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 Thursday, February 25, 2010
Are You "Jeopardy!" Material? Try Your National Archives Knowledge
Posted by Diane
The National Archives is reliving the glory of its appearance on the game show "Jeopardy!" with a May 12 public viewing of the episode, which aired in January and featured an entire category devoted to historical treasures housed in the archives.
That was life imitating art for us: The episode almost eerily echoed our December 2005 Family Tree Magazine feature on the archives’ National Archives regional research facilities. (See the caricature of host Alex Trebek in our earlier blog post.)
When the "Jeopardy!" staff arrived at the archives headquarters in Washington, DC, to shoot video, visitors swarmed Trebek. He and the Clue Crew filmed in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, the Public Vaults, and the exhibition "BIG! Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the National Archives."
Join in the viewing May 12, at noon, in the archives' William G. McGowan Theater. You can watch the National Archives-related footage on YouTube.
Would you be a "Jeopardy!" champion? Remember to frame your responses as questions. (The correct responses are at the end of this post.)
For $200: In 1940, in a letter to the president this then 14-year old future world leader asked FDR for a $10 bill. Yet he doesn't cash the checks we send him for Guantanamo.
For $400: American history might've been very different if this future country had agreed to the offer of statehood contained in Article 11 of the Articles of Confederation.
For $600: No one knows how it got there, but there's a handprint in the lower left-hand corner of this important national document, just beneath the concluding words "and our sacred honor."
For $800: One of the archives' treasures is a 1912 wax cylinder recording, like this one, of this American president talking about his Progressive Party's movement for social and industrial justice.
For $1,000: The Constitution was signed by representatives of each of the 13 colonies except for this one, which opposed increasing federal power. Because it was the last to ratify, it is now our 13th state.
Correct responses
$200: Who is Fidel Castro?
$400: What is Canada?
$600: What is the Declaration of Independence?
$800: Who is Theodore Roosevelt?
$1000: What is Rhode Island?
Genealogy fun | Libraries and Archives
Thursday, February 25, 2010 10:22:45 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00) 
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Friday, February 12, 2010
Genealogy News Corral: February 8-12
Posted by Diane
- Neat website alert: The Ministry of Food goes with an Imperial War Museum London exhibit about the British public’s adaption to food shortages during World War II. You can see photos from the exhibit, check out Ministry of Food publications on gardening and cooking, and watch video clips.
And here’s a blog by a woman who’s living for a month on a 1940s British ration diet.
- Ancestry.com has improved Collection Filters in the New Search. When you’re in the Advanced Search, a pull-down menu lets you give priority to matches associated with various countries or ethnic backgrounds. See how it works on the Ancestry.com blog.
Ancestry.com | FamilySearch | Genealogy fun | Museums | Social History | UK and Irish roots
Friday, February 12, 2010 5:07:06 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Awww . . . ! Love Letters From History
Posted by Diane
In 1797, a British publisher printed The Young Man’s Valentine Writer, which suggested sentimental verses for wooing the ladies. Need similar inspiration this Valentine’s Day? Here are a few swoon-inducing quotes from love letters of the past, and where you can read the rest.
Revolutionary War Gen. Nathanael Greene to his wife, Catharine
"There is not a day or night, nay not an hour, but I wish to fold you to my heart.”
I couldn’t find the full letter online, but you can read more about the correspondence of this couple and their contemporaries in Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts.
Poet Elizabeth Barrett to Robert Browning, Jan. 10, 1846
“It seems to me, to myself, that no man was ever before to any woman what you are to me.”
Samual Langhorne Clemens (aka Mark Twain) to Olivia Langdon, Dec. 31, 1868, transcribed at the Mark Twain Project Online"The Old Year is passing. … It found me careless of the here & the [hereafter]—it leaves me with faith in the one & hope for the [other. It] found [me. my ] heart scorched, bitter, barren, loveless—& leaves it filled with softening, humanizing, elevating love for the dearest girl on earth, Livy—& I, the homeless then, have on this last day of the [die dying] year, a home that is [pre priceless], a refuge from all the cares & ills of life, in that warm heart of yours, & am supremely happy! And so with grateful benediction I give [Godspeed] to this good Old Year that is passing away. If I forget all else it has done for me I shall still remember that it gave me your love, Livy, ..."
Civil War soldier Sullivan Ballou to his wife Sarah, July 14, 1861, a week before he was killed in the Battle of Bull Run (this letter was made famous in Ken Burns’ documentary "The Civil War")
"… something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. ... How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness ..."
Harry Truman to his wife, Bess, May 7, 1933
“I still believe that my sweetheart is the ideal woman…”
Genealogy fun | Social History
Friday, February 12, 2010 2:42:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, February 03, 2010
We'll Take the National Archives for $200, Alex
Posted by Diane
We’re feeling very prescient right now.
A December 2005 Family Tree Magazine article on the National Archives' regional research facilities spoofed Utahn Ken Jennings’ smarty-pants appearances on the game show "Jeopardy!"
The article, written by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack and James W. Warren, featured a spot-on caricature of "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek by illustrator Thomas Fluharty:
Lo and behold if Alex himself didn't have a National Archives category on the show last week. Here's the rapid-fire question-and-answer ... er, answer-and-question video, courtesy of the National Archives YouTube channel. See how many you can get right!
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun | Libraries and Archives | Videos
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 6:07:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
How Your Ancestors' Christmases Looked
Posted by Diane
I went into some of our favorite historical photo archives and found images of Christmases past. Each link will open in a new window:
- Christmas card sent in Alaska in 1938, from the National Archives’ Digital Vaults
- 1924 Christmas card featuring Abraham Lincoln, from the Library of Congress American Memory Collection. It won second prize in the National League of Women Voters’ world peace-themed Christmas card contest
- Salvation Army bell-ringer in 1903, from the Library of Congress
- Kids at a Christmas party, dated between 1910 and 1930, from the Denver Public Library
- Women decorating a Christmas tree in a factory, about 1904, from the Library of Congress
- Christmas tree lot in New York City, dated between 1885 and 1895, from the Library of Congress
- Nurses filling candy bags for children at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital in 1909
- Holiday crowds in downtown Chicago in 1927, from the Library of Congress
- Outdoor decorations in Denver, from the Denver Public Library
Posting will be spotty over the next couple of weeks as we spend time with friends and family. We wish warm and happy holidays to all of you!
Celebrating your heritage | Genealogy fun | Photos
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:41:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 21, 2009
Last-Minute Family History Gifts
Posted by Diane
If you’re scrambling to find just the right presents or you’ve finally faced the fact that the family history book you planned to give the year won’t be ready in time for Christmas, consider one of these ideas for a quick, family history-themed gift:
A framed family photo showing ancestors or an old family home. You also could use ephemera, such as a letter (scan and print color copies for framing). My aunt did this with a handwritten poem my great-aunt wrote about relatives who went to fight in World War II.
Write a few of Grandma’s recipes on pretty recipe cards, and give them with a recipe box, a wooden rolling pin or a baking dish.
A filled-in decorative family tree chart. I like this fan chart from MarthaStewart.com or try one of the chart templates from FamilyTreeTemplates.net. You can download and print PDF versions for free, or download Word versions for $4, which you can type into and then print.
A photo CD with digitized family photos and documents.
These photo blocks, which Family Archivist columnist Sunny McClellan Morton created for our December 2009 issue. Purchase the wooden blocks at a craft store and cut photos to fit. Use Mod Podge to attach the photos to the blocks.
To make these refrigerator magnets, use clear-drying glue such
as Aleene's Clear Gel Tacky Glue to adhere pictures to the backs of
glass gems. Let dry, then trim the photo and glue magnet to the back
of the picture.
Celebrating your heritage | Genealogy fun
Monday, December 21, 2009 3:56:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
GNELOG License Plates
Posted by Diane
We were out and about yesterday when we spotted this license plate.
Maybe the driver didn’t mean for the plate to be genealogical, but that’s how we’re taking it: Galicia is the name for both a community in northwestern Spain with roots going back to the Kingdom of Galicia, and a historical region of east-Central Europe now in Poland and Ukraine.
That got us thinking about other genealogy license plates you could make with the seven-character alphanumeric combo Ohio allows. We came up with GEDCOM, 3RD GR8 (or 4TH GRT, 5TH GR8 and so on), FMLY TRE and IMA MUTT.
Today I discovered others have already played this game—Mark Tucker’s Think Genealogy blog has plenty of good ideas for the next time you renew your plates.
If you're having trouble condensing your love for genealogy into letters and numbers that'll fit on a plate, type a word or phrase into the Vanity License Plate Generator and it'll help you shorten your thought.
Genealogy fun
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 4:23:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 14, 2009
Tips for Taking Holiday Photos
Posted by Diane
The holidays may be the biggest workout your camera gets all year. And this might be the only time you get a chance to take pictures of far-flung friends and family. Use these tips for taking great snapshots:
- Get familiar with your camera’s settings ahead of time so you’re not fiddling with buttons as the Kodak moments happen around you
- It’s easy to forget your camera when you also have to remember all the presents and the green bean casserole, so get it ready to go. Charge the batteries, find the extra ones and make sure there’s room on the memory card.
- Take a lot of pictures, trying the same scene zoomed in and out, and with and without flash. The beauty of digital photography is that you can look at the pictures later, decide what to keep and get rid of the bad shots.
- Get close to your subject to avoid background distractions.
- If you’re taking pictures of holiday lights at night, the flash can overwhelm them and harshly illuminate people in the foreground. Try switching to your camera’s nighttime setting—but you’ll also need to use a tripod or steady the camera against a fence rail or table to avoid a blurry shot. This article has more tips on tricky nightime lighting situations.
- Some digital cameras have a delay after you press the shutter, so you may need to anticipate a shot and click the shutter a split second early.
- Learn your camera’s timer feature so you can take a photo of the whole gang together. Position people at different levels (some sitting, some standing) and take plenty of shots to increase the chances of everyone’s eyes being open at the same time. This article has more tips on group portraits.
More resources from FamilyTreeMagazine.com for preserving memories through photographs:
- Family Photo Essentials CD with tips on taking photos, preserving them in albums, safely organizing them and researching old pictures (on sale at ShopFamilyTree.com)
Genealogy fun | Photos
Monday, December 14, 2009 3:21:04 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Wanted: Funny Tombstone Photos
Posted by Diane
You’re pacing a cemetery, intent on finding an ancestor’s grave, when you see a headstone that makes you do a double-take. Maybe it even elicits a chuckle—or causes you to stifle a chuckle, depending on who's around.
Maybe the deceased or his family wanted to make a final, lasting statement, like this man, who campaigned until the bitter end (reader
Ruth Anne Nelson sent us the picture for a 2006 All in the Family
challenge). Or maybe the humor is coincidental. Either way, naturally, you photograph the stone.
