How do you research your family tree? How do you start the process?

Question

How do you research your family tree? How do you start the process?

Answer 1

first is a geonology your anecestoer were traced back to you

Answer 2

The best way to START? Talk to your family. Geeze. It's kinda dumb to immediately jump to a website or go to the library.

Answer 3

Start at your library. Some have genealogy sections, books and other resources. There are plenty of genealogy clubs and Web sites, too. I also hear that the Mormon church does a lot of family tree research, and I don't think you have to be a member to use their resources.

Answer 4

Start with the people you know. From there, ask other family members until you go back as far as they can remember. Older relatives are best for that. Once that is done, then try a site like geneaology.com.

Answer 5

Ask a realative that you know. Are there any famous people in our family? If so, how are they famous? What about my great-grandfather? How was he like? Then continue like that. If they don't know, ask someone else or go to familytree.com

Answer 6

Ask Adam & Eve.

Answer 7

Start with yourself and go backwards (parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents).



Record everything from written and verbal accounts of your family. If you find someone on the Internet with more information (such as rootsweb, ancestry, etc.) record those correspondences.



Also, try the USGenWeb Project! All their resources are free as well as Rootsweb. You can find census transcriptions and some images as well as helpful people to help you look up vital records (birth, death, divorce, marriage).



For records ask your parents, grandparents, family Bible, courthouse records (deeds, wills, military records, etc).



Just make sure you ask questions now. Some could be...when did our family come to America (or other country). Where did we come from? Ask questions about how your grandparents met, etc. Questions about history in itself are good as well. My family came over from Germany in 1850 most likely due to the government in Germany at that time...a lot of stuff going down hill at that time.



I have been using Family Tree Maker since 2000 to record all my family. It's not that expensive and it is very easy to use. Also, Ancestry.com has free forms that you can download and print out (census forms from 1790-1930). The forms and census are great because they all ask different types of questions that can be very useful. To check out the forms go to Ancestry.com and go to the Learning Center then click on print and download free forms on the right hand side.



If you need any help (lookups, etc), contact me! I am a lookup volunteer for all census years and states as well as any type of land, will, deed, vital records, etc. for any state or county/parish.

Answer 8

Start by learning that genealogy has an a in it, then ...



You start with yourself and work your way back to your parents, their parents, etc. Talk to your relatives if possible, collect birth dates, birth locations, death dates, death locations, burial locations, full names, nick names, marriages, etc.



A genealogy software package has advantages especially once you get information on large numbers of people, but you don't need one to get started. There are also paper forms you can fill out for a family, one person's pedigree, etc.



If you live near where you and your recent ancestors lived you can use the courthouse, perhaps genealogy information in the local library.



Search engines on your surname(s) can be helpful but moreso if you have an unusual name (for Smith, Brown or Miller not so much).



There are many good genealogy web sites, some free, some by subscription.



It's very important to keep track of not only what you think you know, but the source of that information, because you will find conflicting information (census says he was 15 in 1910 and 28 in 1920).



Take your time. There's no hurry because you will never be done. Collect the data but seek to understand the individuals and the times they lived in. Do not judge. You might be descended form a governor but you're also probably descended from a horse thief. Maybe you get your sense of humor from the horse thief. Try to understand your ancestors in light of the time and place that they lived.



Keep in mind that there is much about the past that can never be learned, but especially early on you will likely be amazed at how much is known and is waiting for you to find it.

Answer 9

www.rootsweb.com www.ancestry.com these two have message boards(last name, state etc) www.gencircles.com www. ancientfaces.com. You can also type in the name and birthdate or deathdate on yahoo search and come up with things. It is a very exciting hobby. The Lds has a site that you can get some free census records on but can't think of it off the top of my head,. Try to hve some names, dates to start with and county,city state also help. I looked up the Lds site and it is www.familysearch.org. Curious what names would you be looking for and what states. good luck

Answer 10

ancestry.com is the best

Answer 11

First get a good genealogical computer program. I have been using Family Tree Maker for years. After you have it installed begin with yourself and add all the information. Branch out to your siblings, your parents and grandparents. First add all the information you know and get by asking questions of relatives. Record everything! Once you have exhausted all your relatives you then should look into Ancestry.com, Genealogy.com, Roots.com. Join a surname web-site (Roots is good). If you can, acquire documents or copies such as birth, death and marriage certificates. There is wealth of information out there and you do have to dig. When you trace a particular limb of your tree, gather all information, even that of the 'other' family because you never know when someone is tracing that family and may have vital information for you. This has happened several times for me. Good Luck!

