The Genealogy Gems Podcast with Lisa Louise Cooke - Your Family History Show

Visit the show notes page here at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsors: StoryworthGive your relatives a meaningful gift with StoryWorth. Get started right away with no shipping required by going to https://storyworth.com/gems You'll get $10 off your first purchase! MyHeritage From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" Episode Topic: DNA Problem Solving Maybe it's as simple as having a ton of matches and not knowing what to do with them. How do you keep track of all those matches. How to you know which matches to focus on? How can you can use all your matches to do what you really want to do, which is learn more about my family history? In this episode Sara Allen of the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library joins me to share strategies for working past many of these problems. I wanted to talk to Sara because she's not a biologist, or a Genetic Genealogy Guru. She's like you and me: she's passionate about family history! She shares genetic genealogy with folks in a very practical, and easy-to-understand way. Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 44. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a Premium Member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #DNA

Visit the show notes page here at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsors: StoryworthGive your relatives a meaningful gift with StoryWorth. Get started right away with no shipping required by going to https://storyworth.com/gems You'll get $10 off your first purchase! MyHeritage From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" Episode Topic: Genealogy at the Internet Archive The Internet Archive is a free website that strives to archive the internet. Within their massive collection you can find a lot of genealogy too! In this episode I'm sharing with you 10 genealogy records that every genealogist needs that can be found at Internet Archive. Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 43. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #internetarchive

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 256 with Lisa Louise Cooke September 2021 Visit the show notes page here at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsor: MyHeritage From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" Episode Topic: Interview with Nathan Dylan Goodwin, author of The Chester Creek Murders Author Nathan Dylan Goodwin (The Sterling Affair) joins Lisa Louise Cooke for a conversation about writing, DNA, Criminal Cold Cases, and his new book The Chester Creek Murders. Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 47. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #nathandylangoodwin

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 255 with Lisa Louise Cooke August 2021 Visit the show notes page here at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by: MyHeritage From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" Episode Topic: The U.S. National Archives Online Catalog for Genealogy In this episode Lisa Louise Cooke will answer important questions such as: What kind of genealogy records can be found at the National Archives website? Which genealogy records are not available at the National Archives? How do I search for records at the National Archives online Catalog? How can I retrieve only digital items from the National Archives Catalog? How can I get better search results in the National Archives Online Catalog? How do I download files from the National Archives Website? What is the Record Group Explorer? Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 40. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #nationalarchives

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 254 with Lisa Louise Cooke July 2021 Visit the show notes page here at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by: MyHeritage From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" Today's Topic: Google Photos for Beginners Have you thought about using Google Photos but just weren't sure how it worked or where to start? This episode will answer your questions and give you the confidence to use it effectively. In this introductory tour to Google Photos we will answer the questions: What is Google Photos? Is Google Photos private? What features do I get with Google Photos? How does Google Photos storage work? (Is Google Photos free?) How do I start using Google Photos? How do I upload my photos and videos? How to search and retrieve photos and videos in Google Photos How would Google Photos benefit genealogists, archivists and others? Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 23. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #googlephotos

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 253 with Lisa Louise Cooke June 2021 This episode is brought to you by: StoryworthGive your dad the most meaningful gift this Father's Day with StoryWorth. Get started right away with no shipping required by going to https://storyworth.com/gems You'll get $10 off your first purchase! MyHeritage From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" In this episode: In this episode we head back to 17th century New England with Lindsay Fulton of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. She's going to share the best resources for finding your early American ancestors. Lindsay Fulton is with American Ancestors and New England Historic Genealogical Society where leads the Research and Library Services team as Vice President. She is a frequent contributor to the NEHGS blog and was featured in the Emmy-Winning Program: Finding your Roots: The Seedlings, a web series inspired by the popular PBS series "Finding Your Roots." Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 33. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at https://lisalouisecooke.com/elevenses. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #americanancestors

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 252 with Lisa Louise Cooke April 2021 This episode is brought to you by MyHeritage. From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" In this episode: Newspaper Navigator is a new free online tool for finding images and photos in old newspapers at Chronicling America. It doesn't work the way the Library of Congress website works, so in this episode I show you how to navigate the Newspaper Navigator. It's a fun session that will have you finding new newspaper gems in no time! Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 26. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at https://lisalouisecooke.com/elevenses. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #oldnewspapers

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 251 with Lisa Louise Cooke March 2021 This episode is brought to you by MyHeritage. From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" In this episode: If you're looking for a wide array of free online genealogical records for your family history, look no further than then Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It's the second largest genealogy library in the country. In addition to the in-house collection, the Genealogy Center offers a vast amount of free digitized resources through their website and partnerships with other websites. I invited Allison Singleton, Senior Librarian at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana to the show. She is taking us on our tour of the website and sharing her tips and strategies for finding genealogy gems. Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 31. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at https://lisalouisecooke.com/elevenses. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 250 with Lisa Louise Cooke February 2021 This episode is brought to you by MyHeritage. From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" In this episode: Who doesn't love a good genealogical surprise? Sometimes we discover something we overlooked the first time around. Other times we find gems in places we never expected. Google Books is one of those places full of unexpected surprises. Google Books is a free online catalog of over 25 million books, 10 million of which are digitized and searchable. The collection is international in scope. I'll explain how to search it and what to look for. And then at the end of the episode, I'll share a very surprising turn that my own research took recently! Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 30. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at https://lisalouisecooke.com/elevenses. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the 5-page downloadable show notes handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy

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

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

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

How to Make a Video for Free with Adobe Spark Video In last month's episode we talked about how to construct a great story for video. In this episode I've got the ideal tool for you to use to make your video: Adobe Spark Video. Video is the perfect medium for sharing your family's history. It captures the interest of the eyes and the ears. Adobe Spark Video is a free app and website tool that makes it easier than ever to create shareable videos. Watch the companion video and read the full show notes here. Watch Elevenses with Lisa episode 16 How to Make a Video with Adobe Spark to learn how to make videos quickly and easily for free. Genealogy Gems Premium Members can download the handy PDF show notes for each of these Elevenses with Lisa episodes. Simply log into your membership, and then in the menu under "Video" click "Elevenses with Lisa." Click the episode and scroll down to the Resources section of the show notes. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Premium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Getting Your Family History Digitized I use Larsen Digital and have been extremely pleased with the service and results. The folks at Larsen Digital have put together special and exclusive discounts for Genealogy Gems listeners and readers. Click here to learn more and receive exclusive discounts and coupon codes. Genealogy Gems Podcast App Don't miss the Bonus audio for this episode. In the app, tap the gift box icon just under the media player. Get the app here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click below to sign up today. Get Unlimited Photo Enhancement and Colorization at MyHeritage Get genealogy records and unlimited Enhanced and Colorized photos as a MyHeritage PremiumPlus or Complete Plan Subscriber. Click here to start a free trial. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

Telling Your Family's Story and Creating Family History Videos Don't just gather genealogical information. Take the time to tell your ancestors' stories! Video is the perfect medium for sharing your family's history. It captures the interest of the eyes and the ears. In this episode my special guest is Kathy Nielsen. She's a librarian from California who recently started creating videos. She's going to walk you through the simple yet effective process she followed. Then I will share additional things to consider and strategies that you can use. If you're not interested in creating a video, that's OK. Today's episode will make you a better storyteller and will provide you with inspiring story examples by other genealogists. Watch the companion video and read the full show notes here. After listening to this episode, watch Elevenses with Lisa episode 16 How to Make a Video with Adobe Spark to learn how to make videos quickly and easily for free. Genealogy Gems Premium Members can download the handy PDF show notes for each of these Elevenses with Lisa episodes. Simply log into your membership, and then in the menu under "Video" click "Elevenses with Lisa." Click the episode and scroll down to the Resources section of the show notes. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Premium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Getting Your Family History Digitized I use Larsen Digital and have been extremely pleased with the service and results. The folks at Larsen Digital have put together special and exclusive discounts for Genealogy Gems listeners and readers. Click here to learn more and receive exclusive discounts and coupon codes. Genealogy Gems Podcast App Don't miss the Bonus audio for this episode. In the app, tap the gift box icon just under the media player. Get the app here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click below to sign up today. Get Unlimited Photo Enhancement and Colorization at MyHeritage Get genealogy records and unlimited Enhanced and Colorized photos as a MyHeritage PremiumPlus or Complete Plan Subscriber. Click here to start a free trial. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke Recorded December 2019 My how time flies and it's flying further and further way from when our ancestors' got their photographs taken, which can make the task of identifying and dating them harder and harder. Do not fret my friend because I have the coolest free tech tool for you that can help you zero in on the date of your photos. David Lowe a Specialist in the Photography Collection of the New York Public Library will be joining me today to tell you all about it. And, we're going to be talking about some important genealogical records that you may be missing at Ancestry.com. I wrote about How to Find and Browse Unindexed Records at Ancestry in the Genealogy Gems newsletter which linked over to my article on our website, but this is so important that we need to talk about here together. Click here for the complete show notes This free podcast is sponsored by: Lisa Recommends Computer Backup Learn more about Backblaze computer cloud backup and get your computer backed up today at www.backblaze.com/Lisa Read our latest articles at Genealogy Gems: Top 10 Strategies for Finding School Records New Genealogy Records Online Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Gain access to the complete Premium podcast archive of over 150 episodes and more than 50 video webinars, including Lisa Louise Cooke's newest video The Big Picture in Little Details. Become a member here. Please Help Us by Taking the 1 Minute Genealogy Gems Survey Please help us create the best podcast for you by taking this very short survey. Join Lisa Louise Cooke in person at Genealogy Roots What: 2 days of innovative genealogy education at the Senior Expo When: January 14 & 15, 2020. 9am – 4:30pm Where: Dixie Convention Center in beautiful St. George, Utah Who: All ages and skills levels Cost: 2 day pass: $50 | Early Bird Price: $35 (Expires 12/31/19) If you didn't have an opportunity to attend this event in Salt Lake City in October 2018, this is your chance! Click here for all the details and tickets. Watch the video recap of Day 1 of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City. Watch the video recap of Day 2 of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City. Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast App Here Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today.

Hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke Recorded November 2019 Federal court records are wonderful because they are so packed with genealogical information. But knowing which records are available and where to find them can sound daunting, and that stops many genealogists from ever tapping into them. In this episode our aim is to fix all that. Professional forensic genealogist Michael Strauss is here to pull back the curtain and introduce you to these valuable records. You know Michael from our Military Minutes segments here on Genealogy Gems. He also recently introduced us to descendancy research on Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast episode 174. The response to that episode was terrific. Many of you wrote into say that it opened up a new avenue of research for you. This episode promises to do the same. Click here for the complete show notes This free podcast is sponsored by: Lisa Recommends Computer Backup Learn more about Backblaze computer cloud backup and get your computer backed up today at www.backblaze.com/Lisa Read our latest articles at Genealogy Gems: Top 10 Strategies for Finding School Records New Genealogy Records Online Learn German Handwriting Katherine Schober of SK Translations, professional German script expert, translator, and author has created Reading the Old German Handwriting Online Course - so you can be reading those old German letters in just a matter of months. Complete with videos, flash cards, games, and more, this do-it-yourself course has students raving. Learn more here. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Gain access to the complete Premium podcast archive of over 150 episodes and more than 50 video webinars, including Lisa Louise Cooke's newest video The Big Picture in Little Details. Become a member here. Please Help Us by Taking the 1 Minute Genealogy Gems Survey Please help us create the best podcast for you by taking this very short survey. Join Lisa Louise Cooke in person at Genealogy Roots What: 2 days of innovative genealogy education at the Senior Expo When: January 14 & 15, 2020. 9am – 4:30pm Where: Dixie Convention Center in beautiful St. George, Utah Who: All ages and skills levels Cost: 2 day pass: $50 | Early Bird Price: $35 (Expires 12/31/19) If you didn't have an opportunity to attend this event in Salt Lake City in October 2018, this is your chance! Click here for all the details and tickets. Watch the video recap of Day 1 of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City. Watch the video recap of Day 2 of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City. Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast App Here Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what's available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today.

