Gemini Gems: How to Create Custom AI Research Assistants. (Premium)
Premium content
You must have a Premium membership to access this content.
Already a member? Log in here
Beginning Genealogy – 10 Steps to Success!
SHOW NOTES (Video & Audio Podcast): Ever wondered about your family history? Delving into your ancestry can be both exciting and overwhelming. I’m going to break down the basics of genealogy research, offering beginner-friendly tips and tricks to help you get started on your own family tree journey. These tips are also great for getting back to genealogy after taking a break, or if you’ve been at it a while, just making sure that you’ve covered all of the most essential bases.
Watch the Video
Listen to the Podcast Episode
Listen to the extended version by clicking the media player below (AUDIO ONLY):
Download this episode’s show notes. (Premium Membership required. Join today.)
10 Steps to Genealogy Success
1. Gather what you know
Start with yourself and work backwards. This provides a foundation for your research.
Compile all the information you already have about your family, including:
- names, dates, places of life events.
- Scour your house for records, photo albums, family bibles.
- Write down stories or anecdotes you’ve heard.
2. Get a genealogy software program
You need a place to put the information. Yes, you can build a family tree online, but it’s critical to have the main tree that you work on be the one on your computer. That way you own the files forever and you’re not reliant on an ongoing subscription or a group tree where others can change it.
There are a wide variety of genealogy software options, but the good news is you only need one.
It’s not a big investment. For less than $40 or $50 you can get a powerful program that can track everything you find, keep it organized, make it easily searchable, and even run reports and connect you to hints on your favorite genealogy websites.
Rootsmagic, Legacy Family Tree, Family Tree Maker and Reunion are some of the most popular and have been around the longest. I use RootsMagic https://rootsmagic.com/store/rootsmagic/
If free is more in your budget, try the Family Tree Builder by MyHeritage. https://www.myheritage.com/FP/ftb-welcome.php?lang=EN
3. Back up your computer
Make sure your computer is automatically backed up to the cloud.
- Backups need to be offsite so an external hard drive in your desk drawer won’t cut it.
- Sign up for a yearly plan, install it on your computer and forget about it.
- My favorite: Backblaze https://www.backblaze.com/landing/podcast-lisa.html
4. Interview your living relatives
It’s really important to take the time to talk with family members. You’ll want to gather information, uncover stories, and gain insights into your family history. Encourage them to share their memories, photos, and documents. And let’s be practical, it’s best to start with your oldest living relatives first. Prepare your questions ahead of time and record whenever possible.
5. Get familiar with AI tools
- Embrace AI-powered tools. Even if you don’t use them for anything else, there’s no denying that AI can dramatically speed up your research and do a ton of the heavy lifting.
- Get comfortable with at least one of the leading AI Chatbots. You can start out with the free version, and if you want more horsepower, subscribe for a low monthly fee.
- Leading options: ChatGPT, Grok, Google’s Gemini, Perplexity and Claude.
- Pick one, bookmark it on your web browser, and use it.
- AI and Genealogy playlist at the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel.
6. Know what you’re looking for
Once you’ve laid this foundation, you’re ready to make your first new discoveries. At first it will be easy to know what to work on because you’re still working backwards. Most of us can fill in most of the blanks on our grandparents. But then it’s time to move to your great grandparents and so on.
You’re going to focus first on finding ancestors. These are the people you are directly descended from: grandparents, great grandparents, and so on.
You’ll also be filling in the tree with your relatives. These are your aunts and uncles, cousins and so on. For each ancestral couple, take the time to find all their children. These people may feel more secondary, but the record of a great aunt might be the key to unlocking information about her parents that you couldn’t find by only researching her brother your grandfather. When it comes to all your relatives, that’s totally up to you. You can invest time on finding them now, or wait until you make more progress on your tree and then come back to them later when you have time.
7. Gather Foundational Records
You’re going to focus on essential milestones for each ancestor in your tree. Think of this information as the backbone of your family tree. You can add flesh to the bones later.
Start with the most recent event for that ancestor, which was probably their death if you’re working on a great grandparent, and then move back to their marriage, and then their birth.
From there, you’ll want to fill in some of the most important items such as:
- Their children (records: census, obituaries in newspapers, etc.)
- Where they lived throughout their life (records: census, city directories, voter registrations, etc.)
- Military service (records: draft cards, service records, pension records, etc.)
8. Leverage the power of search engines
While not everything is online by any stretch of the imagination, here are some of the best online sources to search for the records we just mentioned:
- FamilySearch – https://www.familysearch.org
All kinds of historical records, digitized books, and family tree info. - Find a Grave – https://www.findagrave.com
The world’s largest gravesite collection. - The National Archives – https://www.archives.gov
Governmental records (ex. military) - Chronicling America – https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov
Digitized old newspapers. - Google Books – https://books.google.com
Over 25 million digitized books and printed materials.
You’ll also need to up your game with Google so that you can find things beyond just the most popular genealogy websites. And these skills will come in really handy with Google Books.
- Use search operators to target specific resources.
