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

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. 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 . 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 The free podcast is sponsored by   Don’t wait another day. Get the computer backup that I use 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. 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   Read our latest articles at Genealogy Gems:   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 .   Please Help Us by Taking the 1 Minute Genealogy Gems Survey Please help us create the best podcast for you by taking .   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! . of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City. of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City.   Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:   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. 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 . 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. 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   Read our latest articles at Genealogy Gems:   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.     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 .   Please Help Us by Taking the 1 Minute Genealogy Gems Survey Please help us create the best podcast for you by taking .   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! . of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City. of Genealogy Roots in Salt Lake City.   Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:   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. 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: 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: 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: New Services for Genealogists: Legacy Tree Genealogists Offers a New Consulting Service Visit:  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 .  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 “” 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  devoted to hints at Ancestry that includes a bonus download guide on Genealogy Hints at a Glance.) Up until now,  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.    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 .  (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 free up space in your own home Downsizing the sentimental items is the hardest part of downsizing. Question: A lot of us just think, well it’s a Saturday morning, I think I’ll just do some decluttering. But you say in the book that decluttering doesn’t work. Why is that? Devon’s Answer: “There are three things that experts teach us that are absolutely wrong:” We don’t give ourselves enough time for nostalgia. We’re really bad at evaluating what’s going to last for the long term We use the wrong boxes when decluttering – all the experts say to use Keep, Sell and Donate. Devon recommends the following boxes: Keep Giveaway (combining sell and donate) – to family, societies, archive, university special collections, libraries, etc. Trash (or recycle) Process How to “process”: Digitize Process the information in your binders and get rid of the binders if no one wants them. Use it: Sad to say, most people don’t want your family china. Give yourself permission to use it and enjoy it now. Make memories with it! Let your children play with things. Four Basic Downsizing Principles in the book: Reduce:  Divide things into the boxes. Preserve: This is when you’re going to digitize the things in your process box. Photograph objects. Transfer your genealogy into software and online trees. Reclaim: Take everything out of the process box after processing, and divide into Giveaway, Trash and Keep. Don’t put things into storage! Showcase: Put on display what you found worth keeping so it can be enjoyed. Transform what you have into something that is easier to pass on like videos, podcasts, scrapbooks. Focus on story-based items. From Lisa: It puts us back in control as to what happens to it. Making sure the right people get it. I’m a big fan of displays. If we haven’t taken a moment to get something on the wall - to put a display together - how can we expect our family to appreciate it and embrace our family history values?   Question: Many downsizing projects are much more than a single day. When you’re faced with a really big job, where do you recommend that people start, and where should they put their primary focus? The book includes action plans for folks who have: just an hour Weekend 3-6 months 6-12 months Capture what is right now: Photograph the outside of the home. Photograph what’s inside. Then focus on photographing the collections in their context. Mentioned by Lisa: Genealogy Gems Podcast includes a Gem called Thanks for the Memories. In it, I share an example of mentally walking through my Grandma’s house and capturing all of my memories on paper. Get a piece of paper or pull up a word document.  Close your eyes for a moment and visualize a favorite memory from your childhood.  In my case I started with a favorite place, my maternal grandma's house.  But perhaps yours is the back alley where you and your friends played baseball, or your great uncle's garage where he showed you how to work on cars.  Whatever is meaningful to you. Now, open your eyes, and write your thoughts one at a time.  Just free flow it. They don't have to be complete sentences.  Later you can try your hand at writing more of your actual experiences or memories of a person.  Again, it doesn't have to be a novel or sound really professional.  It's just the memories from you heart.   