with Lisa Louise CookeOctober 2019 NEWS: New and Returning genealogy-themed television Shows: A New Leaf on NBC A New Leaf will be included in the Saturday NBC morning programming block called The More You Know beginning October 5, 2019. From the Ancestry Blog: "Each week 'A New Leaf' will follow people on the cusp of key life inflection points, who using family history, genealogy, and sometimes AncestryDNA® analysis will go on a journey of self-discovery and learn from the past while looking to the future. In partnership with Ancestry, Fuentes will join families as they learn the importance of appreciating and understanding their family history and ancestors in order to make important life decisions. " Website: https://www.nbc.com/a-new-leaf Finding Your Roots on PBS Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s sixth season of Finding Your Roots on PBS will have two new episodes this fall and eight more in January 2020. The new people featured include Melissa McCarthy, Jordan Peele, Isabella Rossellini, Gayle King, Terry Gross, Queen Latifah and many more. Check your television schedule and cable provider. Website: http://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/home/ The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes on Oxygen Another new show that taps into genetic genealogy is The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes. It premieres October 12 at 8 p.m. on the Oxygen channel. Website: https://www.oxygen.com/dna-of-murder New Services for Genealogists: Legacy Tree Genealogists Offers a New Consulting Service Visit: https://legacytree.com/genealogygems From the press release: "Genealogist-on-Demand: Legacy Tree Genealogists Launches Virtual Consultation Service Offering Access to Family History Experts, Any Time, Any Where. Legacy Tree Genealogists announced today the launch of a new service—45-minute, virtual one-on-one consultations with a professional genealogist. At only 100 USD, these consultations provide users with a cost-effective resource to have their research questions answered in real-time by a professional genealogist, from the comfort of their own home. Larsen Digital Now Digitizes Your Old Negatives In the past I've told you about the incredible work that Larsen Digital did for me getting some of my old home movies digitized. Well, they've just launched a new service where you can send them your old negatives and they will convert them into beautiful high-resolution digital images that you can use. We're talking 4000 dpi images! The service is called Value because it's less expensive than the Pro which includes restoration. It's a great way to get all your old negatives digitized. Then you can decide if there's further restoration you want done on select images. Negatives can deteriorate over time just like photos. The sooner you get them digitized the better condition images you will have. Larsen Digital is offering Genealogy Gems listeners a great discount on both the new value service and the Pro negative digitization service, as well as 35mm negatives & 35mm Slides. Visit the Genealogy Gems page at https://larsendigital.com/lisa.html. Use coupon code GENGEM. Findmypast Now Supports Tree to Tree Hints Long gone are the days of having to search for genealogical records all alone. When you have any part of your family tree online on any of the "Genealogy Giants" websites (Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast and FamilySearch) they do a lot of the hunting for you. They deliver hints that have a good chance of matching up with your ancestors. Your job is to carefully review them and determine if they are your ancestor's records. (Genealogy Gems Premium Members: Listen to Premium Podcast Episode #175 devoted to hints at Ancestry that includes a bonus download guide on Genealogy Hints at a Glance.) Up until now, Findmypast offered hints on birth, marriage and death records. Now they are joining the other Genealogy Giants in offering hints based on other user's family tree on their website. Read the rest of my article here. The free podcast is sponsored by: GEM: Downsizing with Family History in Mind with Devon Noel Lee Get your copy of Downsizing with Family History in Mind here. (We hope you enjoyed the interview, and thank you for using our link.) At some point we all face downsizing. Whether we are helping our parents downsize to a smaller house, or we need to downsize our own belongings to carve out a spare bedroom or just make room in a closet. it's never really an easy task. And I think it's safe to say it's even more difficult for the family historian, because we collect a lot of paper, photos and other things that are often near and dear to our hearts. Devon Noel Lee and her husband Andrew Lee of the Family History Fanatics YouTube channel have taken on this challenge themselves and they've written a new book called Downsizing with Family History in Mind. Here to help you make the tough choices and clear the clutter is Devon Noel Lee. There are many reasons for downsizing: To move to a smaller place Absorbing inherited genealogy Divorce To

Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 233 with Lisa Louise CookeSeptember 2019 In this episode: Today we're going to take a look at what so many records and record collections have in common: they are often Lists. Now that may sound pretty straight forward, but there's a lot more to Lists than meet the eye. A list of names, places or other information has a lot to tell us and can be used in unique ways. Professional genealogist Cari Taplin joins me in this episode for a conversation about what is so lovely about lists. My Summer Vacation If you've been following me on Instagram – you can find me here on Instagram or by searching for genealogy gems podcast in the free Instagram app – then you know that I've spent a bit of my time this summer getting a taste of some of the work many of my ancestors did and probably that many of your ancestors did: farming. Bill and I have a close friend who owns his great grandfather's 1904 homestead in North Dakota. A few years back Bill went up there to help them open it back up and get things up and running. This year we helped them harvest their crop of oats. (They even have a sign in the field that says "These oats will grow up to be Cheerios.") Of course, we used equipment that our ancestors may not have had. I learned to drive the combine, and I disked the field with the tractor. But in many ways, things haven't changed all that much. One of the things that really struck me was how the farming community out there pulls together. Now to put this in perspective: the 240-acre homestead is about two miles down a dirt road for Canada. The house has fallen into disrepair over the decades, so our friend bought an old farmhouse in the nearby town where he grew up. That town has a population of just over 50 people! So, we're talking about a pretty remote location, and folks are scattered on various farms miles apart. But when a tractor was in need of repair, within the hour a neighbor would be pulling up ready to crawl under it alongside our friend to work on it till it was fixed. When a piece of equipment was needed that he didn't have, it would soon be rolling down the road from a neighboring farm to pitch in. Everyone had one eye on the sky at all times to watch the ever-changing weather, and there was such a commitment by all to make sure no neighbor was left with unharvested crops before a storm hit. So even though the combines of today are motorized massive machines with air conditioning and stereos, the work ethic, the commitment and the community was unchanged from when his granddad first filed his homestead claim. Bill and I felt really blessed to be a part of it. Think of us next time you eat your cheerios. GEM: Tapping into the Power of Lists with Cari Taplin If you've been doing genealogy for any length of time, then you have probably encountered a list. They come in all shapes and sizes, and at first glance they may seem very straight forward. Cari Taplin, a certified genealogist out of Pflugerville, Texas, says it's worth taking the time to really examine lists carefully because there may be more there than meets the eye. Cari currently serves on the boards of the Association for Professional Genealogists and is the Vice President of Membership for the Federation of Genealogical Societies. As the owner of GenealogyPANTS, she provides speaking, research, and consultation services, focusing on midwestern and Great Lakes states and methodology. Types of Lists Nearly every time we sit down to do genealogy research we run into a list. There are loads of them out there. Here's just a starter list of the lists you might run into: indexes of any kind city directories tax lists petitions censuses church membership members of a club or society fraternal organization member lists community groups committees lists in newspapers like hotel registrations, letters at post office hospital admittances and discharges cemetery books event participants jurors estate sales militia rolls voter lists land lottery winners school class lists yearbooks agricultural lists Significance of List Construction Of course, not every list is alphabetically organized by any means. We might run into a list of prison inmates listed by number, or burial sites listed by plot or location. The information can be organized in many different ways. Cari says that the way the list maker decided to organize the list tells us a lot about the information. For example, a list that is alphabetized might be an indication that it is a recreated list. Other ways that lists may be constructed include chronologically or by location. Here are follow up tasks you can do: Evaluate for potential error Locate the original source List Explanation or Instructions Understanding the thinking behind how the list was constructed is also important. The U.S. Federal Census is a great example of a list that has other background documents such as the enumerator instructions. We don't see these instructional documents unless we go looking fo

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 232 with Lisa Louise Cooke August 2019 Please take our quick podcast survey which will take less than 1 minute. Thank you! In this episode: Exploring what you can do to go deeper in your genealogy research for a more accurate family tree with Elissa Scalise Powell. Irish genealogy radio host Lorna Moloney, a professional genealogist with Merriman Research, discusses Irish genealogy. MAILBOX: Marcia Finds Treasure on eBay "I recently remembered your idea of searching for family related things on eBay. My grandfather and his brother both worked as agents for the Wrought Iron Range Co. of St. Louis. They sold excellent quality wrought iron stoves and my great uncle did very well there as a supervisor. I did a search for the Wrought Iron Range Co on eBay and immediately pulled up a history of the company, an advertisement for the range and a metal they gave away. I bought them all! However, the best goodie which I am still bidding on is a "salesman's sample Wrought Iron Range stove about 12 inches tall and 14 inches long in color and with all working parts. (Photo: The stove Lisa inherited from her grandmother.) I may not win the bid, but I am thrilled with what I found. This will bring my grandfather's occupation to life for my great nephews!!!!" More eBay Research Strategies on Genealogy Gems: Learn more about eBay alerts in Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 140. eBay strategies on Genealogy Gems Premium episode 76 eBay strategies on Genealogy Gems Premium episode 16 Learn more here about Genealogy Gems Premium membership. Steve Shares a New German Translation Resource "I came across a new site that you might like to inform your listeners about. It is very new and just getting started, so I know they would appreciate a mention. The name of this new site is "German Letters in Letters" [germanletters.org]. What they are doing is trying to collect letters written between German immigrants to the US and their relatives back home in Germany. You can very easily submit scanned copies of any letters you have and the really neat thing is that they will post them at their site. Once they post them, they are asking for translations by any volunteers. So, this is an excellent way to have any letters in your possession to be translated..... for FREE! I was given about 30 letters written to my GG grandfather, Johann Bernard Husam, who immigrated to Adams Co., Illinois about 1855. They are from his siblings, nieces, and a nephew back in Germany. They range from 1866 to the early 1900s. I scanned them and they are now on this site. I was given these letters by great granddaughter-in-law [my aunt] who spoke German as she had grown up in the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia. She had escaped Czechoslovakia at the end of WWII before the Russians invaded. She, thankfully, had translated all of the letters." Resource Learn more about German research from these articles at Genealogy Gems. What Ann Likes About the Podcast Hi, Lisa, I'd love to say that your podcast has helped me with a genealogy brick wall but at this point I'm only a "drop-in genealogist," figuring that I'm the only one in the family interested at this time (working on one grandson though, because I think he'd be a real asset) in finding and preserving family stories. I do research in fits and starts. But, I do love your podcasts. I'm catching up on back episodes now and recently listened to one that started with you describing a granddaughter's first Christmas coming up. It reminded me of one of the best things about your podcasts - it's like you're sitting in my living room with me, having a cup of tea, discussing your stories and tips and tricks to help with mine. Thank you so much for all the information, and for your casual, personal, yet professional style!" Kristine is No Longer a "Cooke-Cutter" Researcher "I just retired and guess what is first on my list of things I WANT to do? :-) I jumped in with both feet listening to your Premium podcasts and realized a few times that I am the 'cookie-cutter' researcher. But, no more. You are the Captain of my ship now. Thank you! After binging on your podcasts the last two weeks, the first bit of advice I took was changing the way I searched on Newspapers.com. My family's everyday life's treasures were buried in the pages of the local news! You made me take a second look after I dismissed the possibility of ever reading about them. Thank you so much for your dedicated work on behalf of all the genealogists. My Premium subscription will NEVER run out. When a family member says "I don't know what to get you" I'm prepared to solve that dilemma! Warm regards, A listener for life" Resource: Read Lisa's article called A Shocking Family Secret and 3 Powerful Newspaper Search Tips GEM: Overcoming Shallow Research with Elissa Scalise Powell Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, is co-director of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP); past-president of the Board for Certification of G

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 231 with Lisa Louise Cooke July 2019 NEWS: Google Earth News Jennifer in California sent me a fascinating item recently , and she says "Thought you might get a kick out today's blurb from Google, where they pat themselves on the back for what can be done with Google Earth. No argument from me; it's amazing!" So, what can be done with Google Earth besides all the family history projects that I teach here on the podcast and in the Premium videos? Well, Peter Welch and Weekend Wanderers in the UK are using Google Earth to find treasure! Read all about it here Visit the Weekend Wanderers website FamilySearch adds audio FamilySearch.org, the free and massive genealogy website from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has added a new way for you to add more memories to your tree. In addition to photos you can now add audio both at the website and the FamilySearch FamilyTree and Memories apps which you can download from your mobile device's app store. So now as you're selecting and uploading family photos to familysearch, you can also gather and record the stories that go with those photos. It's sort of like being able to write on the back on the photograph, but in an even more personal way. Your voice, and the voices of your relatives can now be part of your family's history. Read the article about adding audio From the FamilySearch website: "Photos and audio attached to deceased ancestors can be viewed by other users on the FamilySearch Family Tree. To protect privacy, photos and audio attached to living people can be seen only by the person who added the memory unless that person shares the memory or album with another user." MyHeritage App updateAmong the newly introduced features are Family Timelines, the ability to view family trees that you're matched with, the ability to choose which information you extract from Smart Matches™, an improved research page, and more. Read all about it here MAILBOX: We received lots of great feedback on the article 3 Shocking Discoveries I've Made While Searching Cemeteries by Joy Neighbors From Craig: "After finding my Paternal grandfather and great-grandfather, I looked for my Paternal GG Grandfather in the same area. No luck. I went to the R.B. Hayes library in Tiffin, Ohio and started looking at every page in the burial listing for the township I thought he would be in. And there he was – last name misspelled! (The "A" was changed to a "K".) I was able to drive over to the cemetery and located his stone – still readable after his burial in 1885. I plan to go back to the area this summer to look for his wife, who was buried elsewhere (they were separated.) I wish I could get someone to update the lists with the correct spelling, to match the gravestone and census papers, but that seems impossible to do." From Ann: "My brother Ray says we have visited more dead relatives than live ones. Trying now to visit the relatives above ground!" From LeRoy: Spent many hours walking, crawling, pushing through brush brambles and briers just to find and take pictures of tombstones. I regret only one such adventure. If I may. My sweetheart and I went to a small cemetery in New Jersey to gather family names and pictures for Billion Graves and our personal records. While I was taking pictures, my wife was clipping brush and bushes from the stone that identified her families plot. We had a great day. I filled two clips of pictures and my sweetheart did a magnificent job on that stone. It was only a few hours later, when she started itching that I really "looked" at the pictures and realized that the brush that she cleared from that stone was poison ivy. Wouldn't have been so bad, but when she found that I'm not affected by poison oak, ivy or sumac. She was not happy. From Shirley: I have recently started doing ancestry research and have been astounded at what I have found. No creepy tree stories. However, it is nice to know that some ancestors took special care to by buy family plots even though they knew eventually the girls might marry and want to be buried with their husband. I found it interesting that both my grandfather and my grandmother are both buried with their individual parents. From Patsy: Shirley's story jogged my memory. My mother died in 1934 when I was 4 years old. She is buried in her father's plot rather than my paternal grandfather's plot. I have wondered for years why the burial was arranged that way and imagine all sorts of situations. Were the families feuding? Was one family more financially able to foot the bill. Did my paternal grandfather not like my father? Hmmmm……… From Sharon: I checked out this book from the local library about a month ago. Decided I needed my own copy. All genealogist should read it. It is very informative & entertaining. From Marinell: About 5 years ago I found the farm on which my gr great grandparents were buried. The tall granite marker with the parents' names had been knocked over, the foot stones

