The Genealogy Guys Podcast & Genealogy Connection

News You Can Use and Share The Zion Cemetery Project in Tampa has moved a step closer to the realization of the creation of a dedicated memorial site. The City of Tampa has agreed to trade land with one of the two major landowners whose building spans some of the Zion Cemetery site. This is a project win in which The Guys were deeply involved, and they celebrate this victory. MyHeritage has introduced Infographics, a new tool that takes your MyHeritage family tree data and generates an attractive graphic highlighting the individuals and events in their lives. MyHeritage's new AI tool, Scribe AI, is now available for iOS and Android devices. George shares details about My Heritage's new record releases. The BBC reported on a new database that allows you to search Nazi Party Membership Cards from Germany for the names of members. Margaret Lance Cheney was awarded the Fellow of the Ohio Genealogical Society. She has served OGS for many years as president and in other capacities. Congratulations on this well-deserved, long-overdue recognition! RootsMagic has announced that Ancestry has changed its API (Application Program Interface) and that RootsMagic has released a new version of the software, Version 11.2.0.0, and that users should upgrade to the newest version in order to connect with Ancestry changes. Older versions of the program still work, but they will no longer connect with Ancestry. FindMyPast has released Ireland, Directories and Almanacs 1844-1928, and the Ireland National Census of 1928. In March, FamilySearch added more than 30 million records from 28 countries. Drew highlights the millions of new records available at FamilySearch. What We're Up To Drew recently presented in person at the Sacramento Genealogical Society in California. Drew announces that RootsTech 2027 is now accepting speaking proposals. Drew will be presenting at the Genealogy Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), hosted by the National Genealogical Society (NGS). There are both in-person courses and online courses available. George shares that his research on two intermarried lines can be traced back to 15th-century England. These include his fourteenth great-grandparents. The Guys discuss the need for backups for all of your genealogical society officers. This can prevent the loss of access to essential resources and procedures for the organization. Please let us hear from you at genealogyguys@gmail.com with your questions and comments.

News You Can Use and Share! MyHeritage has acquired MesAieux.com, Quebec's most popular family history service with more than 15 million historical records. MyHeritage added more than 84 million new records across 16 collections in August 2024. MyHeritage has added 261 million obituary records to its OldNews facility. Listener Email Julie is searching for any Pennsylvania birth records from ca. 1810 and marriage records. The Guys share some suggestions. Drew talks about his recent participation in WikiTree.com's WikiGames over two weekends. Drew is currently taking Nathan Dylan Goodwin's online mystery writing class and learning how to develop a compelling genealogical mystery novel. The Guys discuss U.S. immigration and the naturalization process. They recommend Loretto Dennis Szucs' book, They Became Americans, as a definitive guide to naturalizations. Thank you to all our Patreon supporting members for their support. Your Patreon support helps us improve our technology and provide even more podcast content to you! You can join us for as little as $1 a month or as much as you'd like to contribute. Visit https://www.patreon.com/genealogyguys to get started. And don't forget to order Drew's book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, from Genealogical Publishing Company (https://genealogical.com/) or from Amazon.com. Please let us hear from you at genealogyguys@gmail.com with your experiences with U.S. immigration and naturalizations, and with other questions you have about your genealogical research.

News You Can Use and Share! MyHeritage added 123 million historical records in April and May. MyHeritage added millions of Nordic newspaper pages to OldNews.com. RootsMagic has released Version 10 of its award-winning software. Listener Email Jean-Daniel wrote to share an update about his research into Blaise Farny. Karin educates us about names for Austrian 'sailors'. Lisa wrote to compliment Cathleen from New Hampshire's research of her mother's paternal grandfather, Georg Sokop. She was inspired to research a friend's Jewish ancestry using DNA. Ray has been researching his third great-grandfather, James James, and located two people of that name in close proximity. The county courthouse burned, and he is asking for other records to distinguish between the two men. Drew discusses the upcoming South Carolina Genealogical Society's upcoming conference at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History on 12-13 July 2024. He is presenting, and George will be there observing and conducting personal research in the archive. George shares how he is preparing for his genealogical research at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, at the Newberry County courthouse, and in the upstate South Carolina environs. Drew discusses new features of AncestryDNA tools. Thank you to all our Patreon supporting members for their support. Your Patreon support helps us improve our technology and provide even more podcast content to you! You can join us for as little as $1 a month or as much as you'd like to contribute. Visit https://www.patreon.com/genealogyguys to get started. And don't forget to order Drew's new book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, from Genealogical Publishing Company (https://genealogical.com/) or Amazon.com. Please let us hear from you at genealogyguys@gmail.com.

