Extraordinary European Records in New and Updated Genealogical Collections
An extraordinary list of European record sets is included in this week's new and updated genealogical collections. Starting in Ireland and moving across the country, places include: United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Netherlands, and more. Ireland - Marriage Index Over...
Resolving Three Common Conflicting Evidence Problems in Genealogy
Resolving conflicting evidence in genealogy research is sometimes difficult. Some types of conflicting evidence we come across are common. Here are some tips to resolving three of the most common conflicting records and why they exist. I joke about our recent "cookie...
Family Secrets, History and Love in the Great Depression: Genealogy Gems Book Club Pick
Our new Genealogy Gems Book Club pick takes you into the Great Depression with a young socialite's WPA project to capture the history of a small West Virginia town. She finds drama, contradicting versions of the past and unexpected romance. Enjoy this novel by an...
Organize DNA Matches in Your DNA “Drawer”
Organize DNA matches with this innovative approach. If you are feeling overwhelmed with your DNA results, you are not alone. Learning to organize your DNA matches in an effective way will not only keep your head from spinning, but will help you hone in on possible...
Start Your Canadian Genealogy Research: Library and Archives Canada
Jump start your Canadian genealogy research and celebrate Canada's 150th birthday! Here are tips for you to start your Canadian genealogy research. Already started? Take it to the next level with resources at Library and Archives Canada. Canada is celebrating 150...
Finding Family History in WWII Newspapers: Narrowing the Results
Newspapers can fill in the gaps to the long-lost stories of your ancestors. These tips will help you narrow your search in digitized WWII newspapers for experiences directly relating to the war and to the lives of your ancestors. In this previous post, I provided...
Sacramental Records Now Searchable Online in New and Updated Genealogical Records
Special thanks to the New England Historic Genealogical Society and the Archdiocese of Boston for their effort to make Sacramental records for genealogy available online. These and other new and updated genealogical collections are mentioned in this weeks list from...
Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 199
The Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 199 with Lisa Louise Cooke Click the player below to listen: In this episode, Lisa celebrates Canada's 150th anniversary with Claire Banton from Library and Archives Canada. You'll also hear how Lisa will be marking another...
WWII Newspapers: Searching for Coverage
What did your relatives experience during World War II? Look for answers with these step-by-step instructions for finding WWII newspaper content and tips for searching about the war progress in the 1940s. We have covered so many gripping and inspiring World War II...
The Power of DNA Matching
As genealogists, we spend our time trying to ferret out the real story in our family's oral history, or at least from the records they left behind. Record research is critical, but now we have an amazing new tool...DNA matching. Genealogists constantly check family...
PERSI for Genealogy and More Updated Genealogical Records for a New Year!
With an update to PERSI for genealogy, Pennsylvania birth and death records, and a tidbit or two from the United Kingdom and Scotland, you will start this year off right! It's a new year and we are ringing in some great new and updated genealogical record collections....
Pinellas Genealogy Society Seminar
Follow me, Lisa Louise Cooke, in 2017 as I share Google research techniques, newspaper research for genealogy, finding living relatives, and much more. I'll be in Florida in February - here's the scoop! The Annual Pinellas Genealogy Society Seminar, co-sponsored by...
DNA Testing: 3 Tips Before You Ask Your Relatives to Spit
Here's what you need to know before you encourage your relatives to join you on your genetic genealogy journey. There are a few things to think about before they spit in that tube and our DNA Guide, Diahan Southard, is here to help! Did you see those holiday price...
How to Get Started with Using DNA for Family History
Anyone can Test DNA for Family History From Diahan Southard, Your DNA Guide here at Genealogy Gems: DNA testing is one of the most personal ways to get involved in your family history. You have DNA from your parents, who have DNA from their parents, and so it goes,...
Ending 2016 on a High Note with New and Updated Genealogical Collections
End 2016 on a high note with these new and updated genealogical record collections. Lisa soaked in Christmas tunes of Harlan County Kentucky's pride and joy, Jordan Smith (winner of The Voice,) in a concert over the holidays. Harlan County can also be very proud of...
Living in the Past: Ruth Goodman Shows Us How It’s Done
What was it like to live in the Tudor age or the 1940s? Would you rather "watch" the answer or "read" it? Well, you can do both with these popular BBC historical documentary series and their companion books. Ruth Goodman is known to BBC watchers as the woman who...
How Facebook Users Reunited a Bible with its Family: Facebook for Family History
These genealogy sleuths used Facebook for family history when they responded to a plea to help return a family Bible to its family. Back on March 21, Donna Whitten posted a video on her church Facebook page. Her post says, “How far would you go to get back something...
The History of Genealogy Gems and of Christmas Seals
Dear Beloved Listeners, Readers, and Viewers, I'm writing to you today to tell you how much you mean to me. You're the reason why I can't wait to grab my phone before I get out of bed, just to see what you've had to say. Your emails of shared success stories,...