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12/30/2023 New MyHeritage Feature, AI Biographer, Creates Instant Biographies for Your Ancestors!Read Now New MyHeritage Feature, AI Biographer MyHeritage, the leader in innovative family history tools, has just surprised us with 2 new, groundbreaking features! The first day after Christmas MyHeritage gave to me…AI Record Finder and AI Biographer to enhance my genealogy! MyHeritage AI BiographerMyHeritage is constantly churning out the best state-of-the-art tools and features to enhance, preserve, and share your family history! The all new MyHeritage AI Biographer, a genealogists and/or family historian dream come true, automatically creates a “Wikipedia-style” biography of your ancestor’s life, utilizing details from matching historical records and family tree profiles, using AI technology! Enhance your family history and genealogy experience by Instantly creating beautiful biographies with historical context to pass down through the generations! This came at the perfect time for me! What had I literally been doing the few days before this was announced to me? I was taking all my own historical facts from my timeline and copying and pasting them in an AI rephraser tool to create something just like this! At the same time, I was telling myself that it would be cool if either Ancestry or MyHeritage came out with a feature that did exactly what I was doing manually, take everything from your timeline/ancestor’s timeline and create a story or biographical sketch using AI. Who knew that MyHeritage was working on just that behind the curtains, right at the time I was envisioning it! What’s Included in the AI Biography
AI Biographer Uses
How to Get to AI Biographer
 How to Get to MyHeritage AI Biographer Current Limitations
As you can see from the images below, it also pulled info from another family tree (the FamilySearch Collaborative World Tree of all things 😉), showing some incorrect info. My 2nd great grandfather did not have a child named Everett Waldo; my great grandfather, Edmond Cole (already listed) had changed his name, in his later years, to this. Right after I saw this, I went in and removed the Everett Waldo from the FamilySearch Collaboative World Tree, but who knows when someone else will add it again.😉 I HOPE MyHeritage creates an option to just pull from your own tree, while also pulling info from the web for historical context, then it would be a true dream come true. 😉
Try It for FREEThere is currently an unspecified number of free biographies for anyone who wants to try out this new groundbreaking feature! So, give it a try at: MyHeritage (currently they do not have a try button as with other new features in the past, so not sure how you try for free). More MyHeritage, AI, and Other Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more MyHeritage, AI in Genealogy, and other family history and genealogy resources under the MyHeritage, AI in Genealogy, Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
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 2023 Genealogy Wish Grants Winner!The 2023 Genealogy Wish Grants Winner has just been announced! Congratulations to Linda Pollard of Virginia, who won this year for her double adoptee story/Brick Wall! About This Year's Winner Linda Pollard has been researching her family history and genealogy for the past 20 years. She has been following Know Who Wears the Genes in Your Family for close to 2 years, while being an active participant. Like many who have been working on their genealogy for decades, she has reached a brick wall that she just can’t seem to break through! A Tough Choice, Once Again There were many entries for this year's second Genealogy Wish Grants! It was down to two compelling stories that made it a tough choice. Not only did Linda meet all the criteria to apply, but her mystery was intriguing as well. This Year's Story Entry “I am the daughter of a deceased male adoptee (J) who was born in 1929 and we now know was the son of a female adoptee (F). I am trying to find a living descendant of the man named my paternal grandfather (R) to see if the family has any photos or can provide documentation of this man’s life. Or maybe they want to be in my life, one can hope. I am also trying to learn more about my paternal great grandmother (L), who disappears after 1910. I can’t find a birth certificate for my paternal grandmother nor her sister (E) and brother (D). I’d like to be able to say all three children were the offspring of my paternal great grandmother and great grandfather (G). He was married to someone else (O) but had no children with her. The three children disappear from records and the two girls separately appear with 1) an aunt and 2) another family and then one of the girls, my grandmother, is adopted out of the family. The births were 1901-1907. She is listed as divorced with three children, none of whom are living with her. I have taken a DNA test at both Ancestry and 23andMe and uploaded to the others, but I am not familiar with how to process matches at the other sites. My sister (N) and my father’s newfound maternal half-sister (M) have tested as well as the half-sister’s niece. I found a match on 23and me that didn’t make sense and after speaking with her I had her father (CJ) tested. I need to know what relation he is to my dad. My mother is deceased as never tested but her half nephew (WE) did so that has helped me sort matches. Because she was an only child and her father had other children, I have a match that helps me identify my mother’s paternal line. I have a lot of mystery matches. One female match (JB) is also adopted and knows who her father is but not her mother. We are related by her maternal and my paternal lineage. I have access to her DNA results. I have access to my dad’s half-sister’s (M) results, my sister’s results (N), and this new male match (Cj)on my dad’s paternal side. I’m a good researcher but I don’t know a lot about cMs and how to title how I’m related to people by the numbers. Dad’s half-sister (M) has turned over her mother’s (F, who we now know was also my dad’s mother) personal letters from her birth father (G), her sister (E), and her paternal grandmother(S). I’m cataloging those now to fill in some blanks. None of the letters mention my father’s father (R), my father’s maternal grandmother (L), nor my father (J). I would love to be considered for your grant. My parents are gone, and I have only my little family of three. It’s up to me to build this tree, verify all the sources, and pass it down to my child and her four cousins. Thank you for considering my request.”- Linda Pollard Thank You Thank you to all of this year's first Genealogy Wish Grants applicants! I hope you all continue to follow and participate! Don't forget to apply to Genealogy Wish Grants 2024, details coming soon! The entry start date will be posted on my Facebook Page, my Facebook Group, my blog, and on the Genealogy Wish Grants page, so stay tuned!
