Generations Cafe

Genetic genealogy is great for finding cousins, but how do you connect with those who haven't taken a DNA test or don't have their results in the same place you do?

You'll learn some old school (but still effective!) ways to set or find cousin bait, including:

- effectively using Facebook

- FindAGrave, even if you already know where your ancestor is buried

- Genealogy societies

- Online trees (yes, online trees)

- Publishing (and not just with books or blogs)

You can find the show notes for this episode at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/12

You want to share your genealogy with your family, but they'd rather do anything but listen. Sound familiar?

Learn some strategies that will keep your family members engaged when you talk about genealogy. (Hint: consider what you're talking about. Is it the discoveries or the genealogy research?)

We also discuss why you shouldn't assume that your bored relatives aren't interested in family history.

You can find the show notes for this episode at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/11

FamilySearch is one of the largest genealogy websites and has billions of records. But there are 5 sections of the website that you might be overlooking.

In this episode, you'll discover how to use FamilySearch to help get grounded in researching in a new place (even in a different language), how a collaborative tree can be of benefit, why you should use the FamilySearch catalog even if you aren't planning a trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and more.

You can find the show notes with links and screenshots at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/10

World War I research is often overlooked in American genealogy. In this episode, David Allen Lambert shares tips for researching the "doughboys," whether they shipped out or stayed state-side during the war.

You'll learn why a draft card doesn't verify service, ways to get around the fire at the National Archives, and special resources for those who didn't come home.

You'll find the show notes with links to all of the resources mentioned at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/9

Where to start with your Scottish genealogy? Tina Beaird of Tamarack Genealogy shares resources and strategies for finding your Scottish ancestors.

Did you know that your ancestor's surname can help point you into the right area of Scotland?

Waves of migration had their own origins; knowing when your ancestor came to the U.S. can often narrow where you Scotland you should be looking.

The established church had to keep some records regardless of what religion a person was practicing. Tina shares more about these valuable records, where to find them, and her trick for saving money in getting copies for your genealogy research.

You can find show notes with all of the links at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/8.

Southern genealogy research has its challenges. Ari Wilkins from the Dallas Public Library shares an often-overlooked resource: plantation records.

Ari shares how this massive collection was put together, where to find these records, and what you'll find in them.

These records are useful whether your ancestor was enslaved, a wealthy plantation owner, or a member of community (with or without slaves).

Dealing with a burned county? Then you definitely want to work in plantation records, as these records weren't at the courthouse!

You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/7

Citing sources in genealogy research isn't just for the pros. But it can feel overwhelming trying to figure out what to cite, especially when you're using something online.

In this episode, Amy shares 3 reasons why you should cite your sources, including how they can help you convince that cousin who won't change their incorrect family tree.

You'll also learn the key to remember about creating a citation, no matter what kind of source you are using. This key will help you understand exactly what you need to cite.

The show notes for this episode are available at amyjohnsoncrow.com/6.

Colleen Greene, an expert in Mexican genealogy research, shares tips for finding your ancestor's hometown in Mexico (which is important for finding more records) and reviews major record groups that you'll need to use.

Colleen also explains Hispanic surname patterns and how she works through all of the variations when she's searching online.

You can find the show notes (complete with all of the links and resources mentioned in the show) at amyjohnsoncrow.com/5

DNA has unlocked so many genealogy problems. It's an incredibly useful tool in our research. So with all of the possibilities, why aren't your DNA matches answering your messages?

It turns out there are several reasons they aren't answering. Some of them revolve around why that match took the test to begin with. It might not be for the same reason you did.

Fortunately, there are some things we can do to help improve the odds of getting a response from those genetic cousins we reach out to.

Show notes for this episode can be found at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/4

No matter what kind of source you're using in your genealogy research, there are certain things that you should do with it.

In this episode, you'll learn 4 things that you should do with each source you use (as well as get a quick review on what a source really is).

Show notes can be found at amyjohnsoncrow.com/3.