- Quotes around a word or phrase for exact matches.
- Use a minus sign in front of words you want to exclude from the results.
- Place an asterisk between two words within quotes to include a few words or initials between the exact phrase.
- There are many more search operators and strategies. These are covered in the wide range of Genealogy Gems videos. Visit https://lisalouisecooke.com/videos/ and click the “Google” category.
- Use Google Alerts to continue the searching for you 24/7. https://www.google.com/alerts
9. Put Flesh on the Bones
It’s time to put some flesh on the bones so to speak. In other words, creating a more comprehensive timeline for your ancestor. Your genealogy software probably has a timeline report feature. Pull it up or print it out and start filling in the gaps.
- Where they worked (records: census, city directories, industry catalogs, etc.)
- Land they owned (records: land records, tax records, probate records, etc.)
- If they immigrated from another country (records: passenger lists, citizenship papers, etc.)
- Photos (sources: family members, Google search, old photo databases, genealogy websites like Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast and FamilySearch, etc.)
- Any other interesting life events (records: Newspapers, books, etc.)
10. Mastering the art of record interpretation
It’s not enough to find records. You’ve got to really understand what they are and are not telling you.
- Take the time to familiarize yourself with the record collection.
- Why was it created?
- Who created it?
- What timeframe does it cover?
- What doesn’t it include?
- Use AI tools to help you transcribe or translate records but always check for accuracy!
- Find out what the abbreviations used in the documents mean. (ex. Census instructions)
- Use multiple credible sources to verify the information you find.
Resources
Download this episode’s show notes. (Premium Membership required.)
Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member
Premium Members have exclusive access to:
- Our extensive archive of genealogy video tutorials
- The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast
- downloadable ad-free show notes PDF cheat sheets for all videos and podcasts.
Become a member here. Learn more about Genealogy Gems Premium Membership.
Our Sponsors:
Goldie May
Download the Goldie May software for free. Upgrade to the full features at a great discount at goldiemay.com/genealogygems
Newspapers.com
Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription. Click here and use coupon code GenealogyGems
MyHeritage
Order your MyHeritage DNA Kit today.
Genealogy Gems Podcast App
Get the Free Genealogy Gems Newsletter
Sign up today here and get Lisa’s free ebook as a bonus. The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership.
Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:
9 Essential Strategies for Writing and Telling Great Family History Stories
(Video & Show Notes) Do you want to write or tell more compelling family history stories? Author Sunny Morton (Story of My Life:A Workbook for Preserving Your Legacy) joins me to share 9 techniques you can use to tell a better story that will grab your reader’s or listener’s interest. Don’t just find the stories through your genealogy research, share them in a way that will have them asking for more!
Watch the Video
Here’s how I’m telling my story
I’m not putting off telling my story for another day! With MyStories I can be sure that I will have a completed book to pass down to future generations.
SAVE 25% on MyStories! Visit MyStories and use Coupon Code: GenealogyGems
Thank you to our wonderful sponsor MyHeritage for this exclusive discount!
Show Notes
Download the show notes cheat sheet for this video. (Premium Membership required.)
The Challenges of Storytelling
(01:52) Family historians often have compelling stories but struggle to share them effectively in brief, engaging ways. Instead of relying on extensive research notes, craft a concise “elevator pitch” to captivate listeners during short opportunities, such as family gatherings.
1. Tell the stories you’re passionate about
(01:58) Choose stories that resonate deeply with you, as your enthusiasm will engage your audience. For example, a story about a relative who left their job to volunteer during the Johnstown flood can create a personal connection, making the story memorable and impactful.
2. Find the story arc
(03:07) Lives don’t follow a neat narrative, but you can shape historical events into compelling stories. Identify a beginning, middle, and end to create a cohesive arc, even if the story spans just a few minutes or years, to make it relatable and engaging.
3. Identify the story elements
(03:45) Craft stories with clear characters, meaningful themes, and a defined plot. Ensure the story has a satisfying conclusion or, if unresolved, a compelling cliffhanger that sparks curiosity, such as planning further research to uncover missing details.
4. Find the story hook
(04:43) Start with an exciting or intriguing moment to grab attention, then provide necessary backstory. Draw inspiration from novels that begin with pivotal moments rather than chronological details, prompting listeners to want to know more.
5. Practice telling the story
(05:29) Condense extensive research into a 30-second to 3-minute story and practice delivering it to family or friends. Observe their reactions to refine your storytelling, ensuring it holds attention and avoids unnecessary details.
6. Use writing to flesh out the story
(06:36) Writing helps organize your research into a coherent narrative. Create a timeline to identify gaps or inconsistencies, using the process to discover the story’s core elements before sharing it with others.
7. Make story notes in your genealogy database
(07:17) Record key insights about ancestors in your database’s notes section, summarizing what stands out in one sentence. This practice helps identify compelling stories, prompts further research, and supports creating short narratives or videos.
8. Use YouTube for background research
(08:08) Explore YouTube for historical context, such as training videos or documentaries, to enrich your stories. For example, 1940s telephone operator training videos revealed their critical role as emergency responders, adding depth to Sunny’s grandmother’s story.
