Genealogy Insider - EditorsPick

June Ultimate Collection: Free Genealogy Websites
Posted by Diane

As I mentioned in my post last week about finding free genealogy data, you save where you can so you can spend where you need to.

A little bit of spending that'll pay off big time is our Best Free Genealogy Websites Ultimate Collection. (It's also on sale!)

The video classes, books and articles in this collection of genealogy tools will show you

What free genealogy sites you should be scouring for information on your ancestors.
How to use popular free sites such as FamilySearch.org, RootsWeb.com and Internet Archive.
Online search tricks to find data on smaller, less well-known free genealogy websites.
Using the free Evernote site to organize your research and become a more-efficient genealogist. (Personal note: I've started using Evernote for my genealogy to-do list, and it's keeping me from forgetting research tasks that occur to me while I'm doing something else. And I can check the list anytime on my smartphone.)

Researching your family history doesn't have to break the bank. The Best Free Genealogy Websites Ultimate Collection will pay off in genealogy research funds saved. It's available only in June—check it out now in ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Free Databases | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Tuesday, June 04, 2013 11:29:23 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Secrets to Beat Your Ohio Genealogy Brick Walls!
Posted by Diane

Here's a webinar I'm really looking forward to: Secrets to Beat Your Ohio Brick Walls, with Family Tree University instructor Sunny Jane Morton, on Thursday, June 13, at 7 p.m. ET.

That's partly because most of my family is from Ohio (some lines have been here at least since the mid-1800s), and partly because I know what a good researcher and teacher Sunny is!

The webinar is designed for people like me: I've done some genealogy research on my Ohio ancestors, and now I'm ready to work in more-involved sources such as probate, deed and tax records. I'd love to get my hands on paperwork related to my great-great-grandfather's cigar business in Cincinnati.

Webinar participants will learn about Ohio military records and rosters, court and tax records, manuscripts, and state archives resources. You can submit Ohio genealogy questions to Sunny ahead of time or during the webinar.

Registrants also will get some handouts: our newly revised Ohio State Research Guide, our Cincinnati Genealogy Guide, and the webinar slides. And they'll get access to view the webinar again as often as desired.

Here are the webinar basics:

Date: Thursday, June 13
Starting time: 7pm ET/6pm CT/5pm MT/4pm PT
Presenter: Sunny Jane Morton
Duration: 1 hour
Price: $49.99 (Save $10 if you register before June 6!)

Click here to register for the Secrets to Beat Your Ohio Brick Walls webinar. See you there!

Editor's Pick | Webinars

Wednesday, May 29, 2013 2:24:07 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, May 09, 2013

New Workshop Helps You Use Google Earth to Improve Your Genealogy Search
Posted by Diane

I don't need to write a lot about what you'll learn from our Map Your Family History with Google Earth One-Week Workshop, coming up May 17-24, thanks to this awesome video that Google Earth expert Lisa Louise Cooke of Genealogy Gems put together:

The workshop offers video sessions and step-by-step written lessons from Lisa and other Family Tree University experts on locating ancestral towns, using maps in your research, and using the tools of Google Earth to explore and display your ancestors' places in a fascinating way.

And Lisa will be be on hand to answer participants' Google Earth questions in our exclusive workshop message board.

Find out more about the Map Your Family History With Google Earth One-Week Workshop on FamilyTreeUniversity.com.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree University | Land records | Research Tips

Thursday, May 09, 2013 9:29:12 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Insider Secrets & Unique Records for Genealogy Research in Illinois
Posted by Diane

Hit a brick wall in your genealogy research into your Illinois ancestors? Or you just need a little push beyond basic records to take your family tree to the next level?

We're about to introduce you to sources that can help you dig deeper into your Land of Lincoln family tree.

In our Insider Secrets to Beat Your Illinois Brick Walls webinar, Family Tree Magazine's founding editor David A. Fryxell will

take you on a tour of unique record sets including court records, tax records, military rosters and more.
show you how to navigate the Illinois State Archives
share resources for cluster and collateral searches in Illinois
offer advice on the Illinois research problems from webinar attendees (submit questions in advance or during the webinar)

Plus, webinar participants will receive Family Tree Magazine's newly revised Illinois State Research Guide and our Chicago City Guide. Participants also get a PDF of the presentation slides and access to view the recording again as often as desired.

Click here for more information about the Insider Secrets to Beat Your Illinois Brick Walls webinar. Register on or before April 8 to save $10!

Update: Webinar registrants also can save $15 on our State Research Guides CD or eBook, with guides to researching genealogy in every US State.

Editor's Pick | Webinars

Tuesday, April 02, 2013 1:49:21 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Discover the Best Websites for Irish Genealogy Research
Posted by Diane

Having a hard time making progress with your Irish genealogy search? Maybe you're not looking in the right places. Our March 28 webinar, Best Irish Genealogy Websites, will help you find ancestors using websites that provide key resources for Irish research.

In this sneak peek video, Irish genealogy expert Donna Moughty talks about Irish civil registrations and the indexes on the free FamilySearch.org, as well as other sites.

The Best Irish Genealogy Websites webinar is Thursday, March 28, at 7 p.m. ET (that's 6 p.m. CT, 5 p.m. MT and 4 p.m. PT). Attendees have the opportunity to ask Donna your Irish genealogy questions during the Q&A session. They'll also receive a copy of our Irish research guide, a PDF of the presentation slides, and a link to view the presentation again as many times as they want.

Register here for our Best Irish Genealogy Websites webinar.

Editor's Pick | UK and Irish roots | Webinars

Wednesday, March 20, 2013 3:59:54 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, March 07, 2013

Organize Your Genealogy Research: Challenges and Solutions
Posted by Diane

Organization figured into Virtual Genealogy Conference participants' time-saving research tips (see yesterday's post) in a major way. Forgotten research steps, piles of unfiled papers, digital documents scattered all over your hard drive, and an overflowing email inbox: All of these take away from your research time and make genealogy research seem more like a chore than a joy.

Here's my organization problem (well, one of them): I'll be at work and come across a a relative's record or a website to search. I'll email the record or URL to myself to check out later. Then I either forget about the message or waste time looking for it (and all of its sad, forgotten friends). I need a better way to keep track of and prioritize these reminders.

Family Tree University's One-Week Workshop: Organize Your Genealogy will teach you—and me—how to better manage the process and products of genealogy research. It'll cover how to archive family keepsakes and heirlooms; effectively arrange data, paper and digital files; and keep an orderly research log.

The workshop, taking place March 15-22 (that's a Friday through Friday), includes:

six pre-recorded video classes, with demos of recommended websites and strategies
excerpts from our popular Organize Your Genealogy Family Tree University course
daily message-board discussions with workshop participants and instructors
A day when Denise May Levenick, organization expert and author of How To Archive Your Family Keepsakes, will be on hand to provide consultation and answer your questions

I'll be there, looking for solutions to my organization problems.

What's your biggest genealogy organization challenge? The One-Week Organize Your Genealogy Workshop will have ideas to make you a more-efficient researcher, too.

Sign up now with coupon code FTU0313 to save 20 percent on your workshop registration!

Editor's Pick | Family Tree University | Genealogy Events | Research Tips

Thursday, March 07, 2013 10:33:46 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

How to Use Google for Genealogy
Posted by Diane

You've probably searched for information on your ancestors using the Google search engine, but have you also waded through a flood of irrelevant search results to (maybe) find useful genealogy information?

Have you taken advantage of Google's other free tools, such as Google Scholar and Alerts? Language tools?

In Family Tree University's next webinar, Lisa Louise Cooke, author of The Genealogist's Google Toolbox, will show you how to research your family tree using these and other Google tools.

Our Googling Your Genealogy live webinar takes place Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time (that's 6 p.m. Central, 5 p.m. Mountain and 4 p.m. Pacific). You'll learn:

Basic and Advanced Google search techniques to hone in on your family (even if they had a common name)
How to set up timesaving Google Alerts
How to use Google Scholar, Google Patent and other tools to find genealogy information
How to leap language barriers with Language Tools
... and more

Webinar registrants will receive a PDF handout of the presentation slides and access to watch the webinar again as many times as you like. You'll also get Family Tree Magazine's Step-by-Step Guide to Google article.

Click here to register for our Googling Your Genealogy live webinar with Lisa Louise Cooke (sign up before Feb. 21 to save $10!).

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Webinars

Tuesday, February 12, 2013 11:02:33 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Beat Your Military Research Brick Walls
Posted by Diane

Your great-great-grandfather's military pension records could have the answers you want about his Civil War service and the widow he left behind ... if only you could find the records.

Or maybe your military genealogy brick wall is one of these:

the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center, which destroyed most records for Army personnel discharged from 1912 to 1960, and air force personnel discharged from 1947 to 1964
privacy restrictions for post-WWI soldiers
service in a lesser-known war, without widely available or publicized records
service during peacetime, rather than a specific war
several similarly named soldiers, any one of which could be your relative (at $80 a pop, you won't be ordering that pension unless you know it belongs to your guy)
a POW
a female ancestor in the Army Nurse Corps, Cadet Nurse Corps, Women Airforce Service Pilots or other unit
... or you just don't know what records are available with regard to your ancestor's military service, or how to get them

Our next webinar, Expert Tricks for Beating Your Military Brick Walls, may be for you. David Allen Lambert, a military research expert and chief genealogist at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, will show you the best strategies for solving difficult military records research problems—and he'll tackle real-life brick walls of webinar participants.

You can either submit your military brick-wall questions when you register or during the live Q&A session. Here are the details:

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 20
Starting time: 7pm EST (that's 6pm CST, 5pm MST and 4pm PST)
Duration: 1 hour
Registration: $49.99 (but save $10 if you register before Feb. 13)
Includes: participation in the live event, the ability to watch the webinar again as many times as you like, a PDF of the presentation slides and our "Brick Wall Busters: Proving Military Service" handout.

Click here to learn more about the Expert Tricks for Beating Your Military Brick Walls webinar!

Editor's Pick | Military records | Webinars

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 11:06:44 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Editors' Pick: Google for Genealogists Ultimate Collection
Posted by Beth

When it comes to free online genealogy tools, nothing rivals Google for power or potential. From Google+ to Google Reader to the Google News Archive, a little bit of expert training can help you turn this robust search engine into the ultimate genealogy assistant. Get wired with this month's Google for Genealogists Ultimate Collection if you want to:

be more successful in your Google searches you do for your genealogy research
go beyond subscription sites such as Ancestry.com and discover sources of free genealogy data online
leverage Google’s full suite of tools that will be helpful in your family history research, such as Google Alerts, Google Translate, Google Drive—and even ones you may not know about

Get search secrets in one exclusive kit, including:

Advanced Google searching strategies
Details on how to go about digging into your roots online
How to use cool Google tools such as Gmail and Google Books
How to navigate the genealogy globe with Google Earth
Tips and tricks for finding and sharing genealogy on Google+

Get started now!

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 9:17:27 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Editors' Pick: Organize Your Way to Your Best Genealogy Year
Posted by Beth

Effective family history researchers know that organization is the key to productivity. Are you as organized as you'd like to be—or could be? If your new year's resolution is to cut through your genealogy clutter, check out this trio of PDF book downloads by Denise May Levenick, the Family Curator that provides practical step-by-step solutions for organizing physical and digital materials, once and for all.

How to Organize Inherited Items
Are you the lucky recipient of Mom and Dad's "stuff"—a lifetime's worth of family photos, papers, and memorabilia packed into boxes? Learn how to organize inherited items in a way that honors them while bringing peace to the rest of the family. You'll learn how to:
    •    Effectively sort and purge boxes that you inherited
    •    Decide which family heirlooms to keep
    •    Donate items to museums, societies, and charities
    •    Protect and pass on keepsakes

TIP:
People who inherit family archives often take on one of three roles: Curator, Creator or Caretaker (or perhaps a combination). Once you identify why you've inherited the family archive, it's easier for you to determine what to do with it.
Curator: understands the responsibilities involved in caring for a family archive, from organizing to preserving; knows enough to recognize significant objects and suggest and implement ways to care for, display and preserve them
Creator: finds ways to use a family archive materials—whether it be inspiration, raw materials or information sources—in his own creative projects, such as completing a family pedigree, writing a biography, assembling a scrapbook or compiling a family medical history
Caretaker: serves as the temporary family archive "holder" until the next person in line takes it over
___

How to Organize Family History Paperwork
Family history research can quickly create mountains of paperwork. This download give you step-by-step instruction to effectively organize and digitize your genealogy research papers. You'll learn how to:
    •    create a personalized filing system to suit your genealogy research style and experience
    •    turn your computer into a filing clerk and research assistant by establishing a clear, consistent naming pattern for files and folders
    •    Scan old paper records and store them electronically to save space and make them easier to find
    •    make digital copies of original source documents
    •    organize your family history research for future generations

TIP:
Think about your genealogy files as two different record types—original documents that you want to physically preserve and store, and working documents used every day that are more temporary in nature. A different digital routine is needed for each record type.

TIP:
Use a consistent file-naming scheme for your digital documents. Some genealogists find that a combination of Surname, Date and File ID work well for digital files; others use a numerical reference number that corresponds to their paper files.
___

Organization Strategies for Genealogy Success
Effective family history researchers know that organization is the key to productivity. You'll learn how to:
    •    Organize your genealogy research methods
    •    Organize your family history source citations
    •    Select the best software for efficient and effective research
    •    Connect with fellow researchers online to help find answers to your genealogy brick walls

TIP:
Research success begins even before the first internet query box is completed or the first reel of microfilm is loaded. You have a research goal—to find your ancestor. What you need is a research strategy—a written, step-by-step proposal to achieve your goal. An effective research strategy includes at least 4 major steps:

1. Set a goal.
a. Identify the problem or goal.
b. Break down the goal into smaller, focused mini-goals.

2. Decide what sources to search.
a. List record groups that may provide a solution.
b. List specific sources to search.
c. Locate repositories holding the sources you need.

3. Search the source.
a. Note the results of your search, positive or negative.
b. Copy the raw information.
c. Record the source citation data.

4. Analyze the information.
a. Evaluate the information.
b. Record your findings in your notes and database program.
c. Determine your next step.

5. Repeat from Step 1.

___

You can achieve your genealogy research goals this year with these and other new and recommended books, CDs, downloads, and all-inclusive research kits that will show you how to research your heritage, both online and off. PLUS: Get organized and save, too! Spend $30 on any of these recommended products in January and get the Organize Your Genealogy Life! CD for 50% off; just enter code ACHIEVE2013 at checkout to save on this essential CD.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | saving and sharing family history | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales | Tech Advice

Tuesday, January 08, 2013 12:54:13 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Editors' Pick: Ancestry.com Search Secrets Webinar
Posted by Beth

If one of your new year's resolutions is to manage your genealogy research time more efficiently and effectively, you'll get 2013 off to a stellar start with our Ancestry.com Search Secrets webinar.

Sifting through the millions of records available on Ancestry.com can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, yet the wealth of data is critical to your research. Whether you're digging for your family in census records, military records or public member trees, let presenter Laura G. Prescott teach you her top tips for making the most of your searches on this genealogy juggernaut.