Post that photo to our Funny Tombstone Photos Flickr group, and we might publish it in an upcoming book about funny tombstones and/or in Family Tree Magazine. You also could win an Amazon.com gift card!
And even if you don’t have a photo, show us your sense of humor by writing knee-slapping captions for others’ pictures—we’ll put the funniest ones in the book, too.
The submission deadline is March 31, but submit earlier for more chances to win a gift card.
You'll find the submission instructions—for submitting via Flickr or e-mail—with the gift card drawing details, and, of course, funny photos, on our Funny Tombstone Photos Flickr page. (You may need to scroll down a little to the About section.)
The fine print: By submitting, you verify that you are the copyright holder of the photo or caption. You also grant F+W Media, Inc., permission to use your contribution in any and all print and electronic media.
Cemeteries | Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun
Wednesday, December 02, 2009 4:20:51 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Recording Memories of Christmases Past
Posted by Diane
It’s easy to get so busy tracing your ancestors’ lives that you forget to leave traces of your own life.
Which is why I think the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories is so neat. It’s a series of daily blogging prompts for Dec. 1 to 24 that GeneaBloggers author Thomas MacEntee set up to encourage participants to write about Christmases past.
Click here to learn how you can participate. Even if you don’t blog, you could use the prompts to start a holiday memory book you can pass on to your kids or grandkids.
MacEntee will link to participants’ posts each morning on his blog. You can read each day’s posts by clicking on the date on this calendar.
Celebrating your heritage | Genealogy fun | Oral History
Tuesday, December 01, 2009 6:03:50 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
So a Genealogist Walks Into a Bar . . .
Posted by Diane
Just when I needed a laugh this morning, reader Crystal Pickett emailed links to a few of her favorite funny genealogy sites. Yes, there is such a thing as genealogy humor. For example:
Cyndi’s List: Humor (from Crystal)
My Elusive Ancestors (from Crystal)
Strange but true epitaphs (On an auctioneer's tombstone: "Going! Going!! Gone!!!")
Genealogy Humor (turns out you can be your own grandpa)
Census Whacking (blogger Randy Seaver's links to funny names in census records)
Heir Jordan, Extreme Genealogy (video on Roots Television)
The Genealogue
To thank Crystal, here are the lines she’s searching: Shaw/Burtley
from Mer Rouge, La.; and Crutch/Crutcher and Wilburn from Vaughn Miss.
and Pickens, Miss.
Click comments if a name rings a bell, or to add a link to your favorite funny genealogy site.
Genealogy fun
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 9:57:11 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, November 16, 2009
How to Win Your ShopFamilyTree.com Wish List!
Posted by Diane
It’s fun playing Santa this time of year, so we’re offering a chance to win your favorite how-to genealogy books, CDs, digital downloads and more.
Just fill out your ShopFamilyTree.com wish list by Wed., Dec. 2, and you’ll be entered to win everything on your list up to $150. (You’re still entered if you already had a wish list.) No purchase necessary to create a wish list or to win.
Four lucky winners will be announced on ShopFamilyTree.com on December 3. You’ll find wish list instructions and giveaway details on ShopFamilyTree.com.
Genealogy fun
Monday, November 16, 2009 8:13:35 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
And Our January 2010 Cover Model is …
Posted by Diane
Way back in September, when we put out a call for readers’ ancestral family photos, one of which we’d feature on the January 2010 Family Tree Magazine, we didn’t know we’d get so many terrific candidates. It was difficult to choose just one, but we persevered.
Gracing our January 2010 cover—and helping us unveil the new look of Family Tree Magazine—is [cue drum roll] Marjorie May Newell, grandmother of submitter Sandra Simon-Rosa of Belgrade, Mont.
Sandra says Marjorie was a fashionista with a great sense of humor.
Subscribers are starting to receive the January issue now; it’ll be available on newsstands and at ShopFamilyTree.com starting Dec. 1.
See the rest of the photos in our slideshow and on Flickr.
You’ll see the images inside issues throughout the year, and in the 2010 Family Tree Magazine Desk Calendar, available soon (we’ll let you know) from ShopFamilyTree.com. Thanks to Sandra and all who sent photos for sharing their family memories with us.
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun | Photos
Thursday, November 12, 2009 3:04:44 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 05, 2009
Now's the Time to Start on Family History Gifts
Posted by Diane
We don’t mean to rush you into the winter holidays—it was just Halloween—but if you’re thinking of giving family history-related gifts this year, now’s the time to start.
Many such gifts require prep work: For example, you’ll need to gather, scan, digitally touch up and label photos for a photo CD; start laying out an online photo book or calendar; or collect and transcribe family stories. Maybe you want to check another record or two before finalizing a compiled family history.
And by starting early, you can watch for coupon codes and sales; and make sure anything you order online will get to you in time.
As our early gift to you, here’s our December 2006 article with 13 family history gift ideas you can make. The projects range from very quick and easy to moderately quick and easy. The article has supply lists and step-by-step instructions for seven of the projects.
A few more sources of family tree gift ideas:
- I’m kinda partial to this one: Family Tree Legacies, a book Family Tree Magazine editor Allison Stacy and I put together for recording all kinds of family history information—not just names and dates, but also family stories, news articles, house history, military service details, where people lived and more.
Celebrating your heritage | Family Heirlooms | Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun
Thursday, November 05, 2009 2:07:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Tell Us Your New Year's Traditions (You Could Win a CD)
Posted by Diane
We’re still taking entries for our November 2009 All in the Family challenge, but only for another week. If we publish your entry in Family Tree Magazine, you’ll win our Organize Your Genealogy Life! CD.
Here’s how to enter:
1. Think of your family’s weird, wacky or wonderful New Year’s traditions. Did you irritate the neighbors by banging pots and pans at midnight? Play board games and watch the ball drop on Times Square? Consume cabbage, donuts or black-eyed peas for luck?
2. Next, describe that tradition in 200 words or less.
3. Send us your description either by posting it to our Talk to Us Forum (you must register with the FamilyTreeMagazine.com Forum to post) or by sending us an e-mail.
Please include your name and your city and state with your entry, like so: Diane Haddad, Cincinnati, Ohio. If we pick your entry, that’ll make it easier for us to credit you in the magazine.
And in that case, we’ll contact you by e-mail to ask for your mailing address so we can send the CD (so keep an eye on your in box).
You have until Nov. 10 to enter. Let’s hear those New Year traditions!
Celebrating your heritage | Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 8:29:36 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Truths Behind History-Inspired Halloween Costumes
Posted by Diane
Even when you’re beyond the age of trick-or-treating (and I’m not saying any of you are!), it’s fun to dress up at Halloween to entertain the little ones or impress fellow partygoers.
You’ve might’ve donned one of these history-inspired costumes at one time or another. We dug up some hidden history not revealed in the Halloween costume clichés:
- Uncle Sam isn’t just a character: During the War of 1812, Samuel Wilson of Troy, NY, provided the army with beef in barrels labeled U.S. The letters stood for United States, but people joked they referred to "Uncle Sam." The term came to mean the federal government; depictions of Uncle Sam appeared starting in 1852. In 1961, Congress officially saluted “Uncle Sam Wilson” as the “progenitor of America's national symbol."
- You can morph into Rosie the Riveter with rolled-up sleeves and a red handkerchief in your hair. The name was popularized in a 1942 song, but there wasn’t any one Rosie. The most famous image we associate with Rosie the Riveter, J. Howard Miller’s “We Can Do It!” poster, isn’t her. Miller created the poster for the Westinghouse Co.’s War Production Coordinating Committee, and it was posted at the Michigan plant for only two weeks in February, 1942. He didn’t intend for it to portray Rosie.
Read more on the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Memorial Park website.
- The witch of popular culture—black robe, pointy hat and warts a lá the Wicked Witch of the West—got her start in Shakespeare’s MacBeth
and the fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm. But those accused
of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials of 1692 and 1693 looked like
anybody else. The series of trials resulted in the hangings of 14 women
and five men. Another man was crushed to death under stones in an
attempt to force him to enter a plea.
Learn more about the trials and see related historical documents in the Famous American Trials website. - Vampire costumes are big this year, thanks to the book Twilight and the movie based on it. The name of late 19th-century novelist Bram Stoker’s fictional vampire, Dracula, was inspired by a real historical figure: Vlad III (aka Vlad the Impaler), Prince of Wallachia, born in Transylvania in the 15th century. His Romanian surname, Dracula, meant “son of the dragon;” Vlad’s father had joined the Order of the Dragon.
- Thanks to Treasure Island, Peter Pan, Pirates of the Caribbean and other popular depictions, pirate costumes sport colorful bandanas, jewelry, an eye patch, a stuffed parrot and maybe a hook or wooden stump. Your typical early 18th-century pirate dressed for the most part like sailors did. The parrot cliché probably arose because many pirates benefited from
the trade in exotic animals; the eye patch and hook/stump because of
the risky profession. See more theories in this pirate Q&A.
Genealogy fun | Social History
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 3:02:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, October 09, 2009
Stupid Inventions of the Past
Posted by Grace
From LIFE magazine (who knew it was still around?), a slideshow of 30 dumb inventions. I'd like to think my ancestors survived being put in a baby cage.
Genealogy fun | Social History
Friday, October 09, 2009 5:14:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 05, 2009
Family Tree 40 Blog Voting is Open
Posted by Grace
Voting is now open for the Family Tree Magazine 40 Best Genealogy Blogs (“Family Tree 40” for short).
Go to FamilyTreeMagazine.com to vote. Voting takes place from Oct. 5 to Nov. 5, and you can vote more than once. We grouped the nominated blogs into categories, and you'll be asked to vote for a specified number of blogs in each category. (We aimed to have you vote for a quarter of the total number of blogs in each category, but rounded the number in some cases because, well, you can't vote for half a blog.)
URLs are included on the voting form, so you can check out the blogs if you want. For those who wonder how the categories were determined, here's a rundown:
All-around
These bloggers give you a little (or a lot) of everything: news, research advice, their own family stories, photos, opinions and more. There’s no one quite like the Genealogue, so we thought about that blog for awhile. It landed in this category because the Genealogue posts a satirical take on genealogy news, holds occasional research challenges and blogs about his own family history every so often.
Personal/Family
These blogs primarily cover the blogger's (or, in a case or two or more, bloggers') own research and ancestors. Family historians write what they know and what’s important to them, so this is our biggest category.
Local/Regional
Most posts in these blogs cover resources, genealogy events and history for a city, town, state or region.
Cemetery
These blogs focus on cemetery research, gravestone photos and the like.
Photos/Heirlooms
Content on these blogs is primarily about sharing, researching and preserving family photos and/or heirlooms.
