Ok for all you beginners out there here is a page just for you! Discovering your family tree, doing genealogy or family history search can be an exciting experience. Many people just like you have discovered who their ancestors are. You too can gain new instights into your family and feel a sense of belonging, perhaps in a way you have never felt before. Through family history reasearch, you can learn about your ancestors' daily lives and feelings from records of their personal experiences. Perhaps you will be able to read of your great-great grandmother's anticipation as she awoke on her wedding day, or of the grief and hope, she felt when she buried a beloved child. Or maybe you will learn why ancestors born in another country left and what was happening when they arrived in their new country. you might also learn that one of your ancestors served in the military during a war. People and nations can come alive for you through the experiences of your ancestors. All of your ancestors had names. They all lived in specific places at certain times. They had parents and grandparents. Most had brothers and sisters, and many had children. Through family history research, you can learn their names. As you learn about their circumstances, you will begin to feel connected to them and their lives. Start Now! Here are 5 simple steps to help you start: 1. IDENTIFY WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT YOUR FAMILY A pedigree chart provides space to record information for 4 genearations including yourself. A family group record provides space to record information about parents and children. Personal and Family history notes provides space to record information about your ancestors. A research log provides space for you to organize and record your research efforts. You can also use a computer with a genealogy program. Can't afford a program, yes you can! Here is a FREE program GenoPro that you can download and use! Recall and record information about your family Gather information within your family Copy information from family documents or records Organize records, documents and family memorabilia 2. DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR FAMILY Identify people for whom there is insufficient information. Choose one person to learn more about. Identify questions to answer about the person. Select one question as the research objective Prepare a research log. 3. SELECT A RECORD TO SEARCH Identify major categories of records available to search Select specific record(s) to search. Compile records: Ancestral File International Genealogical Index Published Family Histories Biographies, Genalogies and Local Histories Original records: Vital records; birth, marriage, & death records Church records Cemetery records Census records Militray records Probate records Immigration records Other records: Court Land Naturalization Taxation Business Medical School Describe the record on a research log 4. OBTAIN AND SEARCH THE RECORD Obtain the record United States National Archives Family History Library Locale libraries State Archives and Libraries Public and University Libraries County & Town Courthouses Search the record Name changes Spelling variations Handwriting Dead-end lines Record the results For every record you search make an entry in your research log of what you found. 5. USE THE INFORMATION Evaluate the information found. Transfer the information. Organize newly acquired records. Share your family history with others.
Some very useful web sites: Ancestory.com Cyndis List One of the BEST sites! Ancestry Corner This is a good place to get blank forms to print out. Ellis Island GenHome Genealogy Site 1 Roots Web Newspaper US Gen Web Genealogy Site 2 Forms and Beginning Stuff Obits Find A Grave Czech Genealogy Web sites: Czech Genealogy I are relative Distant cousin
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Last updated 24 June 2006