Struggling to figure out where your ancestor’s Social Security records went? They might not have been there at all because things were different before 1951!

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. David opens Family Histoire News with the story of some tattered bonds found in an attic in Louisiana. Wait til you hear what they’re going to bring to the finder, despite their wretched condition after Hurricane Katrina! Then, big news for Irish researchers. Hear what David has to say. Then, hear why Cubans both on the island and off of it are looking for dual citizenship… and for two very different reasons. Roanoke Island is back in the news again for archaeological finds that may reveal more about the earliest European settlers and the local natives. David has details. And, Smithsonian Magazine online has written about a minstrel show manuscript that has been discovered, and it dates back to the 15th century!

Next, in two segments, Fisher visits with Gage DeWitt of Louisiana, Justin DeWitt of Kentucky, and Perry DeWitt of New York State. They are all distant cousins to each other, and to Fisher. All descend from Tjerck Claessen DeWitt who died in 1701 in Kingston, New York. Last summer, these guys exhumed the remains of Tjerck, his wife Barbara, daughter Taatje, and son Andries for study. (Listen back to Episode 445.) But then… things started happening that NO ONE can explain. Hear their stories and what has been the unexpected result of their dig!

Then, David returns for Ask Us Anything.

That’s all this week on Extreme Genes, America’s Family History Show!

Ever notice familiar repeating family names in a single family group? It could be the parents were following a classic pattern. And that pattern can tell you some very important truths about the previous generation.

Back in 1752, England enacted a law that changed our calendars forever. But did that law ever make a genealogist’s life complicated!

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. David is reporting from Scotland! In Family Histoire News, David explains how a well known influencer submitted a DNA sample and learned she had an identical twin. Only it wasn’t! Hear how this happened. Then, a project headed by a school teacher in Connecticut has resulted in the marking of homes and other places where the enslaved lived, mostly in colonial times. Next, hear how recently found 4,000 year old DNA is impacting our understanding of various plagues. Finally, check out Buzz Feed and their list of 26 family secrets of all types.

Next, Fisher visits with Stu Richards, an author and expert in coal mining disasters. So many families have been impacted by the losses of loved ones in these horrible accidents. Wait til you hear the numbers! Stu talks about causes, employee battles with coal companies and so much more.

Then, Adrienne Abiodun of sponsor Legacy Tree Genealogists is back. She talks about Juneteenth and the impact of DNA on African-American research.

David then returns for Ask Us Anything.

That’s all this week on Extreme Genes, America’s Family History Show!

Ancestors love to play tricks on us as we trace them down… sometimes by disappearing from where we think they should be. Fisher explains where you might want to look next.

Fisher worked to break open one ancestral line for fifteen years. It wasn’t until he was closing the book on the case by creating a timeline that he saw the answer!

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. The guys open with a few news items from the National Genealogical Society. In Family Histoire News, David reports on a study that showed how rents were once paid in England using eels! Then, Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts is the site of an interesting new project that may allow you to touch the tombstone of your early New England ancestor. The 1931 Canadian Census is out! David shares how it is being indexed. Then, imagine a man who was in both the Civil War and World War I. It actually happened! David will tell you all about him. Dual citizenship can help you travel. Hear what countries you can obtain it from. Finally, the UK has an issue with China over sunken war ships. Find out what it is.

Next, Fisher visits with Dr. David Duffy of the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience and the University of Florida. In studying sea turtles, Dr. Duffy and his team discovered that high quality turtle DNA can be found in the sand on beaches. They then decided to see if the same held true for humans, testing footprints of volunteers. Indeed it did! And then there’s the matter of human DNA being left in a closed room in the air. Dr. Duffy describes the research, police interest, and ethical questions they’re dealing with.

Next, Melissa Barker, “The Archive Lady,” is back from Houston County, Tennessee. Melissa talks about the silver lining of the pandemic for archives, and some of her recent acquisitions including one that’s hard to believe.

David then is back for Ask Us Anything.

That’s all this week on Extreme Genes, America’s Family History Show!

Just the way not every record is digitized, many records are digitized but not indexed!  Can’t find what you’re looking for? It’s time to check those massive unindexed records!

Those Tricky Immigration Records