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

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 229 with Lisa Louise Cooke May 2019 NEWS: Lisa Louise Cooke is back in the studio after two weeks on the road speaking at the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) Conference and the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Conference. Each conference was great and had its own unique feel, and there were many new genealogists in attendance. Genealogy Gems listener Carol stopped by and enthusiastically shared with how the eBay search strategies for family history that Lisa discussed in episode 140 paid off in a big way! MAILBOX: Robin wrote in to share how Sydney Orton's song with her grandpa in Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 228 brought her to tears in a toll plaza while driving! Steve wrote in to rave about the value that his new Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning membership has brought to his family history research. Rylee says she's grateful to have found the podcast and she shares a story of genealogical discovery that she hopes will inspire others. Rylee asks "How do I find sources for these people? I have searched all over ancestry and Family Search and have had no luck again. I really want to believe that the people I have as Adam's parents and siblings all the way through his 2nd great-grandparents (paternal) are truly his family but I need to get more information. Where can I go for help with German records and where can I continue my search?" Lisa's comments: You're absolutely right, what you found are just hints. It sounds like it's time for you to move on from the "Genealogy Giants" (Ancestry, FamilySearch, etc.) and into German records websites, libraries, and archives to find real sources that nail down the family tree. Lisa recommends the Genealogy Giants quick reference comparison guide. We have several articles and episodes at Genealogy Gems that can help you do this: Go to genealogygems.com At the top of the home page select "German" from the "Start Learning" drop down menu That will take you to these results pagesfeaturing our German research strategies. I'm optimistic for you because Germans are known for keeping excellent records, and I have had good luck in searching them. GEM: Your Master Family Tree, and Sharing Branches Online Explained I describe it this way: Plant your tree in your own backyard and share branches online. A master family tree has three important characteristics: It is owned and controlled by you. It is the final say on what you currently know about your family tree. It is protected with online backup to ensure it is safe. Plant Your Master Family Tree Lisa uses RootsMagic software for her master family tree. Learn more about GEDCOM files in this article: GEDCOM File (What is It & How to Use This Genealogy File) Protech Your Master Family Tree Lisa uses Backblaze to back up her master family tree and computer. Visit www.backblaze.com/lisa (Using this link also helps keep this free podcast free. Thank you!) Read more: How to Download Backblaze in 4 Easy Steps Share Branches Online Genealogy Giants Guide available in the Genealogy Gems store. Read Lisa's article: Planting Your Master Genealogy Family Tree for all of the strategies mentioned in this episode. The free podcast is sponsored by: PROFILE AMERICA: Friday, May 24th, 2019 In a way, today marks the 175th birthday of the World Wide Web. Only it was electro-mechanical, not digital. On this date in 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse activated the first telegraph line, sending a dots-and-dashes code message from the U.S. Capitol building to a receiver in Baltimore. By the late 1850s, the first telegraph cable had been laid across the Atlantic Ocean, and in 1861, the telegraph spanned the continental United States. Over the ensuing decades, the wires wrapped around the world. From the 1844 demonstration, telecommunications today has grown into a half-trillion dollar a year industry, and employs more than 1 million workers in over 59,000 industry establishments. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov. Sources: Joseph Nathan Kane, Kane's Famous First Facts, Fifth Edition, H.W. Wilson Co., New York, NY, 1997, #7692. Demonstration and development, accessed 2/20/2019 Transatlantic cable, accessed 2/20/2019 Telecommunications employees and establishments, County Business Patterns, NAICS 517 Telecommunications revenues, Economic Census, NAICS 517 Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning Member Gain access to the complete Premium Podcast archive of over 150 episodes and more than 50 video webinars, including Lisa Louise Cooke's newest video The Big Picture in Little Details. Learn more here. (Membership doesn't auto-renew because we don't like that either. Prior to your membership expiring you'll receive a friendly reminder email from us.)

The Genealogy Gems PodcastEpisode 228 April 2019 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode: More new feature enhancements announced by Ancestry.com Listeners Trisha and Betty share their stories with Lisa in person Lisa's interview with Crista Cowan, The Barefoot Genealogist at Ancestry.com The Tombstone Tourist, Joy Neighbors, share 3 intriguing discoveries that she's made while searching cemeteries Military Minutes Man Michael Strauss explores an underused genealogical treasure: women's registration cards on the home front from 1917-1918 during World War I RootsTech Film Festival semi-finalist Sydney Orton shares the touching story behind newly discovered precious audio and video tape, and how she and her sister honor their grandparent's memories. NEWS: Newest features announced on April 9, 2019 by Ancestry.com: Revamped User Profile Page and Improved Messaging system. Ancestry's theory is that maximizing the features added to the Profile page will increase collaboration and responsiveness. According to Ancestry, if you're using folders to organize your messages, you probably won't be seeing the new version of the messaging system for another 6-8 weeks. Mailbox: In this episode you'll be hearing from the listener's themselves. Trisha stopped by to visit with me at RootsTech 2019. Also, at the National Genealogical Society's conference a few years ago Betty shared an exciting discovery she made by digging into one of my favorite free online resources: Google Books. (Premium Members: watch the Premium video Google Books: The Tool I Use Every Day and download the handout.) Image below: Trisha Mays visits me at the Genealogy Gems booth at RootsTech 2019. GEM: Crista Cowan, The Barefoot Genealogist Crista has worked at Ancestry since 2004 and is best known for her Barefoot Genealogist videos at Ancestry's YouTube channel. In this episode she shares her own personal genealogy journey, and some of the new features announced by Ancestry.com at RootsTech 2019. GEM: Joy Neighbors, The Tombstone Tourist If you're a Genealogy Gems Premium Member you met author Joy Neighbors in Premium Podcast episode 169. Joy is a delightful national speaker, author, freelance writer, and avowed Tombstone Tourist. Joy writes the weekly cemetery culture blog, A Grave Interest which you can read at http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com Her book, The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide, focuses on how to locate cemetery records, what to do when you get to the cemetery, and how to understand the silent language of the stones. She also shares a few stunning family secrets along the way. In the Premium podcast episode 169 Joy and I discussed cemetery research strategies that every genealogist can use to uncover family history. In this Gem, I've invited Joy to share 3 very intriguing and surprising discoveries that she's made while searching cemeteries which you can also read here. Thanks for supporting this free podcast by using our links! GEM: Military Minutes with Michael Strauss The Council of National Defense was created by an Act of Congress based on the Army Appropriation Act passed on August 29, 1916. This agency was made up of the Secretaries of War, Navy, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor along with an advisory commission that was later appointed by President Woodrow Wilson on October 11, 1916. Their purpose was to come together and coordinate the industries and resources of the United States for national security and general welfare and to be prepared for war. Later on, April 21, 1917 a few short weeks after the United States entered World War I the Women's Committee of the Council for National Defense under the national council was created with suffragist Anna Howard Shaw appointed the Chairman. As the women organized separate divisions and chapters were created in every state and groups that centered on the African-American community. When the division were formed registration, cards were filled out by women all across the United States requesting personal information. The cards not only offer genealogical details, but give a unique prospective into the social history of women in the early 20th century women move one step closer to national suffrage. Details on the registration cards included: Name and address Age and marital status Color or race of applicant Country of birth and/or citizenship status Time applicant willing to pledge or volunteer for war effort Occupation and where and by whom employed Educational background Personal references for applicant Emergency service where volunteer willing to go and when Work experience or training to aid in the war effort Date and place of registration (wards or precincts in cities) Physical description General remarks Signed and dated registrar and assignment for war effort. An example from one of the registration cards from Grand Rapids is for Constance M. Rourke (1885-1941), born in Cleveland, Ohio. She was an educator, a noted author, and historian. Educated at Vassar College in

News: Major Announcements Made at RootsTech 2019 Ancestry Announcements: Historical records: Ancestry just released over 5 million Mexico Catholic records and 1 million new France Census and Birth, Marriage, Death records and have several U.S. statewide projects underway, from New York to Hawaii. They also released US WWII Draft Cards from seven states. By early next year, the full set of WWII Draft Cards – all 33 million — will be exclusively available on Ancestry and Fold3. MyTreeTags™:"MyTreeTags™ allows you to add tags to people in your family tree to indicate whether your research on them is confirmed or verified, or to record personal details, like "never married." You can also create your own custom tags to note that a person immigrated from Denmark or worked as a blacksmith. You can even use filters as you search your tree to see everyone with the same tag. MyTreeTags™ is one way we can help you save time and enrich your ancestor profile." You can join the MyTreeTags™ and New & Improved DNA Matches beta at https://www.ancestry.com/BETA New & Improved DNA Matches: "We have redesigned the DNA Matches experience to help you make more discoveries, faster. Now you can easily sort, group and view your DNA Matches any way you'd like. New features include color coding and custom labeling offering you more control over how you group and view the matches, quicker identification of your newest matches and new ways to filter your matches. ThruLines™: "ThruLines™ shows you the common ancestors who likely connect you to your DNA Matches—and gives you a clear and simple view of how you're all related. When you link your public or private searchable family tree to your AncestryDNA results, new chapters of your family story may be revealed. ThruLines™ will roll out gradually to all customers who qualify beginning today." Source: https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2019/02/28/ancestry-announces-coveted-content-releases-and-new-game-changing-family-history-research-tools-at-rootstech-2019/ MyHeritage Announcements: AutoClusters"A new genetic genealogy tool that groups together DNA Matches that likely descend from common ancestors in a compelling visual chart. This easy-to-use tool helps you explore your DNA Matches more efficiently in groups rather than as numerous individuals, and gain insights about branches in your family tree." DNA Quest Now Accepting Applications"In March 2018 we launched DNA Quest, a pro bono initiative in which we pledged to donate 15,000 DNA kits to adoptees and those seeking to reunite with family members who were placed for adoption. Within a few months, all the DNA kits we allocated for this initiative were sent out. Applicants opened up to us to share their emotional stories of searching, their hopes for future reunions, and the sense of belonging they felt thanks to their participation in DNA Quest…Following the success of the initiative, we have decided now to extend DNA Quest and donate 5,000 additional MyHeritage DNA kits, for free, to eligible participants." Digitizing of Israeli Cemeteries Completed MyHeritage has completed a 5-year project of digitizing every cemetery in Israel. It is now the first country in the world to have almost all of its gravestones preserved and searchable online, with images, locations, and fully transcribed records. They've put up all this content for free, too. FamilySearch and MyHeritage Tree Sync (LDS members only) Geni GEDCOM Import "We are pleased to announce the return of the GEDCOM Import feature to Geni! This has been one of the most requested features on Geni and we're excited to finally make it available to everyone. GEDCOM is a standard file format used to save, transfer, and transport family tree information. Long-time users may recall that Geni previously allowed users to start a tree using their GEDCOM files, however we disabled this feature in 2011 to avoid duplication of profiles in the World Family Tree. Our new and improved importer has been rewritten to import a few generations at a time, continuing only on branches where there are no matches to existing profiles on Geni." "You can now import a GEDCOM file as a new tree, a new branch if you already have a tree, or onto any existing profile on which you have full permissions to edit and add onto. No longer will you need to endure the slow process of adding each individual one at a time to the tree. Now anyone can quickly add trees which didn't exist before on Geni, saving you valuable time and allowing you to focus instead on new research." The Theory of Family Relativity™ "This unprecedented feature helps you make the most of your DNA Matches by incorporating genealogical information from all our collections of nearly 10 billion historical records and family tree profiles, to offer theories on how you and your DNA Matches might be related. If you've taken a MyHeritage DNA test or uploaded your DNA results to MyHeritage, this revolutionary technology may offer astounding new information o

