Stories That Live In Us
Episodes
Rhode Island: A Spirit of Independence (with Maureen Taylor) | Episode 106
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What can a single vintage photograph tell you about your ancestors? Maureen Taylor, know as The Photo Detective®, has spent decades proving that old ...
Vermont: Conversations of Green Mountain Kingdoms (with Mike Brousseau) | Episode 105
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder how a "Hallmark movie" setting shapes a family for generations? In this episode, Mike Brousseau shares stories from the Northeas...
Kentucky: Postmasters & Snapping Turtles (with Caitlyn Bruns & Paul Abell) | Episode 104
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us...
Tennessee: A Patriot From the Holler | Episode 103
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us...
Ohio: Family Roots, Foundational Soil | Episode 102
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the names your ancestors gave their children were actually breadcrumbs leading straight to the neighbors who helped shape their lives? In this...
Louisiana: Red Lipstick, Hidden Heirlooms, and Family Secrets (with Arlene Rome) | Episode 101
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the most precious pieces of your family history were ones you had to secretly carry home five steps at a time? In this episode, I sit down w...
Indiana: Been Here All Along (with Lisa Fanning) | Episode 100
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be an American when your family has been here longer than America itself? Lisa Fanning, a board member of the National Genealogic...
Mississippi: Finding Far East in the Deep South (with Larrisa Lam) | Episode 99
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a California family walks into Mississippi and walks out forever changed?Filmmaker and music executive, Larissa Lam, director of the...
Illinois: Scoundrels and Scandals (with Sue Talbot) | Episode 98
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Alabama: Generations of Joy (with Noah Lapidus)
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When Noah’s car broke down in rural Ukraine, he discovered something unexpected: the warmth of strangers who knew his ancestors had once called thei...
Maine: Memories Making History (with Steve Bromage) | Episode 96
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Missouri: Disaster in the Heart of America (with Kim Harrison) | Episode 95
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Arkansas: Nana and the Aunts | Episode 94
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Michigan: Broken Headstones & Unearthed Stories (with Justin Frost) | Episode 93
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Florida: A Good Deed Is Never Lost (with Meredith Kratzer Sellers) | Episode 92
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Texas: Christmas Card Culture Connections (with Sylvia Hernandez) | Episode 91
25 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Sylvia Hernandez discovered vintage Christmas cards in a university archive, her coworkers didn't understand their significance. But for her...
Iowa: A Love of Food and Family (with Rosie Grant) | Episode 90
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When archivist Rosie Grant stumbled upon a gravestone with a spritz cookie recipe carved into it, she had no idea it would change her life. What began...
Wisconsin: Great Grandmothers and the Great Migration (with Dani Allen) | Episode 89
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Dani was in eighth grade, she watched her grandmother wash and braid her own mother’s hair. In that moment, she was witness to a ritual passed ...
California: Stars Shooting Out of Silence (with Candace Dixon Horne) | Episode 88
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Candace Dixon-Horne's husband bought AncestryDNA kits in 2018, she hesitated before sending hers in. Raised by a single mom in Arkansas, Can...
Minnesota: Santa Claus, a Corn Cob Pipe, and Nellie Oleson (with Lisa Elzey) | Episode 87
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Oregon: Trail of the Unclaimed | Episode 86
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Phyllis Zegers discovered her cousin died alone in Oregon State Hospital in the 1890s, she never imagined it would lead to reconnecting hundreds ...
Kansas: A Calling From the Ancestors (with Calvin Osborne) | Episode 85
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Calvin Osborne, a Washington D.C. attorney and Civil War reenactor, spent nearly three decades studying African American military history before Ances...
West Virginia: Fame or Infamy in the Mountain State (with Mallory Peterson) | Episode 84
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Mallory Peterson discovered she had Scottish ancestry instead of Cherokee heritage, she uncovered something intriguing that has captured her imag...
Nevada: The Well-Worn Path | Episode 83
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Nebraska: Connecting to the Land Through Stories (with Greg Wagner)
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Greg Wagner's great-great-grandmother made her dying wish to be buried not in a cemetery but beneath an oak tree on their Nebraska homestead...
