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! 

    SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER   

SHOW NOTES April 22, 2007

Announcing the NEW Genealogy Gems Podcast Newsletter...
Due to the encouraging & positive response to the show, I am launching a companion e-Newsletter.  The newsletter is absolutely FREE!

To Subscribe: Send an email

In the Subject Line of the email type the word: SUBSCRIBE

In the body of the email: 

1. Your Name
2. Location (state or country if outside the U.S.)
3. How you heard about the podcast. 

You will receive a monthly newsletter by email which will include:

Genealogy news
More Resources
Special offers & contests only available to subscribers
Podcast Educational Tidbits
Sneak Peak of upcoming topics
and much more!

The newsletter is going to be an integral part of the podcast, so don't miss it.  And it's free, so what could be better?

Click on the SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER link today to get started.

April 15, 2007

 

;

Check out your ancestor's tax records using the links at Cyndislist

GEM #1:  Great San Francisco Earthquake 

"Hello, Frisco" by Harvey Hindermeyer courtesy of U of Cal, Santa Barbara Library

Below: C. A. Burkett (on left) c. 1906

USGS website

The Virtual Museum of the city of SF

Remembering the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake an audio recording by NPR.

The San Francisco 1906 Earthquake Great Register 

BOOK:  Denial of Disaster: The Untold Story and Photographs of the San Francisco Earthquake

    

San Francisco 1906 Earthquake Marriage Project by sfgenealogy.com

GEM #2  Shake Up Your Research Stategy

Step 1: Locate the event on a Timeline History.com  This Day In History  Step 2:    Internet Searches 

1. Google (For Alerts see Episode 3)
2. Google Images  
3. Ancestry  Ebay (see Episode 3) 
4. State Historical Society 
5. State Archives 
6. Census - Find neighbors and do a quick Google & Ancestry search on them.   
7. YouTube.com (see Episode 4 for more info on using YouTube)

Email me  with comments & questions. 

 

 

 

  SHOW NOTES - April 8, 2007

 

 

Article by Cynthia G. Fox Income Tax Records of the Civil War Years. 

GEM #1:  Anna-KarinÃÂ's Genealogical Podcast

GEM #2: Civil War Research

(The song Battle of Manasas courtesy of University of California, Santa Barbara Library.  Sam Houston portrayed by Roger Koehn.)

The Civil War began at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, SC 146 years ago this week on April 12.

The Historical New York Times Project - The Civil War Years 1860-1866   

Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System Website    

Military Indexes Website    

Civil War Research Guide

GEM #3 - Surname Tools

Germany Surname Mapping:  Geogen

For British Surnames:  The Orange Hedgehog Surname Profiler

Email me with comments, questions or suggestions.  Be sure & let me know what state you're from, and how you heard about the podcast.

Welcome!  New to the podcast?  I've left you a message on the website voice mail (right column).  Just double click "Lisa" to listen.  Then, start with the ARCHIVES link & Episode #1.  To learn more about Podcasts and how to subscribe for FREE to the Genealogy Gems Podcast (so you'll catch every new episode!), click on the "Frequently Asked Questions" link in the right column to learn all you need to know.  Now, for more info on Episode #06... 

350 Years of American Jewish History

JewishGen The Home of Jewish Genealogy

Calling all videos:  Have you found a great genealogy related video on YouTube.com, or did you add a family history video of your own?  Then email me and tell me about your gem.  Be sure to include a link to the video.   

GEM:  Cast a Shadow on Your Ancestors  In episode #5 (below) I talked about adding silhouettes to the database file of an ancestor when you don't have a photo.Creating your own silhouettes: 

1. Take a photo of a person in profile against a neutral background.   
2. Blanket the photo background with white acrylic or tempera paint 
3. Fill in the image with a heavy black permanent marker, curing the shoulders down for a classical pose.   
4. Add fun details like cowlicks, eyelashes, hats, and jewelry that express the persons personality with a fine felt-tip pen. 
5. Photocopy the doctored photos onto quality art paper.  Since glossy papers work print best, you could also use your computer scanner to scan the image into your hard drive.  From there you can add it to your database, or print it out onto glossy photo paper for mounting. 

  Only the Shadow Knows:  Do you have any old family heirloom silhouettes from your family?  Email me a photo & some background info about how it pertains to your family.  Wanna Know More? Art Cafe Network website - "A Short History of Silhouettes by Katherine Courtney.  Detailed how-to information on cutting silhouettes Old-Fashioned Silhouettes CD-ROM and Book (Dover Electronic Series)Silhouettes : Rediscovering the Lost Art GEM: US GenWeb Project  The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Geneaology GEM:  Upcoming Seminar & Interview with Dr. Stephen Morse. 
The Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society Free Seminar April 21, 2007.  Stay tuned next week as we delve into the records of the only war fought on American soil by Americans...  

 

Welcome!  New to the podcast?  I've left you a message on the website voice mail (right column).  Just double click "Lisa" to listen.  Then, start with the ARCHIVES link & Episode #1.  To learn more about Podcasts and how to subscribe for FREE to the Genealogy Gems Podcast (so you'll catch every new episode!), click on the "Frequently Asked Questions" link in the right column to learn all you need to know.  Now, for more info on Episode #05...

Irish Roots CafÃïà:  http://www.irishroots.com  

NEW: Voice Mail Box

1. To leave a message:  Click "LEAVE A MESSAGEÃÂÃÂÂÃÂÂ
2. Opens a window: enter your name, and email address (not public). 
3. Have a microphone plugged into your computer 
4. Click RECORD

GEM #1:  You Tube Follow Up

Bill Puller of the Genealogy Tech Podcast was a real gem for teaming up with me last week on how to use the YouTube website - Thanks Bill!

Click this link YouTube.com, and search "Genealogy Gems" to find my two new videos:  "A Nurse In Training Part 1"  & "A Nurse In Training Part 2".

GEM:  Bring Sites Back From the Dead with Google

After pulling up an error page in Google: 

1. Hit the Back button 
2. Click the "cached" link  (This should bring up a copy of the page as it appeared at the time that Google indexed that page, with your search terms highlighted in yellow.)

The Wayback Machine (http://www.archive.org/web/web.php)    

GEM:  Spice up your database

When you don't have an ancestors photo, find something that represents what you do know about that person.  It really does help you see them more as a person and less as an entry in your database. 

  

Email me with comments & questions

My Odeo Channel (odeo/cd49194c34ae1437)