Welcome my friend to the podcast where we take joy in the discovery of your family's history! This is Genealogy Gems Podcast episode #226 and in today's show we'll cover research strategies and new resources that will help you find your way, plus I've got a tech tip and a fascinating bit of military genealogy for you. GEM: They Shall Not Grow OldThere are so many things I want to cover every month, but I try really hard to sift through it all and bring you the best of the best, the genealogy gems. And I LOVE when you bring me Gems! Just like Betty did recently. Betty is taking my online course at Family Tree University this month called Google Earth for Genealogy which I told you about in our weekly newsletter. You're all signed up for that right? Well Betty was so excited about something she found that she wrote the following on our course discussion board. She says: "My husband and I just saw the movie "They Shall Not Grow Old" about the soldiers in WWI. We saw it in 3-D, which was amazing! The whole movie is remastered, colorized video and audio from the newsreels and also the soldiers' interviews in the 1960's and 70's. The director, Peter Jackson, introduces the movie and then, the best part is after the show." I saw her message at about 8:00 that night, and I immediately grabbed Bill and jumped in the car and for the 9:30 pm showing. I couldn't agree more that it was spectacular. From Betty: "When I read that you went straight to the movie, I almost cried I was so happy! I knew you would like the last 1/2 hour the best. When Peter Jackson talked about everyone finding out about the history of their family, I was so excited! Wasn't it amazing what they could do with old video, still shots, cartoons, and audio interviews? It has so much potential for genealogists. The most important thing is to gather the information and digitize the videos we already have. In the future, maybe the technology will be more accessible to us, non-professional family historians. What a treasure that movie was! I hope it inspires more people to do the same with other aspects of WWI or other historical subjects." GEM: The History of Baby Clothes Valentine's Day brings to mind visions of cupid, a baby dressed only in a nappy shooting arrows of love at unsuspecting couples. While this little cherub celebrates the holiday au natural, let's take some time to talk about the fashion statements the babies in our family tree have made through the centuries. To help us visualize the togs those tots wore we could turn to our grandmother's photo albums, but there we may find a surprise: lots of photos of female ancestors and surprisingly fewer of the males. Why is that? Allison DePrey Singleton, Librarian at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center unravels the mystery and stitches together a delightful history of baby clothing. Read more here from Allison on baby clothes. Sources: Baumgarten, Linda. What clothes reveal: the language of clothing in colonial and federal America: the Colonial Williamsburg Collection. Williamsburg, VA: Colonial Williamsburg. Calvert, Karin Lee Fishbeck. Children in the house: the material culture of early childhood, 1600-1900. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1992. F., José Blanco, Mary D. Doering, Patricia Hunt-Hurst, and Heather Vaughan Lee. Clothing and fashion: American fashion from head to toe. Vol. 1-3. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2016. Hiner, N. Ray., and Joseph M. Hawes. Growing up in America: children in historical perspective. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1985. Paoletti, Jo B. "Clothing and Gender in America: Children's Fashions, 1890-1920." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 13, no. 1 (1987): 136-43. doi:10.1086/494390. Paoletti, Jo Barraclough. Pink and blue: telling the boys from the girls in America. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2012. "When Did Girls Start Wearing Pink?" Smithsonian.com. Accessed January 10, 2017. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-did-girls-start-wearing-pink-1370097/. MAILBOX:Mary Lovell Swetnam, Special Collections Librarian Virginia Beach Public wrote me to tell us all about a new online resource. "I was able to determine that hundreds of records of enslaved persons were not included in either of the two previous abstracts of the Overwharton Parish Register. They have now been abstracted and are available free on our site. Please see the link below. I have also included a copy of the explanatory material for the project here." Dana wrote in with one purpose in mind: to share her genealogy happy dance with us. And I think that's an awesome reason to write! Email or leave a voice mail at (925) 272-4021 and share your genealogy happy dance with me! This free podcast is sponsored by: GEM: Scottish GenealogyAmanda Epperson PhD shares 3 strategies for finding and ancestor in Scottish records. Read Amanda's article: 3 Strategies for Finding an Ancestor in Scottish Records Amanda Epperson is t

with Lisa Louise Cooke GEM: A Conversation with Kenyatta D. Berry (Genealogy Roadshow) Get ready for a fun and inspiring start to your new genealogy year. I'm not going to lecture you about how to get organized and all that – you get enough of that New Year banter other places. Today I'm going to bring you a talented lady who's a sharp genealogist and just happens to be one of the hosts of the television series Genealogy Road show., Kenyatta Berry. I had the pleasure of working with Kenyatta Berry last summer when we filmed a webinar together at the FGS national conference. She was beaming from ear to ear about the book she was working on, and I encouraged her get in touch with me when it was done so we could talk about it here on the show. Well, the book turned out to be a beauty: it's called The Family Tree Toolkit. It's a great overview for those new to genealogy, and a quick reference manual for more experienced genealogists with all of its charts and resource lists. Kenyatta asked me to moderate her Dallas book tour event. In December of 2018 we met up at the Dallas main library in downtown Dallas for An Evening with Kenyatta. This was a wonderful opportunity to not only spend the evening with her and a room full of dedicated genealogists, but also to record it all and bring it you! In today's episode, Kenyatta Berry shares how she caught the genealogy bug, busting brick walls, her thoughts on DNA, and of course some of the most memorable experiences on the Genealogy Roadshow. Kenyatta Berry's book The Family Tree Toolkit is available here. If you enjoyed this episode and want to get a copy of Kenyatta's book, we appreciate when you use our link (above). This financially supports us at no extra cost to you, helping us to bring this free podcast to you each month. Thank you! GEM: A Family History Discovery in Home Movies I made an amazing discovery this week thanks to my guest Dr. David Haas from episode 223. As you'll recall David shared his family's history of making home movies, and the hours of old film footage dating all the way back to the 1920s that he had restored and digitized. His story inspired me to start digging through my closets and I found the cannisters of 8mm film that I had converted to VHS back in the 1990s. The problem with that first conversion is that 1) VHS is completely obsolete. And 2) the film which dated back to the 1960s was converted in its deteriorated state. It was washed out and grainy making it hard to see everything. So, in December I sent those original films off to the same company that David used – Video Conversion Experts in Chandler, AZ. Right after the new year the fully restored and digitized files arrived on my doorstep along with the original films. The results are jaw-dropping. The film is gorgeous color just like David's were, clear as the first day they were taken back in the '60s, and now finally in a digital format that I can use for all kinds of projects and sharing. But here's the kicker, in reviewing them I made a startling discovery. About 20 minutes into the film my great grandfather came on the screen. This is the only known film of him in existence, and I was floored that I hadn't spotted him before. But the VHS was so washed out it wasn't obvious. Now I see him smiling and standing with his son (my grandfather) and his son (my uncle). Three generations of Burkett men, the oldest having been born in 1880 – and all there on film for me to see. Left to right: My uncle, my great grandfather, and my grandfather c. 1962. View the restored video on my Instagram here I love finding genealogical documents but I would take moving images of my ancestors any day of the week over a document. It just goes to prove that you can never say never, that at any given moment something can surface that you never thought possible. Thank you to Video Conversion Experts! They did a phenomenal job, but that's not surprising because they are one of the top labs in the country. They restore video for the movie and TV industry too. They offer varying levels of restoration. It's not cheap, but if you need professional restoration it's an investment you won't regret. I certainly don't. We don't have a promo code with Video Conversion Experts but be sure and tell them you heard about them here on the podcast and sign up for their sale emails. In fact, we received this comment on the episode from Jodi. She writes: The episode about home movies and David Haas was wonderful. I had also found some old film footage when my parents moved back in 2011. I debated about getting them transferred to digital because of the price. But my father was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I am SO glad that I spent the money to get the project done. He was able to see the old films of his family and explain to me who some of the people were. What a gift! Thank you for encouraging people to do this and sharing all of your knowledge with us so graciously. Here's a link to her old family videos: http

Lisa's Recent Travels Swedish Genealogical Society in Edina, MN and a side trip to Winthrop, MN. Above: Speaking at the Swedish Genealogical Society Above: Bill (left) with his new found Larson cousin. Oslo Norway – MyHeritage Above: Speaking at the MyHeritage conference in Oslo, Norway The Viking Ship Museum with my genealogy crew at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway Read Are You Part Viking? By Anna Swayne A Visit to Sweden Above: Lacey in Gothenburg, Sweden Non-Genealogical Recommended Reading: Unlearn Your Pain by Dr. Howard Schubiner Mailbox High school teacher Lindsey called in to share an unexpected occurrence of genealogy serendipity. Here the original Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 185 where George Ella Lyon reads her poem. Read more about and watch the video I created for Tom Boyer of his Where I'm From Poem MyHeritage.com is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. Click here to see what MyHeritage can do for you: it's free to get started. Give the gift of story with Storyworth StoryWorth gives your loved ones a reason to spend time with their favorite memories and share them with you giving you opportunities to become closer, even when you live far apart. It's an easy and thoughtful gift even at the last minute. Get $20 off by visiting storyworth.com/gems when you subscribe. Visit Storyworth.com/gems Followup on GGP 223 I'm organizing and digitizing my Grandmother's old home movies with Video Conversion Experts. I told my uncle about it and now he's sending me the rest of his old home movies! Video Conversion Experts is the company that Dr. Haas used to convert his films. They did an exceptional job in post production restoration, and are known for this work in the film industry. They are the ideal company to go with if you want to invest in the highest quality of restoration. They are currently running a terrific 35% off sale now through 12/21/18. I'm digitizing my family's High 8 home movie tapes with Larsen Digital. The list of mediums that they can digitize is one of the most extensive I've seen. They are even able to digitize the unmarked audio tape that I found among my grandmother's hoem movies. Kristin and her team are well known in the genealogy community and are based in Utah. They have graciously extended a 15% off to my listeners. Use the coupon code: GenGem Discount is valid on: video tapes, movie film, audio reels, audio tapes, slides, negatives, photos & specialty film. Your feedback on episode 223 On Instagram from Erin: "I loved this episode Lisa! Anna's song is so beautiful too! I learned a lot and the way you shared this story was wonderful. A favorite gem for sure." From Greg in New Zealand: "I'm loving the new narrative/profile episodes and had noticed the evolving voice and style in GGP 223. You and your team are wonderful writers...David Haas' story reminded me of my good friend Mark Holtze. An editor in Toronto, Mark has digitised all of his grandfathers' 16mm vacation films from across Canada in the 50s, 60s and 70s. They are brilliantly presented. Mark is very talented. I think they're worth sharing with your listeners. I don't know Mark's connection to this posting specifically but it's an amazing one on his playlist." I couldn't agree more! Here's the description of the video: A number of 8mm film reels were purchased at a Flea Market in New York City for $10. They ended up being home movies taken in the late 40's and 50's. How they ended up at a Flea Market in Manhattan all those years later is one thing, but most importantly was getting the films reconnected with the family. ...60 years later.... Thank you to our sponsor: I've used RootsMagic for years and love it. You will too! Organizing the videos you find online After listening to episode 223, Kate was inspired to head to YouTube in search of videos that illustrate her memories. She writes: "I've been trying to set up a collection of my memories on you tube. Do you have any thoughts on to put this together? Is it possible to add clips and not full videos?" My suggestions: YouTube: Organize with playlists You can use Playlists to group the videos you find by topic. You could create playlists for locations, timeframes, people and so on. Sign in with your free Google account which will give you access to your YouTube "channel." When you find a video, under the title of the video click the plus sign that says "Add to". Select a playlist from the playlists listed in the dropdown menu. These are playlists you have already created in your account. If it's a long list, use the search box to search for a playlist title. Or create a new Playlist by clicking "Create New Playlist" at the bottom of the menu. Unfortunately, YouTube doesn't give you a way to add your own notes. And you can't create clips of videos (at least not as of this writing), but I do know that when you share a video you can mark that it start at a point in the vide