Date: Thursday, Jan. 24
Time: 7pm EST/6pm CST/5pm MST/4pm PST
Price: $49.99 ($39.99 early bird until Jan. 17)

What You'll Learn:

How to rein in the massive amount of information available on Ancestry.com
Hints to set manageable search parameters for finding your family
How to dig into individual databases for specific records
Tricks and tips to make your search efforts more efficient and effective
PLUS: Get a free PDF download of our Ancestry.com Web Guide

To learn how to harness the information on Ancestry.com so you can quickly and easily track down your relatives, register here.

Ancestry.com | Editor's Pick | saving and sharing family history | Webinars

Tuesday, December 18, 2012 10:45:55 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, December 06, 2012

Editors' Pick: December's Ultimate Collection: Genealogy Websites
Posted by Beth

At this busiest time of the year, we've made it our mission to help make your web research easier and more efficient. Ramp up your research skills and save time in the process with December's Ultimate Collection: Genealogy Websites. The Family Tree Magazine editorial team has hand-picked its favorite resources to help make you an online genealogy research pro.

Gift yourself the gift of time this holiday season—at a 66 percent discount—to take your research to the next level.
Editor's Pick | Research Tips | saving and sharing family history | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, December 06, 2012 9:23:34 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Document the Lives of Your Military Ancestors
Posted by Beth

Celebrate your ancestors who served in the military or lived through historical conflicts by exploring and documenting their lives. With the Military Research Value Pack, you'll get easy-to-use tools that will guide you through:

What records to look for—military or otherwise—and how to locate them
How to find and mine online records
Research tips and guidance for tracing ancestors' involvement in specific US wars and conflicts

You'll find that many types of military documents—from service to pension to land records—can reveal important information about your family tree, including soldiers' widows and children. Even ancestors who didn't serve might have left behind draft records.

___

And, a reminder:
There's still time to register for one (or more) of the 16 Family Tree University courses that begin today, including:

Use code FTU1112 and save 20 percent!

Editor's Pick | German roots | Military records | UK and Irish roots

Monday, November 12, 2012 10:26:09 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, November 08, 2012

Webinar Sneak Peek: Top 25 Tips for Finding Your Colonial Ancestors
Posted by Beth

Wherever your Colonial kin come from—Jamestown to Roanoke, Plymouth to Massachusetts Bay—you'll discover helpful strategies for researching them in our Tuesday, Nov. 13 hour-long webinar. Here's a sneak peek of this exclusive webinar. Don't miss out; register now!

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 13
Starting Time: 7pm ET/6pm CT/5pm MT/4pm PT
Price: $49.99
Presenter: D. Joshua Taylor
Topics:

Essential tricks for tracing colonial immigrants
A brief history of Colonial America, from the Revolutionary War to the Louisiana Purchase
New England, the Middle Colonies, Chesapeake Bay Colonies, the Lower South and the Frontier, including which ethnic groups settled which areas during this period
Key strategies for unearthing your early American roots
Common and lesser-known resources for records of your Colonial kin
Best Colonial genealogy websites and how they can help your genealogy research

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Webinars

Thursday, November 08, 2012 9:14:22 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Switching Things Around With Reverse Genealogy
Posted by Diane

I've just recently started the phase in my genealogy search where you contact distant cousins to exchange family information. It's a fun phase!, and not just because of the enlightening genealogy information and ancestral photos that turn up. It's neat to see how we're related and think about all the other folks out there who could by my cousins.

This is what reverse genealogy is all about: finding cousins, sharing family information and memories, and breaking down research brick walls.

It's starting with your ancestors and working forward in time to find living relatives (the reverse of what genealogists typically do).

Our Reverse Genealogy Value Pack has all the tools you need to locate folks who may hold the keys to your tough family history problems:

Research Strategies: Reverse Genealogy article download by Lisa Louise Cooke: Get advice for making like Sherlock Holmes and finding cousins, including tips for figuring out where to look, as well as the best websites and directories to use.

Reverse Genealogy independent study course download: This course, also developed by Lisa Louise Cooke, has in-depth instructions on tracing your family lines forward to find living relatives.

They're Alive: Finding Living Relatives on-demand webinar by Thomas MacEntee: Learn about using people-finding websites, how to approach a possible cousin (without feeling like a stalker) and more.

Step by Step Guide: Safely Sharing Data Online article download by Rick Crume: You want to find relatives and you want them to find you, but how do keep from putting "too much" out there (and maybe letting the wrong people find you)? This advice will help you stay safe.

Right now the Reverse Genealogy Value Pack is just $49.99, a 66 percent savings. Get yours in ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Wednesday, October 24, 2012 2:32:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, September 20, 2012

5 Connecticut Research Tips from D. Joshua Taylor
Posted by Diane

D. Joshua Taylor, the New England genealogy expert who delivered genealogy news to several famous folks on NBC's "Who Do You think You Are?" is hard at work putting together the Connecticut Genealogy Crash Course webinar he'll present next Thursday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

Josh shares these Connecticut research tips, which he'll expand on in the Connecticut Genealogy Crash Course:

Many of the common resources for Connecticut research have been published, transcribed, retranscribed, and republished in various formats, so always look for the original source of the information. In the webinar, we'll discuss key resources for tracing Connecticut families, including the Barbour and Hale records collections, which require a bit of sleuthing to use effectively.
Connecticut keeps probate records by districts, rather than by counties or towns. But there's a quick way to search all of Connecticut's probate records through one central source! Tune in to the webinar to learn how.
Connecticut's shared borders can cause dilemmas for genealogists. We'll talk briefly about the complexities surrounding the western border with New York and ideas for tracing Connecticut families who might've spent time in and around Dutchess County, NY.
Subscribe to the Connecticut Society of Genealogists' quarterly The Connecticut Nutmegger. It'll keep you up to date on Connecticut resources and provide book reviews, record abstracts and other guidance.
If you have a chance, visit the Connecticut State Library. Although many of its resources are on microfilm (much of it available through interlibrary loan or from the Family History Library), there's nothing like researching on-site and using resources in the original formats.

Got Connecticut ancestors? Register for the Connecticut Genealogy Crash Course now and you'll save $10 with our early bird special and get a chance to submit your Connecticut research question to Josh ahead of time.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Webinars

Thursday, September 20, 2012 10:31:28 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, September 06, 2012

Get Strategies for Solving Brick-Wall Genealogy Problems
Posted by Diane

Maybe it's Great-great-grandma's maiden name or a 10-year gap in an ancestral family's whereabouts. Or your immigrant ancestor's passenger record is nowhere to be found.

Whatever genealogy brick wall or elusive ancestor you're struggling with, we've put together a research kit that will help you conquer it. The limited-edition Ultimate Genealogy Problem Solver Collection gathers top tools and tricks for solving tough genealogy problems.

The collection includes:

Quicksheet: Historical Biographer's Guide to Cluster Research with advice from renowned genealogist Elizabeth Shown Mills
101 Brick Wall Busters with Family Tree Magazine experts' answers to readers genealogy questions
Research Remedies CD with guides to research obstacles from maiden name mysteries to incognito immigrants
Using Cluster and Collateral Searches to Beat Brick Walls recorded webinar with techniques for getting clues from records of your ancestors' friends, neighbors and relatives
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Fix Common Genealogy Errors, a digital download article with strategies for spotting errors in your family tree (and keeping them from coming back)
They're Alive! Finding Living Relatives recorded webinar has tips from genealogy sleuth Thomas MacEntee on finding cousins who might have family information
Family Tree Problem Solver by Marcia Hoffman Rising, the newly revised classic book with strategies and case studies for breaking through brick walls

Only 35 or so more Ultimate Genealogy Problem Solver Collections are still available (depending when you read this), and they'll be gone after September.

The price for all this is $69.99—a $100-plus savings over buying each item individually.

Get your Ultimate Genealogy Problem Solver Collection now in ShopFamilyTree.com!

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, September 06, 2012 9:11:22 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

How To Handle Sticky Genealogy Situations
Posted by Diane

Not sure how to approach a stranger you think may be related to you? Been trying to get copies of family photos from a relative who's hogging them all? Got a distant cousin who won't correct wrong ancestral information in his online family tree?

We'll help you handle these and other potentially frustrating genealogy etiquette issues in our upcoming webinar Solutions To Sticky Situations: A Guide To Genealogy Etiquette, Thursday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. ET.

Presenter Thomas MacEntee, who works with hundreds of genealogists as the founder of GeneaBloggers, will talk about:

Tips for getting reluctant family members to cooperate
Best practices for working with librarians, court clerks and others important to your research
What to do when other researchers won’t correct wrong ancestral information
Resolving genealogy conflicts
The dos and don’ts of sharing and collaboration (including respecting copyright and the right way to get and give credit)
How to handle common pet peeves courteously but effectively

And you'll get the opportunity to submit your own genealogy etiquette dilemmas when you register and during the live webinar.

Aebinar registrants also receive access to view the recording again as often as they want, the 25-plus-page PDF of the presentation slides for future reference, and 10 pages of additional downloadable handouts.

The hour-long webinar takes place Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. ET (that's 6 p.m. CT, 5 p.m. Mountain and 4 p.m. Pacific).

Sign up now to save $10! Click here for more details and to register for Solutions To Sticky Situations: A Guide To Genealogy Etiquette.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Webinars

Wednesday, August 22, 2012 3:46:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Get a Crash Course in Louisiana Genealogy Research
Posted by Diane

No other state has a character quite like the one Louisiana has inherited from its cultural mix of American Indians, Spanish, French, British, Africans, Germans, Anglo- Americans, Irish, Italians and others.

Were your ancestors residents of this unique state? Get guidance on researching them in our Louisiana Genealogy Crash Course live webinar with Charlotte Marie Bocage.

You'll learn about

Louisiana's parishes
how to trace colonial kin
where to find important records such as vital, land, census and other records
tips for discovering African-American, Cajun (descendants of Acadians expelled from Canada) and Creole (New World descendants from colonial settlers) roots in Louisiana
important repositories and websites.

The hourlong webinar takes place Monday, Aug. 27 at 1pm EST (that's noon CST, 11am MST and 10am PST).

After the webinar, all registrants receive a PDF of the presentation slides and access to the live recording to view again as often as they want.

Register now and you'll receive the Family Tree Magazine Louisiana State Research Guide and our New Orleans City Guide—and you'll save $10 with our early bird pricing.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Webinars

Thursday, August 16, 2012 11:00:34 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, August 02, 2012

Scanning Old Family Photos With Flip-Pal
Posted by Diane

Now that we're carrying the Flip-Pal mobile scanner in ShopFamilyTree.com, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so I gave it a try on one of my favorite pictures: My great-grandparents on their porch in Bellevue, Ky., about 1925, judging from my grandma's age (she's the baby).

The scanner is nice and light, about the size of a book, and it runs on four AA batteries. The scanning window is smaller than a desktop scanner, 4x6 inches, so you need to scan a larger document in parts and then stitch them together. (The scanner comes with Easy-Stitch software to do this.)

You can scan at a resolution of 300 or 600 dpi. 300 is the lowest recommended dpi for images you want to digitally archive, and will allow you to make a good print that's the same size as the original photo. 600 dpi is even better, because you can enlarge the photo before printing it.

I tried the Sketch Kit, sold separately from the scanner, which lets you annotate photos and documents in a low-tech way. It's a clear acrylic panel you place over your picture and write on with an erasable marker, like so:

Then to scan the annotated photo, you pop out the Flip-Pal lid, flip the scanner over and press the big green button to scan the Sketch panel on top of your picture:

(I kept accidentally pressing the green button during the lid removal and flipping.) Here's that scan:

You'll also want the photo itself, minus the Sketch panel. For that, you pop the lid back in and place the picture face down on the scanner, as you would for a desktop scanner. The scan:

The images are saved onto an SD card. I discovered just this morning that my computer here at work has an SD card reader—perfect. (The scanner is also compatible with wireless Eye-fi SD cards.) If you don't have a card reader, you can plug the card into the included SD-to-USB adaptor and stick that into your computer's USB drive.

You can see technical specs for the Flip-Pal scanner here and FAQs here. I did these two quick scans without reading instructions, but I'll check them out to learn more about the scanner settings and how to use the stitching software.

You can find the Flip-Pal scanner and accessories such as the Sketch Kit and a carrying case in ShopFamilyTree.com. If you're trying to decide whether to buy, we've also got a Flip-Pal product review article download.

Got a bunch of family photos and heirlooms you need to archive and share? Learn how in our Aug. 9 Digitize Your Family History webinar.

Editor's Pick | Photos | saving and sharing family history | Webinars

Thursday, August 02, 2012 1:02:43 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [12]

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Find Genealogy Research Bargains in our Summer Sizzler Sale
Posted by Diane

What to do while you're inside trying to beat the summer heat?

Why not learn more about how to do family history research? We'll make it easier with our ShopFamilyTree.com Summer Sizzler Sale: Now through Monday, July 23, you'll save 40 percent or more on genealogy how-to books, CDs, digital download guides and video classes.

For example, you can pick up:

Online Genealogy Value Pack at 53 percent off (it includes two CDs, a webinar and research guides)
Online Military Records: Document Your Ancestor's Service webinar at 40 percent off
What's in a Civil War Pension File video class at 40 percent off
Research Strategies: Special Censuses downloadable guide at 40 percent off—making it just $2.40

Click to check out these and other genealogy how-to bargains in our ShopFamilyTree.com Summer Sizzler Sale.

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, July 19, 2012 9:51:05 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Get Expert Advice for Researching German Genealogy
Posted by Diane

People claiming German ancestry still outnumber any other heritage group in the United States—which is why we're offering a new German Genealogy Value Pack that'll help you trace your German roots in the United States and in your ancestral homeland.

This Value Pack is full of practical advice for overcoming the challenges of tracing your German ancestors.

Our German Genealogy Value Pack includes:

Find Your German Roots Independent Study Course download, with four lessons to help you use genealogical records and more to determine who your German ancestors were and from where in Germany they came.

A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Germanic Ancestors e-book download by Chris Anderson and Ernest Thode, with expert instruction on researching German ancestors.

Tracing German Ancestry in Eastern Europe download, with guidance on tracing the German ancestors from Slovakia, Romania, Russia and other places beyond Deutschland's borders.

Genealogy Cheat Sheet download, a quick reference designed to deliver the information you need to understand the records of your German ancestors

Plus, you'll get a coupon for 25 percent off coupon for our Family Tree University course German Genealogy 201: Strategies and Skillbuilding.

Best of all, this collection of German genealogy guidance is on sale for $49.99—64 percent off the price of buying each item individually.

Learn more about the German Genealogy Value Pack in ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | German roots | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Tuesday, June 19, 2012 4:37:11 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Need an Easy, Memorable, Personalized Birthday or Anniversary Gift Idea?
Posted by Diane

Need a quick, fun way to say "Happy birthday!" or "Happy anniversary!" to a loved one? Here's a way to create a personalized, memorable greeting—and at just 99 cents, it's more economical than a store-bought card.

birth year memory page

Each of our Birth Year or Anniversary Memory Pages is a one-page PDF download full of fun trivia from the year of the birth or wedding, including.

top news and events
movies, songs, fads and celebrity births
average prices of common goods
notable inventions and advancements in technology and transportation

After you download the PDF, just open it in Adobe Reader (a free download if you don't already have it), type in the recipient's name and birth or wedding information, and save. Then you could:

print and frame the customized page to create a personal gift
print the page for an album of birthday memories
mail the printed page or attach it to a present, as you would a card
send it as an e-card via email
post a digital image of the page to Facebook

You also could print the page and then write in the recipient's name and other information.