Answer 12

if you want to do it on the computer, then you need a good software program. Family Tree Maker is what I use. Then to start off talk to your relatives, they are the best source of information. You can start off by putting in your information, your parents, grandparents, and then go from there.For research on the Internet, stay away from places like ancestry.com. They only want money. There are a lot of groups. You can do a lot of free searches. Cyndi's List has about everyplace you would ever want to look. If you get to where you need information from other states, there is RAOGK. That stands for random acts of genealogy kindness. These people ask for no money, but will help if they can. Find the local historical society for where ever or who ever you are looking for. The Church of Latter Day Saints is another good one. They have a section called Family Search. And good luck hunting. It is fun

Answer 13

I have Family Tree Software. It's a good thing. The reference dept. at a library is a great way to start too. My information also, came from any living relative I have. In addition, you can research on-line by using any Surname(last name). But it get complicated if you don't know names of counties. I got lucky and found some old birth certificates.

Old cemetery's are interesting and you can get some good leads.

Don't fall for the advertising for coat of arms. Some are legit. But, costly, and waste a great deal of time.



If you have an old Family Bible, you may find loads of information too.

Answer 14

First, talk to your parents, and grandparents, and other older relatives. If you want to use a free service, try RootsWeb.com. I started simple, I typed my grandmothers last name into search engine, Yahoo, and looked through the sites. So far I have contacted 10 people who have done genealogy work on her family and have shared their info with me. Most people who are into genealogy will willingly share their info with you. Also, Ancestry.com offers a free tial. I used it and got a lot of good info. They have access to the Social Security records, census data, Birth and Death records, etc. Also, try the LDS Family site (Latter Day Saints, also called Moermans). Or an LDS Family Library. Most large cities have an LDS Family Library, they are usually on the same property as an LDS church. They have more info than you could imagine. Oh, also, a great place to start is the RootsWeb.com message boards. Just find the message board for the last name you are reasearching and you can enter any questions you might have. For example: I am looking for info on my great grandmother Bertha Jones, she was born on (date) and died on (date) can anyone help me?" People will answer your question if they can. The messages stay on their for several years, so it may take some time, but you'll eventually get an answer.

Answer 15

first off DO NOT join any of these places like Ancestry.com who also owns all the others as well.go to the library and use the FREE library edition.Start with the info from all living relatives.I used the PAY places and from after checking the info I got fgrom them that they had listed members of my family but not correctly.Why because the people that enter their info sits at a table in some little country where they don't even know english and could care less about it.If I took the info from ANCESTry at it face valve then my great grand mother is listed as being her own mother and her mom's sister as well!You get a marriage li cense of your parents and then you'll have their parents and their birth place.Seriously take it to the library and ask.Libraries and their employees are very under rated.Trust me I spent the big bucks and got lies and no where .The library took me all the way back to the 1500's FOR FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!P.s you can also FREE of charge find the place and go the "ROOTSWEB".com way.

Answer 16

When researching your family tree the first thing is to talk to family. Sounds logical but many people forget. Moms,dads, grandparents,aunts and uncles will have memories to share. They may even know part of the tree and can give you clues where to look by giving birthplaces, and dates you can get nowhere else. They may also have records such as family bibles with birth/death records and even marriages recorded.

Answer 17

Even though you may not be a member of the LDS chruch it would be a really great idea to go to the family research library at your local stake. They have great resources better than anywhere else I've tired. When I went there I found more relatives than anywhere else I've tried. The people are so nice and so willing to help if you have any problems.

Answer 18

Warning: Do not attempt to search generations in the distant past. That is like putting the cart before the horse.



You first have to organize what you do know. Fitting in pieces of the puzzle comes later.



Begin by constructing a rudimentary tree(in pencil) you will be doing a great deal of erasing.



Place the oldest person that you know in your lineage at the top.

Add information like D.O.B., D.O.D. etc.



Your on your way.

Answer 19

My father and grandparents have been researching as long as I can remember and they get info from the archives sorry have no idea where it is and they store it on a program called family tree and then its got some number like 4.0. They have about 17 dead generations of my dads side, their children and spouces and siblings and about 5 dead generations of my moms side plus the liveng ones on both sides keep in mind it takes a long time.

Answer 20

I'm doing mine right now through ancestry.com. You have to know some basic information about your parents, and you fill in whatever information you have. As you get more information together, ancestry.com will fill in some of it for you from their database (it's huge, and you can find just about anything in there). But it starts with getting a membership and creating a family tree and just putting in the information you know about your parents and grandparents. Then you can do searches on the site to fill in the parts you don't know.