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 223 November 2018 with Lisa Louise Cooke Bit Players in Someone Else's Show If you happen to catch an old episode of the TV Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you may be surprised to spot Ben Affleck dribbling down a basketball court in the not so highly acclaimed role of Basketball Player #10. Or how about funny man Jack Black of School of Rock fame in the walk-on part of "Taxi Driver" on the iconic 1980s comedy The Golden Girls. Yep, at some point we are ALL bit players in somebody else's show. And that is even more true with old home movies. Your friends, your neighbors and even perfect strangers have likely at some point captured you or someone in your family in one of their own old home movies. And the same is true for your ancestors. As long as film has been around, the chances of someone in your family tree appearing in someone else's videos at some point in time is actually quite high. And think about it, when film – or moving pictures - came into being right around 1895, it had the capability of capturing someone born as early as even 1800. That's a lot of potential generations of your family! David Haas MD knows this better than most folks. he has experienced first-hand that any one of us may find ourselves, quite by surprise, as the keeper or even the Archivist of film footage that connects to potentially hundreds if not thousands of other people and families. And there's a very good possibility that yours is one of those families. Your family could very well indeed be one that has been a bit player in somebody else's film, and you didn't even know it. But that's OK, because thanks to technology, it's never been easier to find the celluloid that once lay sleeping in a stranger's attic. A Listener's Lead The best place to start our story is how I came to know David Haas. I've been encouraging you my listeners through this podcast, my book The Genealogist's Google Toolbox, and my in-person lectures to turn to online video, and specifically YouTube in search of your family. Long time listener Debby Warner Anderson contacted me to let me know that she had followed my suggestion with dramatic results. She wrote: "I had interviewed my Dad to get details of his memories and found the 2 YouTube links about the 1945 Macy's Parade that my father went to and the video about W.C. Handy who my Dad remembered seeing. My Dad was so tickled to see the YouTube videos to go with his memories. It gave my family members and my son a real glimpse in to my Dad's memories. Thank-you for the suggestions!" I clicked the link she shared to an article that she wrote on her blog called Debby's Family Genealogy. The article called Recording a Family Thanksgiving Tradition described the find in detail and included the video, called Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade – 1945. David Haas MD had uploaded this video to YouTube, and it's one of hundreds on his YouTube channel under his name David Haas MD. You need only click it and watch just a few moments to be mesmerized. The video, comprised of old home movies, is striking in it's color quality, and you instantly feel yourself falling back in time, pulled there even further by the haunting music that serves as the backdrop to this silent film. Macy's parade: I was so taken by how this video, sitting out there for free on YouTube, fit so beautifully into her family history, helping to bring it just a bit more into focus. I sat and watched the Macy's Day parade video all the way through. It was so clear that it was carefully and thoughtfully restored and shared, and that it must have come from someone else's personal home movie collection. Clicking on the name of the person who uploaded any video on YouTube will bring you to their YouTube channel. Anyone can have a free YouTube channel by simply signing in with a free Google account and uploading a video. It's called Creators Studio, and these days it sports an impressive collection of tools that anyone can use to create, enhance and share videos. Many channels will have only one or maybe a handful of videos. This is not the case with David's channel. It's difficult to scroll down the page far enough to get to the end of the impressive video list. Where did all these home movies come from? What motivated him to invest the time to make the available on YouTube? Thank you to our sponsor: Literally hundreds of people appear in the 4 ½ minute Macy's Parade (1945) film: the folks in the parade, the people lining the streets and even the people watching from the fire escapes of the surrounding buildings. The film was created by William G Whitman Sr. A veteran of World War I, he made his way after the war as a bit of a jack of all trades, and the path eventually got the ball rolling that led to the home movies. William G Whitman, Sr. was David's grandfather on his mother's side. William, his wife Catherine, and their 10 year old daughter Catherine who is David's mother can be found in the 1930 census living in Br

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #222 with Lisa Louise Cooke In honor of Family History Month, Lisa celebrates YOU! This episode is packed with comments, tips and questions from Genealogy Gems fans. Topics range from podcasting to metal detecting, must-use resources and inspiring genealogy discoveries. You'll also hear from Kirsty Gray at THE Genealogy Show in the UK. NEWS: INTERNET ARCADE Internet Archive blog post: Over 1,100 New Arcade Machines Added to the Internet Arcade Internet Arcade on the Internet Archive BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you're listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a great tip from a fan on an essential resource for those of you with roots in Northern Ireland. The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users. MAILBOX: A PODCAST SKEPTIC? Gary recommends Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning! Get access to more than 50 Premium Videos and 160 Premium Podcast episodes. It's the ultimate ongoing genealogy education! Click here to read more about it. Gary mentions becoming a "happy user of" Evernote who now protects his computer with Backblaze cloud back-up service, enjoys using Google Earth for genealogy and learning more about DNA. Click on these links to start exploring for yourself—and to watch a Google Earth video for free. MAILBOX: CUBAN GENEALOGY PODCAST Cuban Genealogy Podcast MAILBOX: METAL DETECTING FOR GENEALOGY Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Homestead records Premium eLearning members also have access to these video tutorials: MAILBOX: LOCAL HISTORY BOOK FIND BY ROBIN Genealogy Gems Podcast episode #220 WorldCat.org Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. Learn more at https://www.backblaze.com/Lisa. MAILBOX: CORAL'S FRIDAY RECORD DISCOVERY The Friday record post discoveries appear weekly on the Genealogy Gems website. Subscribe to the free Genealogy Gems newsletter to receive a free weekly email with links to these posts, along with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals. MAILBOX: VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS On Florida Memory: Early Auto Registrations, 1905-1917 MAILBOX: GENI.COM QUESTION Geni.com Tip: The Premium eLearning video "Genealogy Giants: The 4 Top Records Websites" explains the difference between individual and collaborative trees. MyHeritage.com is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. Click here to see what MyHeritage can do for you: it's free to get started. MAILBOX: 3 MILLION GERMAN NAMES Lisa's post on German WW1 ancestors Tim recommends the Onlineprojekt Gefallenendenkmäler MAILBOX: TRISHA'S INSPIRING JOURNEY Another Premium eLearning video recommendation (click to see landing page): MAILBOX: KIRSTY GRAY THE Genealogy Show Kirsty Gray has over 15 years research experience and has her foot in many genealogical doors around the world. Her first involvement in family history came at the tender age of seven years with her maternal grandfather's tree in hand. Obsessed with her great-grandmother's maiden name of Sillifant, Kirsty began a surname study on the name in 1999, publishing tri-annual journals on the surname for more than ten years. Founder member and Chair (now Secretary) of the Society for One-Place Studies, Kirsty has two places registered, on the Devon/Cornwall border and is considering another study of a hamlet in Cornwall. In November 2014, Kirsty founded The Surname Society with five other genealogists across the globe and the membership is already close to 500! PROFILE AMERICA: HOME MAKING PRODUCTION CREDITSLisa Louise Cooke, Host and Producer Sunny Morton, Contributing Editor Hannah Fullerton, Production Assistant Lacey Cooke, Service Manager Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting this free podcast and blog!

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #221 with Lisa Louise Cooke Live from FGS 2018! Lisa chats with a podcast listener, talks about vital records with Shannon Combs-Bennett and welcomes a drop-by guest, Daniel Horowitz of MyHeritage.com. Other episode highlights: Fantastic news from RootsTech; A great new resource from Library & Archives Canada; An update from Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard on MyHeritage DNA tools; The long-awaited conclusion of Project Lizzie. LIVE FROM FGS! Lisa records the podcast in the exhibit hall with guest Shannon Combs-Bennett and a live studio audience LIVE MAILBOX: CHATTING WITH JEANNETTE Jeannette from Niagara County Genealogical Society, shown here (left) with Lisa The FGS conference supports the missions and activities of genealogical societies. Learn more about FGS and find a genealogical society near you here. Genealogy Gems supports societies, too! Society memberships and reprintable articles for your newsletters. Go to the Societies dropdown menu on GenealogyGems.com: If your society is interested in hosting Lisa Louise Cooke for a seminar, go to the Seminars tab and click Book Lisa. INTERVIEW: SHANNON COMBS-BENNETT ON VITAL RECORDS Learn more about using vital records in your research in the free Genealogy: Family History Made Easy Podcast, episode 4. INTERVIEW: DANIEL HOROWITZ FROM MYHERITAGE As MyHeritage's Genealogy Expert, Daniel Horowitz provides key contributions in the product development, customer support and public affairs areas. He holds board level positions at the Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA) and the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) among others. Daniel served as teacher and study guide editor for 15 years for the family history project "Searching for My Roots" in Venezuela. Join Daniel Horowitz and Lisa Louise Cooke at MyHeritage LIVE! Who: Daniel Horowitz, Lisa Louise Cooke and MORE great presenters! What: MyHeritage LIVE Where: Oslo, Norway at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia hotel When: November 2-4, 2018 It's open to anyone who would like to learn more about MyHeritage – including subscribers, DNA customers, those with free basic accounts, and those who haven't used MyHeritage yet but would like to find out more. Tickets include entry to the Friday night reception, keynote speeches, all conference sessions, lunch and coffee breaks on Saturday and Sunday and entry to the exclusive MyHeritage LIVE party on Saturday night. Now through September 24, register for Early Bird discount price of €75.00. MyHeritage.com is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. Click here to see what MyHeritage can do for you: it's free to get started. Subscribe to the free Genealogy Gems newsletter to receive a free weekly email with tips, inspiration and money-saving deals. Click here to subscribe! LIVE MAILBOX: ADRIANNE KEEPS CONNECTED WITH PODCAST How to identify old cars in photographs Savvy tips for identifying old photos: An Australian family on holiday in England Genealogy Gems Premium members may also listen to an interview with Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective, in Premium Podcast episode 141. She's the author of Family Photo Detective, a must-have resource for identifying old photographs. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users Link to: https://lisalouisecooke.com/get-app/ If you're listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a short but inspiring story from someone who came to one of my classes and then went and found something cool on YouTube relating to her family's employment with airline TWA….Don't miss it! The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users. Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. Learn more at https://www.backblaze.com/Lisa. NEWS: ROOTSTECH GOES TO LONDON RootsTech will host an event in London from 24–26 October 2019 at the ExCeL London Convention Centre. Registration opens in February 2019. Find out more about RootsTech London 2019 at https://www.rootstech.org/London. NEWS: THE "UNCONFERENCE" EXPERIENCE REGISTER TODAY: Genealogy Roots: The "Un-Conference Experience" Lisa Louise Cooke, Diahan Southard, and Sunny Morton will share a stage on October 4-5, 2018 at the SeniorExpo in Sandy, Utah. (Psst: You don't have to be a senior to attend!) Here's the scoop—and a special registration discount! Who: Lisa Louise Cooke, Diahan Southard, and Sunny Morton What: Genealogy Roots: The Un-Conference Experience! at SeniorExpo Where: Mountain America Expo Center (South Towne Expo C

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #220 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode: Two major upcoming genealogy events—one with an exclusive, meaty tip; Fun travel suggestion from The Archive Lady Melissa Barker: "Archive in a backpack" DNA specificity from Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard Finding books about your ancestors' experiences and Finding your German ancestor's place of origin. This month's episode includes two "Blast from the past" segments from the original Genealogy Gems Podcast episodes 19 and 20, digitally remastered with updated show notes. NEWS: UPCOMING EVENTS Lisa Louise Cooke, Diahan Southard, and Sunny Morton will share a stage on October 4-5, 2018 at the SeniorExpo in Sandy, Utah. (Psst: You don't have to be a senior to attend!) Here's the scoop—and a special registration discount! Who: Lisa Louise Cooke, Diahan Southard, and Sunny Morton What: Genealogy Roots: The Un-Conference Experience! at SeniorExpo Where: Mountain America Expo Center (South Towne Expo Center), 9081 S. State St., Sandy, Utah When: October 4-5, 2018, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Join Lisa Louise Cooke at MyHeritage LIVE! Registration is now open for MyHeritage LIVE— its first ever international user conference—the weekend of 2 – 4 November 2018 in Oslo, Norway at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia hotel in the center of Oslo, near the Royal Palace and its magnificent gardens. It's open to anyone, from anywhere in the world, who would like to learn more about MyHeritage – including subscribers, DNA customers, those with free basic accounts, and those who haven't used MyHeritage yet but would like to find out more. Tickets include entry to the Friday night reception, keynote speeches, all conference sessions, lunch and coffee breaks on Saturday and Sunday and entry to the exclusive MyHeritage LIVE party on Saturday night. Now through September 24, you can register at their Early Bird discount price of just €75.00. BONUS CONTENT FOR GENEALOGY GEMS APP USERS If you're listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is Lisa's roundup of her favorite "Christmas in August" crafts to make. The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users. Make these crafts: Pendant heritage necklace from found objects family photo charm bracelet framed ornaments Heritage stocking: (2-part video series with step-by-step instructions on the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel) MAILBOX: THANKS FOR EPISODE 219! Several listeners wrote in to thank Lisa for sharing the compelling stories of Julianne Mangin's ancestors and her sleuthing process that led to them. Missed it? Click here to listen. The Generations Project: Watch all 3 seasons for free on BYUtv. MAILBOX: TECH TIP AND NEWSLETTER UPDATE Tech Tip: I cover lots of handy little tricks in this class, and I've got a great one to share with you today! Have you ever accidentally closed a browser tab too quickly? Maybe you were following a bread-crumb trail to get to a specific record or a found a great page buried deep in a website. That gut-wrenching moment when you close the browser accidentally has definitely plagued me before. But never fear! Restore that closed tab by pressing the following on your keyboard: Press Ctrl+Shift+T As you keep entering in the command, web pages will continue to open in the reverse-order that they were closed. So even if it wasn't the last page you closed, you can still restore it. You can also right-click on the new tab at the top of your screen and in the pop-up menu select Reopen Closed Tab. Additionally, in order to comply and as a show of good faith, we've sent an email to those of you who live in the EU and those who didn't provide a location when you signed up for the newsletter, asking you to reconfirm your newsletter subscription. Please click the opt-in button so that there is no disruption to your subscription to our free newsletter. Don't receive our newsletter yet? Click here to subscribe!Many of you were affected by new legislation that took effect in the EU on Friday, May 25: the General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR. Though we are a US-based company, we are proud to have followers from around the world, and I want to assure everyone that your information is safe and secure with Genealogy Gems. We have updated our Privacy Policy to reflect that we want to fully comply with these new laws, and you can read our entire Privacy Policy here. BLAST FROM THE PAST: A LONG LOOK SIDEWAYS Books I've found that are about specific locations and experiences that apply to my ancestors: The Kinta Years by Janice Holt Giles (Oklahoma) Tunbridge Wells: I Was Born on the Pantiles by Josephine Butcher (England) Still Life: Sketches from a Tunbridge Wells Childhood by Richard Cobb (England) Rebecca of Blossom Prairie by Maurine Walpole Liles (Texas) Papa's Wife, Papa's Daughter, Mama's Way: A Trilogy by Thyra Ferre Bjorn (Sweden) Anything Can Happen and Home, and Home Again by George and Helen Papashvily –1940

