In this episode of Best Websites, Daniel Loftus offers some valuable tips for using Find a Grave with more efficiency and respect for others in mind.

Daniel Loftus, Genealogist and Creator of Project Infant,joins Lisa Louise Cooke to discuss best practices for using the Find a Grave website for genealogy. At Find a Grave you can search for the graves of your ancestors, create virtual memorials,add photographs,leave virtual flowers and a note on a loved one’s memorial, and even search graves of famous people from around the world.

Guest: Daniel Loftus

Websites and Links

Visit Find a Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/

Visit Our Sponsor

Newspapers.com

Use promo code ‘FamilyTreeMagazine’ for a 20% discount on your subscription. Sign up today at Newspapers.com and embark on a journey of discovery!

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Robbie Gorr provides tips for the mastering the cemetery transcription.

Feature: Cemetery Transcription

Amateur genealogist and historian Robbie Gorr explains everything you need to know for successful Cemetery Transcription.

Read Zen and the Art of Cemetery Transcription by Robbie Gorr in the September / October issue of Family Tree Magazine.

Online resources mentioned in this episode:

Visit Our Sponsor

Newspapers.com

Use promo code ‘FamilyTreeMagazine’ for a 20% discount on your subscription. Sign up today at Newspapers.com and embark on a journey of discovery!

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of Best Websites, Lisa Louise Cooke highlights some of the most valuable features of Veridian, an excellent resource for finding historical newspapers.

In this episode of the Best Websites for Genealogy Podcast, host Lisa Louise Cooke explores Veridian, and its millions of historic newspaper pages searchable and accessible online. Learn what Veridian, the scope of the collections and strategies for accessing the archival content. Whether you’re hunting for obituaries, wedding announcements, or everyday details that bring your ancestors’ lives into focus, Veridian offers a unique and free resource for your research.

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Your Host

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Lisa Louise Cooke speaks to Katie Merkley about homestead records and what they can tell us about ancestors.

In this episode, we’re digging into the lives of our American ancestors through land records—specifically, homestead records.

When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act into law in 1862, it offered settlers a bold promise: free land in exchange for a commitment to improve it. This opportunity drew thousands of families westward in pursuit of a new beginning. But there was a catch—qualifying for that land required detailed documentation and years of effort.

While it may have been a bureaucratic challenge for our ancestors, that very paperwork has become a treasure trove for today’s genealogists. Homestead applications often include personal details, affidavits from neighbors, naturalization records, and more, providing an extraordinary window into our family’s past.

Websites mentioned in this episode:

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels:

• Facebook

Join the thousands of genealogists who rely on Family Tree Magazine for the latest news and advice. Follow us today and start your journey of discovery!

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website, and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of Best Websites, website founder Jenny Joyce of Cite-Builder.com shows the value of a proper citation and how Cite-Builder makes citation more manageable.

In this episode, we dive into the world of genealogy with Jenny Joyce, the creator of Cite-Builder, an online citation generator designed specifically for genealogists.

Discover how Cite-Builder streamlines the often daunting task of creating source citations, making it easier for researchers to track and verify their findings.

Jenny shares insights on the importance of proper citation, the variety of templates available, and how her platform supports different citation styles.

Visit Cite-Builder.com Use coupon code FTM20  to receive a 20% discount on your first-year subscription.

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Your Host

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode, host Lisa Louise Cook interviews David Fryxell about the best online tools for genealogy research.

Lisa Louise Cooke and David Fryxell discuss the impact of AI on genealogy, the importance of newspapers as sources, innovative tech tools for genealogists, and international resources.

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels:

• Facebook

Join the thousands of genealogists who rely on Family Tree Magazine for the latest news and advice. Follow us today and start your journey of discovery!

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website, and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of Best Websites, Lisa Louise Cooke walks through the National Archives and all there is to discover.

Best Genealogy Websites: The National Archives

In this episode of Family Tree Magazine’s Best Websites podcast, host Lisa Louise Cook dives into the National Archives website, a vital resource for genealogists. She discusses the vast array of free records available, including census, military, and immigration documents, and highlights unique collections such as the Freedmen’s Bureau records and Dawes Rolls. Lisa also shares tips for navigating the site and utilizing its features, including the History Hub and webinars, making it an essential tool for anyone researching their family history.

Resources Mentioned in This Article:

National Archives

Visit the National Archive’s Genealogy page.

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Your Host

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Andrew Koch offers tips for researching ancestors across the United States.

Feature: How to research ancestors in any US state.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, host Lisa Louise Cooke welcomes Andrew Koch, the editor of Family Tree Magazine, to discuss the intricacies of genealogy research across the United States. They explore the importance of understanding U.S. history, the significance of vital records, the role of census records, and the value of land records in tracing family history. Andrew shares insights on the state-specific research guides published in the magazine and how they can aid genealogists in their quest to uncover their family histories.

Resources:

Takeaways:

It’s important to stay updated on privacy restrictions for records.

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels:

• Facebook

Join the thousands of genealogists who rely on Family Tree Magazine for the latest news and advice. Follow us today and start your journey of discovery!

Your Host

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of Best Websites, Rick Crume highlights some translation tools for making sense of foreign-language records.

Best Genealogy Websites: Translation Tools

One of the biggest challenges that genealogists face is translating foreign-language records, especially if the handwriting is hard to read. Author Rick Crume joins Lisa Louise Cooke on the podcast to discuss navigating a variety of tools that can get the job done.

Read Found in Translation by Rick Crume in the May  / June 2025 issue of Family Tree Magazine.

Visit Our Sponsor: GoldieMay.com

One of Family Tree Magazine’s best of 2024 is genealogy research software called Goldie May. It can help you speed up your research, untangle your family tree, and stay organized. It even has an automatic research log. It does not replace your genealogy programs, but it might replace the sticky notes on your monitor and papers on your desk — all those places where you keep notes and figure out your research. 

There’s lots to do for free. Get started at goldiemay.com. 

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Your Host

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Lisa talks with Rhonda Lauritzen about to approach sensitive topics when interviewing relatives.

Feature: Handling sensitive family interviews.

It can be a challenge to navigate hard-to-talk-about subjects in family history interviews. Author Rhonda Lauritzen shares interviewing tips from journalists, storytellers, and her own professional experience as a professional biographer at Evalogue.life.

Read Speaking Softly by Rhonda Lauritzen:

Visit Our Sponsor: GoldieMay.com

One of Family Tree Magazine’s best of 2024 is genealogy research software called Goldie May. It can help you speed up your research, untangle your family tree, and stay organized. It even has an automatic research log. It does not replace your genealogy programs, but it might replace the sticky notes on your monitor and papers on your desk — all those places where you keep notes and figure out your research. 

There’s lots to do for free. Get started at goldiemay.com. 

In this episode of the podcast, Lisa Interview Richard Miller about all Goldie May has to offer.

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels:

• Facebook

Join the thousands of genealogists who rely on Family Tree Magazine for the latest news and advice. Follow us today and start your journey of discovery!

Your Host

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.