Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings has recently been using AI to create “day in the life” stories about his ancestors, and his posts inspired me to try something similar. Out of curiosity, I first asked ChatGPT to write a narrative about my grandfather’s service during World War I—and the results were surprisingly moving. Encouraged by that experience, I decided to take the idea a step further and explore another important moment in his life: …

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, when it comes to experimenting with AI tools, I’m definitely more of a follower than a trailblazer. Fortunately, I follow some excellent leaders—one of them being Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings. Recently, Randy demonstrated how he used Google Vids to transform a Google Notebook LM slide deck into a polished video, and his post made the process look incredibly simple.

Scores of genealogy and family history bloggers write hundreds of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interes...

Buried deep in my BRILES folder was a fascinating find—an 1816 deed for land owned by a man named Jacob Briles in Randolph County, North Carolina. As anyone who has researched this family knows, Jacob is a remarkably common given name among the Briles clan. That means identifying exactly which Jacob owned this tract requires more than a quick glance; it calls for careful land research, map work, and a closer look at the surrounding community.

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: It's Saturday Night again - Time for some more Genealogy Fun!! Join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision. Here's your chance to sit on Genea-Santa's lap (virtually) and tell him about your Christmases past. Rev up the olde thynking cap and cue up the Mission Impossible music - your mission should you decide to accept it - keeping with the Christmas theme - is:

Some of the bijoux I discovered this week. Blog postsLAC Explores AI by John Reid on Anglo-Celtic Connection. Searching Reclaim the Records’ New York State Death Index by Marian Burk Wood on Climbing ...

For this week’s ABC Biography, I’m turning my attention to one of the most dynamic—and at times surprising—lives in my Briles family tree: Edward Osmund Briles. Born in 1891 on the Kansas prairie, Edward’s life unfolded across eras of dramatic change, from horse-powered threshing machines to the rise of automobile garages and small-town movie theaters. His story is woven through Coffey, Woodson, Allen, and Lyon counties, touching nearly every corner of the communities my family called home.

Today’s find from my WELLS folder features two documents that help illuminate the final chapter of Ellen Andrews Wells: her official death record from Calhoun County, Michigan, and her obituary published in the Albion Evening Recorder. Although I originally had photocopies in my files, I’m delighted that both of these items are now accessible online. 🔎 Death Record…

Have you ever wondered whether someone else—especially an objective tool—would look at your brick-wall research and reach the same conclusions you have? Curious to see how an AI might sort through the many men named James Crawford in my Crawford FAN Club, I summarized the relevant families and asked Google Notebook LM to create a slide deck explaining my brick-wall question.

Ancestry recently updated ThruLines and introduced a new pedigree view. I’m not sure that everyone has the new view yet, so here’s what to expect. If you do have the new feature, let’s take a…

https://www.library.ca.gov/sutro/ Many genealogists can become fixated on the big four online genealogy websites and ignore other importan...

Are you a tech leader or a tech follower? Do you dive into new tools the moment they’re released and immediately start telling others how to use them? Or do you watch what others are doing first and then experiment on your own terms? When it comes to Artificial Intelligence, I’ve learned that I’m definitely in the follower category. I don’t need to be the first to try everything—but once I see a tool that might help with my genealogical research, I’m more than willing to explore it.

The New Brunswick Genealogical Society (NBGS) recently launched a new website. Scroll down the home page to see the resources the society offers. Most are for members only. When society members log in...

Do you use AI tools for genealogy? Have you experimented with Randy Seaver’s ABC Biographies, asked Google Notebook LM to create an audio overview, tried Suno.com to generate a song, or asked ChatGPT to describe a day in the life of one of your ancestors? I’ve used all of these—and I love how they expand what we can do as genealogists and storytellers.

How to Spot Fake AI-Generated Facebook Stories: Facebook users have recently noticed a surge of long, emotionally charged posts in their “Suggested for You”

Scores of genealogy and family history bloggers write hundreds of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests...

The University of New Brunswick (UNB) has recently digitized more newspapers from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It’s quite an incredible collection, dating back to the late 1700s in some cases. You c...

Today’s document comes from my BRILES folder, and it’s one that genealogists dream of finding—an estate record that not only names living children but also accounts for grandchildren through deceased children. This particular record outlines how the estate of John Briles of Randolph County, North Carolina was distributed among his heirs following his death in October 1857. The document reports a…

Calling All Genea-Musings Fans! It’s Saturday Night again —and you know what that means…time for some Genealogy Fun! Hey boys and girls, gather ’round — it’s Mission Impossible time (cue the music!). Your assignment, should you choose to accept it: Larry Smith is credited with creating the idea of six-word memoirs (see Think about your own life.

I'm hoping that Google NotebookLM returns access to their Infographics and Slide Show feature soon, rather than later or never, for free us...