The next episode of the podcast will be published on Sunday, June 3, 2007.  This week I'm on a very special assignment - being mother of the bride!  However, next week's episode is going to be "supersized" (over 40 min.) and on a very special topic that I believe will bring your family history into clearer view.  In the meantime, sign up for the Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter by CLICKING HERE & sending an email with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line  & include your name, state and how you first heard about the podcast.  The June issue is about to be published & you won't want to miss it!   Talk to you soon, Lisa

  CLICK HERE Type SUBSCRIBE in the email subject line, and include your name, state & how you heard about the podcast in the email.

  SHOW NOTES   May 20, 2007

Ragtime music is by the talented Frederick Hodges 

From the MAILBOX
from Allan Scahill: 
List of genealogical resources that can be found in the home:  http://www3.telus.net/public/ascahill/Sources.htm#sources  

GEM #1 - Memorial Day - WW II Service Records

Music courtesy of the University of Santa Barbara Library featuring the Chorus of Male Voices singing U.S. Army Camp Songs, an Edison recording from 1918

Two free must check websites:

#1 NARA (The National Archives and Records Administration)  Search the WWII enlistment records and prisoner of War records at archives.gov/aad

#2 Search for soldiers traveling overseas or returning home after the war with Steve Morse's All New York Arrivals Search form http://stevemorse.org/ellis/passengers.php?mode=ny  

For more information & historical background on Memorial Day: 
U.S. Memorial Day website http://www.usmemorialday.org/

GEM #2 Publish Your Own Family History Book

My videos A Nurse In Training Part 1 & Part 2 can be seen at Rootstelevision.com on their RootsTube channel (See Episode 5 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast)  The video was taken from a book that I self published.  Books are still hard to beat for telling a story in words and pictures in an extremely easy to use way.

My Top Six Tips For Making Your Book Fascinating to Your Reader:

#1 The book should convey an overall theme  
#2 Be readable in one sitting  
#3 Contain the best of the best of what you have
#4 Use lots of photos and graphics
#5 Be in chronological order
#6 Be high QUALITY

I create my books in the Kodakgallery.  There are several websites out there offering the ability to publish your own book.  I chose Kodakgallery because it was easy to use, price competitive, FAST publishing & shipping, and Excellent quality.

For my Family History Books I use:

The Classic Photo Book (9" x 10 1/4") 
10-20 double sided pages
Leather cover (I've also used linen & smooth matte) 
Time After Time Page Design  

I'm going to walk you through the steps of setting up a book in Kodak Gallery because it's a resource I feel very comfortable recommending.  If you decide to use Kodak, I really appreciate you accessing it through this link because it will help support the production & costs associated with producing this podcast. 

 

1. In the Photo Books area of the website click CREATE BOOK
2. Select a cover material that compliments the theme and contents of the book.Click the NEXT button.
3. Choose a page design for your book.
4. Click NEXT A box will pop up - select fill page by page Add content to your book.
5. Anywhere you see a text box click inside of it and start typing.
6. To upload photos look below the image of the book and click the Upload Photos link. 
7. Browse your hard drive and select the photos and images you want to include
8. Grab the photo with your mouse and drag & drop it into the DRAG PHOTO HERE box
9. Keep clicking next page until you have filled all the pages. 
   

A Nurse In Training  

Remember, your research CAN be fascinating and understandable to others in your family.  It just takes a little creativity and effort.  What good is it sitting on a shelf?  Don't wait until your DONE with your research.  It'll never happen!  Start putting pieces of your family history directly into your family's hands with a beautiful family history book.    

You can email me with comments & questions.   

 CLICK HERE

Type SUBSCRIBE in the email subject line, and include your name, state & how you heard about the podcast in the email.

   SHOW NOTES  May 13, 2007

Happy Mother's Day! 

News: If you'd like to see me being silly on the world wide web check out Rootstelevision.com & watch my video called Our Summer Vacation.

TODAY'S GEM - High School Graduation

Top 10 Tips for finding the Graduation Gems in your family history.

1.  Establish the Timeline

 

Check your genealogy database to figure out when your ancestor would have attended school.  I am going to be focusing on high school, but this could just as easily apply to researching the college years.

2.  Family Papers & Books

We always start our research at home, so go through old family papers & books looking for Senior Calling Cards, High School Autograph Books, Journals & Diaries, Senior Portraits, & Yearbooks

Senior Calling Card from 1930

 

Yearbook Entry from 1930

3.  Newspapers

Search for announcements,  honor rolls & other articles about end of the year activities

. 
Honor Roll & "Play Day" article from the Chowchilla newspaper, 1930

It is easy to say search newspapers, but it's not always that easy to find them.  So here are some ideas of where to look for historical newspapers...

Ancestry.com ($)

The Local Pulbic Library website in the town where your ancestor attended school.  

Library of Congress 

Family History Center in Salt Lake City.  Search the Family History Library Catalog online for your ancestor's location to find what newspapers they may have. 

Historical and genealogical societies.  

