Extreme Genes - America's Family History And Genealogy Radio Show & Podcast

What’s Going to Happen to Your Records and Heirlooms When You’re Gone?

Ancestors love to play tricks on us as we trace them down… sometimes by disappearing from where we think they should be. Fisher explains where you might want to look next.

Can’t Find Your Key Record on Line? Try the Old-Fashioned Way

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 Family Histoire News with an incredible new discovery about the family of Leonard da Vinci. David has details. Then, it’s a new web project tracking the movement of the enslaved of South Carolina. SoldDownRiver.com is doing great work in identifying those who were enslaved and sold out of their families. A new organization is coming together to recognize descendants of those with ties to the Boston Tea Party. David explains. Canadians are rejoicing in anticipation of the release of the 1931 Canadian census coming out in June. And the New York Times has written about the “DNA of a Donkey!” It has been learned that our earliest form of transportation goes back 5,000 years! Finally, we sadly announce the passing of Pearl Harbor survivor, Jack Holder, who recently passed at the age of 101. Hear Fisher’s 2021 interview with Jack next week. Then, w

Got an Ancestor Who Served? Look to Military Records as a Source for Incredible Family Stories

Got DNA Skills? Become A Search Angel for Others!

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. The guys first talk about the joy of being back at a live RootsTech conference. Fisher describes the horror of something American Idol legend, Jordin Sparks, said to him at the conference. In Family Histoire News, David describes the strange tale of a man who suspected his wife of cheating because the baby didn’t look like him. That was not the case! David explains. Then, an Arizona Goodwill store recently sold a piece of furniture that contained a hidden compartment that stored genealogical gold. Catch the result of that discovery. Next, who knew that in the 17th century Germans punished gossips and drunks by forcing them to wear what amounts to “shaming” masks. Finally, a new archaeological find reveals that humans have been riding horses for some 5,000 years. David reveals how they figured this out. Next, Lord of the Rings actor Sean Astin held a press co

Tracing Forward Can Yield Family History Gold

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with guest host David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. David begins with a little history of Father’s Day, and how it started with the love of one woman for her dad. Dave then mentions meeting a man who actually saw Babe Ruth play when he was a boy. (Not many of those folks are around anymore!)  DNA is helping the military and what they’re learning about some of those WW2 guys whose remains were sent home is disturbing. Next, hear about two women who discovered that they were sisters… and then went into business together! Then, find out how a man lived some 70 years with non-stop hiccups! Fisher then, in two parts, visits with The DNA Detective, CeCe Moore. Recently, Netflix released a documentary about a fertility doctor in Indianapolis who has now been shown through DNA to have fathered 94 children! And there are likely many, many more. And this doctor is far from the only one. The documentary says 4

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. DNA occupies much of the show, so David begins with another DNA discovery that is rocking the worlds of two families… and it’s not the usual fare. Then, in 1872, a virus, that didn’t affect humans, shut down many of the major US cities. Catch what happened. The historic Old North Church which signaled Paul Revere on his famous ride is having an inspection of a most unusual type. Hear what it is. Did you ever think a flush toilet could be 2,400 years old? Apparently so! The guys have the details. And finally, there’s a party house in Rome that has been determined to have gone back almost as far as the toilet! David will fill you in. Next, over two segments, Your DNA Guide, Diahan Southard, joins Fisher to talk about DNA research “process.” What are the steps that can ultimately lead you to success? Diahan will take you through them. Then, Diahan talks about co

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 swapping stories from their explorations of the past week. Fisher made a great find in an unusual way, and David ran into a cousin at a lecture whose head he caused to explode (not quite literally… but close!) with what he had to tell her. In Family Histoire News, David notes the appearance of Fred Miller on 60 Minutes recently, who bought a house, only to learn it had once been owned by the man who had been the slaveholder of Fred’s ancestors. Then, an organization in New York is finding grave stones of Jewish service members whose graves are marked with Christian markers and is replacing them with Star of David markers at no charge to the family. (This sometimes occurred when the cemeteries only had Christian markers in supply.) Fisher then visits with Jenny Ashcraft of sponsor Newspapers.com. Jenny and Fisher both talk about stories the

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. The guys cover a lot of ground this week on Family Histoire News.  Up first… a man who recently bought a photo of Queen Consort Camilla’s great great grandmother and gifted it to her. He has since received a letter back! Hear what she had to say. Then, a massive collection of letters from Chicago in the 19th century is heading to eBay. David explains. Next, a box full of photos of a family murdered during the Holocaust has been returned to surviving descendants. Catch how it happened. Then, AI is now about to translate handwritten letters. Written in Japanese! Dave has particulars. A rookie metal detectorist has uncovered a gem that will likely change his life. Hear about the genuine treasure he has dug up in England. Finally, New England Quaker records…. thousands of them… are being digitized. Find out who’s doing it and when you may be able to see them. Nex

