Best Familysearch Podcasts (2024)

1
Confirmation Bias, Ethel McKinney, Harley Bowers, and Solon Selleck 37:18

5h ago37:18

37:18

First off, welcome back - to us all! Glad to be recording again. This season will be all about confirmation bias and the many ways it can get in the way of writing accurate life stories. My focus has been on FamilySearch in the past few years, so we'll be talking about writing those Brief Life Histories there. This episode is about a specific searc…

1
Episode 286 Original Records and Website Search Strategies 34:50

1h ago34:50

34:50

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: When you find family history information online it's important to make every effort to find the original genealogy record. There are 5 reasons to find original records. I’ll explain what they are, and what to look for so that you get the most information possible for your family tree. Then I'll help you get the most out of…

1
The Kilmers: Fourth Cousins 4x Removed [Part One] 41:51

6h ago41:51

41:51

This episode, we journey through the origins of the Kilmer family legacy in Binghamton, New York, starting with the intriguing story of Dr. S. Andral Kilmer and his infamous, homeopathic remedy, Swamp Root, which took the 19th-century patent medicine industry by storm. However, behind the rise to household medicine fame lies a tale of family drama,…

1
[BITE SIZE] Angeline: Third-Great-Grandmother 36:30

16d ago36:30

36:30

In this episode, we dive into the enigmatic life of Angeline, my third-great-grandmother. Angeline's story, largely overshadowed by the men around her, begins in 1863 when her young husband, Elisha, leaves to fight in the Civil War. Left behind with their unborn child, Angeline's life unfolds in the margins of historical records, filled with gaps a…

1
Bartley Corbin: Fifth-Great-Grandfather 46:48

1M ago46:48

46:48

In this episode, we dive into the challenging history of Bartley Corbin, whose story is deeply entwined with the darker chapters of America’s history of racism, genocide, and slavery. We’ll grapple with the harsh realities of American expansion and the removal of indigenous people and discuss the role that genealogy can play in confronting uncomfor…

1
Episode 285 - Cemetery research, tombstones and stories 51:08

2M ago51:08

51:08

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Cemeteries have some of the most intriguing stories to tell us about our ancestors. In this episode, Joy Neighbors (The Tombstone Tourist), author of the book joins me to discuss: How to prepare for a successful cemetery research trip The meaning behind tombstone symbols The most surprising things she has discovered at cem…

1
Auguste and Josephine Dhyne: Third-Great-Grandparents 55:40

2M ago55:40

55:40

In this episode, we delve into the riveting journey of the Dhyne family from Belgium to America. As the story unfolds, we explore not just a coming-to-America tale but also a tale of complicated family dynamics and the challenges they faced. Along the way, we will reveal some surprising twists and turns throughout their lives and find out how easy …

1
[BITE SIZE] John Connis: Third-Great-Grandfather 29:12

2M ago29:12

29:12

This episode we delve into the challenges and uncertainties of the childhood of John Connis (my 3rd-great-grandfather). After being admitted to a 19th century New York City orphanage, John’s life becomes a story about resilience and new beginnings, and through John, we see how love passes down from generation to generation. The bibliography and add…

1
Episode 284 - 5 Steps to Finding Marriage Records 30:17

2M ago30:17

30:17

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

1
Ernest Harding: Second-Great-Granduncle 49:15

3M ago49:15

49:15

The life of Ernest Harding (my 2nd-great-granduncle) is marked by poverty and hardship, unfolding against the backdrop of the late 19th and early 20th century. From his challenging upbringing to his numerous brushes with the law, we explore Ernest’s complex family dynamics and his social stigmatization while navigating the New York State justice sy…

1
Willem Hoffmeyer: Ninth-Great-Grandfather 55:39

3M ago55:39

55:39

Willem Hoffmeyer (my 9th-great-grandfather) and his family are the portrait of colonial life in the 17th century. From their unconventional start in Brazil to their role in the shaping of modern-day New York, we delve into the tumultuous relationships and legal drama that defined Willem’s family and explore how messy families become respectable wit…

1
Episode 283 - Daughters of the American Revolution DAR and Genealogy 35:01

3M ago35:01

35:01

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Do you have a revolutionary war ancestor? Have you thought about joining the ? 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 …

