We asked you to share your memories and sayings from your father. We wanted to know how he had an impact on your life, whether it was advice, a loving saying or a life lesson.

We received numerous responses completing the sentence: “My father used to say… .”

Here are some of our favorites:

• Maureen Kennedy:  I was always bothered about being smaller than my friends; my dad used to say, "The best things come in little packets."
• Barbara A. Morgan: My dad died 33 years ago in January. When we talked about cornbread and asked daddy why he didn't like it, he would always say: "Corn is for horses," and if we said our nose was running, he would say "and your feet smell." Sure do miss him.
• Noel Barbaso: My father used to say: “To pass on to the future the ideals and aspirations of the past is an obligation of the present.”
• Mary Le Myre: “Once bitten, twice shy.”
• Valerie Warunek: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" and " silence is golden."
• Rebecca Fisher: Mine used to say “always look where you are going” (especially watch your feet).
• Jim N Del Dennis: “You cannot put old heads onto young shoulders.”
• Brian Grieves: “Be truthful in all things and you will get respect and the truth back.”
• Catherine Phillips - My father used to say “when you are feeling down keep busy.” It is the best advice and I follow it to this day.
• Jacquelyn Rayma Justice: " Daddy taught me, "Don't be afraid of anything, but be aware of everything."
• Kay Wiley Parcel: "My father used to say " A place for everything and everything in its place."
• Joanne Benger: “Always talk to your children.”
• Robert Cooper Young: My father used to say, and still does, “I am not always right, but I am never wrong.”
• Thomas Greene: “If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.”
• Kathleen Wharmbizzle: “No matter where you go, there you are.”
• Nelia Kruger: His saying always was; ''unbelievable and beautiful!”
• Mary LaCoste: “Be kind even to your enemy: It will save you in the long run!”
• Susan Williams Milam: "Don't put anything in writing that you wouldn't want posted on the front page of the newspaper." and "hate is a very strong word."
• Karen Sterling: “Get a good education so that you never have to depend on someone else.”
• Pat Platt: “Work hard for anything you have.”
• Diane Carpenter:  "Never turn your back on family and friends because you never know when you might need them."
• Brenda Creighton:  "Don't make no never mind."
• Sandy Hills: "Have something to be proud of to hand down to your children and their children as well."
• Peter Bradshaw: My father used to say, "That's not the worst thing that's going to happen to you in your life."
• Joy Dyson: "If you want it, you will earn it," and "live for today, for tomorrow may never come."

Congratulations to Noel Barbaso on winning a free one-year Premium Plus subscription to MyHeritage.com! Thanks to everyone who participated.

We wish you and your family a Happy Father’s Day. How will you be celebrating today? Let us know in the comments, Facebook, Twitter or Google+.

Happy Father’s Day!

The Record Detective™ is breakthrough technology that brings new leads by turning a single historical record into a door to other related records and family tree connections.

Join our free online webinar to see the Record Detective™ in action, and learn how it can unlock the clues to your family history.

Chief Genealogist Daniel Horowitz will answer your questions and help you learn how to get the most out of this excellent family history tool.

Date: Monday, June 17, 2013

Time: 3-4pm EDT

Register free here: http://bit.ly/12J7311

Do you have any questions you'd like answered? Put them in the comments below, and we'll address them during the webinar.

Feel free to "like" this post. Share it with your friends so they can also join in - the webinar is open to everyone.

We look forward to seeing you online.

Father’s Day is a celebration honoring dads, granddads and paternal bonds, and in honor of the day we want to know how your dad made an impact on your life by participating in our competition (see details below.)

Image credit: http://justimagine-ddoc.com/

The day has American roots and was founded in Spokane, Washington by Sonora Smart Dodd.

The first celebration took place on June 19, 1910. Initially, Sonora wanted to honor this day on her father’s birthday - June 5 - but as there was not enough time to prepare, the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday in June, when it is still celebrated.

It was only in 1972 that Father’s Day became a permanent national holiday in the U.S.

In anticipation of Father’s Day on June 16, we want to learn about your favorite memories of your fathers and grandfathers, and the advice they have given over the years.

How did your dad make an impact on you? What words of wisdom did he share that you will give to the next generation?

Let us know by completing the sentence “My father used to say…” in the comments below. One winner will receive a one-year PremiumPlus MyHeritage subscription.

We look forward to reading your memories. How will you be celebrating next week?

This week, I'm celebrating my own wedding anniversary, and I began thinking about all the memories shared with my husband and our excitement about our future.

