Declutter Your House: 3 Questions for the Family Archivist
To declutter your house, you may have to ask yourself hard questions--especially if you're the family archivist. Is that old apron or state fair ribbon just clutter or is it history? If it's a nice piece of history but you can't keep it, where can you...
Understanding DNA Ethnicity Estimates
DNA ethnicity estimates are fun conversation-starters. But the "pie charts" become more meaningful genealogically when you can assign timelines to the places your ancestors were from. Here's an update to our ongoing conversation about what DNA ethnicity results really...
How to find the full text of a book in Google Books
I love Google Books research tips for genealogists--and this researcher sent me a fabulous one! Here's what she did when Google Books didn't give her everything she'd hoped for. And here's where she finally found the full text of a book that wasn't on Google Books. ...
New year, new records for genealogy!
Kick off 2018 with a diverse group of new genealogy records to explore online this week! Included are historical and vital records for British genealogy, Irish newspapers, Scottish records, and Palestine naturalization applications. British Historical & Vital...
DNA Testing News: 2017 Year in Review
Plenty of DNA testing news crossed our desks in 2017! Advances in genetic genealogy include an AncestryDNA database that doubled in size, new options for participants, more health-related information and a new global genetic tree. Catch up on these...
6 Tips to Create Family History Books They Can’t Put Down
I started creating family history books a decade ago. These 6 strategies helped me share my genealogy research findings in books that made fascinating, affordable and easy-to-mail gifts. My Dilemma: How to Share My Family History Several years ago, I began sharing my...
RootsWeb Is Down: Data Recovery Strategies for the Genealogist
RootsWeb is down! This important free genealogy platform hosts millions of names on hundreds of genealogy-related websites for locales, societies, and even individual family trees. Here's what you should know about the situation--and how you may be able to access...
New and Updated Genealogy Records – United States
Though the United States is a relatively young country, its history is a rich source of genealogical information! This week we're featuring new collections available for United States family history, from the big and exciting to the small and fascinating....
How to Identify Old Cars in Photographs
Follow these tips to identify old cars in photographs from your family albums. You can often identify the make and model of the automobile; decipher and date the license plates, and even discover additional documents relating to the earliest drivers on...
The Christmas List that Continues to Speak to My Heart
Some family Christmas traditions carry over easily from generation to generation, and some don't. Here's one tradition I tried passing on to my children, and how it has played out. It reminds me that traditions themselves can be unexpected--which ones have staying...
Find Old Film Footage Online: YouTube and Google Video Search
Old film footage can make your family stories truly unforgettable--even for those relatives who seem to forget every fact you tell them about your genealogy! Follow these tips to find old film footage and video online. If a picture's worth a thousand words when you...
Cemetery Research for Genealogy: 4 Steps for Finding Your Ancestors’ Graves
Cemetery research is a crucial family history skill. Tombstones are monuments to our ancestors lives and may have key genealogical clues engraved in the stone. Follow these four steps to finding your ancestors' burial places and the records that complement them. Many...
Common Surnames: How Unique is Yours?
Common surnames can make genealogy research more challenging. But learning more about your last name (including how common it is) can also enrich your family history. Check out 4 free online tools for learning more about your family's surnames. Then share what you...
Getting Help with a Genealogy Brick Wall
Sooner or later, we all hit genealogy brick walls: a point in our family history research where we can't seem to make any further progress. When I hit a brick wall with great-grandpa Gus in Eastern Europe, I turned to Legacy Tree Genealogists. Here's what their...
New Collection for Tracing Immigrants From the British Isles
Exciting news this week is the brand new British and Irish Roots Collection from Findmypast. This collection has 98 million records and is free to search for a limited time. Also new are electoral rolls for Australia and vital records for the United...
Ellis Island Passenger Arrival Records: Relatives Now Searchable at MyHeritage
Millions of Ellis Island passenger arrival records include the names of the arrivals' relatives, but those names haven't been searchable in online indexes--until now. MyHeritage has added over 26.6 million relatives' names to its passenger list collection and even...
Why You Should Have a Free FamilySearch Account–And Use It!
A free FamilySearch account gives you access to more historical records and customized site features than you’ll see if you don’t log in at this free genealogy website. Here’s why you should get a free FamilySearch account and log in EVERY time you visit...
Photo + Story Competition: RootsTech 2018 Contest
A new Photo + Story competition will be part of RootsTech 2018! If you can take a story-filled picture and caption it meaningfully, you should enter. Check out these tips for creating winning family history photo and story combinations. Winners will receive prizes...