News You Can Use and Share! MyHeritage added 168 million historical records in February. MyHeritage launched OldNews.com, a new website for exploring historical newspapers. MyHeritage introduced all-new profile pages with hints. Vivid-Pix announced the roll-out of Memory Stations, integrating scanning, its correction software, tagging, and more. Findmypast has begun digitizing, indexing, and publishing British Home Children records. The National Archives (TNA) announced that it will digitize the 1941 National Farm Survey records thanks to a generous grant from Lund Trust. DNA Segment with Diahan Southard In our DNA Segment, DNA expert Diahan Southard discusses Family Tree DNA and Y-DNA haplogroups with Drew Smith. Listener Email Laura writes about backup GEDCOM files and MyHeritage, and Daniel Horowitz responds. Jenna writes to respond to Sheila's quest to digitize and tag a 30" long x 6" high-resolution photograph. She shares FamilySearch's ability to tag people in a Memory at https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/tagging-people-in-a-memory. Anne writes in response to Jean Daniels' email about researching an ancestor. Anne cites Anabaptists in New York State. Kristen is seeking more advice for locating records for a missing family member, Arthur Tozer. Ashley wrote about changes that people make to FamilySearch records without sources. Thank you to all our Patreon supporting members for their support. Your Patreon support helps us improve our technology and provide even more podcast content to you! You can join us for as little as $1 a month or as much as you'd like to contribute. Visit https://www.patreon.com/genealogyguys to get started. And don't forget to order Drew's new book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, from Genealogical Publishing Company (https://genealogical.com/) or Amazon.com. Please let us hear from you at genealogyguys@gmail.com.

Drew's guest is Donna Moughty, who led the research trip to Dublin that Drew joined in October 2023. In this episode, Drew and Donna discuss her experiences over many years in leading research trips to Ireland, and how researchers need to prepare before going on a research trip (no matter where their ancestors were from). To learn of Donna's background, see GC episode #002.

News You Can Use and Share The Genealogy Guys Learn site is still on sale through January 1, 2024! MyHeritage announces the release of a new exclusive collection: marriage certificates for North Rhine and Westphalia from 1874 through 1899. MyHeritage announces the release of AI Record Finder™, an interactive, free text chat to help locate historical records about an ancestor among MH's 20 billion records. MyHeritage announces the release of AI Biographer™, which compiles a Wikipedia-like article about a person's life. It uses details from matching historical records and family tree profiles. The Society of Genealogists has officially reopened at its new address on Wharf Road in London, England. The Society of Genealogists has launched a brand-new search tool called SoG Explore. The Guys give a shout-out to Graham Walter, who has been named Chairman of the Society of Genealogists' Trustees. Scottish Indexes reached a new milestone with the addition of 180,000 prison record entries among over half a million records from 38 Scottish Prisons. Visit https://www.scottishindexes.com/ScotlandsCriminalDatabase.aspx. Drew recaps the highlights of the newest record releases at FamilySearch from October and November 2023. Listener Email Ashley asks about uploading Ancestry DNA results to MyHeritage as compared with taking a test there. Ashley also asks about searching probate court books for records of the institutionalization of a great-grand-uncle in Dayton, Ohio, and needs suggestions to help find his records. Jean Daniel from Metz, France, asks for suggestions about locating records for a 4x grandfather who spent some years in the U.S. Kelly is looking for ideas to help locate records about her great aunt, Wilhemine Mae Rauch (b. 1909 in Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio, USA), and twice married to Floyd Stevens. Listener suggestions are also requested. The Guys give a shout-out to Scott Fisher for his years of work on the Extreme Genes Podcast, which is ending this month. The Guys recommend a new podcast by Mike Scozzari called "Roots: Everyone Has a Story," which can be found at https://www.michaelscozzari.com/podcast. Drew and George talk about some of the topics most likely to dominate in 2024, including AI, DNA, and conferences. Thank you to all our Patreon supporting members for their support. Your Patreon support helps us improve our technology and provide even more podcast content to you! You can join us for as little as $1 a month or as much as you'd like to contribute. Visit https://www.patreon.com/genealogyguys to get started. Please also tell your friends and your genealogical society about our free podcasts, blog, and our Genealogy Guys Learn subscription education website. And don't forget to order Drew's new book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, from Genealogical Publishing Company (https://genealogical.com/) or Amazon.com. Please let us hear from you at genealogyguys@gmail.com.

