Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen

Let us know what you think! Episode Overview Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, helping researchers uncover overlooked records and historical clues that bring family stories to life. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt explores one of the most challenging areas of American genealogy: pre-1855 immigration research. Many fam...

Let us know what you think! A Conversation with Kathleen Brandt: Behind the Uniform Every Soldier Has a Story When: Saturday, October 4th 2 - 4pm The Conference Center at MGC Join Kathleen Brandt for a conversation about Behind the Uniform: Every Soldier Has a Story, the first book in a new series dedicated to military family history research. Learn how to research and uncover personal stories hid...

Let us know what you think! Episode Overview Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers , exploring the records, places, and historical context that help families uncover difficult and forgotten stories. In this episode, Kathleen speaks with Mark Schindler, Rebba Omer, and Daniel Feldman about the Forgotten Children Initiative and wh...

Let us know what you think! Episode Overview Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers , helping researchers build stronger family histories through better sources and smarter research methods. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt shares a curated summer reading list for genealogists , featuring nonfiction books that demonstrate ho...

Let us know what you think! Episode Overview Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers , helping researchers uncover records and historical context that bring family stories to life. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt explores the U.S. Congressional Serial Set , one of the most overlooked resources in genealogy research. Far more...

Let us know what you think! #genealogy #familysearch #census #bountyland Episode Overview Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers , helping researchers uncover overlooked records and stronger research strategies. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt answers listener questions focused on three high-impact genealogy sources that can qui...

Let us know what you think! #genealogy #genealogytips #rootstrip  #FamilyHistoryTravel  Episode Overview Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers , helping researchers move beyond online databases and into the archives, collections, and communities where deeper family stories live. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt gets honest about...

Let us know what you think! Episode Overview Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers , focusing on how place, movement, and records intersect. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt speaks with Melissa Brown from the National Frontier Trails Museum about why Independence, Missouri became a primary jumping-off point for westward migratio...

Let us know what you think! Episode Overview Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers , exploring how overlooked sources reveal deeper family stories. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt speaks with diary collector and history writer Angie Rodesky about how journals, letters, and personal writings provide granular clues for genealogy...

Let us know what you think! SHOW NOTE UPDATE:  We would like to thank one of our listeners from Oakland, California for submitting the following clarification: "Puerto Ricans who live on the island can’t vote in federal elections as set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Consequently, they do not have full representation in Congress." For Clarification: The United States Constitution does n...

Let us know what you think! Episode Overview Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, with a focus on clear reasoning, historical context, and practical research methods. In this episode, Kathleen and John Brandt sit down with guest Chelsea Clarke from the Midwest Genealogy Center to explore how a free, do-it-yourself Memory Lab helps...

Let us know what you think! #oneplacestudy #genealogy #genealogybasics Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, with a focus on clear reasoning, historical context, and practical research methods. In this episode, Kathleen and John Brandt are joined by guest Denise Cross to explore how a one-place study transforms scattered historical...

Let us know what you think! Episode Overview Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers , focusing on clear reasoning, historical context, and practical research methods. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt unpacks the growing buzz around the term “quantum genealogy,” explaining why it functions as a metaphor rather than a research meth...

Let us know what you think! Episode Overview Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is a podcast focused on genealogy, local history, and practical methods for turning scattered records into meaningful family narratives . In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt shifts the focus from collecting as many names as possible to building one strong ancestral branch by revisiting familiar records with sharper que...

Let us know what you think! Episode Overview Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is a podcast centered on genealogy, local history, and understanding how large historical events leave long shadows in family records . In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt examines how the French and Indian War (1754–1763) created ripple effects that appear decades later as mystery migrations, unexpected pensions, and...

Let us know what you think! We share how to research suspected ties between family history and serial killers, balancing DNA with records and community context. Check out:  killer.cloud Do you have a genealogical question for Kathleen? Drop us a line at hitting the bricks at gmail.com and Let us know. Support the show Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks   for your one stop access to Kath...

Let us know what you think! Your December gift helps us preserve truth, honor ancestors, and teach the next generation.  www.tracingancestors.org Support the show Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks   for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us on YouTube: @HTBKRB with Kathleen John and Chewey video recorded specials.  Hit...

Let us know what you think! We close the loop on the life of Civil War Veteran Joseph Chedester, whose ashes were left unburied for a century and whose honors finally reached his second great-granddaughters. The Final Salute The Eternal Valor Network , a Tracing Ancestors Project (501c3) Original Final Salute, Des Moines Oct 2024; Kathleen Receiving Veteran Chedester's burial flag for unknown...

Let us know what you think! We celebrate American Archives Month with ways to get more treats than tricks when using using national, state, and local archives on your brick wall.  This episode is a celebration of the archivists, collections and forgotten files that keep our family histories alive. Do you have genealogical questions for Kathleen? Drop us a line at hitting the bricks at gmail.com an...

Let us know what you think! We unpack how end of life records like probate, wills and testaments can be the undoing of even the most stubborn brickwall. Stacey Janssen and Jeremy Keel of Janssen Estate Probate & Elder Law demystify the legal jargon of wills, probate and guardian records. Do you have a genealogical question for Kathleen? Drop us a line at hitting the bricks at gmail.com and let...

Let us know what you think! School records dating back to the 1700s can break through genealogical brick walls by providing detailed information about individuals and families that may not exist in other historical documents. Support the show Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks   for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen. And, visit us...

Let us know what you think! Emily Wildhaber from Midwest Genealogy Center joins us to discuss their "Tell Me a Story" program that preserves family stories through oral history.  For more information visit: Tell Me a Story from Mid-West Genealogy Center Support the show Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks   for your one stop access to Kathleen Brandt, the host of Hittin' t...

Let us know what you think! Hittin' the Bricks welcomes Lauri Jean Swett and Ashley Arnett to discuss the upcoming Genealogy KC conference on August 23, 2025. Listen in as Lauri Jean and Ashley share topics and more about this free hybrid event.  Registration: genealogykc.org   Lauri Jean Swett Genealogy by Lauri Jean Support the show Be sure to bookmark linktr.ee/hittinthebricks   for your o...

Let us know what you think! Michelle Spencer, the family business researcher, shares details about the upcoming Missouri State Genealogical Association (MOSGA) conference on August 8-9. MoSGA Conference: Register at mosga.org for the conference on August 8-9 at the Missouri State Archives in Jefferson City. Registration is just $55 for non-members, $50 for members. https://www.mosga.org/ Check out...

Let us know what you think! Medical mysteries lurking in your family tree might hold the key to understanding sudden disappearances, unexplained relocations, or clusters of deaths among your ancestors. When traditional genealogy methods hit a wall, epidemic research could breakthrough those brick walls. Ready to uncover the medical history hiding in your family tree? Email hittingthebricks@gmail.c...