U.S. state archives and libraries   

4. The State Library
Wisconsin Dept of Education website for list of state libraries

5.  State Historical Societies
In addition to newspapers as I mentioned before, state historical societies might have old yearbooks & photos.

6.  Rootsweb.com
Check the Message Board for the county & state you are looking for, as well  post a message asking if anyone has access to yearbooks or other school info.

7.  Websites focused on Yearbooks
Yearbook Genealogy.com website  & The National Yearbook Project

8.  The US GENWEB site 
Search on the county website where the school was located.

9.  Call the School 
If they don't have old yearbooks, they may be able to put you in touch with a local librarian or historian who does.  Get the number from http://whowhere.com.  Call around 4:00 pm, when the kids are gone but the school office is still open. 

10. EBAY
Do a search on the school or town you are looking for to see if anyone out there is selling a yearbook that you need.  Be sure and also search for old photographs or postcards of the school.  Here's my trick: From the results page do a Completed Listings Search & email potential sellers to inquire about the books you are looking for.  You might get lucky like I did!

    
One of the yearbooks I found on Ebay

Don't be afraid to ask...Ebay sellers want to sell!  And if all else fails, set up an Ebay Favorite Search to keep a look out for you.  Go to my website and check out Episode #3 for instructions on how to do this.

SPECIAL NOTE:  As a special bonus for newsletter subscribers, I will be including a customized form just for researching your ancestor's high school years with the June 2007 newsletter.  It's a great little tool that I use all the time and it's a thank you gift to my subscriber family. 

If you haven't subscribed to the free newsletter yet, go to the top of these show notes & you'll see a red arrow pointing you to click on the email link to sign up.  Type the word SUBSCRIBE in the email subject line, and send me your name, state, and how you heard about the podcast.  

And as always, you can email me at genealogygemspodcast@gmail.com with comments & questions. 

 CLICK HERE  In the email subject line type: SUBSCRIBE  send your name, state & how you heard about the podcast

 

  SHOW NOTES May 07, 2007

   GEM #1:  Discover Pictures from the Past with Google

When you search in Google for an image, but when you click on it you get an error message saying the image has moved or is no longer there, try this technique:   

 

1. Using your mouse, highlight the URL website address that appears below the thumbnail 
2. press Control C on your keyboard to copy the address 
3. Now Click where it says WEB above the Google search box to go back to website searches. 
4. Place your curser in the search box by clicking inside it. 
5. Press control V on your key board and that will paste the url address into the search box. 
6. Click the SEARCH button. 
7. The first result or two should be from that website that had the image you wanted. 
8. Look at the last line of the result for that website and click on the "cache" link. 

Now you are looking at a cache version, or in other words an older version of the website, hopefully before the image was removed or moved.  By browsing through this version of the website, you will hopefully find the image you are looking for! 

GEM #2: Mother's Day Project: Decopage Plate

(The song "M-o-t-h-e-r" is a 1916 Edison recording.  Courtesy of U of C, Santa Barbara.)

The supplies:   

1. A clear glass plate with a smooth finish.    
2. A sponge craft brush  
3. A jar of decoupage glue  
4. Good, fine papercutting scissors scissors.   
5. Paint (choose a color you would like for the back.)
6. A flat paint brush  
7. Clear brush on acrylic varnish  
8. a selection of color copies of family photos (re-sized if desired)

Play with laying out your design to fit the plate.  When applying the cutouts, you'll be working in reverse: the first images placed on the plate will be in the foreground of the design when viewed from the front of the plate. Start by applying the decoupage medium to the RIGHT SIDE of the first image. Don't worry about brush strokes, but be careful not to go over it too many times, you don't want the ink to smear.  Glue the edges firmly to the glass. Turn the plate over to check the placement of images.  Adjust as needed.  When you have the photo placed where you want it, spread the glue over the back of the photo as well.  Turn the plate around so you can see the image from the front and work out the air bubbles from behind. Continue placing the images until the entire plate is covered.  Let it dry.  Use painters tape to tape off the edges before you apply the acrylic paint to the back of the plate.  Let dry.   Apply a second coat, or sponge on a second color if you want to.  Let dry.  If you want a glossy finish on the back, apply an acrylic varnish.

Email me  with comments & questions. 

         

SHOW NOTES May 1, 2007

News...Roots Television is a terrific site devoted to genealogy shows & videos.  It's like having our own Genealogy TV station online.    I am very happy to announce that Roots Television has selected my videos A Nurse In Training Part 1 & Part 2 for inclusion on the Roots Tube Channel! You may remember these two videos from Episode 4 of the Genealogy Gems Podcast.  I hope you will check it out. 

CLICK HERE

Type SUBSCRIBE in the Subject line and include: your name, state, and how you heard about the podcast

GEM:  Interview with Steve Morse

Stephen P. Morse is very well-known in the genealogy community for his ingenious database search tools available to everyone free from his website: www.stevemorse.org  

Steve's One-Step Gold Form

Last Minute Bbidding on Ebay Form 

Email me with comments & questions.   

If you are enjoying the show & have an itunes account, would you please do me a favor?  Go to the Genealogy Gems Podcast itunes listing and leave a positive review.  Thanks!