Colorado: Braving the Wild Frontier (with Chris Trainor) | Episode 81
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
North Dakota: Creating Community (with Sarah Walker) | Episode 80
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Sarah Walker's grandfather checked his mail one last day before leaving for World War I, he discovered a neighbor had intervened to keep him...
South Dakota: Finding the Girl in the Middle (with Marni Sandweiss)
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When historian Marni Sandweiss discovered an 1868 photograph of six prominent Civil War generals standing around an unnamed Indigenous girl, she could...
Montana: Love, Loss, and Everything In-Between (with Mary Anne Mercer) | Episode 78
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
💕 When Mary Anne Mercer discovered her great-grandmother's diary in a trunk that had sat untouched since 1915, she knew she had found somethin...
Washington: Replanted Roots Now Evergreen (with Cyndi Ingle) | Episode 77
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Idaho: Unboxing Gems of the Past (with Jen Iverson) | Episode 76
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Wyoming: Tumbleweed Ties That Bind (with Lindy Nielsen) | Episode 75
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Utah: Walking Where They Walked (with Michelle Ercanbrack) | Episode 74
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Michelle Ercanbrack volunteered for a Mormon pioneer trek, she thought she'd be helping teenagers learn history. What she discovered instead...
Oklahoma: Two Genealogists and a DNA Match (with Nicka Sewell-Smith) | Episode 73
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
New Mexico: Centuries of Stories (with Stephen Torres) | Episode 72
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
Arizona: Hidden Gifts of Healing (with Lisa Louise Cooke | Episode 71
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Lisa Louise Cooke walked into her estranged grandmother's house in Arizona, she had no idea she was about to discover the key to healing a d...
Alaska: Treasured Pieces from the Last Frontier (with Jay Marquiss)
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🏔️ When Jay Marquiss sat down for breakfast at a Southern Utah ranch house, he had no idea a casual conversation would unlock a 130-year-old fami...
Hawaii: Woven Together in the Aloha State (with Mike Daniels)
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when cultures collide and choose connection instead of conflict?To launch our America 250 series and Season 2 of the podcast, I sit down ...
America 250: A Journey Through 50 States and 50 Stories That Live In Us (Season 2 Trailer)
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the story of America isn't just in history books, but living right now in your family tree? As we approach America's 250th birthday ...
Waiting to Be Found (with Hopwood DePree) | Episode 68
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🛏😴 What if you found out that the bedtime stories you were told as a kid were really true?When Hopwood DePree finally traced his unusual first n...
A Life Changing Adventure (with Diana O'Connor) | Episode 67
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🌍 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...
Gathering and Connections (with Betheny Tomseth) | Episode 66
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🎂 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, know...
Wonderful Grandmothers (with Aimee Cross) | Episode 65
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Aimee Cross discovered her French ancestor's will in a 1904 newspaper, she found something more precious than gold - a grandmother's he...
These Are My Kinfolk: A Juneteenth Reunion (with Linda Epps Parker) | Episode 64
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Linda felt there was "something special" in her dad's family but couldn't get answers. She never imagined a single phone call woul...
An Honest Witness | Episode 63
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if one of history's most famous authors unknowingly documented your ancestor's immigration journey? In 1863, my three-times-great-grand...
Through the Eyes of a Child ( with Tamara Buzyna Adams) | Episode 62
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🚢 When 11-year-old Lydia escaped Russia on the last evacuation ship in 1920, she began documenting her extraordinary journey in beautiful handwritt...
Even in the Face of Injustice | Episode 61
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 shoc...
The Ache Is Still There (with Tara Hall) | Episode 60
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
I Can See All The Story (with Lisa Elzey) | Episode 59
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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&...
I Can Live With the Truth (with Nidel Day) | Episode 58
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When DNA results revealed a puzzling Quebec connection in Lisa Elzey's family tree — everything she thought she knew was called into question.....
One Year Anniversary - I'm So Glad You're Here | Episode 57
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For one year straight, I've shared stories that remind us we're all connected through the messy, beautiful threads of family history — and...
We Wear a Poppy (with Simon Pearce) | Episode 56
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Marry a Genealogist (with Irene Hantman) | Episode 55
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
💕 When a stranger asked Irene Hantman about Arthur Kurzweil's lecture at a Jewish genealogy conference, she never imagined it would change her...