Birth Year Memory Pages are available for each year from 1930 through 2010, and you can also get memory pages covering decades from the 1930s through 2000s.

Anniversary Memory Pages are available in five-year increments from 10th to 70th. This one's for a couple celebrating 25 years in 2012:

Take a look at our Birth Year and Anniversary Memory Pages now in ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Genealogy fun | saving and sharing family history | Social History

Thursday, May 31, 2012 10:14:24 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Friday, May 25, 2012

Crash Course in Wisconsin Genealogy
Posted by Diane

Do you have ancestors in Wisconsin? Then get ready to rev up your genealogy research with our Wisconsin Genealogy Crash Course webinar next Wednesday, May 30, at 8 p.m. ET (that's 7 CT, 6 MT, 5 PT).

In this webinar sneak peek, presenter Lori B. Bessler, reference librarian at the resource-rich Wisconsin Historical Society, gives you the lowdown on US and state census records for Wisconsin, as well as vital records availability.

You can register for the Wisconsin Genealogy Crash Course in ShopFamilyTree.com. (Sign up today to save $10!)

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Videos | Webinars

Friday, May 25, 2012 2:07:09 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Your Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com Webinar
Posted by Diane

So you've got an Ancestry.com subscription, but you have a nagging suspicion that you're not getting your money's worth. You might still be missing that breakthrough genealogy record, or you could be frustrated by the sea of search results you get—some clearly not even close to being your ancestor.

Or maybe you're thinking about investing in an Ancestry.com subscription and wondering if it'll be worth it.

Our May 23 webinar will answer your questions and help you get the most out of your Ancestry.com membership. It's called Your Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com: Tips, Hints and Hacks for Finding Your Ancestors. (Family Tree Magazine isn't affiliated with Ancestry.com, so this webinar won't be a commercial.)

The webinar will cover:

How to efficiently navigate Ancestry.com
Tricks for finding the record collections you need
Search tips for locating hard-to-find ancestors in Ancestry.com databases
Things Ancestry.com doesn’t tell you (like the limitations of its collections and how many freebies are on the site)

The Your Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com webinar takes place May 23 at 8 p.m. Eastern (that's 7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain and 5 p.m. Pacific). It's presented by David A. Fryxell, a veteran genealogist and a Family Tree Magazine contributing editor.

We'll help you start finding the genealogy answers you need in the world's largest genealogy database website. Register for Your Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com now to take advantage of our $10 off early bird special!

Ancestry.com | Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales | Webinars

Thursday, May 17, 2012 9:27:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Access a Library of Genealogy Resources With Family Tree Magazine's New E-Books Site
Posted by Diane

If you love getting your genealogy how-to help and guidance digitally, we've come up with a convenient way for you to access Family Tree Magazine's library of genealogy resources.

It's our new Family Tree Magazine E-Books website. With one subscription, you'll get access to hundreds of genealogy books and magazine articles that can teach you how to research your family tree and get the most out of your genealogy hobby.

The e-books (see the available titles here) cover genealogy, history, heirloom identification, sharing and preserving your family history, and more. You'll also get dozens of information-packed issues of Family Tree Magazine.

Use the library anytime online on your computer. (E-book reader apps for Android and iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch support are coming soon!)

This demo video shows you how the site works and the e-reader's features (you even can bookmark places in the text and take notes, and save your bookmarks and notes).

For $79.99 per year, you'll have an entire online library of genealogy resources full of new tips and tricks for discovering your roots.

Editor's Pick | Webinars

Thursday, April 19, 2012 11:17:30 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Get Minnesota Genealogy Tips & Resources
Posted by Diane

If you've got roots in Minnesota, you should know the state has a lot more than lakes, the Mall of America and Garrison Keillor.

Minnesota also is a resource-rich state for discovering your family history, as you'll learn in our April 25 Minnesota Genealogy Crash Course: Find Your North Star State Ancestors webinar.

Lifelong Minnesotan and genealogy expert <a href=" http:="" paulastuartwarren.blogspot.com="" target="_blank" border="0">Paula Stuart-Warren will spill secrets and share her favorite sources for finding Minnesota ancestors, which include the terrific Minnesota Historical Society (it has great online resources, too) and regular state censuses from 1865 to 1905.

Whether you come from Minnesota's American Indian residents, early fur traders and soldiers, or later German and Scandinavian settlers, you'll learn how to find ancestor answers.

Here are the details:

Date: Wednesday, April 25
Starting time: 8 p.m. Eastern (7 Central/ 6 Mountain/ 5 Pacific)
Presenter: Paula Stuart-Warren
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $39.99 when you register before April 18

Click here to register for the Minnesota Genealogy Crash Course at ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Webinars

Thursday, April 05, 2012 9:49:14 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Finding Your Ancestors' Probate Records
Posted by Diane

If you have dead ancestors, you should learn about probate records, it's been said. Probate files can be rich sources of genealogical information, and even poor folks might've left them.

So I hear, anyway. I haven't actually used probate records. Like many genealogists, I'm not quite sure how to approach them. And I need to get my act together fast, because I'm headed to the Cuyahoga County Probate Court this month.

Good thing our Using Probate Records live webinar, presented by professional researcher Marian Pierre-Louis, is Thursday, April 5 at 8 p.m. ET.

Marian will show you:

What probate records are
How to find probate records
Different types of probate records
What you'll find in a typical probate record
How to make it easier to access probate records
Why probate records are critical to your genealogical success

Here's the basic info on the Using Probate Records webinar:

Date: Thursday, April 5, 2012
Starting time: 8 p.m. Eastern (7 Central/ 6 Mountain/ 5 Pacific)
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $49.99 ($39.99 special if you register before April 2)

As usual, registered attendees will be able to download the presentation and slides to view again whenever they want. Click here to register for the Using Probate Records webinar in ShopFamilyTree.com.

court records | Editor's Pick | Webinars

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 12:09:38 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Tips on Exploring Your Irish Family Tree
Posted by Diane

I grew up thinking I’m an eighth Irish, through my great-grandmother Mary Norris. But my genealogy research has since revealed that I’m only 1/16th Irish—Mary’s father was from Ireland, but her mother was German.

And this little guy is 1/32nd Irish:

So this St. Patrick’s Day, Leo and I will have to make the most of our respective slivers of Irishness.

Whether you're a lot or a little Irish, you share heritage with the second-largest heritage group in the United States. Here are some more stats:

50,000 to 100,000 Irish came to America in the 1600s, and 100,000 more in the 1700s. Eight signatures on the Declaration of Independence belonged to men of Irish descent.
In the American colonies, up to 90 percent of indentured servants were Irish.
About 250,000 Scots-Irish settlers from Ulster province arrived in the United States during the Colonial era. They were descended from Scottish and English tenant farmers settled in Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster.
In the century after 1820, about 5 million Irish arrived on US shores. Irish made up almost half of all US immigrants in the 1840s and one-third in the 1850s, the decades of the Great Potato Famine.
Today, Massachusetts is the most Irish state, with about a quarter of the population claiming Irish roots.

FamilyTreeMagazine.com has some great advice for tracing your Irish roots:

For in-depth help researching your Irish ancestors, take a look at our Irish Ancestry Value Pack, with:

how-to guides
the Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Irish Ancestors book download
the Irish Research 101 Family Tree University Independent Study course

The Irish Ancestry Value Pack is just $49.99 this month.

Editor's Pick | International Genealogy | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales | UK and Irish roots

Thursday, March 15, 2012 8:09:01 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Upcoming Webinars: Online Census Research and Tracing Indiana Ancestors
Posted by Diane

So much has changed in the online census landscape—and even more changes are in store, with the 1940 census release on April 2—that we're sharing search tips in our new Online Census Secrets webinar with presenter (and Family Tree Magazine publisher) Allison Dolan.

You'll learn key facts about censuses, where to find free census records, how to use the major online collections, search strategies for elusive ancestors and what to expect when using the 1940 census. Here's the basic info:

Date: Thursday, March 15
Time: 8-9 p.m. Eastern (starts at 7 Central/ 6 Mountain/ 5 Pacific)
Price: $49.99 (limited-time $39.99 early bird special)
To register: Register for the Online Census Secrets webinar at ShopFamilyTree.com.

Hoosier Great-granddaddy? Whether you're descended from the native Miami or Potawotomi tribes, pioneers on the National Road, railroad workers of the 1850s, or African-Americans who migrated north in the early 1900s, it's likely that at some point, some of your ancestors were in Indiana.

In our Indiana Genealogy Crash Course webinar, professional genealogist Harold Henderson will show you his strategies for finding your Hoosier ancestors. You'll learn history essentials, how to find vital records and other important Indiana resources, the best websites for Indiana ancestor research and more. The basics:

Date: Tuesday, March 20
Time: 8-9 p.m. Eastern (starts at 7 Central/ 6 Mountain/ 5 Pacific)
Price: $49.99 (limited-time $39.99 early bird special)
Bonus: includes our Indiana Research Guide download
To register: You can register for the Indiana Crash Course webinar at ShopFamilyTree.com.

census records | Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Webinars

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 2:46:44 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

They’re Alive! Get Genealogy Answers by Finding Living Relatives
Posted by Diane

So I think I finally found out whatever happened to my great-grandmother's brother, who was my grandfather's baptismal sponsor. But I'm feeling tentative about the next steps: researching that family forward and then (gulp) contacting a descendant to try to find out if we really are cousins.

So I'm looking forward to this week's Family Tree University webinar, "They’re Alive! Finding Living Relatives."

"Living people can be found using some unlikely online tools," says presenter Thomas MacEntee. "You’ll be surprised at how much information is made public about a person and how to find it. And it is all legal and access is often free."

If that makes you feel just a little bit like a stalker, don't worry—Thomas also will talk about the best, non-stalkerish approach when contacting possible relatives. Phone call? Email? Letter? What should you say?

Here's the webinar info:

Presenter: Thomas MacEntee, owner of Geneabloggers and High-Definition Genealogy
Date: Thursday, Feb. 9
Time: 8-9 p.m. Eastern/5-6 p.m. Pacific
Bonus: Register today and you'll also receive a free download of our guide Research Strategies: Find Living Relatives.

Go here to learn more and register for our They’re Alive! Finding Living Relatives webinar.

Editor's Pick | Webinars

Tuesday, February 07, 2012 9:16:22 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [4]

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Ultimate German Research Collection
Posted by Diane

If you're like me and have German ancestors, you're part of the United States' largest heritage group: German ancestry is consistently the most-claimed ethnic background on US censuses.

This month's Ultimate Collection will help you research those folks! Our Ultimate German Research Collection has

Find Your German Roots: Family Tree University Independent Study Course download
German Newspapers in America (on-demand video class)
Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Germanic Ancestors digital book
Family Tree Passport to Europe CD
Tracing German Ancestry in Eastern Europe download

Plus, you get a 25 percent off coupon for the Family Tree University German Genealogy 201 online course (learn more about this course here).

This collection is a $184 value for $69.99, and it's available only while supplies last, and only in February. Get your Ultimate German Research Collection in ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | International Genealogy | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Wednesday, February 01, 2012 2:30:23 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Thursday, January 19, 2012

The Ultimate Get-Your-Genealogy-Organized Collection
Posted by Diane

It's getting toward the end of the month, so I'm issuing a reminder to get our Ultimate Get Organized Collection while it's still available. How-to-get-organized articles and classes are among our most popular, and this is the perfect opportunity to get a a package deal on a bunch of them:

My Family Tree Research Planner: This undated calendar, customizable for use in any year, has plenty of space to schedule library visits and genealogy society meetings, and track your research to-dos and goals. Click here for a video look inside (scroll down).
Organize Your Family Archive OnDemand Webinar: Got boxes of family papers, photos, knicknacks and who knows what else? Denise Levenick, aka the Family Curator, provides tips on how to decide what to save, easy ways to inventory and more.
Time Management for Genealogists download: Learn the skills to manage your limited genealogy research time your way in this Family Tree University Independent Study course download. Discover how to set achievable goals, use online project management tools and more.
Family Tree Magazine February 2012 digital issue: Get tips to make over your research methods and workspace for better efficiency.
Family Tree Magazine 2012 Genealogy Desk Calendar: This calendar has inspiring ancestor photos from our readers, plus coupons you can use all year in ShopFamilyTree.com.

Through Jan. 31 or while the limited supply lasts—whichever comes first—it's all $69.99, which amounts to a 61 percent discount. Click here to laern more about the Ultimate Get Organized Collection and get yours.
Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, January 19, 2012 10:26:34 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [2]

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Back for a Limited Time: Your Favorite Ultimate Family History Collections
Posted by Diane

Starting today, we're bringing back four of this year's best-selling Ultimate Collections in limited quantities. If you missed these the first time around, now's your chance to grab them:

Ultimate Photo Preservation Collection (25 available): Tools to help you ensure your family's memories will be around for future generations to enjoy, including the Preserving Your Family Photographs book signed by author Maureen A. Taylor aka the Photo Detective. (This collection sold out in just a few hours the first time around.)

Ultimate Google for Genealogists Collection (20 available): Master Google tools and techniques for tracing your family history with resources by Google guru Lisa Louise Cooke. They include a signed copy of Lisa's book The Genealogist's Google Toolbox.

Ultimate Research Trip Collection (25 avaiable): Get the essential advice and supplies you need for visiting archives and courthouses, tromping through ancestral cemeteries and traveling to key research destinations across the country.

Ultimate Research Solutions Collection (75 available) In this collection, find Family Tree Magazine experts' advice and ideas for conquering your genealogy brick walls.

All these kits are deeply discounted, too. Click on each collection name above for more details about what's in each one.

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, December 01, 2011 9:14:57 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Organize Your Family Archive
Posted by Diane

Remember back when Family Tree Magazine Publisher Allison Dolan (then Allison Stacy) inherited nearly two dozen boxes of family history "stuff" from her grandparents?

Scads of you wrote in with advice and stories about your similar situations in blog comments, emails and letters.

The Family Curator blogger Denise Levenick is going to make an example of Allison for your benefit. In our Organize Your Family Archive webinar, Denise will offer strategies and inspiration for

determining your goals for your family collection
inventorying your archive
deciding what to save, donate and throw away or recycle
organizing the materials in your archive
safely storing everything from letters to photos to musical instruments

The hour-long webinar is Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 Central, 6 Mountain, 5 Pacific). Your registration includes:

participation in the live presentation and Q&A session
access to the webinar recording to view again as many times as you like
a PDF of the presentation slides for future reference

For a limited time, you can save 20 percent on your Organize Your Family Archive webinar registration. This may be the incentive and guidance you need to start getting a handle on your family archive—and seeing what genealogy treasures it holds.

Editor's Pick | saving and sharing family history

Wednesday, November 09, 2011 2:37:17 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, November 03, 2011

Genealogy Keepsakes Ultimate Collection: Save & Share Family History
Posted by Diane

This month’s limited-edition Genealogy Keepsakes Ultimate Collection will help you share your heritage with loved ones. You’ll get books for recording family information and stories, plus ideas for creating heirlooms and family history gifts.

