Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Video Interview: Paula Hinkel at Jamboree 2009

In the latest Roots Television interview, Matthew Poe talks with Paula Hinkel, conference co-chair, about the 2009 Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree.

Paula and her associates recently produced the largest genealogy conference in the western United States and, indeed, one of the biggest in the country. The Southern California Genealogy Jamboree attracted more than 1,500 attendees and offered more than  100 lectures. In this interview , Paula tells how to organize a large conference that attracts a large attendance. She especially focused on electronic advertising.

Tukufu Zuberi at the Genealogy Jamboree

Last weekend I had a chance to interview Tukufu Zuberi, the keynote speaker at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree. Dr. Zuberi is one of the four hosts on History Detectives, a popular program on PBS. In this interview, he talks about the program and he also ties genealogy and history together in a very personal way.

The folks at Roots Television kindly videotaped the interview and have now made it available online. You can watch the interview right now at http://www.rootstelevision.com/index.html?bcpid=7225568001&bclid=240119644&bctid=28247555001 or by clicking on the image below.

Ellis Island 1906 - The Video

What was Ellis Island like when your ancestors arrived? Well, they didn't have instant video and various newscams around in those days, but there were a very few motion picture cameras available. One of those cameras was used on Ellis Island in 1906 and the video is now available on YouTube.

The video depicts scenes at the Immigration Depot and a nearby dock on Ellis Island. The video appears to show, first, a group of immigrants lined up to board a vessel leaving the island, then another group arriving at the island and being directed off of the dock and into the Depot by a uniformed official.

BBC1 asks again Who Do You Think You Are?

Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall, Big Brother presenter Davina McCall and Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles are to all feature in the new run of BBC1’s genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?

Unclaimed Persons: the Video

Unclaimed Persons (UP) celebrated its first birthday last week. This informal made an announcement (available at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/06/unclaimed-persons-solves-83-cases-by-its-first-birthday-megan-retires.html) at the time and also announced a change in management.

Roots Television now has a video that shows Unclaimed Persons in operation. Coroners welcome help from genealogist Megan Smolenyak to solve their Unclaimed Persons cases in this revealing look at a quiet but disturbing epidemic - bodies with no next of kin to claim them.

Genealogy Today: Tracing Your Heritage

Most experienced genealogists know of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, located in Boston. The Society is well known for tracing New England ancestors. After all, the words "New England" are in the society's name. What many people do not realize is that the society is also a great resource for tracing United Kingdom, Canadian, European, Hispanic, and other ethnic groups' ancestry. The Society has even had recent success with Oriental and Pakistani ancestry.

DNA Study to Identify World War II Marine Buried in China?

New England Cable News has an interesting story about the use of both genealogy and DNA to be used to identify the remains of a World War II U.S. Marine who is believed to be buried in Manchuria, the northeastern corner of China.

Sgt. William Lynch of Dorchester, Massachusetts disappeared in World War II when his unit surrendered to the Japanese. He was known to be a prisoner of war but his family never heard from him again. Of the 1,500 US Marines captured together, Sgt. Lynch is the only one who has not been identified and his fate is not known.

Roots Television Releases Another Video in the Down Under Series: A Soldier's Story

Roots Television has released several  "Down Under" videos. I wrote recently about Roots Television's "Down Under Utah: Icelandic Minister." Now the company has added a anotehr "Down Under" video: Down Under Utah: A Soldier's Story.

In this latest video, genealogists Kory Meyerink and Nancy NeSmith explore the touching story of a soldier buried in Spanish Fork City Cemetery in Utah. The video follows Kory and Nancy as they research the soldier's life to find more about him and his family.

Video Interview: Tom Howard and the Concord Coaches

I recently had a chance to talk with an expert genealogist and historian: Tom Howard. Best of all, he is an expert on a topic that also interests me: Concord Coaches. Even better, Roots Television videotaped our conversation.

If you know what a Concord Coach is, you'll want to see this video. If you don't yet know what a Concord Coach is, you will also want to watch this video to learn about a bit of Americana: the Concord Coaches were undoubtedly the best stagecoaches built in North America.