All I Need is a Warm Glass of Milk (with Brian Donnelly) | Episode 54
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🍀 When Brian Donnelly's grandfather calmly announced he was having a heart attack, nine-year-old Brian's only instruction was to fetch a ...
Ancestors Are Complicated (with Anne Mitchell) | Episode 53
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Anne Mitchell discovered a tattered family Bible with a handwritten account of an ancestor eagerly joining the Confederate Army in 1861 it change...
Project Managing the Saga (with Nicka Sewell-Smith) | Episode 52
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 descend...
The Irish Experience (with Kyle Betit) | Episode 51
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🍀 When I gathered around a traditional peat fire in Galway with a group of descendants of the Irish Diaspora, I experienced my ancestors' worl...
It's Like Genealogy 3.0 (with Jenn Utley) | Episode 50
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
〰️ 🌳 🧬 〰️ 🎧 Ready to discover more stories that could transform your family connections? Subscribe to 'Stories That Live In Us&...
For a Wise Purpose (with Steve Rockwood) | Episode 49
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Steve Rockwood discovered his ancestor's journal as a child, he never imagined how family stories would shape his future as President of F...
Live Undaunted (with Lisa Valentine Clark) | Episode 48
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 whe...
Daddy Was an Outlaw (with Jackie Dorothy) | Episode 47
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A childhood memory of two sisters arguing at a kitchen table leads historian Jackie Dorothy to uncover an astounding truth — her great-grandfather w...
Their Love Stories | Episode 46
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 episod...
The Magic Part Is The Listening (with Natalie Zett) | Episode 45
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Not A Secret Anymore (with Linda Goldman and Milly and Marty Mandel) | Episode 44
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
Mess in His Wake | Episode 43
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When family relationships shatter, the ripples can span generations. In this deeply personal episode, I uncover the story of my great-great-grandfathe...
Bit by the Bug (with Emily Pulham) | Episode 42
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 f...
Operation Pedro Pan (with Elisa Seeherman and Yda Okurliand-Pack) | Episode 41
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 c...
An Opportunity for Connection | Episode 40
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Thanks for the Memories (with George Ott) | Episode 39
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 shar...
It Doesn't Take A Lot (with Jason Terry) | Episode 38
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Finding Heroes (with Wayne Abbott and David O'Keefe) | Episode 37
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered if there are forgotten family heroes in your past? In this episode, documentarians Wayne Abbott and David O'Keefe reveal h...
A Phone Call From Heaven (with Jenny Ashcraft) | Episode 36
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Jenny Ashcraft joked with her dying father about needing a 'cell phone call from heaven' to start family history... that's exactly...
Sometimes You Don't Like the Answer (with Lisa Elzey) | Episode 35
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two genealogists discover they might share a Mayflower connection - but there's a twist.In this special Thanksgiving episode, my producer Lisa El...
Back to the Cherokee Nation (with Nicka Sewell-Smith) | Episode 34
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Not everyone stumbles on a photo of a relative hanging in a hotel bathroom, but Nicka Sewell-Smith isn’t just anyone. And, that’s not even the mos...
The Fabric of Who You Are | (with Diahan Southard) | Episode 33
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever thought about how deeply you can trace your roots with just a simple DNA test?Listen in on my conversation with Diahan Southard, a trail...
Dad, I Want to Know About the War (with Becky Ellis) | Episode 32
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For 43 years, Becky Ellis's father refused to speak about his World War II service — until one conversation at age 89 changed everything. What ...
Not Much of a Saint | Episode 31
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does the veil between worlds thin as October turns to November? I certainly think so.Born on All Saints Day, my birthday celebrations always mingled w...
La Cugina d'Americana (with Suzanne Russo Adams) | Episode 30
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A young girl sits at her Italian family's dinner table, absorbing stories of sea monsters, witches, and prohibition-era St. Louis — while her c...
Why Didn't We Know This Story (with Gayle George) | Episode 29
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if uncovering a family story you never knew could change the way you see yourself and the world? In 2019, Ancestry's documentary Railroad Ti...
