When Simon Pearce discovered his great-great-uncle Howard's name on a casualty list from WWI, his heart skipped a beat — launching a 20-year quest to piece together the life of a man he never met but now feels deeply connected to... In this moving conversation, Simon, an Ancestry military history expert, shares how Howard's service from China to Gallipoli and ultimate sacrifice in 1915 created ripples through generations of his family. Together we explore how a single postcard, a war diary, and a sister's poignant poem in her autograph book transformed Howard from a name on a memorial to a cherished family member. This episode reminds us that family stories don't end with death, but continue to shape identity, create connection, and inspire purpose across generations — sometimes in the most unexpected ways. 

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

💕 When a stranger asked Irene Hantman about Arthur Kurzweil's lecture at a Jewish genealogy conference, she never imagined it would change her life forever...

In this heartwarming episode, I talk with Irene, an accomplished genealogist and longtime editor of Avotaynu journal, about her 40-year journey through Jewish family history. She shares how receiving the book "From Generation to Generation" sparked a lifelong passion that ultimately led to love when she met Jerry at a conference in Los Angeles.

Irene's story weaves through her early discoveries at the National Archives, uncovering the mysteries of her grandmother's citizenship, and navigating the complexities of Jewish surname changes. But what makes her journey truly special is how genealogy brought her not just family connections, but unexpected romance at age 60.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

🍀 When Brian Donnelly's grandfather calmly announced he was having a heart attack, nine-year-old Brian's only instruction was to fetch a warm glass of milk…

In this heartwarming episode, I chat with the Ancestry Chief Commercial Officer about family remedies that become inside jokes and DNA discoveries that challenge family lore. Brian shares how his Irish identity was upended when his DNA results revealed more Scottish ancestry than expected, and how a single photo from his great-uncle's military regiment opened doors to remarkable connections. You'll discover how family history research rekindled Brian's relationship with a long-disconnected aunt and how he's passing down meaningful stories to his three young children. Whether it's warm milk for heart attacks or aloe for sunburns, every family has their cure-all traditions that become part of their unique language and connection.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

When Anne Mitchell discovered a tattered family Bible with a handwritten account of an ancestor eagerly joining the Confederate Army in 1861 it changed how she understood her family history. Now, it has also changed how millions might discover their own histories. Anne shares the story of her ancestor John Calvin Gillespie—from excited Confederate soldier to "galvanized Yankee" to a man whose tragic end made headlines across America. Her deep dive into her family's Civil War connections (with ten direct ancestors who fought in the conflict!) ultimately inspired her work as a product manager at Ancestry® developing the new Networks feature. In our conversation we explore how confronting complicated truths about our ancestors can lead to personal transformation and why understanding past generations might be a key to understanding ourselves today.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

When Nicka Sewell-Smith set out to find her great-grandmother Easter's maiden name, she never imagined it would lead to uncovering 10,000 descendants from a single enslaved community...

In this moving conversation, genealogist Nicka Sewell-Smith returns to share how her search for one ancestor evolved into the groundbreaking "Trask 250" project. By meticulously tracking enslaved families from the 1850s through freedom, she's reconstructed a community that remained connected across generations. Nicka reveals how a chance cemetery visit, a cartoonist cousin with perfect recall, and strategic spreadsheet management helped piece together a family narrative that spans from pre-Revolutionary African ancestors to modern DNA connections. Her story demonstrates how determined research can transform overwhelming historical data into powerful family connections that bring pride and healing to thousands of descendants.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

🍀 When I gathered around a traditional peat fire in Galway with a group of descendants of the Irish Diaspora, I experienced my ancestors' world in a way records alone could never reveal…

In this episode, I chat with Kyle Betit, professional genealogist and heritage travel expert, about the power of connecting with ancestral places. Kyle shares how his grandmother inspired his lifelong passion for genealogy, leading to extraordinary discoveries across Europe. We reminisce about an unforgettable journey through Ireland we took together, exploring living history sites and museums that provide crucial context for understanding our ancestors' lives. 