Heritage
Here, blog content focuses on a particular heritage group, such as African-American, Jewish or Irish. We had some tough decisions in this category, as some family-related genealogy blogs by nature also examine that family’s ethnic heritage.
News/Resources
Blogs in this category deliver a range of genealogy news and information about new resources.
How-to
These blogs have instructional content on genealogical resources and methodology. In some cases, bloggers wrote about their own research and ancestors, but framed posts in an instructional manner.
Genealogy Companies
Blogs in this category are written on behalf of a genealogy company, and contain helpful (but not overly advertising-oriented) information on the company’s products, as well as other resources.
Genetic Genealogy
Blogs that are primarily about genetic genealogy and family health history.
The top 80 vote-getting blogs will make it through to a "final" round, and our editorial staff will select 40 blogs from that list. The Family Tree 40 will be announced in the May 2010 Family Tree Magazine and in the Genealogy Insider e-mail newsletter. You also can follow us on Twitter for contest updates (we'll use the hashtag #FT40).
Click here to get voting!
By the way, feel free to grab either of the little logos below to promote your blog or someone else's!
 
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun | Genealogy Web Sites | Social Networking
Monday, October 05, 2009 2:37:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, September 11, 2009
Genealogy News Corral: September 7-11
Posted by Diane
After skipping last week's news corral due to the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference, I'm back in the saddle and rounding up genealogy news items:
- The National Genealogical Society (NGS) has launched a blog called UpFront With NGS, which will complement the society’s monthly e-mail newsletter of the same name. News will be posted regularly on the blog, so you don’t have to wait for the e-mail, and you can leave comments on the blog posts.
- Ancestry.com is hosting a free webinar to demo its recently released Family Tree Maker 2010 genealogy software. The webinar is Sept. 30 at 8pm EDT. Learn more about the webinar and link to the registration on Ancestry.com’s blog.
- The McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College has a Web site companion to its special exhibit of the Becker Collection: Drawings of the Civil War Era. The drawings by Joseph Becker and others from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly depict the Civil War, construction of railroads, Chinese in the West, Indian wars, the Chicago fire and more. You can browse drawings by date, place, subject, artist or reference number.
- Irish-ancestored people, take note: As posted by Dick Eastman, all counties have been added to the National Archives of Ireland's 1911 census Web site. Later this year, you’ll start seeing 1901 census records. The 1901 and 1911 censuses are the only surviving full Irish censuses open for research. Read what’s special about Irish censuses on Dick’s blog.
- Last, I wanted to point out this fun post by Randy Seaver (a re-post of his earlier post, which I missed the first time around) with links to lists of funny/strange place names.
Ancestry.com | Genealogy fun | Genealogy societies | Social History | UK and Irish roots
Friday, September 11, 2009 4:16:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Special All in the Family Challenge: Ancestral Anniversaries
Posted by Diane
For the All in the Family department in the 10th anniversary issue of Family Tree Magazine, we thought it would be fun to go with the theme by including readers’ stories of ancestral anniversaries.
Tell us about your family's longest-wedded couple: who they are, when they were married, how they met or how they celebrated a milestone anniversary, and maybe even their secret for a long, happy union.
If we publish your story in the January 2010 issue, we'll send you one of our genealogy how-to CDs.
Things to remember before you enter:
- Post your entry to the Ancestral Anniversaries thread in the Talk to Us Forum. (To help combat spammers, forum registration is required for posting. You can register by clicking here.)
- Please keep your entry under 125 words, so we can include more stories in the magazine.
- Please add your city and state to your entry for publication in the magazine.
- We'll contact you for your mailing address and possibly for a photo of your anniversary couple, so please keep an eye on your e-mail account.
- By submitting, you give Family Tree Magazine permission to feature your contribution in all print and electronic media.
We'll need your entry for this All in the Family challenge on or before September 15. Thanks for sharing your family's stories!
Celebrating your heritage | Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun
Tuesday, September 01, 2009 6:18:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, August 27, 2009
Put Your Ancestors on Our Cover!
Posted by Diane
We're looking for a great ancestral photo to feature on the cover of
the January 2010 Family Tree Magazine (that's our 10th anniversary
issue!).
Maybe your family photo is the one.
Post your ancestral photo to our Ancestral Cover Photos Flickr group or e-mail it to us (we'll then post it on Flickr), and we may use it
on the cover!
Before you start flipping through those albums, please note these requirements:
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The image must be dated before 1920 and not show any individuals still living (we don't want to upset any of your more-modest relatives).
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The image must be high-resolution (at least 300 dots per inch) so it will reproduce well in print.
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The image must show people (five or fewer is best, that way we'll be able to see everyone).
- Include your e-mail
address and/or phone number with your submission—we'll need to be able to get a hold of you if your image is chosen.
Some disclaimers for you to be aware of: By submitting your photo, you affirm that you are the owner of the
image and it is not subject to copyright by any other party. You also
grant Family Tree Magazine permission to crop the digital image as necessary for publication,
and to use the image in any and all print and electronic media.
Got questions? Click Comments to ask them, or e-mail them to us.
Update: Please submit your photo(s) by September 15. Also, it's fine to submit more than one image, but please try your hardest to choose up to your five favorites to send. Thanks!
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun | Photos
Thursday, August 27, 2009 1:36:48 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Pick a Mascot for Family Tree University
Posted by Diane
Would you rather be a Fighting Kin-garoo or a Family History Hawk? Or maybe a Missing Lynx?
We’re on the hunt for a mascot for Family Tree University, the series of online genealogy classes we’re launching in late fall. Family Tree Magazine subscribers can read more about it in the November 2009 issue—coming your way right about now—or visit the Web page and sign up for e-mail notifications.
You can help choose a Family Tree University mascot by clicking here and voting for your favorite (or if you don’t see a mascot you like, you can suggest one).
We'll let you know when classes are starting. Hope to see you on "campus"!
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun | Family Tree University
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 8:58:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, August 20, 2009
Full Circle
Posted by Diane
In April, I interviewed Ian Frazier, who penned the story of his northern Ohio ancestors into a book called Family, for the November 2009 Family Tree Magazine (on newsstands Sept. 8).
A half-hour after our interview, Frazier was the keynote speaker at the Ohio Genealogical Society's golden anniversary banquet. During dinner, he sat next to the loquacious Kenny Burck, president of the Hamilton County (Ohio) Genealogical Society.
Frazier’s account of their conversation about Kenny’s son Bobby, aka New York City's Naked Cowboy, appears in the Aug. 24 New Yorker.
And my husband of almost a year was Bobby Burck’s lab partner in high school.
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun
Thursday, August 20, 2009 1:21:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
UGOs (Unidentified Genealogical Objects)
Posted by Diane
Yesterday evening, our company had a trade show, wherein each community (genealogy, writing, woodworking, crafts, etc.) displayed its latest how-to publications and resources.
The Family Tree Magazine staff enjoyed showing off our CDs, webinars and forthcoming Family Tree Legacies book, and sharing genealogy tips with coworkers. I think one guy is searching the free 1911 Irish census as I type this.
The best part was our guessing game. For a chance to win a prize, our colleagues guessed the identity of this object, commonly used in the course of genealogy research:
Here were some of their guesses (obviously, we’re dealing with some wise guys here):
- “toddler’s crayon”
- “fossilized chocolate cake”
- “worry stone” (over those unsolved brick walls, we presume)
- “paper weight”
- “scrubber to get your pen started” (huh?)
- “thumbprinter thingie”
- “It’s used to help you separate papers. You rub your fingers on it so you can easily rifle through your records”
- "a secret listening device"
- “a template for drawing circles for names on your family tree”
- “a starter for the center of your family tree”
What’s your guess?
The correct answer is tombstone rubbing wax, used for making impressions of tombstones. The astute Holly Davis, an editor over at The Artist’s Magazine, is the winner of a scrapbook album kit!
For step-by-step instructions on making tombstone rubbings (including ensuring the stone is sound), see this FamilyTreeMagazine.com article.
And to avoid arrest while making said tombstone rubbing, read our Now What? blog post.
Cemeteries | Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 7:05:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Meet Our Family Tree Huggers
Posted by Diane
 For people who research genealogy, “tree hugging” has a second meaning. That's the one we have in mind as we recognize several members our online community as Family Tree Huggers. Over the years the FamilyTreeMagazine.com Forum has been up and running, these especially active members have enhanced the entire community’s experience with their observations, research advice, questions and inspiration. These folks, who represent a range of research levels, will have this nifty badge to use as a forum avatar and to put on their own Web sites and blogs. They’ll serve as a sounding board for feedback on article topics, genealogy Web sites, industry news, etc. Thanks to Valerie Craft, Jackie Fry, Linda Matthews, Dae Powell, Cat Smith and Linda Swisher for helping to make our Forum a welcoming place. Get to know this group of researchers a little better. And we’re on the lookout for more Family Tree Huggers who post frequently to the Forum and help make it a great place for genealogists to hang out. Let us know if you're interested.
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 5:19:09 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 06, 2009
OGS in Pictures
Posted by Grace
Diane and I spent the weekend up by Lake Erie at the Ohio Genealogical Society Conference to give away copies of the magazine and show our latest CDs.  The table where Diane and I sat saw a steady stream of visitors. We love meeting fans! Surprisingly, the gigantic cover of our November 2007 issue only got knocked over once.  Diane took advantage of downtime to edit an upcoming story about the National Archives by Rick Crume, who was also in attendance.  And there was time for cake.  Our fan club!  An impromptu family reunion—my mom stopped by! Mom was in town to visit her family, which is from the north central Ohio area.  On the way back south, Diane and I got a teensy bit lost and ended up driving past a nuclear power plant. No gills so far, so I think we're good! If you went to the OGS conference, leave a comment and let us know how your weekend was!
Genealogy Events | Genealogy fun
Monday, April 06, 2009 5:23:15 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Quiz: Are You an April Fool?
Posted by Diane
Genealogy fun
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 2:14:27 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Genealogist Discovers Royal Roots*
Posted by Diane
Our warmest congratulations to this lady:  *April Fool's! Think of all the fun** you can have today with the Newspaper Clipping Generator. **Please play responsibly. Not for purposes of "discovering" Great-grandpa's long-missing obituary or giving "evidence" of Aunt Helen's secret career in international espionage.
Genealogy fun
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 1:10:15 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, March 26, 2009
America's Next Top Immigrants
Posted by Grace
What do modeling and genealogy have in common? Absolutely nothing—until last night, when the girls of " America's Next Top Model" did a photo shoot at Ellis Island as very fashionable immigrants. Watch this season's girls impersonating new arrivals in the video below:
Genealogy fun | Videos
Thursday, March 26, 2009 2:00:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, March 20, 2009
Is It Just Us?
