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

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? Genealogy Gems Premium Members Exclusive Download: Log into your Premium membership and download the ad-free Show Notes handout that complements this episode. Our Sponsors: MyHeritage Click here to start finding your family history at MyHeritage   Learn more: watch MyHeritage 10 “Don’t Miss” Features You Need.  Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second-largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at https://www.visitfortwayne.com  Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member Premium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable ad-free show notes PDF cheat sheets Become a member here.  Learn more about Genealogy Gems Premium Membership. Genealogy Gems Podcast App Don’t miss the Bonus audio for this episode. In the app, tap the gift box icon just under the media player. Get the app here.  Get the Free Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Sign up today here. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 for this episode.  Watch the Videos Watch Lisa Louise Cooke's video interview with J Mark Lowe on Marriage Research.  Watch Lisa Louise Cooke's video interview with Robyn Smith on researching witnesses found on genealogical records. Genealogy Gems Premium Members Exclusive Download: Log into your Premium membership and then download the handy show notes PDFs that complement the topics covered in this podcast episode: Marriage Case Study Researching Witnesses Our Sponsors: MyHeritage Get your MyHeritage DNA Test Kit Newspapers.com Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription. Click here and use coupon code GenealogyGems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at https://www.visitfortwayne.com  Become a Genealogy Gems Premium Member Premium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable ad-free show notes PDF cheat sheets Become a member here.  Learn more about Genealogy Gems Premium Membership. Genealogy Gems Podcast App Don’t miss the Bonus audio for this episode. In the app, tap the gift box icon just under the media player. Get the app here.  Get the Free Genealogy Gems Newsletter The Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Sign up today here. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 the show notes for this episode. (This page includes affiliate links from which we are compensated. Thank you for supporting this free podcast. ) MyHeritage Get your MyHeritage free trial today! Newspapers.com Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at https://www.visitfortwayne.com  Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 this episode, we’re going to talk about how to pick up your genealogy after a hands-off spell so that you can quickly and efficiently get back on the trail of your ancestors. Get the show notes for this episode.  (This page includes affiliate links from which we are compensated. Thank you for supporting this free podcast. ) MyHeritage Get your MyHeritage DNA Test Kit Newspapers.com Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at https://www.visitfortwayne.com  Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 Newspapers.com Get 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 genealogygems   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems  

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 subscription. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 MyHeritage DNA Kit Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at https://www.visitfortwayne.com    Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 land grant to William Penn, and established as a haven for religious and political tolerance. And since for over 300 years the port of Philadelphia was a major gateway for arriving immigrants, many many family trees include people who passed through Pennsylvania. One of the best and most important resources for records of interest to genealogists is the State Library of Pennsylvania, and we’ll be exploring it today with Kathy Hale, the Government Documents Librarian, and Amy Woytovich, the Genealogy Librarian at the State Library of PA. Then we will head west to Ohio which joined the union back in 1803, and where many of our ancestors settled, or passed through on their way West.  The Ohio Memory website is a rich source of historical materials that tell the story of this state and potentially many American families. Jenni Salamon, the Ohio Memory Digital Services Manager will be joining me to explain the depth of the available materials and provide insight into how to best navigate the website. Get the full show notes for this episode here.  MyHeritage Get your free trial now at MyHeritage Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at https://www.visitfortwayne.com    Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Sign Up for the Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 some of the biggest challenges you’ll face when researching early Virginian ancestors, the records you should be looking for, and some of the best resources.     In the second segment, I’ll cover a list of the best websites for Virginia Genealogy.  Get the full show notes for this episode here.  MyHeritage Get your MyHeritage DNA kit here Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at https://www.visitfortwayne.com    Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Sign Up for the Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 free trial here.    Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at https://www.visitfortwayne.com    Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Sign Up for the Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 the University of New Haven. Get the full show notes here.  MyHeritage Get your MyHeritage DNA kit here Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at https://www.visitfortwayne.com    Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here.   Sign Up for the Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today.   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 difference!"  Get your free trial here.  Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Visit Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana is the home of the second largest free genealogy library in the country. Make your plans to visit today. Learn more at https://www.visitfortwayne.com    Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here.   Sign Up for the Free Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today.   Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems  

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 Street Get the full show notes here.  MyHeritage From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Get your MyHeritage DNA test and make new discoveries! Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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!” Get your free trial here. Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 Project explains what’s happening and how you can get involved.   Resources mentioned: Your Guide to 1950 Census Questions Asked in the 1950 Census 1950 U.S. Census Maps (How to find and use them) How to Find Old Rural Addresses on a Map One-Step Tools for the 1950 Census with Steve Morse 1950 Census Search Strategies   MyHeritage From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!”   Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts Monthly Elevenses with Lisa show The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes handout PDFs Become a Premium Member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems

