Ep. 56 - Found and Returned: WW II Medals in a Dumpster... and... Can Family History Raise Your Kids' IQ?

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 by taking a deep breath over the crazy two part guest interview has in line for the show. A pair of eighth cousins… also eighth cousins to Fisher… who have exhumed the remains of their name line immigrant ancestor, Tjerck Claessen DeWitt, who died in 1700 in Kingston, New York, and his wife and two children. David then shares stories about the DNA Reunion Project, which seeks to reunite aging Holocaust survivors who were separated following World War II; The birthday celebration of “Papa Jake,” a World War II “dam buster,” who has been a hero to the British and a Tik Tok star!; The story of further conflict at the site of the former Pilgrim colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts where descendants of 17^th century natives are angry. David will explain; And if you’re a Scottish researcher, David has some good news for you!

Then, in two parts, Fisher visits with Gage and Justin DeWitt… distant cousins to each other, and to Fisher… who have literally dug up the immigrant ancestor, Tjerck Claessen DeWitt of Kingston, New York. Hear all about the project which took place this past summer, and what they are hoping to accomplish. It’s a genie-journey on steroids!

David then returns for another round of Ask Us Anything.

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

There are various types of DNA tests, but the Y-DNA test serves one particular purpose. Here’s why you might want to “Y.”

It’s a great thing to find an old book with loads of information. But just how trustworthy are these “sources?”

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 the story of a Canadian man who learned from a newspaper birth listing from the early 1950s, and DNA, that he had been switched at birth. Then, one of the oddest stories of the year… a married couple is freaking out because they learned that they share ancestors eight generations back! Then, a cannon ball has shown up at a beach in Rhode Island. You won’t believe where the finder is keeping it. At Colonial Williamsburgh, a dig has revealed a remarkable new find at a spot that David has walked over countless times. And finally, Europe’s oldest publication has been dated at over 2,300 years old.

Next, in two parts, Fisher visits with Dr. Nick Barratt, best known in the UK for his hosting and research on four seasons of “Who Do You Think You Are?” In his own research, Nick has discovered that his paternal grandmother’s brother was a spy for the Soviet Union leading up to World War II! Hear how he discovered this shocker, how it has impacted him and his immediate family, and how it has changed his understanding of how he presents information he provides to others.

Then, David returns for another couple of rounds of Ask Us Anything.

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

Public on line trees can reveal great information. They can also lure you into a trap.

It happens all the time. One record says one thing, and another says something else. Here’s how to sort things out.

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. As the long running weekly broadcast show comes to an end, the guys begin Family Histoire News with talk of the Boston Tea Party 250^th anniversary celebration this weekend. Then, David reveals his role in setting the record straight on the last survivors of the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor. Ever wonder how large the largest family tree in the Library of Congress might be? Wonder no more! Then, the guys give a brief update on the 23andMe data breach.

Next, Fisher shares one his most interesting interviews from earlier this year. It’s with Dr. David Duffy who has discovered that DNA can be detected and connected to individuals even when taken out of the air, or from footprints on a sandy beach! What might this mean for future police work?

Then, Your DNA Guide, Diahan Southard, and genealogical thriller author, Nathan Dylan Goodwin,  join the show to talk about their planned genealogical murder mystery on RootsTech eve in Salt Lake City.

David then returns for another Ask Us Anything question. This one is on the use of aliases in the Revolutionary War.

Fisher and David then sign off on the final segment of the weekly broadcast series, with a huge thank you to so many who have contributed to the success of Extreme Genes through the years.

Stayed tuned for future, periodic Extreme Genes podcasts!

We all love to show off family photos and documents, but it puts them at risk. Here’s a better way.

Tracking down keepsakes of ancestors isn’t always easy. But sometimes there are mementoes just below your feet!

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. David begins Family Histoire News with an update on the damage done in the attack of a homeless man on historic cemeteries in Boston. Then, the 250^th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party is coming. David talks about the rapidly approaching celebration. We’ve gotten accustomed to hearing about people discovering they were switched at birth through DNA, but wait til you hear this one woman’s story! It has more twists and turns than we’ve ever heard. Can the extinct Dodo bird become “unextinctified?” (Thank you George W. Bush!) One company thinks so. David will explain.

In segment two, Fisher shares his 2021 interview with the late Jack Holder. Jack passed this year at 101 years old, but his story will live forever. Hear him describe how he could see the smiling face of a Japanese pilot while he was being strafed at Pearl Harbor!

Then, Gage DeWitt returns to the show to talk about his new interest… creating tin type photographs. Not many people do it and for good reason. The chemicals are dangerous. Gage and his girl friend, Molly McNeal, talk about this risky hobby they hope to turn into a little business, and how they have recreated the 19^th century process.

Fisher and David then return for Ask Us Anything.

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