Family Tree Magazine July/August 2015 Digital Edition

Features:

Decode Your DNA Results

By Diahan Southard

Baffled by the map of ancestral origins in your autosomal DNA test results? Learn the science behind your ethnicity percentages—and how to decode them.

12 Best Websites for Irish Research

By Claire Santry

Genealogy research in Ireland has its challenges, but more and more websites are helping you overcome them. These 12 are the web’s best bets for tracing your Irish ancestors.

Workbook: Draft Records

By Shelley K. Bishop

This workbook will show you what family history data is in draft records, how to find them, and what other records include the information you seek. We’ll also provide a worksheet you can fill in to map out your draft records search.

Digital Asset Management for Family Photos

By Denise May Levenick

Find out how a digital asset management workflow makes it easy to organize and back up your family photos. We help you with:

• Basic photo organizing for digital photos already in your collection
• Managing labels and tags
• Streamlining future photo additions
• And more

Genealogy Myth Busters

By Nick D’Alto

Have you ever said something like, “My great-great-great-granddad disappears at age 56. Oh well, people died young in those days”? Many of those often-repeated assumptions are simply not true, and believing them may hamper your research. Don’t let these three common historical “myth-takes” prevent you from discovering the true stories of your ancestors.

10 Top Living History Destinations 2015

By Dana McCollough

Step back in time—and into your ancestors’ world—at these 10 top living history destinations. For each destination we explain:

• Price, location and attractions
• Must-visit exhibits
• Tips for planning your visit
• And more

Columns:

History Matters: Fire Extinguishers

By David A. Fryxell

Pump up your knowledge of fitness with our social history expert.

Family Archivist: Postcards

By Denise May Levenick

The early 20th century’s golden age of postcards provided cheap, brief and colorful communications. Chances are you have a few old picture postcards somewhere in your home today, and our expert explains how to best preserve them.

Now What?

By David A. Fryxell

Our experts help you hurdle brick walls by answering reader questions.

In this edition, we teach you:

• How research vaudeville performers
• Where to find Naval ship lists
• How to research Revolutionary War POWs

Research Roadmap: Irish Potato Famine

By Tyler Moss

Take a look at Ireland before the Great Famine of 1845-1852.

Photo Detective: Brothers and Sisters

By Maureen A. Taylor

Uncover family history clues in the snapshots from everyday life with the help of our photo detective.

Tutorial: Overlay Maps in Google Earth

By Lisa Louise Cooke

Google Earth can illuminate answers to genealogy problems by combining old maps with new ones—layer them together, and you can visualize exactly how an area looked when your ancestors lived there. Our tutorial shows you how.

Software Review: FamilySearch Tree Mobile App

By Rick Crume

Our experts weigh in on FamilySearch Tree Mobile App, highlighting special features, potential drawbacks, ease of use and more.

Quick Guide: Family History Storytelling Websites

By Lisa A. Alzo

It’s been said that everyone has a story, but how many of us bother to record the stories in our families? Whether you want to document the important moments in your own life or remember the lives of your ancestors, here are some of the latest websites and apps to make storytelling a snap.

Tutorial: Analyze Your DNA with GEDmatch

By Shannon Combs-Bennett

In the fast paced world of genetic genealogy, everyone is talking about one

third-party tool: GEDmatch, a matchmaking service for all your possible cousin connections. Our tutorial shows you how to compare your DNA results against a database of thousands of other users who’ve tested with a variety of services.