The study of genealogy has never been easier.
The widespread use of the personal computer and the increasing benefits afforded by the Internet has made the once
tedious task of finding ones Family Tree extremely easy. An endeavor which only a few years ago required a great deal
of time and effort searching library records, court house documents, cemetery ledgers, and government files, is now
available right from the convenience of your own computer
From the vast resources about genealogy which are now available on the Internet, we have selected what we consider the
BEST sites available for the selected topics.
We suggest a
FIRST STEP in this exciting undertaking is to print the templates which are available
for downloading. These will give you a hard copy of the various documents which you will need in your pursuit of this journey
into your past. They will become invaluable tools when you question family members for any old records which they may possess.
They are all FREE and produced by
Ancestry.com.
They all can be retrieved from here:
Downloadable Charts and Forms
The next step is to download a list of suggested procedures which one would follow to both cover the steps and create a
bond with relatives and friends who will assist you. One of the best list of 'To Do' is an on-line tutorial that covers all
the basics of the genealogy pursuit:
Getting Started in Genealogy ONLINE. This checklist has proven invaluable as both a starting point and a reference guide
for ones family history excursion.
After that, talk to your closest relatives, using the forms and charts to record all salient information. Ask relatives
about relatives. Then spend some time in the local library and their genealogy departments. Whatever your involvement, don't be
discouraged if you run into seemingly dead ends from time to time. If you become stymied from time to time, lay your work aside
and come back to it later. It may take weeks or even months to accumulate necessary amounts of information. After you have asked
the necessary questions it is time to begin your family tree search.
Basically, there are two fundamental tools necessary for genealogical study: (1) the various documents which house the
historical information that you will retrieve to populate your database; and (2) computer software to organize, store,
manipulate, and disseminate the data. The 'Resources' tab at the top provides a guide to the multitude of documents such as U.S.
census records, immigration records, historical newspapers, birth and death records, Social Security Index, and many more sources.
Eventually the hand written & hard copy information which you will accumulate will reach an end. This, by no means, is the
end of your family tree research. Now you come to the questions of what to do with the data and how do you continue the pursuit
without those that have assisted you to this point. Again the Internet comes to the rescue. Many tools are available to freely
load into your personal family databases. Search queries are very handy and accurate and allow you to follow unique branches of
your family tree, often uncovering names and locations of never heard of relatives. These sites also have the capability of
storing and organizing your data in easily readable formats.
The granddaddy of all genealogical databases is developed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
Their site, Family Search, contains the largest library of genealogical
records in the world. US Gen Web has country and state-specific
resources and they sponsor special projects such as a lineage project to provide research for particular ancestors. Other sources
are available, albeit for a minimum charge, to find long lost friends and relatives.
With ancestral researchers pouring onto the Internet at astonishing rates, your chances of finding another individual member
researching your family tree is actually very good. A good place to begin, after exhausting contacts with close relatives, is at
your local library. Most libraries have a genealogy or family history section. If you are fortunate to live in a metropolitan area,
search for 'genealogical society' + city to connect with those of similar interests in your area who can be of assistance.
Collaboration in this endeavor, is also afforded through forums, newsletters, mailing lists, classes and other readily accessible
resources on the Internet. Free genealogy sites are featured in this chapter.
This division of the site intends to refine your surname search by using the resources available at individual state's web
sites, or when you reach the point, individual countries. If your ancestors were born in eastern Europe it is fairly easy
to trace your roots to and in the "old country", thanks to the national civil registration. Of course, identifying your
ancestors among many with the same name can be both the challenge and the fun.