Posted by Diane
Genealogy fun
Friday, March 20, 2009 8:56:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009 Monday, March 16, 2009 Friday, March 13, 2009
Second Life Residents Take Genealogy To a New Level
Posted by Diane
Illya D’Addezio at Genealogy Today sent a note about his new Genealogy HUD for the virtual world Second Life (SL). The HUD (short for heads-up display) lets SL residents seamlessly use the genealogy search engine Live Roots from within SL. SL is an online role-playing game in which residents have characters (avatars) that interact with each other, participate in group activities, travel, etc. A child of the 80s, I hear "role-playing" and tend to think of Dungeons & Dragons—but this is more like, well, real life. "Many people think SL is all about games and role playing, which there is plenty of," D'Addezio says. "But there are also an increasing number of genealogists joining, dozens of genealogy content areas developing, and numerous voice chats taking place on a regular basis.” Besides letting SL residents access Live Roots, the Genealogy HUD also helps them compile a list of surnames they're researching to compare with other residents wearing the HUD. Learn more and get the HUD at Genealogy Today. D'Addezio says he’s also building an interactive family history village where “SL visitors will be able to issue actual search queries to many of the Live Roots data partners from within SL, learn about different genealogy companies, purchase books, magazine subscriptions, etc.”
Genealogy fun | Genealogy Web Sites
Friday, March 13, 2009 2:38:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, March 09, 2009
Tips From Genealogy Geniuses
Posted by Diane
Shout out to the Green County (Ohio) Genealogical Society, which hosted us at Saturday’s meeting. We administered a light-hearted genealogy IQ test and had a great conversation about preserving photos, reading gravestones and putting family information online. The tips flowed in both directions. A couple from this enthusiastic group: - Newsletter editor Diana Nelson suggests checking what’s behind old framed photos (not to be confused with encased photos such as daguerreotypes, which shouldn’t be taken apart). Someone might’ve enclosed a written identification or more photos inside the frame.
- A person whose name I didn’t catch (I’m sorry!) uses aluminum foil to safely capture impressions of gravestone transcriptions. After making sure the stone is sturdy and secure in the ground, she’ll mold a sheet of foil onto the stone. You can reuse the foil, or save and frame the impression the same way you can a wax rubbing.
Here’s the group pondering our quiz (there were some smart cookies in the room!).  I vigilantly made sure all kept their eyes on their own papers. 
Genealogy fun | Genealogy societies
Monday, March 09, 2009 4:24:55 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Our Organizing Extravaganza
Posted by Diane
If you’re feeling guilty because you haven’t jumped on that New Year’s
resolution to organize your genealogy files, this post won’t
make you feel any better. (But be consoled by the tips at the end.) The accumulated paper and other stuff was getting to be a bit much here at Family Tree Magazine. So last Friday, we held an all-out, all-day organizing extravaganza. Not a file drawer, bookshelf, box, or folder on the server escaped our critical “do we really need this?” collective scrutiny. (Here, Allison displays her recycling skills.)  Associate editor Grace Dobush and art director Christy Miller sorted through props and film from way back before photo shoots went digital.  Where was I? Taking care of my desk drawer, an “after” desperately waiting to happen.  It always looks worse before it looks better. We emptied boxes in a requisitioned cubicle and sorted and arranged. This …  became this …  and this …  I feel refreshed. Energized! Like our time investment in revising filing systems and straightening storage spots will make us more efficient and quicker on the
job. If you want to have your own organizing day, pizza for lunch helps the motivation. And see these tips on FamilyTreeMagazine.com:
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun | Research Tips
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 5:29:39 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
We’re All Atwitter
Posted by Diane
… and by that I mean you can now follow Family Tree Magazine on Twitter.
What’s Twitter, some of you might ask. It’s a free social network that lets people communicate via short messages (140 characters or fewer) called tweets.
Go here to see our Twitter page. Under “Following” on the right, click the icons to see Twitter pages we’re following.
To join Twitter, you first create a profile and search for others to follow. A genealogy search brings up bloggers, enthusiasts, libraries and publications, who tweet about news, their research, what they’re doing and random thoughts. When you log in to your profile, you can tweet and view the tweets of people you’re following.
This is just the basics. For more details, go to Twitter’s home page.
Genealogy fun
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 4:40:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Winter Wonderland
Posted by Diane
It’s a wintry wonderland here at Family Tree Magazine HQ. We’ve seen it all in the past day and a half—snow, sleet, ice, freezing rain, weird little white pellets.
The office is closed in honor of this layer cake of winter precipitation. My car is a Corolla-shaped white lump, but the backyard looks lovely and Janie’s thrilled.
Genealogy fun
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 1:15:14 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 19, 2009
Do You Know Your Inaugural History? Take Our Quiz!
Posted by Diane
In honor of tomorrow’s presidential inauguration, we’ve set up a a little quiz to test your knowledge of inaugural history trivia. After you’re through, click Submit to access the answers on our Web site. Click here to quiz yourself.
Genealogy fun
Monday, January 19, 2009 6:26:46 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Climbing Down Santa's Tree
Posted by Grace
 Cryptozoologists (people who study animals whose existence has not been proven) have traced the evolution of Santa Claus back to his ur-grandfather, Wildman. Santa Claus belongs to the Winterman branch of the family; Reindeer come from the Myth branch; Snow Queens and Elves are two branches of the Folklore crew. Click here to see the whole family tree.
Celebrity Roots | Genealogy fun
Monday, January 19, 2009 6:14:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Sunday, January 11, 2009
Secret Genealogy Blogger Revealed! (Partially)
Posted by Diane
Before I left for Salt Lake City, we Family Tree Magazine staffers were speculating whether I’d finally encounter the anonymous and well-informed Ancestry Insider blogger.
And I did! Dear Myrtle and I were sitting across the table from him, though silhouetted as he was against a bright window, I couldn’t really see him. But I did snap a photo:
Shoot. Well, he says to tell you that if Brad Pitt wore suspenders, they could be twins.
Genealogy fun
Sunday, January 11, 2009 5:04:21 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, December 11, 2008
Genealogy Books Discounted at Warehouse Sale
Posted by Grace
And
if you're in the Cincinnati area, you might remember the legendary warehouse sales F+W used to host—people came from all over to browse through thousands of overstock items. This year we've brought back the sale in the form of ClearanceBooks.com with a bricks-and-mortar location where you can browse thousands of books
under $10—including plenty of genealogy, family history and writing titles! The warehouse sale runs until January 4 at the site of the former Linens N Things:
Governor’s Plaza Center 9131 Fields Ertel Road (exit #19 off I-71) Cincinnati, OH 45249
9 am-9 pm Monday through Saturday
10 am-7 pm on Sundays
Genealogy fun
Thursday, December 11, 2008 10:32:39 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 01, 2008
What Your Favorite Genealogist Really Wants From Santa
Posted by Diane
Funny how a weekend that seemed endless when I woke up that first free day passed by so quickly. But it was nice and full: celebrating with friends and family, walking the dog (I was at home during daylight hours!) and finishing 85 percent of my Christmas shopping. With the onset of holiday shopping season, may we suggest these gifts for the family historian in your life: - Membership in a local genealogical society (do a Google search or see Society Hill for contact information)
- Gift certificate to a Web site such as Snapfish or Shutterfly, where your favorite genealogist can turn old photos into photo books, collages, picture mugs, notecards and more
- a chauffered trip to a research repository or genealogy workshop, maybe with lunch (your treat)
- a day at a history museum
What’s on your genealogy wish list this year? Click Comments (below) to tell us (then slip your significant other the link to this post!). For readers in Family Tree Magazine’s hometown of Cincinnati, our company is holding a warehouse sale that includes how-to books on sewing, writing, woodworking, painting and tons of other hobbies—including, yes, genealogy. Click here for the location and directions. No matter where you live, you can check out this bargain book selection online at ClearanceBooks.com.
Genealogy fun | Genealogy Industry
Monday, December 01, 2008 8:08:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Where Do We Find All That Old Stuff?
Posted by Grace
Readers occasionally ask us if we have information on the photos or letters we show in our articles. Unfortunately, for the most part, we don’t. "Many of our old photos have come from antiques stores and flea markets," says our editor, Allison Stacy. "We used to have a photo stylist go out and buy props for us—kind of like a mystery shopper." So where do we get all the stuff we show in Family Tree Magazine?
Without a stylist these days, we have to get a little creative in finding props, and we aren’t too proud to scavenge. "I brought home copies of some documents and burned the edges of them on my patio one night for a photo shoot" for a story about burned courthouses, says our art director, Kathy DeZarn. "The next morning on my way to work I spotted a bunch of charred wood and broken bricks from a house fire just a few blocks from my home. It was just too good to pass up."
Kathy got the Mason jars in the May 2008 History Matters from her aunt’s basement, and "the boxes of stuff I inherited when my parents died has been the source for all sorts of letters, photos and stuff including one (I only found one) of the shoes my mom wore on her wedding day."
Managing editor Diane Haddad’s grandmother's purse and burgundy dress have been in photo shoots for the magazine, as have various family pictures. My own parents happen to have a house full of antiques and ephemera, which comes in very handy! That's a picture from their living room below. (The telephone, directory and telegraph key in the "Getting the Message" article in the January 2009 issue pictured above came from them.)
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun | Photos
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 8:41:33 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, November 17, 2008
Hello, Sunshine: The Family History Expo in Mesa
Posted by Diane
To show you the lovely weather in Mesa, Ariz., host of the Family History Expo whence I just returned, here’s a photo of Friday morning’s 8 a.m. opening session:  (Warm sunshine probably isn't a big deal to everybody who's reading this, but it is for someone who just came home to overcast skies and temperatures in the 30s.) That’s Don R. Anderson, senior vice president at FamilySearch, giving tips on finding ancestors in a digital world. After snapping this photo, I raced to the Family Tree Magazine booth to prepare for the onslaught of researchers stopping to take magazines and handouts, start or renew subscriptions, and purchase our State Research Guides CD for their very own. I had a great time meeting family historians from Mesa and beyond, including some (hi, Happy Dae!) whose posts I’ve read here and on our Forum. One visitor’s dad went to high school with my dad. Keeping my sugar intake nice and steady, I took a Hershey’s Kisses tour of the exhibit hall (many exhibitors tempt conference-goers with candy). I scored a limited-edition macadamia nut kiss, sold only in Hawaii, from Ohana Software, makers of Family Insight. Sacha, my neighbor over in the Genetree booth, brought cake to celebrate Genetree’s first birthday.  Some of the newer genealogy exhibitors I met on my tour include: - Photoloom, a site where you and your family can organize pictures around a photo-based family tree
- Echo Media, a service for digitizing slides, prints, film and video- and audiotapes
- LDSJournal, a personal journaling and memoir-writing site
- Genlighten, a site where you can hire an amateur genealogist to do a research tasks in a distant repository
- I-ASK, the International Association of Story Keepers, a network of oral history interviewers who also help you digitize photos and videos and share them online with family
- Prepared Binder, a kind of kit for organizing family records and personal, medical, insurance, financial and other papers
Genealogy Events | Genealogy fun
Monday, November 17, 2008 7:02:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween From Family Tree Magazine!
