The Genealogy Guys Podcast #430 – Episode Summary

Podcast: The Genealogy Guys Podcast & Genealogy Connection
Hosts: George G. Morgan & Drew Smith
Date: October 31, 2024

Episode Overview

In this episode, George and Drew reconnect with listeners following a break due to storms in Florida. They share reflections on natural disasters both past and present, stress the importance of preservation, and discuss major genealogy news, including significant updates from MyHeritage, Ancestry, FindMyPast, and FamilySearch. Listener emails tackle challenges regarding annulment records, military research, and immigration guides. The episode concludes with an invitation to the WikiTree Symposium, where Drew will present on copyright and plagiarism.

Personal Reflections: Hurricanes & Genealogical Context

[02:04 – 08:17]

• The hosts explain their recent hiatus: both were impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the Tampa, FL area, resulting in days without power.

• Genealogical Context: George draws parallels between contemporary hardships and those faced by ancestors, emphasizing the value of historical context in research.

• Practical search tip: Use timeline searches ("timeline + place name") and Google date filters ("beginning year..ending year") to contextualize ancestors’ lives.

  "You've heard me say many, many times, context is everything, and it really is. How can you do genealogical research and research your ancestors and your families in the past if you don't look for all the information?"
  — George G. Morgan [02:27]

• Drew’s Preservation Lesson: Modern disasters highlight the necessity of digitizing irreplaceable photos, documents, and keepsakes. Monthly scanning is encouraged.

  "We need to set aside time every month... to digitize what we have – papers, because many of these are irreplaceable."
  — Drew Smith [06:44]

• Vivid-Pix software is recommended to enhance digitized images.

News & Community Highlights

David Rencher Honored

[08:17 – 10:59]

• David Rencher, Chief Genealogical Officer at FamilySearch, receives the Italian Heraldic Genealogical Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award at the ICGHS Congress in Boston.

  "What a guy that deserves something like this because of all he has done. So congratulations to our buddy, David Rencher, on that."
  — Drew Smith [10:24]

MyHeritage Updates

[11:03 – 13:18]

• Revamped Inbox: MyHeritage inbox now has a mobile-friendly look.

• 56 million new historic records added from the US, Canada, France, Ireland, Poland (including images).

• DNA 'Theory of Family Relativity' Updated: 43% increase in DNA matches with theories, now linking over 233 million theories.

• Drew’s Advice: Treat MyHeritage’s “theories” as hypotheses, not fact. Watch out for mistaken links caused by incomplete trees (e.g., people with the same name but different parents).

  "Keep in mind that it could be that this is not the correct linkage... they're theories in the sense of just the way we often, in the lay language, use the word theory."
  — Drew Smith [14:16]

Ancestry DNA Ethnicity Estimate Updates

[18:01 – 23:31]

• Ancestry has updated its ethnicity estimates with new population data and refined “ancestral regions.” Now tracking over 3,000 places/populations.

• New "ancestral journeys" and "subregions" for greater detail; matches can reflect specific towns in Ireland.

• Reminder: Ethnicity percentages under 5% should be viewed skeptically—click to see the full range.

  "These are estimates. These are things you can investigate and look at."
  — Drew Smith [21:48]

• George discovers surprising new regions (Germanic Europe and the Netherlands) in his updated DNA estimates.

FindMyPast: Cornwall Records Expansion

[23:31 – 25:06]

• Nearly one million Cornwall records updated: Baptisms (+330,000), Marriages (+283,000), Burials (+348,000), spanning 1571 to 1976.
• Highly valuable for those tracing Cornish ancestry.

FamilySearch & RootsTech 2025

[25:06 – 28:19]

• RootsTech 2025: Early-bird in-person registration ($99) until Oct. 31; event in Salt Lake City, March 6–8, 2025.

• Online attendance remains free; some in-person talks (including three by Drew) will NOT be recorded.

• Drew highlights the unique value of in-person conferences versus virtual gatherings.

  "A lot of the best parts of a conference are running into people all the time... there are things you cannot do virtually."
  — Drew Smith [27:16]

Listener Emails & Research Advice

Finding Marriage Annulment Records

[31:53 – 43:07]

• Question from Kelly (Cleveland): How to find records of annulled marriages from Indiana and Colorado?

• Civil annulment records may be separate from divorce and are held at courthouses; religious annulments may be with the relevant church (e.g., Catholic annulments).

• Practical tips:

  • Ask county courthouses directly about annulment records.
  • Investigate court minute books, which might note annulments if actual files are sealed or missing.
  • Identify the minister or officiant to determine the church, then check if church records mention an annulment.
  • Use local newspaper archives to trace clergy affiliations via service announcements.

  "Annulment records, whatever might exist, might be filed separately and kept separately... I would certainly suggest if you go to the courthouse or contact the courthouse, ask them specifically about annulment as opposed to divorce records."
  — George G. Morgan [36:00]

Researching WWII Military Service

[43:07 – 48:14]

• Question from Christina: How to uncover more about her grandfather’s WWII military history beyond his draft card?
• Advice:
  • Request personnel files from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in Kansas City via NARA (www.nara.gov).
  • Many records survive despite the 1973 fire; expect delays, but partial records are provided if available.
  • Consider hiring a local “search angel” or researcher (via the Association of Professional Genealogists) for faster access.

Interpreting Passenger List Annotations

[48:29 – 51:11]

• Gene (Huntington Station, NY) recommends: Marion L. Smith’s guide on JewishGen about interpreting passenger list annotations—valuable for understanding mysterious notations on immigration records.

Upcoming Event: Wikitree Symposium

[51:11 – 54:18]

• The virtual Wikitree Symposium runs November 1–3, 2024.
• Drew will present Sunday, November 3 at 10:30am Eastern, discussing copyright and plagiarism for genealogists—how to use materials legally and protect your own work.
• Full schedule and access are free; Google “WikiTree Symposium 2024” for details. Be mindful of the Daylight Saving Time change that weekend.

Final Thoughts & Notable Quotes

• Reminder to digitize all heirlooms and research materials regularly.
• Gratitude from the hosts to listeners—encouragement to continue safe research and keep sharing tips.
• Sign-off:

  "Stay safe, keep your research going, digitize whatever you can, and happy hunting all along the way."
  — George G. Morgan [54:54]

Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 00:30 | Episode theme & agenda overview | | 02:04 | Hurricane impacts; importance of genealogical context| | 06:44 | Document and photo preservation advice | | 08:17 | David Rencher’s lifetime achievement award | | 11:03 | MyHeritage record and DNA ‘theory’ updates | | 18:01 | Ancestry DNA estimate refinements | | 23:31 | FindMyPast’s Cornwall records expansion | | 25:06 | RootsTech 2025 in-person and virtual registration | | 31:53 | Listener Q&A: annulment records | | 43:07 | Listener Q&A: WWII service records research | | 48:29 | Listener tip: interpreting passenger list annotations| | 51:11 | Upcoming WikiTree Symposium | | 54:54 | Sign-off and final advice |

Summary Table: Resource Links Mentioned

| Resource | Description | |-------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | MyHeritage Blog | Latest features and records updates | | National Archives (NARA) – NPRC | US military records database | | Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) | Directory for research assistance | | JewishGen – Passenger List Annotation Guide | Interpreting immigration record notations | | Wikitree Symposium 2024 | Free virtual genealogy conference | | RootsTech | Major genealogy conference (2025 info) |

For feedback or questions, contact the hosts at genealogyguysmail@gmail.com

Note: Ads and sponsor segments were skipped for clarity per summarization instructions.