Is This Website Down or Is It Just Me? Downforeveryoneorjustme
When a website is down, use downforeveryoneorjustme to see whether the problem is on your end or theirs. Save yourself some hassle with this free web tool! If you’re like me, you sometimes come across websites that just don’t seem to cooperate with you. Perhaps they...
YDNA for Genealogy: 3 Scenarios When YDNA is Useful
Have you been wondering what's up with the Y? After taking an autosomal DNA test, many genealogists want to know what next steps to take, and if YDNA can help further their research. YDNA, which can only be taken by males, may be able to bust additional...
Record (and SAVE!) Audio Interviews: FamilySearch Memories App
With the FamilySearch Memories app, record conversations on your mobile device, automatically upload them to your FamilySearch tree--then save the master audio file to your computer. The free FamilySearch Memories app helps users capture family memories, photos and...
3 Tips for Finding WWI Ancestors and Their Stories
How did World War I affect your family's lives? Start your search with these 3 tips for finding WWI ancestors. Our current Genealogy Gems Book Club title takes place at the outset of WWI. The Summer Before the War: A Novel by Helen Simonson has endearing characters...
Ancestral Landmark Discovery Using Google Earth for Family History
Thom learned how to use Google Earth for family history after watching my free Google Earth for Genealogy video, and then made a landmark discovery: his ancestors' pond, business and a photo of his family at work. This Using Google Earth for Family...
Trove: Australia Digitized Newspapers and More
This free video (below) introduces Trove, The National Library of Australia's online catalog and digital archive for all things Australian. If you have roots in Australia, I hope you are using Trove. When I first covered it in the Genealogy Gems podcast a while back,...
We Dig These Gems! New Genealogy Records Online
Here's our weekly roundup of new genealogy records online. This week: Great Britain, Ireland, Sweden, the U.S. and Australia. AUSTRALIA LAND. Land grant deeds for Tasmania, Australia (1804-1935) are now searchable on Ancestry.com. The format and content varies:...
NGS 2016 Live Streaming: FREE Genealogy Gems Classes
NGS 2016 live streaming options have expanded this year--and include FREE Genealogy Gems classes you can watch on your mobile device wherever you are. Can't make it to NGS 2016? You're not the only one! You can still join the fun, though--and for free. Lisa Louise...
New Genealogy Book Club Pick: WWI-Era Novel by NYT Bestseller
The new featured title of our genealogy book club has been announced. We're guessing this NYT-bestselling British novelist will win your heart, if she didn't already with her breakout first novel. A smart young woman who's traveled the world finds herself suddenly in...
You and Albert Einstein May Have This in Common
Is a cluttered desk a familiar sight to you? Maybe you and Albert Einstein have something in common. Or maybe you're more like tenacious photographer Ralph Morse, who captured the now-famous image of Einstein's desk the day he died. Many a genealogist has written to...
How To Pronounce Names: Google Translate and Name Pronunciation Tools
Check out these 3 free online tools that help with how to pronounce names. Recently, I heard from a Genealogy Gems listener in The Netherlands, who shared research tips for those starting to trace Dutch ancestors. I wanted to mention his email on my free Genealogy...
NGS 2016: FREE Lectures at the Genealogy Gems Booth
Back by popular demand: free Genealogy Gems sessions in the NGS 2016 exhibitor hall. Fabulous speakers, prizes and a free e-book to everyone who comes! After a fabulous response last year, Genealogy Gems will once again host FREE presentations in the exhibitor hall at...
How to Add Free Genealogy Gems Sessions to the NGS 2016 app
The NGS 2016 app is now available. Here's how to customize your conference experience by adding the free Genealogy Gems booth sessions to your schedule. Those attending the National Genealogical Society conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on May 4-7 will find the...
We Dig These Gems: New Genealogy Records Online
Here's our weekly roundup of new genealogy records online. Which ones mention your ancestors? Think Australian, British, Czech, German, Irish and the U.S. (Illinois, New Jersey and Texas). AUSTRALIA IMMIGRATION. A new collection of passenger lists for Victoria,...
Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 190: Missing Person’s Case SOLVED!
In the just-published, free Genealogy Gems Podcast episode 190, hear from a genealogist who helped lay to rest a 30-year old missing-person's case--and so much more. Don't you love it when everyday heroes help the experts solve baffling mysteries? I especially love it...
4 Great Local History Apps for Genealogists
In Lisa Louise Cooke's new video interview with Amy Crow, Amy shares 4 of her favorite free local history apps and websites for genealogists. At RootsTech 2016, Lisa Louise Cooke chatted with Amy Johnson Crow about Amy's class, "Best Websites and Apps for Finding...
This Family Tree Quilt Stitches 2600 Relatives Together
A giant family tree quilt documents 9 generations and just over 2600 family names. Here's how the quilter completed this beautiful family heirloom. Not long ago, I came across this article from a local news outlet about the White family celebrating its 104th reunion....
How to Name Sources in RootsMagic 7
How to name sources in RootsMagic 7 is a matter of personal preference. My preference? Simply and consistently! Helen recently transitioned from Mac Family Tree 7 to RootsMagic 7. She sent me this question about how to name sources in RootsMagic: "I stripped out all...