Posted by Diane
Genealogy fun
Friday, October 31, 2008 12:37:09 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, October 23, 2008
Old Yearbooks of the Future
Posted by Grace
Genealogy fun | Photos
Thursday, October 23, 2008 6:36:57 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Fun at the Fair
Posted by Diane
Genealogy Events | Genealogy fun | Libraries and Archives
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 8:37:53 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 20, 2008
Family Tree Firsts: Inside a Library Lock-in
Posted by Diane
I’ve always been an early-to-bed, early-to-rise kind of girl. As a kid, I was the first one to fall asleep at slumber parties and get her hand dipped in warm water (it doesn’t work, by the way). So when I signed up for last Friday’s genealogy lock-in at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, I was worried I’d pass out on a city directory and end up with street names tattooed on my forehead. But I managed to last almost 'til the end. If you've never been to a lock-in, it’s an after-hours research session at a library. Around 30 researchers (all the tables were taken!) had the genealogy and periodicals departments all to ourselves. I recognized a few people from April’s Ohio Genealogical Society conference. The pursuit of family history kept everyone awake and focused, including me. I hadn’t made a firm research plan, so I wasn’t expecting thrilling discoveries. And I didn’t make any, but I got some groundwork laid. I started off using the library’s free wireless to try some Ancestry.com searches for my dad’s family, who remain absent from the 1920 census. I did find the Social Security Death Index entry for the man who vouched for my great-uncle when he applied for a delayed North Carolina birth certificate in 1971. Next I turned to Cincinnati city directories. My great-great-grandfather on my mom’s side started a cigar store in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, and his family ran it for years. When I was little, my mom drove me by the building—it had an outline where the “H.A. Seeger Cigar” sign used to be. Here's a photo from around 1910:  (My great-great-grandfather is third from left; his son is in the doorway). I wanted to see how long the store was open. My ancestor H.A. Seeger showed up in printed directories starting in 1875, when he boarded downtown, then in 1877, when he opened the cigar store (the family moved in above it). The store's listing disappears after 1955. Here’s a Google street view of the building today:  It was late by the time I was through photocopying directories. I decided to save map research for my next library trip, and browsed the compilations of vital records, church records and cemetery transcriptions from counties across the country. Then I found my husband’s late-80s photographs among the high school yearbooks. That was entertaining. I don’t know if it was the 80s hair or the hour, but I could feel my brain switch to Off mode, so I packed up my laptop and papers, checked my forehead for accidental tattoos (none), said goodbye to the bleary-eyed souls still scrolling microfilm, and went home to get some shut-eye for the next day’s Family History Fair. I’ll write about that tomorrow.
Family Tree Firsts | Genealogy Events | Genealogy fun | Libraries and Archives
Monday, October 20, 2008 5:20:27 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, October 16, 2008
Playing Blog Tag: Fives and 10s
Posted by Diane
This is my first game of blog-tag. To play, I’m supposed to answer questions my tagger, Dear Myrtle, sent. Here goes: 10 Years Ago I ...1. Became assistant editor of Decorative Artist’s Workbook magazine. 2. Took a week-long painting workshop in Florida so I’d know what I was talking about. 3. Would answer the magazine’s e-mail using an AOL account on a shared computer. 4. Moved into my first apartment that was all mine. 5. Knew the names of only two of my great-grandparents. Five Things on Today's To-Do List1. Finish up our E-mail Update newsletter. 2. Edit an article about library online catalogs. 3. Be interviewed for the DearMyrtle podcast. 4. Prepare for my first-ever genealogy lock-in tomorrow night. 5. Get together with a friend to plan another friend’s baby shower. Five snacks I enjoy (just five?) 1. Nature Valley granola bars 2. Snyder’s of Hanover Honey Mustard and Onion Pretzel Pieces 3. Trader Joe’s Jo-Jo cookies 4. Chocolate-covered pretzels 5. Fig Newtons Five Places I’ve Lived1. Beaverton, Ore. 2. St. Louis 3. Cincinnati That's all there is, guys, and I might be here awhile. Five Jobs I’ve Had1. Ice cream scooper 2. Cashier/hostess at a Big Boy 3. Department store gift-wrapper 4. University law library information desk staff 5. Newspaper stringer (Don’t worry, I’m qualified to work for Family Tree Magazine—the odd jobs are just more interesting to mention.) Five Blogs I Tag1. Maureen A. Taylor at our Photo Detective Blog 2. Bruce Buzbee at the RootsMagic Blog3. The editors of our sister publication Memory Makers magazine at their blog. 4. Lisa Louise Cooke at Genealogy Gems 5. Schelly Talalay Dardashti at Tracing the Tribe
Genealogy fun
Thursday, October 16, 2008 4:21:29 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, September 18, 2008
I *Heart* Awards!
Posted by Diane
 A great big thank-you to Renee Zamora over at Renee’s Genealogy Blog, who honored us with the I Heart Your Blog award! Now it’s my turn to nominate seven—only seven!—blogs I heart. (I tried to avoid any repeats.) Here are my picks: GeneablogieI’ll forgive lawyer Craig Manson for coming up with this blog title before we could. He offers thoughtful takes on topics you don’t see covered many other places. The GenealogueI love me some irreverent genealogy humor. Chris Dunham probably spent half his grade school career writing on the blackboard (I’m half afraid of what he’ll say about getting an I Heart Your Blog award.) Granite in My BloodI can definitely appreciate someone who appreciates a cemetery. Midge Frazel (who’s related to none other than Isaac Denison) posts a potpourri of intriguing gravestone photos, family photos and research updates. Library of Congress Today in History Blog
The library's director of communications Matt Raymond researches
blog-worthy historical events and then tells us about them . . . not a job I'd love at all. Photo DetectiveBesides writing our Photo Detective blog, Maureen A. Taylor keeps a photo news and research blog on her own site. It’s the first place I heard of a photosynth. The Practical ArchivistArchivist Sally Jacobs has sound photo-preservation advice with titles like “The Chemical Sandwich of Doom.” And I couldn’t not like her blog description. Q&Q Blog
I’m a writer, and Brian Klems of our sister magazine Writer’s Digest eloquently answers writers’ questions.
Here are the rules for award recipients: 1. Can put the logo on his/her blog 2. Must link to the person who gave the award 3. Must nominate seven other blogs and link to them 4. Must leave a comment on each of the nominated blogs
Genealogy fun | Genealogy Web Sites
Thursday, September 18, 2008 5:56:07 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008 Thursday, September 04, 2008
Genealogy Conference Underway in Philadelphia
Posted by Diane
The Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Philadelphia got started last night with exhibit hall preview hours. The hall was busy with genealogists; a live events area features product demos and presentations. This morning is the opening session, followed by three days of conferencing—genealogy classes, meetings and exhibit hall shopping.
We'll keep you updated on conference news. Meanwhile, some show-and-tell. I got into Philadelphia early and tooled around to some of the historic sites, including:
… Christ Church Burial Ground, whose walls guard Benjamin Franklin’s gravesite (not in this photo) and those of other founding fathers and Christ Church congregation members. Few of the headstones are still readable, but a church record book has told caretakers the inscriptions many stones used to bear.
… Independence Hall, where the Constitutional Congress debated the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. (The chair at the head of the room is the one from which John Hancock presided over Congress; other chairs aren't original.)
… The Liberty Bell (this is the side opposite the famous crack), which used to be in the Pennsylvania State House. I learned it didn’t crack when the Declaration of Independence was signed—no one knows exactly when the large gap formed, but it was some time between 1817 and 1846.
Genealogy Events | Genealogy fun | Oral History
Thursday, September 04, 2008 12:58:58 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008 Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Show Your Stuff in the Genealogy Blogger Olympics
Posted by Diane
Challenge yourself to go for the gold in your family tree research by participating in the Summer 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games. The Games, sponsored by bloggers at AnceStories and elsewhere, are open to members of the Facebook Genea-Blogger Group (which you can sign up for after becoming a member of Facebook). No shotput-hurling or pole-vaulting here. The five events in the Genea-Blogger Games include citing sources, backing up data, organizing your research, writing about your family history and performing acts of genealogical kindness. You’ll keep track of your own points and record your progress on your blog. Win enough points, and you’ll receive a medal to display there. Competitors must register by 3 pm PDT Aug. 7, and the Games are on Aug. 9-23. See the AnceStories blog for registration instructions, detailed descriptions of each event and scorekeeping guidelines. Now’s the time for all that genealogy training to pay off—let the games begin!
Genealogy Events | Genealogy fun
Tuesday, August 05, 2008 7:20:23 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 04, 2008
Let the Games Begin!
Posted by Grace
Genealogy fun | Oral History | Social History | Videos
Monday, August 04, 2008 6:48:15 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, July 02, 2008
A Match Made in History
Posted by Diane
How cute is this story? Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross—or rather, two people who impersonate them in Philadelphia—have fallen in love, and they’re getting hitched the day before the Fourth of July.  J. Smith for GPTMCThe lovebirds beneath the costumes are Ralph Archbold, a nationally recognized Ben Franklin re-enactor, and Linda Wilde, who often appears as Betsy Ross. What better place for Ben and Betsy to wed than Independence Hall? The couple will dress in Colonial attire and exchange vows in a public ceremony there. Then they’ll head to a private reception at the old City Tavern, one of Benjamin Franklin's favorite restaurants. The pair met last Sept. 1, when Wilde begged Archbold to give a friend’s wedding toast as Franklin. They talked history at the event, and Archbold later called Wilde in search of a last-minute Betsy Ross. The rest is history.
Genealogy fun
Wednesday, July 02, 2008 2:08:04 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Listen Up: Podcast Episode 2 is Live!
Posted by Grace
 Have you already checked out the Family Tree Magazine Podcast? Episode 2 is live today, and features a sneak peek at the September issue, news from the blogosphere, an inside look at our 101 Best Web Sites awards with David A. Fryxell, plus news about WeRelate, genealogy "wikis" and the Mid-Continent Public Library's new Midwest Genealogy Center.
New to podcasts? It's easy peasy! Click the "Listen to this episode" link following the episode summary. Your browser will open a new window or tab displaying a bar that allows you to pause, play, fast-forward and rewind through  the episode. (You can also read our Podcast Primer for step-by-step instructions.) Watch for a new episode every month! In related news, we're thrilled that DearMYRTLE featured the premiere episode of our podcast in the latest installment of her Best of the Internet for Genealogists awards. If you haven't listened to episode 1, just follow this link to listen. And we can't help but give a plug to DearMYRTLE's own podcast—check it out on her Web site.
