What is the best way to find out an ancestor online?

Question

I have came across a "road block" in finding out about an ancestor.I have never had any luck asking at genealogy forums so I Thought I would ask here.

Iam looking for information about a Jasper Newton Cooper who was born in 1822 in NC and married a Lucinda.They moved to Dekalb,Co. AL probably during the 1840s and he died during the civil war in 1863.Lucinda was also born in NC in 1825.She moved to Arkansas during the 1880s or 1890s with 2 of her sons and their families.None of their family in AL heard from them again after they left.

Im trying to find out who the parents of Jasper Newton Cooper and Lucinda are.There are no marriage records of them online and the family trees I see online are blank after them.

In the 1850 and 1860 census there are a few families in the same county they lived with the same last name,Cooper.But they all came from either KY or TN.And the background of them varies from Jewish to Cherokee/Chocktaw Indian to English to Scots/Irish.

Answer 1

I give only general hints, because on my own family tree I have run into several cases with people born the same time and place but being two different people and how does someone else know which is which?

So, here are some places to search:

You should start by asking all your living relatives about family history.  Then, armed with that information, you can go to your public library and check to see if it has a genealogy department.  Most do nowadays; also, don't forget to check at community colleges, universities, etc.  Our public library has both www.ancestry.com and www.heritagequest.com free for anyone to use (no library card required).

Another place to check out is any of the Mormon's Family History Centers.  They allow people to search for their family history (and, NO, they don't try to convert you).

A third option is one of the following websites:

http://www.searchforancestors.com/...

http://www.censusrecords.net/?o_xid=2739...

http://www.usgenweb.com/

http://www.census.gov/

http://www.rootsweb.com/

http://www.ukgenweb.com/

http://www.archives.gov/

http://www.familysearch.org/

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/...

http://www.cyndislist.com/

http://www.geni.com/

Cyndi's has the most links to genealogy websites, whether ship's passenger lists, ancestors from Africa, ancestors from the Philippines, where ever and whatever.

Of course, you may be successful by googling: "john doe, born 1620, plimouth, massachusetts" as an example.

Good luck and have fun!

Check out this article on five great free genealogy websites:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

Then there is the DNA test; if you decide you want to REALLY know where your ancestors came from opt for the DNA test. Besides all the mistakes that officials commonly make, from 10% to 20% of birth certificates list the father wrong; that is, mama was doing the hanky-panky and someone else was the REAL father. That won't show up on the internet or in books; it WILL show up in DNA.

I used www.familytreedna.com which works with the National Geographics Genotype Program.

Answer 2

I found them on the 1860 Census:  County of DeKalb, Alabama.  He is listed as Newton Cooper, 38, Lucinda, 35, George W, 13, William, 11, Elizabeth, 10, Esther, 8, Martha, 4, Mary, 4.  I'll keep searching.  Hope this helps someone else if they are helping too.

Edit.  The 1860 Census lists all of the children as being born in Alabama except for William.  He is listed as being born in NC.

Edit:

Here's info I found on http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~...

that is specific to Jasper and Lucinda.  Parents are not listed.  It does indicate that Jasper is buried in the Noble Hill Cemetery, Etowah Co. Al.

Answer 3

Check the Combs Cemetery Lzard Co., Arkansas

There is a large number of Coopers buried there.

Or attempt to obtain a copy of Jasper Newton Cooper's death certificate.  If he was in the military there could be significant information there.  Check the church records.

Also not all Coopers are Native American, however, one rather large family of Cooper's I know are Cherokee. Depending on when your Coopers left KY/TN they could be listed in the Indian Rolls,  There is also a Cooper Clinic in at Fort Smith AR. Try puting "Cooper Family AR" in the search engine.