Episode 257 - Getting "Sideways" With Your Family- In A Good Way! / Collecting Stories On Ancestral Ocean Crossings

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. The guys start off with a great find for the family of Muhammad Ali. Through DNA, a third cousin learned that "The Champ" was a 3rd great grandson of a freed slave whose likeness was used for a very special statue. Find out what it is. Then, a different kind of DNA story. This is the kind where a woman learns she has a half-sister… and that they were born five months apart! Catch some more of the details. Then, is it really true? Archaeologists have discovered what is believed to be a 3,500 year old prosthesis! Who was using it and why? David has some insight. Another early find goes back 1,500 years where a child was apparently buried in a vampire ritual to prevent him from coming back to life. There's lots to catch in Family Histoire News this week. David's Blogger Spotlight shines on a woman named Marlee who hosts Loganalogy.com. In a recent post, Marlee shares her insight on using Facebook to grow your family history.

Next, well known genealogist, Amy Johnson Crow, visits with Fisher. Recognizing that many beginning genealogists focus mainly on their direct ancestors, she recommends "getting sideways" with your family. Hear what she means by that and why it's so important.

David Allen Lambert then returns to talk about collecting stories of your ancestors' ocean crossings. From the Mayflower to Ellis Island, there are ways to find out what happened as your people came to "the Promised Land."

Then, it's Tom Perry from TMCPlace.com, the Preservation Authority. Tom notes that many people are starting to get back to the idea of "physical" or "analogue" gifts. Those can include physical calendars with family images and QR codes linked to special sites. And think of what you could do with recipe books?! Tom shares his ideas.

That's all this week on Extreme Genes, America's Family History Show!