Video Interview: Donna Walcovy

I recently had a chance to talk with Dr. Donna Walcovy about her work restoring and preserving tombstones and cemeteries. She also reveals some secrets for cleaning and protecting different types of stones. Donna also spent some time describing the activities of the Association of Gravestone Studies.

Roots Television recorded our conversation and has now made it available online.

Video Interview: Sylvie Tremblay of Library and Archives Canada

I recently had an opportunity to speak with Sylvie Tremblay, manager of the Canadian Genealogy Centre at Library and Archives Canada. She is a well-known expert on all things related to Canadian genealogy. She described the many services of Library and Archives Canada, including services available both in person and remotely. The online records include World War I service records, census records, and a growing number of immigration records.

A Video Interview of Graphoanalyst Irene Lambert

What can a graphoanalyst (a handwriting expert) tell a genealogist about his or her ancestors? Actually, quite a lot.

Graphoanalysis is defined as "a scientific system of identifying and assessing the character and personality of an individual through the study of his or her handwriting." Graphoanalysis is used by corporate personnel departments, marriage counselors, attorneys, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and now by genealogists.

Video Interview: Dan Lynch and "Google Your Family Tree"

I have known Dan Lynch for several years and was delighted when he wrote one of the better books of the past year: "Google Your Family Tree." This book is the definitive guide of how to use Google for genealogy searches. I had a lot of fun talking with Dan recently as we discussed his new book and a few other topics. Luckily, RootsTelevision videotaped the entire conversation and has now made it available online.

You can watch our conversation at http://www.rootstelevision.com/index.html?bcpid=7225568001&bclid=240119644&bctid=22629342001.

Ancestral Atlas adds GEDCOM Uploads

I recently has an opportunity to interview Nick Francis of Ancestral Atlas, a brand-new site that adds geographical information to your genealogy data. The service is unique and I think it is fascinating. I have become a fan of Ancestral Atlas service in the few weeks that it has been live.

During the interview in late February, Nick promised that GEDCOM import capability would be added "real soon now." As he predicted, GEDCOM upload has been added and is now available for all Ancestral Atlas users.

Julia’s Journey: A True Tale of Ellis Island

The Today Show has broadcast an interesting story about Ellis Island and also has placed the video online. Amanda Marshall, a TODAYShow.com contributor, writes:

Julia Marshall was born Juliska Facsali on May 16, 1900, in the village of Szekely Derzs in northeastern Hungary. Her father was a shoemaker; her mother, a seamstress. It was a point of great family pride that her mother owned the town’s first sewing machine.

Video: Down Under Utah: Icelandic Minister

Roots Television has an interesting episodes: Genealogists Kory Meyerink and Nancy NeSmith uncover an interesting story of an Icelandic minister buried in Spanish Fork City Cemetery in Utah.

What was an Icelandic minister doing in Utah in the 1920s? Nancy and Kory decided to find out. The detective work involved serves as an example for all genealogists.

Video: U.S. Census Bureau Trying to go Paperless

Ten years ago, the U.S. census enumerators carried paper maps to make sure each resident was counted. The maps were 3 feet wide and were unwieldy, to say the least. This year's census takers will carry something a bit more compact: a handheld GPS. Every single housing unit will be defined by its latitude and longitude.

You an watch a video about all this on the KCSG television station's web site at: http://www.kcsg.com/news/local/43074027.html?video=YHI&t=a.

Interview with Don Anderson, Director of The Family History Library in Salt Lake City

Lisa Louise Cook of Family History Expos TV recently interviewed Don Anderson, Director of The Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The interview was videotaped at the Family History Expo in Mesa, Arizona.

Beau Sharbrough on Family History Expos TV

Lisa Louise Cook of Family History Expos TV interviewed author and programmer Beau Sharbrough at the recent Family History Expo held in St. George, Utah. The interview was videotaped and is now available online.

Video Interview: Richard Gray of Deceased Online

I recently had a chance to talk with Richard Gray, head of marketing at Deceased Online. The company has been in business for years although its new online database is new to genealogists. Deceased Online is a large database of burial records from many different locations in the United Kingdom. The web site includes cemetery maps that often provide the  exact location of each grave.

In our conversation, Richard describes the data available on www.DeceasedOnline.com, mentions many of the areas covered, and describes the history of the companies involved.