RESEARCH YOUR FAMILY TREE---ONLINE!
by Paul and Kerri Elders
The internet is filled with useful information, and it is now easier than ever before to research your family tree from the comfort of your own home.
In the "good old days" before the technology revolution, genealogists were forced to tightly schedule itineraries to include distant courthouses and graveyards, libraries, and the nearest LDS (Latter-Day Saints) repository of genealogical information.
Thanks to the internet, those days are behind us forever, and almost all the information you need to complete your family tree is right at your fingertips--and available through your keyboard.
What better gift can you give your loved ones than a true and deep understanding of their heritage? We've all heard the family stories of "our ancient Irish background"--but you may just be surprised to find that you also have a rich German, English, Spanish, or other background that you never knew about before.
Many Americans are hard-pressed to recall family stories and names any further back than their grandparents, which is especially true for the children of divorce. But don't be discouraged! No matter how much or how little information you have now, the internet will allow you to build on that information relatively quickly.
And, you just might be surprised how many distant cousins you will find who are researching the same family lines. This has yielded us many a great friendship.
But just how do you go about compiling your family tree?
Begin by purchasing a good computer program to help keep your family records neat, organized, and accessible. We started our family research in 1988, long before the internet revolution, and had volumes of typed and handwritten notes that we kept in file folders. With no computer program available to organize this information, it was extremely difficult to keep track of just who was descended from whom, and how each person was actually related to the others. Now, we use a program called Family Tree Maker by Broderbund Software: records are easy to enter and easy to find. You can even calculate your relationship to any other person in your tree with a simple click of the mouse! Programs for keeping your information handy are also available from LDS and other vendors.
Using a computer program like this is extremely easy, and you don't duplicate your work. Each individual's information is entered into a simple form, and it can be added to as you learn more about each person. Simply enter information about your immediate family, then work your way backward, generation by generation. A computer-based format also allows you to easily collaborate with others--you can even share family tree files and photographs with other researchers by email!
Once you have your program in hand, interview family members (especially the elderly ones) about your family history, and write it ALL down (especially birth and death dates and places)! Record the information in your program. You'll often find that two relatives have distinctly different stories to tell about the same event or person, and this first-hand information is invaluable. Later, these "little" details can help you separate to individuals with the same name, to help you verify that you are indeed researching "your" ancestor (and not someone else's with the same name).
To get information on recent generations, you can visit Ancestry.com's Social Security Death Index. This Index contains Names, birth and death dates, Social Security numbers, place of death, and location where the last benefit was received. Of course, only deceased Americans who received Social Security benefits will be listed here. However, once you locate a relative, you can write to Social Security and, for a fee, receive a copy of the deceased's Social Security Application, which can yield valuable information about their occupation, residence, their parents' names, etc.
Here are a few other sites to help you start your quest. These sites offer a wealth of information; simply visit them and enter your family name (like "Elders") or the name of an ancestor (like "Aaron Elders") that you want to research:
- Genealogy.com
- Ancestry.com This site offers a wide variety of databases and census records. Some services are free; others require a membership fee ($19.95 for 3 months).
- FamilySearch.org This site was developed and is maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). They are the custodians of millions of genealogical records, worldwide, and this site is filled with interwoven family trees (called "Pedigrees"). The service is free.
- RootsWeb.com
- And later, when you have established basic information about your family and want to do more "targeted" research, visit Cyndi's List. This is the granddaddy of them all, listing more than 93,650 links to genealogical sites across the internet.
Many families have posted their family research online in independent web sites. The best way to find these is to use a search engine like Google. (Click Here) and enter a name from your family tree. The search engine will find occurences of the name you are searching for; visit these web sites and see what you can find--you might make a connection.
There are also several "genforums" (genealogical forums) where you can post questions to other related researchers. Simply visit the forum associated with the last name you are wanting to research, read through some of the postings, and then post your own questions. This is a great way to locate others researching your family line. This is a cooperative system: you help them, they help you, and you both learn more about your family. Here are two to start with: FamilyHistory.com and the Genforum at Genealogy.com.
Generally speaking, genealogy gets easier "further down the tree." We've found that your chances of finding connections increases greatly as you work your way back in time. Researching your family tree is a wonderful pastime; just one word of warning: it can become addictive. The more connections you make, the more you learn; the more you learn, the more you will want to know.
Happy hunting!
Photo of Louisa Jane Fine (1844-1877) courtesy of HR Fine. Copyright 2001 Fine Family.
Paul & Kerri Elders are freelance writers who live in Ranchvale, New Mexico.
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