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Tuesday, July 01, 2008 9:28:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, June 30, 2008
The Importance of Enunciation in Genealogy
Posted by Diane
Reason No. 437 why you can't always believe oral history ... One of our coworkers just celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary. The other day, she told her husband that after this year’s family reunion in New England, she wants to go up to Prince Edward Island to see where her dad came from, and taste the nearly golf ball-sized blueberries and swim in the Gulf Stream-warmed water he always talked about. "Prince Edward Island?" my coworker told me her husband answered. "I thought your dad was from Ireland." True story. He confessed that throughout their half-century of marriage, he's also told people her mom was born in Scotland (it was Massachusetts). My coworker wonders what else they don’t know about each other after 50 years together. At least they kept a sense of mystery, I say. This is just one example of how family stories can get altered over the years—and why it's a good idea to look for records that confirm what Great-grandma or -grandpa told you.
Genealogy fun | Research Tips
Monday, June 30, 2008 8:51:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, May 23, 2008
Happy Blogiversary to Us!
Posted by Diane
Today’s the day—the Genealogy Insider’s first blogiversary. Not only has blogging here let us tell you about new family history developments, resources and tips faster than before; it’s also helped us stay in closer contact with all of you. We've also been able to have a little fun here. My favorite blog post of the year has to be our staff's Simpsonized selves, which look remarkably like our actual selves (if we all had jaundice). If you haven’t already entered our celebratory T-shirt contest, yesterday’s post tells you how. And you’re invited along with us on a quick, nostalgic look back at our inaugural year in Wednesday’s entry.
Genealogy fun
Friday, May 23, 2008 4:06:43 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, May 22, 2008
Enter to Win a Genealogy Insider T-Shirt!
Posted by Diane
You, too, can be a Genealogy Insider! To celebrate the Genealogy Insider’s first blogiversary tomorrow, we’re holding a drawing for one of our new T-shirts.  To enter, click Comments below and answer these three questions: - How many times a week do you read the Genealogy Insider blog?
- What is your all-time favorite Genealogy Insider blog post?
- What family history topics would you like to see the Genealogy Insider cover more often?
We’ll draw one commenter at random to win a short-sleeve T-shirt proclaiming his or her Genealogy Insider status. Remember, you must provide your e-mail address when you post—we’ll contact the winner for a size and mailing address. (Your e-mail address will appear with at, NOSPAM and dot to keep spam robots from harvesting it.) You have until 5 p.m. EDT next Tuesday, May 27, to post your comment. Want to guarantee you get a shirt? Genealogy Insider T-shirts and other gear are available in our CafePress store.
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun
Thursday, May 22, 2008 3:19:04 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Genealogy: For the Dogs?
Posted by Diane
In last week’s E-mail Update newsletter, we announced the opening of our CaféPress shop, where you can get Family Tree Magazine T-shirts, tote bags, mugs and other sundries. Janie begged for a dog T-shirt. She thought it looked delicious. I caved, so here she is modeling it.  Janie learned two things: First, the dog T-shirts run small—she’s about 38 pounds and the large is a bit snug (we also got some human T-shirts and they seem true to size). Second, it’s very difficult to eat your T-shirt while it’s on your body.
Genealogy fun | Genealogy Web Sites
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 2:20:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
I believe in genealogy miracles
Posted by Grace
Seattle resident Jan Burak Schwert and her husband traveled to Konstanz, Germany, to trace his ancestry. They hoped to find Schwerts in cemeteries, but they ended up snagging a live one. Read her story of serendipitous genealogy finds here, and add your own in our comments! Via Tracing the Tribe
Family Reunions | Genealogy fun
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 4:09:31 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Looking for a job?
Posted by Grace
The Department of the Interior seeks a full-time genealogist to research American Indian ancestry in its Office of Federal Acknowledgement. (Meaning: determining if groups should be granted federally recognized tribal status.) The job pays to the tune of $82,961 to $107,854 a year. Boy, I got into the wrong line of work. (Via Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter)
Genealogy fun
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 5:22:35 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, April 25, 2008
We're Famous!
Posted by Grace
Family Tree Magazine's gotten some mentions in the blogosphere lately: • The Genealogue mentions our partnership with Tamagotchi. • The anonymous Ancestry Insider did a profile on us—unprovoked!—in which things we do are described as being endearing and a rearranged Simpsonized staff photo is included! The Ancestry Insider's obviously got crazy good Photoshop skills. If anyone knows how to make Tamagotchized portraits, please let us know.
Genealogy fun | Genealogy Web Sites
Friday, April 25, 2008 8:44:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Googling Names
Posted by Diane
You’ve probably Googled your ancestors and either found information or found out how common their names were (or wondered how the heck some page ended up in your search results). But have you Googled yourself? According to one study, 47 percent of Americans have done what's called an ego search.Jim Killeen went so far as to track down and interview seven of the same-named people he found. The resulting documentary, Google Me, premieres April 25 on You Tube. One of the Jims is from the filmmaker’s ancestral home in Ireland—maybe a DNA study is in order? Another way to find out haw many other people share your name is HowManyofMe.com, which bases its findings on census records. Turns out 13 people in the United States have my name. Now, a few tips to aid your genealogical Googling and weed out some of those same-named nonrelatives: - Search on spelling variations of your ancestor's name.
- Experiment with entering the last name first, first name last, with and without the middle name, with nickname, first initial plus last name, etc.
- Use quotation marks around the name (as in "fred flintstone") to eliminate pages that show the first and last names far apart.
- Add a place your ancestor lived to narrow results.
- Adding the unusual name of your ancestor's spouse or child also can narrow your results.
- Are matches on a famous figure with your ancestor’s surname clogging up your results? Use a – (minus sign) to eliminate a word associated with the celebrity, for example, “fred flintstone” -bedrock.
Genealogy fun | Genealogy Web Sites | Research Tips
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 1:27:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Video: Making Genealogy Fun for Kids
Posted by Diane
So last week I took a quick trip out to San Diego to talk on the morning news about genealogy for kids and Family Tree Magazine’s partnership with Tamagotchi. With the latest version of Tamagotchi's digital pets, kids can raise “Tama” families and trace their pets' family trees—which presented an excellent opportunity to help kids learn about their own family trees in a fun way. They can get human genealogy tips in Tama Generations’ Family Center and on our Family Tree Kids! site. For more on Tamagotchi trees and how kids can research their own families, watch the video (remember, I woke up before the crack of dawn) on San Diego's NBC affiliate Web site. 
Genealogy for kids | Genealogy fun | Videos
Tuesday, April 08, 2008 1:49:01 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Announcing Family Tree Kids!
Posted by Diane
Got a kids or grandkids who are interested in family history? Need to put together a genealogy project for students or a scouting group? We created Family Tree Kids! just for you. The site, designed for children ages 8 through 12, has family history-related games and crafts; activities that’ll help kids build their family detective skills and learn about their families; and a fun family tree kids can download, fill in with ancestors' names, and print. A grownups’ section offers a resource toolkit for parents and teachers who are helping kids with genealogy projects. Our partnership with Tamagotchi, makers of the popular digital pets, inspired Family Tree Kids! Familitchi, the newest version of Tamagotchi’s pets, encourages kids to learn about family history.
Genealogy fun | Genealogy Web Sites | Genealogy for kids
Wednesday, April 02, 2008 1:22:29 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Our Latest Issue ...
Posted by Diane
This special Family Tree Magazine edition is for display only today: 
Genealogy fun
Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:37:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
RIP Phone Book, 1878-20??
Posted by Grace
Phone books can be great resources for confirming locations of your recent ancestors, but those big yellow doorstoppers are dying a slow death, the online newsmagazine Slate reports. They've come a long way since the first phone directory, a one-pager listing all 52 telephone subscribers in New Haven, Conn., debuted in 1878. (The Slate article describes many more mentionable moments in phone-book history.) The hefty, floppy books were created as vehicles for companies to sell advertising, and last year, 615 million directories were printed in the US, creating revenues of $13.9 billion, according to the Yellow Pages Association. But more and more cell phones are unlisted, and many people turn to the Internet to find phone numbers—especially people under 30. (For example, the last time I used a phone book was when the electricity in my apartment went out and I couldn't find the number I needed by text messaging Google.) For more phone fun, OldTelephoneBooks.com has many old pictures of telephone books, and some are listed for sale. You can browse by country, state and city.
Genealogy fun | Social History
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:19:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, February 29, 2008
Making a Protective Book Box
Posted by Grace
If you're lucky enough to have inherited a family bible or diary from one of your ancestors, you've probably wondered just where you should keep it. You can read all about how best to keep old diaries and books in the May issue's "Preserving Memories" column. The article includes many resources for purchasing archival materials, but for the crafting-inclined, we've created a demonstration of how to make a built-to-order protective book box. Click here to download a PDF with instructions, and you can watch a step-by-step demonstration on our YouTube channel!
Genealogy fun | Historic preservation | Videos
Friday, February 29, 2008 3:51:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, February 11, 2008
Family History Expo Slide Show
Posted by Allison
For those of you who couldn't make it to the Family History Expo 2008 in St. George, Utah, last weekend—and those who want to relive the fun—watch this slideshow of images from the event:
Genealogy Events | Genealogy fun | Videos
Monday, February 11, 2008 10:05:09 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
How not to Begin Your Family History
Posted by Grace
Genealogy fun
Thursday, January 17, 2008 9:16:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, January 10, 2008
"No, not a gerontologist"
Posted by Grace
Schelly Talalay Dardashti has posted a question on her Tracing the Tribe blog: How do people react when you tell them you're a genealogist?
As Schelly writes:
Do they ask how many babies you've delivered—thinking you said gynecologist; what caves or oil fields you've discovered—confusing you with a geologist; or simply think you are strange for happily shlepping through cemeteries looking for dead people (which, you must admit, is a good place to find them)?
Read the whole hilarious post and post your own comments by clicking here.
Genealogy fun
Thursday, January 10, 2008 2:25:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 07, 2008
The Best Scrapbooking Blogs
Posted by Grace
If you're the crafty type, you're probably at your best when you're among creative people or when you stumble across something beautiful that makes you cry out I want to do that. What's that old saying—no scrapbooker is an island?
The March issue of Family Tree Magazine's Preserving Memories column was conceived while thinking of the crafter in dire need of inspiration. Our very scientific process of visiting approximately a bazillion blogs resulted in this list of five fabulous sites.
Bookmark these babies and enjoy!
Lessons from the Scrapbook Page: On this inspirational blog, you can watch the latest installments of Real Women Scrap TV.
