Suddenly, it was a 4:00 a.m. bedtime for a genealogist

On a recent evening,  I planned to spend a couple hours on some updating and expanding of syllabus material for upcoming presentations. Then I was going to reward myself with some more time on my own family history. I accomplished both and went to bed at 4:00 a.m. The Montreal Daily Star. Monday, 14 September […]

MyHeritage website adds 9 new languages

MyHeritage announces that its website is now “available in 50 languages, following the addition of 9 more languages. This expansion enables millions more people around the world to discover who they are and where they belong, in their native language.” Further they said “It will also lead to more valuable matches and discoveries for MyHeritage […]

Genealogy syllabus work makes me think and I enjoy it

One of my work projects this week is my part of the syllabus for two sessions in the upcoming Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research course “Repository Research: From Website to Doorway.” See my 28 December post on this course for more details and to register for one of the seats that are still open […]

A New Year, new genealogy sales, and new research plans for all of us

New Year’s Resolutions? I don’t really make them but have been thinking about some things that are genealogy related for 2026. 1. If you didn’t  take advantage of membership/subscription or DNA sales at the end of 2025, don’t worry. Many of our favorite websites and companies are having New Year’s sales. Check the websites of […]

2026 Legacy Family Tree Webinars Announced! I am fortunate to be one of 200+ speakers.

2026 is going to be another great year in genealogy and technology education in the field of family history. Geoff Rasmussen, the guru behind Legacy Family Tree Webinars, has announced the 2026 lineup of presentations. https://familytreewebinars.com/upcoming-webinars/?list_view=true&multiple=true&language=english Register for individual webinars or hit the select all if you are able to join in when each one […]

My first genealogy presentation of 2026 is January 3 and is both in-person and online!

January 3, 2026. that’s this next Saturday and I am presenting an afternoon hybrid webinar. The host is the Greene County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society and they are based in Xenia, Ohio. https://www.greenecountyogs.com The event opens at 1:30 EST and I will present “The U.S. National Archives: The Nation’s Attic” at 2:00 EST. […]

Scheduling January & February Consultations with a Special December rate

If you are interested in a one-on-one consultation to get you started on family history research or to figure out the next research steps to take by yourself, you may be interested in a consultation. I offer a special two-hour minimum consultation for a total of $120 but for those agreed to in December 2025, […]

Interviews with descendants of abolitionists who lived in Minnesota

“The Minnesota Digital Library recently added some oral history interviews with descendants of abolitionists who lived in Minnesota prior to the Civil War. They were shared by a new contributing organization called “Project Get Outdoors.” “Many of them were associated with the Underground Railroad. The long-term goal of this project is to work with local […]

U.S. State Archives onsite research hours per week. A wide difference!

The chart below is a sampling of hours that U.S. state archives are open for research each week. Many require appointments and don’t forget to double check the hours before a visit. Thoroughly browse through the website of any you plan to visit or to contact otherwise to learn more about the gems each holds. […]

Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) registration opens Nov 22

IGHR 2026 registration starts this Saturday, November 22, at NOON ET! Registration now starts at the same time for ALL COURSES, including the six “IGHR Week” courses and the six once-a-week courses. Registration for each course will close one month before the course starts. Now you can take more than one IGHR course per year. […]