The origins of wedding anniversaries date back to the Holy Roman Empire, when husbands crowned their wives with a silver wreath on their 25th anniversary. During the 20th century, other anniversaries began to be represented by materials such as “wood,” “pearl ” and “diamond.”

Here's a list of traditional anniversaries and some gift ideas:

1: Paper: Traditions include giving a paper gift to your spouse, such as a photo album or collage depicting memories over the past year.

2: Cotton: A nice idea for a present is a cotton T-shirt with a design print.

3: Leather: A watch strap, belt or shoes are great gift ideas.

4: Fruits and Flower: Women love flowers, so send her some for this anniversary!

5: Wood: Get into the DIY spirit and building something yourself; handmade gifts are always valuable.

6: Sugar: Remember your sweet memories by giving your loved one chocolates or candy.

7: Wool or Copper: Some options include clothing or a copper money clip, but there are many gift ideas for this anniversary.

8: Bronze: How about a bronze necklace or a sculpture?

9: Pottery: Why not take a pottery workshop with your spouse for a fun anniversary activity?

10: Tin: Fill a metal box with photos, movie ticket stubs, menus and other memories of your time  together over the past 10 years.

Other anniversaries:

15: Crystal
20: China
25: Silver
30: Pearl
35: Coral
40: Ruby
45: Sapphire
50: Gold
55: Emerald
60: Diamond
65: Blue Sapphire
70: Platinum
75: Diamond
80: Oak
85: Wine

Do you know the oldest anniversary in your family tree? What anniversary will you be celebrating this year?

Share your comments below.

Family photo outside the North Holland Archives

Joining them was our Netherlands country manager Denie Kasan, who documented their reunion at the North Holland Archives in Haarlem. Following is a translation based on his original post.

Last week in the North Holland Archives, a special family reunion took place.

In honor of their Canadian relative Gordon Benedict, MyHeritage user Elly Groot organized the event to meet him for the first time.

The day began with introductions and snacks. Gordon was pleasantly surprised by the local treats and souvenirs.

Starting the day with introductions and snacks

Elly invited Gordon to share his story, talk about his family, and how he discovered his new Dutch relatives.

While studying in the Netherlands, Gordon became interested in finding out more about his family background, and visited his grandmother to ask questions.

After returning home, his curiosity got the better of him, and he wanted to learn even more about his family heritage. After searching on Google, he found MyHeritage and signed up to begin his search.

Gordon Benedict shares his family and background

After entering the information that he knew, Gordon began to receive Smart Matches, which led to family tree connections with other users, including André Been and Elly Groot.  He met André and Elly for the first time at the reunion.

“You start with a simple question about one Tjeerd Raatsveld and, before you know it, you are already back 20 years,” said Gordon.

Through genealogical research, Gordon discovered more about his Dutch family and Holland, in general.

Gordon also gave a photo presentation about his childhood and growing up in Canada, in addition to sharing how he discovered his family.

He said that he really enjoyed his visit to the Netherlands to meet his distant relatives and to enrich his family connections.

Gordon meets new family members

We love to hear about MyHeritage members finding distant relatives from around the world.

Have you found any family members that live across the globe? What have you recently discovered about your family history?

Let us know in the comments below.

Interview older relatives first. They may be the only people who know from which country or  town your immigrant ancestors came, or the spelling of an original surname, or any name changes made over the generations. Unless that knowledge is documented before they die or their memories fade, then that information may be lost forever.

Storytelling is a great way to add details to your family tree, and interviewing a relative is a great way to start. To help with your family history research, here are some tips for interviewing relatives.

Useful tips for interviewing family members:

1. Prepare. Be clear about your objectives. What type of information are you seeking? Whom do you want to find out about, on which side of the family? Bring a camera to photograph your relatives. You can also photograph artifacts and older photos the relatives may show you. These all serve as great memories.

2. Create a list of questions or topics to cover. The questions will depend on how well you know the relative and their side of the family. Try to order the questions so that your relative will begin talking about their immediate family and then work outwards to more distant relatives. For example, start with questions about their children, siblings, and parents. Then try to order the questions so that they move backwards in time, to their grandparents and great-grandparents. Don’t forget to include questions about others, such as aunts, uncles, and cousins who may not be direct ancestors.

3. Decide how you will record the interview. Bring a paper and pen to take notes. Ask your relative in advance if they would mind your using a voice recorder or video camera to preserve the interview.

