai: An Early American Family 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 Family 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. The Worst Country in the World 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
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 YDNA testing 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 Wiki and Facebook page who is also involved with the Guild of One Name Studies. 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. The Surname Society’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 YDNA, 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
(purchase all 6 laminated guides for the best deal):
Digital Guid es: Click here
Visit Diahan's website 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)
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Wed, 7 January 2015
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: Merry Cemetery Displays Dirty Little Secrets of the Dead 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 www.burgessgenealogy.wordpress.com), 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
Orphan Train 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.
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: Orphan Train 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 Genealogy Roadshow Read about it on the Genealogy Gems Blog: Visit Mary at Origins Italy at http://www.originsitaly.com/ Mary’s favorite websites for Italian research: Things to know about Italy:
Your DNA Guide with Diahan Southard 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. Talk to Diahan about DNA Consulting. Learn how with my series of quick guides (purchase all 4 laminated guides or the digital download bundle for the best deal);
Lisa’s Announcement: 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. |
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Mon, 8 December 2014
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 BritishNewspaperArchive.com 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: How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers by Lisa Louise Cooke
GEM: Interview with Emma Brockes, Author of She Left Me the Gun: My Mother's Life Before Me
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 AncestryDNA Review and Breaking News! Updates Launched at the Genealogy Gems blog.
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Tue, 11 November 2014
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) Europeana for Genealogy: WWI Digital Archive and More MORE German Genealogy Records at Ancestry.com Indiana Genealogy Records to be Digitized by Ancestry.com 1865 New York State Census Now on FamilySearch
MAILBOX:
Feedback on the “Lizzie” interview from Alvie 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.
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: 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: "Here's a book I found that you and your listeners might also enjoy. The Lost German Slave Girl 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
Improvements in Using Autosomal DNA for Genealogy You may recall from our recent DNA discussion on the Genealogy Gems podcast (Episode 168) 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. Free Shipping on Ancestry DNA Kit w Code: FREESHIPDNA 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?
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. Free Shipping on Ancestry DNA Kit w Code: FREESHIPDNA
GEM: Couple Celebrates 80 years of Marriage Read Couple Celebrates Astonishing 80 Years of Marriage, So What's Their Secret? Watch the video and see photos through time of the successful couple at KVAL.com
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Mon, 20 October 2014
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 WWI-Era Orphaned Heirloom Looking for Its Family
What Has Replaced Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness? 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 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper. 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: Charles lost two sovereigns 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. Lisa’s Answer: Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode 96 covers translation tools.
Check out the chapter on Google Translate in my book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox
Amy and Jillian’s recorded comments Jillian’s genealogy blog: www.burgessgenealogy.wordpress.com 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 She Left Me the Gun: My Mother's Life Before Me Visit the Genealogy Gems Book club page now.
Your DNA Guide: National Geographic and New Zealand with Diahan Southard
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.
The 9 Ancestral Populations at the National Genographic Project The 43 Reference Populations at the National Genographic Project
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.
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Tue, 16 September 2014
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 http://lisalouisecooke.com/lisas-schedule/ and perhaps join me at one of the upcoming events.
Now finding the content you want, whether a 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 “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 at our store. 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 Adults Interesting Stats:
Here’s what you had to say on the Genealogy Gems Facebook page: 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 my blog." 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 Pebble Smartwatch for iPhone and Android (Black)
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: 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: 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:
The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox and Google Earth for Genealogy CD Bundle
GEM: Project Lizzie – An Interview with Ron Ploof
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.
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.
Profile America — Wednesday, September 17th Sources: Kane's Famous First Facts, 1104, 3804
Coping and Exceling through Techological Change 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! |
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Wed, 13 August 2014
Lisa shares her recent research successes:
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? 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:
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Wed, 23 July 2014
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! Click here to subscribe today Benefits of Membership:
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. Who Do You Think You Are? Season five (and the second season on TLC) will feature six popular celebrities from TV and film:
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.
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Sun, 13 July 2014
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 areaTo 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. www.stanfordtheatre.org - 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 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, (www.filmclassic.com/Blackhawk.htm) 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 www.Netflix.com. 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 www.dvd.netflix.com. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) – www.tcm.com/index.jsp - 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 www.worldcat.org 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 www.GenealogyGems.comEbay.com – If you’re looking for a title that is particularly hard to find, EBay may be the best source. www.ebay.com 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
(Image: Sam Gill introducing a silent film) 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. (Image right: Sam and Lisa in the Niles 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. |
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Tue, 17 June 2014
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:
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 Genealogy Gems Fan Page on Facebook 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. Read more about it on the Ancestry blog, 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.
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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: 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."
Follow up post on the Ancestry Blog 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: From Tom:
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: 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 two brand new cheat sheets in our store that are excellent resources:
Also available in a bundle at a savings here. Randy in Seattle was concerned about another one of the businesses Ancestry is dropping MyCanvas: 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: 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: Lisa recommends: http://www.familychartmasters.com
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GEM: Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide
Diahan Southard is Your DNA Guide here at Genealogy Gems! She 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 Getting Started: Genetics for Genealogists, and Y Chromosome DNA for Genealogists. Book Diahan for your own consultation “Signing up for my service will act like placing both a filter and a translator on your DNA test results. After I do a bit of prep-work in your behalf, we will virtually meet together for 45 minutes. I will provide you a link to a Go To Meeting website where we can see each other and share computer screens. We will review the information provided by the testing company, and I will filter and translate it for you to make sure you understand what you have, and what it means. I will provide you with a video recording of our conversation as well as a summary and To Do List of your next steps. To get started, just send me an email at guide@yourDNAguide.com and we can schedule a time to meet together. If you prefer, send over your phone number and we can discuss possibilities over the phone.” |
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Thu, 22 May 2014
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 New Newspaper Collection Hat tip to Paul Nauta at FamilySearch
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 wrote about it on my blog 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 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 Google Earth for Genealogy free here 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. I posted about them on my blog. Here is what I know from them:
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.
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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:
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:
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) www.oldbaileyonline.org Full transcripts of every court hearing during this time period From the website: “The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913 Also look for:
The pre-eminent authority: Author Peter Wilson Coldham
Other possible records for Indentured:
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: www.genealogydecoded.com SONG: The Death of Wolfe (Song used with permissions from Archiving Early America website) Explore their early America music section Come all ye young men all, let this delight you, Watch the video: Music in a Colonial Williamsburg Tavern For more inspiration and information search “Colonial Genealogy” at YouTube.
CLOSING: Why You Do Genealogy 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!" |
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Mon, 14 April 2014
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 Williamson County Genealogical Society 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
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.
Outside the Box Session Schedule:
WEDNESDAY 10:00 Start Organizing Your Photos Today (Maureen Taylor) THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY New Videos at the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel: Genealogy Crowdsourcing: 4 Strategies and 4 Tips for Your Brick Wall! with Drew SmithA Sneak Peek at What Will be Included in the Future FamilySearch App with Brian Edwards5 Tools for Paying it Forward in Genealogy 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." Go to www.Youtube.com/genealogygems 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…”
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
A big thank you to: Thomas MacEntee: Hack Genealogy“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, Genea-Musings Amy Coffin of the We Tree Blog Renee Zamora of Rene’s Genealogy Blog Sue Maxwell, The Granite Genealogy Blog James Tanner, The Genealogy Star Blog“I had been using Evernote 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! And the “Get Started with Evernote” Mini Series
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 video at the RootsMagic YouTube channel
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. 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 evernote.com) 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 https://rootstech.org/about/videos/
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 schellseekers.blogspot.com and the maternal blog is happekotte.blogspot.com. 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! Google Translate Tip: Steve’s Reply:
From Carol: Free Records Checklists and Forms:
From Kris: 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 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: 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.)
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Tue, 11 March 2014
The Genealogy Gems Podcast
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Tue, 18 February 2014
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!
The Piece of Family History that Miraculously Made Its Way Back to This Indianapolis Woman A few years ago while attending a genealogy conference, I decided to conduct some on-the-fly interviews for The Genealogy Gems Podcast. 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 Galaxy Quest movie 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! Ultimate Google Search Strategies for Genealogists How to Create an Exciting Interactive Family History Tour with Google Earth. SCGS Jamboree 2014 welcomes 55 speakers, over 60 exhibitors, 134 class sessions for a variety of experience levels, and special events. Online registration is open on the Jamboree website, and the Marriott’s website is ready to take your reservation. Hope to see you there! Read more about it here.
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 here (it’s popped up in several news outlets now, but I first saw it at KUTV.com). Watch the video at the Genealogy Gems Blog
Newly Remastered and Republished Podcast Episodes Family History Episode 16 – The Family History Library Catalog Family History Episode 17 – Using Family History Centers Part I Family History Episode 18 – Using Family History Centers Part II
What’s New at Evernote A detailed overview of what Evernote did is now on their Tech Blog.
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... 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 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."
Producer: Vienna Thomas
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Tue, 7 January 2014
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: iTunes hits 1 Billion podcast subscribers Happy 4th Birthday Genealogy Gems App! Get the App: For Android
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
Keith wrote: “I previously wrote you a few months ago when I launched my own blog, sonofswift.tumblr.com. 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.”
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 www.genealogygems.com – 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 http://magazines.flipboard.com and he also runs their MagMakers twitter handle: https://twitter.com/FlipboardMag RootsTech 2014: Where Genealogy and Technology Converge is a free magazine available in the free app https://flipboard.com/ and on the web at http://tinyurl.com/RootsTech2014. 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: Using Newspaper for Genealogy and Family History Using Historic Maps for Genealogy and Family History
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. Click here to become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member today. |
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Wed, 4 December 2013
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: Congratulations to the winner of the 1 year digital subscription to Family Tree Magazine. Amanda’s Blog: ABT UNK Tips for Collaborative Genealogy Read about FamilySearch Updates Include VA Pension Cards, South American Records 2014 NGS Program and Registration Where You Can Find Over a Million British Church Records 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 digitalarchivet.no 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 blog entry about the current status of the search and I'd be interested in your thoughts.” Matt's Blog 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 (groundhoggenealogist.blogspot.com) 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.” writinguptheancestors.blogspot.ca. 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 fold3.com 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 fold3.com search yields thousands of results. Any help would be appreciated!” Lisa’s Answer: Fold3.com does have some educational videos on YouTube. In particular: How to Search on Fold3. 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: Making the Most of Fold
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 Zap the Grandma Gap CLOSING: Sign up for the FREE Genealogy Gems Newsletter at www.GenealogyGems.com Explore Lisa's brand new Pinterest Board: Best U.S. Libraries for Genealogy
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Thu, 14 November 2013
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?
MAILBOX: Eric shares his Google Earth Family History Tour: 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: 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) A Different Kind of Map: Mapping Arlington Cemetery
Cameron is Looking for Death Certificates
From Lisa: I ran a quick Google search and found the following on the Emanuel County, Georgia records site: 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. http://www.arkivverket.no/eng/Digitalarkivet
GEM: Wartime Coffee Bean Counting
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Wed, 9 October 2013
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 Itinerary:
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 Evernote for Windows for Genealogists 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:
$8.95 plus shipping. Also available for UK, Canada or Australia shipping Genealogy News: ANCESTRY.COM 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 - Read the article 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 sonofswift.tumblr.com (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 http://leaftwigandstem.blogspot.com/ Follow up from Chris: “After getting my feet wet, I decided to join GENEABLOGGERS network at www.geneabloggers.com . 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 Wayne Uses Blogging to Discover Genealogy Premium Member Sandy is Digging into her Family Roots Steve is Poking Around the Past From Gloria who describes herself as “A Die Hard Fan”
Lisa’s Blogging Tips Give your readers an easy way to subscribe by email Instructions for Subscribing to a blog via email: (feel free to add these to your blog)
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 www.Genealogybloggers.com 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:
Learn everything you need to know about using Evernote for genealogy by becoming a Genealogy Gems Premium Member. In addition to over 100 exclusive Premium episodes, membership includes my one hour Evernote class video, and the Evernote instructional mini-series. Get the Evernote for Windows for Genealogists 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 Espy Frames by Jen Garrett. 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.
(image above: Jen's barn workshop) 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 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.
I have personally selected these frames and they 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 window shop. 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: Genealogy Gems Premium Membership Sign up for the Free Newsletter on the www.GenealogyGems.com homepage and get the free ebook 5 Fabulous Google Search Strategies for the Family Historian as a thank you gift!
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Wed, 4 September 2013
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 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 Library and Archives Canada’s popular Census Indexes 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 http://www.ancestry.ca/census 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
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.” Cick here to view larger image
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, www.Google.com . I search on his wife "Ruby Lee Danner" in quotation marks and up popped one result - a court case. Searching “Dempsey Danner” in quotation marks resulted in 7 hits, 3 of which were him, including an obituary at the Arizona Obituary Archive. 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. https://www.facebook.com/OldTimeDc 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 https://www.facebook.com/MargateHistory. 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:
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:
“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.
Free Family History Festival 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.
Lisa’s Personal Thoughts on the Value of Work, Looking to Ancestors for Values, and Passing on our Family’s Values to our Kids and Grandkids. |
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Sun, 28 July 2013
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, download the Genealogy Gems phone app 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:
Download the Genealogy Gems desktop app ($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 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: http://rootsmagic.com/Store/RootsMagic/
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 http://www.youtube.com/user/RootsMagicTV/videos
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 support@rootsmagic.com.
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: http://preview.tinyurl.com/k75c59e
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. http://www.madaboutgenealogy.com/booth-poverty-maps/
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."
The Charles Booth Online Archive 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: 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:
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 http://rootsmagic.com/webinars/
From Sherry, a Premium Member from British Columbia: 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? Leigh has a new genealogy blog! 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?
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:
Book referred to: Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women , Work, and the Family, from Slavery to the Present Exclusive for Premium Members: Allie’s Advice for Genealogists in Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode 100
STAY IN TOUCH: And if you like this podcast you’re going to love being a Genealogy Gems Premium Member – you can do that at the website as well. Just $29.95 get you access to hundreds of exclusive Premium episodes and videos of my most popular genealogy classes for a whole year. That’s the best deal in genealogy and one that will keep you up to date, motivated and inspired to make incredible strides growing your family tree. 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 |
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Thu, 11 July 2013
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 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:
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.
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.
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 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 <http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/> - 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: <http://dpi.state.wi.us/pld/statelib.html > 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: http://www.yearbookgenealogy.com/ & The National Yearbook Project <http://www.rootsweb.com/~usyrbook/ > 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!
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Thu, 13 June 2013
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: read more here 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 “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. Mike has a question about how to put names to faces. He writes: Lisa’s Four Strategies for Crowd Sourcing Photo Identification: 1) www.deadfred.com - 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 (episode 74), 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. www.blogger.com 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: www.adiscoveryofthepast.blogspot.com
Gem posted on the Genealogy Gems Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/genealogygems. 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." Check out her post 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 this article by the National Archives. 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: 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 billiesgirl.weebly.com. 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 http://www.genealogygems.com 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.
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Sat, 18 May 2013
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 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. Drop me an email and we’ll share some of those ideas on an upcoming episode. RootsTech Report from Sunny
FamilySearch Records Update Read FamilySearch Adds New Records Read More Family History Records at FamilySearch
Your Ancestor’s Criminal PastIf 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 click here to access the criminal collection directly (make sure the box for "Institutes and Organizations" is checked). Read more about it here: Find Your Criminal Ancestors: UK Collection from FindMyPast Digitized War of 1812 Pension Files on Fold3According 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. Read more about it
Who Do You Think You Are? TV Series Update #WDYTYA In recent weeks, reports have circulated that Kelly Clarkson has filmed an episode. A fan reported seeing her in Americus, Georgia and that they were shooting footage at Andersonsville National Historic Site. Read more about it at the Genealogy Gems Blog.
Newspapers are reporting that the Danish Broadcasting Corporation is filming its own version of “Who Do You Think You Are?” According to the Bureau County Republican and the NewsTribune (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.) Read the Post at the Genealogy Gems Blog
Genealogy Jamboree: Get all the details about the Jamboree Banquet and Classes More details on the Genetic Conference Church Records for Genealogy on Archives.comAbout 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. Read more about it at my website.
Online Historical Maps: From David Rumsey to the DPLAGenealogists rely on historical maps to help us navigate the geography of our ancestors’ lives. One of the most important resources available online is the David Rumsey Map Collection. 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). Read more about it...
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 Google Earth for Genealogy will show you how. You can also get step-by-step instructions in my book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox. Or get them all in a discounted bundle.
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! 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. Answer: Actually, the free podcast is the "free trial" for Premium. If you like the free podcast, you will love Premium! 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 iPhone app: Genealogy Gems App for Android 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. Here's an article to get you started. 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 this one. 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 http://thepastobsession.blogspot.com/ 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: carrotandclaire.blogspot.com
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 feeserfamilygenealogy.blogspot.com, 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. 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. http://www.jessep.com/web/i6.htm 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: http://www.jessep.com/blog/about
GEM: Interview with Chris Whitten, Founder of WikiTree Part 1 of my interview with Chris was done for the Family Tree Magazine podcast.
In this episode, Part 2 Chris talks about the "GEDMatches" tool. 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.”
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Tue, 30 April 2013
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 OCLC which you may know as the WorldCat. We got a chance to sit down at RootsTech to chat about their new partnership with familysearch which will bring the familysearch catalogue to WorldCat. 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 Genealogy Gems blog Sarah Stout, got an opportunity to sit down with me and Canadian Genealogy Guru Dave Obee to discuss her brick wall (read all about it here) 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.” Resources Mentioned in the video:
Lisa's Events: Click here to see where Lisa will be presenting next Click here to book Lisa for your next event |
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Fri, 29 March 2013
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 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:
GEM: Interview with Genealogy Guru and Storyteller Darius Gray at RootsTech 2013
Google Earth for Genealogy Bundle Book Lisa to teach your genealogy group about how to use Google Earth for Genealogy! Click here to see where Lisa will be speaking next in person
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Fri, 8 March 2013
Show Notes 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 Cassandra’s Cup teashop 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: JAMBOREE Spencer Wells, PhD and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., PhD to Speak at Conference in Burbank, CA
Following in Family History Footsteps: Young Genealogist Scholarship Available
Find My Past Series now on the website Register on findmypast.com 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 findmypast.com a week after it airs.
MAILBOX: Delray wants to know where the Family History Podcast Show Notes have gone... Lisa’s Answer: Gus chimes in on Genealogy Podcast No. 148 Dan shares his experience with copyright: Getting the Word out on a Genealogy Blog 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 Genealogy Gems Listeners
Cliona and Lisa
Interview with Dr. Turi King Read her bio at the University of Leicester website Read my blog on the discovery of the remains of Richard III
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 |
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Thu, 14 February 2013
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:
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 which lets you add your own photos. It’s by Apps Kids Love. This is a really fun app and if you set up a folder of your ancestor photos in Flickr it’s a snap to add them. 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 http://www.playthegamemovie.com
Show Your Love Have you enjoyed the podcast, the Genealogy Gems app, the website, one of my books? Show your love (just in time for Valentine's Day!) by casting your votes! The 2013 About Genealogy Readers' Choice Awards are open for nominations in a variety of categories, ranging from genealogy software and apps, to websites and blogs. Click on the links below to nominate your favorite sites. Nominations for the 2013 About Genealogy Readers' Choice Awards are open until midnight (EST) on February 17, 2013.
