How to Find Your Ancestry

Many people are curious about their family backgrounds, especially when it comes to generations that reach back into past centuries. In some cases, it is possible to locate information about your family tree by using a few simple resources. Here are some ideas on how to conduct your own genealogical search, and learn more about where you came from.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Talk with living relatives. Parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and other family members that belong to a previous generation can provide names, dates, locations, and other details that are relevant to the story of your two family lines. Often, the details you glean from these live discussions help to lay the foundation for the rest of your research. Record the information in a notebook, so you have it handy for use later.
2. Search census records. One of the easiest ways to locate families in your lineage is to look at county and city census records for past decades. Often, you will find references to more information, such as the full names of persons directly in your line, as well as the full names of spouses and other children. These basic details can help point you toward other sources of information.
3. Visit graveyards. Often, you can pick up details on birth and death dates by locating old headstones. If the graveyard is adjacent to a church or religious edifice, there is a good chance that the family once attended that church, and more information will be found in the records for the parish or congregation.
4. Go online. Today, there are many websites devoted to the history and background of various surnames. Often, you can find information that will help tie you to distant family members who will have information that is helpful to you. There are private websites that cost nothing to read or join, and others that are fee based.
5. Look up government records. This would include birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, and deeds. In some cases, these records will reside locally. However, the documents may also be found at state archives and even some national depositories.
6. Join message boards dedicated to genealogy. You can find all sorts of ideas on places to look and get connected with private agencies that microfilm or scan old records as a means of preserving family histories.

Tips & Warnings

• The Internet has made it possible to access all sorts of details that once required time-consuming mailings or trips to distant locations. Make use of these resources to save time and money.
• Make sure to verify all information. Often, the details you come across will be ambiguous or anecdotal in natures. While interesting, do not accept these as fact until you can find some type of proof.