I Had Come Home | Episode 28
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When someone asks where you're from, do you think of a place or the people? For me, that question took on new meaning when I unexpectedly burst i...
Be At The Things That Matter Most (with The Cowan Niblings) | Episode 27
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Cowans show up for each other!" When seven cousins gather in a podcast studio after their Alaskan adventure, this family motto comes alive....
Moments of Really Beautiful Things (IAJGS LIVE) | Episode 26
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What do Lake Como, Italy, a Jewish genealogy conference, and a surprise discovery in Chicago all have in common? They're woven together in a stor...
A Whole Other Tree of Possibilities (with Todd Godfrey) | Episode 25
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if solving your family history was like tackling a 5000-piece puzzle without the box? For Todd Godfrey, Vice President of Global Content at Ances...
HBO Gift Lounge | Episode 24
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Emmys Weekend in Los Angeles. What does that have to do with family stories?Well, back in 2018, Ancestry hosted a luxury gift lounge during a...
You Lose Them Twice (with Julie Taggart) | Episode 23
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We call ourselves Gen X women but many of us are quickly becoming the “sandwich generation.” It’s a term that invokes feelings of being squeezed...
From People Who've Done Hard Things (with Jordan Lundskog) | Episode 22
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Jordan Lundskog lost his beloved grandfather at age 16, he discovered that family stories aren't just tales from the past – they're b...
Turn It Into the Wind (with Erik and Emily Orton) | Episode 21
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered what it takes to turn an ordinary life into an extraordinary adventure? When former Broadway professional Erik Orton suggested his famil...
Open Heart, Open Mind, Open Ears (with Maria Mendoza) | Episode 20
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"What's it like holding and looking at your own DNA?" This simple question about her newborn son sparked something profound in Maria Me...
Laugh 'Til We Cry (with Scott Seiffert and Lisa Dyson) | Episode 19
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When animation executive Scott Seiffert learned that generations of his family drank at bars and told stories in Montana, something clicked into place...
Families Have Always Been Messy | Episode 18
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when an 18-year-old girl questions her faith in 1727 England? For my ancestor Margaret Lawrence, that choice set off a chain of events th...
Police Don't Have Nothin' On Me (with Rusty Wright and Lisa Elzey) | Episode 17
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if the secrets to your family's past were hidden in plain sight, waiting to be discovered in the most unexpected places - like a county jail...
Fearless Women (with Cathy Hughes) | Episode 16
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When children are raised knowing the stories of the strong, fearless women in their family tree they are more likely to feel empowered to chase their ...
Familial Sudoku (with Josh Harman) | Episode 15
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you revel in solving a good brain teaser or completing a crossword puzzle? Climbing your family tree can feel a little like piecing together a tric...
What Is Your American Story? (with Mary Tedesco) | Episode 14
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did a simple search on Ancestry.com spark a lifelong passion, a stronger mother-daughter bond, and a stint as a host on a popular genealogy televi...
Their Stories in Their Words | Episode 13
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1891, Martha Mills Brown wrote a heart-wrenching letter to her children and grandchildren, detailing her family's harrowing experiences during...
We're Doing This Together (with Steve Cowan) | Episode 12
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every Sunday night at 9:30 PM, my dad and I meet virtually to solve family history mysteries together — a tradition we've kept for over seven y...
Continue to Say His Name (with Kelley Dixon-Tealer and Alva Marie Jenkins) | Episode 11
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1865, Hawkins Wilson, a Texas freedman, wrote letters searching for the family he was torn from as a young, enslaved boy more than 24 years earlier...
We'll Always Keep Searching (with Emily Paulson) | Episode 10
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Emily Paulson learned that nearly 72,000 WWII heroes remained unidentified, she found her calling...Through her role as a contractor at the Defen...
One Person's Trash | Episode 9
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When an unexpected email unearthed irreplaceable family heirlooms, it reminded me that people—including our own relatives—are often not quite what...
L'dor V'dor - From Generation to Generation (with Howard Hochhauser) | Episode 8
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Serena never spoke of her life before she married into the Hochhauser family. They knew she was from Eastern Europe and, based on her age and immigrat...