GEM: 50 Fabulous Family History Favorites Free Charts Genealogy 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 http://www.genealogy.about.com/od/free_charts/ig/genealogy_charts/ 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 http://www.ancestry.com/trees/charts/ancchart.aspx? 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 http://www,familytreemagazine.com/freeforms 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 http://www.familychartmaster.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. Full of Life http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049240/
32. Sweet Land The Movie website: http://www.sweetlandmovie.com/ 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. Episode 24 (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. America, America (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. Conferences and Events
39. Alberta Genealogical Society Conference 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.
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
49. Interview with Gena Ortega 50. Heritage Quilts |
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Mon, 4 February 2013
Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 150 In celebration of this 150th episode and my 50th birthday, I bring you:
50 Fabulous Family History Favorites Websites: 1. Familysearch.org 2. Ancestry.com 3. Library of congress American memory 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 Management 5. Google books 6. Google.com 7. Stanford University’s Data Visualization Mapping Journalism’s Journey West 8. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries 9. FamilySearch’s Research Wiki 10. Davidrumsey.com
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 12. AncestryCom 13. FamilySearch Channel 14. UniversalNewsReels 15. Library of Congress channel 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 Clara 17. Mike O’Laughlin Channel MOBILE APPS: 18. Flipboard http://www.flipboard.com 19. Dropbox 20. Pinterest 21. Evernote 22. RootsMagic 23. Cycloramic 24. Best Phone Security 25. Pocketbooth Stay tuned for the next episode where we wrap up with the second half of the list! |
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Thu, 24 January 2013
Genealogy Gems Podcast 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? There is a fascinating article 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.” The Civil War began at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, 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!
Locate ancestors who may have fought in the war. A terrific website is the Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System Website Areas of the System: Soldiers 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. Sailors 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. Regiments 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. Battles In the CWSS The unit histories are linked to histories of the 364 most significant Civil War battles already on the Internet from the NPS' American Battlefield Protection Program. These battle histories were compiled as part of a report to Congress by the Civil War Sites Advisory Committee. Prisoners The current version of the CWSS includes prisoner records of Union prisoners at Andersonville and Confederate prisoners at Fort McHenry. Cemeteries 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. Medal of Honor 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. http://www.militaryindexes.com/civilwar/
Genealogy Gems Podcast It’s Tax Day – Check out your ancestor’s tax records using the links at http://www.cyndislist.com/taxes.htm 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 American History is at the USGS website Next stop…The Virtual Museum of the city of SF
Audio: When I did a search in Google for San Francisco Earthquake Audio I found “Remembering the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake” 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: Earth Shook, the Sky Burned, the ; 100th Anniversary Edition: A Photographic Record of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire 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 Denial of Disaster: The Untold Story and Photographs of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
GEM #2 Shake Up Your Research Strategy Step 1: Locate the event on a Timeline. History.com – This Day in History Step 2: Internet Searches
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Sat, 5 January 2013
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 Cyndi posted an article 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 filed a law suit 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
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Fri, 14 December 2012
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!
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Sat, 8 December 2012
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 7 In my video CD Google Earth for Genealogy Volume II 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 tour guide 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. List of updated Google Earth imagery What’s new in RootsMagic 6 Video In the video you will see new features in action such as:
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 http://rootsmagic.com/RootsMagic/ Special Holiday Offer Now through Dec. 20, 2012 The next item here is that the Family Tree Service coming soon to FamilySearch.org Watch an Introduction to Family Tree that shows 7 reasons to be excited about Family Tree. Family Tree will enable you to:
If you have questions about what Family Tree will be like or how it will work, you can log in to a special training website that offers online courses, how-to videos, informational handouts, and step-by-step training. Get started with Family Tree today by watching the introductory video or reading about it on the training website. Family Tree will be open to everyone in the next few months. RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City Students: One-day only pass for $89 and students can get a 3 day pass with their student ID for just $39 Getting Started 3 Day Pass for beginners: gives you access to over 30 classes in the Beginner track is just $39 for the early bird price, and the regular price will be $49 Getting Started one-day pass giving you access to a selection of fundamental classes for just $19 I will be at RootsTech 2013 teaching a variety of classes in addition to my booth in the exhibit hall, and some free demo classes I’ll be doing in the Demonstration Area of the Expo hall. So I hope you get RootsTech 2013 on your calendar because I look forward to seeing you there. Ireland - National Archives launches new website The National Archives of Ireland has launched a new genealogy website at http://www.genealogy.nationalarchives.ie/ which will initially host the 1901 and 1911 Censuses, Tithe Apportionment records from 1823-37, and Soldiers' Wills from 1914-17. New at ScotlandsPeople Millions of Old Newspaper pages added to FindMyPast Ancestry.com launches newspapers.com 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 www.newspapers.com. Ancestry has launched a new Community Support site at Ancestry.com MyHeritage Buys Geni.com This podcast is sponsored by:
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 http://williamparkfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/ “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 The Google alert 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 film Maureen Taylor, Author of The Last Muster Revolutionary Voices: A Last Muster Film, Directed by Maureen Taylor with Verissima Productions Visit Film Site: lastmusterfilm.com New Gem for Premium Members! 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! |
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Sat, 24 November 2012
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 MAILBOXEmail this week from Mike O'Laughlin of the Irish Roots Cafe: “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
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Thu, 8 November 2012
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 Current and Completed Projects Canadian Military Records Google recently announced that Google Maps just got the biggest Street View update ever, 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 my video CD series called Google Earth for Genealogy which is available at the Genealogygems.com store. Google Earth for Genealogy Video Volume I Google Earth for Genealogy Video: Volume II Genealogy Gems Premium Membership Update 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 www.genealogygems.com 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 ancestry.com, 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!!! Jennifer Takes the iPad on the Road
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 Lisa Louise Cooke'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.”
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 How to Archive Family Keepsakes: Learn How to Preserve Family Photos, Memorabilia and Genealogy Records Get your copy of Denise's book How to Archive Family Keepsakes: Learn How to Preserve Family Photos, Memorabilia and Genealogy Records 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 http://www.TheFamilyCurator.com, voted one of the 40 Best Genealogy Blogs in 2010 and 2011. Gem: One More Thing (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? |
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Mon, 22 October 2012
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 email me 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. One example is a story I recently came across originally in the LA Times
Thank goodness there are folks like Matthew Greenberg, who came to the rescue of a century of old maps. He’s my hero! Click Here to See it for Yourself 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,
“Carry On!” promotion: Save $20 when you purchase a Flip-Pal mobile scanner plus a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case with Pocket, valid October 1-December 31, 2012. Promotion Code: C412A (Please place both items in your shopping cart first before using the promotion code) “The Suite Life!” special: Purchase a Flip-Pal mobile scanner with Digital Creativity Suite 3.0 DVD and get a Flip-Pal mobile scanner Cleaning Cloth and Flip-Pal Window Protector Sheets 3-Pk FREE!, valid October 1-December 31, 2012. Promotion Code: TSL12A (Please place all items in your shopping cart first before using the promotion code) These promotional codes cannot be used in conjunction with other promotion codes. Thank you for helping make the free Genealogy Gems Podcast possible! Just a Few More Things Internet and Computer Prediction video Premium Episode 93 – Evernote Premium Video: How the Genealogist can Remember Everything with Evernote |
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Tue, 9 October 2012
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 www.genealogygems.com and enter your email to sign up.
NEWS: RootsTech
Blog post: Early Bird Registration Now Open for RootsTech 2013 Genealogy Conference
Ancestry Read Lisa's blog post: Money Growing on Trees: Ancestry Buying and Selling 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. (Read more about the possible acquisition at PEHUB) 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 Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 119.
Job Opening
Google Books Learn more about using Google Books for genealogy in my book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox.
New Premium Episode 92 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. Become a Member today.
MAILBOX Stephanie also wrote in with an opinion about Ancestry Trees
From Loretta: Ancestry Trees
Ricky in Birmingham, Alabama asks about citing sources and paper and file organization
GEM: New Family History Bloggers First up is David Lynch who started a blog on his St. Croix research 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 Sonja Hunter wrote in to share her blogging success 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! Bushwahacking Genealogy Kalamazoo and Beyond From John in Maryland:
And finally Shannon Bennett has really made a blogging splash. She writes: 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.” Trials and Tribulations of a Self-Taught Family Historian
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Tue, 25 September 2012
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 Harvest Your Family Tree 2012 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 Turn Your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse
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 The Antiques Roadshow Diane Haddad is the Managing Editor at Family Tree Magazine. Click here for $10 off coupon for ShopFamilyTree good through 12/31/13. Thanks for supporting this free podcast! Music in this segment: The Antiques Roadshow Remix By The Elusive MrHatchard Available on the SoundClick.com website
GEM: Halloween History Tidbits Vampire Hunting Kit from the 1800s 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
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Tue, 11 September 2012
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? How to Subscribe to this podcast for FREE
GEM: GOOGLE ALERTS & EBAY FAVORITE SEARCHES (aka eBay Alerts)
GOOGLE ALERTS: Check out Bill Puller’s podcast Episode #8 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:
You’ll probably receive your first emails tomorrow morning! Examples:
GEM: FAMILY HISTORY DISPLAYS Shadow Box Wall Display
EPISODE 4 - Originally Aired March 17, 2007
HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY
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] Buy through our Amazon search box 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! Buy Berkeley Square through our Amazon search box and support the free podcast.
GEM: YouTube.com 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)
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: Der Deutsche Osten - Ostpreußen/The Germ.East: East Prussia A video walk through Tunbridge Wells… South East England old film Subscribe to The Genealogy Gems Channel Get this book and max out the potential of YouTube yourself: YouTube for Dummies. Buy through our Amazon search box and support the free podcast. Remember, www.YouTube.com isn’t just for teenagers anymore! “Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Wed, 29 August 2012
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 www.ancestry.com/1940census. 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 www.ancestry.com/1940census FamilySearch Volunteer Opportunity: US Immigration & Naturalization Genealogy Project Read more about it: Indexing Volunteers Invited by FamilySearch to Join new US Immigration and Naturalization Community Genealogy Project Bids to Buy Ancestry Reported by Reuters to be Lower than Hoped
In my last Premium podcast, I mentioned that Chronicling America, the Library of Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov 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!
Civil War Maps for Genealogy Available in Online Newspapers 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. Read the rest of the story In Google Books: MAILBOX: Amy in Santa Rosa, CA posted the following question on the Genealogy Gems Facebook Fan page: Lisa’s Answer: Amy has one more question: Lisa’s Answer: 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. RootsMagic forum 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 Lisa’s Answer: Ricky in Alabama also has two questions 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: On On the PC: 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 Premium Membership. Ricky’s second questions: Lisa’s Answer: If you're not active on Facebook, I would recommend going to the www.usgenweb.org 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 www.findagrave.com or www.billiongraves.com 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 Branching Out: Genealogy for High School Students Lessons 1-15 (Volume 1) Branching Out: Genealogy for 4th - 8th Grade Students Lesson 1-15 (Volume 1) Branching Out: Genealogy for 1st - 3rd Grade Students Lessons 1 - 15: Lessons 1-15 (Volume 1) Engaging the Next Generation: A Guide for Genealogy Societies and Libraries 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 . Learn more about getting your kids involved in genealogy at the The ChartChick Blog: http://thechartchick.blogspot.com/ Fall Virtual Conference A “virtual” conference is an online event which you can attend from the comfort of your own home. If you haven’t attended one before the upcoming Fall Virtual Conference presented by Family Tree University September 14-16, 2012 is a great opportunity to get involved. It’s your chance to head back to school this Fall, gaining new research strategies, and brushing up on proven genealogical research techniques. Click here to Register and enter the coupon cod: FRIENDSOFLISACOOKE
Google Earth for Genealogy video series on CD. Read my Family Tree Magazine Facebook Interview: http://www.familytreeuniversity.com/qa-lisa-louise-cooke Exciting New Book Turn Your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse Here's a Preview: |
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Wed, 8 August 2012
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. http://lisalouisecooke.com/?s=sour+cream 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 www.youtube.com/genealogygems 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, and you'll save money. Thank you! 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. Watch the video 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 www.youtube.com/genealogygems 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:
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Sun, 22 July 2012
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.
FamilySearch FamilySearch 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.
Premium Membership 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 tickledthat 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 Tuesday's Tip - Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems Website 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.
VIDEO: Life After iGoogle – How to Convert Your Genealogy Homepage to Netvibes
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! Family Tree $10 Off Purchase at Shop Family Tree. Use coupon code FAMILY1050 during checkout. Expires 07/31/2013. Watch the Companion Interview Video 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. Watch the video 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:)
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Sun, 8 July 2012
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 Genealogy Gems YouTube channel and as the video bonus content in the Genealogy Gems Podcast App. And the new Genealogy Gems website 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: www.facebook.com/genealogygems 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 www.Netvibes.com 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: http://tinyurl.com/6wm8jzo 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: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/07/export-igoogle-feeds-to-opml.html 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 www.netvibes.com 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: https://artistsignal.com/thegenealogywidower Click to Vote for Michael’s music. Genealogy Widower Facebook group |
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Tue, 19 June 2012
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. Lisa Recommends the Flip Pal Scanner. Click the image below for more information:
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 the1940census.com dashboard and search completed states at www.familysearch.org/1940census 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 Series As 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 Heritage On 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. Read more about it here
MAILBOX: Janelle Collins in Australia: “Thanks to your podcast on creating a Google blog I’ve started one of my own! … 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 Genealogy Widower Facebook fan page. 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 start a blog to document my efforts and share the stories I discover." If you are new to genealogy like Jay is, listen to my Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast. 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 Find-A-Grave 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
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. Read the rest of my story here. |
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Mon, 11 June 2012
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 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. Email me with feedback, suggestions, and questions.
Start with what you know. Then talk to your oldest relatives first before you lose them.
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 email feedback and questions. Be sure to let me know how you heard about the podcast. |
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Sat, 19 May 2012
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 www.areyoumycousin-Lisa.blogspot.com and Debra writes the Deb’s Research blog www.debsresearch.blogspot.com 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. NGS 2013 The 2013 NGS Family History Conference, Building New Bridges, will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from 8–11 May 2013. The conference hotel and venue will be the LVH−Las Vegas Hotel & Casino (formerly known as the Las Vegas Hilton). To ensure a reservation, you can reserve accommodations now and be sure to request the NGS conference rate when making a reservation. Call the Hilton for reservations at 1-800-635-7711 or go online at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/accommodations. NEWS: Ancestry publishes collection of WWII Cadet Nursing Corp Files New National Archives Video Gives an Inside Look at Civil War Widow’s Pension Digitization Project 1940 Census Update from FamilySearch
GEM: Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. What does it mean to be Latino? On May 19, 2012, the season finale of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 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.
I hope you will join me at the Southern California Genealogical Society Writer’s Workshop, and Jamboree June 7-10, 2012 in Burbank California. I’ll be there teaching several classes, some of which are brand new, and I would love to see you there. It’s not too late to register. Click here for all the details. Sign up for my free Genealogy Gems 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! |
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Thu, 3 May 2012
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: Branching Out Through the Years Going the Extra Yad by Emily Garber Cooke-ing at the Arizona Family History Expo, 20-21 Jan 2012 Size Doesn’t Matter at the Jen on Gen blog
FamilySearch Update The 1940 U.S. census indexing project was launched this April as part of a broad online community effort.
- 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. Recently Completed Projects The Genealogy Gems News Blog Third most popular social networking Deleted Scenes from Rob Lowe’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? 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.
Family Tree Magazine article / answer Sally also writes: 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 www.practicalarchivist.com 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 looking for new contestants for the second season! “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: http://www.audiblepodcast.com/gems
GEM: Interview with The Photo Detective Maureen Taylor, author of the book Bonnets and Hats $4.00 off discount coupon for Genealogy Gems Podcast listeners: FJH889FZ GEM: The Genealogy Widower You can download a free copy of Michael Stewart’s song the Genealogy Widower here. |
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Thu, 26 April 2012
April 26, 2012 NEWS: The big news is Ancestry.com’s acquisition of Archives.com Read all about it at the Genealogy Gems News Blog Jamboree Highlight Early Bird Registration Ends 4/30/12 – Register Now My Classes: TH-001 - Conversation with the Author: Steve Luxenberg and Annie's Ghosts 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! 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?” 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 www.familyrootspublishing.com, 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: Carmack's Guide to Copyright & Contracts
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 "Using the 1880 DDD Census". A special thank you to Jana for making this available! U.S. Federal Census – 1880 Schedules of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes at Ancestry Visit Jana’s Website: http://www.janabroglin.com |
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Mon, 16 April 2012
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 www.familytreemagazine.com/podcast And you can read more about it my article called Genealogy Just Got More Exciting! The 1940 Census is Here 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 1940census.archives.gov 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 NBC If 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.
Parks and Recreation Star Discovers His Family History in Who Do You Think You Are? Rob Lowe National Archives National Archives Video Offers Peek Inside Preservation Lab
Also part of that series is another new video that the National Archives released on … Titanic at the National Archives – 100 Years 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: http://www.rootsmagic.com/webinars Read RootsMagic Update Released and Free WebinarThanks for the Shout Outs: Genealogy Gems Premium Podcasts and the iPad by Jenna, Desparately Seeking Surnames Blog A blog post about genealogy books and their authors By: Carolyn L. Barkley, Genealogy and Family History Blog How to Recover from a Genealogy Slump 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: Lisa Recommends: Cite your sources! Send large files for free with www.yousendit.com Share large files for free with www.dropbox.com 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. |
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Thu, 22 March 2012
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. Get the Book at Amazon: and help support the free Genealogy Gems Podcast. Thank You! Visit Jennifer Wilson’s website: http://www.jennifer-wilson.com 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 The Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel
Genealogy Gems App Users will find a special video about the interview as bonus content for episode 129. Get the app for iPhone / iPad Get the Android App at Amazon (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! Special announcement Plan on attending the Southern California Genealogical Writer’s Conference June 7, and Genealogy Jamboree June 8-10, 2012. On June 7 Steve Luxenberg and I will be kicking off the Writer’s Conference with a very special “Conversation with the Author” session. Steve will join me on stage to sit down for an in depth discussion about Annie’s Ghosts and the job of crafting such a compelling family history story. Then throughout the writer’s conference Steve will be teaching a variety of classes to help genealogist’s write their family’s stories. It’s an incredible opportunity to learn from the best! I will also be teaching 4 additional classes throughout the conference weekend, so I certainly hope that you will join us there for an amazing weekend at Jamboree! Click here for more information on Jamboree. |
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Fri, 9 March 2012
Published March 9, 2011 Who Do You Think You Are? Live 2012 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? A Day Just for Me South Davis Family History Fair NEWS: Watch recorded presentations from RootsTech 2012 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: Family History Christmas Stocking Project Part 1 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 Lulu Store. MAILBOX: Name That Tune - Family History Mystery Solved! 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 Easy podcast series, got to get to work on the Family Tree Magazine Podcast too!! Sue Edminster – “Robert Arbuckle Handwriting Analysis” Paula really is amazing and if you’d like to learn more about her and handwriting analysis head over to paulasassi.com GEM: Interview with Chris van der Kuyl, CEO of brightsolid brightsolid companies: |
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Tue, 21 February 2012
Published Feb 21, 2012 In this episode you'll hear from UK presenter and historian Nick Barratt.
GEM: The Story@Home Conference Organizer Carol Rice tells us about the first ever Story@Home conference being held March 9 & 10, 2012 in Salt Lake City at Temple Square GEM: Listener Betty Wynn Betty talks about how she uses my book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox. The Genealogy Gems Podcast app GEM: Interview with Nick Barratt http://www.nickbarratt.co.uk/ “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.” |
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Fri, 10 February 2012
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 Genealogy Podcasts and Blogs 101 RootsTech 2012 website. It’s part of the Saturday Recap Video. Roots Tech was the public debut of the 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. The book is now available at the website and stay tuned because the ebook version is coming soon.
