Help finding family?

Question

hi all,

I need help to find my cousins and other relatives. I was wondering if anyone knew how to achieve this. I thought i would be able to search online but I've had no luck. The websites I've found require you to pay for a subscription. I wouldn't mind doing this but i have no faith in the internet. I'm hoping to find a site that provides information free of charge. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Do you have a myspace account? Facebook account?

I found a long lost cousin on myspace. I couldn't believe it when I found him. I never even met him before, but he even looked like me!

Do you know the relatives names and what city/state they live in? If yes, than really the best way is to call information. Hopefully they are listed. Call 1-(your area code)-555-1212 and give the city and state.

If you do not know the city and state (or even the name) then things get tricky.

Ask other relatives (preferably older relatives) if they know the last place the "missing relative" lived. You might even be able to record birthdates, parent's names, city/state of birth, first/middle/last names, and any other "clues" from these older relatives to assist you in your search.

I have done some serious genealogy work just by talking to my relatives. My Grandfather was able to find things all the way back to the 1600's...and he wrote to many people, requested many birth/death certificates, and paid a lot of money to get all that info.

I have never found any website that is absolutely free to find missing relatives. All of them require money or a subscription. What a shame.

Once you track people down, there is a wonderful FREE website that lets you build your own family tree and record information about you and your relatives. Check it out! Go to:   www.geni.com

Geni.com allows you to record things like birthdates, personal contact information, hair/eye color, height, schooling, personal interests/favorites, and even allows you to store family photos!! It's been a great tool for me to keep all of these records that I have found! I highly recommend it. Genealogy is very rewarding. I'm glad you have an interest in it. I always think that some day, somewhere down my line of relatives, someone will want to know who I was, what I was like, what my interests/hobbies were, and maybe even if they take after me!!

Good luck on the search for your relatives. Don't give up!  

Answer 2

http://www.cyndislist.com/finding.htm

Here is a list of sources/ ways to find living persons.

In todays world, MANY people are leery of having listed phone numbers, or even have unregistered cell phones. You have to go off the internet, in many cases, and just do the old fashioned way of asking.

It often surprises people to learn that dead people are easier to find than live ones.  

Answer 3

If you’re just getting started, before beginning an on-line search, gather up all the information you can from family members about your family history so you can narrow your search.  A great site to help you begin  learning how to research and organize the information you collect and gather is   http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Fa...  

There are many genealogical sites that are free.  One thing you should remember about the information you find that others have compiled is – you must research the historical records for yourself for accuracy.  The compilers’ may have just copied what others have found.  Make sure the information is correct by viewing official documents, i.e., marriage, birth, census records, etc. yourself.  Here are some very good free sites:

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default....  FamilySearch.org is a non-profit service sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  You can also download free software that will help you keep your family tree organized.

http://usgenweb.org/.  This site has been created by a group of volunteers that are committed to keep genealogy free and have provided a website for genealogical research in every county and state in the United States.

http://rwguide.rootsweb.ancestry.com/.  RootsWeb is also a great site.  It’s funded by Ancestry.com.  It provides links to ton’s of additional sites as well.    

http://www.ellisisland.org/genealogy/ind... . Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.  Genealogy Learning Center.  This site has also has some great getting started tips and free downloadable charts and forms.  

http://www.cyndislist.com/.  Cindy’s List has just about everything from A to Z.  I would highly recommend visiting this site.  

http://www.myheritage.com/. Is free, private and secure.  You can create a web site, build and save a family tree, share photos and videos and much more.

http://www.geni.com/home. You can build your family tree and invite others to join via email and expand your tree.  You can add photo’s and video’s.  

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi...  You can search for cemetery records.  Pictures of actual headstones with names and burial dates are available for numerous cemeteries. Additional information is often provided.