Help me with genealogy?

Question

So my grandpa's birthday is in July and I want to start researching my heritage. I'm trying to find his ancestors and give it to him as a present. He loves history and I know he would really like it. How do you begin searching for your ancestors. I have been searching his fathers name George tolliver but you have to pay for everything on the internet and I don't have a credit card. Or I would mail the courthouse in the county he was born cause you can do that but it says it take about 10-12 weeks. What do you think I should do?

Answer 1

People here could help with your questions if you are more specific.  Also, your grandfather's history includes his mother's side as well.  Do you know her maiden name?

Answer 2

June is almost gone and you want a family tree for your grandfather in July????  

Also, you don't search your grandfather's name.  You search his ancestry with documentation.  

There are lots of different websites.  There are family trees on many of those websites but they are SUBSCRIBER submitted.  Not all the subscribers are experts either.  There are errors.  You cannot take as absolute fact everything you see in them whether the website is a free website or one that you pay to subscribe.  Even when you see the same info repeatedly by many different subscribers on the same people that is no guarantee at all it is correct.  A lot of people copy without verifying.

A Family History Center at a Latter Day Saints(Mormon) Church has records on people all over the world, not just Mormons.  In Salt Lake City, they have the world's largest genealogical collection. Their Family History Centers can order microfilm for you to view at a nominal fee.

I have never had them to try and convert me or send their missionaries by to ring my doorbell.  I haven't heard of them doing that to anyone else that has used their resources.  Just call the nearest Mormon Church or visit their free website, FamilySearch.org to get their hours for the general public.

You should first start with your living family, particularly your senior members. Tape them if they will let you.  It probably will turn out they are confused on some things but what might seem to be insignificannt story telling you wouldn't write down might turn out to be very significant.  

Find out if any family has any old family bibles.  Ask to see and make copies of birth, marriage and death certificates. Depending on the faith, baptismal, first communion, confirmation and marriage records can be very helpful.

I feel Ancestry.Com is the best website for the RECORDS online. They have all the U.S. censuses through 1930. The 1940 and later are not available to the public yet.

If you find it too pricey, your public library might have a subscription to it.

Don't expect to find info on living people on genealogy websites. That can be an invasion of privacy and can lead to identity theft.

I have a friend whose father came from Sicily and mother from Calabria.  She has found a lot on her family by going to the National Archives in Washington D. C.  She said when you first go there you have to go through a lot of rigamarole to get enrolled and get a name tag.  Once you get the name tag you just show it to them and you are in without any hold up. They have volunteers there to help.

Answer 3

USA Answer:

You dig through birth, death and marriage records on paper until you get to people in 1930, then start looking for them in the census.

Figure 100 - 300 hours to do a decent job.

Write if you want details.

Answer 4

Type in your grandpa's mom's and dad's last name. It'll come up with the origin of their last names. That's how I do it.