It includes

Family Tree Legacies: Preserving Memories Throughout Time (hardcover book for recording your family history): Go here to download sample Military Biography Form pages from the section of the book on military ancestors.
My Life & Times: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories (hardcover book): Watch a free webinar with author Sunny Jane Morton on how to start writing your life story here.
Photo Sharing 101 on-demand webinar about how to digitize and share your family pictures
Creating a Family History Book Family Tree University independent study course download
Family Tree Magazine December 2006 digital issue featuring 13 quick and easy holiday gifts
Family Tree Magazine December 2005 digital issue with 19 simple, creative ideas for displaying your family tree

The $79.99 price saves you 62 percent on the whole shebang. Only 95 (and counting) of the Genealogy Keepsakes Ultimate Collections are left—now’s the time to get started on your family history holiday projects!

Editor's Pick | saving and sharing family history | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, November 03, 2011 8:33:21 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, October 13, 2011

How to Use Google+ for Genealogy
Posted by Allison

Google has given genealogists some very helpful tools—Google Earth, Book Search and News Archive to name three—but maybe you’re nonplussed by Google+.

This new social networking tool has taken the genealogy world by storm, and we won’t let you be left out if we can help it. Our next webinar, Genealogist's Guide to Google+, will show you how to use Google+. Your registration for the live event even includes 30 days of one-on-one tech support from instructor Kerry Scott.

You’ll learn how to get started, set up your “circles,” and take advantage of the genealogical possibilities on Google+. Here’s a sampling of tips Kerry will share:

Fill out your profile and upload a picture before you start adding friends. If you don't, people may mistake you for a spammer.

Most genealogists will add you to their circles even if you're a complete stranger … but only if your profile indicates that you're into family history.

You can have people in multiple circles. Is Aunt Millie into genealogy? Add her to your Family and Genealogy circles, so she sees the cute kid pictures and the big research breakthrough you had at the library last weekend.

If you're posting something to a specific circle to keep it from being public, make sure you use the "lock this post" feature to prevent others from sharing it. Otherwise, one of your carefully selected circle members can share it with anyone.

The hour-long webinar takes place Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. Eastern (that’s 7 Central, 6 Mountain, 5 Pacific).

In addition to the month of tech support, attendees will get access to the webinar recording to view again as many times as they want,plus a PDF of the presentation slides.

Learn more and register for the Genealogist's Guide to Google+ webinar at ShopFamilyTree.com (for a limited time, our Early Bird registration special saves you 20 percent!).

Editor's Pick | Social Networking | Tech Advice | Webinars

Thursday, October 13, 2011 9:23:10 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Genealogy Number Crunching
Posted by Diane

Being an editor, I’m more about words than numbers. (I'll spare you stories of embarrassing math situations I've been involved in.) But hold onto your horses: Today I’m getting a little crazy and throwing out some numbers from our December issue—along with some genealogy resources in word form.

Subscribers will get the December 2011 Family Tree Magazine in their mailboxes over the next couple of weeks. Others can pre-order the digital issue from ShopFamilyTree.com, or look for the print edition Oct. 11 on ShopFamilyTree.com and on newsstands.

10 million-plus: The number of indexed Spanish baptisms, marriages and deaths (1500 to 1950) you can search on FamilySearch.org. There are more than a half-million for Portugal. Sunny Jane Morton's guide to researching roots in Europe’s Iberian peninsula has much more advice.

2 million (and counting): The number of people profiles on WikiTree. Get a tutorial of the site in the December issue’s Toolkit.

1.7 million: The number of horses in the Confederate states around the start of the Civil War, compared to 3.4 million in the Northern states. But Southerners tended to have more experience on horseback, resulting in better cavalry units in the Confederacy, says Family Tree Magazine contributing editor David A. Fryxell. In this issue’s Now What? column, he answers a reader’s question about ancestors who went out West during the war to capture horses for Union troops.

700-728: If your ancestor’s Social Security Number starts with a number in this range, you know he was eligible to receive benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board. You can request post-1936 records for $27. You’ll find more resources for researching railroad workers, miners, autoworkers and other blue-collar ancestors in this issue.

75: Number of great websites especially for state-based ancestor research in this issue. Contributing editor Rick Crume dug up at least one site per state, including such gems as the Indiana State Library Genealogy Collection, the Missouri History Museum and the Wyoming Newspaper Project.

10: Favorite Flickr streams Photo Detective Maureen A. Taylor shares in the Toolkit, including those of the Library of Congress and 19th Century Photographic Images.

4: This is the number of fun facts about breakfast in the History Matters column. Did you know doughnuts were considered snacks, not breakfast, until they were served to soldiers in World War II? We'll explain how the morning meal our ancestors enjoyed came to be.

2: The number of family trees everyone has—a genealogical tree and a genetic tree. They’re not necessarily the same: Starting at about your third-great-grandparents, not all of your ancestors are represented in your DNA, says Blaine Bettinger in the December issue. But autosomal DNA testing, among the latest developments in genetic genealogy, can unlock much more of your ancestral DNA than traditional Y-DNA and mtDNA tests can.

1: The December 2011 issue has one index (on the last page) which covers all Family Tree Magazine articles in 2011. Can’t remember which issue had the guide to Family History Centers? Look here to find out it was in the January 2011 issue, page 16.

(Seeking indexes from past years of Family Tree Magazines? Download them as pdfs from our website.)

Want to upgrade from newsstand buyer to subscriber? Visit ShopFamilyTree.com to choose from several subscription options (Digital, or US, Canadian or international print).

Go here to become a VIP, which gets you a subscription and a Plus membership, a discount in the store and other perks.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles | Research Tips

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 2:45:21 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Blast From the Past
Posted by Diane

Wondering what hot topics your grandparents discussed with the neighbors, or what tunes your mom whistled as a teen? Want to flesh out your family's story with facts about everyday life? Enjoy reminiscing about days gone by?

Our book Remember That? A Year-by-Year Chronicle of Fun Facts, Headlines and Your Memories, by Allison Dolan and the editors of Family Tree Magazine, is an accounting of the whos, whats, whens and wheres of the 20th century:

In 1930, the average annual income was $1,612, milk cost 65 cents a gallon and a home cost $7,146.
In 1938, a devastating hurricane hit the Northeast coast.
Sales of women's trousers skyrocketed in 1942.
Perry Como crooned “Some Enchanted Evening” in 1949.
Special K cereal and Crest toothpaste hit shelves in 1955.
The FCC chairman called TV a “vast wasteland” in 1961.

The facts keep coming for each year from 1930 all the way through 2010, categorized into top headlines, prices, government affairs, new products, pop culture phenomena, hit music, popular TV shows and more. It also has pages where you can record your own family milestones and favorites.

You also can download our free "My Life In ..." form from our website that lets you describe your own favorites—clothes, hair, music and more—from three big years in your life (you’ll need to enter your name and e-mail address to access the form).

Click here to learn more about the book Remember That?.

Editor's Pick | Genealogy books | Social History

Thursday, September 15, 2011 9:38:07 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Monday, August 29, 2011

City Directories: Watch and Learn
Posted by Diane

Even if you missed the Family Tree University Summer 2011 Virtual Conference, you still can learn our expert instructors’ secrets and strategies with on-demand video classes from the conference.

Videos are about 30 minutes long and compatible with Macs and PCs. This snippet from Maureen A. Taylor’s class City Directories: Key to Your Family’s Past shows a demo of the free city directories on the Internet Archive website.

Other classes cover

Irish research
German newspapers in the United States
using naturalization records
platting your ancestors’ property
pre-1850 censuses
digitizing your family’s documents
… and more

You can get the Virtual Conference videos individually or in tracks (Tech Track, Ethnic Track or Research Strategies Track), or get all 17 videos in one fell swoop.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree University | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Monday, August 29, 2011 11:43:49 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [5]

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Where to Find Historical Newspapers Online
Posted by Diane

I realized how important old newspapers are to genealogy when I stumbled across this 1924 article about my grandfather on GenealogyBank:

What a find! The article has so much "what was he like?" detail that I wouldn't have found elsewhere. So I wanted to share some resources from contributing editor Rick Crume’s November 2011 Family Tree Magazine cover story on researching ancestors in online newspapers.

In the article, Rick provides a chart with the essentials on 15 large online historical newspaper collections—some free, some by subscription or with society memberships, some available through libraries—including:

19th Century US Newspapers
Accessible Archives
Ancestry.com
Chronicling America
Early American Newspapers, Series 1, 1690-1876
Footnote.com
GenealogyBank
Google News and News Archive
New York Times Archive
NewspaperArchive
Old Fulton NY Post Cards
Paper of Record
Proquest Archiver
SmallTownPapers
World Vital Records

He also notes where the sites' collections overlap, and offers some advice on finding other, smaller collections of newspapers:

Your public library might provide online access to newspaper databases or have historical papers on microfilm. Check at the reference desk.
Portals that can link you to more online newspaper archives include Cyndi’s List, Free Newspaper Archives, Online Historical Newspapers and XooxleAnswers: Newspaper Archives.

Search the Library of Congress Chronicling America newspaper directory for microfilmed papers you can order via interlibrary loan.

Surf websites of state archives for their newspaper holdings, which may be available for loan to your local library.

The November 2011 Family Tree Magazine also has articles on using published family histories, researching English roots, finding cultural and ethnic heritage organizations, tracing ancestors in Chicago and Portland, Ore., using Mocavo.com and more. The issue hits newsstands next week, but you can order it now from ShopFamilyTree.com.

For even more help finding ancestors in old newspapers, check out Family Tree University's Newspaper Research 101 class.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles | Newspapers | Research Tips

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 2:47:03 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Save Your Genealogical Sanity
Posted by Diane

Do you have dents in your forehead from banging it against a brick wall? Our August Ultimate Collection is designed to save your forehead, your sanity, and your genealogical motivation with solutions to research brick walls such as

missing records due to fires, flood and other disasters
hard-to-find ancestors in censuses and passenger lists
pre-1850, head-of-household censuses
ancestors born (or married or died) before vital record-keeping
not knowing where to look next

The Family Tree Ultimate Research Solutions Collection has expert advice and ideas for conquering genealogy challenges, including

The Family Tree Problem Solver, revised edition, by Marsha Hoffman Rising: It has techniques for approaching real genealogy problems, plus case studies so you can see the advice in action. This edition includes new information about online research and using DNA research.

101 Brick Wall Busters: Solutions to Overcome Your Genealogical Challenges: This Q&A book answers research questions from Family Tree Magazine readers.

Brick Wall Strategies: Advice and Ideas for Getting Past Research Dead Ends on-demand webinar: Learn how to assess your research problems and formulate a plan of attack for solving them.

Reverse Genealogy: Family Tree University Independent Study Course download: This course teaches you tactics to research your family tree forward (the opposite of what genealogists usually do) to find living relatives.

The Ultimate Research Solutions Collection is $59.99, a 67 percent discount, during August. Only 39 (and counting down) are still up for grabs, so get yours while you can!

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Tuesday, August 02, 2011 11:26:42 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [5]

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Here's to You, Weekend Genealogy Warrior
Posted by Diane

We salute you, stiff-elbowed scroller of microfilm. Mosquito-bitten searcher of headstones. Sneezing file-flipper in dusty courthouse archives.

Hats off to you who squeeze all your genealogy into just a few hours on the weekend, quick half-hour intervals during lunch, or late nights on the computer after the kids are in bed.

The Weekend Genealogist Value Pack—available during July at an extra-deep 63 percent discount—will help you make the most of your limited research time. This value pack contains:

Online Genealogy Crash Course DVD: Lessons to help you master finding ancestral records online and using Ancestry.com.

Discover Your Roots Winter 2011 digital issue: Our 132-page guide to getting started in genealogy, with articles on finding your ancestors in a weekend genealogy blitz, avoiding common myths, visiting the courthouse and more.

Discover Your Family Tree FTU Independent Study Course: This course download is designed to help you start your family tree research without feeling overwhelmed.

60 Minute Genealogy Jobs download: You can do these 14 family history projects in an hour or less, making them perfect for lunch hour.

Click here to find out more about the Weekend Genealogist Value Pack.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Wednesday, July 06, 2011 12:19:19 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Organize Your Family History Value Pack
Posted by Diane

I’m one of those people who get a little stressed out by clutter. When there’s too much stuff jumbled around—whether it’s papers on my desk, icons on my desktop, family photos or genealogy documents—my anxiety level ticks up ever so slightly. (My friends tease me about the day Leo becomes mobile and starts emptying the kitchen cabinets onto the floor.)

That’s why the Organize Your Family History Value Pack is this week’s Editor’s Pick. That and the price, steeply discounted through June 30

Whether you work on paper or do everything online or a combo of both, getting your research and your workspace organized is important to keeping track of your family tree.

Here’s what’s in the Organize Your Family History Value Pack:

Organize Your Genealogy Family Tree University Independent Study course digital download
Organization Made Easy: 5 Simple Ways to Get Your Family History in Order on-demand webinar
Organize Your Genealogy Life! CD
Organize Now! A Week-by-Week Guide to Simplify Your Space and Your Life by Jennifer Ford Berry

It’ll help you research more efficiently—you’ll develop a system for filing notes, documents and photos (on paper and your hard drive); learn how to plan and accomplish your next research step; and make the most of your limited research time. And until the last day of June, the whole kaboodle is $49.99—72 percent off full price.

Click here to learn more about the Organize Your Family History Value Pack.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 11:20:37 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Monday, June 13, 2011

Father's Day Gifts for Family History-Minded Dads
Posted by Diane

Apparently, dads get the short end of the parental appreciation stick. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend an average of $106.49 on their dads this year. Mother’s Day spending averaged $140.73 (but this gap has narrowed in recent years).

So in the interest of fairness this Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19, I browsed around for some ideas for a dad who likes family history. (I’m dying to include what my little Leo is giving his daddy, but I’m afraid of spoiling his surprise, so I’ll show and tell after Sunday.)

A framed picture of dad with his kids or grandkids, or dad as a youngster with his dad, is a classic. Or I’ve heard about moms taking pictures of the wee ones wearing dad’s or grandpa’s shoes, tie and hat, and adding a frame.

If you’ve been doing genealogy research, put together some of the items you’ve found into an album (here are some ideas), or burn a CD.

Finally have those old home movies transferred from reels or VHS tapes onto DVDs (get tips here), or scan his old vacation photos or slides and put them on CDs.

If your dad is an old school, stoic kind of dad, and you want to get to know him better, get Questions to Bring You Closer to Dad: 100+ Conversation Starts for Fathers and Children of Any Age by Stuart Gustafson and Robyn Freedman Spizman for yourself. Then, treat Dad to a day of bonding.

Lots of dads are military history buffs, so something from our Civil War Anniversary category would be just the thing.

Our Military Research Guide CD (that’s my grandpa’s WWII portrait on the case) or our on-demand webinar Online Military Records: Document Your Family's Service, presented by David A. Fryxell would help him find his ancestors’ military records.

A few years ago on a road trip, my parents and I enjoyed listening to the War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars audio book, edited by Andrew Carroll and read by familiar voices such as Tom Brokaw and Joan Allen.

