Best Legacy Tree Genealogists Podcasts (2025)

1
EP26: Gemini and Claude Updates, RootsTech Panel on Responsible AI, Interview with Jessica Taylor of Legacy Tree Genealogists, ChatGPT 5 Announcement 1:02:12

Play Pause

6d ago1:02:12

1:02:12

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little discuss recent updates from Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude that are reshaping AI capabilities for genealogists. Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro with its massive context window and Claude 4's hybrid reasoning models that excels at both writing and document analysis. They share insights from the RootsTech panel on …

1
A Life Changing Adventure (with Diana O'Connor) | Episode 67 40:23

3d ago40:23

40:23

🌍 After decades of dead ends and false leads, one $27 payment to a county archive changed everything for Diana O'Connor. She didn’t just get a record. She got a photograph that made her weep with recognition. Diana grew up knowing almost nothing about her family history. Her father was placed in foster care at two years old when his mother died. He…

1
Gathering and Connections (with Betheny Tomseth) | Episode 66 29:14

10d ago29:14

29:14

🎂 What do cake and cemeteries have to do with one another? Maybe not much but both have quite a bit to do with family history. Betheny Tomseth, known on Instagram as @BethenyCakes, takes us on a journey through her family’s complex history. From the mysterious circumstances surrounding her great-grandfather Omer's hunting accident in 1921 to the Sc…

1
Jon Marie Pearson chats with the Genealogy Guy about using social media in Genealogy 28:48

12d ago28:48

28:48

Jon Marie Pearson chats with the Genealogy Guy about using social media in genealogy research. She highlights the importance of virtual communities, sharing personal stories of finding her biological half-brother on Facebook. Jon Marie emphasises the need for genealogists to use keywords in their profiles and actively engage on platforms like Faceb…

1
Wonderful Grandmothers (with Aimee Cross) | Episode 65 24:31

17d ago24:31

24:31

When Aimee Cross discovered her French ancestor's will in a 1904 newspaper, she found something more precious than gold - a grandmother's heartfelt advice to her children. Professional genealogist Aimee Cross joins me to share how her second great-grandmother Estelle Dumont left behind more than an estate. She left a legacy of wisdom that continues…

1
These Are My Kinfolk: A Juneteenth Reunion (with Linda Epps Parker) | Episode 64 30:18

24d ago30:18

30:18

Linda felt there was "something special" in her dad's family but couldn't get answers. She never imagined a single phone call would connect her to relatives she'd never met and a Civil War-era ancestor whose story would change how she celebrates Juneteenth forever. In this deeply moving episode, I sit down with Linda Epps Parker, whose connection t…

1
An Honest Witness | Episode 63 26:18

1M ago26:18

26:18

What if one of history's most famous authors unknowingly documented your ancestor's immigration journey? In 1863, my three-times-great-grandmother Rachel Smuin sailed from England to America aboard the Amazon—and Charles Dickens was there to witness it all. Expecting to find chaos and disorder among 800 Mormon emigrants, Dickens instead discovered …

1
EP25: ChatGPT 4o Transforms Image Generation, Jarrett Ross on AI Facial Recognition, Enhanced Image Analysis with O3 1:08:53

1M ago1:08:53

1:08:53

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore OpenAI's revolutionary update to ChatGPT 4o's image generation capabilities, which now creates photorealistic images with accurate text and consistent characters across multiple images. They interview Jarrett Ross from The GeneaVlogger YouTube channel, who shares how he uses AI in his business and in …

1
Through the Eyes of a Child ( with Tamara Buzyna Adams) | Episode 62 43:53

1M ago43:53

43:53

🚢 When 11-year-old Lydia escaped Russia on the last evacuation ship in 1920, she began documenting her extraordinary journey in beautiful handwritten diaries. Tamara Buzyna Adams discovered her grandmother’s childhood diaries during COVID lockdown. What started as a mother-daughter translation project unveiled an incredible story: a young girl who …

1
Charlie Greene from Remento chats with the Genealogy Guy 30:57

1M ago30:57

30:57

The Genealogy guy chats with Charlie Greene, co-founder of Remento, chats about the inspiration that led to the platform, which helps families capture and preserve stories and memories. Charlie shares his personal experience of digitising home videos to keep his father's memory alive and the emotional impact of recording his mother's stories during…

1
Even in the Face of Injustice | Episode 61 28:10

1M ago28:10

28:10

What if your ancestors' darkest moment could teach you the most about resilience? While chasing down a DNA match with my dad, I uncovered a shocking story about two sets of my 8x great-grandparents that kept me awake all night. Roger and Anne Park and Andrew and Olive Smith were Quakers who fled England seeking religious freedom in colonial New Jer…

1
Your Ancestors Are Closer Than You Think: A Preview of Know Your Ancestral Guides 5:55

2M ago5:55

5:55

Last summer, I walked the land where generations of my ancestors lived in northern Wales. In today’s episode, I share what that experience stirred in me—and how it inspired the free class I’m teaching this week: Know Your Ancestral Guides.If you’ve ever felt the pull of your lineage or wondered where to begin connecting with your ancestors, this cl…