The Genealogy Gems PodcastEpisode #219 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, Lisa shares the stories of Julianne Mangin, who has explored the tragic and twisted stories of her ancestors, Graziella and Philippe Metthe. These stories caught Lisa's eye: "The tragic tale with its surprises along the way was tantalizing enough, but the real intrigue for me was from a genealogical point of view – the confusing records and the fascinating news accounts that help shed light on them." Julianne Mangin is a retired librarian and web developer who took up genealogy in 2012, hoping to make sense of her mother's brief and disconnected family stories. After five years of dogged research, she has written down her family story in the form of a memoir in which she pieces together the family saga and writes about how the experience changed her. She hopes that she can find a publisher for her completed manuscript. She maintains a website at juliannemangin.com where she posts articles about her genealogical discoveries and insights. Family Stories…we all have them. Passed around the dinner table, over the phone, and in hushed voices around the corner of a doorway. When we are children they come from the mouths of our elders, which cements them firmly as told. No deviations, because after all, they were told by grownups. And some of those stories aren't really stories at all. Just fragments really. Juicy pieces of gossip or bottom lines that are meant to explain away the past, and firmly place a period at the end. No more discussion. Julianne Mangin had heard stories like these all of her life, mostly from her mom. The stories of how her grandmother and grandfather married in 1922, and then 2 months later Grandma left Grandpa. And then Grandma's 10 years committed to a mental institution. Yes, they were fragments really more than complete stories. Julianne's mother was the family historian and when pressed for details, it was a bit like pulling teeth. Oh, and yes, there was the story about Julianne's great grandfather abandoning her great grandmother, and then she was committed to a mental institution, and then they pulled out all her teeth! Julianne's mom was the genealogist of the family and by all appearances had all those census records, birth certificates and other dry documents firmly in hand. (And as for asking for more details on those unusual and mysterious stories, that was a bit like pulling teeth, too.) Julianne's family history was an entangled web of lies, pain, loss and madness. On her website JulianneMangin.com, she describes it "a Dickensian tale of immigration, poverty, mental illness, family betrayal and ultimately redemption." In this episode of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, we're going to unravel the story of how madness in a family nearly buried the truth of the family's history. And how bringing that truth out into the light brought with it healing and created a passionate, new genealogist. Along the way, you'll hear some of the strategies that Julianne used find that truth; methods that just may help you to flesh out the true details of one of your family's stories. Quote-worthy statements from Julianne: "I had been a reluctant genealogist most of my life until I realized genealogy's power to unlock family secrets and make sense of the stories Mom told me about her family." "My grandfather left my grandmother and so she became insane, and then some doctor thought it was a good idea to pull out all her teeth. End of story! And that was it." "It's just psychologically better to really know where you're really from and what really happened before you." How Family History Helps Create Happy Families: Genealogy Gems with Bruce Feiler "That takes me to another one of my mother's cryptic stories which was that she said that as a child her mother grew up in a shed." Julianne used Sanborn fire insurance maps to find the shed, and visited it personally. Resource: Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Premium Video (requires Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning membership to access) Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. Learn more at https://www.backblaze.com/Lisa. The Metthe family cast of characters: BEATRICE METTHE (1901-1966) was Julianne's grandmother. She had four siblings: Leonard, Dinorah, Joseph, and Pauline. Her parents were: PHILIPPE METTHE (1877-1937) and GRAZIELLA BONNEAU (1878-1910). Both of them were born in Quebec. They married in 1899 in Danielson, Connecticut. Philippe's parents were DAVID METTHE (1851-1912) and ROSALIE LAPOINTE (Abt. 1852-1923). David was born in Quebec (Julianne's not sure where Rosalie was born or if Lapointe is her real name).

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

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #217 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this special episode, host and producer Lisa Louise Cooke takes a look at the Golden State killer, one of the most notorious crime sprees in recent memory. She'll talk about the role that DNA testing played in an ultimate arrest, and the impact that these events are having on genealogists and the use of DNA in genealogy. The Golden State Killer "Golden State Killer: It's Not Over" docuseries (As an Amazon Associate, Genealogy Gems earns from qualifying purchases) "The Golden State Killer," 48 Hours episode on CBSNews.com (44-minute episode) Between 1974 and 1986, activities attributed to the Golden State Killer include at least 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries in California from 1974 through 1986. The criminal's methods led some investigators to believe that these differently-labeled criminals were very likely one in the same. In 2001, DNA definitively linked several rapes in Contra Costa County believed to have been part of the East Area Rapist series, a series of murders in Southern California. In 2011, DNA evidence proved that the Domingo–Sanchez murders were committed by the same man, known as the Golden State Killer. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you're listening through the Genealogy Gems app, don't forget to check out your bonus content for this episode! The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users MyHeritage.com is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. Click here to see what MyHeritage can do for you: it's free to get started. StoryWorth makes it easy and fun for Mom to share stories with loved ones every week. At the end of the year, she'll get them all bound in a beautiful hardcover book. Strengthen your bond as you get to know her in a whole new way! Go to http://www.storyworth.com/lisa for $20 off when you subscribe. Give a gift for Mother's Day that is actually a gift for you, too! Help solve DNA mysteries with these resources: "A DNA Match with No Tree? No Problem!" and "Take Control of Your Family Tree," Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning video classes The Genealogist's Google Toolbox by Lisa Louise Cooke Breaking Down Brick Walls with DNA by Diahan Southard Gedmatch: A Next Step for Your Autosomal DNA Testing by Diahan Southard Caution: In this episode, Lisa shares her personal opinions on the use of technology for crime fighting and the implications for DNA testing for genealogy. She encourages everyone to do their own homework and make informed decisions in line with their own values, opinions and objectives. Reality check: "The only way to ensure privacy is to never put anything of any kind online. Just like the only way to ensure you will never be in a car accident is to never—under any circumstances—get in a car." Read more about DNA testing company partnerships: "Another personal genetics company is sharing client data," Wired.com article by Katie M. Palmer, published 21 July 2015, on Ancestry.com's partnership with Google-owned Calico biotech firm "23andMe teams with Big Pharma to find treatments hidden in our DNA," Wired.com article by Davey Alba, published 12 January 2015, on 23andMe's partnership with Pfizer Several ways we already use DNA matches Genealogists use to build family trees Adoptees use to identify birth parents (or other biological relatives) Orphans trying to find long lost siblings and relatives Anyone looking for estranged family members Researchers identifying unidentified human remains, including POW/MIAs Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. Learn more at https://www.backblaze.com/Lisa. More information on DNA testing How to download, transfer and upload your DNA with various testing companies by Diahan Southard "How DIY genetic testing kits can be used against you," News.com.au article by Gavin Fernando, published 3 May, 2018. "When you test, you are also making a decision on behalf of your parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, and future descendants. Regardless of good intentions or stated ethics codes in the genealogy community, it isn't possible to write and get the express permission of everyone who could be affected by you having your DNA tested." –Lisa Louise Cooke How Genealogy Gems can help you—whether you test or not! Keep listening to the Genealogy Gems Podcast for genealogy news, tips, inspiration and strategies (DNA is one of many tools talked about!) Read free online articles at GenealogyGems.com. Click here to read dozens of articles on D

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #216 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode: Lisa introduces you to a couple of fantastic genealogists she met on her recent trip Down Under—the organizers of the 15the Australasian Congress on Genealogy and Heraldry, which she keynoted recently; Enjoy Lisa's exclusive RootsTech 2018 interview with Findmypast CEO Tamsin Todd; Military Minutes contributor Michael Strauss shines a spotlight on women who have served in the U.S. military; Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard introduces the MyHeritage chromosome browser; and Genealogy Gems Premium membership gets its biggest boost ever. LISA AND BILL IN AUSTRALIA Wally the Humpback Wrasse and Bill at the Great Barrier Reef Soaring above the rains forest treetops of Queensland, Australia NEWS: ROOTSTECH 2018 RECAP Click here to watch the short RootsTech 2018 official recap video—and watch for Jim Beidler at the Genealogy Gems booth right at the beginning! NEWS: GENEALOGY GEMS PREMIUM eLEARNING Genealogy Gems Premium membership is now Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning! More than 20 DNA video tutorials have been added—but it's still all available for one low annual price. And now you can really make the most of 50+ Premium Videos and 150+ Premium Podcast episodes with the new Premium eLearning Companion Guide book. It's the ultimate ongoing genealogy education! Click here to read the full announcement. Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. Learn more at https://www.backblaze.com/Lisa. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users: Beginning German Genealogy: Defining "German" If you're listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is some get-started-now tips from Legacy Tree Genealogists on tracing your German ancestors. The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users. To learn more about Legacy Tree services and its research team, visit www.legacytree.com. Exclusive Offer for Genealogy Gems readers: Receive $100 off a 20-hour research project using code GGP100. (Offer may expire without notice.) MILITARY MINUTES WITH MICHAEL STRAUSS: CELEBRATING WOMEN IN U.S. MILITARY HISTORY Click here to see the full article (and plenty of images!) on the Genealogy Gems website. INTERVIEW: TAMSIN TODD AND BEN BENNETT, FINDMYPAST.COM Findmypast.com is the Genealogy Giant best known for its deep, unparalleled historical record content for England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Tamsin Todd is the Chief Executive Officer of Findmypast.com. She "has worked in the travel, retail and technology sectors, and brings with her a track record of leading successful growth businesses. She spent the early part of her career at Amazon and then Microsoft, where she led the introduction of ecommerce and search products into the UK and Europe. This was followed by stints as Head of Ecommerce at Betfair, and Managing Director of TUI-owned Crystal Ski Holidays. She joins Findmypast from Addison Lee, where she was Chief Customer Officer of Europe's largest car service company. Tamsin lives in London with her family, and is Digital Trustee of the Imperial War Museums." Ben Bennett is Executive Vice President, North America and International at Findmypast.com, "focused on helping families stay connected in the United States and other markets across the globe." EPISODE SPONSOR: CASPER MATTRESSES The original Casper mattress combines multiple, supportive memory foams for a quality sleep surface with the right amounts of both sink and bounce. Breathable design helps you sleep cool and regulates your body temperature throughout the night Delivered right to your door in a small, 'how do they do that?!' sized box! Free shipping and returns in the US and Canada. Exclusive Genealogy Gems offer! Get $50 toward select mattresses by visiting Casper.com/gems and using gems at checkout. (Terms and conditions apply.) YOUR DNA GUIDE DIAHAN SOUTHARD: MYHERITAGE CHROMOSOME BROWSER Just last year, if you had asked me if I thought anyone could catch AncestryDNA in their race to own the genetic genealogy market, I would have been skeptical. However, it is clear that MyHeritage intends to be a contender, and they are quickly ramping up their efforts to gain market share–and your confidence. MyHeritage began 2018 by making a much needed change to their DNA matching algorithm, which had some errors in it. They were able to adjust it, and now it is humming right along, telling our second cousins from our fourth. Another development, launched in February, is the addition of a Chromosome Browser. THE NEW MYHERITAGE DNA CHROMSOME BROWSER Much like you would b

