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Step 1
Check with the Social Security Death Index or SSDI. The SSDI has more than 84 million records. All you need to know is the first name, last name and middle initial. If you know the social security number of a family member you can search by that as well.
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Step 2
Search old newspapers. Your local library should have an archive of old newspapers that they keep on file. All you will need to do is ask where their newspaper archive is located and begin your search. Look in the obituary section of the newspaper if you want to find out when a family member passed away.
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Step 3
Try Stephenmorse.org or Ancestry.com. Stephen Morse allows you to search ship records and immigration records for all major ports. Most of our ancestors came to this country at some point in time and you should be able to find a record utilizing this website. If you cannot find anything about your family, try paying for Ancestry.com's service. This is the most comprehensive family history website available.
