Which site is good to find my family tree?

Question

i am looking for my dad and need a family tree site that is free anyone know my grand pa name is rickey marvin ricardo from san jaun puerto rico if anyone knows of a free site

Answer 1

You probably won't find a complete family tree unless family member has researched it and put it on line.  It is possible you might find some of your family lines. Don't expect to find living people as it is an invasion of privacy and can lead to identity theft.

Also, information in family trees on any website, free or paid, should be viewed as CLUES not as absolute fact. They are subscriber submitted and mostly not documented or poorly documented. Even if you see the same info from different subscribers on the same people that is no guarantee at all it is correct. A lot of people copy without verifying.

Cyndi'sList.com has a multitude of websites listed, some free, some are not free.  

Your public library might have a subscription to Ancestry.Com which has lots of records.  They have all the U.S. censuses through 1930. The 1940 and later are not available to the public yet.  They also have U.K. censuses.  They have immigration records, military records and many indexes to vital records of various states.

A Family History Center at a Latter Day Saints(Mormon) Church has records of 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.  Just call them or visit their free website at FamilySearch.org to find out their hours for the general public.  

I have never had them to try and convert me or send their missionaries by to ring my doorbell.  Ihaven't heard of them doing that to anyones else that has used their resources.

But first thing to do, get as much information from living family as possible, particularly your senior members. Tape them if they will let you.  They probably are confused on some things but what might seem to be insignificant story telling might turn out to be very significant.

Ask 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 certificates can be helpful.

While you are at your library and the Family History Centers, you will probably have a chance to talk with other researchers and sharing ideas and experiences is very important to all of us.