What’s Black, and White and READ all over?  Your Ancestors in old newspapers!

In fact, your ancestors could be anywhere!  Most likely they were mentioned at some point in their own local paper, but they might also show up in a neighboring towns paper, or in a paper located thousands of miles away.

Nothing is more exciting than finding information in an old newspaper that adds to your family history!  And I’ve been working feverishly on a new book that I can finally tell you about that is going to finally give you the answers and resources you need to be successful finding your ancestors in the new.  It’s called Everything You Need to Know About Finding Your Family History in Newspapers and that’s exactly what it is.  It’s everything you need to know. 

This book is going to change all that. I spell out a step-by-step process and give you a worksheet you can copy and use again and again.  There are tons of websites, search tips, and 3 very Cool Online tools that probably aren’t using but you should be!

Stay tuned because we’ll be doing an official launch very soon, and I’m going to have a very special opportunity for you to get a signed copy of the book first.

NEWS:

Get Your Kids Involved in Genealogy with the Chart Chick
Have you been following The Chart Chick blog lately?  It’s written by my friend Janet Hovorka and boy or boy she’s been running a terrific series on getting your kids involved in genealogy.  

Polish Genealogy Podcast by Dave Newman
New Website:  http://polgenpodcast.com. Also now in iTunes

Keynote Workshop at Who Do You Think You Are? Live in London
I’ll be on the panel discussing genealogy social networking.

RootsTech and Book Sellers

1. The genealogy world has had a bit of controversy lately:
2. Genealogy Book Sellers encouraged to sign up for booths in the RootsTech Expo Hall
3. Genealogy Book Sellers sent “No Thank You” emails on a Friday Afternoon
4. Social Networking Genealogist Firestorm erupts and burns through the weekend
5. Genealogy Book Sellers now provided Expo Hall booth space

RootsTech Schedule is FINALLY published!

Also, just a reminder for your readers that the special discounted registration price of $149 ends on Friday, January 13.

My Classes at RootsTech:

Thurs. Feb 2 at 11:00 am a hands on Google Workshop

Friday Feb. 3 at 9:45 am Genealogy Blogs and Podcasts

Saturday Feb. 4 at 1:45 Inspiring Ways to Captivate the Non-Genealogists in Your Life

New Irish Issue of Family Chronicle
Family Chronicle has just announced they have published their newest special publication called “Tracing Your Irish Ancestors.” Cover price is $9.95 plus $4.50 shipping and it’s available at the Family Chronicle bookstore at http://familychronicle.com/books.htm

Improved Blog Search from Google
Now you can search for blogs specifically focused on the family history topics that mean the most to you!

New Google Search Option:

1. Go to Google.com

2. Search on specific keywords (ex. County Cork Ireland Genealogy)

3. Click “More” in the Search Options Column on the left side of the page

4. Click “Blogs”

5. Click “Homepages” or “blog Homepages”

6. Now your search results are for blogs focused on those keywords and not just individual articles

7. Click the RSS or “Google” button to add the blog to your Homepage in a Gadget

(Learn more about transforming Google.com into your own Genealogy Research Dashboard by becoming a Genealogy Gems Premium Member)

MAILBOX:

Timothy wrote:

“I want to thank you for having Steve Luxenberg on podcast episodes #120 and #121 to discuss his book Annie's Ghosts.”

PBS documentary “Triumph at Carville: A Tale of Leprosy in America”    http://www.pbs.org/triumphatcarville

“Your interview with Steve also spurred me on to conduct further research into two other folks that I have been researching, both of whom died in the South Carolina State Hospital. The following brief history is from the South Carolina Department of Archives and    History, "The State Dept. of Mental Health has undergone several name changes in its history. The original name was the South Carolina Lunatic Asylum (1821-1895) which was followed by the South Carolina State Hospital for the Insane (1896-1919), the South Carolina State Hospital (1920-1963), and finally the State Dept. of Mental Health (1964 to the present)." I am now currently awaiting to hear back from the archives.”

Book Reviews
Have a Voice:  Post positive reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and Lulu for genealogy books you enjoy!

Richard Needs Your Help

As I was going back over some items I have in my Aunt’s photo collection, I found two items that I can’t seem to find out anything about. Maybe you or your listeners can help. They are called “Foto Folds" and are raised pictures in a foldable container. I’ve attached three photos:

1)      Foto Fold – Closed image shows the two closed. One is the back and the other the front which is die cut.

2)      Foto Fold – Opened image shows both opened. One is a single picture and the other my Aunt, Her Brother and their Mother.

3)      Foto Fold – Side View shows that the item is not flat but raised. The raised part fits into the cut out piece on the right which then closes to the foldable container.

They are most likely dated between the late 1940s and early 1950s.

What do you think our descendants will wish they had of ours 100 years in the future?
Chris in Norwalk, CT chimed in with “Voice recordings (or, to go a bit further, video).  My family has had a touch of music for a few generations now.  My great-grandfather was a musical performer & my great-grandmother played piano. In fact I had recorded him singing shortly before he died.  Unfortunately, the tape was lost long ago.  In another branch of my family, I had a great-grandfather who was a bandleader in Providence, RI.  He played cornet & years later my father took it up as well…I play as well, but can't hold a candle to him.  I wish I thought to record him as well.”

Google Earth
Sharon in White Lake, MI

“I watched your Google Earth for Genealogists webinar on the Roots Magic.  It was fantastic.  In October, I went with my elderly parents and my husband to the Rives, Michigan cemetery where my great great grandparents were buried.  With the information I picked up in your webinar, I discovered that the original homestead was on the same road less than a mile north of where they were buried.  It was so neat being able to see where my family first located.  Thank you very much!”

Kevin Writes to Share a Success Story

“I have you to thank.  If not for your podcast about Familysearch.org and Family History Centers, I may not have found my great grandfather, Emanuel Babiuk's birth record from Ukraine…Your podcast (even though it was published several years ago) pointed me in the right direction to help me find, order and view the film at the local FHC.  If not for you, I may have had to wait for the film to be digitized and indexed.  P.S.  I subscribe to anything Lisa Louise Cooke and have 66 Gems and 13 Premium Gems to entertain me.”

From Dan in North Carolina

“I have been listening to you podcast for a while now and have gotten a lot from it…I decided to write a book about my father. I spent the summer collecting stories and photos. I decided to use the web site Blurb to publish the book. This way anyone that wanted a book could order one. I finished about a month ago and had a lot of fun in the process.  I know most of the stories if not all but when you put them all down in a book it takes on a new life.  Again thank you for the motivation I need. Next? Maybe my grandparents.” 

GEM: Interview with Tom Kemp, Director of Genealogy Products at GenealogyBank

Click here to search GenealogyBank's Newspaper Archive

GEM: Your Life in 5 Minutes with Sunny Morton Part 4

Visit Sunny online at http://www.sunnymorton.com

Get Sunny's book "Your Life & TImes: A Guided Journal for Collecting Your Stories by clicking this link: My Life & Times