How to Start a Genealogy Search
Your family history can be a very interesting and important subject for you to educate yourself on. Not only will you possibly learn some amusing or down right strange facts about your ancestors, you may find things that will be important later in life. Knowing your family history can help in many medical decisions, and can help you to understand some of your traits or characteristics. This will get you started and how for you follow your line will be up to your determination.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
How To Start A Geneology Search
-
1
Start with family members that are available to you. Assign one of your notebooks to either your mother's side of the family or your father's side. You can research both at the same time, but you might find this a little overwhelming. Start your research on just one side and add the other side later.
-
2
List the youngest members of your family in your notebook. For example, write down your child's name, or your own. On the next line write: "Child of:" Write your name, or your parent's name, on this line. Continue this line for as many generations as you can. You may be surprised at how far you can extend your family line just from memory.
-
-
3
Talk to as many of your elderly relatives as possible. Ask them to help you continue your lines of "Children of:" Take notes in one of your notebooks so that you can talk to other family members to see if they can confirm your information. Ask family members if they have any old bibles that list family deaths, marriages or births. Copy down any information they have. Ask to see old marriage licenses, as these list the couple's parents names. That will give you another step in your parentage line.
-
4
You can purchase family tree maker CD's to help you keep yourself organized, or you can create your own tree on a large posterboard. Just start with your own name and add forks with your parents names, and then another fork with their parents names and on as far as you can go. Keeping adding generations as you discover them.
-
5
Keep searching. Remember that searching for your ancestors can lead to many dead ends, and at times you may feel like giving up. You'll be glad you didn't when that one elusive family member suddenly shows up! Search census reports from the appropriate states, if you know them. The Internet is a wealth of information so put it to use.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Many genealogy sites will give you a free trial period to do some research on.