Family Photos: Question: If we have piles and piles of family photos, particularly ones we’ve inherited, how to do we decide which to keep and which to toss? Or do you ever toss? Devon’s answer: Get rid of the duplicates! Keep 1 of the biggest and best and throw the rest away. Don’t bog yourself down with hours spent trying to track down someone else to give them to. Get rid of blurry, overexposed, underexposed, and meaningless photos. Unlabeled photos: There will be some circumstances where you will not be able to keep them. You can’t go into debt for unlabeled photos. You want to separate them from the labeled so that other family members don’t throw them all out together. If you have time, try to identify them by asking relatives, and posting them to DeadFred.com. If you can, donate the remaining unlabeled photos to orphaned photo collectors, or toss. You did the best you can. Don’t feel guilty because your ancestors didn’t label their photos. Question: What advice do you give your readers who are faced with what to do with their genealogy when they don’t have descendants or when no one in the family wants it? What encouragement can you offer when there is no one who descends from you, or there is no one who wants them. Devon’s answer: If you think you don’t have anyone in your family who is interested, you’re wrong. Downsizing and organizing will increase the chances of someone willing to take it later. If you don’t have anyone in your immediate family who wants your stuff, start looking for distant cousins actively working on a surname. They won’t want everything. You will have to divide the material. They want it organized. Do it while you’re living – don’t leave it to someone else. Digitize it and get it online where it can be shared. From Lisa: Getting your stuff in good condition makes it more desirable. Our collection, broken up, may have much more value to other people. Get your copy of Downsizing with Family History in Mind . (We hope you enjoyed the interview, and thank you for using our link.) The free podcast is sponsored by: GEM: Profile America – The 1830 U.S. Federal Census Saturday, October 5th. The national census to be taken April 1 next year will be the 24th time this once-a-decade count has been conducted since 1790. The fifth census in 1830 profiled a quickly expanding nation, counting nearly 13 million residents — an increase of more than one-third in just 10 years. New York remained the largest city, while second and third places were a near tie between Baltimore and Philadelphia. Also, among the 10 biggest cities were Charleston, South Carolina, and Albany, New York. In the decade to follow, Cyrus McCormick invented the grain reaper, opening huge sections of the Great Plains to agriculture, and Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Sources:     Read our latest articles at Genealogy Gems: 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 . Please Help Us by Taking the 1 Minute Genealogy Gems Survey Please help us create the best podcast for you by taking . Get the Genealogy Gems Podcast App Get the right app for your phone or tablet .   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media:   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. to sign up today.

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 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 , 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 for them. The instructions provide background on the creation of the list, and that can help us get more out of it. Research Tip: : The Decennial Censuses From 1790 to 2000. From that page you download the PDF of enumerator instructions. Here’s an example of how understanding the census enumerator instructions can help you better understand how to interpret it: In 1900 the census was answered as if it were a particular day. This means that if someone died a few days later, they may still be listed as alive in the 1900 census. If you know that they died that year, you now have more information that it was after the enumeration date. Genealogy websites like Ancestry, FamilySearch and MyHeritage often provide background on the creation and purpose of their record collections.   Tax List example: there are laws behind them. Look up the statute. Google to find summations of tax laws at the time. Keep in mind that they might be in order of location. When analyzing a list, ask yourself the following questions: What was this list created for? Why is it in this order? What does that then tell me about these people?   What’s we’re really talking about is educating ourselves so that we’re not contributing to the errors that get out there. It’s an investment in accuracy.   Context It can be tempting to just scan the list, grab your ancestor out of it, and move on. But if we do that, we could be leaving a lot of genealogical gold behind. “Evidence mining requires attention to detail, including details that might initially seem insignificant.” ––BCG, Genealogy Standards, #40, p. 24 Here are some ideas as to what we should look for: Sometimes it’s just a name (example: petition lists) There might be columns at the top – pay attention to those details for more understanding Other people in the list: the FAN Club (Friends, Associates, Neighbors.) Look for those names in other documents.   Organizing Your Research and the Data Collected from Lists Cari uses spreadsheets to organize her genealogical research project data. Come of the benefits of using a spreadsheet are that you can: easily sort the data easily manipulate the data visualize the data in different forms   Free Download: Read and download the free spreadsheet template.   Explore the Bigger List Often times you do a search, and you find a single record. But that single record is actually part of a massive internal list, an indexed list from which the search engine is pulling. An example of this is when you run a search for your ancestor at the  After finding your ancestor’s record, you can then run a search by that land description to find other people who owned land and possibly lived nearby. on the batch search technique that Lisa mentioned.   