Hey Cousin!
It’s true.
Just as A.J. Jacobs says, “We’re all cousins!”
We’re all related if we go back far enough—which is exactly where genealogists love to go—far enough.
Last week we talked trees and I mentioned the metaphorical family tree—with it’s roots and branches and if you’re at all familiar with Ancestry.com, “shaky leaves” but seriously, what is this find your past movement all about and how do you actually get started finding your cousins?
My guest, Lisa Lisson takes the overwhelm out of genealogy research. She is an expert researcher with 12-years of practice searching out her own family facts and helping others move forward in finding their ancestors.
Lisa talks about starting where you are—right at home with resources that you have easy access to. Then, reaching out to family members and asking the right questions. Don’t worry though before you know it, she’ll have you dealing in official documents and feeling completely comfortable in the basement of the courthouse.
Ready to dive in?
Let’s start with Lisa’s website, Are You My Cousin? This is where you’ll find a wealth of information and resources—there’s even a FREE e-course if you subscribe to weekly emails.
Lisa also has a YouTube channel with dozens of how-to videos and expert guidance. If you just want to follow along and see what this genealogy thing is all about, start by following @areyoumycousin on Instagram.
Lisa also has a special interest and passion for helping her clients FIND photos—especially the older, one-of-kind prints. IF you have questions about this, be sure to reach out to her!
During our conversation, Lisa mentioned the following resources …
Family Tree Maker and RootsMagic which are both software programs that help you create and build your family tree on your own computer. When you’re ready to share what you’ve created or connect with others who may be working on your same lines, FamilySearch is a major data base with a shared global tree and it’s completely FREE. They host the RootsTech Conference every year.
The major subscription based data bases are of course, Ancestry, Find My Past and My Heritage. As a BONUS, here’s a link to Genealogy Bargains, a site that curates the freebies and promos throughout the genealogy industry.
I’m one who has up until now, been focused primarily on the family hiSTORY side of this fascinating work, but I think with Lisa’s guidance I could become more confident doing the research too. I invite you to join me in this effort. Just be warned, it’s addicting in the best way possible 🌳❤️
Finally, as I was searching out a fun way to begin today’s episode, I came across this video, so before you go—here’s a chuckle to take along!
AND, If you’re looking for an easy way to START documenting family stories your research turns up? I have a line of user-friendly, low-tech products with YOU in mind. Check out Story by Stacy!