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. Fisher reveals David’s latest honor as a historian. Then, David shares his excitement over a gift he is receiving… a Bible gifted to a World War I soldier by a minister that caught a bullet that saved the man’s life. David has much more to say about it. Fisher next talks about a unique document he located tied to a relative jailed for forgery. FTDNA.com has revealed interesting news about the common male haplogroup R1B1. If you are part of it, listen to what David has to tell you. Next up… a shout out to the Boston Fire Department which just celebrated 345 years as America’s oldest paid department. In Rhode Island, a little girl has made headlines for her attempt to take the remains of carrots and cookies and get a DNA profile of Santa Claus! And the authorities were happy to share with her what they found. You’ll love this! On Finding Your Roots, it was an

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. The guys devote the entire first segment to a new artificial intelligence tool that is making headlines, ChatGPT. Fisher test drove it for family history possibilities and shares what he learned… with a combination of excitement, concern, and fascination. You’ll want to hear this. Then, over two segments, Jennifer Mendelsohn and Adina Newman, two Jewish focused genealogists, talk about the challenges of researching Jewish heritage, and the new project they’ve opened up with the Center for Jewish History in New York City… the DNA Reunion Project. This new initiative aims to reunite Holocaust survivors and their children with family members long since separated by the Holocaust. It’s a remarkable and emotional conversation. David then returns as he and Fisher tackle two new questions in Ask Us Anything. That’s all this week on Extreme Genes, America’s Family Hi

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 talking about David’s recent gift from a relative of an 80-year-old multi-page letter that talks about his wife’s 2x great grandmother who took her first airplane ride at age 100 in 1938. Then, in Family Histoire News, a sunken barge has been found in Michigan that was once Al Capone’s floating speakeasy. David has details. Then, it’s another amazing DNA project involving Viking skeletons from 1676 in Norway. Hear what’s been found. David then shares the incredible story of a Viking woman who visited both America and Rome! And finally, an American institution is headed to the scrapheap. You might not have known it was even still in existence! David will tell you about it. Then, Fisher visits with Sabin Streeter, Producer of the PBS series "Finding Your Roots." Sabin talks about this season's guests, the impact of the show on past celebrity

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 17th 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 vi

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. The guys talk about holiday break projects they undertook, and a super remarkable find of Fisher’s that will lead to next week’s show. David then shares a fun formula for determining your “Royal” name. (Perfect for parties!) He then talks about a pair of twin sisters, each adopted out separately, who recently found one another after 36 years and wound up on a TV game show together! Catch the details. Then, a 500-year-old family tree has been discovered in China. David has more. Next, imagine learning that your housekeeper is also your cousin. It has happened, thanks to DNA! In the first interview of the year, Fisher visits with Kristen Winger from sponsor Legacy Tree Genealogists. Kristen recently revisited an old family story with “fresh eyes” and even more experience to uncover a remarkable story of reunion, long before DNA. Next, old friend of the show Mau

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 how old Roman roads throughout Europe can now be digitally tracked through omnesviae.org. Dave has the story. Then, the last “witch” executed in the Salem Witch Trials has been officially exonerated. Hear who it is and why her status has been adjusted after over 300 years. Utah’s and Arizona’s Lake Powell is going through a challenging water level drop. But a historical benefit is being seen. Find out what it is. Oldest man? Oldest woman? Yes, we keep track of those, but Guinness has now named the world’s oldest dog! Dave will tell you how old this frisky pooch is, along with some other great stories. Next, in two parts, Fisher visits with Nadia Rupniak. Nadia never thought her late father accomplished much in his life, but as the result of discovering an old letter, she learned otherwise. Hear about the family history adventu

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. David begins by talking about a remarkable find he recently made in New Hampshire, providing amazing details about his ancestors who were from there. The guys then speak about a frightening story that talks about how enemy states could turn your raw DNA results to custom make poison with which to target your family. Then, National Geographic has a great story about how we went from being hunters and gatherers to monument builders. The New Yorker has a great story about “The Secret Art of Family Photos.” And, some Medal of Honor winners of the past may be losing their high honors. Find out why. Next, in two parts, Fisher visits with Adrienne Abiodun, a DNA specialist with sponsor Legacy Tree Genealogists. Adrienne recently returned from a family history vacation to Nigeria, as the father of her two children is Nigerian. But before leaving, Adrienne learned of

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 comparing notes on collecting 19th century family photos. Then, in Family Histoire News, word is now out that YOU can be featured in the upcoming year on Finding Your Roots on PBS with friend-of-the-show Dr. Henry Louis Gates. Hear more about it. Next, a new census is indexed and out for Scotland! David has details. In Utah, DNA experts are now involved in identifying the remains of victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.  David then talks about a World War II Pearl Harbor survivor who had a marvelous experience on the 81st anniversary of the Japanese attack on December 7. Some Navejo code talkers are now getting their due. David explains. And finally, an article talks about the benefits of recording your ancestors’ and relatives’ well known quotes. Then, YourDNAGuide, Diahan Southard joins the conversation talking with Fisher about her new P