If your dad likes to go exploring, ShopFamilyTree.com has travel books such as Georgia's Lighthouses and Historic Coastal Sites and Oregon Impressions. Just choose the state you want here, then click the subcategory Travel.
Help make a new dad’s life a little easier—so he'll have a little time for genealogy—with 50 Tips and Tricks for New Dads by Vincent Iannelli, MD

Editor's Pick | Genealogy books | Genealogy fun

Monday, June 13, 2011 5:03:57 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Break Through Stubborn Brick Walls
Posted by Diane

You can't find record of your immigrant ancestor's arrival. Great-grandpa has gone missing from the 1910 census—and his mother apparently had no maiden name.

These are classic genealogy stumbling blocks—but you probably feel like you’ve run up against a brick wall anytime you’ve looked and looked and you just can’t find an ancestor.

Our newest CD, Research Remedies: Best Strategies to Beat Brick Walls and Track Elusive Ancestors, is just for you.

This CD has Family Tree Magazine’s best brick wall-busting help, including:

proven research techniques such as cluster genealogy and reverse genealogy
solutions to common problems such as elusive ancestors, burned courthouses, hard-to-use pre-1850 US censuses (which name only heads of households), early immigrants, and more
tips for finding and using often-overlooked and underused resources, such as coroners' reports, outbound passenger lists, nonpopulation censuses, marriage bonds and others, that may hold the answers you need
worksheets to help you organize your research strategy and track conflicting information

One of my favorite things about this CD is that you can watch the tips in action: It also contains our hour-long Brick Wall Strategies webinar.

Click here to learn more about the Research Remedies CD at ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Webinars

Thursday, April 28, 2011 9:38:41 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Get Help Researching Military Ancestors
Posted by Diane

Does tracing your ancestors' military service seem like an uphill battle?

For most wars after the American Revolution and the birth of the federal government, you’ll consult the National Archives and Records Administration, which has compiled service records, pension files and other federal records (some are on microfilm and/or digitized, some are still only in paper form).

To see a list of what military records NARA has on microfilm, go to its Order Online system, click Microfilm at the top of the page (ignore the log in fields unless you actually submit an order), click Advanced Search, select Military Service Records from the Subject Catalog pull-down menu, and click Search.

If you see a microfilm you’d like to search, you can look for copies of the film at the Family History Library (and borrow the film through a local FamilySearch Center) or see if the film is digitized on the free FamilySearch.org, or on a subscription website such as Ancestry.com or Footnote.

If an ancestor fought in a Colonial war—that is, any war taking place before the American Revolution—you’re more likely to locate state militia pay lists, muster rolls and military hospital records in state archives and military historical societies covering the war or the place where your ancestor enlisted. It’ll be easier to find records if you can learn which regiment or company your ancestor was part of.

This is a little taste of the advice is from our new Military Research Guide CD, which has Family Tree Magazine’s best in-depth guidance and tools for researching ancestors who served in the US armed forces.

Click here for more details about the research topics and worksheets covered in this keyword-searchable, Windows- and Macintosh-compatible CD. It’s available now at ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Military records | Research Tips

Thursday, April 14, 2011 9:25:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

South Carolina Genealogy Crash Course
Posted by jamie

Researchers with South Carolina roots have 500 years' worth of records to explore. We'll show you how to navigate Palmetto State resources from early Colonial days to the 20th century in our South Carolina Genealogy Crash Course live webinar.

During our live webinars, audio is delivered over your telephone or computer speakers. Power Point presentations and desktop or document sharing are presented over the Internet. This is like a talk-radio program with visuals on the web. You'll be able to have a live Q&A chat with the speakers.

From the South Carolina webinar you'll learn:
   •   Essential South Carolina history
   •   Details on vital records and immigration in the state
   •   What ethnicity-based records your ancestor may have left
   •   The best websites for South Carolina research

Registration for the live session includes:
   •   Participation in the live presentation and Q&A session
   •    Unlimited access to the webinar recording
   •   PDF of the presentation slides for future reference

The webinar is April 20, 7 p.m. EST, and will run for one hour. If you register before April 13, you'll receive 20 percent off. Click here to register for the South Carolina Genealogy Crash Course live webinar.

Civil War | Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Wednesday, April 06, 2011 2:06:35 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Family Tree University Civil War Research Course
Posted by jamie

The Civil War — also known as the War of the Rebellion or the War of Northern Aggression, depending which side your ancestors were on — generated more casualties, dissention and records than any other conflict in American history. If your ancestors lived in the United States between 1861 and 1865, they undoubtedly felt the effects of the war. And if they were males in their prime, they probably served in a military unit.

If you're ready to learn more about your Civil War roots, then our Family Tree University Civil War Research course is for you. Let FTU instructor Diana Crisman Smith teach you the organization and structure of the militaries and militias, what sources to look for on the home front, how to order compiled service records, and how to find pension records and veterans organizations.

The next session starts April 11, just in time to celebrate the sesquicentennial of the war between the states, and lasts four weeks. Click here to register.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree University

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 12:01:01 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Online Genealogy Crash Course
Posted by jamie

Jump start you family history search with our Online Genealogy Crash Course. Stop wasting time aimlessly wandering the web — learn how to find your roots online in four hour-long video classes. This DVD brings you recorded webinars with family history experts. Discover valuable tips and tricks for googling your ancestors, using census and vital records websites, and searching the grandmother of all genealogy websites, Ancestry.com.

The DVD contains these tutorials:
Search Engine Tips and Tricks
Streamline Google searches with techniques for using search engines efficiently and effectively. You'll learn:
   •   tips for phrasing your searches
   •   how to tailor your searches to fetch what you're looking for
   •   hints for tools such as Google Books and News Archive
   •   presented by Lisa Louise Cooke

Online Census Secrets
All US census records are online, but finding your ancestor isn't as easy as typing in a name — you need to know where to look and how to make the most of census websites. You'll learn:
   •   key facts about US censuses
   •   how to access free online census records
   •   search strategies for locating hard-to-find ancestors
   •   presented by Allison Stacy and Diane Haddad

Vital Records
Vital records are keys to any genealogical pursuit. We'll show you the basics of how to locate vital records online. You'll learn:
   •   major sites with vital records and indexes
   •   how to get offline records with the help of online resources
   •   presented by Lisa Louise Cooke

Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com
We'll show you insider tricks and techniques for teasing out ancestor information from the site's tens of thousands of databases. You'll learn:
   •   tricks for finding the databases you need
   •   tips for finding elusive ancestors
   •   presented by David A. Fryxell

As a bonus, when you order our Online Genealogy Crash Course, you will receive a coupon for 20 percent off a live webinar. Visit ShopFamilyTree.com for more information and to preorder this DVD.

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 2:17:01 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Our Civil War Issue on Sale Now
Posted by jamie

We're celebrating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War by devoting our May 2011 issue of Family Tree Magazine to the war between the states. In this issue, we give you the inside scoop on tracing Blue and Gray ancestors, tips for preserving military uniforms, a guide to ordering an official military grave marker and more. It even includes a special excerpt from our new book Life in Civil War America.

Our special Civil War issue of Family Tree Magazine goes on sale today. Look for it on newsstands or purchase a copy from ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Tuesday, March 08, 2011 9:36:59 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Ohio Genealogy Crash Course
Posted by jamie

Ever wish you could get the inside scoop on researching Ohio ancestors? Or ask experts your burning questions about a Buckeye State brick wall? Or had a clue how to research forebears that settled in the Western Reserve? We'll grant your wishes in our Ohio Genealogy Crash Course live webinar.

During our live webinars, audio is delivered over your telephone or computer speakers. Power Point presentations and desktop or document sharing are presented over the Internet. This is like a talk-radio program with visuals on the Web. You'll be able to have a live Q&A chat with the speakers.

From the Ohio webinar you'll learn:

Essential Ohio history
Details on vital records and immigration in the state
What ethnicity-based records your ancestor may have left
The best websites for Ohio research

Registration for the live session includes:

Participation in the live presentation and Q&A session
Access to the webinar recording to view again as many times as you like
PDF of the presentation slides for future reference
A PDF of our Ohio State Research Guide

The webinar is March 16, 7 p.m. EST, and will run for one hour. If you register before March 1, you'll receive 20 percent off. Click here to register for the Ohio Genealogy Crash Course live webinar.

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales | Webinars

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 2:43:54 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [1]

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

"Discover Your Roots" Now Available
Posted by jamie

Discover Your Roots, a 132-page guide to getting started in genealogy from Family Tree Magazine, is the perfect introduction to researching your family history.

We've jam-packed Discover Your Roots with tips, tricks and how-to guides. Here's a sampling of my favorites:

Jumpstart your genealogy research with our 16 ideas that you can accomplish in 20 minutes or less.

Embark on your maiden voyage with our guide to researching female ancestors.
Navigate death certificates, delayed birth certificates, Social Security applications and WWI draft registration cards with the help of the Document Detective.
Become a census sleuth with charts and clues for each US enumeration.
Boost your online genealogy with our 101 best free websites roundup, proving some of the best things in life really are free.
Keep track of all your new-found family history with our genealogy worksheet starter kit and a decorative fold-out family tree chart.

Look for Discover You Roots on newsstands, or pick up a copy at ShopFamilyTree.com.

census records | Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 12:53:18 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Ultimate African-American Genealogy Collection
Posted by jamie

We’re excited to announce our new Ultimate Collection program. Each month we’ll release a new collection of carefully selected, discounted products to help you achieve your genealogy goals. A limited number of copies of each collection will be available, so get ‘em while the getting’s good.

For February, we've put together the Ultimate African-American Genealogy Collection in honor of Black History Month. This multimedia collection brings you our most invaluable advice from African-American genealogy experts at an unbeatable value.

The Ultimate African American Genealogy Collection contains:

• Family Tree University independent study course Finding African-American Ancestors in Newspapers CD
• African-American Genealogy Guide digital download
• July 2009 Family Tree Magazine digital issue with a primer on African-American research
• Georgia Genealogy Crash Course on-demand webinar with resources and advice for slave ancestry
• Family Tree Magazine 2011 Genealogy Desk Calendar

If all the items were purchased separately, the price would add up to $212.95, but we've bundled them together for $49.99. Save more than $120.00 by purchasing the Ultimate African-American Genealogy Collection on ShopFamilyTree.com.

African-American roots | Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Wednesday, February 02, 2011 10:57:45 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Missouri Genealogy Crash Course
Posted by Diane

From St. Louis' gleaming Gateway Arch to Kansas City in the west and the Ozarks in the south, Missouri has been the Promised Land for some and a pit stop on the way West for others.

American settlement there began as early as 1787, especially from Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas. The population was about 57,000 when Missouri became a state in 1821. Joining descendants of those early French and American settlers were immigrants from Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, England and Czechoslovakia. In the mid-1800s, many Germans and Irish arrived.

We’ll help you trace your Missouri ancestors in our Missouri Genealogy Crash Course: Find Your Show-Me State Ancestors live webinar.

The hour-long webinar is Wed., Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. Eastern time (that’s 6 p.m. Central/ 5 p.m. Mountain/ 4 p.m. Pacific).

Family Tree Magazine contributing editor Nancy Hendrickson, a veteran Missouri researcher, and expert guest presenters Angela McComas from the Midwest Genealogy Center and Dennis Northcott of the Missouri History Museum will share essential history and migration information, details on vital records, the best websites and other resources for Missouri research, and more.

Among the great resources you’ll learn about are the state archives’ county-by-county listing of microfilmed records and Missouri Digital Heritage, where many important sources such as abstracted vital records and naturalizations are digitized. It’s enough to make me wish for Missouri ancestors!

Missouri Genealogy Crash Course webinar attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance, and be able to view the webinar again as many times as they like. For a limited time, you can save 20 percent on your registration at ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales | Webinars

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 11:11:28 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

More in Store
Posted by Diane

We’ve added on to our ShopFamilyTree.com genealogy store! You’ll now find many more how-to, reference and other helpful genealogy books.

My favorite way to find stuff I need is to type the name of a place (such as a state or country) or research topic (such as military or photos) into the keyword search box in the top left corner of the store.

If you’re a VIP member, remember to log in (click My Account at the very top of the page) for your 10 percent discount.

Here’s a sampling of what’s new:

Bibliographies and indexes: Just two examples of the kinds of books you’ll find in here are New Mexico: A Biographical Dictionary and The Life of Thomas Johnson: Member of the Continental Congress, First Governor of Maryland (and the book title goes on—this was an important guy)

Heraldry: Learn about armigerous ancestors in book such as English Surnames: An Essay on Family Nomenclature, Historical, Etymological, and Humorous

Naming: Find titles on first and last names, such as Scottish Forenames.

US State Research Guides: Click a state for a list of our familiar State Research Guides, plus new products related to research in that state.

International Research Guides: Look under Subcategories and choose a world region.

Editor's Pick | Webinars

Wednesday, December 01, 2010 5:09:40 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thanksgiving, Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals at ShopFamilyTree.com!
Posted by Diane

This is for all you deal seekers! Here are the specials we’re running this week on Family Tree Magazine how-to genealogy books, CDs, back issues, webinars and more at ShopFamilyTree.com.

Thursday, Nov. 25: Thanksgiving Day only, you’ll get free shipping on any ShopFamilyTree.com US order. Even orders less than $25, and even products shipped from our retail partners that normally incur additional shipping charges.

Friday, Nov. 26 to Monday, Nov. 29: On Black Friday, you’ll receive 20 percent off your ShopFamilyTree.com order when you enter offer code is SFT133 at checkout. Some exclusions apply, including VIP membership, subscriptions, and products that ship directly from our retail partners.

Monday, Nov. 29: On Cyber Monday, in addition to the 20 percent off your ShopFamilyTree.com order mentioned above, offer code SFT133 enables you to choose a FREE digital download with your purchase (this also doesn’t apply to VIP memberships, subscriptions or products that ship directly from our retail partners). Choose from:

Beginner's Guide to Genealogy download
Discover Your Roots download
101 Brick Wall Busters: Solutions to Overcome Your Genealogical Challenges download

Start your holiday shopping at ShopFamilyTree.com.

If your gift list also has woodworkers, writers, artists, gardeners, fabric and yarn crafters, collectors, graphic designers, old car enthusiasts or hunters, you’ll want to take advantage of the F+W Media Friends and Family Free Shipping Special. (F+W is the publishing company that brings you Family Tree Magazine.)

This Thursday and Friday, Nov. 25 and 26, my friends and family (you qualify as one or the other!) can shop at any F+W online bookstore and get free shipping on US orders by using the offer code on this page.

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Tuesday, November 23, 2010 10:10:52 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

All 2010 Family Tree Magazines on One CD
Posted by Diane

New in our online store this week is the Family Tree Magazine 2010 CD, featuring PDF versions of all eight issues we published this year.