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 going to share with you my genealogy data workflow. We’ll talk about how it all fits together to ensure an uncluttered desk and the ability to instantly put my hands on what I need when I need it.    MyHeritage From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 71. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes PDF Become a Premium Member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #genealogypodcast

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 helpful. Translator, author and German handwriting expert Katherine Schober shares her 10 Top Tips for Beginning Germany Genealogy. These tips are packed with tools and resources that you can start using right away. Katherine Schober is a German / English translator, specializing in the old German handwriting. She is the author of “The Magic of German Church Records” and “Tips and Tricks of Deciphering German Handwriting”, as well as the creator of the online course “Reading the Old German Handwriting.” This episode brings you the audio from Elevenses with Lisa episode 52. You can watch the video version on the Genealogy Gems website.  MyHeritage From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!”   Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 52. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes PDF Become a Premium Member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #germangenealogy

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 your family, (and who you will NOT find!) the important documents associated with it that you can access right now! The status of the Infant Cards. What you can expect when it comes to indexing the collection.  MyHeritage From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!”   Newspapers.com Get 20% off. Click here and use coupon code genealogygems   Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 51. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast downloadable show notes PDF Become a Premium Member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #1950census

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 year, and especially in a year where we’ve spent more time apart than ever. It’s also a wonderful reminder of the importance of family and how our older family members hold a piece of our own history in them.    Get your copy of A Cup of Christmas Tea here.  You can also watch the interview: You're in for a special treat: a personal reading of this classic book by the author himself. I promise you, it will lift your heart this Christmas and all year long. About the book A Cup of Christmas Tea: A Cup of Christmas Tea, written by Tom Hegg and illustrated by Warren Hanson, is a simple, heart-warming story of how one man's reluctant visit to an elderly aunt's house renews his holiday spirit and brings him unexpected joy. The book's Christmas 1992 debut on the New York Times Bestseller list after 10 years in print, was followed by three more years on the list and is unprecedented in publishing. To date this book has sold more than 1.5 million copies. Charles Kuralt said, "I have a feeling that (this) little green book will be around for a long time, raising lumps in throats and smiles on faces. To it, I raise A Cup of Christmas Tea." Source: Tristan Publishing, Inc. Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year!

Visit the show notes page here 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 https://storyworth.com/gems  You’ll get $10 off your first purchase!  MyHeritage From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Episode Topic: DNA Problem Solving  Maybe it’s as simple as having a ton of matches and not knowing what to do with them. How do you keep track of all those matches. How to you know which matches to focus on? How can you can use all your matches to do what you really want to do, which is learn more about my family history? In this episode Sara Allen of the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library joins me to share strategies for working past many of these problems. I wanted to talk to Sara because she’s not a biologist, or a Genetic Genealogy Guru. She’s like you and me: she’s passionate about family history! She shares genetic genealogy with folks in a very practical, and easy-to-understand way. Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 44. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a Premium Member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #DNA

Visit the show notes page here 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 https://storyworth.com/gems  You’ll get $10 off your first purchase!  MyHeritage From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Episode Topic: Genealogy at the Internet Archive The Internet Archive is a free website that strives to archive the internet. Within their massive collection you can find a lot of genealogy too! In this episode I'm sharing with you 10 genealogy records that every genealogist needs that can be found at Internet Archive. Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 43. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #internetarchive  

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 256 with Lisa Louise Cooke September 2021 Visit the show notes page here at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by our wonderful sponsor: MyHeritage 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 Murders Author Nathan Dylan Goodwin (The Sterling Affair) joins Lisa Louise Cooke for a conversation about writing, DNA, Criminal Cold Cases, and his new book The Chester Creek Murders.  Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 47. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #nathandylangoodwin

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 255 with Lisa Louise Cooke August 2021 Visit the show notes page here at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by: MyHeritage 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 questions such as: What kind of genealogy records can be found at the National Archives website? Which genealogy records are not available at the National Archives? How do I search for records at the National Archives online Catalog? How can I retrieve only digital items from the National Archives Catalog? How can I get better search results in the National Archives Online Catalog? How do I download files from the National Archives Website? What is the Record Group Explorer? Video and Show NotesThis audio comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 40. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #nationalarchives

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 254 with Lisa Louise Cooke July 2021 Visit the show notes page here at Genealogy Gems. This episode is brought to you by: MyHeritage From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” Today’s Topic: Google Photos for Beginners Have you thought about using Google Photos but just weren’t sure how it worked or where to start? This episode will answer your questions and give you the confidence to use it effectively. In this introductory tour to Google Photos we will answer the questions: What is Google Photos? Is Google Photos private? What features do I get with Google Photos? How does Google Photos storage work? (Is Google Photos free?) How do I start using Google Photos? How do I upload my photos and videos? How to search and retrieve photos and videos in Google Photos How would Google Photos benefit genealogists, archivists and others? Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 23.  Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #googlephotos 