1
Introducing Low Ancestry 0:56

3M ago0:56

0:56

Join us on June 11th for the premiere of Low Ancestry. Subscribe now and never miss an episode. Support the show! Connect with us on Instagram and TikTok and don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get podcasts. You can also find us at our website www.lowancestry.com. If you like what you hear, please vote for us as 2024 Women in P…

1
Episode 282 - Newspapers and Obituaries for Genealogy 45:47

4M ago45:47

45:47

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 a…

1
Episode 281 - Find and Identify Old Family Photos at DeadFred 28:16

5M ago28:16

28:16

AUDIO PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Discover more than 100,000 old family photos on . 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…

1
Episode 280 - 16 Ways to Find Your Ancestors’ Village 44:55

6M ago44:55

44:55

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 joins me in this video to help us pin down those ancestral places. This interview is also availabl…

1
Episode 279 - DNA Painter and Resolving Conflicting Birthdates 36:30

7M ago36:30

36:30

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 di…

1
Episode 278 - AI Updates and Should you use AI like ChatGPT and Bard for genealogy 36:12

1y ago36:12

36:12

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: Genealogy …

1
Episode 277 - Marriage Case Study and Researching Witnesses 46:12

1y ago46:12

46:12

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 artic…

1
Episode 276 - Free Old Newspapers at Google Books 26:43

1+ y ago26:43

26:43

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 fin…

1
Episode 275 Restarting Your Genealogy Research - Getting Started 28:48

1+ y ago28:48

28:48

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 ha…

1
Episode 274 - Marriage Records and Gretna Green 51:42

1+ y ago51:42

51:42

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 . MyHeritage Get your Get 20% off a Publisher E…

1
Episode 273 - GEDCOM Genealogy Files 30:36

1+ y ago30:36

30:36

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 MyHeritage Get your Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription. and use coupon code genealogygems Become a Genealogy Ge…

1
Episode 272 - 15 Freebies for Genealogy 52:31

1+ y ago52:31

52:31

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 . MyHeritage Get your Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription. and use coupon code genealogygem…

1
Episode 271 Genealogy Source Citations 53:58

1+ y ago53:58

53:58

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 . …

1
Episode 270 Pennsylvania and Ohio Genealogy 48:04

2y ago48:04

48:04

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 Penns…

1
Episode 269 Virginia Genealogy Strategies and Best Websites 46:19

2y ago46:19

46:19

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 In t…

1
Episode 268 Reconstructing an ancestor's story with newspapers 39:07

2y ago39:07

39:07

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 . From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!" Get…

1
Episode 267 Become a Forensic Genetic Genealogist 45:19

2y ago45:19

45:19

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 F 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 Scienc…

1
Episode 266 Dealing with Inherited Genealogy 49:54

2y ago49:54

49:54

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 . From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all th…

1
Episode 265 - Writing a Family History Book with Author J.M. Phillips 53:48

2y ago53:48

53:48

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 ex…

1
Episode 264 - 1890 Census Substitutes 44:02

2+ y ago44:02

44:02

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 From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy r…

1
Episode 263 1950 Census Update and FamilySearch Indexing 44:01

2+ y ago44:01

44:01

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 Er…

1
The Family Cookbook: Deep Fried Biscuits and Homemade Apple Butter 13:04

2+ y ago13:04

13:04

Today's episode is a Family Cookbook episode that I've wanted to make for quite a while. It features two of my favorite foods from the area where I went to college (and where MANY of my ancestors lived for over a century) - Deep Fried Biscuits and Homemade Apple Butter, from Indiana. See the shownotes for the recipes. The part of the apple butter r…

1
Episode 262 - Genealogy Data Workflow 47:31

2+ y ago47:31

47:31

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 st…

1
Episode 261 - 10 Top Tips for German Genealogy 44:12

2+ y ago44:12

44:12

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 s…

1
BioADay2022 - Wiley Franklin Odom 12:05

2+ y ago12:05

12:05

Here's another biography I developed on my quest to achieve one biography per day on my platform of choice, FamilySearch. With each ancestor, I always start with the auto-generated Life Story on Ancestry, copy it and paste it in the LifeStory field on FamilySearch. Then, I augment it with facts from census, vital, and other records, along with a li…

1
News Bulletin! 4 Free African American Genealogy Seminars in February! 2:48

2+ y ago2:48

2:48

This February is going to be on fire with four Saturday Zoom seminars, ABSOLUTELY FREE OF CHARGE: Dr Shelley Viola Murphy's "African American Genealogy Challenges," Angela Y Walton-Raji's "Researching African/Native American Genealogy," "African American Genealogy Research in the North Carolina Portion of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corrid…

