Stories in Our Roots

As Jennifer learned more about her family she recognized the threads in her life that connect her to her ancestors. In this episode Jennifer shares: What it was like to connect with her grandfather as she retraced some of his steps during WWII What happened when she dropped by the home of extended family she didn’t know in Germany How understanding her past helps her consider her influence on futu...

At its core family history is about better understanding who we are.  We learn about the past to give clarity to the present which gives us hope for the future.  In this episode Heather covers: Why ethnicity results are problematic when it comes to identity The #1 thing you should add to your research to better understand yourself Why you should rethink your reasons for researching family history...

Shenley has gained strength and perspective by learning her family’s story and helps her children in the same way by passing on those stories.   In this episode Shenley shares: The post-high school trip she took when her plans to travel Europe fell through How she learned to handle hard things through a cake mishap and a bombed train Why we should be careful making assumptions about our ancestors...

As a first-generation American Lisa struggled for decades to learn the story of her family history because accessing records in Mexico was difficult.  In this episode Lisa shares: The immigration stories of her grandparents and parents How losing everything in a hurricane as a child motivated her to keep memories close through journaling How to make family history part of your life even if you can...

Family history is a team sport, with each family member making their contribution to collective family memories.  Stories have always held Taralyn’s attention, leading her to a career in journalism and a path that now focuses on sharing stories and making connections through social media. In this episode Taralyn shares: How sunshine and swimming pools evoke memories of storytelling How a specific...

#24  What questions have you not asked family members about their lives or the lives of other family members?  Sometimes we learn about our family history through time spent with them, but most often we need to take initiative and make the time to ask the questions that at some point we will wish we asked.  In this episode Heather talks about: One story from her grandmother that shows the power of...

An avid blogger, Taneya has documented her family history journey, her evolution as a researcher is evident in the evolution of her blog articles.  Beginning with lists of data collected, Taneya gravitated toward collecting the stories around the data. In this episode Taneya shares: Learning about her great-uncle’s military service and why he never talked about it How the WPA Slave Narrative proje...

Hear Olivia tell her story how she accidently became involved in learning how to research her family history.  The theme throughout her projects has been connection which led her to found the 21 Day Family Connections Experiment.  Olivia shares what she has learned through her own experience about the power of connections. In this episode Olivia shares: How building a book about her grandparents h...

#21  For over 20 years Emily wondered about the identity of her biological father, the person who made her different in appearance and mannerisms from the rest of her family.  Emily experienced what it feels like to not know a part of her story and thanks to genetic genealogy was finally able to put all the pieces together. In this episode Emily shares: How she felt not knowing the identity of her...

#20 In this episode Heather shares how to become more resilient as you research your family history.  She discusses four areas of resilience that apply to family history and every day life. Self-awareness and self-care Purpose and goals Relationships and connections Perspective and optimism Want to join Resilience in Your Roots, my 1:1 coaching program?  Schedule a call with me ! Get a free workbo...

It all started for John by being curious about the origin of his name and then learning about the man after whom he was named.  Throughout his research John discovered an artifact that told the story of a World War I soldier and stories of an ancestor tangibly involved with the growth of Melbourne.  Finding personal connections with world and regional events as helped the study of history be more...

#18   Nancy Stratford has researched her family history for over 50 years and still has not reached the point of being “finished.” Nancy looks for ways to share what she learns with family and strangers alike, like writing a family cookbook or a local history of the Island Park, Idaho area.  Through her dedication throughout her life she has learned about hundreds of people who are part of her fam...

#17 Melanie wasn’t expecting it but researching her family history this year helped her get through the really tough times.  The time she chose to spend researching after the kids went to bed gave her mind space to recharge from the stress of the day.  Melanie said, “Maybe I should look at meditation, but instead I found family history.”  She came away from her research time with increased self-aw...

#16 – Sam Williams | Building a Family Forest Sam Williams focuses on building his family forest, not only his family tree.  Researching his family has strengthened his connection with family close and distant, given him a greater sense of patriotism and allowed him to sink his roots deeply into his home county.  Learn from Sam what it means to encounter your ancestors, not just identify them. In...

#15  In this episode Heather shares Top 5 Gratitude List related to family history for 2020.   #1 An opportunity to gain better clarity on her passion [1:00] #2 Making memories with living family members [4:02] #3 Understanding ancestral patterns contribute to, but do not define, who she is [6:22] #4 Learning to be grateful for small discoveries on difficult family lines [9:20] #5 Lessons learned...

Laura shares the stark difference between one grandmother who kept a notebook with memories and family information and another grandmother who fabricated the story of her childhood and said she grew up in an orphanage.   We talk about visiting ancestral homes, interests that resurface after several generations, and how all stories are great stories to pass on. In this episode Laura shares: The sto...

Melanie shares her official and unofficial stories of how she became interested in researching her family tree.  Over the years she has connected with cousins by using multiple platforms like FamilySearch and Facebook, adding more dimension to what she knew about her family.  Melanie encourages us to record stories, even if they seem untrue, because you never know what kernel of truth they hold. I...

Thanks to Aunt Sadie and the passing on of family heirlooms, Julie Adamcin has learned many stories about her ancestors.  In today’s episode she shares the story behind bullet holes in a marble top table and the ancestor who lived in Missouri and voted for Abraham Lincoln in 1860.  Julie also shares how finding a newspaper article about her grandfather’s death helped her better understand the expe...

#11  It's very common for people who research their family history to have a favorite branch of their tree, ancestors to whom they feel especially connected.  For others, one part of the family may be hard to connect to because of more recent family dynamics.  This episode explores the concept of balancing our family narratives and remembering all of our ancestors. In this episode Heather sha...

#10  Iris began researching her family history when she was an adult to discover the story of her Abuela (Grandmother) Faustina, whom she never met.  Iris’ story is about the gift she received by learning the story of Abuela Faustina and other relatives.  But the gift wasn’t just for her.  She saw firsthand how much what she learned was a gift to other family members. In this episode Iris shares:...

#9  Today’s episode features the story of Tamara Hallo, a native of Miami, Florida.  Hear how a box of inherited family information grew her interest in learning about her family and also strengthened her relationship with her mother.  Tamara’s family has a strong matriarch on her maternal line that inspired generations of her family.  We also discuss the imbalance some families have between their...

#8  Amy Harris explains the concept of genealogical consciousness, which goes beyond information and instead influences the way we see not only our ancestors, but people in our world now.  Genealogy has evolved over the decades and Amy sees a need for it to evolve even more in order to help make our world a better place as we are less judgmental and more forgiving.  Coming to know the stories of o...

#7  The way you approach your family history research matters.  Heather advocates for moving away from the traditional genealogy that focuses on data collection.  Instead, she encourages mindful research to open your mind and heart to understanding your ancestors, and yourself, as completely as possible. In this episode Heather shares: What matters most to people researching their family history [...

#6  Katherine Willson knows that learning about your family history gives you a different perspective of family members and events that happen in the world beyond family.  Hear how she started her genealogy journey as a Junior Girl Scout, how knowing the stories of her immigrant ancestors helps her be more resilient, and her unusual tip for those beginning to explore their family roots that is imp...

#5:  Schuyler Carter is a PhD candidate in Urban and Regional Science who began researching her genealogy when she was eighteen years old.  What began as a search for scholarships evolved into a way has she connected not only with her ancestors, but also her living family as she shares what she learns and with her community as she strives to honor the legacy of her ancestors. In this episode Schuy...