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 253 with Lisa Louise Cooke June 2021 This episode is brought to you by: StoryworthGive your dad the most meaningful gift this Father’s Day with StoryWorth. Get started right away with no shipping required by going to https://storyworth.com/gems  You’ll get $10 off your first purchase!  MyHeritage From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” In this episode: In this episode we head back to 17th century New England with Lindsay Fulton of  the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. She's going to share the best resources for finding your early American ancestors.  Lindsay Fulton is with American Ancestors and New England Historic Genealogical Society where leads the Research and Library Services team as Vice President. She is a frequent contributor to the NEHGS blog and was featured in the Emmy-Winning Program: Finding your Roots: The Seedlings, a web series inspired by the popular PBS series “Finding Your Roots.” Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 33. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at https://lisalouisecooke.com/elevenses. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #americanancestors  

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 252 with Lisa Louise Cooke April 2021 This episode is brought to you by MyHeritage. From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” In this episode: Newspaper Navigator is a new free online tool for finding images and photos in old newspapers at Chronicling America. It doesn’t work the way the Library of Congress website works, so in this episode I show you how to navigate the Newspaper Navigator. It’s a fun session that will have you finding new newspaper gems in no time! Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 26. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at https://lisalouisecooke.com/elevenses. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy #oldnewspapers

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 251 with Lisa Louise Cooke March 2021 This episode is brought to you by MyHeritage. From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” In this episode: If you’re looking for a wide array of free online genealogical records for your family history, look no further than then Allen County Public Library’s Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It’s the second largest genealogy library in the country. In addition to the in-house collection, the Genealogy Center offers a vast amount of free digitized resources through their website and partnerships with other websites.  I invited Allison Singleton, Senior Librarian at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana to the show. She is taking us on our tour of the website and sharing her tips and strategies for finding genealogy gems. Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 31. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at https://lisalouisecooke.com/elevenses. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the downloadable show notes "cheat sheet" handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 250 with Lisa Louise Cooke February 2021 This episode is brought to you by MyHeritage. From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” In this episode: Who doesn’t love a good genealogical surprise? Sometimes we discover something we overlooked the first time around. Other times we find gems in places we never expected. Google Books is one of those places full of unexpected surprises. Google Books is a free online catalog of over 25 million books, 10 million of which are digitized and searchable. The collection is international in scope. I'll explain how to search it and what to look for. And then at the end of the episode, I'll share a very surprising turn that my own research took recently! Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 30. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at https://lisalouisecooke.com/elevenses. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the 5-page downloadable show notes handout. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy

Genealogy Gems Podcast Episode 249 with Lisa Louise Cooke January 2021 This episode is brought to you by MyHeritage. From Lisa: “I use MyHeritage for my own genealogy research. It makes all the difference!” In this episode: It's a new year. Are you ready for genealogical success/ In this episode we cover the 10 questions you should be asking yourself as you begin your new research year. This exercise will help us all fill in the gaps in our organization and preparedness and give us the confidence to really dig in and add to our family tree. Video and Show NotesThis topic comes from my YouTube video series Elevenses with Lisa episode 39. You can find all the free Elevenses with Lisa videos and show notes at https://lisalouisecooke.com/elevenses. Genealogy Gems Premium Members have exclusive access to the 7-page downloadable show notes handout in the Resources section of the Elevenses with Lisa episode 39 show notes page here. Premium Members also have access to all of the archived earlier episodes. To access the Elevenses with Lisa Premium Member archive, log in to your membership at https://genealogygems.com and under in the main menu under Premium go to Premium Videos and click on Elevenses with Lisa. Elevenses with Lisa Episode 39 – Rate Your Readiness for Genealogy SuccessWatch the video and read the full show notes here. Become a Genealogy Gems Premium eLearning MemberPremium Members have exclusive access to: Video classes and downloadable handouts The Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast Elevenses with Lisa downloadable show notes PDF Become a member here. Stay Up to Date with the Genealogy Gems NewsletterThe Genealogy Gems email newsletter is the best way to stay informed about what’s available with your Premium eLearning Membership. Click here to sign up today. Follow Lisa and Genealogy Gems on Social Media: Instagram.com/genealogygemspodcast Facebook.com/genealogygems Pinterest.com/lisalouisecooke YouTube.com/GenealogyGems #genealogy