1
BioADay2022 - Calvin Walker 20:00

2+ y ago20:00

20:00

Have you ever set a goal or {shudder} made a New Year's Resolution, and then not kept it? Yeah, you're allowed to look at me and point on that one. I am a terrible offender. But this year, I don't have a goal, or a resolution, I just have a hashtag. A THING, if you will. And that thing is - #BioADay2022. I am working hard to write a bio, little or …

1
Episode 260 - Your Guide & Update to the 1950 Census 56:34

2+ y ago56:34

56:34

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 …

1
Family Cookbook - Cheesecake Past, Cheesecake Present, Cheesecake Future 18:06

2+ y ago18:06

18:06

Happy New Year, and welcome back to the post-champagne life! I have three recipes for you today, and each will appease your cheesecake cravings in different ways. The first is a traditional recipe from my mother's mother. The second is a Ricotta Cheesecake (or Ricotta Pie) from a local real estate agent, AnnaLisa Bossio. The last is one of my own c…

1
Get Lost, 2021 - Hello, #BioADay2022! 14:53

2+ y ago14:53

14:53

2021 is definitely in the running for my least favorite year EVER! It has given me reason to reexamine what I'm doing, however, both with the podcast and with my own work. Join me for a list of thank-you's, and for an introduction of the quickest, easiest solution I've found so far to distractions, brick walls, and the genealogy blues - #BioADay202…

1
A Cup of Christmas Tea with Best-Selling Author Tom Hegg 36:00

2+ y ago36:00

36:00

Join me for an inspiring conversation with Tom Hegg, author of the New York Times best-selling book “A Cup of Christmas Tea”. Genealogists from around the world gathered together for this special live show to share a cup of tea and hear a story of the importance of touching base with our fellow man. It’s a message we can benefit from any time of ye…

1
Episode 258 - DNA Problem-solving for Genealogy 49:12

3y ago49:12

49:12

Visit the show notes page at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsors: StoryworthGive your relatives a meaningful gift with StoryWorth. Get started right away with no shipping required by going to You’ll get $10 off your first purchase! From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the diff…

1
Skelly Rellies 2021: Bad to the Bone 35:27

3y ago35:27

35:27

It's that time of year again - Happy Halloween, and Happy All Saints' Day too! This episode is full of delicious stories and delicious recipes. Dai Davies of GenealCymru and Andrew Martin of Family Histories Podcast contributed their own stories to the episode, as have I. I'm also providing you family and historical recipes for chocolate orange bar…

1
Episode 257 - Genealogy at the Internet Archive 49:20

3y ago49:20

49:20

Visit the show notes page at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsors: StoryworthGive your relatives a meaningful gift with StoryWorth. Get started right away with no shipping required by going to You’ll get $10 off your first purchase! From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the diff…

1
Skelly Rellies, Jeffreys and Consecration, Oh My! 4:13:39

3y ago4:13:39

4:13:39

I have three things on my mind today, and all opportunities for sharing and growth: Share an mp3 recording of an ancestor's story that you think is interesting, unique, creepy, or fun! I will edit it into the Halloween, Skelly Rellies episode of the podcast. Soft deadline is October 15, hard deadline is October 20. Don't be a Jeffrey, part #9,237 -…

1
Episode 256 - Interview with Author Nathan Dylan Goodwin 45:45

3y ago45:45

45:45

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 256 with Lisa Louise Cooke September 2021 Visit the show notes page at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsor: From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Episode Topic: Interview with Nathan Dylan Goodwin, author of The Chester Creek Murde…

1
A Zoom Class, Simulcast on Clubhouse! 4:06:19

3y ago4:06:19

4:06:19

At long last, a proper Zoom class! I'm holding my first class on September 5, 2021 at 3pm ET - cleaning trees in Ancestry, and the basics of FamilySearch, in order to get moving on transferring reparational trees (for those who want this service). If you attend, you'll learn a lot of basics FOR FREE. If you're LDS, we need you all the more - only L…

1
Episode 255 - Genealogy at the National Archives Online Catalog 49:33

3y ago49:33

49:33

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 255 with Lisa Louise Cooke August 2021 Visit the at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by: From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Episode Topic: The U.S. National Archives Online Catalog for Genealogy In this episode Lisa Louise Cooke will answer important…

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