Autographed copies still available a very limited time Read more 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 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: www.censusrecords.com. Read all about it: Brightsolid Enters US Genealogy Market With Censusrecords.com 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 Records Also 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 App FamilySearch 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. And FamilySearch also announced the winners of the RootsTech Developer Challenge. First Place went to Jimmy Zimmerman for his NoteFuser NoteFuser connects your Evernote® notes to Geni.com or new.FamilySearch.org person records. It also allows you to easily create Evernote® powered research logs and other notes with one click. You can watch a video demo of NoteFuser Demo video at http://notefuser.herokuapp.com. Second Place went to Brooke Schreier Ganz, LeafSeek And there was a tie for Third Place between the Brigham Young University Computer Science Department for the 20 Minute Genealogist and Ellie Rasmus, for Facetree. 20 Minute Genealogist is a site that will visualize your family tree using your new.FamilySearch.org credentials. You can see who in your tree needs work and instantly link to FamilySearch and Ancestry to search for the missing information. You can sign up to be a beta tester at twenty.byu.edu. And Facetree has been developed as a way of using genealogical data from GEDCOM files as context to improve the accuracy of face recognition. 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 http://dalpiazryan.blogspot.com/2011/10/stroll-back-in-time-to-ellicottville-ny.html “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!” Check out Dave’s photographs of the Jerseyville IL Victorian Days festival. Lisa Recommends: Chronicling America website Also check out my video on Using Newspapers in Genealogy at my YouTube channel 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: My Life & Times
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Tue, 24 January 2012
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 Person go to the Genealogy Gems Website at www.genealogygems.com 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 officially open for registration Burbank, CA June 8 through the 10 of 2012. Everything You Need to Know About How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers is now available for pre-order. And for a limited time I will be signing the pre-order copies of the book. 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: Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret "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. Please email the written translation to me. 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!
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 Global Gazette The Genealogical Speakers Guild The Immigration Experience What keeps Shirley motivated:
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:
Learn how to make one for yourself! Watch all 4 episodes 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 Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society Posted the blog article Searching for Common Surnames 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 Le Maison Duchamp blog at lemaisonduchamp.blogspot.com Check out her articles: Lisa Louise Cooke in Sacramento Interview with Lisa Louise Cooke Part 1 Interview with Lisa Louise Cooke Part 2 |
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Tue, 10 January 2012
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 Everything You Need to Know About Finding Your Family History in Newspapers 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: Get Your Kids Involved in Genealogy with the Chart Chick Polish Genealogy Podcast by Dave Newman Keynote Workshop at Who Do You Think You Are? Live in London
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Sat, 10 December 2011
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 episode #119 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: http://www.audiblepodcast.com/gems
Audiobook tItles mentioned in this episode: At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson
NEWS: Genealogy Gems Premium Members have been enjoying episodes on the Premium podcast lately covering how to use the iPad and other tablets out there in the marketplace for our family history. New Ancestry App Updates Ancestry.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 World War II in the News video podcast features WWII news reels Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Update for Those Seeking Family History Documents
New imagery on Google Earth New high resolution aerial images are available in Google Earth in the U.S.: 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. New Library and Archives Canada Blog Provides useful tips and recommend tools to help you discover your documentary heritage and navigate the LAC website. Lisa’s Book Featured in Onlinne Magazine The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox was featured in the most recent issue of Shelf Unbound magazine. (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 RootsTech 2012, 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 Developer Challenge contest. 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 Utah Genealogical Assocation Family History Fair in Bountiful, Utah March 10 Full day seminar at the Family History Society of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ April 12 – 14 Ohio Genealogical Society Confedrence, Cleveland, OH April 28 Full day seminar at the San Mateo Genealogical Society, San Mateo, CA May 5 San Luis Obispo Genealogical Society, San Luis Obispo, CA May 9 – 12 National Genealogical Society Conference, 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 Ontario Genealogical Society Conference in Kinston, Ontario Canada. RootsMagic has just released a brand new version 5
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! called "What's New in RootsMagic 5". 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 . Linda in Sweden and Line in Denmark wrote in about a Swedish TV show Everything for Sweden Trailer and other clips on the webiste On Facebook 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.”Online Film Ordering System now Available in Selected Areas (blog post)
Who's in Your Family Tree? Visit the VGS Programs page at the Victoria Genealogical Society website Your Life in 5 Minutes (Part 3) with Sunny MortonGet Sunny's book "Your Life & TImes: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories by clicking this link: My Life & Times
Profile America: Christmas Lights |
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Sun, 27 November 2011
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 RootsMagic blog Google Milestones Google Earth has now had more than 1 billion downloads! Read the blog post 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.
Watch a short commercial video Listen to Lisa’s interview with Michael Katchn of 1000Memories in Episode 119 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! Email 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 steveluxenberg.com. 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. Email me 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 Premium Member 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: 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: 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. Episode 119 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) Lulu (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: http://www.audiblepodcast.com/gems
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 http://www.lawsonresearch.net
GEM: Your Life in 5 Minutes with Sunny Morton Visit Sunny online at http://www.sunnymorton.com Get Sunny's book "Your Life & TImes: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories by clicking this link: My Life & Times CLOSING:Lisa’s “iPad for Genealogy” article will appear in Family Tree Magazine Jan 2012 issue and it starts mailing to subscribers 11/8 |
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Thu, 3 November 2011
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
My Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories (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!) |
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Thu, 20 October 2011
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.
Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret
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.
http://www.ebrary.com/stanford/Dillingham1.html
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!
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Wed, 5 October 2011
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:
WDYTYAEntertainment Weekly website 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.
FamilySearch 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 1930 Mexico National Census and it’s free to the public.
Ancestry.uk 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 AustraliaThe free Convict Records website at http://www.convictrecords.com.au 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 NamesThe RVA NEWS is reporting that the Virginia Historical Society has launched an online and searchable database called “Unknown No Longer: A Database of Virginia Slave Names.” It’s a free service featuring a sizable portion of the over 8 million records in VHS archives. http://rvanews.com/news/new-database-allows-people-to-search-for-slave-ancestors/50639
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 http://rootsmagic.com/webinars
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.
RootsTech 2012RootsTech conference, RootsTech 2012 which will be held February 2 - 4, 2012 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City Utah.
The Convention Center is a very easy walking distance from the Family History Library so you can really make a time of it. I’ll be there again this year, I’ve been booked to give three presentations and I’ll be once again recording some videos as well. It’s going to be a ton of fun,
Take advantage of the early bird special! It’s $129 for the 3 day event instead of the regular $189 so it’s a nice discount, but it ends November 30, 2011.
There is also a $35 student rate (you just have to show a current student ID at admission) and there are Single day passes are available.
New Aussie Genealogy PodcastThere 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 Genies Down Under through iTunes. Visit the Genies Down Under Website
MAILBOX:
The background music for this segment is called “Bethena” and is available on the fantastic CD by Frederick Hodges called Picnics. Visit http://www.frederickhodges.com
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 MembershipClíona 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 http://1000memories.com/
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.” |
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Sat, 17 September 2011
Published Sept 17, 2011Everyone 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) 272-4021Listen to the episode:Here's my Grandson Davy checking out tractors at the state fair with his Bumpa (AKA Superman / Indiana Jones)
NEWS: FamilySearch 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. www.familysearch.org From the UK National Archives The UK National Archives announced that findmypast.co.uk has just released 1 million Merchant Navy seamen records, dating from 1918 to 1941. Useful guides at the UK National Archives website to help with your research into merchant seamen. My Ancestor was a Merchant Seaman is available from their bookshop. Apprenticeship records
Over half a million records of apprentices have been added to the Ancestry.co.uk site. They cover Scotland, England & Wales during the years 1710-1811. To learn more about apprenticeship records, check out the TNA Research Guide to Apprenticeship Records Australian military records
You can now access the records of Australian soldiers who fought in the Great War free at the National Archives of Australia website. If your relative was an Australian soldier, the Office of Australian War Graves at the Australian Government Department of Veteran’s Affairs website offers free photographs of Australian solder’s graves. |
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Tue, 6 September 2011
Published Sept 6, 2011 Are you having a Picnic? Problem In Chair Not In Computer! Google self-driving car crash was caused by human error - says GoogleThey had a recent failure but Google says it wasn’t the car it was a PICNIC! See the photos at Jalopnik Genealogy Gems YouTube channel 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 how to book for to speak to your group. NEWS: AppList for Hobbies has finally been released!
We also had some exciting news around here recently. Appadvice.com published their AppList for Hobbies 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 Archives.com Makes their Big Move. 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. Episode 3 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, page 46 free on Google Books. 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 Genealogy Relationship Chart But in reality "distant cousin" makes the point and can be less aggravating for all concerned! GEM: Should Your Genealogy Research Flourish? Myrt also gives us the scoop on the Genea-Quilters 1812 Preserve the Pensions Quilt. |
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Sat, 20 August 2011
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. (left to right: Allison Stacy, Lisa Louise Cooke, Paula Sassi) Paula analyzed the handwriting of Allison's ancestor Amelia Essel. View the handwriting sample here. She also interpreted the handwriting of John Owen Dominis, the ancestor of our contest winner Heather Wilkinson Rojo. |
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Sat, 6 August 2011
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: GEM: FTU DISCOUNT Coupon Code gemsFTU This conferenece is really the first one of it’s kind. No matter where you live you can take part, attend every class if you want to, and all from the comfort of your own home. It’s going to be an exciting weekend from Friday August 19 to Sunday August 21, of 2011. You’re going to get three full days of unlimited access to watch the 15 pre-recorded video classes. Lisa will be debuting her brand new Common Surname Search Strategies class and hosting a chat on Sunday. The special coupon code we have just for Genealogy Gems listeners is gemsFTU and that will you get 20% off the registration fee. And in fact you can use it to 20% off ANY of the Family Tree University classes. GEM: More Online Newspapers Swedish Genealogical Society of Colorado is going to host the SwedGenTour 2011 September 17, 2011 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 FamilySearch Newspapers Your chance to help bring the 1812 records New Video Cast on YouTube on UK News MAILBOX: “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 typesbuilt 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 great help guide right on the RootsMagic web site. Free webinars including Lisa’s at RootsMagic. GEM: Preparing for a visit to the National Archives 1. National Archives in the UK video series called Quick Animated Guide 2. Do a Google search by file type 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. Genealogy has no borders! British Home children Follow up 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: http://billbuchanan.blogspot.com GEM: How to Travel to Your Ancestor's Homeland Kathy Wurth 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.”
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Thu, 21 July 2011
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 http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-911.006-e.html 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 www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/lower-canada/index-e.html. FamilySearch 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. 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 (http://stevemorse.org). 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 (http://stevemorse.org/census/intro.html) and an extensive FAQ (http://stevemorse.org/census/faq.htm). 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 "How to Access the 1940 Census in One Step". Not only is it informative, we hope it is entertaining.” 1940 Census Training is Now OnlineBut 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. 1940 census playlist 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. 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 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 Podcast
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 http://www.spokeo.com/privacy. 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 Privacy FAQ page. You can also contact the folks at Spokeo, which is located in Pasadena, CA through their Contact web page. 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
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Mon, 4 July 2011
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 page 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! Read the Family Curator blog where Denise Levenick did a nice write up of the Live Genealogy Gems Podcast. Genea-musings Blog photos 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 review of my book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox at her Genealogy Lines Blog. Thanks Ruby! MidWest Family History Expo In Overland Park Kansas July 29 & 30, 2011 Northern California Family History Expo San Mateo County Event Center Oct 7 & 8, 2011 Georgia Family History Expo in Duluth GA November 11 & 12, 2011 Family Tree Magazine’s Family Tree University is presenting their first ever Virtual Conference in August 19 – 21, 2011 We’re going to be focused on providing you with strategies and resources to boost your research—and because the conference is web-based, the good news is that you can participate from anywhere! Register by July 15 to get the early bird rate Use the promo code: VCS11 When you click this link and register you are helping support the free Genealogy Gems Podcast - THANK YOU! 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." Generation Maps has a new name Generation Maps becomes Family ChartMasters The name Family ChartMasters also comes with a new concentrated tagline, Share•Honor•Inspire, expressing how a genealogist can use a genealogy chart to further their research. Users are encouraged to Share their research, Honor their ancestors, and Inspire their family members with their family’s heritage. Genealogy Gems named one of the 101 Best Websites
The Genealogy Gems website has been named one of our annual 101 best family history websites in the September 2011 issue of Family Tree Magazine. Check out the full list
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 Episode 112 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
(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 Drew Smith’s interview with me at Jamboree
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Mon, 20 June 2011
Published June 20, 2011 Get ready to be inspired while you listen to kids embracing their family history at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree 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 Elyse's Genealogy Blog shares with the kids her favorite place to go digging for records Get the iPhone / iPad App Get the Android App |
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Sat, 28 May 2011
Published May 28, 2011 This week we did a 90 minute presentation of Google Earth for Genealogy for RootsMagic 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!"
Click here to view recordings of the webinars
NEWS: Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode 69 features an interview with Richard Gray
Deceased Online.com 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.
FamilySearch 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.FamilySearch.org .
Updated Genealogy Gems App The Genealogy Gems Podcast app has been updated and is now iPad compatible, in addition to other improvements.
Get the Genealogy Gems iPhone App
Get the Genealogy Gems Android App
The Genealogist’s google Toolbox at Lulu
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 Google One Pass, 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 www.archives.gov 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:
Military Records for Genealogists
Get $10 off any class with the coupon code FTUCOOKE.
Lisa’s 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 FamilySearch wiki 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 Family History Library 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 Britains Home Children
Not long ago I got an email from Michelle who had asuggestion 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 http://www.abgensoc.ca
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Tue, 17 May 2011
Published May 17, 2011In 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.
“Cooincidence or Genealogical Serendipity?” "Like" the Genealogy Gems Podcast at Facebook. NEWS: National Archives EStore Opens Online “Bargain Vault”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 Twitter 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 WebSearch Example of WebSearch: Louise M. Chrisman who died in Indiana. MAILBOX: Genealogy Gems Premium Membership includes the webinar recording of Getting the Scoop on Your Ancestors From Old Newspapers Google Search Tips and Tricks webinar recording at Rootsmagic Sale at the Genealogy Gems store at Lulu Now through 5/20/11 15% off the book the Genealogist’s Google Toolbox and all Genealogy Gems products Sign up for the free webinar coming up with RootsMagic Tuesday, May 24, 2011 5pm Pacific / 6pm MDT / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern Google Earth for Genealogy 90 minute webinar that will introdudce you to the wonderful world of Google Earth and specifically how it can do amazing things for your family history research. If you are ready to rock your ancestors world. Upcoming webinarThe Story County Genealogical Society Webinar Getting the Scoop on Your Ancestors from Old Newspapers August 27, 2011. If you would like to talk to Lisa about possibly doing a webinar for your group, email genealogygemspodcast@gmail.com Lisa’s Seminars and Webinars at Genealogy Gems 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?” Marriage and Divorce, 1867-1906 Volume I 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 Family Search Wki GEM: The Photo Detective at WDYTYA in LondonInterview with Maureen and some of the folks waiting in line Websites mentioned in this episode: http://www.whatsthatpicture.com Photos through the Ages using http://www.flickr.com) free signup
Lisa’s upcoming appearances: The Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree June 9-11, 2011 teaching classes and presenting the Genealogy Gems Podcast Live! http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/2011jam-home.htm Get the free Jamboree App The Colorado Family History Expo June 24 & 25, 2011. Midwest Family History Expo in Overland Park, Kansas on July 29 & 30, 2011
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Sat, 30 April 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.
FamilySearchOver at Family Search, with their most recent additions to the website they are now up to 600 free Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree AppiPhone, 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 http://bit.ly/SCGS2011 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 View the the complete list http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/JamboreeExtensionSeries2011.htm Getting Your Notes and Sources Right in Your Genealogy Software presented by Janet Hovorka of Generation Maps Saturday, May 7, 2011 90 minues 10:00 AM PDT 11:00 AM MDT 12:00 PM CDT 1:00 PM EDT Space is limited, so reserve your space now for the free webinar RootsMagic Upcoming Free Webinars Google Earth for Genealogy with Lisa Louise Cooke 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 http://rootsmagic.com/Webinars/ Home After 94 Years, a Fallen Hero’s Bible Lost in the Hell of the First World War 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.' 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 Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter and receive the free ebook – 5 Fabulous Google Search Strategies for the Family Historian. |
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Fri, 8 April 2011
Published April 8, 2011 In this episode we cover Census Records Tips and Tricks, and announce Lisa's upcoming FREE webinars!
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 Library and Archives Canada
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 Android app "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 www.delprincipefamilytree.com 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
Genelaogy Gems Podcast iPhone App
Genealogy Gems Podcast Android App
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? Here's a website that specializes in old radio logs Library of Congress Sound Recordings Set up some Google Alerts ("army hour" + 1944 for example) and Ebay Favorite Searches. There are also several Old Time Radio podcasts in iTunes Here’s an article I found in Ancestry about the broadcast that your grandmother participated in.
(click image to enlarge) 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 Family History Center library catalogue 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 Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast on them and how to use their records. The Family Search wiki 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
GEM: Free Webinars featuring Lisa Louise Cooke Jamboree Extension Series Webinar featuring Lisa Louise Cooke April 20, 2011 Getting the Scoop on Your Ancestors from Old Newspapers 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern
Rootsmagic Webinar featuring Lisa Louise Cooke April 28, 2011 May 24, 2011
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Fri, 25 March 2011
Published March 25, 2010
Dick Eastman joins Lisa in this episode to discuss Cloud Computing.
Free Webinars: Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree Extension Series
Lisa Louise Cooke Getting the Scoop on Your Ancestors From Old Newspapers Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 6:00 PM Pacific / 9:00 PM Eastern
Janet Hovorka of Generation Maps Getting Your Notes and Sources Right in Your Genealogy Software Saturday, 7 May, at 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern
Michael Booth of RootsMagic Genealogy on the Go Wednesday, July 20 at 6:00 PM Pacific / 9:00 PM Eastern
Saturday, 6 Aug at 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern Maureen Taylor, Photo Treasures Discovered at Jamboree - A Closer Look The Photo Detective
Season 2 of the Generations Project is coming this March 28, 2011
Genealogy Gems YouTube channel featuring interviews with many of the experts who attended the RootsTech conference.
Curt Witcher's visionary look at "The Changing Face of Genealogy."
The Virtual Presentations Roundtable Video
Brian Pugh of FamilySearch called Cloud Computing: What It Is and How It Has Been Used
Big Thank Yous To: The Amazing Things I Learned This Last Weekend Le Maison Duchamp
The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox Book Reviews: Available at the Genealogy Gems Store at Lulu press: http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1074851
Craig Manson of the GeneaBlogie blog If You Knew Google Like She Knows Google
Ian Hadden at Ian Hadden’s Family History Book Review: Genealogist’s Google Toolbox
1911 Scotland Census
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Tue, 8 March 2011
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!
Above: Lisa arriving at the Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE event. Above: WDYTYA celebrity Ainsley Harriott signing autographs
Above: Lisa with Else Churchill, Genealogist, Society of Genealogists
Above: Lisa explaining how to make Google work harder for your family history 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: The End of the Internet Website Hooked on Genealogy Tours http://hookedongenealogytours.com/ 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
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Tue, 8 February 2011
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.