 Ancestry's New Pro Tools for Your Family Tree Ancestry has just come out with some new features to enhance your genealogy research and family history experience, Ancestry Pro Tools. These are an assortment of tools that are intended to work with your family tree that you have on Ancestry. Ancestry Pro Tools
Tree Checker Find duplicates or errors in your tree, such as dates, locations, and relationships. Charts and Reports Create, print, download, and share detailed family histories, where you can choose anywhere from 2 to 7 generations, a birch or pine layout, and your focus person. Advanced Filters Search, group, and sort people in your tree with advanced filters by family line (direct line, paternal line, maternal line, and end of line), events and places (birth, marriage, death, lived in, and any event you choose the time or place for), Possible Errors (possible duplicates, other possible issues), and Hints. Map Views See where everyone in your family tree lived in respect to one another. The Catch
How to Order Ancestry Pro Tools
Is It worth it?Is it worth it? Up to you. As of now, these features don’t seem very useful to me; although, if there were a way to include sources and citations, along with who created the report, I would consider this. Some have said they love it, and some have said it is definitely not worth it. It’s ultimately up to you to try it out for yourself. You do have the option to just purchase it 1 month at a time and cancel it whenever you’d like (at least 2 days before), so it may be worth it to try it out for at least a month. To be honest, I DO NOT AGREE WITH SOME OF THESE BEING behind a pay wall/EXTRA, like the Fact Checker or Advanced Filters. These are a necessity for any tree and should already be included in the already high price of Ancestry. Let me know what you think, in the comments below. More Ancestry and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 MyHeritage has just come out with their new MyHeritage Wiki, an all-in-one learning hub! With this new, FREE, fantastic genealogy and DNA resource, you’ll find tons of topics to help in your family history research! It’s like an online genealogy and DNA encyclopedia right at your fingertips! This is just the beginning, as it is a new and ongoing resource, so more and more will be added as time goes by. MyHeritage Wiki Categories
The best part is that it is a community-led resource that will be offered in dozens of languages and aims to be the ultimate online genealogy and DNA encyclopedia out there, so if you have an area of expertise, you could apply to become a MyHeritage Wiki contributor! Start learning, for FREE, and head on over to the MyHeritage Wiki now! More MyHeritage and Other Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more MyHeritage and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 The Top Gifts to Give Guide: The Best Family History and Genealogy Gifts The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Family History and GenealogyIf you are looking for a meaningful and memorable present for your loved ones this holiday season, consider giving them a family history gift. A family history gift is one of the most personalized and thoughtful gifts you can give that keeps on giving! Spread the joy of genealogy, while helping others discover who they are and where they came from! Whether it is a book, a photo album, a DNA test, or a family tree, a family history gift is the perfect gift to help others connect with their past and inspire their future! The Best Family History and Genealogy Gifts
More Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 Unlock Your Family's Genealogy with Family History Interviews! The holidays are a great time to reconnect with your family and learn more about your ancestors. One of the best ways to do that is by interviewing your relatives and asking them about their memories, stories, and experiences. Interviewing your family can help you discover new information, fill in the gaps, and preserve your heritage for future generations. But how do you conduct a successful family history interview? Here are some tips to help you prepare, conduct, and document your interviews. How to Prepare for a Family History InterviewIf you are planning to interview your family members about your genealogy during the holidays, you need to do some preparation beforehand. Here are some steps that you can follow to make sure your interview goes smoothly and productively.
