Hittin' the Bricks with Kathleen
A "brick-wall" DIY genealogy podcast that features your questions and Kathleen Brandt's answers. She wants your stories, questions, and “brick walls”. But be ready to add to your "to-do" list. As Kathleen always says, this is a Do it yourself (DIY) genealogy podcast. “I'll show you where the shovel is, but I'm not digging up your family.”
Maybe, you have no idea where to start searching for an ancestor. Or, perhaps you want to know more about your family folklore. Host Kathleen has 20 years in the industry and is the founder of a3genealogy. She's able to dispense genealogy research advice and encouragement in understandable terms that won't get you lost in genealogy jargon. Along with her husband and co-host, John, she helps you accomplish "do-it-yourself" research goals, learn some history, and have a bit of fun along the way. Light-hearted and full of detailed info, Hittin' the Bricks is your solution for your brick-wall research problems.
Episodes
68 episodes
Trekking the National Frontier Trails: A Chat with Melissa Brown
Episode OverviewHittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, focusing on how place, movement, and records intersect. In this episode, host Kathleen Brandt ...
Beyond Secrets: Diaries with Angie Rodesky
Episode OverviewHittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, exploring how overlooked sources reveal deeper family stories. In this episode, host Kathle...
Citizens and Nationals: Researching Overseas Territories
SHOW NOTE UPDATE: We would like to thank one of our listeners from Oakland, California for submitting the following clarification:"Puerto Ricans who live on the island can’t vote in federal elections as set forth ...
MGC Memory Lab: A Chat with Chelsea Clarke
Episode OverviewHittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, with a focus on clear reasoning, historical context, and practical research methods. In this episode, Kath...
One-Place Studies: Meet Denise Cross
Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, with a focus on clear reasoning, historical context, and practical research methods. In this episode, Kathleen and John Brandt are ...
Quantum Genealogy: Method versus Metaphor
Episode OverviewHittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is the genealogy podcast that features your questions and her answers, focusing on clear reasoning, historical context, and practical research methods. In this episode, hos...
New Year: Old Ancestors, New Eyes
Episode OverviewHittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is a podcast focused on genealogy, local history, and practical methods for turning scattered records into meaningful family narratives. In this episode, host Kathleen B...
Military: The French, the British and the Indians
Episode OverviewHittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen is a podcast centered on genealogy, local history, and understanding how large historical events leave long shadows in family records. In this episode, host Kathleen Bra...
Serial Killers And Family Trees
We share how to research suspected ties between family history and serial killers, balancing DNA with records and community context.Check out: killer.cloudDo you have a genealogical question for Kathleen? Drop us a line ...
The Season of Giving
Your December gift helps us preserve truth, honor ancestors, and teach the next generation. www.tracingancestors.org
Every Soldier Has a Story: Civil War Veteran Returns Home
We close the loop on the life of Civil War Veteran Joseph Chedester, whose ashes were left unburied for a century and whose honors finally reached his second great-granddaughters.The Fin...
American Archives Month: Paper Trails and Hidden Tales
We celebrate American Archives Month with ways to get more treats than tricks when using using national, state, and local archives on your brick wall. This episode is a celebration of the archivists, collections and forgotten files ...
Secrets of Probate: Hiding in Plain Sight
We unpack how end of life records like probate, wills and testaments can be the undoing of even the most stubborn brickwall.Stacey Janssen and Jeremy Keel of Janssen Estate Probate & Elder La...
School Records Hold Family Secrets
School records dating back to the 1700s can break through genealogical brick walls by providing detailed information about individuals and families that may not exist in other historical documents.
Tell Me a Story Program: A Chat with Emily
Emily Wildhaber from Midwest Genealogy Center joins us to discuss their "Tell Me a Story" program that preserves family stories through oral history. For more information visit:
GenealogyKC: A Chat With Ashley & Lauri Jean
Hittin' the Bricks welcomes Lauri Jean Swett and Ashley Arnett to discuss the upcoming Genealogy KC conference on August 23, 2025.Listen in as Lauri Jean and Ashley share topics and more about this free hybrid event. Registra...
MoSGA with Michelle: The Family Business Researcher
Michelle Spencer, the family business researcher, shares details about the upcoming Missouri State Genealogical Association (MOSGA) conference on August 8-9.MoSGA Conference:Register at mosga.org for the conference on August ...
Tracing Diseases: Epidemics Shaped Our Family Trees?
Medical mysteries lurking in your family tree might hold the key to understanding sudden disappearances, unexplained relocations, or clusters of deaths among your ancestors. When traditional genealogy methods hit a wall, epidemic research could...
Pursuing Your German Past: A Chat With Sue Schlichting
Ever wondered what secrets your German ancestors might be hiding? You're not alone. 44 million Americans claim German heritage, making Germans the largest immigrant group in United States history.Join us with expert Sue Schlichting, foun...
Weston History: BAAC to the Future by Way of the Past
Listen in as we speak with Angela Hagenbach and Vincent Bell about keeping Weston MO, history alive.FREE EVENTThe 5th Annual Juneteenth Heritage Jubilee will be held on June 14th at Weston Red Barn FarmThe BAAC sponsors...
Unraveling Forensic Genealogy With Juli Whittaker
Unlock the secrets of forensic genealogy in this episode of Hittin’ the Bricks with Kathleen! Genealogist Julie Whittaker specializes in military repatriation, mineral rights, and the legal complexities...
Ancestors' Financial Footprints: Meet Heather Jenkins
Are you underutilizing Tax Records?Tax records offer genealogists a treasure trove of information beyond just confirming where ancestors lived. They reveal financial circumstances, family relationships, and even marriage dates. They ...
Patriots vs. Loyalists: Revolutionary Discoveries
Revolutionary War research presents unique genealogical challenges, as records are scattered across multiple countries and unconventional sources. Kathleen answers audience questions from her recent presentation, explaining why ancestors vanish...
Hidden Identity: Women's History & Irish American Heritage
Most family trees contain unexpected branches, but few conversations address the complex relationship between Irish American and African American heritage as candidly as our latest episode. a3...
Overturning Folklore: The Real Lives of Our Female Ancestors
The stories of our female ancestors are often stripped down to the simplest narratives – they were farm wives, mothers, teachers – but beneath these sanitized descriptions lie complex lives filled with surprising choices, passionate relationshi...