Get your hands on one of these and you can…

keyword-search the issues to find expert guidance on the family history records, resources and topics you need
print any articles you want for quick reference
tuck a year’s worth of how-to genealogy advice into your research tote for library trips
slip your slim CD case into a mere 1/4 inch of bookshelf space

Among the articles you’ll find in these eight issues:

Wide Open Spaces (November): 10 ideas for cutting clutter and getting your genealogy stuff under control
Census Extravaganza (May): A special section of articles on information censuses collected over the years, getting ready for the release of the 1940 census in 2012, and finding census records from your ancestors’ homeland
Undercover Genealogy (July): 10 investigative strategies for locating living relatives
Go-Go-Gadgets (March): Seven essential technology tools every genealogist needs, and what features to look for in each
Soul Searching (August): Finding your US ancestors in church records
Fancy Free (September): Our list of the 101 best free websites for researching your ancestors
Heads of State (December): 75 great state websites for finding family across the country
Heritage research guides for Scots-Irish, Baltic, Finnish, Italian, Puerto Rican and Dutch roots, as well as tips for crossing the pond to your European forbears

Click here to get the Family Tree Magazine 2010 CD from ShopFamilyTree.com. (Remember, Family Tree VIPs get 10 percent off.)

Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles | Research Tips

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 5:21:20 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Get More From Family Tree Magazine With Plus and VIP
Posted by Diane

Since we introduced our Family Tree Magazine Plus membership a year ago, this online archive of expert how-to genealogy advice has continued to grow.

Plus members receive:

online access to articles from past issues of Family Tree Magazine, right up through the current issue

guidance on family history research strategies, finding ancestors in the United States and your ancestral homeland, online genealogy, using a wide variety of genealogical records, preserving family photos and heirlooms, new and improved genealogy resources, and more

US research tips and state and county resource listings from the recently released Family Tree Sourcebook

the convenience of being able to keyword-search this genealogy knowledge base

(Of course, many of the articles on our site , as well as all the genealogy forms and cheat sheets, are freely accessible by anyone, and we regularly add new free content.)

If you become a Family Tree Magazine VIP, you get the Plus membership and:

a subscription to the print Family Tree Magazine

10 percent off any Family Tree University course registration

a 10 percent discount at ShopFamilyTree.com (log into your store account before you shop)

our exclusive Family Tree Toolkit of genealogy forms and a frameable decorative family tree chart.

Click here for FAQs about the Plus and VIP programs and how to use your membership.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles | Research Tips

Wednesday, November 03, 2010 9:55:07 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

Comments [0]

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Putting the Ha! in Halloween
Posted by Diane

Put a little ha-ha in your Halloween with the funny tombstone photos in our book Grave Humor, by M.T. Coffin. To quote the FatallyYours.com book reviewer: “It’ll delight you with its witty jokes, quirky gothic illustrations and funny photos.” Aw, shucks.

This is my favorite stone—we found this unfortunately named lady in a local cemetery.

(See more funny tombstones from the book—and pictures other folks have submitted—at GraveHumorBook.com.)

And I love our skull-people alter-egos (that's me, fourth from left):

You can get even more skull people in our 2011 Grave Humor Desk Calendar.

Grave Humor is available from ShopFamilyTree.com. (Until October 31, you can use the code HISTORY10 to save 15 percent.)

Cemeteries | Editor's Pick | Genealogy fun

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 10:00:14 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Fun Facts From the December 2010 Family Tree Magazine
Posted by Diane

Here are a few of the things you’ll learn from the December 2010 Family Tree Magazine, just out on newsstands (it’s available from ShopFamilyTree.com both in print and as a digital download):

In the early 1900s, lamination—now an archival no-no—was a celebrated new tool at repositories nationwide. Thousands of historical documents were laminated, including the Emancipation Proclamation. Find out how archives are working with these documents in the December 2010 Genealogy Insider column.

About 125,000 US troops, both Army regulars and new volunteers, served in the Philippine Insurrection from 1899 to 1902. The 1900 US census has information on military personnel stationed in the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Read more in our December 2010 guide to records from America’s lesser-known military conflicts.

The Washington State Digital Archives holds more than 90 million records, with 28 million searchable online. Find more state genealogy resources in our guide to 75 of the best state sites for genealogy research (also online).

The Irish National Museum has a firkin of butter buried in a peat bog (once a common storage practice) in the late-17th or eary-18th century. The grayish substance no longer resembles butter. Brush up on butter in the December 2010 History Matters column.

To help kids learn about your family’s genealogy, you can get Hearth Song’s stick-on family tree wall mural to personalize with relatives’ names and photos. Get more kid-friendly genealogy ideas in the December 2010 article Legacy Lessons.

Some 250,000 Scots-Irish are thought to have arrived in the United States between 1717 and the American Revolution, with later waves in the 1740s, around 1754, and between 1771 and 1775. Many headed for central Pennsylvania, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and the Carolinas, eventually migrating into and across the Appalachians.

Learn how to trace these ancestors (also called Ulster Scots) in our December 2010 guide to Scots-Irish Roots.

Most PCs come with Window Movie Maker, which makes it easy to turn digital photos and videos into family movies. See a tutorial in the December 2010 Toolkit.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:15:50 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Finding Family in Historical Books Online
Posted by Diane

After learning a few years back that her Railey ancestor owned a farm in Logan County, Ky., our own Allison Stacy had a “why not?” moment and checked the HeritageQuest Online collection of digital books (accessible through many public libraries).

She was flabbergasted to learn that in the early 1900s, an unknown-to-her descendant, William Edward Railey, had written two books with information about the clan: History of Woodford County and Sketches of Randolphs and Their Connection. The second one traces the Railey line from Colonial Virginia to Allison’s grandmother’s older brother.

Our next Family Tree University webinar, Historical Books on the Web: Millions of Tomes at Your Fingertips, will show you how to find old books— family histories, genealogies, county histories, church histories and more—contianing research others have already done about your family.

The webinar is Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. Eastern (6 Central/ 5 Mountain/ 4 Pacific). Presenter Nancy Hendrickson, a contributing editor to Family Tree Magazine, will show you:

What you can learn about your family in historical books
Where to find free books
How to search books on the Web

Can't find a book about your family? No luck locating a certain title online? Registrants will have the opportunity to submit family information, and Nancy will demonstrate search techniques using several submissions from webinar attendees.

Registered attendees also receive access to the webinar recording to view again, a PDF of the presentation slides for future reference, as well as bonus handouts.

Sign up now—the webinar is 20 percent off in ShopFamilyTree.com until Oct. 13 at 11:59 pm.

Editor's Pick | Webinars

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 4:14:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Introducing Family Tree University Independent Study
Posted by Diane

I wanted to let you know about a new way to take Family Tree University courses that’s now available at ShopFamilyTree.com:

Family Tree University Independent Study Courses let you access all the course study materials—syllabus, lessons, exercises and Reading Assignment articles from Family Tree Magazine—on a CD or as a PDF download to go through at your own pace.

Available Independent Study Courses include:

Find Your German Roots by James M. Beidler (CD or PDF download)
Google Tools for Genealogists by Lisa Louise Cooke (CD or PDF download)
Land Records 101 by Diana Crisman Smith (CD or PDF download)
Creating a Family History Book by Nancy Hendrickson (CD or PDF download)
Digital Photography Essentials by Nancy Hendrickson (CD or PDF download)

All the courses were developed by genealogy experts (meet the instructors here) and include examples of genealogy records; step-by-step demos; links to related online content such as articles, videos and tutorials—everything you need to improve your research skills and develop an in-depth understanding of the topic.

So what’s the difference between Independent Study and regular Family Tree University courses? Independent Study offers the expertise for you to use now or weeks from now, as fast or slow as you’d like. Regular Family Tree University courses cover the same topics with a bit more structure, with a set four-week session and interaction with an instructor.

See all the Family Tree University Independent Study Courses here. The PDF downloads are available now; the CDs are available for pre-order with an estimated ship date of Sept. 30.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree University

Thursday, September 23, 2010 10:29:57 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, September 16, 2010

International Genealogy Passport Helps You Trace Ancestors Around the World
Posted by Diane

One of the newest additions to ShopFamilyTree.com is our CD International Genealogy Passport: Your Ticket to Tracing Your Roots in the Old Country.

This is an update to the International Genealogy Passport we published in early 2007 (our very first CD). That one was popular, so we thought it was time for a brand-new version with updated listings of websites, books and archives for countries around the globe, plus some other enhancements.

Distance, language, hard-to-access records and travel costs can make it challenging to do genealogy research in your ancestral homeland, so the new International Genealogy Passport gives you a head start with:

country-by-country genealogy resources for Canada, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean

best websites for learning about history, culture, records and genealogical research (just click each URL to visit the site)

bibliographies of how-to books and published indexes to relevant records for each place. Book titles link to free online versions when available

addresses, phone numbers and websites of important repositories

expert tips for contacting overseas repositories

our guide to tracing your ancestors to the old country—without having to book a plane ticket

maps of 53 countries show you major administrative divisions, capitals and large cities

The new International Genealogy Passport CD is available now for pre-order for $14.99 at ShopFamilyTree.com (it qualifies for our free standard shipping on US orders over $25).

If you’re a Family Tree Magazine VIP member, remember to log in to the store to get your 10 percent discount.

Editor's Pick | International Genealogy | Research Tips

Thursday, September 16, 2010 10:08:23 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, September 09, 2010

What's in The Family Tree Sourcebook?
Posted by Diane

I’m a little biased this week in choosing the book that was my baby for most of the spring and early summer.

The Family Tree Sourcebook, now available for pre-order (and on sale at 34 percent off), is a reference book with all the information you need to trace your roots across the United States:

A summary of genealogy research in every state, with a historical overview, vital records information, tips on other major records to look for and places to begin, and maps showing county boundaries.

Detailed county-level data telling you which county office to contact for court, probate, vital, and other types of records. Here’s an example:

Names, addresses, phone numbers and websites for helpful libraries, archives, and genealogical and historical societies in each state.

Bibliographies listing genealogical and historical books that will help you further your research in each state.
Special sections on the best websites for state-based research, as well as broader-scope, national resources.

The book comes with a free 30-day trial of Family Tree Magazine Plus, our members-only, online archive of expert genealogy articles from past issues of Family Tree Magazine. (The book’s content also is searchable online as part of a Plus membership.)

You can pre-order The Family Tree Sourcebook now (and get the sale price) at ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, September 09, 2010 10:35:29 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [2]

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Crash Course in Pennsylvania Genealogy
Posted by Diane

Awhile ago, we asked Facebook fans which state they’d most want to see a webinar about. Among the many states mentioned, Pennsylvania was the winner.

Philadelphia was the No. 1 port of entry for immigrants during the Colonial era and has remained a financial and cultural center, meaning many of you have ancestors who lived in Pennsylvania.

Ask and ye shall receive! You’ll learn resources and research strategies for tracing them in our next webinar, Pennsylvania Genealogy Crash Course: Find Your Keystone State Ancestors.

“Many people have what I call the ‘1850 census birthplace problem,’” says presenter James M. Beidler.

“That is, they have an ancestor in a state such as Ohio, Illinois or California, and the 1850 US census shows Pennsylvania as the birthplace—but nothing else ties the ancestor to a particular part of Pennsylvania. We’ll discuss some ideas on how to break through this brick wall.”

In the webinar, you’ll also learn:

Aspects of Pennsylvania history that are essential to doing genealogical research there
Details on vital records, immigration resources and other records in the state
Ethnic groups that tended to settle in Pennsylvania and the records they may have left behind
The best websites for doing Pennsylvania research, such as the steadily expanding website of the Pennsylvania State Archives.

Beidler, himself a Pennsylvania resident, is a frequent contributor to Family Tree Magazine and an expert on research in the state.

The hour-long Pennsylvania Crash Course webinar is Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. Eastern (that’s 6 p.m. Central/ 5 p.m. Mountain/ 4 p.m. Pacific).

Sign up for the webinar now to save 20 percent on your registration!

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Webinars

Thursday, September 02, 2010 9:21:55 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

New Genealogy Classes for September
Posted by Grace

Thinking of going back to school? Family Tree University's September session begins Monday, Sept 13, and we've got three new courses for you. Read on for the whole course catalog!

STRATEGIES
New: Organize Your Genealogy: Get Your Research in Order (and Keep It That Way)
Whether you work on paper or do everything online, getting your research organized is essential to keeping track of ancestors and making sure you know where to put new ones in your family tree.

More courses:

Mastering Google Search
Reverse Genealogy

ETHNIC ANCESTORS
New: Trace Your Polish Roots: Strategies for Searching in the US and Poland Trace your ancestors from America to Poland. This course will debunk myths, explain history and point you to the most useful records.

More courses:

Find Your German Roots
Finding African-American Ancestors in Newspapers
Tracing Immigrants
Research in Foreign Records

RECORDS AND SOURCES
New: Newspaper Research 101: Find Your Ancestors in American News Sources
In this class you'll learn how to find and use newspaper archives—online, on paper and on microfilm—to put together missing pieces of your genealogical research.

More courses:

SHARING HISTORY
These classes will help you preserve your family's legacy and get creative with your genealogy:

Creating a Family History Book

Editor's Pick | Family Tree University

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 1:22:27 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, August 26, 2010

Introducing GraveHumorBook.com!
Posted by Diane

Funny stuff! On GraveHumorBook.com, the companion website to our latest book, Grave Humor, you can:

See funny tombstone photos (some from the book, some sent in by our fellow funny gravestone enthusiasts)

Meet the author, Mr. M.T. Coffin.

Download free Grave Humor wallpaper for your computer, iPhone or iPad

Submit photos of the funny gravestones you’ve encountered in your cemetery adventures

... and, of course, buy a copy of Grave Humor for your very own (on sale now for $8.79!)

Cemeteries | Editor's Pick | Genealogy fun

Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:01:45 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Friday, August 13, 2010

New in Store: Family Tree Magazine Web Guides CD
Posted by Diane

Our new Web Guides CD, which delivers user guides to 11 of the most popular genealogy sites on the internet, is available for pre-order from ShopFamilyTree.com.

Each guide has a how-to article, screen-by-screen search techniques, and a cheat sheet with quick links, hints and hacks from online genealogy experts.

The CD is a great way to catch up on guides in the magazine you may have missed, or just keep them handy in an easy-to-store, searchable format with clickable links.

With the CD, you also get a bonus guide to Google, a handy web search tracker, and free access to new or updated Web Guides for one year. Click here to learn more and to order.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy Web Sites | Tech Advice

Friday, August 13, 2010 8:58:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Find Your Genealogical Mr. Right
Posted by Diane

I blogged last year about my ancestor’s 1944 petition for naturalization, and how it refers to his 1918 filing of “first papers” (a declaration of intent to naturalize)—for which he apparently never filed second papers.

It even gave a document number for those first first papers. But the papers are mysteriously missing both from databases of digitized naturalization records and from microfilm of naturalization records from the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Cleveland, 1907-1946.

So I got all excited when I found a Fadlallah Haddad in a naturalization index from Chicago. Unusual name, right? It had to be him. But when I looked at the record, some of the details were slightly off. And why would he be in Chicago?

Next, I tried a tip from “Finding Mr. Right” by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack in the September 2010 Family Tree Magazine, and searched for Fadlallahs in other records. And there was one in Chicago in the 1930 census, with a household of unfamiliar names. In that census, my Fadlallah was living with three of his children in Cleveland.

So my momentary bubble burst, but at least I’m not chasing after the wrong ancestor.

The September 2010 “Finding Mr. Right” article has much more on how to tell the difference between two same-named people in the same place, even when their ages and other details are similar: how to create an ID table and a chronology of each person, for example, and researching the best records for distinguishing the individuals. Even handwriting and witnesses on documents can be clues to whether a particular person is or isn’t your man.