What Constitutes Proof? “Evidence mining requires attention to detail, including details that might initially seem insignificant.” – BCG, Genealogy Standards, #40, p.24 Review the Genealogical Proof Standard in the show notes for Genealogy Gems Podcast   2 men with 1 name When everyone in the family wants to name their children after Grandpa, you can end up with a lot people in a county with the same name. You need to tease them apart. Questions to ask: Who did they associate with? Who were their siblings? Where were each of them located? All of these things can help differentiate them. A spreadsheet is an excellent tool for this.   The Yearbook List Example Very often the list of names is the full list of students. However, not every student necessarily had their photo taken. Count the names and then count the photos to verify you have the right person. Search the to try and find another photo of the person to compare.     Cari’s Main Message Don’t skip over a list because it’s lacking some identifying information. You still need to record it. You may come back to it one day!   Visit Cari Online:    Profile America: The Gregorian Correction Wednesday, September 11th. This was a day that didn’t exist in Colonial America in 1752, as the familiar calendar underwent what is called the “Gregorian correction,” switching from the ancient Julian calendar to adjust for errors accumulated over centuries. After September 2nd, the next day was September 14th. The British parliament’s Calendar Act of 1750 had also changed New Year’s Day from March 25th to January 1st. As a result, the year 1751 had only 282 days. Since then, with leap years built in as in 2020, the calendar has remained constant.  Sources:              News: Watch Lisa’s new MyHeritage Education Center to watch videos and read article to help you get more out of using MyHeritage. Watch the presentation at the MyHeritage Education Center:

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 232 with Lisa Louise Cooke August 2019 Please take our quick 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 .  eBay strategies on Genealogy Gems eBay strategies on Genealogy Gems  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"  []. 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 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   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 Genealogists, and 2017 She won the Association of Professional Genealogists Professional Achievement Award. She is a Certified Genealogist®, and Certified Genealogical LecturerSM. You can reach Elissa at . (Thank you to Elissa for contributing notes for this episode.) Visit Elissa’s website at The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) The Genealogical Proof Standard was created to help genealogists gain confidence in their research conclusions by providing criteria that can be followed. A genealogical conclusion is considered proved when it meets all five GPS components. The 5 Components of the GPS Reasonably exhaustive research This type of research emphasizes original records that provide the information for all evidence that might answer a genealogist’s question about an identity, relationship, event, or situation Complete, accurate citations to the source or sources of each information item contributing—directly, indirectly, or negatively—to answers about that identity, relationship, event, or situation Tests—through processes of analysis and correlation—of all sources, information items, and evidence contributing to an answer to a genealogical question or problem Resolution of conflicts among evidence items pertaining to the proposed answer A soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion based on the strongest available evidence Resource The book by the Board for Certification of Genealogists provides a standard by which all genealogists can pattern their work. About Sources Some sources are considered “Low-hanging fruit.” They can be described as: - straightforward research - easily accessible - record type is easily understood - document states the fact desired Many times, genealogists will need to stretch and reach for harder to find sources. These types of sources are: - not straightforward - possibly unknown to you at this time - not easily accessible - time-consuming to explore - take study to understand it - not self-explanatory Elise’s Examples of the Pitfalls of Shallow Research Believing that family stories have been accurately passed down in all details. Believing that official documents are always correct. Believing that published records, especially transcriptions or abstracts, are faithful representations of the original. Premature conclusions can come back to haunt us. Disregarding ill-fitting evidence can create brick walls. Careless citation practices do not give us the tools we need for analysis. Researching and understanding historical context is crucial to solving problems. Barriers requiring expertise beyond our own should not hamper the research process. Assuming there is only one record and suspending research when the first one is found. Assuming that details are unimportant, or not noticing them at all. Elissa also points out that when we do shallow research, we can actually do more harm than good. Shallow genealogical research: Doesn’t allow our ancestors to reveal themselves or their reasons for actions Puts them in the wrong time and place Can create wrong kinship ties Misleads future researchers Causes brick walls Wastes our time Does a disservice to our current family and descendants   GEM: Irish Genealogy with Lorna Moloney of Merriman Research While speaking at THE Genealogy Show conference in Birmingham England in June of this year I got a chance to sat down for the first time with Lorna Moloney host of The Genealogy Radio show which is produced at Raidio Corcabaiscinn. Click ). Lorna runs Merriman Research which is dedicated to bringing educational solutions and resources to a wide audience.  Lorna’s website: Photo: Lisa and Lorna at THE Genealogy Show in Birmingham, England in 2019.     Do you have Irish Roots? Then Irish Roots Magazine is perfect for you! Visit Irish Roots Magazine at    Join Lisa in Person for 2 Exciting and Innovative Days of Genealogy! 1 and 2 day passes available. : 2 days for the price of 1 until 9/15/19.