Answer 21

Think of racial memory and the lives of your family members in past tense and through your personality and perspectives. After some three seconds think vaguely of pretence and lazyness. Those can be wonderful concepts regarding love and family. At this time you have figured your way to akashic and historic memorials. Without being witty figure your presence in their thoughts and you will notice differently your presence in their memories. Now figure all perspectives thinking and feeling philosofically of each of them and their friends.

What you do two seconds later is whimsical encounter of second type, keep trying and when you notice with no shame you had a whimsical encounter of third type you know already of future encounters and mathematical probabilities beyond your current knowledge of science.

Answer 22

To research your family you must be very methodical, and use as many verifyable resources as possible. 1) Get the information from any living member as far back as possible. Dates of birth, marriage, death, and location of remains. 2) Get Social Security applications for any deceased relative. This has birth date, parents names, and location of their births. 3) Birth Certificates. This has the family members parents names and location of births (usually). 3) Information from the Web sites and Mormon family research centers. This MAY be inaccurate since information is submitted by researchers and we all make mistakes.



Good luck! I have found this type of research very fun, interesting and educational.

Answer 23

The first step is to record all the birth, marriage, death, etc. dates of all your immediate family members... parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, etc. Interview all your living relatives, collect family records, Bibles, letters, wills, marriage certificates, obituaries... any and all records you can find, and then look in your local newspaper and/or local library for a geneology chapter meeting in your area. Resist using the internet until you have done the above, or you risk being overwhelmed, or spamed.



I've had good luck with myfamily.com as a private site for sharing with "relations"; search out a geneology club, and look at various software packages before you invest!



Good Hunting!

Answer 24

First, go to any Family History Center at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) with the names, birthdays, and any revelent information. It is easier if you start current and work your way backward. The church has Family Trees and all kinds of useful and helpful information you just need to be prepared to do the work yourself. And you don't even have to be member.

Hope that helps

Answer 25

ask relatives and your relative's close friends first - then try ancestry.com You need to be like a CSI agent because a lot of the info on the net may be inaccurate eg. misspellings and some of your relatives may have fugged on dates.

if you buy the cheaper version of Family Tree Maker genealogy program from amazon it usually comes with a 90 day free subscription to Ancestry. com -- check it out - watch out for automatic resubscribe billing of your card after any free trial period though

Answer 26

The best way to start is asking the older family members about what they know. Go as far back as you can by talking to them. Then go to a site like ancestry.com. Also check the census records at the local library.

Answer 27

I just got a lot of information from the Census in my state. I was able to go back to 1800. Start in the county that you know you had a relative live in. The people in the capital of my state helped also. Their link was on the county I had looked up. Good Luck

Answer 28

Start by talking to as many living members of your family as possible. Make up a set of questions about people, places and events and ask the same questions of everyone. Record them if You can. Take copious notes. After You know as much as you can from oral histories, use that information to make inquiries of public records and church records ... there are pay-for-use websites that might help you ... after you have all your information collected.

Answer 29

First off- is contacting all the family members, even from the far branches of the tree, and see what they know about who they are related too. and see how far back they can go into their family history. oh yea, bring a pen and paper. And ask them to ask their relatives, and so forth

Answer 30

I read in a newspaper a few months ago that some scientific group are testing people's DNA for a hundred bucks a pop. It's still in it's experimental stages. Apparently, they tested someone who's got the same ancenstry as Ghengis Khan. Not surprisingly, he lives in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Answer 31

Start by recording the names of all living people that you know and work backwards. Go to your nearest family research center LDS or the Mormons have them everywhere and you dont have to be a church member to use the resources. Be prepared to do the work yourself.

Answer 32

Start with detailed questions from the elder members of your family. Then compare notes. Then sketch the brief parts you do know so you can asked appropriate questions when checking, say, online resources such as ancestor.com.



There were stories my father told, that my mother had to correct. There were stories that my grandmother told that my aunts and uncles told differently at her funeral. Start with the common and confirmed, then work from there.

Answer 33

I've thought about that. You'd think I would. Someone told me about a remote ancestor of repute. But, yanno what? So what?



Today, more than ever, one group wants to control another, or an individual.



What better way to do it than to use your own vanity against you by saying something like that you really can't prove?



I treat it as follows; we are all sons of Adam. That isn't really a recommendation given mans' history ... and leave it at that.

Answer 34

the best thing to do is talk to everyone in your family. write everything down. if you have an older relative, ask them to tell you everything you can think of.



if you know they came thru ellis island (ny), you can even check their records and find out what ship they came on, when, with who, and from where.



my mom has been doing this same thing for years. we've found where everyone came from, going back about 3 generations.



and try ancestry.com, if you're willing to pay it can be really helpful



oh, and check the morman church, they have lots of info too.

Answer 35

The best way is obviously the toughest one.. Look deep within.. something of everybody above the line is within us !