The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox
Genealogy’s Star Blog article: Live from the Family History Expo in Arizona The Illinois State Genealogical Society 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 http://www.archives.gov/research/search send your comments and feedback to search@nara.gov.
video introducing you to NARA’s new search.
NARA’s first mobile app: “Today’s Document.” http://tiny.cc/TodayDoc1 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 Mills wrote in saying that the recent episodes of the Genealogy Gems podcast weren’t showing up on her Genealogy Gems Android App. 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 iPhone app in the iTunes store.
Rootsmagic now offers FREE online webinar classes. Go to www.rootsmagic.ocm/webinars and click on a webinar title from the list for more information or to register. And don’t worry if you missed one or the timing isn’t quite right for your schedule, because you can watch or download past webinars right from their website like: Getting Started with RootsMagic Publishing a Family History with RootsMagic FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic RootsMagic To-Go: Running RootsMagic on a Flash Drive And Sources, Citations and Documentation with RootsMagic – oh that’s one you’re gonna want to watch.
MAILBOX: Bill Buchanan and Kim Fillmore wrote in about some great genealogy gems they found on Google Books Sheryl’s Skeletons in the Cupboard
Update: The toolbar has been discontinued.
GEM: Interview with Josh Taylor Sarah Jessica Parker episode of the TV series Who Do You Think You Are?
New Blog Series Check out Lisa’s guests post Tech Tips series on the Genealogy Insider blog
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Mon, 24 January 2011
Published Jan 24, 2011 Lisa's New Book is Here! The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox View full screen to flip pages It’s available at my Genealogy Gems store at Lulu for $24.95 for the 81/2” x 11 paperback and I just saw that Lulu is offering 10% on any purchase through the end of January. Get 10% off READ2011 at checkout. Offer expires January 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM EDT
Genealogy Blog: Geniaus
Lisa's Upcoming Appearances: All day seminar on Google at the Whittier Area Genealogical Society in Southern California RootsTech conference Feb 10-12 in Salt Lake City WDYTYA Live conference 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 our email as a contact. GEM: Interview with Kory Meyerink 50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites
GEM: Interview with Chris Bair Image geo-coding |
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Wed, 5 January 2011
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: Searchable database by Province, District Name, District Number, and Sub-district Number. Using the Research tool "microform digitization," 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 inforamtion on the Discovering the Civil War exhibition, head on over to archives.gov/exhibits/civil-war.
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. MacWorld Website 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 Find My Ancestors Blog.
Google Gadgets Update Updated Genealogy Google Gadges from Sirius Genealogy
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 Genealogist, Archivist, Researcher Check out her first post entitled How I Got Started. 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 Google eBooks is now available in the U.S. from a new Google eBookstore. 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 VIDEO LINK To WATCH IN YOUTUBE Adobe ebook Platform supported devices 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 www.google.com/earth 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 VIDEO LINK To WATCH IN YOUTUBE Easy-to-use historical imagery In 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 GoogleForGenealogy.com |
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Thu, 23 December 2010
Published Dec 23, 2010 NEWS: Save 30% on Genealogy Gems Premium Membership now through 12/27/10!! Lisa's Upcoming Speaking Engagements: Who Do You Think You Are? LIVE Conference in London The Mesa Family History Expo, January 21 & 22, Mesa Convention Center The Whittier Area Genealogical Society Ohio Genealogical Society Conference in Columbus, OH, March 31 - April 2, 2011 Alberta Genealogical Society Conference in Edmonton, Canada, April 16 & 17, 2011 Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree in Burbank, CA, June 10 - 12, 2011 Coming Soon! Lisa's brand new book The Genealogist's Google Toolbox Book Lisa for your next society seminar or conference Launch of Podcast Android App iPhone, iPod iTouch app is available at the iTunes store. 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 show notes page for each episode. Just released: Premium Episode 60
MAILBOX: Lee Van Bergen wrote in asking about the Genealogy Gems Podcast iGoogle Gadget. How to get the updated gadget: Method #2: Amber Creix Prat wrote to share a resource: Check out Amber's genealogy blog called Tackling Brick Walls One Brick At A Time Research Question: Links and suggestions from Lisa Turn your attention to state and county death records in Maryland. FamilySearch Wiki gives a good overview of what might be available. Maryland Death Records in FamilySearch Wiki Maryland State Archives website Death Index New Blogger
GEM: Interview with Kendall Wilcox, The Generation Project (Image Below: Executive Producer Kendall Wilcos in the control room.)
Do your own Generations Project: 1. What is your motivation for doing this? What is your "why"? 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! UPDATE: BYUTV will be running an all new episode on January 3rd as a sneak peek for viewers. It will be the episode featuring the Denke's (Image below) and their search for the anonymous donor who saved their kids' lives. The remaining episodes for Season 2 will officially air in the Spring.
(Image Below: Xander & Carrie Denke watch their journey in studio with The Generations Project host, Lise Simms.)
Watch a preview of the first episode of season 2: And here's a look at episodes coming this Spring:
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Wed, 8 December 2010
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 Rootsmagic. 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 Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel. The written instructions and supply list has been posted as a separate downloadable pdf document on this podcast feed.
Category:general
-- posted at: 12:25am EST
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Wed, 8 December 2010
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Sat, 20 November 2010
Published Nov 20, 2010 The Genealogy Gems Podcast Facebook Fan Page
Family Tree 40 Genealogy blog awards They’re accepting nominations of great genealogy blogs through Tuesday, Nov. 30 Read: Nominate Blogs for Family Tree Magazine's 40 Best Genealogy Blogs
Mesa Family History Expo January 21 & 22, 2011 Mesa Arizona Convention Center. Early Bird Registration: $65.00 for the 2 days event. At the Door Registration: $75.00
Winter Weekend Research Getaway - 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 AncestryThegenealogist.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: The National Archives online ordering system Download the appropriate form from frpom the NARA website For microfilm orders, researchers can use the online ordering system or download a paper form FamilySearch Beta 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 CongressRedesigned search system - 1100 finding aids will now lead remote and onsite researchers to more than 32 million archival items. Australian NewspapersThe National Library of Australia has launched a new version of their Australia Trove website 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 this KML for viewing in Google Earth.
MAILBOX: From Pat Dalpiaz “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 Stills 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 www.glorecords.blm.gov/…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.”
Google Earth for Genealogy DVD Sale Now through Cyber Monday, we are running our first ever sale on the DVDs. Order now through the end the day Nov. 29, 2011 and get free shipping. ($2.50 savings per DVD!) Robert Heaton 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: The Alberta Genealogical Society Conference April 16 & 17, of 2011 Edmonton, Alberta
GEM: Professional GenealogistInterview with Alvie Davidson, of APG Genealogy certificate program at Salt Lake Community College. Don’t live in Salt Lake? Not a problem; courses are available online. Visit our website for a listing of courses as well as in-person workshops. 801-957-5200 more information contact Kathy Jonsson at 801-957-5383
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Sun, 7 November 2010
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 - Episode 1 Vehicular Forensics - Episode 18 The Band Venice - Episode 38 Lisa's story and Heritage quilts - Episode 39 Handwriting Analysis and Leatherheads - Episode 46 Irene Johnson, Genealogist and star of the Ancestors series on PBS - Episode 80 and 82 Lisa Kudrow, Who Do You Think You Are? - Episode 81 Kendall Wilcox, the Generations Project - Episode 86 Forensic Linguistics for Genealogy with Dr. Robert Leonard - episode 89 & 90
Thanks to the following folks for the messages of congratulations: The Staff at Family Tree Magazine Lisa Alzo, Genealogist, Author and Speaker Holly Hansen, President of Family History Expos Sean Lamb, The Rip Track Podcast and Finding the Flock Blog A.C. Ivory, Find My Ancestors Blog Denise Levenick, "Penelope Dreadful" of the Shades of the Departed online magazine Paula Hinkel, Chair of the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree Bruce Buzbee, President, Rootsmagic Amy Coffin, We Tree Blog Elizabeth O'Neal, Little Bytes of Life Blog Roger Grua Brandt Gibson Teri Chaffin Maureen Taylor Dot Elder
Emails from Connie, Teresa, Simona, Chris and Crystal Blogs mentioned: http://keoughcorner.blogspot.com and http://scandiamusings.blogspot.com
Milestones: Newsletter (Sign up today and get the free Google Search Strategies e-book) Premium Membership Launched (Become a Member) The Genealogy Gems Toolbar - UPDATE The toolbar has been discontinued. The first podcast in front of a live audience - episode 79
Sharing Gems: Christmas in July (Sweet Memories Candy Bars) Episode 20 Family History Dislay - Episode 3 Mother's Day Plate - Episode 11
Video Gems: Subscribe free to the Genealogy Gems Channel at YouTube Socks to America - Episode 26 Sweet Land with Ali Selim - Episode 30 Heritage Quilts - Episode 39 Video: Using the Google News Timeline for Genealogy and Family History
Support the show by shopping online through the Amazon and website links on the Genealogy Gems website.
Thank you to our sponsor: Rootsmagic
Listen to Crystal Bell's story in Episode 44 of the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast
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Thu, 21 October 2010
Published Oct 21, 2010 Join us as we highlight and explore the beautiful online magazine This special episode was recorded live at the recent Family History Expo held in Pleasanton, CA on Oct. 8 & 9, 2010. Host: Lisa Louise Cooke Associate Producer: Lacey Cooke Guests: Craig Manson, Bruce Buzbee, Sheri Fenley Genealogy Gems App Users be sure to check out the Bonus Content Video!! LINKS to websites mentioned in this episode:
Craig Manson's GeneaBlogie Blog
Denise Levenick - The Family Curator
Sheri Fenley - The Educated Genealogist
Maureen Taylor - The Photo Detective
Denise Olson - Moultrie Creek
Thanks to our wonderful prize donors!
Bruce Buzbee of Rootsmagic.com maker's of: Family Tree Magazine: [*Free Shipping on US Orders Over $25*] Passport to Europe CD International Passport CD Family Tree Magazine One Year Subscription - Best Seller
Google Earth for Genealogy video series on DVD
Genealogy Gems Premium Membership:
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Thu, 7 October 2010
Published Oct 7, 2010Episode 98 - The Journey TakersNEWS: Thank you to the Genealogy Bloggers who blogged about the new Google Earth for Genealogy Volume II DVD:Dick Eastman - EOGN Randy Seaver - Genea-Musings Thomas MacEntee - Geneabloggers Diane Haddad The Genealogy Insider
Jenna posted on Facebook about the recent Google Earth for Genealogy edition of the Premium Podcast: "Premium Episode 55...two thumbs up!"
Liquid Galaxy for Google Earth
ULTIMATE FAMILY HISTORY SWEEPSTAKES Enter every day between Oct. 1 and 31 for a chance to win the Ultimate Family History Giveaway -- worth more than $2,000!
FGS is looking for a new editor for their electronic quarterly magazine the FGS Forum Request information from application@fgs.org. Applicants may then submit a detailed résumé for consideration, along with several examples of publications for which they have been responsible as editor. These should be sent electronically to application@fgs.org. The deadline for applications is November 1, 2010.
Illinois State Genealogical Society 2010 Award Winners Announced On Saturday, October 23, 2010, five individuals will be honored by the Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) with awards for their outstanding achievements in the field of genealogy. ISGS will present the awards at the upcoming ISGS Fall Conference “You Have Family – You Have History” – held at the historic Hotel Père Marquette in Peoria, Illinois. For more information on the Fall Conference Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategy now available in the iBookstore
MAILBOX:
Simona MacAngus wrote in to say she loves the Genealogy Gems Podcast iTunes App “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 www.GenealogyGemsPodcast.tv 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 Amazon link on the Genealogy Gems site and do a search on: Archival Methods 8 x 10" White Archival Paper, Package of 100 Sheets 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 Premium Membership?
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: The Journey Takers
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Thu, 23 September 2010
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.
Good News: Google Earth for Genealogy Volume II is available for pre-order and officially launches and ships on October 1, 2010.
Genealogy Gems Premium Membership features online viewing of the videos from Volume I of the Google Earth for Genealogy series. New on Premium Members is Lisa's 3 part podcast / video series on Publishing Your Family History with Print on Demand. (available through 12/31/10)
NEWS: The Genealogy Gems Podcast is featured in Elyse Doerflinger's article called Podcasts: Download Your Genealogy! which appears in the September issue of Internet Genealogy magazine. The Chronicling America website at the Library of Congress just announced they have added 380,000+ historic newspaper pages including 3 new states: Louisiana, Montana, and South Carolina. Listen to the Family Tree Magazine Podcast. The next episode will feature Lisa's interview with genealogist and author Lisa Alzo about tracing immigrant ancestors. The Ellis Island Museum is celebrating its 20th year this month. Ancestry is now making more than 1700 first hand immigrant interview recordins available online for free. See the article in the Genealogy Gems email newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter today. Disney is adding a bit of history to its TV lineup. The Marblehead Patch News out of Marblehead, MA article. 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 Email Lisa with your suggestions for Belinda. RE: Scanners From listener Ermadene Tilly: Sally Jacob's on-line and on phone class "Joy of Organizing Photos. Mentioned: Canon CanoScan 200, (not for slides) Grace Dobush the preservation expert at Family Tree Magazine covers scanners in the September 2010 episode of The Family Tree Magazine Podcast. 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 discvoered them and Love, Love, Love, listening to them." Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast Family Tree Magazine Video by Lisa on Organizing Your Hard Drive. There are 2 premium videos on the subject as part of Genealogy Gems Premium Membership.
GEM: Recording Relative Interviews
Lisa's Upcoming Speaking Engagements: California Family History Expo, Oct 8 - 9, 2010 (Attend the LIVE podcast on Friday night!) Hemet-San Jacinto Genealogical Society Seminar, Oct. 23, 2010 California Genealogical Society Google All the Way Seminar, Oct. 30, 2010 |
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Wed, 8 September 2010
Published Sept 8, 2010 Upcoming Milestone Coming Soon! NEWS Records Website News: FamilySearch announced the addition of over 200 million new searchable historic records online representing 18 countries. Read Major Updates to FamilySearch Beta Site at the Genealogy Insider blog. Listen to the September episode of the Family Tree Magazine Podcast coming out about 9/15/10 Lisa's upcoming classes at Family Tree University start 9/13/10: - Reverse Genealogy 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. Mary writes: "Thank you for encouraging your listeners to blog!"
Mark Your Calendar for Lisa's Upcoming Speaking Engagements: Oct. 8 & 9, 2010 Oct. 23, 2010 Oct. 30, 2010
Book Lisa for a presentation, webinar or seminar at your Genealogy Society or event. More information.
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Tue, 24 August 2010
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. Read more about it.
Listener Rick Rissmiller wrote in: Thanks for the Shout Outs from the following genealogy bloggers: Susan Peterson - Long Lost Relatives Tonia Kendrick - Tonias Roots
A. C. Ivory - Find My Ancestors
Upcoming Genealogical Events: New RootsTech Conference Alberta Family Histories Society New England Historic Genealogical Society and Ancestry.com
Lisa’s upcoming appearances: October 8 & 9, 2010 Pleasanton, California
The Hemet San Jacinto Genealogical Society Seminar
California Genealogical Society Seminar 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. Check out Paula Stuart Warren’s blog post all about it at Paula’s Genealogical Eclectica Blog New Family Tree Magazine Podcast Episode August 2010 episode You can subscribe to the Family Tree Magazine Podcast for free in iTunes
MAILBOX: How to Fix Relationship Mistakes in Your Online Family Tree "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.
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 Haskell 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 Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880 According to Ancestry, the Non-population schedules contained in this database include agriculture, industry/manufacturers, social statistics, and supplemental schedules. For mortality schedules, look for the U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880. Lucy Christiansen 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 McClure in the January 2005 issue of the magazine. "The Skinny on Scanners." It's available 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 genealogygemspodcast@gmail.com 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 Genealogy Gems App in the iTunes Store
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." |
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Thu, 5 August 2010
Published August 5, 2010 NEWS: Canadian Census Read Shannon Proudfoot's article 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 Counting The People 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 onlineThe US censuses are released when they are 72 years old so the 1940 Census is due out in 2012. Watch short training films for U. S. Census enumerators. Family Tree Magazine Listen to the new July 2010 episode 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 Lisa’s upcoming classes at Family Tree University including the Mastering Google Search
Free WebinarAsk the Editors: Family Tree Magazine Answers Your Questions Wednesday, August 11, at 7 p.m. Eastern, 4pm Pacific
Recorded WebinarHow to Find Living Relatives: Unleash Your Inner Private Eye. Get the full hour video recorded webinar, and all 5 handouts that the students received. 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’s Record Search pilot (FamilySearch.org, click Search Records, and then click Record Search pilot) and coming soon to Beta.FamilySearch.org.
Subscribe to The Genealogy Gems YouTube channel Granite Mountain Records Vault - Part 1
Granite Mountain Records Vault – Part 2
New Google ImagesTip: 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 "Cousins Day"
Listener Tim McBride thinks that would be a great day for a family reunion. Lacey comes up with gems too! Family History calendars for Christmas presents.
Thanks to Listener Belinda Slocumb for bringing a neat film project to our attention. And the Iron Did Swim: A Documentary
Will Clifton 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 Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast
GEM: Interview with Janice Nickerson 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 CBC website The Contact Page including Email for the Canadian Broadcasting Centre
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Wed, 21 July 2010
Published July 21, 2010 NEWS:
IAJGS 2010 Breakfast with the Bloggers By Schelly Talalay Dardashti
Film: Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldbert Visit the film's website. 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.”
The Goldbergs 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.Genealogy Bank Search
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 Ancestry.com.au talks about the details in her recent blog post on the Ancestry.com.au Blog or search the collection directly at http://www.ancestry.com.au/bmd2010.
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 press announcement released on July 15, 2010. Ancestry recently released a new version of the Ancestry.com Tree-to-Go iPhone application in the iTunes App Store. Check it out at http://www.ancestry.com/iphone. Also available: The Genealogy Gems Podcast App 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.
Here's a link 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 direct link 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 Geneablogie Blog
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Mon, 5 July 2010
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: Blog posts about Jamboree: Genealogy is Ruthless Without Me Dick Eastman's EOGN "I especially enjoyed her presentation on Google Earth for Genealogy" GeneaBlogie by Craig Manson Luxegen Blog by Joan Miller My Heritage Blog by Schelly Dardashti Hertiage Happens Blog by Cheryl Upcoming Conference: 42nd BYU Conference on Family History July 27-30, 2010 Family History Expo in Pleasanton, California New at FamilySearch: New Family History Library in Riverton, UT Library of Congress Chronicling America Who Do You Think You Are? UK lineup announced Lisa's guest blog series at Family Tree Magazine's Genealogy Insider Blog MAILBOX: Meg Baker's FamilySearch iGoogle gadget Ancestry alternative - add to the iGoogle Bookmarks gadget 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!" New Listener Blogs: Paw Prints Guiding Me to the Past 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 www.digitalarkivet.no for records in Norway. He asked for recommendations for information about Candian immigration. Lisa recommends the book Destination Canada 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: Attend one of Lisa's classes at Family Tree University Get 10% off of Lisa's book Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies and use the coupon code SUMMERREAD305. Orders over $19.95 also get free shipping during summer 2010. |
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Thu, 17 June 2010
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 Jamboree 2010. 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.
