Showing posts with label genealogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label genealogy. Show all posts

Friday, November 6, 2009

Genealogy for children


Have you ever wondered how you can get your child involved in genealogy? I pondered this myself and when I was a single mom and wanted to do genealogy at a family history research centre I decided to take my daughters with me to help. I set up a reader with a microfilm of their grandfather's birth so they could look through the film beside me and the reader I was looking at for film of other family members that I was researching.

My daughters also interviewed their grandfather and asked papa questions about his life. My youngest enjoyed talking to her grandfather about his life and he often treated them all to treats.

If your children have no grandparents they can ask questions from their aunts and uncles or any other living relatives. If the children don't get stories from them or their family about their family these memories of their lives will be lost from their families forever.

Out of four grandparents two of my grandparents were dead before I was born and the other two died shortly after my birth so I never really had the opportunity to get to know them. My siblings and I grew up without much knowledge of our grandparents and our parents would barely talk about them when we asked them questions. A lot of valuable information about the grandparents are lost. Many rich, treasured stories about our grandparents were lost forever to us and our children and their children.

If you can get your children involved in family history it will turn their hearts to their ancestors which brings a love, bond and unity or sense of belonging to one great family past and present.


by Queenie1

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Using Genealogy To Discover Your Past and History

by MIKE SELVON

Genealogy satisfies the curiosity of those interested in knowing more about their past and history. Compiling a family tree that depicts much of one's lineage and ancestors' personal information, such as birth dates, marriages, children, and all sorts of other types of data can be a wonderful hobby to take on, and it is very popular as a pastime.

In order to obtain the information for a family history record, you will need to do extensive research. How extensive your research will be depends on the purpose of your genealogy project. If you are simply interested in a family tree that covers a few generations, much of your research can be done within your immediate family.

Interview older members of your family to discover the names and important dates connected with their parents and siblings. Also, check family Bibles and other heirlooms for information.

If you want to create a more extensive picture of your family history, you will eventually need to search through genealogy records. Sources that you may use include military records, land records, census records and the social security death index. Each of these types of records can provide information on your ancestors.

Think of a family tree as a mystery waiting to be solved. You will take on the role of a detective, gathering evidence and interviewing those who might be able to provide clues in your quest. Each bit of information that you gather will lead you to new sources and new questions.

Although it is not necessary, genealogy software can assist you in compiling your genealogy. The good ones will often include checklists of hints, tips and tricks that can prove invaluable. Such software may also be linked to research websites that can search a long list of records with a simple click. Some type of automatic family tree maker is usually included as part of the package.

A wide variety of genealogy resources are available online. There are many websites devoted to family history, such as Ancestry.com, and these can be valuable for clues and information for tracing your ancestors back in time.

You'll also discover community forums, tools, different types of genealogy software, and other types of resources, as well as make friends with many other people devoted to genealogy. What used to be a long process of sifting through old papers in file rooms has become a fast and easy project with most of the information you need available with the click of a mouse.

Genealogy can be an exciting hobby involving playing detective and learning about your family's past. You'll discover many other people related to you whose existence you were not aware of or you'll find new friends who share your passion.

Many people who begin a family tree for fun soon discover that the interest becomes a lifelong passion.



Discover more about how genealogy will teach you more about your past and history from Mike Selvon portal where a free gift awaits you. We appreciate your feedback at our Genealogy blog.

Article Source: http://www.bigfreearticles.com

Tracing One's Roots Via Family History Genealogy

by SearchRank Pros

The family has always been considered as the strongest force in the society. Known as the most fundamental civilization in the world, it defines the rise and fall of every community and group. In whatever culture, the family has always played a major role in unifying the people of its race. Even in today’s modern era when the limits of socialization are starting to get shattered and the boundaries of communication are slowly disappearing, the family remains basic in every human life. Nobody is so independent and free as to be able to exist without a family.

Today’s world is one which is highly characterized by individualism and eccentricity. Many people are concerned with moving on into the future and the majority is actually living for tomorrow. You may think it just usual for today’s generation to bother less about their origin, about who they really are, where they come from, and issues concerning the past. Ironically, however, there is a growing interest about the search for people’s ancestors. Family history genealogy is gaining more and more attention from those who are after their past life and relatives.

Genealogy can be considered as the science of relationships, simply because this field deals with the tracing of a particular person’s family and relatives, both in the past and in the present, alive or dead. People venture out in the search for their families because of various reasons. Some may want to find a kin who has been lost due to circumstances beyond their control. Concrete examples were those involved in the World War who were forced to leave their homes for safety and spent the rest of their life wandering in foreign lands. Others, on the other hand, engage in this endeavor because of the desire for material possessions and power. Believing that they may be perhaps connected to someone of great influence, they risk the chance for the hope of something good in return.

Genealogy and the search for one’s history may vary in depth. This can be as simple as tracing the names of people related to you, forming a family tree, and indicating to which specific family in your clan a particular person belongs. Or, this can also be as deep as researching and finding out the personal life of each family member that you are able to find.

Modern technology has made family history genealogy more interesting and has opened a wider door for those people who are serious about their family search. The science of heredity and the study about DNA have made it even more possible for two persons to determine if they belong to the same line of ancestry. Various online sites are also available now to aid people find practically anybody with just the entry of simple facts. There are even computer programs which have been specifically designed for this purpose.

The search for one’s family, history, and past can be a whole lot of fun. Starting one is easy, and this can be done using different means. The experience is like a treasure hunt that will lead you to unknown and exciting places, and you will never know what you will discover and what treasures await you at the end of your adventure.

To begin the quest of exploring your own family history, visit http://www.familyorigin.net to start on your journey. The resources and information available through this website are invaluable in starting or continuing this process.