9. Using AI for Genealogy Writing
(12:00) AI tools like those on Ancestry or FamilySearch can generate skeletal biographies, serving as a starting point or a tool to spot inaccuracies. Use AI as a collaborative assistant, fact-checking its output and refining it to match your audience’s tone, whether casual or scholarly. Be cautious of AI’s tendency to fill gaps with fiction, and focus on ethical use, such as citing AI contributions appropriately if needed.
Learn More about Storytelling and Writing
Reconstructing Your Family’s Amazing Stories (Premium Video)
Description: A heroic rescue, a love story and a 30-foot wall of water. That’s just part of my ancestors’ experience in the Great Johnstown Flood of 1889. Come learn how to reconstruct fascinating experiences from your own family history by combining clues from your family’s knowledge, documents from genealogy websites, good historical research and Googling to fill in the gaps. All while learning the riveting story of one of the worst disasters in U.S. history.
Share Your Life Story in a More Meaningful Way (Premium Video)
Description: 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. The handout includes a life story writing exercise worksheet to help you get started.
End Genealogy Overwhelm: My Personal Breakthrough! (Free Video)
Description: In this very personal video, I’m sharing my own journey in response to a Premium Member’s cry for help. I’ll reveal how I profoundly changed my thinking and, by getting my priorities clearly set, finally zeroed in on what was most important to me (storytelling came to the top of my list). Stop feeling stuck and start living your best family history journey with clarity by figuring out what matters most to you!
Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 292 (Free Audio podcast) – Artificial Intelligence and Writing Your Family History
Resources
Download the show notes cheat sheet for this video. (Premium Membership required.)
What Do You Think?
What has helped you tell your family’s story? What’s holding you back? I want to hear from you in the Comments below!
New Videos Can Help You Find African-American Family History in Freedmen’s Bureau Records
FamilySearch has posted a series of new videos aimed at helping people trace their African-American family history with Freedmen’s Bureau records.
FamilySearch’s YouTube channel has published several new videos to help researchers better understand how to trace African-American ancestors with the Freedmen’s Bureau records. As we explain more fully in this article, the Freedmen’s Bureau was organized after the Civil War to aid newly-freed slaves in 15 states and Washington, DC. For several years it gathered “handwritten, personal information on freed men, women and children, including marriage and family information, military service, banking, school, hospital and property records,” according to FamilySearch.
Freedmen’s Bureau records are finally being fully indexed and posted online for free at FamilySearch and at DiscoverFreedmen.org. (Read the article we refer to above to see how you can help.) Now it’s time to teach everyone how to USE these records and to begin to share success stories. That’s the purpose behind these videos:
Telling a Story with the Freedmen’s Bureau with the Reverend Dr. Cecil L. Murray:
Research the Records of African-American Ancestors with the Freedmen’s Bureau with Kimberly Freeman:
Uncover Information about your African American Heritage wih the Freedmen’s Bureau with Judy Matthews:
Discover Stories from Your Ancestry with Insights from the Freedmen’s Bureau Project with John Huffman:
Use Freedmen’s Bureau Records to Demystify Your Family History with George O. Davis
Enrich Your Family History with Information from the Freedmen’s Bureau with Ambassador Diane Watson
Additional Resources
Free Database on Civil War Soldiers and Sailors (African-American sailors)
Missing Birth Record? Here’s How to Track It Down (Special tip for African-American births)
DNA Helps Scientists Identify Homeland of Caribbean Slaves
New! Map for Freedmen’s Bureau Resources
Who do you know that will want to learn more about the Freedmen’s Bureau and African-American family history resources? Thank you for sharing this article with them.
Psst… Secrets of Happy Families Include Family History
In an exclusive interview with Lisa Louise Cooke, Bruce Feiler shares a family history tip from his book, The Secrets of Happy Families.
Family History Leads to Happy Families
At RootsTech 2016, Lisa Louise Cooke had a chance to sit down and chat with New York Times columnist Bruce Feiler. Their topic: how family history can actually help today’s children and families be happier.
The insight comes from Feiler’s new book, The Secrets of Happy Families. As part of his research, he interviewed successful people from all walks of life about how they ran their families. The tips he reports are sometimes surprising, but one rings particularly true for genealogists: teach kids their family history.
Watch the video interview below to see how including old family stories can build more resilient children and stronger family cultures today.
More Ways to Share Family History with Kids
Are you suddenly looking for fun, inspiring ways to share family history with kids? You may enjoy the following articles on the Genealogy Gems blog:
- How to Share Family History with the Non-Genealogists in Your Family (including Kids)–Free video preview
- Family History for Kids Starts WITH the Kids’ Own Lives
- Genealogy Game “Family House” App for iPhone and iPad
P.S. When Lisa posted the above video on the Genealogy Gems YouTube channel, she noticed that the channel now has 5000 subscribers and over 300,000 views. Click here to see why so many are tuning in!
Disclosure: This article 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 Genealogy Gems!