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Wed, 2 June 2010
Published June 2, 2010 NEWS:
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Fri, 21 May 2010
Published May 21, 2010 New DVD Google Earth for Genealogy |
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Wed, 5 May 2010
NEWS: |
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Fri, 23 April 2010
Stay tuned for upcoming Genealogy Gems Webinars: "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. Registration for the Jamboree Early-Bird Discount ends on Friday, April 30. MAILBOX: Carol Kendall asked about the Transcription program recommended on the Family History podcast. The Transcription software was discussed in Family History episode 36 A software program called Transcript 2.3 free download available Deborah Mullins Vernon asks about adding sources to online Family Trees Feedback on Google Earth for Genealogy "I had my popcorn while I watched Part 2, 3, 4 of Google Earth videos. I am learning so much. Thank you!"
GEM: Scouting for Ancestors Interview with Mark Tucker Deborah Mullins Vernon 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 Genealogy Gems store at Lulu.com Lisa's article Be a Family History Detective – 10 Tactics to trace eluxive ancestors 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 100 Years of Scouting History website For the Girl Scouts visits their official site and you can go directly to the Girl Scouts Council Finder page 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 On My Honor, we were girl scouts when scouting wasn’t cool by denise Levenick If you have any experience with researching your scouting ancestors or find a gem after listening to this episode, please email Lisa. I know we would all love to hear about!
National Scouting Museum website The Scoutmaster handbook on Google Books Also Search Boys Life And Scouting Magazine
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! |
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Fri, 9 April 2010
Note to Genealogy Gems App Users: New Wallpaper Bonus Content this episode! A big THANK YOU to the Jackson County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society in Jackson, Ohio for sharing Genealogy Gems with their website visitors.
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Thu, 1 April 2010
Who Do You Think You Are? airs on Friday nights at 8:00 p.m. on NBC. |
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Sun, 21 March 2010
The Genealogy Gems Podcast is Three Years Old This Month! THANK YOUS Elyses blog post on genealogy podcasts Renee Huskey wrote in her Free Stuff Friday post about the Genealogy Gems Toolbar FAMILY SEARCH Recently Completed Projects They will be searchable online at pilot.familysearch.org in the near future.) 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 www.familysearch.org 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. Next episode on Friday March 26, 2010 features Matthew Broderick and his family history that crosses paths with the Civil War.
MAILBOX: Travis wrote in to say he has been inspired to get started in genealogy research: Get the Genealogy Gems iPhone / iTouch App Comments on WDYTYA blog post So kudos to both Lisas for what you have done to raise the excitement for genealogy! Full episodes 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 Episode 44 From Tim Connor. 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 email Lisa 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 Family Tree magazine Companion video at the Family Tree Magazine YouTube channel From Mary Lohr. Feeling Lucky with Discount and seminar
Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member Today 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 Family Search Labs Only a genealogist regards a step backwards as progress. Now through March 31, 2010 get $10 off Family Atlas by Rootsmagic.
Hear the rest of the interview in Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episode 42 Websites mentioned: Updated every three weeks. The Family History Library Online Catalogue 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 Genealogy Gems Podcast episode #60. 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! Fess Parker and Ed Ames on PBS Daniel Boone Song by Fess Fess Parker Interview series at the Archive of American Television website.
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Mon, 8 March 2010
The Google Earth for Genealogy DVD is coming soon! All 6 videos are also part of Genealogy Gems Premium Membership Family Tree Magazine's Top 40 Genealogy Blogs
Lisa’s recent blog posts about the new TV series Who Do You Think You Are? WDYTYA: You’re Gonna Get It. And You’re Gonna Love It!
WDYTYA TV Guest Appearances & Tips
WDYTYA Held It's Own in the Ratings
If I Don't Say This I Think My Head Will Explode
Upcoming Conferences: Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree June 11 - 13, 2010 Marriott Los Angeles Burbank Airport Hotel and Convention Center
Ontario Genealogical Society Conference May 14 - 16, 2010 Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 15 is the last day to take advantage of their early-bird registration rates.
Generation Maps announced the release date for their brand new Family ChArtist program on their website
MAILBOX: Marian Vermazen asks about Rootsmagic and citing sources.
Lisa recommends Elizabeth Shown Mills' book Evidence Explained:Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace 2nd Edition
Carol Purinton asked for advice in purchasing a new mp3 player for listening to podcasts and audio books. Apple iPod touch 8 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL
Cathie Wood Owens asked about adding New Family Search to the toolbar
Jean Perera 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 Ryan 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 Premium Membership.
Susan Konkel 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 Miller-Tossey wrote in looking for advice on preserving newspaper clippings.
Sally Jacobs, The Practical Archivist at http://practicalarchivist.com/ Read her article Newspaper Clippings: Can They Be Saved?
Sally's Tips: Decision to make: keep or reprint
Sources: http://www.loc.gov/preserv/care/newspap.html http://www.loc.gov/preserv/presfaq.html#7 http://www.nedcc.org/resources/resources.php
Sign up for the Practical Archivist 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! |
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Sun, 21 February 2010
Share Who Do You Think You Are? with Friends and FamilyShare Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 81 with your friends and family: http://www.genealogygemspodcast.com/index.php?post_id=582014
Who Do You Think You Are? premieres on NBC on Friday, March 5 at 8:00 pm.
NEWS: Digitize Your Family Records – Free at JamboreeAncestry.com announced that they are going to be at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree with their scanners, and that means that ttendees will have the opportunity to have their family photos and documents professionally scanned at the conference, for free.
Sign up for 15-minute scanning sessions from 12:00 noon on Friday, June 11, through 3:00 p.m. Sunday, June 13. The scanning area will be in the Producer room, in the East tower of the main hotel. Look for signs to point the way.
Register in advance on the Jamboree website Sign up for your particular time slot when you arrive at Jamboree.
Lisa will be speaking at the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 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 American Folklife Center 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 vohp@loc.gov 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
Avery® Protect 'n Tab™ Tabbed Sheet Protectors #74160, Acid Free, 5-Tab, Pack of 5 Product Number: 74160. 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 issuesAl 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 Honeycutt 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: Confessions of a Twenty-something Family Historian
Michael says”as soon as I'm done typing this, I'm going to give the toolbar a test run!”
Download the free Genealogy Gems Podcast Toolbar
Tim Cox suggested a quick link on the toolbar to Amazon that also supports the podcast. Keep those great ideas coming Tim – and thank to all of you for supporting the podcast! You’re awesome!
Family History: Genealogy Made EasyHere’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 TuckerBarbara 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 Epsiode 20
Thanks for your great podcasts! Barbara J Starmans You can check out Barbara’s blog
GEM: Interview with Irene Johnson Part 2
Jerry Springer video links from Episode 79
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 Premium Member
GEM: Profile America – The First Telephone BookView the first telephone book and the transcribed list of telephone subscribers in New Haven, CT in 1878
Sign up for the free Genealogy Gems e-Newsletter
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Sat, 13 February 2010
MAILBOX:
Sign up 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 her blog.
Get the Genealogy Gems iPhone / iTouch App
Teri Chaffin 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 Family Tree Magazine
Genealogy and Family History Certificate Program at the Seattle campus of the University of Washington
Certificate in Genealogical Research program at Boston University. You can take that program online.
Genealogical certification is offered by: The Board for Certification of Genealogists
The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists
BCG does offer skill building
Listen to Lisa’s interview with Sunny about the article in the February 2010 episode of Tree Magazine Podcast or subscribe for free in iTunes
Michelle Goodrum writes in about her new blog Turning of Generations 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
Watch the video message from Lisa Kudrow on The Genealogy Gems News Blog.
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 Family Tree Magazine website.
Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast will wrap up with one more episode.
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Fri, 5 February 2010
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 iTunes store:
Kimberly Powell of the About Genealogy blog Dick Eastman of Eastman’s online genealogy newsletter
Janet Havorka of the Chart Chick Blog
Miriam Robbins Midkiff of Ancestories
Schelly Dardashti of the Tracing the Tribe blog
Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog
Lisa has gotten great feedback from those of you who have already downloaded the app from the iTunes store.
Apple Announces the iPad
iPad News 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 http://books.google.com and just type Ancestry in the search box to see past issues online.
MAILBOX:
Question from member Teri Chaffin: Are there 3 ring binder dividers large enough to use with sheet protectors? Lisa suggests: Avery® WorkSaver® Big Tab Insertable Dividers 11220, 5-Tab Set
Judy in Ocala requested photos of Lisa’s family history wall display describe in Episode 3.
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.
Episode 33 features my interview with Bill Maury
Integrated Public Use Microdata Series Histories of Enumeration Procedures for Each Census: â
How Enumerators were appointed in 1930
Record Group 29: 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 started blogging
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 Listen to Episode 13 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
Visit the Family History Library online
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 Ancestors series
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.
Please volunteer to Index
The Main/ 1st Floor – Computers and Family Histories
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Mon, 25 January 2010
This episode is a LIVE presentation of The Genealogy Gems Podcast presented at the Family History Expo 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, Genaâs Genealogy Blog Worldvitalrecords - www.worldvital.com Genealogywise - www.genealogywise.com
GUEST: Thomas MacEntee, Geneablogger The Top 10 Genealogy Blog Myths
This LIVE show is sponsored by Rootsmagic.com 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 Watch Part 1 Part 2 Watch Part 2 Part 3 Watch Part 3 Part 4 Watch Part 4 Part 5 Watch Part 5 Part 6 Watch part 6 She also talks about what's coming up at Ancestry in 2010. The Ancestry Blog: http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/ Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member |
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Tue, 5 January 2010
Happy New Year!! Contest Winners Announced: The winner of the 2 day admission ticket to the Mesa, AZ Family History Expo: Get more information about the conference and banquet at Family History Expos Lisa will be speaking at the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference in Toronto, Canada May 14 through the 16th of 2010 at the Doubletree Hilton at the Toronto Airport The Armchair Genealogist: Follow Friday - My Top Five, A Year In ... By Lynn Palermo Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Episodes can now be automatically downloaded to iTunes. For more information sign in and go to the main Podcast page. Sign up for the free Genealogy Gems e-newsletter 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. Get it at the iTunes App Store
NEWS: ANCESTRY 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 Genealogy Bank MAILBOX: 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 search on Google Books - here's one on San Joaquin County orphanages Full text of "Benevolent institutions. 1910" The San Joaquin County US Gen Web site is currently under construction but it looks like they plan on providing information about adoptions in the county. If you have strategies for Richard email Lisa. Toolbar Emails: Genealogy Gems Podcast Toolbar Kathy Ott asks how to remove and hide the new toolbar. How to remove the toolbar from a Mac: On a PC: To temporarily hide the Toolbar on a PC: The Toolbar Search Box can be designated as a search box for the following sites: GEM: Mona Golabek
Listen to: The Romantic Hours CLOSING: |
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Tue, 8 December 2009
To listen to the Podcast: Click the Play button on the media player in the column on the right. Click the >| button to scroll through the episodes in the media player. NEWS: Sign up for the Genealogy Gems Free e-Newsletter Footnote.com - In honor of Pearl Harbor Day they are making their interactive WWII collection 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: Canada's History Magazine: The Beaver Listener Phil Haye's blog post 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: Get Maureen's book at Amazon You can sign up for Maureen's free e-newsletter at her Photo Detective Web Site
GEM: Family Storytelling During The Holidays Holly's podcast episode 50 of the Family History Expos Podcast |
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Sun, 29 November 2009
Are you ready for Christmas yet? If you would like to help out the podcast while you shop, just click this box... ...to access the Amazon site 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 RootsMagic Essentials, 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. FAMILYSEARCH: 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: Footnote.com recently released "the Native American Collection" of historical records. You are a Genealogy Gem - tell the world with the Genealogy Gem Rhinestone Pin. Approx. 2" wide by 1" high, pin back. Limited Quantities! (click image to enlarge) Price: $11.95 + $1.50 first class shipping continental U.S.
MAILBOX: AC Ivory 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. www.generationivory.com Read his article about podcasts. Susan Freer shared a fun free website that features the music of yesteryear Upchucky Radio Hits of the 1940s Jukebox page
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Mon, 9 November 2009
New to the Podcast? Click the media player on the right to begin listening or subscribe to the podcast for free in iTunes. (Click here to learn more about how to download and subscribe to podcasts in iTunes. Click here to watch a video tutorial) News: Attend one of Lisa's classes: New lower shipping for Lisa's book at Lulu.com:
Also at the store you'll find archived Premium episodes now available for automatic download (including PDF show notes)
2013 Update: The Genealogy Gems Toolbar has been discontinued. MAILBOX: Listener Megan Kyser asks if the Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast might have a DNA episode someday? âand she adds, "My whole family listens in the car on trips- yes; even the 5 and under crowd! She will also be interviewing a DNA specialist for the November episode of The Family Tree Magazine Podcast which will be out later this month. And Lisa recommends a fun website 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 book Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies. The projects featured in the class included: Decoupage Plate - Chapter 11
A four part video series is available at the Genealogy Gems TV Channel 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. |
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Fri, 30 October 2009
Sit back and enjoy this episode about a Gem of a web site: www.DeadFred.com 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 Gustavo Hammel that Karen Hammel found on the DeadFred web site. Our Dog Howie was featured in BARK! magazine (below) |
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Fri, 9 October 2009
NEWS: Lisa covers digitized newspaper records recently posted at the Library of America's Chronicling America web site As well as news from Ancestry.com 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 Genealogy Gems TV Channel at YouTube and Click on the Videos section. Become a fan of The Genealogy Gems Podcast at Facebook. Add Lisa as a friend on Facebook
Then Lisa shares some advice from German Genealogist Baerbel Johnson of the Family History Library 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 episode 69 and the story about the man who found his family history book digitized on Google Books. "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: Original article (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 Genealogy Gems store at Lulu
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: Diane Haddadâs post on The Genealogy Insider Blog Attend Lisaâs classes: 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!
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Thu, 8 October 2009
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
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Thu, 24 September 2009
News: Read Lisa's Blog post "Google Books Revolutionary Next Step" How to Order Key Civil War Records by Tamie Dehler, Tribune-Star Mailbox: A listener writes in to share her experience with Genealogy Wise Check out the free program Transcript 2.0 that listeners are raving about. GEM: Probate Records with Jana Broglin, CG How to Find Probate Records:
Jana's Tips:
Visit Jana's Web Site GEM: Sorting your bookmarks alphabetically in Safari (Mac) How to Sort Bookmarks: 1. On the top of your screen click on Bookmarks |
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Sun, 6 September 2009
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 Expo. 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. 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. Email your comments to Lisa GEM: Member Connect with Ancestry Part 2 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 Genealogy Gems Premium 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! |
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Wed, 19 August 2009
Family Tree University
Google announced last week that it has quadrupled its searchable archive of historical news articles, many of which are free to access.
The National Archives just announced that it has launched what it calls a Narations blog. The new blog is going to focus on online public access to records of the U.S. National Archives
The Salt Lake City Family History Expo is almost here
MyHeritage.com, has announced the release of Family Tree Builder 4.0. The Family Tree Builder software is available for free download
Read the article about Google's new improved search BBC News
GEM: IPUMS USA website
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:
1850 - 1950 Enumerator Instructions 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
You can learn what the occupation codes in Column 26D mean by visiting this page: "Deciphering Occupation Codes Appended to the 1930 Census in One Step."
GEM: Agricultural Census (Non-Population Census) Non-population census at the National Archives
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Sat, 1 August 2009
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 www.footnote.com/1930census/ and register with your email address. Genealogy Insider Blog 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 WorldCat library catalog search engine. Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Randy Seaver's article on the Genea-musings blog Footnote Maven's post about the episode Episode 39 of the Family History podcast features the very gifted writer Denise Levenick who write the Family Curator blog, and also has an alter ego known as Penny Dreadful who writes occasionally for the Footnote Maven's Shades of the Departed blog. And you get two bloggers in this episode because it also features my interview with Schelly Talalay Dardashti who writes the Tracing the Tribe 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: 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. Email Lisa or call the voice mail line at 925 272-4021 to have your thoughts included on the show. GEM: Profile America GEM: Tony Burroughs
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 itâs entirety at the Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel. GEM: My Mother Was A Quilter by Lee Drew GEM: Profile America Sign up for the free Genealogy Gems e-Newsletter: See Lisa in person: Email Lisa with your questions and comments |
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Sat, 18 July 2009
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 Episode 177 The Library of Congress has launched "The Library of Congress 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 Paul Allen's Apology to Terry Thornton So where do we go from here? Well, I still wholeheartedly encourage genealogists to network Join the Genealogy Gems Podcast facebook group Join the Genealogy Gems Podcast group on GenealogyWise 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 Google News Archive first - which is free, and then check to see if WVR has the newspaper youâre looking for. Lisa's Video on the Google News Timeline Premium Members can watch the Premium Video Using The Google News Archive for Genealogy. Become a Premium Member Today. 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. Email me or call the voice mail line at 925-272-4021 to leave a message that I can play on the show. GEM: Profile America Visit NASA's website's Apollo 40th Anniversary pages Watch the Launch- GEM: Interview with Geneablogger Thomas MacEntee Watch the video version of this interview at the Genealogy Gems TV Channel at YouTube Thomas MacEnteeâs Blogroll: The Graveyard Rabbit of New York Rural Cemeteries GEM: The July 2009 Family Tree Magazine Podcast Episode Eric's fave collection: Mark your calendars: Join Lisa at the Family History Expo in Sandy, Utah just outside Salt Lake City August 28 & 29, 2009. Sign up for the Family Tree Webinar... |
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Mon, 6 July 2009
For more info on next year's Jamboree: My Table Mates at the Friday Night Jamboree Banquet Read Lisa's Blog Posts about this year's Jamboree: Tukufu Zuberi Wows Researchers at Jamboree Listen to Lisa's one on one interview with Tukufu in Episode 63 How My Mom Prepared Me For The Geneablogger Summit Top 10 Things I Noticed At The Geneablogger Dinner NEWS: Family Tree Magazine Webinar Lisa's article called Grave Transformations appears in the September 2009 issue of Family Tree Magazine on news stands now. Watch the Grave Transformations video for step-by-step instructions. GEM: Interview with Randy Seaver, Genealogy Blogger Randy's Blogs: To purchase an "Iceberg" poster that Randy refers to in the interview, email the California Genealogical Society and Library at calgen1898@calgensoc.org or call 510-663-1358. |
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Sun, 7 June 2009
Published June 7, 2009 GEM: 65th Anniversary of D-Day I've written a blog post 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 and my dad during WWII Check out the post D Day Anniversary 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: 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. You can get more information about the Jamboree at the Jamboree 2009 Blog. And you can register at the Southern California genealogical society Website. The 29th annual International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies International Conference on Jewish Genealogy being held August 2 - 7, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA You can register at the IAJGS website. I'll also be at the Family History Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah August 28 & 29, 2009 Genealogy Records Update: The most recent additions to the Indexing Project: Thank you for supporting this free podcast GEM: Interview with Kathy Meade of Genline.com Lisa talks with Kathy about Genline's new Transcription Service Also check out Lisa's other interview with Kathy Meade in the June 2009 episode of the Family Tree Magazine Podcast Swedish Parish Look Up She will also be at the Southern California Genealogical Jamboree in Burbank, CA June 26 - 28, 2009. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member GEM: Paper of Record / Google News Archive Google News Archive Timeline Video
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Fri, 22 May 2009
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)
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Fri, 22 May 2009
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Mon, 11 May 2009
Published May 11, 2008 MAILBOX: Lisa reads an email from Mark Winter in Hixson, TN 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 episode 13 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 Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast. If you want to share your genealogy stories or have a question do like Mark did and drop me a line. GEM: Profile America - Odometer GEM: Interview with George Morgan The Southern California Genealogical Jamboree Website
The Official Guide to Ancestry.com
How to do Everything Genealogy 2nd Edition
Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member Today GEM: Profile America - Mother's Day Since this episode is being published on Mother's Day I want to wish all of you mom’s out there a wonderful relaxing day with your family. And I want to send a personal Mother’s Day greeting to my Mom – Ellen Koehn - thank you and I love you very much!
