068 - 5 Things to Know About DNA Testing for Genealogy

The 1950 census release will be unlike any other US census that has come before. Learn what you need to do to get ready to find your ancestors when the census goes public on April 1.  The show notes also have a link to a video with a step-by-step tutorial on identifying enumerations districts, as well as how you can help with the volunteer indexing project.  Show notes: AmyJohnsonCrow.com/71  

In January 2022, FindAGrave made two major updates. The first impacts memorials created for the recently deceased -- a change that the genealogy community has been requesting for years. The second is a change to the relationships that require a transfer when a family member asks to manage a memorial. This change can help more family members manage the memorials of their loved ones.  The show notes include links to FindAGrave's updated support pages.  You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/70

Beginners and experienced genealogists alike make these genealogy mistakes. In this episode, Amy Johnson Crow explains what they are, how they hurt your research, and how to avoid them.  She also shares her top tip for genealogy success with less frustration.  You can find the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/69

DNA is great for genealogy, and it goes way beyond the ethnicity estimate -- and what is that estimate even telling you anyhow?! (Spoiler alert: don't get a tattoo based on what that estimate says. It will change!) Think you have Native American ancestry and it didn't show up in your ethnicity estimate? There's a reason for that. You might be surprised to learn that you and your sibling likely won't have identical ethnicity estimates or even have the exact same DNA matches. You can find the show notes at https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/68

Millions of Americans descend from a Civil War veteran. But how can you identify which one of your ancestors served (if any)? In this episode, Amy will show you easy steps for finding clues about service. You'll also see how you can identify your ancestor's regiment, which is key to getting into more military records.  You can find the show notes, along with links to everything mentioned in this episode at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/67

It's frustrating to search on Ancestry and not get any results, especially when you know the record should exist. No matter how you change your search, you just can't find it.  The issue might not be in how you're searching. It might be a matter of Ancestry doesn't have the record. Unfortunately, it's hard to tell what Ancestry doesn't have.  In this episode, Amy shows two ways to spot gaps in Ancestry's collections, including a creative way of using the "Browse this Collection" feature.  There's also an accompanying video, which you can see on the show notes at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/66. Save yourself a lot of frustration (and wrong conclusions!) by spotting these gaps in Ancestry's collections!

You might have heard in the news recently about commemorating the centennial of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921 (the destruction of "Black Wall Street.") You might — or might not — be surprised that Tulsa isn't the only event of its kind.  In 1898, the elected government of Wilmington, North Carolina, was overthrown by whites who were outraged at the success of Blacks in Wilmington. This uprising resulted in deaths, banishments, and the destruction of numerous businesses in town. It decimated the Black middle class in Wilmington for generations.  In this episode, Tim Pinnick, a noted genealogist and historian, explains the efforts underway to study the people who were there at the time. What happened to the families of those who were killed? What of the banished and their families?  Not only does Tim explain what happened in 1898, but how you can help with the research efforts.  You can find the show notes, including links to numerous resources, at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/65.  

Honoring those who died in service to their country or after their service is one of the most sacred duties of a country. Finding the burial place of a veteran ancestor can be a deeply moving experience.  In this episode of Generations Cafe, we explore the history of military cemeteries in the United States, as well as some resources you can use to find where your military ancestors are buried.  You can find the show notes with links to all of the resources at AmyJohnsonCrow.com/64.

Putting your family tree online has some great benefits, including connecting with cousins, sorting DNA matches, and even preserving your research. But did you know that there are different kinds of online family trees? In this episode, Amy Johnson Crow explores the 3 main kinds of online family trees: individual trees on other sites, individual trees on your own website, and collaborative trees. Each one has its plusses and minuses. Take a listen on how to choose the one that best meets your needs. You can find the show notes for this episode, including links to all of the websites mentioned, at amyjohnsoncrow.com/63.