How to Search Family Ancestry
Searching for your family's ancestry is a rewarding task. The search will bring out family stories and legends that you may not be aware of. Learning about the lives of your grandparents and great-grandparents is interesting. Older relatives are the best place to start your search for family history.
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Instructions
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Search for Family Ancestry
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Start the search for your family history by writing down everything you know about your parents, your grandparents and your great-grandparents. List all important dates. Include all births, deaths, marriages, divorces and any religious ceremonies like baptisms or bris. Include spouses' names with the marriages. List all locations where your ancestors lived.
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Enter the information you have written down into a genealogy software program. There are many different programs to choose from. Free software is available as a download from the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormon church).
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Start verifying information. Try to obtain copies of birth, marriage and death certificates from your relatives. Ask for photographs and newspaper articles. Ask if there are any family bibles, letters or diaries that you could examine. Use these documents to verify the information you wrote down originally.
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Search for collateral relatives. These are cousins, aunts and uncles. Collateral relatives can lead you to information about your direct ancestors.
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Look at other documents such as census records. All census records from 1930 and years prior are online. Most of these records are available through genealogy websites that charge a membership fee. State census records are available at your local state archives. Search for your relatives using their surname and location. Census records will give you family information, ages, marriage dates and occupations.
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Obtain a copy from microfilm of an ancestor's SS-5 form or application for a social security account number. Everyone who was working as of 1932 should have a social security number. You can contact the Social Security Administration to request a copy. As of 2010, the fee is $27.00. The address is as follows:
Social Security Administration
OEO FOIA Workgroup
300 N. Greene Street
P.O. Box 33022
Baltimore, Maryland 21290-3022 -
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Newpapers are a good source for family ancestry. Search old newspapers for stories about your relatives. Even The New York Times may have something of interest. Anytime someone sues another person, declares bankruptcy, starts a corporation, gets married or dies, it ends up in the newspaper. Obituaries are a source for family information. Always back up information found in an obituary with at least one other document.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep personal information confidential. Never disclose social security numbers. Do not publish information about living individuals online.
References
- Photo Credit family tree image by Judy Ben Joud from Fotolia.com newspaper image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com