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #215 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this "Blast from the Past" episode, Lisa gives voice to the era of silent films, in a unique approach to understanding her great-grandmother's life. Her passion for this mostly-forgotten film genre comes through in her conversation with film archivist Sam Gill of the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont, California. Don't miss these fun segments, too: A listener writes in after discovering a birth mom's story in passport records (see what lengths he goes to in order to access the records!). Just after RootsTech 2018, Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard reports on the latest DNA news you'll want to know. NEWS: ROOTSTECH 2018 DNA NEWS ROUNDUP FROM YOUR DNA GUIDE DIAHAN SOUTHARD First up was MyHeritage, showing their support for the 7 million adopted individuals in the United States with their new DNA Quest campaign. MyHeritage will provide 15,000 DNA test kits to eligible participants free of charge, in order to help these adoptees use DNA to reunite them with their biological families. With this initiative they "hope to make this project a shining light for corporate philanthropy and an example to be followed by other commercial companies in their own lines of expertise to make the world a better place." MyHeritage has assembled an advisory board of genetic genealogists and genetic counselors to help drive this project and ensure it meets the needs of the community. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, you can head on over to the DNA Quest website (www.dnaquest.com) to fill out an application. But you better hurry, the application deadline is April 30, 2018. Next, addressing the biggest problem in genetic genealogy, namely the looming What Next? question facing millions of newly swabbed participants, MyHeritage announced the Big Tree – a giant network of genetic and genealogy results that will automate much of the match comparison and tree searching to replace your head-scratching with light-bulb moments. They have already made significant headway on this project, as reported in the journal Science, which MyHeritage's own chief scientific officer Yaniv Erlich collaborated on. The journal reports that the team of scientists successfully extracted public family trees from Geni.com (a MyHeritage daughter company), and then used a computer program to clean up and link the trees together. It sounds like MyHeritage will be adding genetic data to this kind of tree data in their Big Tree project. MyHeritage isn't the only company out to improve the DNA matching experience. UK based LivingDNA announced that they plan to add DNA matching to their popular origins test by third quarter 2018. When they launched in October of 2016, LivingDNA was not offering cousin matching, but opted instead to focus all of their resources on providing very detailed origins reports, including breaking down the UK in to 46 categories. In the months since their launch, they have been working on a genetic matching system, called Family Networks, that will appeal to a wide range of users and will "reduce the risk of human error and take away the tedious task of figuring out how each person on a user's list are related to one another." They are promising an experience that provides "a level of relationship prediction and specificity beyond anything currently on the market." So it sounds like if you are currently struggling with turning your DNA matches into genealogical discoveries, our testing companies want you to know you are not alone, and they are working hard to provide solutions to these problems. Time will only tell if they can succeed. Diahan also provides answers to questions asked about this blog post announcing updates to MyHeritage DNA matching technology and its new chromosome browser. MAILBOX: TOM'S PASSPORT SEARCH SUCCESS Kathleen Head's passport applications U.S. passport applications on Ancestry and FamilySearch through 1925 National Archives article on passport applications U.S. State Department passport application (since 1925) copy requests Frequently asked Questions about the Freedom of Information Act BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you're listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a marvelous soundtrack of silent film music, played live (you'll hear audience laughter occasionally in the background) and supplied by Sam Gill at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users. Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. Learn more at htt

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #214 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, Irish expert Donna Moughty joins host and producer Lisa Louise Cooke to talk about Irish genealogy—to help you get a jump on yours before everyone starts talking about their Irish roots on St. Patrick's Day next month! Also in this episode: Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard has DNA news and an answer to a listener who called in with a question about YDNA. Other listeners write in with inspiring successes Michael Strauss musters in with tips on finding your ancestors in the five branches of the U.S. military. NEWS: MYHERITAGE DNA MATCHING UPDATE The MyHeritageDNA test matching algorithm has gotten better—AND they've added a chromosome browser. Time to test with MyHeritage DNA or upload your results from another company for free? Click here to read all about it! MAILBOX: LISTENERS ON FAMILY HISTORY VIDEOS Muffy in Seattle sent this link to her family history video. Great job! Melissa asked about finding copyright-free music to add to family history videos. Lisa's tips: Unfortunately, free royalty-free music sites are few and far between. You're smart to be cautious because if you were to put your video on YouTube they have the technology to identify any song that is used that is a violation of copyright. YouTube does make free music available: Sign into YouTube with your Google account Click on your picture in the upper right corner and go to your Creator Studio. Upload your video (you can keep it private if you wish) and then on the video page click "Audio" (above the video title). Choose among the many music tracks there. Once you've added a track and saved it, you should be able to download the video with the music included. The other source of music I use is music that comes with the programs I use (Animoto and Camtasia). GENEALOGY BUSINESS ALLIANCE GBA Buzz game for RootsTech 2018; Play the game. See websites for complete rules. Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. Learn more at https://www.backblaze.com/Lisa. INTERVIEW: DONNA MOUGHTY ON IRISH RESEARCH Preparing for Success in Irish Records by Donna M Moughty The following review appeared in the January 2018 newsletter of the Midwest Genealogy Center, Mid-Continent Public Library: "If you want a quick guide on how to get started on Irish research, this short, four-page guide is an excellent resource. This guide will help you start your research in the United States, so you can figure out where in Ireland your ancestor came from. It is organized into 12 steps with helpful websites added. This guide is the first in the Irish Research Series by Donna M Moughty." Donna Moughty, shown left with Lisa Louise Cooke, is a professional genealogist and former Regional Manager for Apple Computers. She has been conducting family research for over 20 years. She teaches classes for beginners and lectures on a variety of subjects including Internet, Irish research, and computer topics. In addition, she provides consultations, research assistance, and training. She is a member of Association of Professional Genealogists and the Genealogical Speakers Guild. Websites mentioned in their conversation: irishgenealogy.ie National Library of Ireland rootsireland.ie moughty.com Donna's Irish guide series Get the value-priced bundle of three or purchase them individually through the links below: Preparing for Success in Irish Records Research - Guide #1 (reviewed above): Without the right preparation, researching in Ireland can be frustrating! Before you jump the pond, start your research at home to determine a place in Ireland, as well as details to help differentiate your person from someone of the same name. This research guide will walk you through the process of identifying records in the US to set you up for success in your Irish research. Irish Civil Registration and Church Records - Guide #2. Civil Registration for all of Ireland began in 1864, with Protestant marriages dating back to 1845. Even if your ancestors left before that date, they likely had relatives that remained in Ireland. Prior to Civil Registration, the only records of births (baptisms), marriages or deaths (burials) are in church records. This Reference Guide will explain how to use the new online Civil Registration records as well as how to identify the surviving church records for your ancestors in Ireland. Land, Tax, and Estate Records - Guide #3 (NEW!). Had the Irish census records for the 19th century survived, Griffith's Valuation, a tax list, would not be one of the most important resources for Irish researchers. Without any context, however, it can just see

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #213 with Lisa Louise Cooke NEWS: HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR TO KEYNOTE ROOTSTECH Click here to read about all RootsTech keynote speakers Click here to read about the Genealogy Gems experience at RootsTech 2018 Click here to hear Lisa Louise Cooke's conversation with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in the Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 133 GEMS NEWS: UPDATED PREMIUM VIDEO Genealogy Gems Premium subscribers can now enjoy an updated version of Lisa's Premium video, "Making Evernote Effortless." You'll learn how to use Evernote's: Quick Keys: Help you get things done faster Search Operators: Digging deeper and faster into your notes Shortcuts: Learn how to set them up to accomplish repetitive tasks faster Reminders: Help you track and meet deadlines Note Sharing: Collaboration just got easier Source Citation: Merging notes to include sources; Source Citation with "Info" feature Web Clipper Bookmarklet: a hack for adding it to your mobile tablet's browser Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. Keep your family history research safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. Learn more at https://www.backblaze.com/Lisa. Animoto.com. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you're listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a lightning-quick tech tip from Lisa Louise Cooke on how to undo that last browser you just closed and didn't mean to! The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users MILITARY MINUTES: REGULAR, VOLUNTEER OR MILITIA? To gain a better understanding of what life in the military was like for your ancestors, it is essential to know in what capacity someone may have served. Did your ancestor serve in the regulars, or was he a volunteer soldier, or did he have service with the local militia? These terms are generally associated with the records of the United States Army. The other branches enlisted men using different terminology. Free download: Military Service Records at the National Archives by Trevor K. Plante (Reference Information Paper 109) Click here for National Archives reference materials for military acronyms, abbreviations, and dictionaries that will aid genealogists when researching how exactly their ancestors served Journal of the American Revolution: Explaining Pennsylvania's militia: One of the best examples of how colonial militias operated (laws, rules, and regulations, and parent organizations). Pennsylvania followed very closely the doings of other colonies during the same period. Samuel Howard in the Civil War Because of his age he wasn't able to enlist until 1865 when he turned 18. He was a volunteer soldier who served as a substitute for another man who was drafted. After his discharge, he again enlisted in the Regular Army in 1866. He was assigned to the 13th U.S. Infantry, where he served one month before deserting at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. Samuel was married in 1867 (this may have some relevance to his decision to leave the military). He lived in Pennsylvania from the end of the war until his death in 1913. Shown here in 1876, Lebanon, PA. Both his Regular and Volunteer Army enlistment forms are included here, along with the above photograph of Samuel with his wife circa 1876 from an early tintype. The forms look very similar, as each contains common information asked of a typical recruit. However they are decidedly different as the one covers his Civil War service and the other his post war service when he joined the regular Army after the men who served during the war would have been discharged. GEM: AN INSPIRING FAMILY HISTORY VIDEO Watch this inspiring Where I'm From video based on poem by Tom Boyer How to create your own family history videos Learn more about the Where I'm From poetry project and hear a conversation with the original author, Kentucky poet laureate George Ella Lyon in the free Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 185. Hannah's Animoto Advice: You'll find when using the video templates, timing the photos to the narration can pose some challenges. Originally, when she put the photos in place and "previewed" the video, the narration didn't line up at all with the images. Hannah explains: "When I was in "creator" mode, I selected a picture that I wanted to appear on the screen for a longer duration then I clicked the "spotlight" button that is on the left-hand side in the editor column. Or If you double click the image, it will open into a larger single view and you can select the "star" button which will do the same thing. I applied this spotlight option to several photos within my gallery. I knew which photos to do this to by previewing the video several times to make sure I liked the timing of it all. Now if your problem is not with just a few photos but the overall timing, then try editing the pace of your photos. In the top right-han

The Genealogy Gems PodcastEpisode #212with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, Lisa Louise Cooke speaks with Contributing Editor Sunny Morton about turning our fleeting scraps of recollections into meaningful memories. Also: Genealogist Margaret Linford tells us how she got started in family history. Like many of our best stories, it's not just about her, but someone who inspired her. 2017 could be called "the year of DNA." Diahan Southard looks back with a special DNA news digest. Finding missing ancestors: tips and success stories from Genealogy Gems fans NEWS: WIKITREE HONOR CODE WikiTree.com WikiTree Press Release on 100,000 signatures Learn more about using individual v. global/community family trees on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com in Sunny Morton's quick reference guide, Genealogy Giants: Comparing the 4 Major Websites. NEWS: FAMICITY ADDS GEDCOM UPLOAD Famicity.com NEWS: DNA YEAR IN REVIEW WITH DIAHAN SOUTHARD As evidence of its now proven usefulness in genealogy research, the genetic genealogy industry is growing at a fast pace. Ancestry.com has amassed the largest database, now boasting over 6 million people tested, and is growing at breakneck speeds, having doubled the size of its database in 2017. As the databases grow larger and our genealogy finds become more frequent, we can't ignore that this kind of data, the correlated genetic and genealogical data, amassed by these companies, has great value. In November, MyHeritage announced an effort by their scientific team to "study the relationship between genetics and behavior, personal characteristics, and culture." These studies are not new, as 23andMe is in open hot pursuit of the connections between genetics and our health, and always has been. All of our genetic genealogy companies are involved in research on one level or another and every person who swabs or spits has the opportunity to participate in other research projects (click here to read up on the consent policies at each company). At the time of testing, you have the option to opt in or out of this research, and the ability to alter that decision at any time after you test, by accessing your settings. According to an article in Fast Company, it seems we as a community are very interested in helping with research: 23andMe reports an over 80% opt-in-to-research rate among their customers. And I've got some breaking news for you: Family Tree DNA just started a consumer awareness campaign to reinforce the message that they will never sell your genetic data. That's another important topic worth talking about in a future episode, so stay tuned! All our genetic genealogy companies realize that you might want to do more with your data than just look for your ancestors. This year Family Tree DNA has partnered with Vitagene in an effort to provide insight into your health via your genetic genealogy test results. Of course 23andMe is the leader in health testing when we look at our top genetic genealogy companies. This year 23andMe finally succeeded in passing several of their health tests through the FDA, a huge leap forward in their efforts to provide health testing directly to consumers. While health testing has certainly seen an explosion of interest this year, it is not the only way that our companies are using the data they have amassed. AncestryDNA took the DNA and pedigree charts of two million customers who consented to research and, using some really fancy science, were able to provide amazing insight into our recent ancestral past with the creation of their genetic communities. These genetic communities enhance our understanding of our heritage by showing us where our ancestors may have been between 1750 and 1850, the genealogical "sweet spot" that most of us are trying to fill in. Living DNA, a relative newcomer to the genetic genealogy arena, announced in October of 2017 their intention to use their database to help create a One World Family Tree. To do so, they are collecting DNA samples from all over the world, specifically those who four grandparents lived in close proximity to each other. Along with this announcement, Living DNA is allowing individuals who have results from other companies and want to help with this project, to transfer into their database. So it seems that with growing databases come growing options, whether to opt-in to research, to pursue health information from your DNA test results, or to help build global databases for health or genealogy purposes. Recognizing the growing appeal to non-genealogists as well, AncestryDNA added to their list of options the ability to opt-out of the match page, and there are rumors that Living DNA will soon be adding the option to opt-in to matching (they do not currently have a cousin-matching feature as part of their offering). It can be tricky to keep up with all that goes on, but be sure we at Genealogy Gems are doing our best to keep you up-to-date with any news that might help you make b