Other goodies in this issue:

our listing of the 101 Best Genealogy Websites for 2010 (which you can check out online, too)
six ways a DNA surname study can benefit your research
our Web Guide to USGenWeb
help with Finnish research
six new, free genealogy databases
an Evernote tutorial

... and lots more. The September 2010 Family Tree Magazine is available now on newsstands and as a digital download from ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles | Research Tips

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 4:38:02 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Monday, July 19, 2010

We're Giving Away $250 in Genealogy Gear!
Posted by Grace

Would you like to win $250 in genealogy books, CDs and DVDs? Who wouldn't! Enter our Genealogy Giveaway Sweepstakes by Aug. 31, 2010, and you could be the big winner.

In fact, you can enter every day, so bookmark win.familytreemagazine.com and try your luck. We'll announce the randomly selected winner in early September. Note: You must be a US resident 18 or older to enter.

Editor's Pick | Genealogy fun

Monday, July 19, 2010 6:29:20 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [8]

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Help Finding Your Ellis Island Ancestors!
Posted by Diane

It took me two years to find my great-grandfather in Ellis Island’s passenger database. I finally found him after getting his naturalization papers, then using the arrival date reported in those papers and Steve Morse’s passenger search to browse records by month.

It turns out my ancestor was listed under a short form of his birth name—not the name he used in America—and both he and his wife made themselves two years older.

(You can read the long version of my immigrant ancestor search saga here.)

Almost half of all Americans have a relative who immigrated through Ellis Island, making its passenger records a key source for linking your family tree to the old country. But if your ancestors fibbed, used an unfamiliar name, didn’t arrive when you think they did, or were mistranscribed in the passenger database, you’ll have a hard time finding them.

Our July 21 webinar will help you overcome these challenges by sharing the secrets to finding your ancestors in a sea of records. Presenter Lisa A. Alzo will show you how to identify Ellis Island immigrants, take you around the EllisIsland.org website, and demonstrate tools to help you search efficiently.

Click here to register for the live webinar Ellis Island: Find Your Ancestor in a Sea of Online Records.

And we're giving registered attendees $25 off our Family Tree University course Tracing Immigrants: How to Research Your Family’s American Arrivals.

Click here to view all FTU courses.

Editor's Pick | immigration records | Webinars

Wednesday, July 14, 2010 1:57:15 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [3]

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Save $ and Be a Better Genealogist With Our 4th of July Sale
Posted by Diane

It’s Fourth of July sale time at ShopFamilyTree.com and FamilyTreeUniversity.com! Here’s how you can save $$ while becoming a better genealogist:

At ShopFamilyTree.com, you can save 40 percent on Family Tree Magazine products by entering offer code SFT111 when you check out (some exclusions apply). This offer expires July 5.

Click here to start browsing our genealogy how-to books, CDs, back issues, digital downloads and webinar recordings.

At Family Tree University, you can take $13 off any genealogy course registration by entering the code 13COLONIES. This offer also expires July 5.

Courses include Land Records 101 (starting July 19 or Sept. 13), Tracing Immigrants (starting July 21), Digital Photography Essentials (starting July 19) and more—click here to see all our FTU offerings.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree University | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, July 01, 2010 9:27:05 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Beefing Up Your Genealogy Know-How
Posted by Diane

Working at a genealogy magazine is educational. I’ve been picking up knowledge while working on some of our Family Tree University genealogy classes, starting up again June 21.

From Diana Crisman Smith’s US Military Records class, for example, I’ve learned all about Compiled Military Service Records (CMSRs). These are the cards that the War Department compiled for soldiers from the Revolutionary War through the Philippine Insurrection, taking information from muster rolls, pay lists and other service records. I learned how you can go from the card to the record that was the source of the information, and saw some examples of CMSRs and muster rolls.

Other lessons in this class cover military pension records, bounty lands, draft registrations and terminology.

Our second session Family Tree University classes start June 21, with the first session's favorites and new offerings including the military records class, finding German roots, creating a family history book and more.

Whether you could use an introduction, a refresher or advanced learning, take a look at our course list, meet our expert instructors and see if there’s a course for you.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree University | Military records

Tuesday, June 15, 2010 3:57:56 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Solutions to Genealogy Stumpers
Posted by Diane

There's a yawning gap in my dad’s line from 1918 to 1924. It’s not filled by the 1920 census (as I’ve concluded after years of searching and browsing records), city directories or other records I’ve looked for. What now?

Sooner or later, every genealogist gets stuck like this. If you’ve hit the dreaded brick wall, next week’s webinar is for you:

During Brick Wall Busters: Solutions to Real-Life Stumpers, Family Tree Magazine publisher and editorial director Allison Stacy, along with New England Historic Genealogical Society online genealogist David Lambert, will walk you through strategies for getting around tough research obstacles.

You'll learn:

How to analyze your research problem and break it into manageable chunks

Ways to surmount common brick-wall scenarios

Professional genealogists’ favorite methods for conquering research challenges

As a registrant for the live event, you’ll be able to submit your own brick wall to get personalized advice. Our presenters will tackle brick walls from selected participants during the webinar. And everyone who registers and sends in a question will receive a personalized strategy e-mail from the presenters.

The hour-long webinar is Tuesday, June 15 at 7 p.m. Eastern. You'll find more details at ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Webinars

Thursday, June 10, 2010 9:24:01 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Memorial Day Sale! Save Big on Genealogy Books and CDs
Posted by Diane

We have a big Memorial Day Sale this weekend in the shop. When you spend $30 or more, you’ll get 15 percent off Family Tree Magazine products and free US shipping when you enter the offer code FTREMEMBER at checkout.

If Dad or Grandpa is into genealogy, here’s a good chance to get him a Father’s Day present he’ll love—maybe the Family Tree Passport to Europe or another how-to CD.

For a wedding present to your favorite couple, try Family Tree Legacies: Preserving Memories Throughout Time book.

Shopping for a beginning genealogist? Check our For Beginners category. Consider the Beginner Genealogist’s bundle, which groups together several getting started products at a discounted price.

This sale is on now through June 2. Click here to start shopping.

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, May 27, 2010 1:25:41 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Sale on Our Expert Genealogy CDs and Webinars!
Posted by Diane

I wanted to let you know about a sale we’re having on select genealogy how-to CDs and all recorded webinars—until May 25, they’ll be 15 percent off with coupon code FTCD15.

So, for example:

Our Online Census Secrets webinar recording (a presentation and demos on how to find ancestors in the census) is normally $29.99, but during this sale, you can pick it up for $25.49

Our Organize Your Genealogy Life! CD (strategies for getting your paper records, digital files, e-mails and research habits in order), normally $19.99, becomes $17.

The Family Tree Essentials CD (research guides to 15 key genealogy records), which was already on sale at $14.99, is another 15 percent off, making it $12.74.

Note that your discount is taken off during checkout, after you enter your name and address and all that good stuff. Click here to start shopping!

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, May 20, 2010 9:21:53 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Bundles of Joy
Posted by Diane

We’ve added four new product “bundles” to our online store, each offering a discounted price on a group of products that help you with a particular area of your research:

To help you solve stubborn research problems, the Brick Wall Buster Bundle has the 101 Brick Wall Busters book, our best-selling book The Family Tree Problem Solver by Marsha Hoffman Rising and our Brick Wall Strategies webinar recording,

For optimizing your census research, the Census Bundle has the Census Secrets CD, the Online Census Secrets webinar recording, and the May 2010 Family Tree Magazine Census Extravaganza issue.

If you want to take advantage of all the internet has to offer your family tree, the Online Genealogy Bundle has our Trace Your Roots Online CD, Search Engine Tips & Tricks: Google Techniques to Boost Your Research webinar recording, and five of our popular Family Tree Magazine Web Guides.

If you're getting started, you want to ramp up your research or it's time to consolidate your collection of Family Tree Magazines, the 10th Anniversary Bundle has Family Tree Magazine 10-Year DVD with every issue of the magazine through 2009, our 2010 Genealogy Desktop Calendar (featuring reader’s ancestral photos and ShopFamilyTree.com coupons), our 10 Best–Ever Tips download, and 15 percent off any Family Tree University course.

See these and our other genealogy bundles at ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, May 13, 2010 8:38:12 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Monday, April 26, 2010

July 2010 Family Tree Magazine Hitting Newsstands!
Posted by Diane

Our July 2010 Family Tree Magazine is mailing to subscribers and hits newsstands tomorrow, April 27, with a plethora of resources and suggestions for helping you find ancestral answers.

I'm partial to "Undercover Genealogy" by Lisa Louise Cooke, because it highlights an area of genealogical research I’ve only started to explore. The 10 strategies for finding living relatives (who may hold family history clues) go beyond online search engines to show you how to think like a detective—using the person’s occupation, organizational affiliations, hobbies and interests to figure out where to search. (You can see an article excerpt, with tips on finding old phone books, on our website.)

If Susan Sarandon’s ancestral search on last week’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” piqued your interest in your Italian roots, we have just the article for you: “A Little Italy” by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack names 10 resources for discovering Italian ancestors. She also walks you through an example of tracing an immigrant to his hometown in Italy and researching his family in microfilmed church records.

Just a few of the other topics in the July 2010 Family Tree Magazine: Doing cemetery research, finding female ancestors, using British site FindMyPast.co.uk, and ramping up your research with help from social networking sites including Facebook and Twitter.

Visit ShopFamilyTree.com to see the issue’s table of contents and place your order (the July 2010 issue is available in print or in digital format).

Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles

Monday, April 26, 2010 11:53:08 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [1]

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Get Help Tracing Your Roots Online
Posted by Diane

When it’s time to search out a new genealogical resource, many family history researchers (myself included) turn to the web first—whether to search online databases of records, Google for distant cousins or find out which library has the microfilm or book with the right ancestral answers.

The best online search secrets and strategies Family Tree Magazine experts have shared over the years are gathered in one of our newest CDs, Trace Your Roots Online.

The CD covers top genealogy websites for the United States and abroad, online tools and utilities that will help you save time, search tips for getting the most relevant matches, guides to help you find a variety of online records, using social networking sites for genealogy, protecting your online privacy, and more.

Every one of the hundreds of recommended websites is hyperlinked for one-click access. Better yet, Trace Your Roots Online is part of a ShopFamilyTree.com special on CDs—just type in FTCD10 at checkout. (Family Tree VIPs get an additional 10 percent off.)

Learn more about the Trace Your Roots Online CD on ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:43:58 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Help for Busting Genealogy Brick Walls
Posted by Diane

Your family history research is humming along just fine. Then a brick wall stops you cold: You can't find the record you need. Your great-grandmother's maiden name eludes you. You don't know your immigrant ancestor's birthplace.

Our newest book has Family Tree Magazine experts' best answers to your toughest genealogy questions. 101 Brick Wall Busters: Solutions to Overcome Your Genealogical Challenges is now available for pre-order.

Solutions for beginning and veteran genealogists cover formulating research strategies; finding occupational, census, military and other records; pinpointing places; organizing your research; doing online genealogy; working around “burned” records and other losses; figuring out kinship; researching your ethnic heritage; and more.

You also can use the book’s exclusive Records Checklist and Brick Wall Worksheet to help you come up with your plan of attack.

In this excerpt from the introduction to 101 Brick Wall Busters, we share nine ways to confront a dead end in your research:

1. Assess the problem. Review your records one by one to re-evaluate what you know and note the information you’re missing. Identify specifically what you want to learn—a birthplace? A maiden name?

2. Do the first thing first. Don’t try to skip steps by, for example, jumping back to your ancestral homeland before you’ve checked every available US record. Have you searched for your ancestor in every census during his life? Have you looked for his birth, marriage and death dates?

3. Create a timeline. Note your ancestor’s life dates, marriages, children’s births, migrations, jobs and so forth. Add wars, epidemics, mass migrations and other major events that occurred during his life. Look at the timeline with an eye for historical records those events might’ve generated (Civil War service papers? A WWI draft registration card?).

4. Identify potential sources. Make a list of sources in which the information you need might appear. For example, if your ancestor was born before the onset of official vital-record keeping, you might find birth information in church records, newspaper announcements, censuses, naturalization papers, and more. Try running a place search of the Family History Library catalog for your ancestor’s county to get a list of microfilmed records associated with that place—some might mention your ancestor.

5. Use search tricks. If you can’t find your ancestor in an online database, seek out search help. Broaden your search to include alternate spellings of the name (try switching the first and last name, too) and a wider range of dates and places. Use wildcards. Browse the records by place.

6. Research sideways. Research your ancestor’s neighbors, friends, in-laws and the people who served as witnesses on his records. The records of these people might mention your family.

7. Toss out your assumptions. Sometimes the unlikeliest scenario is the right one. Begin exploring theories other than what you thought you knew: Perhaps Great-great-grandpa immigrated through a port other than Ellis island. Maybe Great-grandma did get divorced, marry a second (or third) time and have children at a relatively old age.

8. Ask for help. Sometimes, a second set of eyes with a fresh perspective is just the thing. Ask one of your genealogy friends to review the problem and develop some theories or make suggestions.

9. Brush up. A genealogy how-to book will help you understand alternate sources and strategies for overcoming common challenges. Learn about your ancestor’s life, too. Go back to that chronology and find books related to his experiences: Wedding of the Waters, the Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation by Peter L. Bernstein, for an ancestor who worked on the Erie Canal, or for your Upstate New York LaRosa line, Family and Community, Italian Immigrants in Buffalo, 1880-1930 by Virginia Yans-McLaughlin. You’ll find more potential sources and formulate additional theories about what your ancestor was up to.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips

Thursday, April 15, 2010 10:18:19 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

Comments [0]

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Spring Cleaning at ShopFamilyTree.com!
Posted by Diane

We’re doing some spring cleaning at our warehouse, which means you can clean up on how-to genealogy CDs, books and Family Tree Magazine back issues. A few examples:

Our Trace Your Roots Online CD is $14.99, down from $19.99
The Genealogist's Companion and Sourcebook by Emily Anne Croom is $14, down from $19.99
The Family Tree Essentials CD is $10, down from $19.99
Scrap City is $15, down from $24.95

… and there’s more. As always, qualifying orders totaling more than $25 get free standard shipping in the United States.

Editor's Pick

Thursday, April 01, 2010 7:58:07 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

$3 Back Issue Sale
Posted by Diane

This week’s Editor’s Pick is short and very sweet: All the print Family Tree Magazine back issues from 2004 to 2007 are 50 percent off—just $3—at ShopFamilyTree.com. (Tip: Start browsing on page 3 of our back issues store.)

It’s great for filling in holes in your collection or getting that research guide you need. Get them while they last!

Remember that Family Tree Magazine VIP members get an additional 10 percent off ShopFamilyTree.com purchases, including sales.

Editor's Pick

Thursday, March 25, 2010 8:16:53 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, March 15, 2010

Editor's Pick: HeritageQuest Online Web Guide
Posted by Diane

In Family Tree Magazine, we often recommend HeritageQuest Online—a database service offered through many public libraries—as a free alternative for finding US census records, family and local history books, Revolutionary War service records and Freedmen’s Bank records.