4. Call ahead.  Try to allow plenty of time – it always takes longer than you think! Make sure to arrange a time and location that is convenient for your relative. Don't forget to ask if they have any family photos, certificates or other items of family history they could show you when you meet.

5. Start with a family photo. If they have found photographs, begin the interview by discussing these. Or use a family photograph that you have brought to the interview. Try to ensure that it contains one or more family members that the relative will recognize and that he or she may want to talk about. Group wedding photos or family portraits are a great start.

6. Ask open-ended questions. Use “open” questions like “What do you remember about your grandparents?” or "How was it like growing up in...?" Feel free to ask if they have any interesting family stories. Towards the end of the interview, add “closed” questions to get more specific details, like “Where is your grandmother buried?”

7. Create part of the family tree together. If possible, take your family tree with you. Then, if any new individuals are mentioned during the conversation, immediately add their names and details to the tree. This way, your relative can see the tree growing, and it will be easier to work out who is related to whom. Offer to send them an updated copy of the family tree once you have added the new details. Family tree software, like Family Tree Builder, makes it easy to edit and print out your family tree. You can also edit your family tree on the go with our mobile apps, as well as take photos from the palm of your hand.

8. Lead the interview. Guide the direction of the interview to stay on topic, but don’t just stick to prepared topics and questions or you may miss some genealogical gems. For example, if your relative tells you that their father was in the army, this could be interesting to ask follow-up questions in the interview - even if it wasn't on your original list of questions. If you sense that your relative is uncomfortable talking about a particular topic or person, move to a different topic. You can always come back to that topic at a later time or date or ask about another relative who will be able to add more details. It is important to make sure the interview is an enjoyable experience for both you and your relative.

9. Leave something behind. Bring a copy of a family photo or a printed part of a family tree to leave with your relative. Remember to leave your contact information so they can be in touch if they remember anything else or want to add more details to a specific topic.

10. Follow-up at home. Label your original notes and any audio or video tapes with the name and contact details of the relative who was interviewed, including the date, time and place. If you took audio or video recordings, prepare a word-for-word transcript for extra notes. If you took handwritten notes, type them up.  Once your notes are compiled, extract key genealogical details and add these to your family tree sheets or charts. Make sure to add appropriate details about the source of each detail. Often this process will generate ideas for follow-up research. Identify any items that need to be clarified, write them down and make a follow-up telephone call to your relative. And, lastly, don’t forget a “thank you” note, as this may generate an invitation for another meeting. Then you can ask all those questions you didn't get to in the first interview!

We wish you success with your family interviews, and we hope they unlock interesting family stories and information.

Do you have additional tips on how to interview family members? Or,  have you discovered something new about your family as you interviewed a relative? Let us know in the comments below, on Facebook, Twitter and Google +.

Laurence Harris, Head of Genealogy (UK) – MyHeritage.com

In early May, New Zealand’s Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages released an updated list of banned baby names.

Do you have a Lucifer, Queen V, King, V8, Prime Minister or Justice in your family tree? Those are all (as well as others) on the list  that are unacceptable.

The banned list is not static, and grows over time. According to the registrar, acceptable names may not cause offense, be unreasonably long or resemble any official title and rank.

Banned names go far beyond New Zealand. In Sweden, the Civil Registry banned the name Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116 and, in the Dominican Republic, parents cannot name their children after cars or fruit.

While these names may not be the norm, it has caused debate about government roles in determining the responsibility for what a parent can name a child.

What do you think about these “different” names? Should we be able to name our children whatever we want, or is it unfair to subject them to bizarre names that may affect them in later life?

Do you have any “odd” names in your family tree?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, Facebook, Twitter, and Google +.

This year’s theme is “Follow the Path to the Past,” and the event takes place from Friday-Sunday, June 6-9, in Burbank, California.

We’re excited to see friends and meet new faces from all those expected at Jamboree. Will you be there? We’ll be at booth #409 where you can visit our team:

• Daniel Horowitz, Chief Genealogist
• Mark Olsen, Business Development Manager, MyHeritage USA and World Vital Records
• Amanda Tantisalidchai, Social Media Coordinator at Geni
• Charles Edmonds, Customer Service Manager at Geni

As always, our team of experts will be on hand to answer any questions and provide tips for your family research. In addition, visit booth #409 to participate in some of our activities:

• Bring your GEDCOM to our booth and we’ll help you find relatives in minutes with a free “Smart Match” check.
• Register and build a free family tree and receive a special gift.
• Come try out MyHeritage’s SuperSearch, our online database with access to billions of records, to find out more about your family history.
• Get a 25% discount on all our subscription purchases at our booth.
• Already enjoying the MyHeritage app on your iPhone, iPad or Android? Visit the booth, show us the app, tell us why you like it and receive a gift! Don’t have the app yet? Download it for free from App Store or Google Play and start making smart discoveries.

