In this episode of Best Websites, Andrew Koch interviews DNA expert Diahan Southard to learn more about the latest news from AncestryDNA.

Feature: The Latest Updates to AncestryDNA

AncestryDNA has recently made some major updates to its ethnicity updates! In this interview, Diahan Southard tells us genealogists what they can expect as they explore their DNA test results and uncover more about their heritage.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• AncestryDNA release of 60 new regions, resulting in most customers receiving updates to their results.
• The introduction of macro-regions
• Emphasis on regions over journeys
• Updates from other DNA testing companies
• Tips for navigating confusing ethnicity results

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VoiceGift

What if your family tree could speak? VoiceGift helps preserve the voices and stories that define your family — so they’re never lost to time.

Record memories from parents and grandparents… and link them to photos, albums, and heirlooms. Inspired by museum audio guides and designed to last, VoiceGift PLAY is an audio time capsule — for generations.

Find your voice at www.voice.gift

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Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

• Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research
• In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics
• Exclusive offers on new tools and resources

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Your Host

Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Andrew Koch talks to Rick Crume about the exciting features offered in Family Tree Maker 2024.

Feature: Family Tree Maker 2024

Family Tree Maker 2024 is here! Rick Crume (Family Tree Magazine contributing editor and founder of Inside Genealogy) and Andrew Koch talk about the many features this program offers compared to earlier versions of the program and how genealogists can benefit from them.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• The Many Unique Features of Family Tree Maker 2024
• Family Tree Maker’s Workspaces
• The Strengths and Limitations of Family Tree Maker 2024
• Other Genealogy Software Options
• New Direction for the Family Tree Magazine Podcast: New host, and a video version (Hear more in the December 2025 episode.)

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VoiceGift

What if your family tree could speak? VoiceGift helps preserve the voices and stories that define your family — so they’re never lost to time.

Record memories from parents and grandparents… and link them to photos, albums, and heirlooms. Inspired by museum audio guides and designed to last, VoiceGift PLAY is an audio time capsule — for generations.

Find your voice at www.voice.gift

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

• Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research
• In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics
• Exclusive offers on new tools and resources

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Your Host

Andrew Koch is the Editor of Family Tree Magazine.

In this episode of Best Websites, genealogist Caitlin Hollander Waas talks with Lisa about Jewish genealogy and the tools at JewishGen that can help with the process.

Best Genealogy Websites: JewishGen.org

In this episode, Lisa Louise Cooke welcomes Caitlin Hollander Waas, the chief genealogist at JewishGen.org, to the podcast. They discuss the intricacies of researching Jewish ancestry and the invaluable tools and resources available at JewishGen.

Guest: Caitlin Hollander Waas, Chief Genealogist at JewishGenVisit the website:https://jewishgen.com/

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Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

• Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research
• In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics
• Exclusive offers on new tools and resources

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Andrew Koch and Lisa Louise Cooke look back on all that has happened in the world of genealogy in 2025.

Feature: 2025 – The Genealogy Year in Review

As we close out the year, we’re taking a look back at the moments that shaped our pursuit of genealogy in 2025. Lisa Louise Cooke’s guest is Andrew Koch, editor of Family Tree Magazine.

He’s here to share his expert perspective on the biggest genealogy news stories of the year and what they mean for you, the family historian, moving forward.

Mentioned in this episode:

New/significantly updated websites for several important genealogy resources include FamilySearch Catalog, Chronicling America, the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, WikiTree, and the Irish National Archives.

FamilySearch Full-Text Search moved out of beta and into main part of the site. Records are continually being added so it’s worth checking regularly.

MyHeritage finishes Name and Stories Indexes added French-language papers from Canada.Elephind.com has been relaunched. It’s a great resource for searching multiple disparate newspaper collections at once. Watch Lisa Louise Cooke’s interview with the founder of Elephind.com for the story behind the relaunch and recommended search strategies.

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Newspapers.com

Use promo code ‘FamilyTreeMagazine’ for a 20% discount on your subscription. Sign up today at Newspapers.com and embark on a journey of discovery!

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

• Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research
• In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics
• Exclusive offers on new tools and resources

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Your Host

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of Best Websites, Katherine Schober highlights how Matricula Online can help you locate church registers.

Best Genealogy Websites: Matricula Online

Matricula Online is a specialized digital archive where you can find church registers (mostly books of birth, marriage and death) from various European countries (currently Austria, Germany, Poland, Serbia and Slovenia).

German genealogy expert and translator Katherine Schober of Germanology Unlocked joins Lisa Louise Cooke on the podcast to explore this valuable and free website.

Visit Matricula Online at https://data.matricula-online.eu/en/

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Newspapers.com

Use promo code ‘FamilyTreeMagazine’ for a 20% discount on your subscription. Sign up today at Newspapers.com and embark on a journey of discovery!

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

• Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research
• In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics
• Exclusive offers on new tools and resources

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Rhonda Lauritzen offers practical tips for organizing your family history writing projects.

Rhonda Lauritzen is a professional biographer at Evalogue.Life and a regular speaker at international conferences. She has written a dozen books and has been hired to help tell the stories of families, cities, and nonprofits. As an expert storyteller, Rhonda is joining us today to share how to efficiently write well-organized, gripping family history projects.

Read In the Write Order by Rhonda Lauritzen in the Nov / Dec 2025 issue of Family Tree Magazine.

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Newspapers.com

Use promo code ‘FamilyTreeMagazine’ for a 20% discount on your subscription. Sign up today at Newspapers.com and embark on a journey of discovery!

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

• Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research
• In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics
• Exclusive offers on new tools and resources

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Your Host

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of Best Websites, Daniel Loftus offers some valuable tips for using Find a Grave with more efficiency and respect for others in mind.

Daniel Loftus, Genealogist and Creator of Project Infant,joins Lisa Louise Cooke to discuss best practices for using the Find a Grave website for genealogy. At Find a Grave you can search for the graves of your ancestors, create virtual memorials,add photographs,leave virtual flowers and a note on a loved one’s memorial, and even search graves of famous people from around the world.

Guest: Daniel Loftus

Websites and Links

Visit Find a Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/

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Newspapers.com

Use promo code ‘FamilyTreeMagazine’ for a 20% discount on your subscription. Sign up today at Newspapers.com and embark on a journey of discovery!

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

• Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research
• In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics
• Exclusive offers on new tools and resources

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine podcast, Robbie Gorr provides tips for the mastering the cemetery transcription.

Feature: Cemetery Transcription

Amateur genealogist and historian Robbie Gorr explains everything you need to know for successful Cemetery Transcription.

Read Zen and the Art of Cemetery Transcription by Robbie Gorr in the September / October issue of Family Tree Magazine.

Online resources mentioned in this episode:

• Find a Grave
• Billion Graves
• The War Graves Photographic Project
• JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry
• Canadian Headstones

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Newspapers.com

Use promo code ‘FamilyTreeMagazine’ for a 20% discount on your subscription. Sign up today at Newspapers.com and embark on a journey of discovery!

Stay in the Know

Sign up now for our FREE daily newsletter and get:

• Expert tips and tricks to accelerate your research
• In-depth articles on a variety of genealogical topics
• Exclusive offers on new tools and resources

Plus, find Family Tree Magazine on your favorite social channels!

Listen to Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast available at her website and all major podcasting services, or download the Genealogy Gems Podcast app.