About Leland Meitzler

Leland K. Meitzler founded Heritage Quest in 1985, and has worked as Managing Editor of both Heritage Quest Magazine and The Genealogical Helper. He currently operates Family Roots Publishing Company (www.FamilyRootsPublishing.com), writes daily at GenealogyBlog.com, writes the weekly Genealogy Newsline, conducts the annual Salt Lake Christmas Tour to the Family History Library, and speaks nationally, having given over 2000 lectures since 1983.

RootsTech Adds KeyNote Speaker Leigh Ann Tuohy & Comedian Ryan Hamilton

The Following was received from Jen Allen at RootsTech: Leigh Anne Tuohy and Ryan Hamilton round out RootsTech keynote speaker and entertainment line-up We’re thrilled to announce that Leigh Anne Tuohy, inspirational subject of the hit movie, The Blind Side, Continue reading RootsTech Adds KeyNote Speaker Leigh Ann Tuohy & Comedian Ryan Hamilton

Record Collections at MyHeritage Added in the Second Half of December 2019

The following was received from MyHeritage.com: 821.2 million records were added to MyHeritage in the last two weeks of December — bringing the total number of historical records in MyHeritage SuperSearch™ to 11 billion records! Here is the list of Continue reading Record Collections at MyHeritage Added in the Second Half of December 2019

The Frederick Douglass Newspapers, 1847-1874 Are Now Online

The Frederick Douglas Newspapers have been posted online at the Library of Congress website. The following excerpt is from a fascinating blog on the topic, posted January 17, 2020 and written by Arlene Balkansky: The striking, forward-thinking motto, “Right Is Continue reading The Frederick Douglass Newspapers, 1847-1874 Are Now Online

Gadsden Public Library to Convert Alabama City Branch Into a Genealogy Library

The following teaser is from an article by Dustin Fox for The Gadsden Times in Alabama: The library’s genealogy and reference department, which is currently located on the fourth floor of the main branch, will be moving into the Hoyt Continue reading Gadsden Public Library to Convert Alabama City Branch Into a Genealogy Library

Ancestry Finds that AI Optimizes their Cloud Platform Without Impeding the User Experience

The following teaser is from an article posted January 14, 2020 at ciodive.com. Ancestry spent two years executing its shift to the cloud. In that time, the genealogy company migrated a database of over 20 million members away from data Continue reading Ancestry Finds that AI Optimizes their Cloud Platform Without Impeding the User Experience

Genetic Ancestry at a Genomic Location of an Admixed Individual – Report Posted at Nature.com

An extensive article dealing with local ancestry, defined as the genetic ancestry at a genomic location of an admixed individual, has been posted as a Scientific Report at the website of Nature. Honestly, I was lost before I hardly got Continue reading Genetic Ancestry at a Genomic Location of an Admixed Individual – Report Posted at Nature.com

FGS and the National Park Service Announce Launch of U.S.- Mexican War Soldier & Sailor Database

Great News! The following news release was received from Mike Mansfield, FGS: January 14, 2020 – Austin, TX. and Brownsville, TX.: The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and the National Park Service’s Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (NPS) announce Continue reading FGS and the National Park Service Announce Launch of U.S.- Mexican War Soldier & Sailor Database

Finding Your Roots – Season 6 – Beyond the Pale – Featuring Guest Terry Gross, Jeff Goldblum and Marc Maron

Season 6 of Finding Your Roots is in full swing. Guests on the program airing at 8/7C pm Tuesday, January 21 are Terry Gross, Jeff Goldblum and Marc Maron. Hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the genealogy adventures are always Continue reading Finding Your Roots – Season 6 – Beyond the Pale – Featuring Guest Terry Gross, Jeff Goldblum and Marc Maron

NEW – The Sterling Affair – a Morton Farrier genealogy novel by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

I see that Nathan Dylan Goodwin has a new Morton Farrier genealogy novel now available at Amazon. The title is: The Sterling Affair. This one is the longest Morton Farrier, Forensic Genealogist book yet, at 392 pages in paperback. It’s Continue reading NEW – The Sterling Affair – a Morton Farrier genealogy novel by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

NEW: The Saxon Duchies of Thuringia: Alphabetical and Reverse Alphabetical Lists of Place Names – Now Shipping

This volume is the latest in Alphabetical and Reverse Alphabetical Lists of German Place Names volumes written by Roger Minert. It is made up of an alphabetical, as well as a reverse alphabetical index of the Saxon Duchies of Thuringia. Continue reading NEW: The Saxon Duchies of Thuringia: Alphabetical and Reverse Alphabetical Lists of Place Names – Now Shipping

German Immigrants in American Church Records – Vol. 28: Northeast Ohio Protestant – Now Shipping

The latest edition of Roger Minert’s German Immigrants in American Church Records series is now shipping. Published in December 2019, all copies that were to be shipped to standing order patrons have gone out. Copies of this latest volume, as Continue reading German Immigrants in American Church Records – Vol. 28: Northeast Ohio Protestant – Now Shipping