Extreme Genes

What is and what isn't a genealogical "source?"

Originally aired in 2017 Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist for the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. David is on the road in Louisville, Kentucky. The guys start by discussing Fisher's bizarre find of an 1807 church record where all of his ancestors and their relatives seem to be marked with a cross! David then begins Fa...

Google Search Tricks

Coats of Arms and Family Crests. What Are The Differences?

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org . Fisher talks about discovering some never-before-seen pictures and David talks about an article on the subject. Then David shares one of his favorite YouTube channels for self-education about Irish research. A 6,000-year-old cemetery in Normandy...

Directories and Maps Can Sometimes Tell  Stories as Plainly as a Personal History

Journal keeping is a simple, old fashioned, and effective way to document your life's adventures. And what a treasure it will be for your descendants.

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. The guys begin with the story of the find of a hidden basement in a West Coast house. Then, a jawbone found on a Lake Michigan beach some time ago has been identified through the DNA Doe Project. In Israel, a man has discovered that his house stan...

Want your kids to find history a little more interesting? Try sharing family stories about how your ancestors were connected to historic figures and events.

Over many years anyone, like Fisher, can accumulate quite an Ancestral Museum. But without proper planning, where it goes after you might be to the dump!

Fisher and David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org, open the show.  They anticipate reviewing Roots Tech, the largest family history conference in the world, that is taking place over the weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.  David then talks about a remarkable discovery of remains under a bus station in Harlem, New York!  Just...

Many families have long running oral traditions. But just how accurate are they?

We all have family secrets. And if you're concerned about how to handle those secrets in a history, Fisher has some thoughts.

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org . Fisher opens talking about a friend's "beginners' luck" in finding a 1933 photo of his Dad on eBay, his first time searching for family material there. The guys then talk about Ancestry DNA's latest breakthrough, separating the ethnicity you have...

Over 40 years before photography became a thing, a printing process paved the way for the publication of numerous images, some of which may help tell your family story.

Your old home movies may be a treasure trove of photographs you didn't even know you had. Here's how to get to them!

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org . David shares how he discovered a new cousin he didn't know existed, and contacted her, with the help of the newly released 1950 US Census. He explains how it all worked out. Fisher then talks about the latest states and territories whose 1950 Cen...

Have you ever been told that you are a cousin one or more times removed? What that means is simpler than you may think.

Have you been hesitant to write your own history? Everyone has a story to tell! Don't deprive your descendants of the lessons and events of your life.

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org . The guys begin by talking about their own experiences with the newly released 1950 US Census. David then shares a bizarre story about a photo found in an old box that led to a century old story of murder! Then, DNA is again coming through showing...

Are you considering writing an ancestral history, but feel their life story is "spotty?" Here is how historical context can help you fill in the gaps.

Most people have records, photos, or heirlooms in their homes. But other relatives almost certainly do as well. And often the things they have are different than what you've had passed down. Perhaps it's time for an inventory of all the Family Archive "Branch Offices!"

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with guest host David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org . The guys begin the show talking about the recent release of the 1950 Census and how to use it in these days before the indexing is done. Then, David shares the origins of the UK's passion for fish and chips. You might be surprised wher...

Imagine a library that stores billions of webpages from sites that no longer exist, and digitized texts of millions of books and other assets. It's not in Greece, and it costs you nothing to visit.

There's a time for collecting and a time for distributing. While you're still here, it's time you figure out how that's going to happen. Fisher shares some thoughts on protecting your life's family history work.