Not all of the census records on HeritageQuest Online are indexed, though, and the databases can be tricky to search.

Enter our HeritageQuest Online Web Guide.

It’s available from ShopFamilyTree.com in a few forms:

In this Web Guide, genealogy technology guru Rick Crume explains how to access HeritageQuest Online, what records are in its databases, and the best ways to search each database.

Like our Web Guides to other popular genealogy sites, the HeritageQuest Online guide has

an in-depth description of how to use the site and its collections
a quick-start guide and need-to-know statistics (such as the site’s contact information, major content areas and any fees)
step-by-step search demos
a cheat sheet of quick links, resources, hacks and shortcuts
hyperlinked URLs so you can click through to all the websites recommended in the guide

Remember, Family Tree Magazine VIP members get 10 percent off ShopFamilyTree.com purchases!

Editor's Pick | Free Databases | Genealogy Web Sites

Monday, March 15, 2010 12:10:16 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

10-Years of Family Tree Magazine on DVD (in a Pretty Box)
Posted by Diane

Just look at the packaging for our 10 Years of Family Tree Magazine 2000-2009 DVD. It’s so pretty, you might not want to open it.

But go ahead. Here’s what you’ll find:

A DVD with the past decade’s worth of Family Tree Magazine issues. All our genealogy research guides, tips, tools and tutorials—more than 4,700 pages, Allison declared after one-on-one time with a calculator—on a convenient, space-saving DVD.

A Family Tree Magazine library, if you will.

All the issues are PDF files; open them with the free Adobe Reader on a Mac or a PC. You can click to browse each issue from the Start page, or search (also from the Start page) for topics of interest to you.

The enhanced files let you click through to recommended websites. Bookmarks make it easy to navigate to your favorite stories and sections of the magazine.

Stop by ShopFamilyTree.com for more details and highlights of the issues it contains. The DVD is available for pre-order now at 20 percent off the regular price (the estimated shipping date is March 31).

Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles

Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:02:55 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, March 03, 2010

We're Bundled Up
Posted by Diane

…. and we don’t mean because of the weather.

We took our CDs, books and webinars that offer genealogy help with three of the topics you’re most interested in, packaged them up into themed “bundles” and discounted them to give you a great deal. Three bundles are available at ShopFamilyTree.com:

The Organized Genealogy Bundle: Organize Your Genealogy Life! CD, Organization Made Easy webinar recording, Organize Now! book, 2010 Family Tree Magazine Desktop Calendar

The Beginner Genealogist’s Bundle: Family Tree Essentials CD, Beginner's Guide to Genealogy Download, and a one-year subscription to Family Tree Magazine

The Family Legacy Preservation Bundle: Family Tree Legacies book, Heirloom Preservation Made Easy webinar recording, Family Photo Essentials CD

You'll find more details on the contents of each bundle in ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Family Heirlooms | Genealogy books | Research Tips

Wednesday, March 03, 2010 4:40:40 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Lots O' Census Tips in the May 2010 Family Tree Magazine
Posted by Diane

The May 2010 Family Tree Magazine, now mailing to subscribers and available for pre-order at ShopFamilyTree.com, celebrates one of genealogists’ favorite resources: the census.

The Census Extravaganza! includes articles on:

data collected for each US enumeration, from 1790 to 1930 that could solve ancestral mysteries
What you can do now to be ready to find your ancestors in the 1940 census, set for release in two short (we hope) years
How to find and use census records from your ancestral homeland

This issue also has guidance on researching Dutch roots, sharing photos online, searching HeritageQuest Online (the historical records service you can access through many public libraries), searching the Daughters of the American Revolution online databases, organizing your hard drive and more.

Of course, you’ll also find our listing of the Family Tree Magazine 40 Best Genealogy Blogs, (which you also can see on our website).

You can purchase a digital version to download right now.

The print version is available for preorder from ShopFamilyTree.com (it comes with a Census Research Toolkit CD, so it costs a little more than the digital download).

census records | Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles

Thursday, February 25, 2010 11:16:01 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Valentine Sale! Take 20% Off Your ShopFamilyTree.com Order
Posted by Diane

Genealogy and Valentine’s Day go together like . . . well . . . doesn't genealogy go with just about everything?

We’re offering a sweetheart of a deal on the how-to family history books, CDs, Family Tree Magazine back issues, digital downloads and webinar recordings in ShopFamilyTree.com: Save 20 percent off your order by entering the code FAMLOVE at checkout.

That’s on top of already-discounted items, such as those in our 10th anniversary sale, making for some pretty inexpensive stuff. And you still get free shipping on US orders over $25.

(Note the Valentine sale doesn’t apply to Family Tree Magazine print subscriptions, the VIP membership or registration for our Feb. 23 Search Engine Tips & Tricks webinar.)

Need shopping ideas? May I suggest:

If you want a way to record and pass down family history as an heirloom, try our Family Tree Legacies keepsake book.

This is the perfect time to finally pick up the State Research Guides compilation CD or book

If you want to learn more about a range of research areas, try our Family Tree Essentials or Trace Your Roots Online CDs

Looking to fill holes in your library of Family Tree Magazine issues? Look here for back issues in print or as digital downloads.

Editor's Pick | ShopFamilyTree.com Sales

Thursday, February 11, 2010 11:00:38 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, February 04, 2010

Editor's Pick: Search Engine Tips and Tricks Webinar
Posted by Diane

You know the search engine commercial where a guy’s wife asks him if he got the tickets to Hawaii, and he answers “Hawaii 5-0. 'Book 'em, Danno!' Aloha! Mele Kalikimaka …”? (Watch it here.)

That’s not unlike what can happen when you type your ancestors’ names into a search engine. Instead of your Henry Sommers, born in 1872, you get “Henry Sommer testified before the Senate Judiciary…” and “Kressel, Henry; Sommers, Henry S. …”

Our next webinar, Search Engine Tips and Tricks: Google Techniques to Boost Your Research, will help you avoid the noise and get to meaningful results about your family and the places they lived.

Presenter Lisa Louise Cooke will demonstrate

Tips for phrasing your searches
How to tailor your searches to fetch what you're looking for
Hints to take advantage of tools such as Google Books and News Archive

The webinar takes place Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 7 pm Eastern. Your registration includes participation in the live presentation and Q&A session, access to the webinar recording to view again as many times as you want, a PDF of the presentation slides, and a bonus handout.

Registration costs $39.99 through Feb. 11. After that, it’ll be $49.99. (Family Tree VIP program members get another 10 percent off.)

Register in ShopFamilyTree.com. After your purchase, be sure to follow the link on your confirmation page to complete your webinar sign-up.

Editor's Pick | Research Tips | Webinars

Thursday, February 04, 2010 10:20:57 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

10 Genealogy Books & CDs for $10 Each
Posted by Diane

Feel free to join me in taking a swig of coffee every time a 10 appears in the following post:

To celebrate Family Tree Magazine’s 10th anniversary (our first issue was January 2000) we’re having a 10 for $10 sale in ShopFamilyTree.com. Get your 2010 roots research started off on the right foot—inexpensively—by picking up 10 genealogy how-to helps for a cool $10 each, including:

Books

Family Tree Problem Solver by Marsha Hoffman Rising
Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs by Maureen A. Taylor
The Family Tree Guide to Finding Your Ellis Island Ancestors book by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack

CDs

our 2005, 2007 and 2008 collections of back issues
International Genealogy Passport
Family Tree Essentials: Guide to 15 Key Records for Finding Your Ancestors
Family Photo Essentials

And our 2010 Desk Calendar (it comes with a ShopFamilyTree.com coupon for each month)

For more details about each of these $10 items, see our ShopFamilyTree.com 10 for $10 page. Shipping is always free on orders over $25.

Now to go find some walls to bounce off ...

Editor's Pick

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:49:39 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

March 2010 Family Tree Magazine and Your Genealogy Resolutions
Posted by Diane

The March 2010 Family Tree Magazine hit newsstands Jan. 5 with articles I think will mesh nicely with 2010 genealogy resolutions you may be formulating. For example:

Resolution: Polish your genealogy research skills.
Article: Assess your genealogical fitness level with the survey in “Shaping Up,” then read how to brush up in areas where you need more knowledge. Links direct you to a range of classes (with plenty of free options), websites, books and organizations that can help researchers from beginners to experts learn a thing or two.

Resolution: Enhance your family’s story with social history
Article: Learn how ancestors came into the world in “We Deliver for You,” an overview of childbirth practices in your grandmothers’ and great-mothers’ days. You’ll also find out about birth, hospital and midwives’ records.

Resolution: Break through your brick wall and figure out whatever happened to Great-great-grandpa.
Article: Maybe a weather event, epidemic, workplace accident or other disaster befell your forebear. “Flirting With Disaster” helps you find death records, newspapers and other sources that may name victims of unfortunate occurrences.

Resolution: Get with the times and equip yourself to digitize photos, record oral histories, back up your hard drive and more.
Article: “Go Go Gadgets” (my favorite title in the issue) explains what to look for in seven tech tools: an Internet connection, all-in-one printer/scanner/copier, digital camera, external hard drive, digital voice recorder, GPS unit and USB flash drive. For each device, we include a chart comparing popular models.

Resolution: Get with the times and figure out Twitter.
Article: Our Toolkit Tutorial illustrates the anatomy of a Tweet, defines Twitter terminology (such as tweep and hashtag) and gets you started on this fast-paced social network.

Resolution: Keep your family connected.
Article: A family website is one way to stay in touch. Our MyHeritage Web Guide outlines how to use a tree on MyHeritage to do research and connect with kin.

The March 2010 Family Tree Magazine has even more articles, including a guide to tracing Puerto Rican roots, facts about color photography and new sources helping African-American genealogists overcome research obstacles.

Look for the issue in your favorite bookstore, or visit ShopFamilyTree.com to purchase a digital download or order a print copy.

African-American roots | Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles | Social History | Social Networking | Tech Advice | Vital Records

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 2:54:31 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Editor's Pick: January 2010 Family Tree Magazine
Posted by Diane

The January 2010 Family Tree Magazine is on newsstands and at ShopFamilyTree.com (in print and digital form)—and it’s our Editor’s Pick this week.

Why? Well, I’ll tell you:

It’s our 10th anniversary issue—yes, we’re now in double digits.

It’s got our pretty new logo on the cover.

The cover also features a photo of reader Sandra Simon-Rosa’s grandmother Marjorie May-Newell, which we chose from all those submitted for our Ancestral Cover Photo.

It comes wrapped with a free CD from genealogy website MyHeritage, containing Family Tree Builder software.

It debuts our new design, which lets us include tips and quick facts in boxes, so they’re easy to find at a glace

The new design features additional resources with every feature article in a “More Online” box. To keep things simple, they’re categorized into free content, Family Tree Magazine Plus content, and products from ShopFamilyTree.com.

It has our first Genealogy Insider column (replacing Branching Out), which works with this blog and our e-mail newsletter to take you behind the scenes of family history news and trends.

The new Document Detective column (replacing Brick Wall Busters) points out clues and next steps to be gleaned from genealogy records.

A Family Archivist column (replacing Preserving Memories) focuses on ways to preserve and share your family’s stories, artifacts and heirlooms. Each installment has project card with simple steps for an archival preservation project.

A Time Capsule on the last page of the issue (replacing Uprooted) gives our ancestors a voicewith excerpts from letters, journals and other historical writings.

Editor's Pick | Family Tree Magazine articles

Thursday, December 17, 2009 9:37:29 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Editors' Picks: Family Tree Magazine Desk Calendar
Posted by Diane

There are so many things I love about our first-ever desk calendar. Foremost are the beautiful photos—all from Family Tree Magazine readers—and the stories behind them.

There’s also the genealogy tip of the month, and a ShopFamilyTree.com coupon on the back of each month. And the nice size (it fits into a CD case) that’s just right to tuck into a stocking (it also won’t take up too much real estate on your desk).

Click here to learn more and get one of your own.

Editor's Pick

Wednesday, December 09, 2009 2:29:49 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Editor’s Pick: 2009 Annual CD
Posted by Diane

Our CD with PDF versions of all seven 2009 Family Tree Magazine issues is hot off the presses (so hot, actually, that it’s not yet in stock, but it’s available now for pre-order).

Though I love my paper copies of Family Tree Magazine, you can’t beat the ability to keyword-search all 532 pages of how-to genealogy guidance on our 2009 CD. It’s super-fast to find all references to, say, the Civil War—no need to flip back and forth between pages. And of course, it saves space and you can tuck it into your laptop case for taking to the library.

But I think the best thing about our annual CDs is the end of typing in URLs. You can just click to visit the recommended websites.

I’ll stroll down memory lane (since we’re already working on our May 2010 issue) and list my favorite articles from each 2009 issue:

Power Hour: this January 2009 guide breaks down 14 genealogy tasks so you can accomplish them on your lunch hour
Cheap Thrills: a special section in the March 2009 issue with money-saving research strategies
Hair Apparent: I love the photos and information in this May 2009 article on hairstyles through history, and how they can help you date photos
Special Help: our July 2009 guide to finding and using federal non-population censuses
National Archives Web Guide: NARA’s website is one of my favorite sources for learning about US records
Under Surveillance: this November 2009 article helps you avoid red tape when requesting US government records—I followed the instructions to obtain my ancestor’s alien registration record
Guide to Genetic Genealogy: genetic genealogy articles in the December issue debunk DNA myths, highlight online DNA databases and help you discover family health history

Heritage guides in 2009 cover Danish, Mexican, German, Canadian, Jewish, American Indian and African-American ancestors.

The CD works on both PC and Macintosh systems with the free Adobe Reader (version 6.0 or higher). Learn more and pre-order at ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 8:12:59 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Thursday, November 05, 2009

Editors Pick: Wish Lists in ShopFamilyTree.com
Posted by Diane

Got your eye on a few how-to genealogy books, CDs, digital downloads or other helps in ShopFamilyTree.com?

Now you can keep track of those wanted items—and, if you choose, communicate your hankering to those whose gift lists you’re on—by creating a wish list.

Here’s how:

1. Go to ShopFamilyTree.com. Click My Wish List in the top right corner of any page.

2. If you’ve ordered something before, you might already have an account, and you can log in here. If you don’t have an account, click the “Not Registered? Click Here” link to create a user name and password (you don’t have to buy anything to register).

3. Once you’re logged in, click the Wish List link to go right to your list.

4. Set up a list by entering a description (such as “Diane’s Christmas list”), an expiration date, and deciding whether to keep it hidden. If you check the “private” box, you won’t be able to e-mail the list to others, but you can view and make purchases from it. Click submit.

5. Whenever you’re browsing around in the store and see an item you’d like, click the Add to Wish List button. You’ll be taken to the entry in your list.

Once you’ve added items to your list, click Wish List to see the "E-mail Wish List to Friends" link. (If you made your list private, you won’t see this link. Just uncheck the Private box to see the link.) Now you can type a message and enter up 20 e-mail addresses of people who’ll receive your list.

They’ll get an e-mail that starts with “[Your name] has opened a wish list at ShopFamilyTree.com and wanted to let you know. You can view the list by clicking on the link below.”

Then they’ll see your message and a link to your list on ShopFamilyTree.com.

Editor's Pick | Genealogy Web Sites

Thursday, November 05, 2009 9:39:19 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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