How to Search for Your Genealogy

Researching your family genealogy has never been easier.

Genealogy research has never been easier. Whether you are just curious about your family history or are searching for long lost relatives, the information may be right at your fingertips. The internet has made it possible to research your family tree within minutes and many people are taking advantage of it.

Instructions

1. Locate and print out a blank Pedigree or Family chart online. Many websites offer these free charts to make it easier to complete a list of family descendents. You can find these forms at familysearch.org.

2. Write down all of the names, ages, birth places and birth dates of the people in your family, beginning with yourself. You can create a chart or family tree diagram to make it easy to read.

3. Gather as much information about your entire family history as you can from relatives.

4. Check online using search engines like Google or Yahoo to see if someone has posted information about your family or ancestors. There may be plenty of information out there that has already been researched. Search engines may help you find family Web sites, cemetery records, and personal histories. You can also check with facebook, twitter, or other social networks to find family members as well.

5. Visit familysearch.org which already has an index of published family histories. There you will find a multitude of reference material to research through such as census information, Probate and Will records, and even church records which may have information on baptismal or marriage records.

6. Go online to the Library of Congress's Local History and Genealogy Reading Room (see references) to find information on your family history. They have one of the world's best collections of U.S., foreign genealogical, and local historical publications. The Library's genealogy collection began in 1815.

7. Check the obituaries. Many newspapers have archives with the obituaries from past editions. You can easily find out if your ancestor had an obituary by contacting the local library newspaper archives

Tips & Warnings

• Begin your research with your great-grandparents and locate all their descendants.

• Begin with what you know. If you know the names of your great-grandparents it will be much easier to search for their descendants.

References

• Usgenweb : Starting Your Genealogy Research - The Basics
• FamilySearch : Family History Lesson Series :
• The Library of Congress : Local History and Genealogy Reading Room.

Resources

• Rootsweb Ancestory : Geneology Resources on the Internet.