By following these steps, you can prepare yourself for a successful genealogy interview that will help you learn more about your family history and heritage. Some Questions to Ask during a Family History Interview
Interviewing your family is a rewarding and enriching experience that can help you uncover your roots and connect with your past. By following these tips, you can make the most of your interviews and discover new aspects of your family history and genealogy!
 Ancestry's New Explore Feature! Explore Your Ancestors through Media!As mentioned, a few weeks ago, in “New at Ancestry: The Explore Feature in Storymaker Studio!”, Ancestry had come out with a new BETA feature they were testing out, Explore, where you can explore the times your ancestor lived in, through media, giving you yet another way to enhance your family history and genealogy! Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it had disappeared, only a few days later. They had then revamped their whole Storymaker Studio and changed the name to Memories, which is the same name under FamilySearch, and the short lived Explore feature vanished. All of these changes, along with the new Memories page was mentioned in, “Ancestry’s New Dedicated Media Hub, Memories!”. Well, the Explore feature is back! This feature lets you explore images that other members have in their public trees, that may have to do with either a particular ancestor of yours or a certain place and time period that you may be researching. How to get to Ancestry's New Explore FeatureThere are 5 ways to get to Ancestry's new Explore feature , in which you will get slightly different results.
They seem to be making it super easy to get to, by giving you many ways to get to it. 😉  How to Get To Ancestry's Explore Feature from Pedigree View  How to Get To Ancestry's Explore Feature from an Ancestor Profile Ways to Explore from the Memories Tab or Gallery Icons
  Ways to Explore from an Ancestor Profile
 Explore Your Ancestor from Their Profile
 Explore Your Ancestor From Their Facts Timeline-Example 1 & 2  Explore Your Ancestor From Their Facts Timeline-Example 1-1  Explore Your Ancestor From Their Facts Timeline-Example 2-1  Explore Your Ancestor From Their Facts Timeline-Example 3  Explore Your Ancestor From Their Facts Timeline-Example 3-1 As mentioned in “New at Ancestry: The Explore Feature in Storymaker Studio!”, I find that “exploring” an ancestor is the same as the image hints you get for that ancestor, under the hints on an ancestor’s profile page, but you cannot currently search for places and times under the hints, so this adds to that capability. Keep in mind that exploring places and times does not necessarily mean it actually has to do with that place and time, it may just be more public ancestor Images of a person who also lived in that place. More Ancestry and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
Those Texans Sure Know How to Throw a Genealogy Conference!Those Texans sure know how to throw a party! TxSGS definitely held up to one of Texas’ well-known sayings, “Everything’s bigger in Texas”! What a fantastic, fun filled, 2-day, live event of top-tier genealogical education that was! The genealogical presentations, on a wide variety of topics and by so many well-known speakers, were top notch! They also had some fantastic hosts, sponsors, and exhibitors for the event! But wait, that wasn’t, nor is, all there is to their outstanding genealogical event of the year! They kicked off their event 5 days earlier with pre-conference fun! Using the Whova all-in-one event management platform, which was my first time ever experiencing it. With this platform, the event hosts were able to set up some pretty cool features that dramatically enhanced their program, from challenges, games, networking, photo galleries, expo hall, and more! The coolest part, the majority stay up forever, so you can continue networking! And it’s nowhere near being over! TxSGS Live had 10 live sessions with Q&As, but that was nowhere near the only part of the event! There are still the other 36 pre-recorded, just for this event, sessions that start today, 2 days after the live portion, and available until February 10th! So, this event is really a 14 week-long, fun-filled, fantastic, all-in-one event! I am so honored to have been able to speak for them! If I hadn’t, I may never have known how amazing this event is! What Did We Get to Do in the Whova Platform and at This Event?
Which Sessions Were at the Live Portion of the Event?
And, since unlike many other events where presentations overlap and these did not, I got to watch them all! All the Presentations/Tracks for This EventSadly, I have to say that I most likely will not have time to watch all the other 36 presentations by well-known speakers, including my own (“Who Is That Mystery DNA Match?), as I’m not sure I have that kind of time. I will, however, carefully choose what seems to be the most useful to me.