The MyHeritage team will also be presenting several sessions throughout the course of the conference. Check out the Jamboree schedule and mobile app for full details and room numbers:

Friday, June 7
9.30am-10.30am – Daniel: "Crowdsourcing: When the Power of Many Benefits All.”
3-4pm – Daniel: "MyHeritage - The Ultimate Genealogy SuperSearch Engine.”

Saturday, June 8:
11.30am-12.30pm – Daniel: "MyHeritage Record Matching Technology: Linking Your Family with the History."

Sunday, June 9:
11.15am-12.45pm – Daniel: Demo session on Family Tree Builder 7.0
1-2pm – Daniel: "MyHeritage: Enhanced Smart Matches and Social Networking Technologies: Facilitating Collaboration."

MyHeritage will also be giving away each day, in the Jamboree raffle (four of each in total):

• One "Premium account for one year"
• One "Six-month Data plan"
• Two Family Game card decks
• Two Printed family calendars

Can't attend in person? You can still join in by following our tweets from the @MyHeritage account, and the Jamboree hashtag #SCGS2013.

We look forward to greeting you at booth #409 at Jamboree!

Memorial Day has many traditions, including spending time with family at a barbeque and sharing memories of relatives who served in the military.

To help you learn more about your family heritage and your relatives and ancestors who served in service, we offered last week free access to our most popular US military record collections.

Today is the last day to take advantage of this special offer to learn more about the roles your ancestors played in the military.

Do you have relatives who served in the wars? Have you discovered new information about their military history?

Search now and see what you find. The offer ends at midnight tonight, Tuesday, May 28.

We hope you had a memorable and meaningful Memorial Day with your family.

How did you celebrate? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and in the comments below.

However, not everything is online ... yet!

Keep checking and searching online - particularly with MyHeritage's new Record Detective technology - to see what's available to you.

However, there may be perplexing family history mysteries that you are trying to resolve, and family historians need to speak - in person - to other researchers, who may have faced similar problems in the past.

One of the best ways to do this is to join a local genealogical society, whose members include experienced researchers with knowledge in many areas and languages.

Most genealogical societies offer excellent programs with speakers addressing various topics, some of which may be exactly what you're looking for. They often have good research libraries with materials not on line, or out-of-print.

Societies are filled with enthusiastic, helpful people who really do like to welcome and help newcomers. Some groups undertake local indexing projects, which can benefit researchers around the world.

I've been at quite a few meetings where attendees went around the room introducing themselves and listing the families they were researching. Quite often, someone else was researching one of those families as well, and the two people were able to share research, resources and collaborate on their shared family history.

Your local society is a place to share your "a-ha!" and "happy dance" moments. Everyone there will understand your joy at discovering new information. They've already been bitten by the genealogy bug.

There are also opportunities to get involved in various ways, working on projects, taking on leadership roles, or even answering questions on local resources when emails, phone calls or letters arrive from other researchers. Many societies also take on local projects, such as recording cemetery inscriptions or listing other local records in databases accessible to those who now live far away from where their ancestors settled.

Genealogy societies are many, and their individual scope may cover ethnicity or religion. Many researchers belong to their local society, to one where their ancestors first settled and to another in the country or city from where their ancestors emigrated. Some historical societies also include genealogical components. While genealogists understand that history is part of genealogy, historians don't always agree with that concept, as I have discovered through the years.

You may want to attend genealogy conferences with some of your new friends. That's always a great way to meet the "names" in the field. Again, conferences may focus on specific ethnicities, religions or geographic areas. Some conferences run over six days, others may be two or three days long, while many are one-day events. Some are local, right in your own town, while others are international in nature.

No matter the focus or location, the reasons for attending are the same: To locate people looking for the same information you wish to find, to ask experts for the answers to questions and brick walls, and to learn about new resources and technologies.

Genealogical societies are found around the world. Check for them in your area, where you may find several (a city, county, state and/or ethnicity or religion).

Are you a member of a genealogical society, or more than one? If you are a society member, how has that group helped your research? What do you like about being a member of the group?

Share your experiences with us in the comments below, or on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. We look forward to hearing from you.