Mad Cropper: Keep up-to-date with news from the scrapbook world and plenty of step-by-step projects.
Memory Makers Blog: The editors of our sister magazine give you a peek at their latest pages (like the one you see at right).
SimpleStudio: Simple Scrapbooks serves up advice plus lots of layouts and photos.
Sprague Lab: This "studio of scrapbook alchemy" focuses on computer-assisted scrapping.
Celebrating your heritage | Genealogy fun
Monday, January 07, 2008 8:49:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 31, 2007
New Year's Family History Numbers
Posted by Diane
Happy New Year! Here are some facts and figures related to celebrations past and present: 255: years Americans have officially observed the start of the new year Jan. 1 200,000: attendees at the first Times Square New Year’s Eve party in 1904 1 million: Times Square revelers today 98: years New York City has dropped the famous ball in Times Square 5: verses in Auld Lang Syne, literally “old long since” 108: gongs struck in Buddhist temples Dec. 31 at midnight 12: grapes Spaniards traditionally eat to ring in the new year 49: points for Michigan (to Stanford’s 0) in the first Rose Bowl game, in 1902 20.1 million: Viewers of “ Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2006” 25: estimated percent of New Year’s resolutions that don’t last past Jan. 8
Genealogy fun | Social History
Monday, December 31, 2007 1:24:57 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Season's Greetings from Family Tree Magazine!
Posted by Diane
 ... from everyone at Family Tree Magazine! That would be (below, l to r) Grace Dobush, assistant editor; Kathy Dezarn, art director; Allison Stacy, editor; and Diane Haddad, managing editor. We're spending time with our families and blogging a bit less than usual this week, but we'll be back with all kinds of genealogy news and advice right after the New Year. 
Genealogy fun
Tuesday, December 25, 2007 8:08:06 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 24, 2007
Christmas Traditions Around the World
Posted by Diane
Well, my stocking is hung by the chimney with care, and there better not be a mouse stirring anywhere. The stocking tradition probably started in Europe, where kids hung their everyday socks from nails for St. Nick to fill. Here are some other holiday traditions our ancestors from around the world have celebrated: In France, kids put shoes by the door or fireplace, waiting for the Christ child to fill them with presents during the night. Dutch children put hay and sugar in a shoe outside the house on the night before St. Nick’s Day. After his horse has a snack, St. Nick (Sinterklaas) leaves goodies in each shoe. Dec. 13 in Sweden is St. Lucia's Day, celebrating the patron saint of light. Traditionally, a family’s first daughter would wear a long white dress and crown of leaves, then serve coffee and treats to the family. (Somehow I can’t see my sister ever doing this.) A sprite-like child with angelic wings called the Christkind ("Christ Child") is delivers presents in areas including parts of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein. Legand has it Martin Luther invented the Christkind to discourage the figure of St. Nicholas. Christmas in the Philippines starts Dec. 16 with dawn masses called Misas de Aguinaldo (Gift Masses) or Misa de Gallo (Rooster's Mass) On Christmas Eve, families go to midnight mass and then eat a traditional feast. Between Christmas and New Years Day, Norwegians go Julebukking. People wearing masks and costumes knock on neighbors’ doors, and the inhabitants try to guess the julebukkers’ identities. Inspired by the sound of a burning log, a London confectioner named Tom Smith invented Christmas crackers in 1847. The colorful wrapped tubes that snap and reveal a trinket when people pull on the ends are universally popular in England and other Commonwealth countries. Australians call them bon-bons. Mexican children leave notes in their shoes on Jan. 6, when tradition holds the Three Wise Men arrived with gifts for baby Jesus. In the UK and Canada, Boxing Day is celebrated the day after Christmas (or the next week day, if Dec. 26 falls on a weekend). There are many theories behind its origins. Nowadays, it’s known for great sales.
Celebrating your heritage | Genealogy fun | Social History
Monday, December 24, 2007 7:48:33 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, December 20, 2007
The Perils of Paid Obits
Posted by Grace
Paid obituaries have the strange distinction of being considered matter of record even when the newspaper's editors have absolutely no power over their content. Editor & Publisher put up a humorous description of the errors that can be found when families write death notices. For example:
"One descendant's obit claimed his ancestry could be traced back to the Vikings (an honest mistake; I got suckered by that Web site too). Another claimed to be a descendant of George Washington—not good news to Martha, as she and George had no children."
Lesson learned: Take obituaries with a grain of salt. Click here to read the story.
Genealogy fun
Thursday, December 20, 2007 9:14:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Just What Is Figgy Pudding, Anyway?
Posted by Diane
In the song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” a crew of carolers demands to be served figgy pudding before they’ll leave—causing generations to wonder: What exactly is figgy pudding? So I checked around. It’s a British-style pudding, actually resembling more of a cake, which reached its popularity peak as a Christmas dessert in the 1800s. You can bake, steam or boil figgy pudding. It’s got figs, of course, plus apples, nuts, cinnamon, cloves, butter, sugar, bread crumbs, milk and eggs. Oh, yes—the recipe I found also calls for three strips of finely crushed bacon. Just what I love in a dessert. The ancestor of figgy pudding (and plum pudding) is a medieval spiced porridge known as Frumenty. Here’s a nontraditional figgy pudding with persimmons. Bon appetit!
Celebrating your heritage | Genealogy fun | Social History
Wednesday, December 19, 2007 2:08:23 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Enter Your Odd Holiday Tradition in Our All in the Family Challenge
Posted by Diane
Amidst the holiday shopping, baking and get-togethering rush, does your family make time to send around a fruitcake that’s been aging since 1976? Wrap a lump of coal for Uncle Jim? Set an elaborate trap in the hearth for
Santa? We want to know about the unusual traditions that make your family’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or New Year’s celebration complete. Besides just being fun to hear, readers' off-the-wall holiday rituals are the topic for our January 2008 All in the Family Challenge. You have until Jan. 1 to e-mail your tradition to us. Don’t forget to include your mailing address in the message or—so sorry—you won’t be eligible to win the subscription to Footnote’s online historical records database. We'll publish the winning (i.e., funniest) entries in the May 2008 Family Tree Magazine. You also can mail entries (postmarked before Jan. 1) to All in the Family/January 2008, Family Tree Magazine, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun
Tuesday, December 18, 2007 4:28:54 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Looking for one's own Peeps
Posted by Grace
The Birmingham Public Library posted this too-cute video about a little guy's genealogy quest:
Genealogy fun | Libraries and Archives | Videos
Tuesday, December 11, 2007 9:37:39 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 10, 2007
DNA Tests Verify Pets' Pedigrees, Too
Posted by Diane
Now four-legged family members can get in on the genetic genealogy act, too. That’s right—owners of mixed-breed pooches can learn about their pets’ pedigrees so they can confidently answer the question, “So what kind of dog is that?” Fern Glazer, our writer who got genetic genealogy experts to answer readers’ common DNA quandaries for the March 2008 Family Tree Magazine (on newsstands mid-January), uncovered a couple of companies that do doggy DNA testing: - Last August, DNA Print Genomics launched Doggie DNAPrint 1.0, a test costing about $100 that examines 204 canine markers obtained from a cheek swab to reveal your dog’s ancestry population (its relationship to four ancient ancestral breeds). The company is also building a purebred database that eventually will let you compare your dog's DNA for accurate breed identification.
- Mars Veterinary recently rolled out The Wisdom Panel MX test. Using a blood sample your veterinarian takes, the test detects specific combinations of genetic markers that can reveal the breed heritage of your dog.
Genealogy fun | Genetic Genealogy
Monday, December 10, 2007 10:21:44 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, November 30, 2007
Fun with math and microfilm
Posted by Grace
Yesterday, we Family Tree Magazine editors got to thinking about just how big the Family History Library's collection is. I don't even know what inspired us, but we wondered—would the FHL's microfilm reach to the moon?
We did the calculations—and they won't. But it's still pretty far:
The FHL has 2.4 million rolls of microfilm. A microfilm box is about 4 inches wide. A mile is 63,360 inches, and the FHL's got 9.6 million inches of microfilm boxes, assuming they're all a standard size. Laid end to end, those boxes would stretch about 151.5 miles.
So you could get from Salt Lake City nearly to Pocatello, Idaho, on the FHL's microfilm boxes. Or from Indianapolis to Gary, Ind., or if they were in Texas, from Fort Worth to Abilene.
FamilySearch | Genealogy fun
Friday, November 30, 2007 8:49:17 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
Holiday Gift Ideas for Genealogists
Posted by Diane
When it comes to holiday presents, genealogists don’t seem hard to please—anyone who’d crawl around a weedy cemetery in search of a tombstone can’t be that high-maintenance. But if you’re at a loss for what to give the genealogist in your life, try one of these suggestions: - a set of Family Tree Magazine CDs: the International Genealogical Passport ($12.95), the 2006 compilation ($24) and 2007 compilation ($20)
- a GPS, which traveling researchers can use to locate cemeteries, libraries, the old family homestead or a place to eat lunch
- a prepaid gasoline card to help fund those research trips
- a cemetery research kit with non-fusible interfacing (for tombstone rubbings), rubbing wax (you can get it from stores such as FunStuffforGenealogists), masking tape, gardener’s shears and knee pads, bug spray, and an “I brake for cemeteries” bumper sticker
- a research favor, especially if a fellow genealogist has a hard time getting around. Maybe do lookups for her at a Family History Center, drive him to a conference or help scan a load of photos.
If you've gotten a great genealogical present—or are hoping for one this year—click Comment and tell us what it is.
Celebrating your heritage | Genealogy fun
Thursday, November 29, 2007 1:45:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 15, 2007
Project to send data to the moon
Posted by Grace
Archivists and tech guys alike recommend using offsite data backup when creating copies of important records. But a new preservation project's storage location takes the cake.
For a donation of $10, Lunar Legacy will send your story and photo to the moon. That's right, they will send pictures of your dog, your Nana or the Grand Canyon to the celestial body orbiting the earth.
The project is backed by the Google Lunar X Prize, which challenges private companies to send a robot rover to the moon. A $20 million prize will go to the first team to complete a set of objectives including sending video, images and data back to Earth by the end of 2012.
The photos and messages uploaded to www.lunarlegacy.org will be stored on every vehicle that attempts to make the voyage. You can see what people have uploaded so far by clicking here.
Family Heirlooms | Genealogy fun
Thursday, November 15, 2007 6:34:57 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Do You Believe in Ghosts?
