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Post by Connie on Jan 25, 2006 22:47:58 GMT -5
Jennifer is very interested in learning her family history this year so I am going to try to help her. Any hints, tips or ideas from anyone who has done this would be much appreciated!
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Post by tiredofscams on Jan 25, 2006 23:05:07 GMT -5
I have yet to start this, I really do want to research both mine and Lynyrd's though.
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Post by josiegirl on Jan 26, 2006 9:27:58 GMT -5
Never did it. Sorry.
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Post by Connie on Jan 26, 2006 10:38:32 GMT -5
Well I will just have to post whatever I find then to help you all out when you are ready!  Actually I will start a new board with free research links. That way everything will be together. I have found tons of places that are willing to take your money and let you search but of course I want FREE |
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Post by samantha on Jan 26, 2006 12:38:44 GMT -5
I did a good deal of work for about a year or so, but then my computer crashed and I lost EVERYTHING. Haven't started again since then. There's one side of my family that I can't find ANYTHING about. I think the guy was a horse thief or something and changed his name. [/b]
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Post by Connie on Jan 26, 2006 13:48:46 GMT -5
How cool is that!? I really love this stuff. You find out the most interesting things. Yesterday I got stuck on my great great grandparents and with a little digging discovered that they were married in OK which wasn't a state at the time so I can't really find any records. A state that wasn't a state..
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Post by jan on Jan 28, 2006 8:13:29 GMT -5
I have been researching dh's family on and off 5 years now. Dh was raised by his mother and his dad skipped the state when he was very young to avoid paying child support. Anyway, when dh started having a lot of medical problems that couldn't be traced to his mother's side of the family,I went on a mission to track down his dad and his dad's family. Anita,mydd,helped too because dh's dad was in the Army during WW2 and the Korean War,and Anita was in the army in the 80s,so she had access to some military websites that I couldn't access. You're right in saying that there are a lot of websites out there that are willing to help you for a fee,but if you have some basic information about who you're searching for,you can get a lot of info. through the state that they were born,married,died in. Also you can search the Social Security Death Index for free. Again,it helps to have basic info. Also try searching library websites for info. We found a nice lady in Tennessee that helped get dh's dad's obituarary for us and she had an online website. I used Google a lot to help me in my searches. I don't know if this info is going to help you,but feel free to pick my brain anytime you want. I have pretty much been all over the internet in my search for both sides of our familys. If I could afford it,I'd sign up for Ancestry.Com.
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Post by Connie on Jan 28, 2006 21:34:52 GMT -5
I have a feeling ancestry.com MIGHT make things easier but I am just way too cheap as you all know. If I can get it for free I WILL find a way... |
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susanm
Hero in training
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Post by susanm on Feb 5, 2006 16:27:36 GMT -5
I have done some research, however my mother has been researching hers and dad's families for over 30 years.
Cyndislist.com is an excellent resource.
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Post by Connie on Feb 6, 2006 9:36:33 GMT -5
Thank you Susann! I will give cyndislist.com a try Have you or your mom had to pay to do research online? Like at ancestry.com? What resources do you use the most? I have thorught about going down to the LDS family research center but I THINK I can find most of the same information online these days?  |
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susanm
Hero in training
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Post by susanm on Feb 6, 2006 10:41:38 GMT -5
Connie-
My mom has done the lion's share of the research, and as far as I know has never paid for research online. In fact, I doubt she has ever done research online - just through the LDS, writing to other "cousins", county courthouses, etc.
Through her research, she found at least 9 ancestors who fought in the American Revolution. One of these ancestors I did a bit more extensive research on and found out that he was encamped at Valley Forge, fought in the Battle of Brandywine, etc. What makes this so cool for me is that my family and I moved to southeastern Pennsylvania 4 years ago and now live near Valley Forge and Chadds Ford (site by the Battle of Brandywine). This ancestor is listed in the records at both of these sites. The point is that if my mother had never done the genealogical research, I would not have known to look for this ancestor while visiting these sites. In fact he may have walked right here by where my house now stands!
But, I was a history major in college, and a self described history geek, so all of this is interesting to me:)
To be honest with you, I haven't done any genealogical research in a while and have never used ancestry.com. I do use cyndislist.com but for history research in general. It is a wonderful search engine, and if you are a history buff, you may be there for hours!
I do have some books somewhere in the house that are helpful for beginning genealogy, so if you are interested, let me know and I will post the titles.
Susan
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Post by Connie on Feb 6, 2006 11:03:58 GMT -5
I would love to have the titles, good idea. I am going to the library today anyway and will have to see what I can find. I didn't even think of looking at the library! Hmm now I am thinking we should take a trip to the family history library (it is like 1/2 a mile away so no biggie!) it seems like your mom was able to find out a lot of information there that I might NOT be able to find online.
What a great story of your family history and living right where your ancestors were! That is fantastic!
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susanm
Hero in training
Posts: 4
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Post by susanm on Feb 6, 2006 19:39:04 GMT -5
The library is a great (and overlooked, these days)resource.
I found some of the books I mentioned earlier. They are old, but the research techniques would be the same now, except of course for the internet.
"Finding Your Roots" - Jeane Eddy Westin (1977)
"How To Trace Your Family Tree" - American Genealogical Research Institute (1973)
"They Came In Ships - A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestors Arrival Record" - John P. Colletta (1995)
The only online research my mom has done has been corresponding by email with other people who are looking for the same ancestors. That's it - 95% of it has been the "old fashioned way".
I hope you are able to find these, or similar books, to give you a good start. If you go to cyndislist.com, let me know what you think. I think that for now it will be your most valuable resource.
Good Luck!
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Post by Connie on Feb 6, 2006 23:01:06 GMT -5
I think you are right. I went to library before I got your list but I did find one called "Genealogists Companion and Source book" It should at least give us a starting point as to where and what to look for. I will write down the ones you mention and get those on my next trip. Your mom must be a terrific researcher to do so much for so long and the old fashioned way! Wow! I just can't imagine.
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Post by merika on Feb 21, 2006 12:49:47 GMT -5
My 16 year old spends hours doing this. She still thinks there is some royalty blood in her we are not telling her about...or perhaps someone has left her money.
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