Kyle also reveals how DNA testing is opening new paths for heritage connections worldwide. Maybe even to - one day - help me break through my own O’Brien brick wall.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️

🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

 When Steve Rockwood discovered his ancestor's journal as a child, he never imagined how family stories would shape his future as President of FamilySearch International. In our conversation, Steve reveals how a 7th-generation Bostonian's writings sparked his sense of belonging, while his Danish great-grandmother's solo journey across the Atlantic became the untold DNA story he treasures most. Steve shares how a recent family history trip with his 93-year-old mother brought "Grandma Chandler" to life through forgotten newspaper accounts—proving that records kept "for a wise purpose" reveal their value generations later. Whether you're building your family tree as a "driver" or enjoying discoveries as a "passenger," Steve's insights on capturing character stories and engaging today's "most journaling generation" will transform how you share your family's legacy and keep your growing family connected through powerful stories. 

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

Have you ever wondered what story you'd tell if you knew your time was limited? Lisa Valentine Clark's husband faced this exact question when diagnosed with ALS. In this powerful conversation, Lisa reveals how Christopher's decision to document his life story created an unexpected treasure their five children now cherish like scripture. We explore the unexpected parallels to her grandmother’s life and how that provided strength when she needed it most. She shares the profound shift in perspective that comes when witnessing a complete life story, and how intentional choices shape our family narrative. Lisa's approach to reframing tragedy challenges us all to consider: how will the stories we leave behind shape future generations? Discover why laughter through tears might just be the most important emotion in preserving your family's authentic legacy.

Follow Lisa:
https://www.instagram.com/thelisashow

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

A childhood memory of two sisters arguing at a kitchen table leads historian Jackie Dorothy to uncover an astounding truth — her great-grandfather wasn't just any Wyoming cowboy, he was part of Butch Cassidy's infamous Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. As an award-winning historian and member of the Northern Arapaho tribe, Jackie shares how she pieced together newspaper clippings, tribal records, and family stories to reveal her ancestor's double life: respected family man by day, outlaw by night. Through her research, she discovered that Wyoming wasn't just a setting for outlaw tales — it was a refuge where people came to reinvent themselves, often leaving their true identities buried in the past. Join us for a fascinating exploration of how one family's "shameful secret" transformed into a celebrated piece of Wyoming history, and discover how your own family legends might hold more truth than you imagine.

Listen to Jackie's podcast Pioneers of Outlaw Country

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

Do you know how your parents met? Research shows this simple story could be the key to building family resilience — and in this intimate solo episode, I open up about three generations of love stories that shaped my own family's legacy.

From my grandparents’ powerful wartime romances to my parents' whirlwind 19-day courtship, each story reveals how family connections are forged in both dramatic and everyday moments. Along the way, I explore fascinating research from Emory University showing why these origin stories matter so much, regardless of how they end.

Join me as I demonstrate how uncovering and sharing your family's love stories — whether epic or understated — can strengthen bonds across generations and create a deeper sense of belonging for everyone in your family tree.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

When journalist Natalie Zett received a mysterious family manuscript, she had no idea it would lead her to her long-lost Aunt Martha – a 19-year-old victim of the tragic 1915 Eastland disaster in Chicago. What began as a deeply personal quest to understand her aunt's story transformed into a mission to preserve the forgotten stories of over 800 souls lost that day. Through a combination of journalistic expertise, genealogical research, and what she calls "listening to the departed," Natalie shares how she's uncovering the human stories that have been overshadowed by the famous shipwreck. Listen as we explore how family history research can bridge generations, heal old wounds, and sometimes give voice to those whose stories are waiting to be told.

