Episode 218 – It’s All About You
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,...
MyHeritage News: Pedigree View, End of WorldVitalRecords
We have three pieces of MyHeritage news to share with you. First: a quick summary of the billion records they've added recently--including U.S. newspapers. Second: a much-requested feature for their online family trees launches. Third: they're retiring the site that...
Pennsylvania Genealogy Brick Wall Strategies
It’s a common Pennsylvania genealogy brick wall: “My ancestors are from PA—but I don’t know where!” Pennsylvania expert Jim Beidler has strategies that may help narrow down the needle-in-a-haystack problem of identifying your ancestor’s home county. Here, we also add...
Here are the Genealogical Resources You are Not Seeing
In the digital era, it's more important than ever to digitize your family history: tree data, photos, stories, interviews, home movies and compiled research. Digitizing preserves the information against loss and allows others to enjoy it now. And for future...
New Genealogy Records this Week: Chicago Catholic Parish Records and More
Chicago Catholic parish records top this week’s list of new and updated U.S. genealogy records online. Also: Japanese internment camp testimonies; AK and NC WWI digital archives; CO, GA and NC school records; GA and MT newspapers; ID, NY and OR photo archives; IL...
Courthouse research tips for genealogists
Got a research trip coming up soon? These courthouse research tips for genealogists from The Archive Lady, Melissa Barker, will help you get organized before you hit the road. That way, you'll be prepared to use your time well at your ancestor's courthouse--to explore...
Forensic Genealogy: Beyond the Golden State Killer Case
The Golden State killer DNA-credited arrest was just the beginning. Another cold case—a double murder—has new answers thanks to forensic genealogy research techniques and a company that helps criminal investigators use them. Though legal and privacy questions still...
Irish history in pictures, film and folklore
This week’s records roundup features Irish history in pictures, film and folklore; 1939 Register updates; British and Irish newspapers; UK WWI War Memorials Register, British folk music, Norfolk and Somerset parish records, Wiltshire wills and probate and Scotland...
“Archivist in a Backpack:” Create a Portable Archiving Kit
A new "Archivist in a Backpack" project to support community archiving offers genealogists a great idea: a portable archiving kit for on-the-go genealogy research and preservation projects. The Archive Lady Melissa Barker explains the initiative and offers her ideas...
Create Your Family History Google Earth Tour
Tours are great way to see highlights in the shortest amount of time. Why not take your relatives on a virtual family history tour? You can do just that using the free Google Earth Pro software. Read more as Lisa shares some tips and strategies to use Google Earth to...
Now Online: England Parish Records and More
English parish records top this week’s list of new online genealogy records. More new or updated family history collections: British newspapers, pensions and India records; records for Brazil, Germany, The Netherlands, Peru, and Poland; UK images and deaths; US...
The Story of Memorial Day
The history of Memorial Day--formerly Decoration Day--and what he will be doing to honor it are shared here by Military Minutes contributor Michael Strauss. We also give you quick links to more free family history articles on researching your ancestors who gave the...
Join Lisa at GeneaQuest 2018 in Illinois
Lisa Louise Cooke will be at CAGGNI's GeneaQuest 2018 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on Saturday, June 23. Join her and other expert presenters all day to learn Google strategies for genealogy, a master plan for organizing your research, DNA solutions, brick-wall...
Why You Should Look for Archives in Museums
Did you know that some museums also house archives? Yes, that's right! Museums aren't just for artifacts and historical objects. They sometimes house documents, photographs, and ephemera. Here's how to learn about archives at your favorite museums (big or small) and...
Develop Your DNA Testing Plan for Genealogy
Developing a DNA testing plan can help ensure that your genetic genealogy testing has targeted goals and maximized results. Follow these tips from Legacy Tree Genealogists to create your own DNA testing plan. Already taken a test? It’s not too late to develop a real...
New Records at US History Digital Archives Tell Amazing Stories
Record collections and digital archives of US history reveal fascinating stories from our collective past. Here we report on resources relating to the US Colored Troops in the Civil War, old Southern architecture, higher education in Virginia, Southern burial grounds,...
Success! Finding Home Movies on YouTube
This genealogy researcher searched for home movies on YouTube after hearing Lisa Louise Cooke talk about the kinds of footage you can find for your family history. Check out this eye-popping discovery of a video showing her daredevil great-uncle in action...at age 82!...
Happy Mother’s Day
Wishing all you *mommy gems* out there a very happy Mother's Day! (Image: Introducing my oldest daughter Vienna to her new baby sister, Lacey) About the Author: Lisa Louise Cooke is the Producer and Host of the Genealogy Gems Podcast, an online genealogy...