Genealogy Tracing your Family Tree
	My genealogy interest came about quite by accident. I was killing time between classes in college when I stumbled upon the microfilm section of the campus library. I walked the stacks, thumbing over the rows of boxes, until I happened upon the census records. For the next several weeks, with every spare moment, I huddled in a dark corner scouring over the films in search of my grandparents' names. Finally, it happened. I found not only my paternal grandparents, both of whom were 14 years old in 1920, but, their families as well. Since then, I have resolved to find out as much as I can about who I am and where I came from. In the beginning . . . Your family research, believe it or not, began when you were born. The names and information of your parents, grandparents, siblings and other close relatives, are things you have known all your life. Begin there. Talk with other family members. You'd be surprised how much information you can get that way. Check census records. These are an invaluable source for genealogy researchers. You can trace your family over the course of more than a century, just by using census records. Information varied over the years, but beginning in 1850 you can find out such information as age, place of birth, occupation, education, and marital status of each family member. (Please be forewarned that these are not always accurate. Rampant illiteracy, the difficult times, and the interpretive skills of the census taker were all contributory factors of errors.) Use the vast network of the Internet. The advent of the Internet has greatly improved the chances for a successful search of your ancestors. There are many sites available online that offer free searches. These include information such as compilations from other researchers, vital records, court records, land and deed records, Bible records, and various other records. You can also network with other researchers working on the same family line or surname via email and message boards. Documentation As fun as unravelling your family history can be, there is still an element of work involved. Research, of any venue, requires a certain amount of documentation. You can use the sources above, or other sources such as wills, inventories, and public records to document your findings. The more documentation you have, the more confidence others will have in your work. Can't find documentation but all the evidence points to a particular place or person? Then, simply state that the information you have is unconfirmed, but also provide the reasons why you believe it to be so. Sharing You've gathered all this information, documented it, and now it's time to share it with others. There are several ways you can go about this. First, you can write an account of your findings in book form and distribute them to family members. Or, you can post your research online. Sharing information online is a great way, not only to give back to the community who may have helped you compile your data, but it is also a way to reach family members you may not have knowledge of. However you accomplish your goal of finding out about your past and that of your ancestors, have fun, first and foremost. And remember that in finding out about your ancestors, you're also learning more about yourself. Home My Favorite Genealogy Links