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I would like to start researching my family tree. Is there anyone out there that has done this? What programs are the best? Should I subscribe to one of the Genealogy search sites or just do the work myself?
Any pointers will be appreciated.
Posts: 1766 | Registered: Feb 2006
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Is your family religious? I went back about 300 years on my mom's side using a set of family bibles that had been passed down through our family. It was pretty surprising since my mother's side is MUCH less religious than my father's side (a fact that caused quite a bit of trouble between my grandmothers).
My uncle on my dad's side did a big presentation at their mother's 90th birthday and I think he did his research on a genealogy site. His tree wrapped halfway around the room. It was incredible. I'll have to ask my dad if he knows which site my uncle used.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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FamilySearch.org is a great place to start. The LDS church is pretty heavy into genealogy, or "family history," and has a ton of resources. The church operates numerous family history centers around the world where you can walk in and get plenty of help as well.
There is also Ancestry.com, another huge genealogy resource.
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Many public libraries have research rooms that can help with genealogy. If you live anywhere near a branch of the National Archives you can use their research areas as well. This is especially useful for public records. If you can get to one of their branches, they have a lot of rules you have to follow so check what the current ones are before going.
Posts: 1214 | Registered: Aug 2005
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Don't subscribe to a genealogy search site until you have more experience. There are lots of free resources out there to keep you busy for some time. (Ancestry.com is expensive!)
Don't download someone's family tree that has one name that seems to coincide with your family and merge that information with yours. You need to verify information - yes, that's duplication, but like I always check Snopes.com when I get one of "those" emails, you don't know what truth is in someone else's work.
Find the local genealogy society. They will help you with local research, and they should help you with general research. Our local society dues are $10/year, which is probably on the low end. They also do research, including copying, so if you need information from another place contact that society. This can be considered good research if the source is good. Copies of microfilmed newspaper articles trumps handwritten notes (unless in something like a family Bible).
At FamilySearch.org, you can download the PAF program for free. You can pay a small fee for extra features. It is LDS-centric, but you don't have to record LDS information if not appropriate.
It's been awhile since I've worked on my family history/genealogy and I would, except I've got this whole full-time work/full-time school thing going on right now. Genealogy can be addicting, though.
You can find lots of printable resources, as well. Try www.familytreemaker.com. There is the Family Treemaker magazine, this is their website, and they have nice forms to print out.
I would go into more detail, except it's way past my bedtime and my niece just pointed out that there's a wootoff going on. But I would enjoy discussing this further with anyone.
Posts: 2034 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:Originally posted by brojack17: They were religious, but didn't record things in family bibles. Or at least we haven't found them yet.
If you could come up with a site recommendation, that would be great.
Thanks.
Unless you have someone in your extended family who is already into geneology, the various family history websites and resources aren't going to be of much help starting out.
How much information do you have right now? You will need complete names and accurate birthdates and locations for your parents and grandparents to even get started.
Do you have parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles who are living? If so, that is the best place to start. Talk to them and get as much detail as you can about names, birth dates, marriage dates, death dates, places of residence, military service, emigration etc. for them, their parents and their grandparents. Is there anyone in the extended family that is likely to have kept things like obituaries, funeral programs, marriage announcements and so on. Obituaries are a great source because they often contain information about birth dates, parents, spouse, children and so forth.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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I am not Mormon but I highly reccommend the free LDS software. You won't find anything else with as many features without paying a significant amount.
It takes a little time to familiarize yourself with it it but it is highly customizable. While not its intended use, the LDS software also works fabulously well for keeping track of dog pedigrees. *grin*
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