Listen to Natalie’s podcast at:
FlowersInTheRiver.com

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

"There must be a mistake - I know all my first cousins." When Linda Goldman responded to an unexpected DNA match, she had no idea how wrong she was. Join me for a remarkable conversation with 100-year-old Millie Mandel, her son Marty, and cousin Linda as they share how DNA testing unveiled a century-old family secret that would transform two families who had lived parallel lives, unaware of their deep connection. This story of discovery, sacrifice, and unexpected joy reminds us that it's never too late to uncover the stories hiding in our family trees.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

When family relationships shatter, the ripples can span generations. In this deeply personal episode, I uncover the story of my great-great-grandfather Park Cowan, whose choices left a wake of heartbreak, bigamy charges, and newspaper headlines across the Midwest in 1901. Through historical records and family lore, I piece together how his abandonment impacted three generations - from my resilient great-great-grandmother Carrie to my own grandfather's commitment to break the pattern. You'll discover how family stories, even the messy ones, can lead to healing and redemption. Join me in exploring how confronting our family's past challenges can transform our present relationships and shape a different future for those who come after us.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

When a 12-year-old girl watched her grandmother work at a microfilm reader, she couldn't have known she was witnessing the beginning of her own family history journey. Now a young mother of three, Emily Pulham has transformed her passion for genealogy into a profound gift - a book preserving her Danish grandmother's incredible stories of life during WWII, immigration to America, and the power of family bonds that span generations. From burning Nazi documents to surviving 10-hour interrogations, these stories became more than just historical accounts - they helped Emily understand herself and her place in her family's story. Join me for this touching conversation about how documenting family stories while our relatives are still with us can heal generational disconnections and create lasting legacies that will outlive us all.

Follow Emily on Instagram @organized.with.emily

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

When cousins Elisa and Yda finally met in person, they uncovered more than their shared DNA – they discovered how a desperate effort to save Cuban children from Castro's regime had shaped their family's destiny. Through meticulous research and a surprising DNA match, Elisa connected with a branch of her Jewish family she never knew existed, leading to the discovery of their role in Operation Pedro Pan – one of the largest child refugee operations in American history. In this moving episode, Yda shares her experience as one of over 14,000 Cuban children who left everything behind, armed with only a small token to identify them upon arrival in the United States. Their story reminds us how DNA testing can reveal not just family connections, but also uncover profound chapters of history that continue to shape families across generations.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

When my mom was just 17, she lost her father – but 50 years later, DNA revealed an unexpected gift...

In this deeply personal episode, I share how an ordinary AncestryDNA test revealed an extraordinary family secret. What began as a potentially devastating discovery became a beautiful experience that brought four women (in their 60s and 70s) closer together. As the story unfolds, you'll see how even the messiest parts of our family stories are an opportunity for connection. Join me as I explore how DNA testing can unlock forgotten stories, heal old wounds, and create new bridges between generations that transform both our past and future relationships.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

What happens when you present Bob Hope with his family history, and he has no joke to crack? In this episode, professional genealogist George Ott shares moving stories from his decades-long career, including unforgettable moments with Hollywood legends Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart, who both found themselves brought to tears by discoveries about their family histories. Having started his career in 1975, George reveals how family connections can transcend fame, fortune, and even family feuds - from courtroom battles over cherished samplers to emotional reunions between long-lost siblings. His remarkable stories demonstrate that whether you're a celebrated entertainer or someone searching for your roots, family history has the power to touch hearts and bring people together. Join me for this touching exploration of how the stories that live in us can surface in unexpected and powerful ways.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

When a 20-year-old WWII pilot makes fudge in a POW camp on Christmas Day, he teaches a lasting lesson...

Jason Terry shares how his grandfather's small act of kindness in a German prison camp during WWII sparked a family legacy of service that spans generations. Through stories of answered prayers, harrowing escapes, and a precious Red Cross package shared with fellow prisoners, we discover how even the smallest gestures can create lasting impact. This moving conversation reveals how family stories shape our values and how service to others becomes a cherished inheritance passed from one generation to the next.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

Have you ever wondered if there are forgotten family heroes in your past? In this episode, documentarians Wayne Abbott and David O'Keefe reveal how combining historical records, artifacts, and family research can bridge generational gaps and uncover powerful family stories. Through their work on Ancestry's "Finding Heroes" podcast, they share emotional moments of families discovering ancestors they never knew – including a son who finally connected with the father he never met through a simple military artifact. Their work shows how even the smallest historical discoveries can transform family relationships and create lasting legacies for future generations.

