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

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Learn the 5 steps to successfully finding marriage records for genealogy research. This episode is also available in video form on the show notes page on our website. Genealogy Gems Premium Members Exclusive Download: Log into your Premium membership and download the ad-free Show Notes handout that complements this episode: Downloadable ad-free Show Notes Marriage Records...

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Do you have a revolutionary war ancestor? Have you thought about joining the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR)? I've invited Barbara Jurs of the DAR to explain the process. In this video, you'll learn the answers to the questions: What is the DAR? What do I need to do first? How much genealogical proof do I need? How do I apply for the DAR? How do I find local DA...

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: In our first segment, Lisa Louise Cooke and her guest Jenny Ashcraft from Newspapers.com discuss how to use newspapers to fill in the missing stories in your ancestors' lives. Jenny shares strategic tips on finding unique information many researchers miss. In the second segment of this episode, Shannon Combs-Bennett, the author of the article A Genealogist's Guide to Find...

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Discover more than 100,000 old family photos on Dead Fred. Founder Joe Bott explains how to find photos of your relatives on this free website, as well as how to post your unidentified photos. Who knows, someone else may spot your photo and have the answers. This interview is also available in video form on the show notes page. And if you're a Genealogy Gems Premium Membe...

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Whether you want to visit the village where your ancestor was born on your next vacation, or you just want to find their records, you'll need to know the exact place name and location. Professional genealogist Rich Venezia of Rich Roots Genealogy joins me in this video to help us pin down those ancestral places. This interview is also available in video form on the show n...

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: I've got two great genealogy topics and interviews for you in this audio podcast episode. First up we're going to tackle the problem of conflicting birthdates. When you find different dates in a variety of genealogical records, how do you decide which one to record in your family tree database? Well, you have to do more digging and analysis! So, we're going to talk about:...

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Get the very latest on the major update Google has made to Bard, and the answer to the question "Should I use Bard, ChatGPT, or any of the other chatbots for genealogy research?" I've got some surprising answers for you! Visit the show notes page for this episode. Watch the Video You can watch the video version: SHOCKING RESULTS! Should you use AI Chatbots for Genealogy?...

Show Notes: Professional Genealogist J Mark Lowe joins Lisa Louise Cooke on the show to share a marriage research case study that highlights the importance of understanding Gretna Greens. Then Professional Genealogist and blogger Robyn Smith shares her 3 step process for researching witnesses found on records from her new Family Tree Magazine article Witness Testimony. Visit the show notes page fo...

Google Books is known for having millions of free digitized books. But did you know that it's also packed with hidden old newspapers? Since newspapers don't typically appear in your initial search results in Google Books, I'll show you two ways to filter down to only newspapers. Plus I'll also show you some of the most effective ways to quickly find the right ancestor and the right article. Get th...

Has it been a while since you worked on your genealogy research? As passionate as we may be about genealogy, the reality is that a little thing called "Life" can get in the way! Getting back into genealogy can actually be a bit daunting. Where did you leave off? Where should you start back up? If it's been months or even years since you had your hands in genealogy, you're in the right place. In th...

Gretna Green is a term you need to know if you are searching for marriage records. In this video professional genealogist J. Mark Lowe joins me to discuss Gretna Green: what it means, why it matters, and how Gretna Greens may have affected your ability to find your ancestors' marriage records. Get the show notes for this episode. MyHeritage Get your MyHeritage Complete Subscription Free Trial News...

The GEDCOM digital file format is essential to genealogy. My expert guest from FamilySearch explains what a GEDCOM is, how to use it, and the most recent changes. He'll also answer some of the most common GEDCOM questions. Get the show notes for this episode. MyHeritage Get your MyHeritage DNA Kit Newspapers.com Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription. Click here and use coupon code genealogyge...

A ton of genealogy and family history research can be done for free. In this episode I'll share 15 fabulous free websites and what I love about them. These are essential for everyone serious about saving money while climbing their family tree. Get the show notes for this episode. MyHeritage Get your MyHeritage Complete Subscription Free Trial Newspapers.com Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscripti...

Finding great sources of information is part of what makes genealogy so fun! But citing those sources may not be so much. In this episode professional genealogist, Gail Schaefer Blankenau makes the case why source citation is a vital part of great genealogy research and she's going to give us the resources to help get the job done right. Get the show notes for this episode. MyHeritage Get your MyH...

In this episode, we're going to be visiting two of the most pivotal states in the U.S. for genealogy research. These states played key roles in the development and expansion of the United States of America, and we're going to explore a top online resource for each. First up is the state of Pennsylvania, officially known as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1681 through a royal la...

In this episode, we're focusing on early Virginia genealogy. In our first segment, I've invited a professional genealogist to join us to help pave the way for tracing our ancestors back to Virginia just prior to the Revolutionary War. Jeri Satterwhite-Dearing specializes in early Virginia research in her work as a professional genealogist with Legacy Tree Genealogists. In this video, she explains...

In this episode, Lisa Louise Cooke and Jenny Ashcraft from Newspapers.com discuss how to use newspapers to fill in the missing stories in your ancestors' lives. Jenny shares strategic tips on finding unique information many researchers miss. Get the full show notes for this episode here. MyHeritage From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" Get your f...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a Forensic Genetic Genealogist. Dr. Claire Glynn joins me to talk about the field of investigative genetic genealogy, criminal cold cases solved, and the new Forensic Genetic Genealogy certificate program she has developed at the Henry C. Lee (notable for his work on the OJ Simpson case and many others) College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at...

In this episode Lisa Louise Cooke discusses: Organizing and Reducing inherited genealogical information Ideas for donating portions of genealogy research How to decide what to keep and what to toss How to process information gleaned items such as compiled family histories Get the full show notes here. MyHeritage From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the differenc...

If you've been wondering how to write and self-publish a book about your family history, my guest has answers for you! In this episode author J.M. Phillips shares: How to be a great family history storyteller Her favorite writing techniques that help create a compelling story What she learned about self-publishing (and what you need to know) Her experience living on and writing about Lamlash Stree...

In this episode you'll discover the best places to locate records that can substitute for the lost 1890 census. You'll learn: what happened to the 1890 census which parts of the 1890 census survived Information that was provided in the 1890 census the best substitute records and where to find them MyHeritage From Lisa: "I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!"...

In this episode we're talking about this unique moment in time where we have access to the 1950 U.S. Census but we don't yet have the full index. The 1950 census must be indexed so that we can search for relatives by name, location and much, much more. You can help with this exciting project, and no special skills or background are required. Jim Ericson of FamilySearch 1950 Census Community Projec...

When you're working on our genealogy, you've got data and records coming from all directions: websites, interviews, archives, downloadable documents, and more. Some of it you're actively working on, some of it you need to save for later, and the rest has already been analyzed and is ready for archiving. This variety of data requires a variety of storage locations. In this audio podcast episode I'm...

Researching ancestors in another country can be a little daunting. Challenges include foreign languages, moving boundaries, and spelling variations. This is certainly true for German genealogy. If you're new to German genealogy or your research has stalled, this episode is for you. In fact, even if you don't have German ancestors I think you will still find the principles and ideas covered very he...

Th National Archives releases the 1950 census in April 2022. Before you start searching for your family, familiarize ourselves with this important records collection and start preparing for success. This episode brings you the audio from Elevenses with Lisa episode 51 PLUS important updates. You will learn: the interesting and little known stories behind the 1950 census, what it can reveal about y...