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Sun, 26 April 2009
April 26, 2009 Get a free copy of my e-book 5 Fabulous Google Strategies for the Family Historian as a thankyou for signing up for the free e-newsletter. 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. How to Enter Intra-Familial Marriages Listen to Family History: Genealogy Made Easy GEM: Online Downloadable Source Citations 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 to a message board post from Elizabeth Shown Mills. Randy Seaver's comments on the subject at the geneamusings blog This last week I had a chance to sit down and interview genealogy blogger and lecturer Stephen Danko 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. Itâs 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 Episode 61. 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. Send me an email 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
So let's do a search that could possibly help us with our family tree. In my case I'm going to search on the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
The Timeline then appears and youâll see columns running across the screen from left to write, each column representing a month on the timeline. To edit the columns:
You can also click the SIZE drop down and you can select from small medium or large. GEM: Interview with Maureen Taylor GEM: Profile America 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 www.genealogygems.tv |
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Sun, 12 April 2009
Published April 12, 2009 SHOW NOTES Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast episode 23 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 email me 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
Get the HISTORY DETECTIVES book 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 (Below: A History Detectives episode) Check out the Southern California Genealogical Jamboree Blog for everything you need to know about this exciting upcoming event.
Download the Jamboree brochure today to start planning! Tukufu Zuberi will be the Keynote speaker at the Jamboree's Friday evening Banquet. Friday evening, June 26, 2009 Sign up for the free Genealogy Gems e-newsletter and receive the FREE 20 page downloadable e-book 5 Fabulous Google Research Strategies for the Family Historian |
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Sat, 28 March 2009
March 28, 2008 Lisa's interview on the Change Nation podcast.
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. Genealogy Gems Podcast episode #61. 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. In Episode 60 Darby Hinton shared what it was like growing up in Hollywood the son of an actor, and a child actor himself.
In Episode 61 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 Hintons Living History. GEM: Hang Ten with Ken Marks, Executive Producer of Legend Seekers. We spent Episode 22 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.
GEM: Profile America 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. Sign up for the free Genealogy Gems e-Newsletter
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Sat, 14 March 2009
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 episode #60 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. (Above: Darby's grandfather Edward L. Hinton holding Darby's father) Listen to Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Episode 21
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Mon, 2 March 2009
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 GenClass.com 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 US GenWeb site to find out more about the records available in that county as well as the history of county. Allegheny County US Gen Web site Another option is the vitalrec.com website. Click through to Pennsylvania and Allegheny County 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 Explore PA History website. About.com website has a timeline on Pittsburgh history. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburg also has a chronology of the cityâs history and lots of other great info. The March 2009 issue of Family Tree Magazine 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 TV Legends 7 part interview with Fess Parker on YouTube Here's an excerpt from the first episode of Daniel Boone...
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Sun, 15 February 2009
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 drop me a line 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 They just announced their list of speakers which you will find on The Genealogy Gems News Blog I'll be there teaching my Google: A Goldmine of Genealogy Gems Seminars, Parts I and II as well as participating in the Son of a Blogger Summit. The Official Jamboree blog Who Do You Think You Are TV Update I wrote about Amazon.com's recent announcement that the New Kindle 2 is ready for pre-order. I would really like to hear from you if you have or have used a Kindle. So check out the Kindle and the improvements that have been made. Any time you go to Amazon 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: 8 Civil War Era Records Coming Online in Feb. 2009 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 Ancestry's Civil War Collection Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Episode 16: 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 Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member GEM: Interview with Holly Hansen - Family History Expos Watch videos at The Family History Expos TV channel at YouTube Feb 27 & 28, 2009: St. George, UT More information and registration GEM: GenClass with Lisa Alzo One lucky listener is going to win not one but TWO free classes from Gen Class! Lisa Alzo and the folks at GenClass have been gracious enough to provide me with 2 classes to give away FREE, which is a great educational opportunity. And education is a big part of what I want to provide here on the show as well. So hereâs what you need to do to have a chance to win: Send an email with your name, state, and email address and the topic you would most like to learn about in 2009 on an upcoming podcast episode by midnight on Sunday Feb. 21, 2009 I will draw one lucky winner from all of the email entries. The winner will get their choice of any of the two classes provided by GenClass. Iâll be announcing the winner on the Genealogy Gems News Blog and Episode 60 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast. Thanks to the folks at GenClass, and good luck! GEM: Profile America - Number Please? Sign up for the FREE Genealogy Gems e-newsletter |
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Sat, 31 January 2009
Published Jan 31, 2009 #1 Diane Haddad's Family Tree Magazine Genealogy Insider Blog New and Next at Ancestry.com #2. From Paper (or Film) to the Web #3 Online Searching: It's Complicated #4 Inside Ancestry.com's Top-Secret Data Center #5 Diane reveals the secret identity of the mysterious Ancestry Genealogy Blogger. Or does she? You'll have to check that one out for yourself. In fact if you're an Ancestry user or are considering a subscription I highly recommend Diane's blog series at the Genealogy Insider. The latest edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture has been published over at Small-leaved Shamrock http://www.small-leavedshamrock.blogspot.com 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 http://www.irishheritagecarnival.blogspot.com. Recent Genealogy Gems News Blog postings: I wrapped up my ten genealogy strategies for the new year on Jan 21, 2009 I also posted about the new American version of the television show Who Do You Think You Are? Set your recorders to Monday nights at 8PM on NBC starting April 20. Subscribe for free to the Genealogy Gems News Blog 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: Scanning Project Digitizes 25,000 US Library of Congress Book
On January 16, 2009 we started in on Online Family Trees. Read more The more I explore them the more I become convinced that they are a powerful research tool that I predict in the next few years will become an absolute necessity for family historians. Episode 12: 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. Episode 13: 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. Episode 14: 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 1911census.co.uk 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. World Vital Records recently added 20 newspaper databases from Mexico and Canada ranging from 1833-1994: Agricultor Mexicano y Hogar (Ciudad JuÃrez, Chihuahua, Mexico) MAILBOX: Subscribe to GENEALOGY GEMS PREMIUM today and save 20% by using this coupon code: SAVE20 FAMILY HISTORY: Genealogy Made Easy GEM: Profile America Gem: Family History Valentine 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.
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 email it to me. I really enjoy seeing what you guys come up with! GEM: Profile America
REGISTER TODAY FOR CONFERENCE I'll be there teaching 4 classes, as well as conducting lots of new video interviews for Family History Expos TV channel on YouTube. And of course be sure and stop by the Genealogy Gems Booth in the Exhibit Hall and say Hi! If you'd like more information or you'd like to register for the 2 day conference go to www.familyhistoryexpos.com |
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Sun, 11 January 2009
GEM: Profile America Richard Knerr (right) and Arthur Melin, founders of Wham-O
GEM: Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree Paula Hinkle, Co-Chair June 26 - 28, 2009 I will be there teaching classes and at a booth in the Exhibit Hall. Website GEM: Profile America Red Skelton as The Fuller Brush Man
GEM: Interview with Sally Jacobs, The Practical Archivist PHOTO Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast
The Genealogy Gems TV Channel at YouTube |
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Sat, 13 December 2008
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, please email me 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 Historyzine Podcast 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
From 1917: Christmas, Christmas, Blessed Blessed Day
From 1916: Christmas Eve Music Box
From 1913: The Bells of Christmas
From 1911: A Christmas Classic - The Awakening of Scrooge
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Mon, 1 December 2008
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 Family History Expo will be in St. George Feb 27 & 28, 2009 Lisaâs Classes: 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 Episode 5 of my other podcast Family History: Genealogy Made Easy. Subscribe for free to Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast in iTunes. 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 The Genealogy Hoe Down featuring genealogy blogger Miriam Robbins Midkiff, Genealogy Podcaster DearMYRTLE, Family Tree Magazine Editor Allison Stacy, and managing editor Diane Haddad. Blog Post: Genealogists Run, Don't Walk, to Google! Houston Public Library's Fantastic Collection Coming Online. Listen to my interview with Susan Kaufman manager, Houston Public Library's Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research in the October 2008 episode of the Family Tree Magazine Podcast. Subscribe to The Family Tree Magazine Podcast free in iTunes. New at Ancestry: Search the U.S. City Directories database Sign up for the free Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter 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 FamilySearch indexer. New Google Gadgets: Read Listener Phil Hayes's blog post 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! The Darktown Strutter Ball Sheet MusicThe Darktown Strutter Ball Sheet Music 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 email the answer 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 Genealogy Gems homepage 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 Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel where you can watch lots of great genealogy themed videos. Join the Genealogy Gems Podcast fan page at Facebook. Catch up on what's going on in the world of genealogy at The Genealogy Gems News Blog. My Podcast Alley feed!{pca-b2d94e87bc16bcfd5226cfc6f3aaeee5} |
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Sun, 2 November 2008
Published Nov 2, 2008 I am very happy to announce that I just launched my brand new podcast called Family History: Genealogy Made Easy. 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 Family History: Genealogy Made Easy - Personal conversations and stories from the experts, and a genealogy how to course all wrapped in to one. No matter what experience level you are at in genealogy I hope you will subscribe to the new show this week. It's a weekly half hour show and you can find it in iTunes right along with this podcast. Flash Alert: I recently received a prompt to upgrade the free Flash player on my computer and have had nothing but problems. I've been checking into troubleshooting websites and there is quite an uproar about all the glitches it causes. Please be careful, and note that you will very likely have troubles with the click to play buttons on the Genealogy Gems website if you do elect to upgrade. I'll keep you posted when I hear more about fixes. It appears that capability to view HD is the main focus of the upgrade, so if that's not a high priority, you may way to stay with the player you have for now. GEM: Profile America GEM: Interview with Colleen Fitzpatrick, The Forensic Genealogist GEM: MacGenealogist GEM: Quilting Family Traditions
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:
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:
GEM: Linguistic Bit by James Mowatt GEM: Name That Tune The Library of Congress American Memory Website 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, please email me 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: |
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Mon, 20 October 2008
Published Oct 20, 2008 October is Family History Month
Genealogy Gems Halloween Greetings Halloween Haunts Podcast 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: iGoogle Update 7 part iGoogle Video Series walks you step by step on the computer screen through set up to getting the full potential. It's just one of the things you get when you become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member. Sign Up Today Family History Expo WorldCat: I also wrote a blog recently called Getting the Most Out of WorldCat 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. 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 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. If you descide to subscribe, I hope you'll do so here which helps support this free version of the podcast. 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. Sign Up For Genealogy Gems Premium 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 A Dog Called Chips by Mary Ann Whitley at the U.S. War Dogs Website GEM: The MacGenealogist - In today's MacGenealogist Minute with Ben Sayer, Ben's continues his reviews of Genealogy software for the Macintosh computer with a review of iFamily for Leopard. 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 email me 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 Genealogy Gems homepage 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 Genealogy Gems YouTube Channel where you can watch lots of great genealogy themed videos. Join the Genealogy Gems Group on Facebook Catch up on what's going on in the world of genealogy at The Genealogy Gems News Blog. |
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Mon, 6 October 2008
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)
Premium episode 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 British National Archives and in itunes Ancestral Quest - new interface with New Family Search. Family Tree Magazine Podcast military records interview Genealogy Gems Premium: Sign Up Now 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: Binge Thinking History with Tony Cocks Historyzine Podcast with James Mowatt More Ways To Stay In Touch:
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Mon, 22 September 2008
Published Sept 22, 2008 Sept 16, 2008 Blog about my trip to FGS. Sign up for the FREE Genealogy Gems Newsletter I enjoyed hanging out at the Family Tree Magazine booth in the Exhibit Hall with editor Allison Stacy and Managing Editor Diane Haddad.
September 2008 Family Tree Magazine podcast News from the Blogosphere Video My article "Hitting the Heirwaves" is now out in the November 2008 issue of Family Tree Magazine. GEM: Interview with Jim Beidler - Chair of FGS 2008 Conference
GEM: Profile America - ice cream cone Become a Premium Member Today: GEM: MacMinutes with Ben Sayer, The MacGenealogist
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 - Census Abbreviations page at the Ancestors Search website. |
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Fri, 15 August 2008
Published Aug 15, 2008 Welcome to the 50th Episode of the Genealogy Gems Podcast! GEM: Profile America GEM: A Little DayDreaming with Genealogy Podcasters GEM: Interview with Tim Russell of the Prairie Home Companion
Tim Russel of A Prairie Home Companion radio show
Listen to Tim on Minnesota's news station, 830 WCCO Radio website where he is the entertainment editor weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m.
Profile America â August 20, 1920: One of the nationâs first radio stations began broadcasting in Detroit GEM: Handwriting Analysis with Paula Sassi
Genealogy Gems Premium Members are eligible to submit their ancestors handwriting for possible analysis by Paula on the show. Members should email 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. Minnesota State Fair Podcast presented by MN Public Radio Announce Best Bals Dolls Winner: Melissa Baker Catch Up With Lisa At One Of The Following Conferences: The Digging For Your Roots Seminar, Concord, CA, Sat. Oct. 1, 2008 The Family History Expo, Mesa, Arizona, November 14 & 15, 2008
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: Friday, September 12, 2008 European Dates: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 Friday, November 14, 2008 |
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Sat, 12 July 2008
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 Tim Russell 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 A Prairie Home Companion. Below: Watch a clip from the movie A Prairie Home Companion 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 July 2008 podcast episode
Podcasting Primer article 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 havenât yet tried podcasts. Share these resources with your friends and genealogy society. Email this link: http://familytreemagazine.com/podcast/podcast_howto.asp MAILBOX: Premium Member Maureen Stephan shares a valuable Gem she recently found. GEM: Train Robberies 7/18 U.S. Census Bureau GEM: Part Two of my Interview with Kathy Lennon
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 submit ancestor handwriting samples to be considered for an upcoming handwriting analysis by Paula Sassi, Certified Graphologist. Iâll be selecting ones that I think will be interesting to all the listeners. More information in Premium Episode #7. Now through July 31, 2008 Premium Members enter to win a pair of Best Pals dolls in a Best Pals tote bag, autographed by Kathy and Janet Lennon of the Lennon sisters. Members should head over to the Members Forum to post a story of an ancestorâs best pal, or a memory of one of your own best pals.
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Sat, 28 June 2008
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 |
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Sat, 14 June 2008
Published June 14, 2008 GEM: Another look at the Handwriting of Our Ancestors
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. The Lennon Sisters Website CONTEST - 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.
The Lennon Sisters upcoming performances: 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. If you'd like to receive the free new and improved email newsletter drop me a line with you name, state and how you first heard about the podcast. Or head to the website. And very soon, you will be able to sign up right on the website without having to send a separate email. I hope you enjoy this much more visually creative version of the newsletter! |
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Thu, 15 May 2008
Published May 15, 2008 The Free Monthly Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 47 The University of Wisconsin digital Collection "Great aunt Pollyâ 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
TVParty Website ...and more recently.... Captain Satellite on TVParty.com
The "DOO BEE SONG" came from this album from my childhood collection GEM: Family Tree & Me GEM: Girding Your Loins with James Mowatt GEM: Birthday Alarm
GEM: Paula Sassiâs analysis of Lars Johan Larsonâs signature
Lars signed his name as the enumerator on the 1900 U.S. Federal Census for Sibley County Minnesota. GEM: Premium Update 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! Sign Up Today for Premium membership. Now through May 31, 2008 you can take advantage of the 20% discount on the annual subscription price by signing up for the Genealogy Gems Newsletter. Send an email with your name, state or country and how you first heard about the podcast. GEM: Special Announcement Sign Up for the FREE Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter |
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Wed, 16 April 2008
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. Leatherheads Website 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. SUBSCRIBE NOW GEM: Analyzing Your Ancestors Handwriting Story of how Grandmpa JB and Grandma Paulineâs letters came into my possession: Episode 39. Listen to some of the letters in Episode 41. Paula Sassi, Certified Graphologist. VIDEO: Paula Sassi featured on San Diego's Fox 6 News Learn more about Handwriting Analysis at http://www.handwriting.org/ I am VERY excited to announce that we are launching a new service: Genealogy Gems PREMIUM. 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. BONUS FEATURES:
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. And finally, I have a very special offer for newsletter subscribers: I will be emailing out to all subscribers a coupon code valid through May 31, 2008 that you can use to get 20% off an annual Premium subscription. If you aren't currently subscribed to the newsletter, just send me an email today with your name, state and how you first heard about the podcast and you will receive the coupon code in an email. 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. |
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Mon, 31 March 2008
Published Mar 31, 2008 Episode 45 SHOW NOTES Sign up for Newsletter: mailto:genealogygemspodcast@gmail.com with your name, state or country and how you first heard about the podcast. I encourage you to do that today so you won't miss a thing! 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. 48 Hours Mystery Article GEM: Kidnapped! Listener Greg Norland sent me a note to let me know about an intriguing podcast episode of the Chicago Public Radioâs This American Life show that he had recently heard. The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar 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 "Have the Parents Got Wrong Child?" The 1920 census 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. Email me with your thoughts or comments on the Ghost of Bobby Dunbar. 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:
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: Step-by-step instructions for Google Gadget customization can be found at the Genealogy Gems - Google Genealogy Research Strategies page. GEM: Free digitised British newspapers access 1600-1900 Thank You! We appreciate when you support this free podcast by doing your Amazon shopping through the Amazon search boxes on the Genealogy Gems website. |
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Fri, 14 March 2008
Published Mar 14, 2008 Sign up for the free Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter where you'll also find out what's coming up on future episodes and get announcements first. My Own Grandpa Video: 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 Tyler MacNiven's journey 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 - Digital preservation Cheat Sheet. covering Computer files, finding Digital Materials, Digital Photos, email, and storage disks. And the Digital Preservation Quiz GEM: Interview with Richard Black of the Godfrey Memorial Library GEM: U.S. Census Bureau - Flu Epidemic's 90th Anniversary, and the new U.S. Census History website (listen to interview: Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #43) Genealogy Gems News Blog on March 10. Email Lisa with comments, suggestions and requests for the website and I'll be forwarding all the information to the Director of History at the U. S. Census. New at the Genealogy Gems News Blog: 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? Visit the Genealogy Gems Website now - New stuff: movie recommendation, genealogy videos. Book: Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies from Season One of the Genealogy Gems Podcast. The book has everything covered in the first 20 episodes and lots more including photos, website addresses and step-by-step how to information. It's available in paperback as well as immediate digital download. Contact Lisa at Genealogy Gems |
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Sat, 1 March 2008
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 Genealogy Podcasts for Your Listening Pleasure.