In the previous episode, The Genealogy Guys Podcast announced that, in partnership with MyHeritage.com, we were giving away a FREE MyHeritage DNA Kit. The winner is Shontè Anthony from Maryland. An email with the code to redeem the kit is in the mail! News You Can Use and Share! The Black Cemetery Network (BCN) at https://blackcemeterynetwork.org is hosting an event in Tampa, Florida on 14 October 2023 from 10 AM to Noon to commemorate Black History and the Memorial Park Cemetery. It will begin with presentations at the C. Blythe Andrews Library, 2607 E. Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard, followed by an on-site walk in the Memorial Park Cemetery next door. You are cordially invited to join us for this exciting event and to help spread the word. Drew Smith and I, along with volunteers from across the country, have been deeply involved with the Zion Cemetery Project in Tampa for several years. It seeks to document all of the people interred in the "erased African-American cemetery" and bring their stories to life. All of the tombstones were removed, and portions of the property were "developed," leaving this sacred ground partially covered by buildings and the cemetery erased. The University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa has been supporting and promoting this work. The Black Cemetery Network was established and strives to support and publicize efforts across the U.S. to trace the "erased" cemeteries and promote projects like the Zion Project to un-erase them and to honor those buried in these cemeteries. As the Zion Project work is approaching its end, Drew and I, USF, and the Black Cemetery Network are about to begin work on three (3) "erased" cemeteries in St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, and beyond in that county. We are very proud to be part of these projects and to recognize and celebrate the lives of those early residents who built and shaped our communities. Registration for RootsTech 2024, the premier global family history conference, is now open. The event will be held from 29 February through 2 March 2024 in both in-person and virtual formats, from the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Learn more and register at https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/home. MyHeritage has announced the release of PhotoDater™, a groundbreaking, free new feature that estimates the year a photo was taken using AI technology. MyHeritage added 89 million historical records to its site in August 2023. George summarizes these collections. Drew recaps the highlights of the newest record releases at FamilySearch in August 2023. Interview Drew talks with Rick Voight, CEO of Vivid-Pix, and Sue Kaufman, manager of the Genealogy Collection at the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research in Houston, Texas. They discuss the initiative of the National Genealogical Society and Vivid-Pix and the cross-country tour that Rick is making to share the information. Listener Email In a follow-up to our discussion in episode #418 about the U.S. Patent and Trademark Database (USPTO at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search, Kim writes about a patent filed and approved by great-grandfather James D. Nairne (#1,088,443), and wants to know more, including whether it was used and/or whether it was transferred. Carol Ansel, Director of the Godfrey Memorial Library (https://www.godfrey.org/scholar/godfrey-home.html), wrote to expand on Drew's description of their collection and services. Jean wrote about a recent search in the deed records in Suffolk County [New York] for an entry for her great-grandfather, Adolph J. Mueller. The deed concerned the sale of paint to the Charles H. Brown Paint Company for the sum of $1. She is looking for the reason why this transaction was recorded in a deed book. Nicole is researching her Dulaney ancestral line from Virginia, supposedly back to Ireland. Drew shared some insights during our last episode. Nicole describes her research and asks for recommendations for more records of Samuel Delany. Ashley wrote about her Irish research into Andrew Dickey triggered by a small Bible, inscribed to him in 1847. He was a teacher in Ireland. She is also looking into his sisters in the U.S. Drew begins his 10-day research trip to Ireland on 4 October 2023 with his brother, led by expert Donna Moughty. He shares some preparations he has made and will tell us about his adventures in upcoming podcasts! Thank you to all our Patreon supporting members for their support. Your Patreon support helps us improve our technology and provide even more podcast content to you! You can join us for as little as $1 a month or as much as you'd like to contribute. Visit https://www.patreon.com/genealogyguys to get started. Please also tell your friends and your genealogical society about our free podcasts, blog, and our Genealogy Guys Learn subscription education website. And don't forget to order Drew's new book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, from Genealogical Publishing Company (https://genealogical.com/) or Amazon.com. Please let us hear from you at genealogyguys@gmail.com.

News You Can Use and Share! The International African American Museum (IAAM) has officially opened in Charleston, South Carolina, and is partnering with Vivid-Pix with the installation of Vivid-Pix Memory Stations that allow visitors to scan, restore, save, and share their precious photos, documents, and stories. The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has been gifted a new index containing 3.2 million searchable names to mark the centenary of PRONI. These are related to Valuation records between 1864 and 1933. The General Register Office for England and Wales (GRO) now allows you to order instant-access images of birth records from 1837 to 1922 and death records from 1837 to 1887. The digital images cost £2.50 each and can be downloaded, and then printed. (The records are images of the details from the certificate but not the certificate itself.) Drew recaps the newest records releases at FamilySearch. Listener Email Lisa wrote about her census mystery searching for her ancestor Felice Giuseppe Maturo and his brother, Liberato Maturo, in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census in New Haven, Connecticut. The Guys researched and Drew shares our findings. Tom wrote about his ancestor who served in the Revolutionary War and who he just discovered was a enslaver in Kentucky. The Guys discuss U.S. patents. For both of them, one of their great-grandfathers filed two patents for inventions. The Guys were able to search the USPTO (United States Patents and Trademarks Office) patent database at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search or Google's Patent database, and quickly located the patent files. Each file contained a schematic diagram of the invention and text pages with detailed descriptions. (Trademarks can be searched in the trademarks database at https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/search.) Please listen to the podcast for details about disconnects and reloading pages in the databases. Drew recommended acquiring a small glass desktop whiteboard that can sit between the keyboard and display and provide additional storage. An example (the one that Drew bought) can be found on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PBK52W5, but many companies sell them in a variety of colors. Don't forget to order Drew's new book, Generation by Generation: A Modern Approach to the Basics of Genealogy, from Genealogical Publishing Company (https://genealogical.com/) or Amazon.com. Thank you to all our Patreon supporting members for their support. Your Patreon support helps us improve our technology and provide even more podcast content to you! You can join us for as little as $1 a month or as much as you'd like to contribute. Visit https://www.patreon.com/genealogyguys to get started. Please also tell your friends and your genealogical society about our free podcasts, blog, and our Genealogy Guys Learn subscription education website. Let us hear from you at genealogyguys@gmail.com.