1
The Ache Is Still There (with Tara Hall) | Episode 60 33:44

2M ago33:44

33:44

When Tara Hall discovered her great-uncle Norman had been shot down in WWII, his story became an enigma that haunted her family for generations. In this poignant episode, my Ancestry colleague Tara shares how Norman joined the Army Air Corps as a navigator, following in his older brother's footsteps. Shot down over Germany on just his third mission…

1
I Can See All The Story (with Lisa Elzey) | Episode 59 39:00

2M ago39:00

39:00

When Lisa Elzey discovered her grandfather flew on a B-17 bomber during D-Day, she knew there was more to uncover… In this continuation of last week's DNA revelation, Lisa shares how researching her grandfather's war buddies unveiled an extraordinary military legacy. From discovering rare crew photos to uncovering first-hand accounts of a harrowing…

1
I Can Live With the Truth (with Nidel Day) | Episode 58 47:17

2M ago47:17

47:17

When DNA results revealed a puzzling Quebec connection in Lisa Elzey's family tree — everything she thought she knew was called into question... Join me for an intimate conversation with my podcast producer Lisa and her mother Nidel as they unravel a family mystery that remained hidden for over seven decades. Witness how modern genealogy technology…

1
One Year Anniversary - I'm So Glad You're Here | Episode 57 50:30

2M ago50:30

50:30

For one year straight, I've shared stories that remind us we're all connected through the messy, beautiful threads of family history — and today, I'm celebrating YOU. Recorded live at RootsTech 2025, this anniversary episode is a reflection of the incredible stories we've uncovered together, from my great-great-grandmother Carrie to DNA discoveries…

1
Mark Bayley chats with the genealogy Guy about updates on maps @ thegenealogist.co.uk 29:24

2M ago29:24

29:24

Mark Bayley from TheGenealogist.co.uk discusses updates to their Map Explorer section, highlighting the expansion of the Lloyd George Domesday records to include Bedfordshire, Dorset, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Northamptonshire, Surrey, and Wiltshire, with more counties planned for 2026. He explained the historical context of these records, create…

1
We Wear a Poppy (with Simon Pearce) | Episode 56 39:39

3M ago39:39

39:39

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 Ga…

1
Marry a Genealogist (with Irene Hantman) | Episode 55 33:12

3M ago33:12

33:12

💕 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 r…

1
All I Need is a Warm Glass of Milk (with Brian Donnelly) | Episode 54 28:12

3M ago28:12

28:12

🍀 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 h…

1
Ancestors Are Complicated (with Anne Mitchell) | Episode 53 46:22

3M ago46:22

46:22

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 …

1
Dr. Karen Cummings from Pharos Tutors chats with the Genealogy Guy 31:07

3M ago31:07

31:07

In this episode of Armchair Genealogy, the Genealogy Guy dives into the power of family history shows and why sharpening your research skills is a game-changer. Special guest Dr. Karen Cummings from Pharos Tutors shares her journey from pharmaceutics to genealogy education—proving it’s never too late to follow your passion! Discover how Pharos Tuto…

1
Project Managing the Saga (with Nicka Sewell-Smith) | Episode 52 43:49

4M ago43:49

43:49

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…

1
The Irish Experience (with Kyle Betit) | Episode 51 35:18

4M ago35:18

35:18

🍀 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 …

1
It's Like Genealogy 3.0 (with Jenn Utley) | Episode 50 35:06

4M ago35:06

35:06

〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 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 th…

1
For a Wise Purpose (with Steve Rockwood) | Episode 49 36:27

4M ago36:27

36:27

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 b…

1
Generational Wealth, Scarcity, and Family Legacy with Kate Northrup 38:09

4M ago38:09

38:09

Ep 44: In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Kate Northrup, author, entrepreneur, and founder of Relaxed Money, to explore her ancestral lineage and how it connects to her work in healing our relationship with time and money. We dive deep into the generational patterns of wealth, scarcity, and abundance that have shaped her family’s story…

1
Mark Thompson & Steve Little chat about AI with the Genealogy Guy 32:02

4M ago32:02

32:02

The Genealogy Guy discusses the impact of AI on genealogy with Steve Little and Mark Thompson from the Family History AI Show. Mark, a retired technologist, and Steve, a language and technology enthusiast, highlight AI's rapid evolution, particularly with ChatGPT. They emphasize the importance of scepticism and experimentation, noting that AI's acc…

1
Live Undaunted (with Lisa Valentine Clark) | Episode 48 41:42

5M ago41:42

41:42

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 …

1
EP24: DeepSeek AI Shakes The World, FamilySearch Full-Text Turns One, Microsoft and Google Drop AI Prices, Instructional vs. Reasoning Models 54:55

5M ago54:55

54:55

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore how DeepSeek has dramatically changed the AI landscape by releasing a powerful, inexpensive, open-source model that challenges American dominance in AI. They celebrate the first anniversary of FamilySearch's Full-Text Search, which has expanded from three collections to three thousand in just one-year…