Genealogy Gems News Blog : The British newspaper the Daily Mirror will soon be making available online newspaper issues back to 1903. MAILBOX: You can see the photo of Michelle standing in the spot of her ancestor's homestead on the Genealogy Gems Podcast Listeners Page
GEM: Interview with Dylan Barrell, Director of Digital Business for Borders Books about the new Borders Concept stores that will feature genealogy. Upcoming Borders Concept Stores in 2008: GEM: New History Web Site from the U.S. Census Bureau Interview with Bill Maury, Chief of History Staff at the U.S. Census Bureau Sign up for the FREE monthly Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter TODAY |
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Thu, 21 February 2008
Published Feb 21, 2008 Episode 42 SHOW NOTES Dear MYRTLE's interview with Lisa Louise Cooke of Genealogy Gems on her Feb. 12, 2008 episode. And Dear old Myrt also listed Episode 15 of the Genealogy Gems podcast in her weekly Best of the Internet blog column under Podcast. Venice Upcoming Live Shows: Friday, April 4, 2008: Pine Mountain Logs show at the SohO Restaurant and Music Club (805) 962-7776 The Logs are Venice's alter ego - they perform only cover tunes! Saturday, April 5, 2008: Pine Mountain Logs show at The Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA (858)481-8140 Visit Venice at http://www.venicecentral.com/ MAILBOX: Gary Falsken recommends the history podcast "Napoleon 101" hosted by The Podcast Network. GEM: Interview with Allison Stacy, editor of Family Tree Magazine
GEN: Interview with Kathy Mead of Genline.com 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. Genealogy Gems Newsletter Sign Up. What was your favorite gem this last year? Email Lisa 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 |
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Wed, 13 February 2008
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. - Day of the week at the Search for ancestors website MAILBOX GEM: Lulu.com GEM: Valentines Special
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 Historyzine Podcast.Ragtime music by Frederick Hodges available on CD.
If you're enjoying the Genealogy Gems website, please consider nominating for the Family Tree Magazine "Site of the Week." Fill out and submit the nomination form Happy Valentines Day! Take Your Girlie to the Movies |
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Wed, 30 January 2008
Published Jan 30, 2008 PODCAST SHOW NOTES The Genealogy Gems News Blog: "Why should Lou Dobbs Care?". And be sure and vote on the new poll question: How do you listen to the podcast? Family History Expo 2008 in St. George, UT. I'll be attending the Friday night Banquet and I want to invite you to come sit at my table with me. If you're going to be a the Family History Expo, have purchased your banquet tickets (available online at the MyAncestorsFound.com website,) and you would like to dine together, drop me an email at with your name. (and anyone you might be attending with) Confirmation will be by email. Thanks to the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre and DearMYRTLE for their recent acknowledgements of The Socks To America Video. Watch The Socks To America 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 - Pod Cards 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 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 At the grocery store: Orvis Soap & Easy Wash. Ellen also recommended the book Clues in the Calico by Barbara Brackman |
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Sun, 20 January 2008
Published Jan 20, 2008 SHOW NOTES iTunes: 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 up for the FREE Genealogy Gems Monthly Newsletter 1890 census: visit the National Archives pages New Poll Question at Genealogy Gems News Blog: 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. View her family history videos about her dad, Gil Merrill born in 1913 in Franklin, NH EMAIL LISA at the Genealogy Gems Podcast The Genealogy Reviews Online Blog GEM: Lisa's History Podcast Picks Binge Thinking History Dan Carlinâs Hardcore History Digging for the Truth by the History Channel Great Moments in History - by John G. Stockmyer. 10 episode free audio book published as a podcast History According to Bob The History Capsule History Center - From the History Channel History In Our Time - BBC Radio 4 Historyzine: The History Podcast by Jim Mowatt Journeys into American History by Dennis Humphrey Just Another Day - The History Channel videocast hosted by Adam Hart-Davis. Also How London Was Built & History in the Headlines. Website: http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/podcasts/podcasts.php http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/microsites/line_of_fire/ Website: http://mattstodayinhistory.blogspot.com/ My History Can Beat Up Your Politics Podcast Website: http://myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.blogspot.com/ BRITISH HISTORY: The National Archives Podcast Series Tudor Cast by Laura Eakins REGIONAL SPECIFIC: Abilene and Taylor County, Texas History Podcast DELWARE: This Day in Delaware History. INDIANA: Moments of Indiana History MINNESOTA: Almanac: Hands on History MISSOURI: Missouri Irish History and Legend: Ireland to America OZARKS: Shiloh Museum of Ozark History PENNSYLVANIA: Explore PA History SAN FRANCISCO: Sparkletack The San Francisco History Podcast Valley Forge History & Culture GEM: Heritage Quilts
"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. 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. |
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Sun, 6 January 2008
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: The Genealogy Gems video about the history of the Christmas seal called "How You Ancestors Made A Difference" It is also now being featured on the RootsTube Channel at Rootstelevision. Genealogy Gems News Blog features my New Years Resolution for 2008: To have even MORE genealogy fun! Be sure to subscribe to the blog so that you'll be alerted when new items are published. If you're using iGoogle for your homepage, you can click the Google icon on the blog and add it, or you can add it to you Google Reader. Subscribe to the free Genealogy Gems Newsletter. Send an email with your name, state (or country) and how you heard about the podcast. Maureen Taylor's blog about what to do with your Christmas cards when Christmas is over. MAILBOX: 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 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 video of Venice performing "The Family Tree" "The Family Tree" debuted in 1999 on the bandâs 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
Jimmy Lennon Jr., Mike Tyson & Video: Adobe Hacienda Video (Live) Be sure and visit the Venice website! and Venice Page at Genealogy Gems |
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Wed, 19 December 2007
Published Dec 19, 2007 Family History Expo 2008 Video Premiere: NEW AT THE BLOG: New poll question at The Genealogy Gems News Blog: Do you listen to the podcast the week it is published? THE MAILBOX:
GEM: itunes GET ALL Gem: Search Yahoo and Google at the same time with POLYCOLA.COM GEM: The History of the Christmas Seal - How Our Ancestors Made A Difference! Put this stamp with message bright Thank you so very much for supporting the podcast! iTunes Goal: Song: End of a Perfect Day and the Christmas Movie Remember the Night |
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Mon, 10 December 2007
Published Dec 10, 2007 SHOW NOTES Exclusive Kodak Gallery Discount: 20% OFF Photo books, Calendars & Cards through Dec. 11, 2007! Go to the Genealogy Gems Store for more information and to find the link to Kodak Gallery. Got an iTunes Account? NEW: The Book Has Gone Digital! GEM: U.S. Passport Applications on Ancestry.com 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 Recordings Well, all of this sound recording was made possible by Thomas Edison, who 130 years ago this week . Book: Innovate Like Edison
The Life of Thomas A. Edison at the Library of Congress LISA'S 10 GOLDEN RULES #1 Get a reliable and affordable method of digital recording. For portable recording you could use a handheld digital recorder, but I like to use my iPod with the Micro Memo Digital Voice Recorder #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 #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 |
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Fri, 30 November 2007
Published Nov 30, 2007 Episode 35 Show Notes Genealogy Gems News Blog "What's in a Name?" My Facebook Profile: Lisa at Genealogy Gems. Make a friend request and then take the Genealogy Gems Quiz. Check out the genealogy quizzes at FunTrivia.com 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. Check it out at the LISTENERS page. GEM: A Little Help From Your Friends My 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 weaknesses Tip # 3 - Two heads are better than one GEM: The Library of Congress Webcasts: Library's Map Treasures are Highlighted in "Cartographia a book and presentation by Vincent Virga GEM: Genealogy through the Looking Glass For instance, does the subject of DNA still seem a bit foggy to you? The Irish Potato Famine: Irish Immigrants Come to America (1845-1850) by Jeremy Thornton . "Feed the Children First: Irish memories of the Great Hunger" edited by Mary E. Lyons. 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 Dust
My Favorites: Contact Lisa Looking for a great Christmas gift? |
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Sun, 18 November 2007
Published Nov 18, 2007 EPISODE 34 SHOW NOTES: New videos for you at the Genealogy Gems website: "Family Tree" & "Circle of Life" by Venice. A very moving video highlighting a collection of photographs at the Library of Congress' American Memory collection taken by Lewis Hines of child labor in the early 19th century. MAILBOX: Wreath by creative podcast listener Linda Kvist, Sweden
"The Emigrants" movie review Create your own Family History Christmas Wreath by watching the An email from Beverly Shaw : If you're looking for stocking stuffer ideas, there's still plenty of time to make the Sweet Memories candy bars which I described in detail in Episode 20 and in my book "Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies"
From Barbara Murphy: Follow up on Google Gadgets: GEM: A Thanksgiving Celebration Thanksgiving at the Library of Congress What Shall the Harvest Be? Sowing the seed by the daylight fair, "OUR NATIONAL THANKSGIVING by Sarah Josepha Hale Sign up for the free Genealogy Gems E-mail Newletter |
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Sun, 11 November 2007
Published Nov 11, 2007 Episode 33 Show Notes The New Genealogy Gems News Blog Newsletter: iGoogle: Upcoming Conference Appearance: All of the old Edison recordings on this episode are courtesy of the University of California at Santa Barbara GEM: This old dog learned a new trick â or how I got in touch with my own podcast: Here's how to do it:
GEM: Google Gadget for American Memory: How to get the American Memory Google Gadget:
GEM: Genealogy Podfading: GEM: Silhouettes by Kathryn Flocken: Video: Kathryn Flockens Paper Portraits webpage
Silhouette of genealogy podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke by Kathryn Flocken GEM: History of the Census and Its Samples: Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses from 1790-2000 If you'd like to learn more about how the history of the census and a website like this can be of real help to you in your own family research, go to the July 2007 Genealogy Gems newsletter back issue and read the article featuring a listener question that was answered using this history of the census information. Email Me with comments and questions I hope you're busily working on your Family History Christmas Wreath from episode 32. There are 4 videos there on the website to walk you through how to do that. Have fun! |
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Sun, 4 November 2007
Published Nov 4, 2007 Episode 32 Show Notes
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."
Genealogy for the Next Generation The Genealogy Gems Listener page - see Simpsonized Dave Email from Judy in Memphis: Hi, Lisa, a few weeks ago I contacted you and said I was going to do the Sweet Memories candy bars 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 Courtesy of University of Santa Barbara This week, I"m very please to be publishing my first Christmas project instructional video sharing with you how to create your own family history Christmas Wreath. This wreath is so beautiful, and Iâm 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 four part video 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 email me a photo as Judy from Memphis did with her Christmas candy bars. It would be inspiration for us all! |
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Sun, 28 October 2007
Published Oct 28, 2007 EPISODE 31 SHOW NOTES Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies. Thanks to those of you who have bought the book. You guys are great. A special little Halloween hello from Genealogy Gems. Sad news: The This Week's Genealogy Gems Google Gadget has crashed. However, I will likely create a new custom gadget in the near future so I'll keep you posted. To receive the code for the gadget just be sure to sign up for the free Genealogy Gems monthly newsletter because thatâs the email list I use to personally email you the code so you can install it on your iGoogle page. Newsletter Sign Up & Back issues The website is evolving every day with new content, so be sure and visit regularly at www.genealogygems.tv In the Resources section you will find lots of great genealogy research strategies. Be sure to click on the Google Research Gems Link. I have a special gadget there that will provide you with a new Google tip every day. 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 donât listen to the podcast. The Irish Jig performed by the National Promenade Band in 1914 for Edison Records courtesy of University of Santa Barbara. 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.
Some of my other favorite areas of the Collections and Programs are:
Prints & Photos LOC online database: LOC WEBCASTS Start by browsing the Biography and History listings. The library website also offers RSS feeds and email Subscriptions 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 Worlddigitallibrary.org. Video GEM: Genealogy for the Next Generation To get the attention of the next generation for genealogy I Simposonized myself.
Genealogy for the Next Generation at Genealogy Gems. Simpsonize Me! It's totally free, and really fun. |
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Sun, 21 October 2007
SHOW NOTES for Episode 30 Calling all Ladies: Notice a trend on the Genealogy Gems Listener Page? Only men have sent in photos! Come on ladies, you need to be represented! Email a photo of yourself listening to the podcast on your ipod or computer, or holding up something that you've found since listening to the podcast, or both. Website News: New this week you will find a search box on the left side of the Genealogy Gems homepage 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 Sweet Land
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. |
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Fri, 12 October 2007
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. Sweet Land
P.S. Rather read? Try Sweet Land: New & Selected Stories
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Sun, 7 October 2007
Published Oct 7, 2007 Episode 29 SHOW NOTES GEM: Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation 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: DNA & Genealogy USA TODAY article - 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. Free Genealogy Gems Newsletter: Send an email with your name, state or country and how you heard about the podcast, and I'll get the Oct issue out to you right away, and you"ll be all set to receive each monthly issue. Check out what's new at the Genealogy Gems Website
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Tue, 2 October 2007
Published Oct 2, 2007 Episode 28 Show Notes The first Genealogy Gems videocast was published last week: The Socks to America. It's available through iTunes where you can download it to your video iPod. Now's the time to subscribe to the FREE Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter! Logitech Webcam 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 Anywho.com 3) Plan ahead Consider recording the conversation 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 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
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. 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: Sweet Land Click twice on the arrow to view movie clips
Enjoy! |
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Tue, 25 September 2007
The First Genealogy Gems Videocast: The Socks to America.
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!
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... |
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Sat, 22 September 2007
Published Sept 22, 2007 EPISODE 27 SHOW NOTES MAILBOX RE: WorldVitalRecords - All "Recently Added Databases" on the site are offered for 10 days free when they are added. A quick way to find keywords on a webpage such as the databases listed on World Vital Records is to use the "Find on this page" Function of Internet Explorer:
RE: Judy Gorman's email: Socks to America Video Rootstelevision chose "The Socks to America" as their homepage video last weekend. It now appears on their Roots Living Channel and Roots Tube channel. Sock it to Me! Express your Sockish-American side with Socks to America Posters and Mugs! They would make hilarious holiday presents for your fellow genealogists.
Many listeners burn the podcast to CD for listening away from their computer, and I think donating them to your local genealogy society after you are done with them is a great idea. Here is a link to an official Genealogy Gems Podcast CD Label. It's formatted specifically for CD Stomper Label System Genealogy Societies are also welcome to use excerpts from my newsletter in their society newsletter when they include the following author credit "by Lisa L. Cooke, The Genealogy Gems Podcast at www.lisalouisecooke.com". GEM: Interview with DearMYRTLE - |
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Mon, 10 September 2007
Published Sept 10, 2007 EPISODE 26 SHOW NOTES I'll be at the Northern Utah Genealogy Jamboree in Ogden this Saturday September 15, 2007. Booth #302. (Listen to Episode 25) Gem: Organizing Your Internet Favorite Bookmarks
A more comprehensive organization strategy: Within the GENEALOGY folder you could have: Blogs
To Alphabetize Your Favorites:
And all your folders will snap back into alphabetical order. Be sure and subscribe to the free Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter...Coming in the October edition: yet another way to use your iPod as a family history tool. Go to the Newsletter page and send an email to subscribe. Announcing the premiere of the newest Genealogy Gems Production: The Socks to America. 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. |
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Tue, 4 September 2007
Published Sept 4, 2007 Book Announcement: Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies from Season One of the Genealogy Gems Podcast is finished and available online through Lulu Publishing.
It is jammed packed with genealogical gems that you can use straight from the book, or as you listen along to the podcast at LisaLouiseCooke.com. It was really important to me that the book be able to stand alone as a resource tool in addition to being a companion manual to the first twenty episodes of the podcast. You will find everything written out in step-by-step instructions, plus lots of photos, as well as many things that I never got a chance to talk about on the podcast or include in the newsletter. Lulu is very cool because you can preview several pages of the book. It's very safe and secure to order with them online. Shipping hint: When you're checking out the shipping will automatically show as Priority Mail. If you're not in a huge hurry, use the drop down menu and select media mail - it's much less expensive. It usually takes about a week to receive Media Mail. I hope to see you at the Northern Utah Genealogy & Family Heritage Jamboree at the Marriott Hotel, in Ogden on Saturday, September 15, 2007. I will be in Booth 302 in the Exhibition Hall. Stop by and say hello. For more information or to register online visit the My Ancestors Found website. Newspapers: The Genealogy database site World Vital Records is providing "increased access" to the collection of NewspaperArchive.com database. The first release of the NewspaperArchive.com data (40 million records ranging from 1759 to 1923) went up Aug. 27, 2007. And World Vital Records is giving 10 days of free access to these new additions BROWSE 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 view a sample back issue of the newsletter CLICK HERE To subscribe to the Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter CLICK HERE. The newsletter is absolutely free. Just type the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line of the email, & send your name, and how you first heard about the podcast. You'll get the current issue and as a special bonus, an email giving you access to the This Week's Genealogy Gem Google gadget. (see Episode 15) I know you'll enjoy it. So be sure to sign up today. |
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Sun, 26 August 2007
SHOW NOTES Episode 24Published August 26, 2007 The National Archives and Records Administration has taken the leap and raised their record reproduction fees. The new fees don't become effective until October 1, 2007, so youâve go a window of opportunity to order records at the old lower prices. Presidential Archives Uncovered. KodakGallery - Create a Family History Calendar. Consider highlighting an ancestor each month. It would make a wonderful holiday gift. Save 25% off calendars with coupon code SCHOOLCAL at Kodak Gallery My NEW book Genealogy Gems: Ultimate Research Strategies from Season One of the Genealogy Gems Podcast will be out VERY soon,. It will include step by step details from everything covered in Episodes 1 through 20. Check the website often for the official publish date. 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 Papa's Wife. 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"? The Emigrants by Wilhelm Moberg GEMS: A Tour of Genealogy Gems TV In Episode 24 I take you on a tour of the new videos on the Genealogy Gems TV webpage. Click on the VIDEOS button or on the Genealogy Gems TV icon in the top right corner of the home page to check out all the new videos. Comedies Research 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 genealogygemspodcast@gmail.com. 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. |
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Sun, 19 August 2007
Published August 19, 2007 Episode 23 SHOW NOTES The Mailbox: According to alert listener Richard Yehle, 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 Video iPod For photos to be viewed on a television screen, save them as JPEG files at 300 dpi resolution. For photos strictly viewed on your iPod, resize them to reduce their ipod storage requirements. Here's how: To Reduce Image Size:
I was able to reduce my original 1.24 MB photo to just 141 KB. This saves LOTS of room on your iPod! Supply Checklist Photo Slideshow Troubleshooting Checklist
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. 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!" |
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Sun, 12 August 2007
Published August 12, 2007 THE MAILBOX 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 Larson?
Email from Barbara Murphy, NY: Anna-Karin's Swedish Genealogical Podcast 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 Video iPod MicroMemo High-Fidelity Digital Audio Recorder for the Video iPod by XtremeMac 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
How To Download Recordings to Your Computer
How Two Use Two Desktop Microphones For An Interview
How To Record With An External Microphone Or Other Source In Stereo
How To Load Images Onto Your Video iPod:
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
How To View Your iPod Photos And Videos On Your Television
How To Create A Photo Slideshows In Your iPod
So now you can gather the family around the television set and share your photos, and videos in big, living color with your Video iPod 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!! |
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Sun, 5 August 2007
SHOW NOTES Published August 5, 2007 Genealogy Reviews Online blog: Genealogy Gems - You've Got to Check this One Out. 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: Full of Life by John Fante 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: How to use the Freedom of Information Act. Rod Powers of About.com does a great job outlining how to obtain military records The National Archives website article: Access to Military Records by the General Public, including genealogists who are not next-of-kin Timothy E. Blaise's website 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. |
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Wed, 25 July 2007
SHOW NOTES Published July 29, 2007 Book Recommendation: Home and Home Again by George and Helen Papashvily. GEM: German Homeland - Part 2 Here's a checklist of other types of records that might contain information about your ancestor's home town.