If you missed this fantastic event, there is always next year, and trust me, you do not want to miss out on this opportunity!  Ancestry's New Dedicated Media Hub, Memories! Out with the Old and in with the NewHelp future generations remember or discover people in your family tree through photos and stories with Ancestry’s new one-stop media hub to view all your media in your tree! As mentioned last week in New at Ancestry: The Explore Feature in Storymaker Studio!, Ancestry came out with a new BETA feature, Explore, in their Storymaker Studio. Well, it seems to have been short lived, as after only a few days, they revamped their whole Storymaker Studio and have now changed the name to Memories, along with adding some some new features. Memories Media Hub Categories
 Ancestry's Memories Media Hub Categories and How to Get To Memories Media Hub- Example 1 What Can You Do in Memories?
Create MediaCreate stories, create slideshows, upload audio recordings, create albums, make photoline collages, create tree collages, and enhance your photos by colorizing, sharpening, filtering, or adding stickers from photos in your family tree.  Ancestry's Memories Media Hub Category, Create Organize Your MediaArrange all your media into albums and add details to your media, such as tags, dates, locations, and descriptions.  Ancestry's Memories Media Hub Category, Albums As you can see, I haven't created any albums yet. Preserve Family MemoriesHelp future generations remember or discover people in your tree through photos and stories by preserving your family history. Scan or upload media, then edit your family photos by adjusting, colorizing, sharpening, cropping, rotating, or filtering them. From there, you add tags, dates, locations, and descriptions to your photos.  Ancestry's Memories Media Hub Category, Preserve Scan or Upload MemoriesScan or upload old photos and add details to them. SearchSearch for your photos, stories, audio, and videos quickly in your media Gallery by filtering what you are looking for.  ExploreExplore historical photos through the eyes of your ancestors. Many of these features go hand in hand; therefore, you can do some of the same tasks under each category. 😉 How to get to Memories
 How to Get To Ancestry's Memories Media Hub- Example 2 *Note: They don’t seem to have all the kinks worked out yet, but I’m sure it’s another work in progress. Currently there is no smooth way to get back to the main page from each feature or category. The feature that I mentioned in my last post, Explore, is advertised in the pop up for the new Memories media page, but I haven’t seen it yet. Some of these features/tools just take you to your ancestor’s profile page gallery allowing you to be able to do the same things you have already been able to do. Some of the go back button or arrows take you back to places that have nothing to do with what you were doing or where you were. 😉 More Ancestry and Genealogy ResourcesLearn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
 Ancestry's New Explore Feature in Storymaker Studio Ancestry's New Explore FeatureExplore the times your ancestor lived in, through media! Ancestry has a new Beta feature they’re testing out to help enhance your family history and genealogy, Explore, in the Storymaker Studio. This feature lets you explore images that other members have in their public trees, that may have to do with either a particular ancestor of yours or a certain place and time period that you may be researching. How to get to the Explore Feature
 How to Get to the Explore Feature in Ancestry Storymaker Studio- Step 1  How to Get to the Explore Feature in Ancestry Storymaker Studio- Step 2 Ways to Explore
 Way to Explore with the Explore Feature in Ancestry Storymaker Studio- Example 1  Way to Explore with the Explore Feature in Ancestry Storymaker Studio- Example 2 Exploring a Particular Ancestor in Ancestry Storymaker Studio Exploring a Particular Ancestor in Ancestry Storymaker Studio- Example 1  Exploring a Particular Ancestor in Ancestry Storymaker Studio- Example 1-2 Exploring a Particular Place and Time in Ancestry Storymaker Studio Exploring a Particular Place and Time in Ancestry Storymaker Studio- Example 1  Exploring a Particular Place and Time in Ancestry Storymaker Studio- Example 1-2 I find that “exploring” an ancestor is the same as the image hints you get for that ancestor, under the hints on an ancestor’s profile page, but you cannot currently search for places and times under the hints, so this adds to that capability. Keep in mind that exploring places and times does not necessarily mean it actually has to do with that place and time, it may just be more public ancestor Images of a person who also lived in that place. More Ancestry and Genealogy Resources: Learn about more Ancestry updates, tips, tools, and features and other family history and genealogy resources under the Genealogy Resources category and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.
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BlogI hope my family history and genealogy blog on genealogy research tips, resources, events, and more, along with my own genealogy journeys, will help you in your research and in building your family tree to learn more about your ancestors and family history to preserve for future generations to come! 
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