1
Daddy Was an Outlaw (with Jackie Dorothy) | Episode 47 37:04

5M ago37:04

37:04

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 togethe…

1
Their Love Stories | Episode 46 28:41

5M ago28:41

28:41

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…

1
Discovering Ancestral Healing with Dee Taggart 38:47

5M ago38:47

38:47

Ep 43: In this episode of Know Your Ancestors, I sit down with Dee Taggart, a breathwork facilitator and intuitive cranial sacral therapist, to explore the deep connections between ancestry, healing, and personal transformation. Dee shares how her spiritual journey led her to uncover the presence of her grandmother, Virginia Lee Gibbs, during a hea…

1
The Magic Part Is The Listening (with Natalie Zett) | Episode 45 42:49

5M ago42:49

42:49

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 sou…

1
EP23: AI Predictions for 2025: Agents, Local Models, Social Media Chatbots, Writing with AI, Costs Keep Dropping 48:10

5M ago48:10

48:10

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little share their predictions for artificial intelligence developments in 2025, with a special focus on how these changes will affect genealogists and family historians. They explore the emergence of AI agents, the shift to running language models locally on personal devices, and the introduction of chatbots to soc…

1
Jonny Perl @DNAPainter chats with the Genealogy Guy 28:05

5M ago28:05

28:05

Discover the fascinating story behind dna painter with Jonny Perl, a web developer and genealogist who turned his own dna testing experience into an invaluable tool for family history enthusiasts. In this episode,Jonny shares how dna painter helps users visualize family trees, interpret dna matches, and uncover relationships through powerful featur…

1
Not A Secret Anymore (with Linda Goldman and Milly and Marty Mandel) | Episode 44 32:49

5M ago32:49

32:49

"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 famili…

1
Mess in His Wake | Episode 43 21:50

6M ago21:50

21:50

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 abandonm…

1
EP22: The Google Empire Strikes Back: Deep Research Challenges Perplexity, NotebookLM's Big Updates, and Facebook Adds AI to Groups 1:00:51

6M ago1:00:51

1:00:51

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore Google's powerful end-of-year releases that challenge other AI platforms. They examine Google's Deep Research tool and its ability to quickly create comprehensive research reports by combining information from multiple sources. Next, they discuss Facebook's controversial introduction of AI assistants …

1
Bit by the Bug (with Emily Pulham) | Episode 42 27:47

6M ago27:47

27:47

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 durin…

1
Operation Pedro Pan (with Elisa Seeherman and Yda Okurliand-Pack) | Episode 41 37:44

6M ago37:44

37:44

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…

1
EP21: 12 Days of OpenAI Deep Dive, ChatGPT Canvas Easier to Use, Voice & Vision Unite in ChatGPTs mobile apps, Tips for Free AI Tools 53:20

6M ago53:20

53:20

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore OpenAI's "12 Days of OpenAI" campaign, particularly focusing on their new reasoning models and the expanded availability of Canvas across all ChatGPT models. They examine how ChatGPT's new camera view in Advanced Voice Mode transforms mobile research capabilities, demonstrating real-world applications…

1
An Opportunity for Connection | Episode 40 26:58

6M ago26:58

26:58

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…

1
Donna Rutherford gives insight into using DNA with the Genealogy Guy 29:40

6M ago29:40

29:40

Donna Rutherford chats with the Genealogy Guy on Armchair Genealogy Podcast about the basics of genealogy and DNA, emphasizing the importance of understanding DNA matches and ethnicity estimates. She explains that DNA tests provide ethnicity estimates based on reference panels and that different companies use varying algorithms. Rutherford advises …

1
EP20: Top AI Tools Worth Paying For in 2025, AI Tools Not Worth Paying For, 12 Days of OpenAI Begins, Use AI Hallucinations to Your Advantage 1:06:47

6M ago1:06:47

1:06:47

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little reveal their top recommendations for AI tools worth paying for in 2025. They also discuss which AI tools aren't worth paying for in 2025. One of them might surprise you! Next, Mark and Steve begin their review of OpenAI's "12 Days of OpenAI" announcements, beginning with the release of their enhanced O1 reaso…

1
Thanks for the Memories (with George Ott) | Episode 39 34:33

7M ago34:33

34:33

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…

1
It Doesn't Take A Lot (with Jason Terry) | Episode 38 41:13

7M ago41:13

41:13

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 packag…

1
Finding Heroes (with Wayne Abbott and David O'Keefe) | Episode 37 30:36

7M ago30:36

30:36

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 emoti…

1
A Phone Call From Heaven (with Jenny Ashcraft) | Episode 36 28:28

7M ago28:28

28:28

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 relu…

1
EP19: 2024's Top 5 AI Genealogy Breakthroughs, MyHeritage LiveMemory Goes Viral, The Bluesky Migration 52:16

7M ago52:16

52:16

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore the AI developments that had the biggest impact on genealogy in 2024. This week’s episode spotlights MyHeritage's newest viral tool, LiveMemory, which brings old photos to life through animation. Next, Mark and Steve count down the year's top AI breakthroughs for genealogists. The groundbreaking Famil…