From Paper To People

Sometimes, it's good to just stop and take a breath. This week, I'm discussing how to keep it simple in research by focusing all of your energies on one tree, where you provide for everyone in your family - biological parents, step parents, foster parents, and adoptive parents. You'll learn how to handle nervous relatives who might not want their secrets spilled, and why, regardless of your family...

Biography can be really dry and boring stuff, a string of facts without seasoning or flavor. In this episode, I'll teach you how to use genealogical research of your subject to add spice and life to a biographical book or project. I'll tell you how I'm using it to write a book of my own, and show you how much juicy deliciousness you can add to basic facts if you work to understand the entirety of...

I hate Valentine's Day, so this holiday episode is all about death records. They rock my world. The focus is on Social Security and county-level death records, featuring my favorite: DEATH CERTIFICATES! Learn about the 6 W's of assessing the purpose and value of a record before you ever use it, and then we'll talk specifics about the US Social Security Applications and Claims Index, the US Social...

Genealogy is populated with lots of groovy people, and just enough Jeffreys doing things the wrong way to thoroughly annoy the rest of us. Don't be a Jeffrey, be awesome! Follow the best practice and best evidence guidelines for Ancestry in this episode and you'll go far, Cousin. Happy Black History Month to all. And as the international strength of the podcast is growing, financial supporters are...

"Cage Match! Ancestry vs FamilySearch" is about the pros and cons of using Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org, the two main family tree sites used by the majority of researchers I know. Each has assets and drawbacks, but they're best used together. And get a load of my fan hot spots! All kinds of folks are tuning in. Add your friends and family to the list! Please rate and review the podcast on you...

Folklore is great for finding facts and hints to start a tree, but it's equally wonderful for entertainment and for preserving the memory of family elders for all generations, current and future, to enjoy. If your family tells stories, this is for you. If they don't but you like stories, this is for you. If you just want to hear one of MY family stories, this is for you. And above all, if you want...

"Folklore, or Just the Facts, Ma'am" is for EVERYBODY. If you're doing research for yourself, or helping someone new start their own, this episode will help you to understand the whys and hows of using folklore-gathering skills to jumpstart your tree. I discuss a few examples of how folklore has helped me, and how asking the right questions in the right way will warm up any participant in a story-...

This episode is directed primarily toward European-American Mormons, but no matter what, you will get something out of it. I discuss the Mormon Law of Consecration and how I apply it to family history work and working with others; the differences between African-American and European American genealogy; and the specific case of my research on a reparational tree for Recy Corbitt Taylor and anyone...

Yes, it's here! Episode 1 of Ancestors Alive, From Paper To People. It's a little bare-bones, but we'll get fancy later. I wanted to start the New Year off right by getting things going. Future episodes will be rife with bells and whistles like intro music, but for now, I'm keeping it simple. Have questions you want me to answer? Send me a message via the contact form on my website at ancestorsali...