Posted by Diane
Looking for a scare this Halloween—and not the kind provided by the cute ghosts and goblins who come to the door for candy? Try reading fellow researchers’ spooky ancestor stories at the
Creative Gene blog
and Gettysburg Ghost Stories. Or, for a more close-up encounter with the supernatural, visit one of the places listed at HauntedHouses.com or Haunted Cemeteries. If you suspect specters have taken up residence in your home, ThisOldHouse.com advises making sure it’s not just creaky stairs or a drafty window. Then you can hire a professional ghost researcher to find out whether and why spirits are hanging around, and help you make peace with them. According to a survey by movie rental company Blockbuster,
two-thirds of people either believe in ghosts or are willing to entertain the possibility they're real. No doubt genealogists the world over fervently hope ghosts exist. I know if my ancestors' souls ever show up in my living room, there's a thing or two I plan to clear up with them.
Genealogy fun
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 1:11:35 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Mustaches of the Nineteenth Century, in pictures
Posted by Grace
 In our Internet journeys last week, we stumbed across a very fun blog: Mustaches of the Nineteenth Century.
It's exactly what you think it is: lots of old-timey pictures of men with impressive mustaches. The photos come from the collections of the University of Kentucky Archives.
This site could be a great resource for putting a date range on your forefather's facial hair, but unfortunately, the dates of the photos aren't included in the daily blog posts. They are, however, categorized with humorous descriptions, like "Business Mustache," "Faceshelf," "Perfect Specimens" and "Battle Mustache."
Click here to visit the Mustaches of the Nineteenth Century blog:
http://mustachesofthenineteenthcentury.blogspot.com/
Genealogy fun | Social History
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:09:23 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, October 05, 2007
The Museum of Online Museums
Posted by Grace
Got a few hours to blow? Take a gander at the Museum of Online Museums, a Web repository of collections ranging from the banal to the bizarre.
Browsing through the list, I'm learning about things I never even knew I was interested in. Among the gems:
• The Penny Postcard Archive has hundreds of scans of pre-1940 postcards, organized by state and county.
• The Lost Formats Preservation Society documents data storage methods gone by the wayside. (You surely know the eight-track, but do you know the four-track?)
• In the Pre-and-Post War American Advertising Galleries you can view more than 7,000 ads from 1911-1955 divided into the categories of beauty and hygiene, radio, television, transportation, and World War II.
• The WPA Calendar Project shows off the gorgeous 1939 calendar created by the Federal Art Project.
• And just for fun, the Condiment Packet Gallery.
Click here to visit the Museum of Online Museums.
Genealogy fun | Social History
Friday, October 05, 2007 10:24:36 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, September 28, 2007
Oktoberfest in "Zinzinnati"
Posted by Diane
German is the ancestry Americans most often claim, and Family Tree Magazine’s hometown, Cincinnati, could run for flag-bearer. We're so German that one of the city's oldest neighborhoods is called Over the Rhine. Our Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, which I attended last weekend, is the biggest Oktoberfest outside Munich. We’re proud of our world record for the largest group chicken dance: In 1994, the visiting Crown Prince of Bavaria led 48,000 of us in tweet-tweeting our hands and flapping our elbows to Der Vogerltanz. (We held the title until 1997.) This year, BallinStadt, the Hamburg emigration museum that opened in July, even sent someone to tell Oktoberfest revelers how they could learn about their German ancestors’ departure for America. Our Oktoberfest is also a gold mine for lovers of goetta (prounounced get-uh), aka "Cincinnati caviar." The story is German immigrants brought us this peasant dish, meant to stretch meat supplies. Goetta is mostly ground pork and pinhead (steel-cut) oats seasoned with bay leaves, rosemary, salt, pepper, and thyme, then boiled, sliced into square patties and fried. My mom made it for breakfast, but any time is goetta time at Oktoberfest:     In summer, a local Goettafest offers even more variety, including, for the truly devoted, goetta fudge. Tasty. Hungry? You’ll find recipes for goetta here and here.
Celebrating your heritage | Genealogy fun
Friday, September 28, 2007 9:32:32 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Family Tree Magazine on Roots Television
Posted by Diane
I've made it to the small screen! You might remember my Aug. 16 blog about talking to Chris Haley (Maryland state archivist, actor, singer and nephew of Roots' Alex Haley) at the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference. Roots Television has posted our 5-minute interview. We chatted a little about Family Tree Magazine, but mostly about why genealogists do what they do. Check it out, along with other videos from the conference, and browse around the other instructional, historical and entertaining programming while you're there. Hollywood, here I come! 
Genealogy fun | Genealogy Web Sites
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 8:21:50 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Are Your Ancestors in Google Book Search?
Posted by Grace
Copyright fights aside, one of my favorite search tools is Google's Book Search, at books.google.com. By typing in keywords just like in a normal Google search, you get results from all sorts of out-of-print and hard-to-find books.
I use it to research the histories of areas that aren't well-represented online, and to check dates when I don't quite trust Wikipedia. Some books show up in the results as full page scans with searchable text. Other books are restricted to just showing a few preview pages or a few paragraphs of excerpts. Some are downloadable as PDF documents. (Even if you can't see all of the information, Google gives you the publisher's information that gives you a head start on finding it at your library.)
Because I have a fairly uncommon surname, Dobush, I tried searching for it. Google Book Search turned up some academic works by people with my last name, as well as some Jewish history books (which is intriguing, because that side of my family is Catholic as far as I know). But the best find was a 1916 book titled "Songs of Ukrania: With Ruthenian Poems."
The book's old enough to be in the public domain, and I was able to download a PDF of it. There in the index, under the subheading Robber Songs, is an epic poem titled "The Death of Dobush." It describes an Alexa Dobush as a Carpathian Robin Hood who stole from the rich to give to the poor. Leads to chase for that side of my family tree just got a lot more interesting!
Genealogy fun | Genealogy Web Sites | Research Tips
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 2:31:31 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, August 24, 2007
Family Tree Magazine, Simpsonized
Posted by Diane
I guess some people don't have enough ancestors to look for, so they go and research the genealogy of cartoon characters. You can see the family tree of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie on The Simpsons Sites. It lacks source citations and dates, but the researchers did manage to get images of everyone. And you can masquerade as a member of the Simpson family tree at Simpsonize Me. You upload your photo, then customize your face, hair, clothes and accessories. The Family Tree Magazine staff made a Friday afternoon of it (hey, we worked hard this week).  So here we are: Kathy, art director; Allison, editor; Diane, managing editor; Grace, assistant editor and Pet-i-gree, faithful sidekick.
Genealogy fun
Friday, August 24, 2007 8:10:17 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, August 17, 2007
Genealogists Solve Audiocassette Mystery
Posted by Grace
Radio station WFMU posted an audio clip on their blog earlier this week—a 60-minute interview between a young woman and a 100-year-old lady, recorded in 1978. (The audio was captured from a cassette tape found at a Goodwill store.) The lady talked about early life in Kansas and her tips for playing the stock market. While the interview revealed some clues, there was no definitive identification.
Sounds like a job for a genealogist! Chris, who maintains the great Web site The Genealogue, did some digging with the little information revealed in the first half of the tape—she never married, her family settled in Newton, Kan., where she still lived in 1978, and her father emigrated from Germany. Using some free databases and a HeritageQuest search, he came up with a name for the woman and he issued a challenge to his readers—can you track down this centenarian?
A half-dozen people (including myself) had confirmed his identification by lunchtime. I won't give away the answer if you want to try to solve the mystery yourself.
Listen to the audio clips here.
See the Genealogue's challenge and the answers here.
Genealogy fun
Friday, August 17, 2007 8:13:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Back to the Future
Posted by Grace
Genealogy fun | Social History
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 2:50:55 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, July 27, 2007
Funny Census Entries From Readers
Posted by Diane
We got a kick out of the funny census listings Family Tree Magazine readers submitted for the September 2007 All in the Family column. I wish we had enough space to print them all in the magazine. But there's plenty of space here, so I offer these additional humorous census entries to brighten up your Friday (to submit ancestral look-alikes to the current All in the Family contest, see the Talk to Us Forum): Boy/girlMadison P. Glenn was born in February 1869, in Van Wert County, Ohio. Madison was 4 months old when the census enumerator visited and marked column 5 (for sex) as F/M. Madison’s gender must have been a mystery to the parents Clark and Elizabeth Glenn, to my fourth-great-uncle and -aunt, or to the neighbor who might’ve helped complete the form. Since Madison isn’t listed in any later censuses, we never did find out how things developed. Cherie P. Bowers
Byron, Mich.Size-wiseMy favorite census entry exhibits the creativity enumerators used when families weren't at home. I can't help but wonder, what if this family had had 10 children? What if they’d been Irish or Italian? What would the enumerator have come up with instead? From the 1889 Washington Territorial census: Name of Persons NativityDutchman, Mr. Germany ------- , Mrs. " ------- , Little " ------- , Small " ------- , Smaller " ------- , Smallest " Lisa Oberg
Shoreline, Wash.Another gender-benderMy grandmother's family of nine siblings was known for playing jokes on each other. Once, my great-uncle Llewellyn Brown (born 1882) was lampooned in a formal manner. In the 1901 Canadian census, I found Loouella instead of Llewellyn. I thought it might've been a spelling error, but he was also listed as dtr. My guess is Llewellyn’s sisters were less interested in the accuracy of the official census than in perpetuating another round of family humor. Marie Tovell Walker
Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaWas her mother named Goose?The funniest name I've come across in the census is a woman named Bo Peep, listed in the 1910 census of Harrison County, WV, with her husband Lee Maxwell. I did a little further research and sure enough, there she was in a West Virginia marriage index: Bo Peep K. Smith. Her husband was a farmer; I wonder if he raised sheep? Maggie DeFazio
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy fun
Friday, July 27, 2007 3:44:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, June 01, 2007
Ode to Interlibrary Loan
Posted by Diane
Usually I stick to writing prose, but recent family research developments inspired me to go all poetic: What would I do without thee, interlibrary loan? Texas prison records were far away, I bemoaned. The Lone Star State Archives on its Web site listed microfilm offering ancestral insight. But alas, how could I travel to Austin With what the airline tickets are costin’? Then I spied words lovely to behold: “Interlibrary loan,” right there in bold. All I need do was make an inquiry at the reference desk of my local library. Nary four weeks nigh, I received the voice mail The film now awaited—I could barely exhale! A $5 fee and I, to a microfilm reader, Ran quicker (well, almost) than Derek Jeter. Some scrolling and—my ancestor! My very own Genealogical revelation, thanks to interlibrary loan. Seriously, if you're searching the online catalog of some faraway library and it has the microfilm you need, and you're considering taking out a second mortgage to make the trip there, see if the library participates interlibrary loan. If it does, print the catalog page and take it directly to your library's reference or circulation desk, and ask to submit an interlibrary loan request. Want helpful hints on using interlibrary loan? The April 2006 Family Tree Magazine has what you're looking for.
Genealogy fun | Research Tips
Friday, June 01, 2007 1:51:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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