Perhaps the tradition of remembering the ancestors, especially on their death anniversaries, also seem to subtly suggest the same manner to know ourselves through knowing them, and all from within us !

Getting names , locations, what they did, how they lived is not of much relevance or consequence, rather their being is what they left behind to let us feel !

The answer HAS to sound mystic , since the scope of it is spiritual in nature !

Answer 36

You talk to you oldest living family member and see how far they go back. And if they know who is buried where? And if there are any family bibles that have a listing of family members.



Graves are real good for getting birth and death dates adn sometimes parents.

Answer 37

Interview your living relatives and family friends now. This will lead to more contacts and more interviews. You can substantiate information through library and internet searches. Office of Immigration is also a good source.

Answer 38

Start with your family, your grandparents and great grand parents will love telling stories of the old days. Then try www.ancestery.com and then try the Ellis Island website.

Answer 39

The geneology websites are good. Another good resource is the Mormons. They have a belief that they can ritually save non Mormons that are dead so they keep very accurate records of geneology. Probably the most concise around.

Answer 40

Good advice has been given.

1. Create a location to record the data that you receive

2. Record all the information that you know

3. Fill in the blanks with info from all your relatives

4. Check cemetery listings (online, community files)

and then .. it just goes on and on and on !!!

Answer 41

well, I have done a lot of research on my family tree.



Need more info would be glad to give you all information i have using tool book.



These 4 questions are commonly asked if adopted or otherwise.

What area do you live in?

do you live in USA or Canada?

Child or siblings looking for parents?

Are you Aborginal or Native Hertiage?

Answer 42

Start talking to grandparents first... thats how i came to know of my family tree... at least the 9 levels of it that grandpa remembered.

Answer 43

It is amazing what you can find by typing your Last name and Family (Doe Family Information) in Google or Yahoo Search engine.

Answer 44

Talk to family members.Visit grave sites to get family. Check on the Internet.

Answer 45

The best starting point would be with your relatives. Get every tidbit of information they have, try and piece some of that together, and work from there.



I hope this helps.

Answer 46

Start brief interview with family starting from the eldest alive

Answer 47

There are many great sites online, I suggest you google "geneology" and begin to look at the sites. Choose which one suits you and go for it! Caution: Make sure you don't post any current very person information online (i.e., a birthdate, etc.).

Answer 48

open your eyes, go to your backyard and choose the tree that you want to be the family tree, then look it over good to make sure that there is no threat of disease or insect infestation;) LOL

Answer 49

Your public library is a good place to start. Depending on yours, there may be a genealogy room, or librarian, where you can find help.

Answer 50

The more information you have the faster and easier it will be. There are plenty of free sites that you can look stuff up on-don't pay.

Answer 51

search for your family's SURNAMES.

if they are not originally from the country you are at, then search

for SURNAMES in the cities.



http://www.allvitalrecords.com/index.asp?tag=google

also, I don't know you , but if there are Jewish people in your family there is www.jewishgen.com (or org)

there is the DIASPORA MUSEUM in Tel Aviv.

give it a try.

good luck in your journey!

Answer 52

i have left the idea to research this...it appears to be clear gap between official and unofficial historygraphy...but it is inspirative to search according to certain trails - you never know what you are going to find.

Answer 53

Join ancestry.com

It's expensive but worth it if you use it for a couple of months religiously.

Answer 54

By going to one of those Genealogy Websites...

Answer 55

I would start with living relatives.

Answer 56

start with your last name

Answer 57

first of all ask your parents and grandparents because they are a sure source of your most immediate ancestry. after that you go to www.ancestry.com and check what you've got out.

Answer 58

everything always starts with a question...ask every you know tat is related to you and work from there...

ti is good that you are interested in your background

Answer 59

go on geneaology.com and sign up for a free trial (have your know relatives - full names, birth/death dates all ready) run searches and have fun!

Answer 60

Seriously, contact the Mormon Church. They have everybody on file.

Answer 61

you can start by googling or searching your last name or your mom's madian name. i googled mine and there was a famous gymnast with my exact name not including my middle name but?

Answer 62

i seriously think obout it when my mother passed away. i feel my ancestors can help me when iam alone, depressed, and that was also interesting that we have routes till adam, we are brothers and sisters .............

to go back we have to consult with our grandpa and granda and photos , books, diaries are also helpful

Answer 63

I think you should ask your grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts about your ancestor.

Answer 64

contact relatives and tell them what you are trying to accomplish

Answer 65

go to libary maybe help you

Answer 66

Ask your mum!

Answer 67

Find your oldest relative and start to chatting..................

Answer 68

try www.ancestry.com