Submissions
Over the last several years, I've had the opportunity to work on a variety of TV shows and to publish four books and heaven-knows-how-many articles. This means I'm always on the lookout for a good story - anything with a genealogical hook or family history angle to it. That's what all these submission forms are for. If you have any stubborn cases that resist cracking - or perhaps a success story you'd like to share - have a look at the following options and submit your story for consideration. I just might solve your mystery. And who knows? Your tale could wind up in a magazine or TV show!
- Ancestor Lookalikes - Is your son the spitting image of your great-grandfather? Do your older relatives always tell you how much you resemble a great-aunt you never met? Have you ever done a double take at a sepia-toned photo because the Civil War soldier staring out looks just like your brother? If so, please share your images here.
- Orphan Heirlooms - As you may or may not know, I write a column for Ancestry Daily News and one of my favorite topics is orphan heirloom rescues. It's amazing how many people wind up with other families' stuff for some reason. Maybe they buy a house and find an old family Bible in the attic or they just can't resist that great sepia-toned photo at the flea market. However it happens, folks write to me with the details of the treasures they've found, I do the detective work to track down descendants of the original owners, and the item is returned to its rightful owner. Then I write about the "rescue" in an article. Use this option to submit your orphan heirloom.
- Lost Loved Ones - Due to my work with the U.S. Army, tracing the families of soldiers unaccounted for from Korea, WWII and Vietnam (and all orphan heirloom rescues I do), I've gotten surprisingly good at locating the living. Do you have someone in your life who's gone missing? A distant cousin you wish you could find? A favorite girl friend from your school days? An old military buddy you'd like to talk to again? Tell me the details here.
- Brick Wall/Mystery - Have you - just like just about all of us - hit a brick wall in your family history research? Is there a particular ancestor you're fascinated with who continues to remain elusive? Have you heard some intriguing, whispered tale in your family that you can't quite prove? Do you lie awake at nights trying to figure out how to kick down some stubborn brick wall? This is the place to submit such tales.
- DNA Stories - Are you into genetealogy (genetic genealogy)? Do you think that DNA testing might be able to resolve some family history mystery once and for all? For instance, could you learn if you're really related to that famous person, if only you could find the right person to test to represent him or her? Do you think that maybe some testing could prove or disprove an old family tale about how your surname was changed? Did you grow up with whispered tales about who Grandpa's real father was? Or do you have a DNA success story you'd like to share - an example of how you used DNA testing to crack some brick wall in your research? Here's where to submit your genetic genealogy stories.
By the way, in case you haven't checked out the Grants section of this site, I offer a monthly grants program for deserving genealogical and family history-oriented projects (for both organizations and individuals). All the details you need to apply for a grant can be found here, but we've included the application form here as well to make it especially easy to find.
