How do i get started with geneology on my family?

Question

How do i get started with geneology on my family?

Answer 1

After asking all living relatives with a tape player recording it all, and a set of labels you can print on and then adhere to the back of old photos (bottom, not center) so as not to damage them but remember who the people are, then go to the internet - you'll be amazed how many people are willing to help you.  GenForum is a good place to start

Answer 2

You can go to Ancestry.com. You can get 3 days free and start your tree. When you enter names they look them up and they can find their long lost ancestors and certificates and stuff like that. After 3 days you can decide if you want to get a membership and then they help out alot more.

Answer 3

Before I paste my stock answer, a warning based on your picture - if you are African-American, you will probably hit dead ends quicker than people with European roots. Your search will be harder, too. That shouldn't stop you, but don't expect to get as far as Oprah or Alex Hailey did. They spent thousands of dollars.

As one example, the US census didn't list names of slaves; most A-A's didn't get recorded as "real" people on the census until 1870. White women and children were first listed in 1850. Free white males who were heads of households got listed from 1790 onwards.

There are web sites devoted to A-A genealogy. Write to me via my profile if you'd like some links.

=================

This is a text file I paste to questions like yours. People ask similar questions 3 - 14 times a day here. By pasting, you get a long, detailed answer, but I don't get finger cramps. It is long because there are over 400,000 free genealogy sites.

It is also long because researching your family tree is as hard as writing a term paper in a History class. You don't have to be a rocket scientist, but you won't do it with five clicks. I could tell you everything I know in 30 minutes, but not 3. The fact you have to do research stops nine out of ten teens and many adults.

If you didn't mention a country, we can't tell if you are in the USA, UK, Canada or Australia. I'm in the USA and my links are for it. If you are not, please edit your question to add a country. Or, better yet, delete it and ask again, this time putting inthe country. Genealogists from the UK answer posts here too. They are more experienced and more intelligent than I am. I'm better looking and my jokes are better.

The really good stuff is in your parents' and grandparents' memories. No web site is going to tell you how your great grandparents decorated the Christmas tree with ornaments cut from tin foil during the depression, how Great Uncle Elmer wooed his wife with a banjo, or how Uncle John paid his way through college in the 1960's by smuggling herbs. Talk to your living relatives before it is too late.

You won't find living people on genealogy sites. Don't look for yourself or your parents. Crooks can use your birth date and your mother's maiden name to steal your identity. If your parents were married in June and your oldest brother was born 4 months later, it isn't anyone's business, which is another reason living people's dates are not on public sites.

So much for the warnings. Here are some links. These are large and free. Many of them have subtle ads for Ancestry.com in them - ads that ask for a name, then offer a trial subscription. Watch out for those advertisements.

If you try the links and don't find anyone, go to

http://www.tedpack.org/yagenlinks.html

It repeats each link, but it has a whole paragraph of tips and instructions for each one.

http://www.cyndislist.com

Cyndi's List has over 250,000 sites.

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/f...

The Mormon's mega-site.

http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.c...

RootsWeb World Connect. The links at the top are advertisements. They mislead beginners. Ignore them and scroll down.

http://www.rootsweb.com/

RootsWeb Home.

This is the biggest free (genealogy) site in the world.

http://www.ancestry.com

Ancestry has some free data and some you have to pay for.

http://www.usgenweb.net

US Gen Web. Click on a state. Find a link that says "County".

http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/defa...

Surname meanings and origins, one of Ancestry's free pages.

http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-b...

Social Security Death Index. Click on "Advanced". Women are under their married names. They are under their maiden names in most other sites.

http://find.person.superpages.com/

USA Phone book, for looking up distant cousins.

http://vitals.rootsweb.com/ca/death/sear...

California Death Index, 1940 - 1997.

    

http://www.genforum.com

GenForum has surname, state and county boards.

http://boards.ancestry.com/

Ancestry has surname, state and county boards too. They are free.

Read

http://www.tedpack.org/goodpost.html

before you post on either one.

Read the paragraphs about query boards on

http://www.tedpack.org/yagenlinks.html

before you search them.

      

http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/lis...

Roots Web Mailing List Archives.

Read

http://www.tedpack.org/maillist.html

if genealogy mailing lists are new to you.

Off the Internet, some public libraries have census image subscriptions. Many Family History Centers do too. FHC's are small rooms in Mormon churches. They welcome anyone interested in genealogy, not just fellow Mormons. They have resources on CD's and volunteers who are friendly. They don't try to convert you; in fact, they don't mention their religion unless you ask a question about it.

Answer 4

1st start asking your family.

make records of what everyone has told you. Check it out by getting birth, death and marriage records. You can also get censes for the years of their life.

ask if there is someone left out because there is someone mad at or just doesn't like. I had this happen. My mother doesn't like her aunt so she didn't tell me about her or any of the rest of that family. Ask if there are more than 1 by that name. There are a lot of Junors. Even a girl can be a Jr. I know because I'm one. Yes I really am. My father was 17 when I was born and he didn't know that girls aren't Junors. I think it pretty cool myself. I'm sure differant. try to get all the dates you can.it helps with finding out if it is true. You won't always be told the truth. You have to check out records to make sure. You can just have your family make copies of their records so you won't have to pay for them. If your family is in different states, ask them to send you a little at a time. I asked my cousin for information and I sent her to much to do so /she didn't give me anything. I did go to her sisters and we sat down and went through what I wanted. She was a lot of help. I moved to Ca. from Ky. Most of my family is in Ky. and Ohio. I just moved back to Ky. to help my Mom. If this is to much to think about just start slow and then move on to some one else. It takes a lot of time but the rewards you get is well worth it. I hope you will do well. If you need anything else you can contact me. I did work in the Family History center for a little while in Ca. You can put in the web search geneology or family tree and you will get serveral hits.

Answer 5

start with your parents and grandparents- ask them everything that they can remember. also ask other members to see if they have worked on their history. you might be surprised by what you find. i have been doing mine for 15 years and found tons of info from family members.