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #211 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode, host and producer Lisa Louise Cooke talks with Barry Moreno, Historian at Ellis Island. Hear about the life cycle of this busy U.S. immigration station (1892-1954) and Barry's research into thousands of Ellis Island employees—men and women—who worked there. HelloFresh: Visit hellofresh.com and use promo code gems30 to save $30 off your first week of deliveries. More episode highlights: Archive Lady Melissa Barker tells us about the National Archives Citizen Archivist program—and Lisa profiles a volunteer effort coordinated by the British Library to geo-tag thousands of old maps that are already online. A giant genealogy lost-and-found! Two listeners write in about rescuing old artifacts and returning them to those who might be interested. Military Minutes contributor Michael Strauss talks about Official Military Personnel Files for 20th-century US servicemen and women—files that were unfortunately partially destroyed. Hear what he learned about his grandfather. NEWS National Archives Citizen Archivist Project, reported by The Archive Lady, Melissa Barker The British Library Georeferencing Project Flickr Commons collection of digitized maps from the British Library Collections—mostly 19th century maps from books published in Europe. Use Google Earth for genealogy! Check out these resources: FREE Google Earth for Genealogy video The Genealogist's Google Toolbox, 2nd edition by Lisa Louise Cooke. This book has 7 full chapters on Google Earth! Available in print and e-book form. Google Earth for Genealogy Video Training by Lisa Louise Cooke. Available now as a digital download. NEW FOR GENEALOGY GEMS PREMIUM MEMBERS "Share Your Life Stories More Meaningfully" Premium Video Every life is fascinating when it's well shared! Learn from the author of Story of My Life: A Workbook for Preserving Your Legacy what stories you have that are worth telling--and several inspiring reasons to write them. Review different kinds of memories, why some memories are more vivid that others, and how to flesh them out. Learn tips for researching gaps in your memories, how to turn a memory into a good story, what to leave out and several ways to share your stories. BONUS CONTENT FOR GENEALOGY GEMS APP USERS If you're listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is a preview of the new Premium video class, "Share Your Own Life Stories More Meaningfully" by Contributing Editor Sunny Morton. The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users MAILBOX: ROLAND'S HEIRLOOM RESCUE MAILBOX: NEW LISTENER PHOTO RESCUE PROJECT What can you do with a collection of unidentified photos? Return them to a loving home. In this case, it was a local historical society. Linda wisely kept the collection together because often there's power in what some of the photos may tell you about others. Get them digitized and online so those who want them can find them. The historical society put images on Find A Grave memorials and Iowa GenWeb. They even plan to display them for locals to look at personally and try to identify! Historical and genealogical societies can also share mystery photos on their websites (or their local library's website if they don't have their own) or on their blogs, Facebook pages or even in their regular newsletters. These are great conversation pieces, especially when you can later report that you have solved the mystery! (Click here for more tips aimed at supporting genealogy societies.) Photo mystery SOLVED: Savvy tips to identify old photos Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. RootsMagic is now fully integrated with Ancestry.com: you can sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. Learn more at https://www.backblaze.com/Lisa. MILITARY MINUTES: OFFICIAL MILITARY PERSONNEL FILES The military service files for your ancestors who served during the twentieth century or later are located at the National Personnel Record Center in St. Louis, MO as part of the National Archives. The files are called the Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) and are available for each of the military branches; namely; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Researchers should be keenly aware of the devastating fire that occurred on July 12, 1973 at the research facility that destroyed or damaged between 16-18 million service files from the United States Army and the Air Force. Remember that the Air Force wasn't officially organized until September 14, 1947. Before this date Air Forc

The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode #210 with Lisa Louise Cooke In this episode: You've heard of "burned counties," a phrase used to describe places where courthouse fires or other disasters have destroyed key genealogy records? In this episode, a listener presents the problem of her burned city—Chicago. Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard shares some of the latest buzz about DNA health reports you can get with your DNA tests for family history—and some opinions about them News from the Genealogy Gems Book Club Get-started Swedish genealogy tips from Legacy Tree Genealogist Paul Woodbury The Archive Lady Melissa Barker shines the spotlight on archival collections that haven't even been processed yet (and suggestions for getting to them) Five years away from the release of the 1950 US census, Lisa has tips on researching your family in the 1940s and preparing for its release MAILBOX: GEMS FOR YOU AND YOUR SOCIETY Gail mentioned the free step-by-step Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast Great news! Your genealogy society or group may reprint articles from Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems blog! Click here to learn more. MAILBOX: GENEALOGY GEMS BOOK CLUB Shannon by Frank Delaney (Thank you for supporting the free podcast by using our links to get your copies of these books.) Ireland by Frank Delaney Book Club Guru Sunny Morton recommends the novels of Frank Delaney, beginning with Shannon (and now she's reading Ireland). Frank is a master storyteller, and family history themes wind throughout his stories. Tip: he narrates his audiobooks himself. They are well worth listening to! But they're so beautifully written Sunny is buying them in print, too. MAILBOX: THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE Resource: Newspaper.com "Burned county" research tips Sam Fink's list (an index of Cook County marriages and deaths) Recommended: Family History Podcast episode #37: "I discussed a book specifically on Chicago research: Finding Your Chicago Ancestors: A Beginners Guide To Family History In The City Of Chicago by Grace DuMelle. As I recall, it was a very comprehensive book and could give you good leads on where to look." How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers by Lisa Louise Cooke Premium Podcast Episode 143: Johnstown Flood story Premium Podcast episode 145: Eastland disaster story and tips on researching disasters in your family history Fire, Flood or Earthquake? 5 Tips for Researching Disasters in Your Family History (includes mention of GenDisasters) Lisa Louise Cooke uses and recommends RootsMagic family history software. From within RootsMagic, you can search historical records on FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. RootsMagic is now fully integrated with Ancestry.com: you can sync your RootsMagic trees with your Ancestry.com trees and search records on the site. Keep your family history research, photos, tree software files, videos and all other computer files safely backed up with Backblaze, the official cloud-based computer backup system for Lisa Louise Cooke's Genealogy Gems. Learn more at https://www.backblaze.com/Lisa. ARCHIVE LADY: UNPROCESSED RECORDS As an archivist, working in an archive every day, I get very excited when someone walks through the door with a records donation in hand. Many of our archives would not have the genealogical and historical records they have without the generosity of others that make records donations. Archives receive donations of documents, photographs, ephemera and artifacts almost on a daily basis. Many archives have back rooms full of unprocessed and uncatalogued records collections. Sometimes they are even sitting in the original boxes they were donated. These records collections have not been microfilmed, they are not online anywhere but they exist and the genealogist needs to seek them out. Images courtesy of Melissa Barker and Houston County, TN Archives. One tip that I like to share with genealogists is to ask the staff at the archives about these unprocessed and uncatalogued record collections. Many times these record collections haven't even been processed yet but the archivist might let you look through a specific collection. Be prepared, sometimes the archivist doesn't allow patrons to view unprocessed collections. But like I always say "It doesn't hurt to ask!" The archivist should know what they have in those collections and should be able to help you decide if a particular collection will be of help to you and your genealogy research. Many of our archives and archivists are very busy processing records, helping patrons, answer email and much more. Maybe the archive is short staffed and can't get to the unprocessed records as quickly as they would like. This is why there are record collections sitting on shelves in back rooms waiting to be processed. If you have made a research trip to an archive, it wouldn't hurt to ask about any new record donations or collections. There could very well be records in those boxes about your ancestors. If you are emaili

The Genealogy Gems PodcastEpisode 209with Lisa Louise Cooke In today's episode: David Ouimette of FamilySearch is known to his colleagues as "the Indiana Jones of genealogy" because of his globe-trotting adventures in curating record treasures. He joins us to talk about the millions of records being digitized around the world right now. Lots of excited emails from you! Compiled military service records from Military Minutes expert Michael Strauss GENEALOGY GEMS EVENTS Thanks for a great seminar, Texas Czech Genealogical Society! (shown right: the beautiful items you see in the foreground are Czech crystal and other traditional items) Jake's Texas Tea House, Waco, TX Bill at Jake's Magnolia Market at the Silos See Lisa Louise Cooke in October: Jewish Genealogical Society of Colorado Seminar October 15, 2017 Denver, CO Wilson-Cobb History and Genealogy Research Library October 21, 2017 Roswell, NM NEWS: ROOTSMAGIC UPDATE Free update for RootsMagic 7 users: version 7.5.4.0 (update primarily fixes bugs). Click on the "Update Available" indicator in the lower right corner of your RootsMagic 7 program screen. If you don't already have RootsMagic 7, click here to see what's new Or click here to order the upgrade. RootsMagic's new TreeShare for Ancestry MAILBOX Gray recommends Lisa's free Family History: Genealogy Made Easy Podcast MAILBOX: FREE WEBINAR RESPONSES "Reveal Your Unique Story through DNA & Family History" RootsTech 2018: A First Look RootsTech Q&A Click the image above to watch the video Click the red SUBSCRIBE button on the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel. NEW GENEALOGY GEMS PREMIUM VIDEO Develop your search superpowers to uncover information about your family history on the web with Google at lightning speed! Explore tools like Image search, facial recognition, finding specific types of files, how to find the answers you need, and more. Click here to watch a class preview; click here to become a Genealogy Gems Premium member. BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users If you're listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is an easy-to-access version of the new Genealogy Gems Premium video, "Google Search Secrets." The Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users. INTERVIEW: DAVID OUIMETTE OF FAMILYSEARCH: "THE INDIANA JONES OF GENEALOGY" David Ouimette, CG, manages Content Strategy at FamilySearch. He has conducted research and analyzed archival materials in dozens of countries in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. David lectures regularly and has written for genealogists, including Finding Your Irish Ancestors: A Beginner's Guide. Genealogy Gems Contributing Editor Sunny Morton is the author of "Genealogy Giants: Comparing the 4 Major Websites." Use this jammed-packed cheat sheet to quickly and easily compare the most important features of the four biggest international genealogy records membership websites: Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, Findmypast.com and MyHeritage.com. Consult it every time your research budget, needs or goals change! Start creating fabulous, irresistible videos about your family history with Animoto.com. You don't need special video-editing skills: just drag and drop your photos and videos, pick a layout and music, add a little text and voila! You've got an awesome video! Try this out for yourself at Animoto.com. MyHeritage.com is the place to make connections with relatives overseas, particularly with those who may still live in your ancestral homeland. Click here to see what MyHeritage can do for you: it's free to get started. MILITARY MINUTES: COMPILED MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS If a clue found in your ancestor's US draft registration records listed military service you will want next to search for his Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR). The Compiled Military Service Records (often abbreviated at CMSR or CSR) record the name, unit, and period of service of the veteran along with information related to military service from the Revolutionary War to the end of the hostilities of the Philippine Insurrection after the turn of the 20th century. The information varies greatly from each of the war periods that recorded this information. Besides the identifying features listed above, they typically contain muster in/out information, rank in/out details and further highlight the soldier career by recording promotions, prisoner of war memorandums, casualties, and a number of personnel papers which may include enlistment papers and other related documents. Several of the war periods also provide physical descriptions of the soldiers including; name, age, nativity, occupation, height, hair, eyes, and complexion information. This set of records represents the volunteer Army and doesn't include regular Army enlistments. Except for limited records of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 for the Navy, the other branches of the military (including Navy, Marines, and Revenue Cutter Serv