💭 Which of your ancestors' stories are waiting to be discovered in your family tree?

Watch Wayne & David's latest podcast episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQbfCatul_w

〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️

🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

When Jenny Ashcraft joked with her dying father about needing a 'cell phone call from heaven' to start family history... that's exactly what she got. Just days after her father's funeral, a mysterious package arrived from a stranger who felt compelled to send her family records after reading her father's obituary. Follow Jenny's journey from a reluctant beginner to becoming part of the Ancestry team, including an incredible series of discoveries in Pennsylvania that proved family history is full of divine coincidences. This episode shows how even those who feel intimidated by family history can find themselves drawn into a puzzle more rewarding than they ever imagined.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

Two genealogists discover they might share a Mayflower connection - but there's a twist.

In this special Thanksgiving episode, my producer Lisa Elzey and I explore our connection to America’s founding story, take a memorable trip to Plymouth Plantation, and learn that sometimes uncovering the truth means letting go of cherished family lore. Through our journey, we reveal how the real power of family history lies not in the famous names on our family tree, but in the authentic stories we uncover along the way.

 Curious about the truth behind your own family legends? Find guidance and story prompts inspired by this episode at CristaCowan.com/blog.

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

Not everyone stumbles on a photo of a relative hanging in a hotel bathroom, but Nicka Sewell-Smith isn’t just anyone. And, that’s not even the most interesting story she has to tell.  From family reunions to battles for tribal citizenship, Nicka reveals an American tale that challenges common narratives about Native American and African American history.  Her persistence and use of modern technology helped her document more than 4,000 descendants of formerly enslaved ancestors and uncover her family’s deep ties to the Cherokee Nation.  Join us as she shares these extraordinary discoveries.

Follow Nicka:
On Instagram @NeekSmith

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

Have you ever thought about how deeply you can trace your roots with just a simple DNA test?

Listen in on my conversation with Diahan Southard, a trailblazer in consumer genomics and the founder of Your DNA Guide.  She takes us through her story, starting as a microbiology student at Brigham Young University, continuing to her work with Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, leading to her pioneering role in the field of genetic genealogy education.  Sparked by the advice of a high school English teacher and a fascination with archaeogenetics, Diahan has not only played a role in advancing the field, she has also experienced the personal and emotional impact of DNA discoveries in her own family.  In this episode, she shares her journey and invites us to discover the unexpected stories hidden within our own DNA.

Follow Diahan:
YourDNAGuide.com
Instagram

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🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us' wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a review to help other families find their path to deeper connection through family history. Together, we're building a community of families committed to preserving and sharing the stories that matter most.

🖼️ Ready to turn your family discoveries into a beautiful conversation piece? Visit FamilyChartmasters.com to create a family tree chart that will help your family share stories for generations.

♥ Want more family history tips and inspiration? Follow me @CristaCowan on Instagram where I share behind-the-scenes looks at my own family discoveries and practical ways to uncover yours!

For 43 years, Becky Ellis's father refused to speak about his World War II service — until one conversation at age 89 changed everything. What started with a simple "Dad, I want to know about the war" led to seven years of profound revelations that transformed not just their relationship, but Becky's understanding of herself. As her father finally shared his experiences as a Staff Sergeant in the 104th Infantry Division, she discovered how his 172 days of continuous combat shaped both his approach to parenting and her own life. Through their journey from silence to storytelling, Becky learned that sometimes the most powerful family connections emerge when we're brave enough to ask the hard questions and patient enough to listen to the answers.

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