Episode 197

The Genealogy Gems Podcast
Episode 197 with Lisa Louise Cooke

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This episode celebrates the most recent family history there is—our own. A chat between host and producer Lisa Louise Cooke and Gems editor Sunny Morton explores the meaning and memories behind heirlooms in Lisa’s home. They comment on the larger value, for self and others, of recording our own memories in honor of Sunny’s new book, Story of My Life: A Workbook for Preserving Your Legacy.

Also in this episode:

A spotlight on new marriage records online for the U.S. and around the world.

Lisa walks a listener through several tips for learning more about her immigrant ancestors (a mother and daughter). Lisa shows how to use today’s technology tools to help with traditional research skills such as locating passenger lists, immigrant society records and naturalization.

Your DNA Guide Diahan Southard talks about organizing your DNA matches so you can get the most out of them.

Genealogy Gems Book Club featured author and Victorian lifestyle expert Sarah Chrisman describes what it’s like in her home—which doesn’t use electricity—as the days grow shorter and the darkness comes earlier.

LISA SHARES HER RECENT DISCOVERIES

The original photograph of her grandmother:

The writing on the backside of the photo. Can you read he second line?

NEW RECORDS ONLINE: Marriage Records

New York City Marriages: a new index to more than 3 million marriage licenses for recent New York City marriages (1950-1995)

Free FamilySearch marriage record collections recently added or updated include:

Arkansas Church Marriages, 1860-1976

Nebraska, Box Butte County Marriages, 1887-2015

Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013

Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950

Washington, County Marriages for 1855-2008

Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013

California, County Marriages, 1850-1952

New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1896

Belgium, Antwerp, Civil Registration, 1588-1913; Belgium, East Flanders, Civil Registration, 1541-1914; Belgium, Liège, Civil Registration, 1621-1914; Belgium, Limburg, Civil Registration, 1798-1906

Nicaragua Civil Registration, 1809-2013

Russia, Tatarstan Church Books, 1721-1939

Argentina, Cordoba, Catholic Church Records, 1557-1974

Sweden, Gävleborg Church Records, 1616-1908; index 1671-1860

Learn more about marriage record research: Listen to Using Marriage Records in Family History: Episode 24 in Lisa Louise Cooke’s free step-by-step podcast, Genealogy: Family History Made Easy.

BONUS CONTENT for Genealogy Gems App Users: Finding Copies of Images Online with Google on Your Mobile Device

If you’re listening through the Genealogy Gems app, your bonus content for this episode is an exclusive step-by-step tutorial PDF that shows you how to use your mobile device and Google to locate copies of images online. Remember, the Genealogy Gems app is FREE in Google Play and is only $2.99 for Windows, iPhone and iPad users.

MAILBOX: Finding a Female Immigrant Ancestor

Question from Jo: “I have been fortunate to find information about most of my great-grandparents. I have hit a wall with my maternal great grandmother who immigrated from Switzerland to the US in the 1880's when she was 8 years old. I was hoping that by upgrading to International records on Ancestry that I could find the ship and where she and her mother came from. The curious thing for me is that she and her mother traveled solo to the US and went to Cincinnati, Ohio. I've been to Cincinnati and have searched there and have found directories with addresses but no profession is listed like other people. I didn't find any ship records either. Where might you suggest that I look or search to find more information?”

Tips for searching passenger arrival lists:

Consider what ports would have been the most logical point of arrival for an immigrant ancestor based on the time period and the U.S. location in which you find them. Cincinnati, Ohio, was reachable by rail by the 1880s from major ports, as well as by water via the Mississippi River for southern ports, so that doesn’t narrow things down much. According to an Ancestry.com article, more than 80% of immigrants arrived at the Port of New York by the 1890s, so Jo might scrutinize those New York passenger arrival lists for the 1880s again.

Free New York City passenger arrival databases at

Castlegarden.org

Major U.S. Immigration Ports (Ancestry.com)

New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 (Ancestry.com)

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891 (FamilySearch.org; New York City, NARA M237)

New York Passenger Lists & Arrivals, 1846-1890

Search multiple NYC passenger lists simultaneously at Steve Morse’s One-Step web portal

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