Do you need a fun activity to help the youth in your ward get interested in family history? How about a Family Home Evening or Sunday activity for the whole family? Try MISSION POSSIBLE and see tha…

Have you ever heard of foot shape genealogy? It is a concept out of the 19th century that still has some adherents today. It is based on the belief that the shape of your foot can tell you one of five ancient ethnic groups to which your ancestors belonged. Here is what you need to know about it.

Play one of these great family history games this Easter!

Several years ago I came to the realization that no one in my immediate family wants my 40 plus years of research on our genealogy. A few are mildly interested in hearing the more exciting stories of blacksheep ancestors or famous relatives or an intriguing mystery. No one but me does actual research into our ancestors. That means that my binders and file folders full of documents and charts are not something anyone is going to take and preserve when I'm gone. I'm sure many of you are facing the same problem. So...what to do? My solution has been to create family books for each surname. I keep them short, no more than 30 pages for each book. Some surnames have multiple volumes and each volume is for one generation including children. These books are what I call "Coffee Table" books, meant to be picked up and thumbed through casually. Not all documents are included because that would turn into a book consisting of hundreds of pages! After publishing them on Shutterfly I give them as gifts at Christmas. That is one way the family stories and research might be preserved for future generations. If you are unfamiliar with Shutterfly I have a tutorial on using it on my Olive Tree Genealogy YouTube Channel. Creating a Memory Book in Shutterfly (Tutorial 1) Creating a Memory Book in Shutterfly (Tutorial 2) Creating a Memory Book in Shutterfly (Tutorial 3) Another solution I use is to create books for sale to other descendants. Since I tend to research all siblings in a family I can often provide details, facts and documents on a large number of family members for each generation. I use Createspace for those books which then are made available on Amazon. See my list of books I have published here. Money I make from these sales helps offset my expenses in subscribing to online companies for their databases. I also donate a copy of any books I create to local archives or libraries where the family settled. This helps ensure that even more descendants will have access to my research in the future. How have you overcome the problem of your family not wanting your genealogy records?

I stumbled upon this graphic of GotGenealogy.com‘s “Golden Rules of Genealogy.” Great compilation of common-sense genealogy truths.

If you are one of 42 million Americans with German ancestry, your surname could yield some interesting clues to your family history.

How to do family history takes you through the stages for successful genealogy research using links to the best articles on the web.

If you’re looking for a unique way to inspire your children’s curiosity and interest in history, consider introducing them to genealogy. Your own family tree will make history more relevant.

Learn how to research your genealogy online at the Library of Congress. Take advantage of the LOC’s innumerable records and resources with just a click.

Set up some simple file folders for your family history — you’ll be glad you did! This fellow chose yellow folders, but since it’s your family history you can choose any color you wan…

If you are one of 42 million Americans with German ancestry, your surname could yield some interesting clues to your family history.

Why you need a timeline for family history success. How creating timelines for your ancestors can help you with your genealogy research

“If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you t...

Welcome to Genetoons—your go-to hub for whimsical, single-panel genealogy cartoons that captivate audiences of all ages! Here, we blend humor with family history insights, turning genealogical gems into laugh-out-loud moments. Get ready to chuckle, chortle, and maybe even snort as you explore our entertaining illustrations. Your family tree has never looked this amusing—enjoy the ride!

Look at These 10 GIFs and You Might Actually Learn Something

If you are one of 42 million Americans with German ancestry, your surname could yield some interesting clues to your family history.

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Sir Herbert Maxwell. In the introduction to this work, the author concedes that “many writers have already dealt with the history of the district forming the subject of the following chapters,” and explains that his aim is to confine himself to “preparing what shall be a concise and trustworthy, even though it may be a dry, narrative of such events as are capable of historic proof.” Thus such incidents as that of Bruce and the Spider, and the execution of Maclellan of Bomby by the Black Douglas, are omitted from this work along with other romantic legends and shadowy traditions of this southwest part of Scotland. Beginning with the invasion of Agricola in A.D. 79, the book carries the history forward to the end of the 1700s, covering events such as the building of the Wall of Antonine in A.D. 140; the close of the Norse dominion; the death of Malcolm Canmore in 1092; the introduction of the feudal system in 1234; the coronation of Robert De Brus in 1306; the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314; the fall of the house of Douglas in 1452; the Battle of Flodden in 1513; the Treaty of Norham in 1550; the Reformation in 1560; the feud between the Maxwells and the Johnstones from 1572 to 1620; the Battle of Philiphaugh in 1645; the surrender of Charles I in 1646; the death of Charles II in 1685; the Revolution in 1688 to the Stuart Rising in 1715; the Jacobite collapse in 1715; and the Jacobite rising in 1745. Although William Wallace, whose brief and brilliant career began in 1297, is said to have conducted some of his earliest exploits in Dumfriesshire, the author laments the lack of trustworthy authorities to rely on in proving this claim. While making relatively limited mention of Wallace, the author does introduce him as “him whose memory is more dearly and proudly cherished by Scotsmen than that of any other.” In keeping with the author’s aim of resting his narrative on solid research, the place and every-name index is preceded by a very impressive bibliography containing many hundreds of sources, organized by subject. P. A. Durand and J. Fraise Richard (1896, 1997), 2011, 5½x8½, paper, index, 436 pp. ISBN: 9780788407567 101-M0756

Found some old records that are faded and hard to read? Watch this short video to get some tricks for making those records legible.

Ask your family members these Family History Questions and get to know them better. This Interview is in image or a Printable Questionnaire.

Genealogy Helps #7 provides you with an inside knowledge of not only the people, but of the momentous events that shaped the United States.

Make Instant Discoveries About Your Ancestors Here Our Featured Genealogy Expert series continues this week with help and inspiration from Cyndi Ingle, creator of the much loved genealogy resource site Cyndi’s List! In this series we’re asking family history experts from many backgrounds to answer 5 questions so that we can learn from their many years of experience. Thank … Cyndi Ingle of Cyndi’s List: Genealogy Expert of the Week Read More »