Episode 264 - Determined Researcher Changes 300-Year-Old Family History / Dealing With Aliases And Name Changes

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org.  The guys begin with talk of the recent passing of former President George H. W. Bush, and the math that suggests he was related to a large part of the American population. Next, David talks about two half sisters who discovered each other in their 50s… and without DNA! Speaking of which, when it comes to identifying you, the day may soon come by which you can be identified even if you have not taken a DNA test! The guys will explain. David then talks about the recent ceremony recognizing  the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. This year’s event marked a sad first. David maps it out. David’s Blogger Spotlight this week shines on Elizabeth Handler, who is blogging on Hanukkah. Her site is jewishgenealogyjourney.blogspot.com. Next Fisher visits with Ali Stocker, a passionate geni who led a remarkable effort that has changed the last 300 years of the recorded history of the Sanderson family of Massachusetts. (And some descendants are not happy about it!) Hear the story of the family, what she learned, and how she did it. Then, Legacy Tree Genealogist’s Jamie Kay shares some thoughts on how to best deal with aliases and name changes in your research. It’s a tough nut to crack, but in some cases it can be done.  Jamie shares some great examples. Tom Perry then talks about screen capture software. If you’re looking to interview far away relatives over the holidays, or anytime, this could be a great solution to capturing and preserving your peoples’ stories. That’s all this week on Extreme Genes, America’s Family History Show!