Carolina Girl Genealogy

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

GenFriends Genealogy Chat Show-Heirloom Plants with Special Guest Blaine Bettinger

Some of our family's greatest treasures aren't found in photo albums or courthouse records. They're growing quietly in backyards, along old fence lines, and beside forgotten homesteads.

In this episode of GenFriends, Cheri and the panel, Melissa Barker, Jenny Hawran, Laura Hedgecock, Shelley Murphy, and Mary Kircher Roddy, welcome Blaine Bettinger to explore the stories behind heirloom plants and discover how flowers, shrubs, trees, herbs, and vegetables passed from one generation to the next can provide meaningful clues about the people who planted them. We'll discuss how these living heirlooms can reveal migration patterns, family traditions, cultural heritage, and connections to ancestral homes while helping preserve memories that might otherwise be lost.

Whether you've inherited a rose bush from your grandmother, found daffodils blooming where an old farmhouse once stood, or wondered about the century-old fig tree in the backyard, this conversation will inspire you to look at your family history through a different lens. Sometimes the roots of our family stories are quite literally growing beneath our feet.

Do you have heirloom plants?

We'd love to hear from you!

Jenny's Heirloom Plant

Mary's Postcard

Links in this episode:

The Genetic Genealogist
https://thegeneticgenealogist.com/

Melissa Barker -A Genealogist in the Archives

http://agenealogistinthearchives.blogspot.com/

Bernice Bennett-BerniceBennett.com

http://www.BerniceAlexanderBennett.com

Jenny Hawran-Like Herding Cats Genealogy

https://like-herding-cats.com/

Laura Hedgecock-Treasure Chest of Memories

https://treasurechestofmemories.com/

Mary Kircher Roddy-MKR Genealogy

https://www.mkrgenealogy.com/

https://appliedgen.institute/

Shelley Murphey-Family Tree Girl

https://familytreegirl.com/

Thank you so much for watching!

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Thanks so much for stopping by!

Helping you climb your family tree,

Sunday, June 28, 2026

Sunday Celebration-Genealogy Happy Dance! Teaching and Learning at GRIP

You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone that you found the document, contacted a cousin with the family Bible, made a DNA connection, or found a new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.

Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries.

This weekly series enables everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment.

Share by scrolling

down and add your story to the comments section, or you may also put a link to a blog post telling about what had you dancing this week.

My Happy Dance Moment for the week:

This past week, I had the honor of joining Katherine Willson and a wonderful group of instructors and students for the GRIP course "Marching Toward Change: Reformers, Crisis and Movements that transformed 19th and 20th Century America. My session was on the abolitionist movement.

This course helped to see how society and its choices, good or bad, changed our ancestors' lives and how our ancestors may have been part of that change.

So many things to think about, some were very heavy, but some were inspirational too.

There has not been a genealogy institute course like it! A true happy dance week!

What was your happy dance moment?

Share your Happy Dance Moment for the week, and let's celebrate together!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Helping you climb your family tree,

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

GenFriends Genealogy Chat Show: Researching in Cemeteries with Special Guest Amy Johnson Crow

The panel, Melissa Barker, Jenny Hawran, Laura Hedgecock, Shelley Murphy, Mary Kircher Rody, and I welcome special guest Amy Johnson Crow to talk to us about researching in cemeteries.

Watch as Amy shares tips and experiences with finding family in cemeteries, and we share ours!