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 Visit the   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 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. 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 .” 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.   MAILBOX: We received lots of great feedback on the article 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 stacked and several large rocks were around the monument and it was in the middle of a field that was being planted and harvested. We made contact with the owner and received permission to have it raised. In the meantime, I found an obituary for a son who was buried on the family farm. I also found an article about a woman who did dowsing, contacted her and she agreed to come perform the dowsing. I was videoing it when my phone went totally dead! I had never had that happen and it was charged. Thirty minutes later it came back on mysteriously! She found 2 adult women, 2 adult men and three toddlers. After further search I found another obituary for a grown daughter buried there and 3 toddler grandchildren who died in 1882. She said that the large rocks would have marked the graves. Sadly, they had totally desecrated the family cemetery. But I was excited to learn all I did and was startled by the phone totally dying. The free podcast is sponsored by We first talked to Julianne last year  in Genealogy Gems Podcast . In that episode we explored the tragic story of Julianne’s ancestors, the Metthe family. It was a riveting case study of the twists and turns that genealogy can take us on.GEM: Checking in with Julianne Mangin Julianne had originally been a bit of a reluctant genealogist. But after a 30 year career in library science, including 14 years as a librarian and website developer for the Library of Congress in Washington DC, she could couldn’t help but try to find the truther in the piecemeal stories that she was told by her mother. Julianne has continued to research and write at her , and I thought it would fun to check back in with her and see what she’s been up to. Her latest blog series is called Alice’s Story. It follows the path of discovery she followed to uncover the story of a previously unknown aunt. – the Exeter School – Final Resting Place The research began where most good genealogical research begins: at the end of Alice’s life and her death certificate. Institutional Records - But with few records and no first-hand interviews available, Julianne turned to researching the institutions themselves to dig deeper into Alice’s experience. Resource:Genealogy Gems Premium Video: ( required) State Census Records can help fill in the gaps between the federal census enumerations.  Search for “state census” in the card catalog:   The free podcast is sponsored by   Resource: “Copies of many state censuses are on microfilm at the . The Family History Library's most complete collections of state censuses are for Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. However censuses exist for the following states also:  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  ,  and . State, colonial, and territorial censuses at the  are listed in the Place Search of the  under "STATE - CENSUS RECORDS"   Old Postcards are a great resource for images. Resources:Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast and feature strategies for finding family history on ebay. (Genealogy Gems Premium required)   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberGain 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.   Institutional Annual Reports – Julianne searched for annual reports to the Legislature for more details on the various institutions where Alice resided. Resources:   Old Newspapers offered a counterbalance to the annual reports. Resources:   “The institutions were like characters in the story.”   Also mentioned in this interview:   You worked really hard on your family history – protect it with the Cloud backup service that Lisa uses:

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 !   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: 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  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 paid off in a big way!   MAILBOX: Robin wrote in to share how Sydney Orton’s song with her grandpa in Genealogy Gems Podcast brought her to tears in a toll plaza while driving!   Steve wrote in to rave about the value that his new 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 quick reference comparison guide. We have several articles and episodes at Genealogy Gems that can help you do this: Go to At the top of the home page select "German" from the "Start Learning" drop down menu That will take you to featuring 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 software for her master family tree. Learn more about GEDCOM files in this article: Protech Your Master Family Tree Lisa uses to back up her master family tree and computer. Visit (Using this link also helps keep this free podcast free. Thank you!) Read more: Share Branches Online available in the Genealogy Gems store.   Read Lisa’s article: 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 . Sources: Joseph Nathan Kane, Kane’s Famous First Facts, Fifth Edition, H.W. Wilson Co., New York, NY, 1997, #7692.     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. . (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.)