Bremen Passenger Lists 1920 - 1939 Hamburg Emigration Lists - BallinStadt â Port of Dreams Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1872 A research outline from FamilySearch for Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 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. The Freedom of Information Act is a federal statute that allows any person the right to obtain federal agency records unless the records (or part of the records) are protected from disclosure by any of the nine exemptions in the law. It can take up to six months to receive a reply. I've obtained two ancestor files so far, and both contained information and photographs that I had never seen before. No fees are required when you make the request. And the first 100 pages of copying and two hours of search time are free!
GEM: Christmas in July Sweet Memories Candy Bar Stocking Stuffers
First, you'll need the following items:
Here's how to create the label: Scan the photos you want to include on the label Open a new page in Microsoft Publisher Use the Rectangle Tool to create a 7 " high x 5 " wide rectangle Insert a background image using the INSERT IMAGE function, and then resize it to fit just over the rectangle. Another option is to select the rectangle, and use the FORMAT FILL COLOR function to color the box. Use INSERT IMAGE to add your photos, and resize them to fit. Measure down 2" from the top of the label, and that's where the top of the front side photo is placed. Set it Ââ? from the left edge. The backside photo should begin 5" from the top of the label, and be set Ââ? from the left edge.
Insert the text boxes. The "Sweet Memories" and Ingredients text boxes are about 3" wide and 1 1/4" high. Format with the borders and colors that you want. Reflect your own family values in the Ingredients list. To Print: From the menu, click FILE then PRINT and then click the PROPERTIES button. From this window select "high resolution paper" or "High Brightness" as the Media Type, and select HIGH for the Print Quality to get the bestlooking label. Print the label & cut out carefully. Folding guidelines: The first fold line is 1 Ââ? from the top of the label, and the second fold line is 4 Ââ? from the top of the label. Use a small piece of double sided tape to stick the label to itself on the backside snugly. Now you have your own custom family history themed chocolate bar ready to tuck in Christmas stockings this year. They're guaranteed to put smiles on everyone's face on Christmas morning, and hopefully inspire a bit of curiosity about the family tree. August Episodes - In order to get the book finished and prepare for some exciting new episodes for Season Two I'm not going to make any promises about how often new episodes will be published in August of 2007. However, I will be putting out a couple of new podcasts as well as doing some blogging on the website so check back often. Music courtesy of UC Santa Barbara: Deutschlands Ruhm performed by the Johann Strauss Orchestera for Edison Records in 1913. Homeland, sung by the soprano Elizabeth Spencer, recorded by Edison records in 1911
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 2:00am EST
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Sun, 15 July 2007
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:
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:
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 http://http://usgenweb.com/ 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 citizenship 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. Wikipedia Consult a gazetteer at the library or online, and look up the town. This should indicate the parish and Kreis. Check familysearch.org: 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 Family History Library 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 http://www.genealogienetz.de/reg/ger1871.htm Email me & Visit the complete website at lisalouisecooke.com
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 6:58pm EST
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Sun, 8 July 2007
SHOW NOTES Published July 8, 2007 GEM: Colorado History The song That Railroad Rag performed by Edward Meeker.is an Edison Recording from 1912, Courtesy of the University of California, Santa Barbara Georgetown Loop Railroad website Colorado State Archives Website GEM: Vehicular Forensics
Applying your own CSI "Alternative Light Source" to reveal the license plate number on an a car in an old photo.
Compare the plate with plated found on LicensePlates.TV Check the state's Department of Motor Vehicles website for license history Try the state's archive website online catalog for 'motor vehicle records' Paul Young Willys Overland Knight Registry website Book Alert: No more note taking required! My new book The Comprehensive Guide to Season One of the Genealogy Gems Podcast -The First Twenty Episodes is set for publication in August / September 2007. Subscribe to the newsletter for special notification. Ragtime music courtesy of Frederick Hodges
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 3:54pm EST
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Sun, 24 June 2007
NOTE: Though I mentioned in this week's podcast that the new website is up and running, there have been some problems with coordinating it with itunes. So in order to get this podcast to you in itunes, I've delayed the launch of the website. Thanks for your patience. I highly recommend that you subscribe to the newsletter as this is the email list I will use to listeners if it turns out that I must move my podcast feed. Saw the movie "Waitress" this week. Nothing to do with genealogy, but boy it was one terrific movie and I can't recommend it enough. If nothing else, seeing Andy Griffith again in a movie was worth the price of admission. But it's also a great story done in a really fresh way. http://www.foxsearchlight.com/waitress/ GEM: A Few Gems From The Great White North - Canadian Research The song O Canada courtesy of the University of California, Santa Barabara The Library & Archives Canada GEM: Searching with Synonyms in Google Place a tilde (~) character directly in front of the relevant keyword in the search box. For example, a search for "burket ~genealogy" would not only bring up sites that include 'burket and genealogy," but also "burket and family history," or "burket and family tree" Coming Soon: The Comprehensive Guide to Season One of the Genealogy Gems Podcast - the First Twenty Episodes. So don't worry about extensive notetaking while you listen to the podcast. Hopefully by September you will have everything at your fingertips in this new book which will be available through the Genealogy Gems Podcast website Store page.
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 3:30pm EST
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Sun, 17 June 2007
GEM: Genealogy Play Day! SONG: Ev'rything's funny to me performed by Sallie Stembler. Interesting and Fun Genealogy Aids Legends , Lies & Cherished Myths of World History Ragtime Music courtesy of Frederick Hodges Music Visit his website at Frederickhodges.com Songs are from the album: Picnics. Song: I think I hear a woodpecker knocking at my family tree performed by Edward M. Favor. Issue by Edison Standard Record, 1910 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: No more note taking required! My new book The Comprehensive Guide to Season One of the Genealogy Gems Podcast - The First Twenty Episodes is set for publication in August / September 2007. Subscribe to the newsletter for special notification, or check back to this website often for more details. Email me with questions or comments
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 6:12pm EST
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Sun, 10 June 2007
GEM I Love to iGoogle & You Will Too! Create An Account Go to: https://www.google.com/accounts/ManageAccount How to Add an rss Feed Gadget for this Podcast BONUS: I have created a special gadget just for you called This Week's Genealogy Gem. I will be emailing all of my newsletter subscribers an invitation to add the Genealogy Gem gadget to your igoogle homepage. If you have an itunes account & are enjoying the podcast, please click this ITUNES REVIEW LINK and leave a positive review in Itunes. Thanks for your support!
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 6:26pm EST
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Sun, 3 June 2007
Ancestry.com U.S. Military Collection Free through D-DAY JUNE 6, 2007 The collection because it contains the 267 issues motion picture newsreels called The United News produced by the U.S. Office of War Information during World War II. GEM: A New View On Family History - Exploring Silent Movies The people who performed in the silent movies were viewed intently by your ancestors. They took in their hairstyles, decorating, morality, etc.This podcast includes an interview with Sam Gill, Archivist of the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, and retired archivist for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences in Hollywood. Sources for Silent Movies Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum (& Edison Theater) 37417 Niles Blvd, Niles, CA The Picture Show Man Website (click festivals & events and search by State). The Stanford Theater (Palo Alto, CA). The Silent Movie Theater (Los Angeles, CA) Netlfix: They have an INCREDIBLE catalog of hard to find silent films. (as well as all their other movies & TV shows totaling over 75,000 titiles) Mailing is very fast, and convenient (they provide postage paid envelopes & no driving!) The low cost per rental makes it a hard to beat - $4.99 a month gets you 2 movies (just $2.50 each). And for $9.99 you can get an unlimited number of movies (one at a time). If you watch 2 a week that's just $1.25 each! I've become a huge Netflix fan - I LOVE it!
Recommendations To Get You Started: Mary Pickford in Daddy Long Legs Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Amazon EBAY My Grandma's Diary Entry for Friday, Nov. 2, 1930
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 1:05pm EST
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Sun, 27 May 2007
The next episode of the podcast will be published on Sunday, June 3, 2007. This week I'm on a very special assignment - being mother of the bride! However, next week's episode is going to be "supersized" (over 40 min.) and on a very special topic that I believe will bring your family history into clearer view. In the meantime, sign up for the Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter by CLICKING HERE & sending an email with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line & include your name, state and how you first heard about the podcast. The June issue is about to be published & you won't want to miss it! Talk to you soon, Lisa
Category:News Alerts - Great Stuff
-- posted at: 11:00am EST
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Sun, 20 May 2007
Ragtime music is by the talented Frederick Hodges From the MAILBOX GEM #1 - Memorial Day - WW II Service Records Music courtesy of the University of Santa Barbara Library featuring the Chorus of Male Voices singing U.S. Army Camp Songs, an Edison recording from 1918 Two free must check websites: #1 NARA (The National Archives and Records Administration) Search the WWII enlistment records and prisoner of War records at archives.gov/aad #2 Search for soldiers traveling overseas or returning home after the war with Steve Morse's All New York Arrivals Search form http://stevemorse.org/ellis/passengers.php?mode=ny For more information & historical background on Memorial Day: GEM #2 Publish Your Own Family History Book My videos A Nurse In Training Part 1 & Part 2 can be seen at Rootstelevision.com on their RootsTube channel (See Episode 5 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast) The video was taken from a book that I self published. Books are still hard to beat for telling a story in words and pictures in an extremely easy to use way. My Top Six Tips For Making Your Book Fascinating to Your Reader: #1 The book should convey an overall theme I create my books in the Kodakgallery. There are several websites out there offering the ability to publish your own book. I chose Kodakgallery because it was easy to use, price competitive, FAST publishing & shipping, and Excellent quality. For my Family History Books I use:
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. If you decide to use Kodak, I really appreciate you accessing it through this link because it will help support the production & costs associated with producing this podcast.
A Nurse In Training
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 your DONE with your research. It'll never happen! Start putting pieces of your family history directly into your family's hands with a beautiful family history book. You can email me with comments & questions.
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 1:51pm EST
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Sun, 13 May 2007
Type SUBSCRIBE in the email subject line, and include your name, state & how you heard about the podcast in the email. Happy Mother's Day! News: If you'd like to see me being silly on the world wide web check out Rootstelevision.com & watch my video called Our Summer Vacation. TODAY'S GEM - High School Graduation 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 am 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
Senior Calling Card from 1930 Yearbook Entry from 1930 3. Newspapers Search for announcements, honor rolls & other articles about end of the year activities . It is 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...
4. The State Library 5. State Historical Societies 6. Rootsweb.com 7. Websites focused on Yearbooks 9. Call the School 10. EBAY 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 my website and check out Episode #3 for instructions on how to do this. SPECIAL NOTE: As a special bonus for newsletter subscribers, I will be including a customized form just for researching your ancestor's high school years with the June 2007 newsletter. It's a great little tool that I use all the time and it's a thank you gift to my subscriber family. If you haven't subscribed to the free newsletter yet, go to the top of these show notes & you'll see a red arrow pointing you to click on the email link to sign up. Type the word SUBSCRIBE in the email subject line, and send me your name, state, and how you heard about the podcast. And as always, you can email me at genealogygemspodcast@gmail.com with comments & questions.
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 8:37pm EST
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Sun, 6 May 2007
GEM #1: Discover Pictures from the Past with Google When you search in Google for an image, but when you click on it you get an error message saying the image has moved or is no longer there, try this technique:
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: Decopage Plate (The song "M-o-t-h-e-r" is a 1916 Edison recording. Courtesy of U of C, Santa Barbara.) The supplies:
Play with laying out your design to fit the plate. 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 decoupage medium to the RIGHT SIDE of the first image. Don't worry about brush strokes, but be careful not to go over it too many times, you don't want the ink to smear. Glue the edges firmly to the glass. Turn the plate over to check the placement of images. Adjust as needed. When you have the photo placed where you want it, spread the glue over the back of the photo as well. Turn the plate around so you can see the image from the front and work out the air bubbles from behind. Continue placing the images until the entire plate is covered. Let it dry. 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. Email me with comments & questions.
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 1:34pm EST
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Tue, 1 May 2007
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Sun, 22 April 2007
 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER SHOW NOTES April 22, 2007 Announcing the NEW Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter... To Subscribe: Send an email In the Subject Line of the email type the word: SUBSCRIBE In the body of the email:
You will receive a monthly newsletter by email which will include:
The newsletter is going to be an integral part of the podcast, so don't miss it. And it's free, so what could be better? Click on the SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER link today to get started.
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 1:58pm EST
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Sun, 15 April 2007
; Check out your ancestor's tax records using the links at Cyndislist GEM #1: Great San Francisco Earthquake "Hello, Frisco" by Harvey Hindermeyer courtesy of U of Cal, Santa Barbara Library Below: C. A. Burkett (on left) c. 1906
The Virtual Museum of the city of SF Remembering the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake an audio recording by NPR. The San Francisco 1906 Earthquake Great Register BOOK: Denial of Disaster: The Untold Story and Photographs of the San Francisco Earthquake
San Francisco 1906 Earthquake Marriage Project by sfgenealogy.com GEM #2 Shake Up Your Research Stategy Step 1: Locate the event on a Timeline History.com This Day In History Step 2: Internet Searches
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 12:29pm EST
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Sat, 7 April 2007
 SHOW NOTES - April 8, 2007
Article by Cynthia G. Fox Income Tax Records of the Civil War Years. GEM #1: Anna-KarinÃÂ's Genealogical Podcast GEM #2: Civil War Research (The song Battle of Manasas courtesy of University of California, Santa Barbara Library. Sam Houston portrayed by Roger Koehn.) The Civil War began at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, SC 146 years ago this week on April 12. The Historical New York Times Project - The Civil War Years 1860-1866 Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System Website GEM #3 - Surname Tools Germany Surname Mapping: Geogen For British Surnames: The Orange Hedgehog Surname Profiler Email me with comments, questions or suggestions. Be sure & let me know what state you're from, and how you heard about the podcast.
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 12:43am EST
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Sun, 1 April 2007
350 Years of American Jewish History JewishGen The Home of Jewish Genealogy Calling all videos: Have you found a great genealogy related video on YouTube.com, or did you add a family history video of your own? Then email me and tell me about your gem. Be sure to include a link to the video. GEM: Cast a Shadow on Your Ancestors In episode #5 (below) I talked about adding silhouettes to the database file of an ancestor when you don't have a photo.Creating your own silhouettes:
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 2:14pm EST
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Sun, 25 March 2007
Irish Roots CafÃïà: http://www.irishroots.com NEW: Voice Mail Box
GEM #1: You Tube Follow Up Bill Puller of the Genealogy Tech Podcast was a real gem for teaming up with me last week on how to use the YouTube website - Thanks Bill! Click this link YouTube.com, and search "Genealogy Gems" to find my two new videos: "A Nurse In Training Part 1" & "A Nurse In Training Part 2". GEM: Bring Sites Back From the Dead with Google After pulling up an error page in Google:
The Wayback Machine (http://www.archive.org/web/web.php) GEM: Spice up your database When you don't have an ancestors photo, 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. Email me with comments & questions My Odeo Channel (odeo/cd49194c34ae1437)
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 2:11pm EST
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Fri, 16 March 2007
Episode: # 4 Show Notes I'm excited to announce a new collaborative effort with the Genealogy Tech Podcast, but first... HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY A Tribute to My Irish Roots...
Margaret (nee Scully) Lynch Born July 17, 1839 in Limerick, Ireland Find your Irish ancestors now with this book: "In Search" will take you step by step back to Britain and Ireland. From the MAILBOX: For those of you new to Genealogy, Kay has a great posting about getting started. Another Amateur Genealogist DVD Gem: Berkeley Square - My oldest 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. Each episode of the 10 episodes is packed with romance, intrigue, and plot twists that have kept us glued to the couch. GEM #1: YouTube.com I'm pleased to announce that the Genealogy Gems Podcast and The Genealogy Tech Podcast (GTP) are joining forces to bring the power of YouTube.com to you. In this episode, I'm covering how to find those video gems that will compliment your family history research. In episode 009 of the GTP, Bill Puller will be covering some of the technical details on how to use the site and upload your own famiy history videos. We want you to get the most out of YouTube! The site lends itself beautifully to family history research by offering a method for finding & sharing videos pertaining to your family and research. To become a Free member:
Caution: Be aware that there is objectionable content on Youtube. East Prussia Video... South east england old film A film made up of very old footage from the 1920s offering a tour of Margate, England and surrounding villages... To view the videos in my playlist on YouTube.com, type GENEALOGYGEMS in the search box, & click SEARCH. You'll get a "No results found" message, but just go over to the left side and click PLAYLISTS. Then just click on the link. Be sure to tune into the Genealogy Tech Podcast Episode #09 for great how-to info on uploading your own Family History Videos to YouTube! GEM #2: Correspondence Logs Here is a Correspondence Log Template for you to use.
I'd love to hear from you - Email me with comments & questions. I read every email.
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 8:13pm EST
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Wed, 14 March 2007
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! Whatâs 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 www.genealogygemspodcast.com. So how do I subscribe to the Genealogy Gems Podcast? If you donât already have itunes installed on your computer â
Now youâre ready to subscribe to Genealogy Gems Podcastâ
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.)
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: A Guide to Research |
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Sun, 11 March 2007
Before I get to the Episode #3 show notes (below), I want to be sure that folks new to podcasting know How to Subscribe to this podcast for FREE: If you don't already have itunes installed on your computer...
Now you're ready to subscribe to Genealogy Gems Podcast...
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! GEM: GOOGLE ALERTS & EBAY FAVORITE SEARCHES (what I refer to as Ebay Alerts) GOOGLE ALERTS: Check out Bill Puller's podcast Episode #8 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: Here's how to create a Favorite Search in Ebay...
You'll probably receive your first emails tomorrow morning! Examples:
San Joaquin Cotton Oil bale of cotton...
Here's a link to my current Ebay listings GEM: FAMILY HISTORY DISPLAYS Shadow Box...
Wall Display...
I'd love to hear from you! Email me with comments & questions.
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 5:04pm EST
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Mon, 5 March 2007
Start with what you know. Then talk to your oldest relatives first before you lose them.
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 email feedback and questions. I read every single email. And be sure to let me know how you heard about the podcast.
Category:podcasts
-- posted at: 12:12am EST
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Fri, 2 March 2007
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 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. Email me with feedback, suggestions, and questions.
Category:podcasts
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The Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke - Your Family History Show The Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke - Your Family History Show
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We welcome the 
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.
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!
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.”
by Lalita Tademy
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 
, which premiered on PBS in 2013, and is currently available here.
, the most recent book in a mystery series by British author 
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.
, 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 
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.
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.
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.
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, 
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.
, 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
by Mani Feniger
is by John Bailey
Get Diahan Southard's Genetics for Genealogists Quick Reference Guides
Please 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!
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 
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.
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.
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.)
Lisa's opinion on all of this: 
is about a family secret that Steve stumbled upon in the late 1990s.
by Dave Obee. (This link supports this free podcast - thanks!!)
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 Historyzine 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. 
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! 
SHOW NOTES Published June 24, 2007 
SHOW NOTES Published June 17, 2007 
SHOW NOTES - Published June 10, 2007
SHOW NOTES Published May 20, 2007
Only the Shadow Knows: Do you have any old family heirloom silhouettes from your family? 
Welcome! New to the podcast? I've left you a message on the website voice mail (right column). Just double click "Lisa" to listen. Then, start with the ARCHIVES link & Episode #1. To learn more about Podcasts and how to subscribe for FREE to the Genealogy Gems Podcast (so you'll catch every new episode!), click on the "Frequently Asked Questions" link in the right column to learn all you need to know. Now, for more info on Episode #05...
A big thanks to Bill Puller of the 