Trace Your Genealogy History and learn how to look up your Family linkage now.
The most Effective ways are discussed through our Genealogy Website: http://www.FamilyOrigin.Net Contact: info@familyorigin.net for more info

Article Source: http://www.bigfreearticles.com

Discovering Your Family History

by MIKE SELVON

Researching family history is something that many people dabble in because they want to know more about where they come from and perhaps even try to see where their family line might end up in the future. An interesting thought of some is that it can divulge much information about our personalities. Some are simply curious.

Many people begin genealogy research following a major event in their lives. A birth or death in the family, marriage, or other major turning point can spawn an interest in genealogical research.

Other people begin a family history simply out of curiosity or interest. Often a genealogy project begins as a way to fill time over a summer and becomes a lifelong hobby.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to research your family history, there are some standard methods that are generally used. First, you will want to interview your family members, particularly the older generations.

They can give you information about their parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles. You will also want to determine whether any sort of written history already exists, perhaps in a family Bible.

Once you have gotten all of the information that you can, you will be ready to move on to records searches. The Social Security Death Index is a wonderful resource for anyone performing genealogical research. The SSDI allows you to search for records of people who have died in the United States.

Simply enter as much information as you know about the person and the Index will provide all matching records. You can use this resource to find someone's social security number and the state and zip code of his or her last residence, as well as exact dates of birth and death. This information can help you determine where to go next in researching your family history.

Land records can be helpful in determining the property holdings of your ancestors and help you trace your family history to specific locations or towns. Census records may also provide information, but these will not give data on direct households.

Census records are useful in providing information on dates or family members. Both types of documents may be available online, but this depends on the time and location of the period you are researching.

Many other types of records may also help you in your search. Depending on your specific research situation, you may discover military records, probate records and other documents. Each of these records that you uncover will add a bit more data to your family history.

Researching your family history is an exciting and rewarding hobby. Creating one can help you to understand yourself a bit better by understanding where you came from.

Your family history will never be truly completed, as there is always more to learn. You may find that genealogy becomes a lifelong pursuit.



Discover more about the family history in genealogy from Mike Selvon portal where a free gift awaits you. We appreciate your feedback at our Genealogy blog.

Article Source: http://www.bigfreearticles.com

Getting To Know Yourself Through Your Family's Genealogy

by Michael Beardon.

Genealogy or the study of one's line of descent is often something that we have all looked into at least once in our lives. I'm sure the thought of being related to someone famous or a past President has crossed your mind. Apart from that, it is always interesting to know the personalities that make up your family tree and the different stories surrounding them and how they shaped who you are today.

A lot of old families have their family lines well documented. But how does someone like you go about finding out your ancestry? Here are a few tips to get you started on finding your roots.

Start with the Internet. The Internet is a vast storehouse of knowledge, but finding the information you want can be tricky when you don't know where to look. There are specific genealogy sites which are easily accessible and user-friendly. These sites provide various documents that are vital to knowing our past. Documents such as marriage records, birth certificates and the like are a great way to start your journey into your family's past. Examples of these sites are rootsweb.com, ancestry.com and myheritage.com.

You have to already know a little bit of your history though in order to have a fruitful and accurate search. This is true especially If your family has a common name like Smith or Jones. It would also be useful to know where your other relatives lived or migrated to, so that you can zero in on those places.

The Internet lets you gain entry to the records of faraway States or cities. For instance, if you have neither the time nor the patience to take a boat to Ellis Island, but would like to check if your ancestors were one of those who first settled into the island, you can check out the records online. Just remember that these records are transcribed from logs written by hand, thus the possibility of wrong or differently-spelled names is very high.

Court houses also store marriage and birth certificates, death certificates and the like. These documents will provide a lot of the information you need because they state the person's parents, spouse and children.

The state department also has records and files that have not been transferred to the Internet as of yet. So it would be a wise idea to check out your state department as well.

Another option is to visit cemeteries and funeral homes, which always have information on the family of the deceased. Tomb stones for example, will state a person's spouse and children. So it is wise to visit these places too.

Not only is tracing your genealogy a fulfilling project but it will be a great help to your other family members too. It is a journey worth embarking on and it will really be worth the effort.



Michael Beardon is an expert on Genealogy. If you want to learn more about Genealogy you should check out his amazing tips on genealogy at http://familytreeguidebook.com.

Article Source: http://www.bigfreearticles.com

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Search Your Ancestry And Trace Back Generations


By: Tavis J. Cooper
Ancestry search is a fairly new hobby that is gaining increasingly popularity. Though people have long been
interested in discovering their roots, ancestry search using the internet can be really enjoyable.
In recent times of disposable everything, discovering more about your ancestors and where they originally came from
can bring some newfound stability to your life. Though that might seem like a full-size statement it holds truth. As I
have gotten familiar following my own personal experience with an ancestry search.
It all started with a quick ancestry search once and found out that a distant relative once ran for president against one
of the founding fathers. He came in third and does not even warrant a footnote in history. However this exciting
experience led into doing my own ancestry search.
There are thousands of internet databases one can find for ancestry search. A good place to begin though is with the
government databases like social security and others likewise. In addition there are more sophisticated ancestry
search services. These date back to records from the early settlers that came to these shores hundreds of years ago.
Furthermore, for the majority people, an ancestry search can turn up with some pleasant surprises. One of the earliest
records for me that I could locate in America turned out to be a single mother whose husband died crossing the
Atlantic.
Your ancestry search does not need to start or end there. Nearly each one of us are immigrants, as there are records
that date back further in the past and can even show passenger lists of the ships that came to the New World
generations ago. Once you take on your own ancestry search, you might learn that an ancestor was part of a royal
family or a public official that you never knew about. Or who knows perhaps someone that might have been a crook
escaping the clutches of the law.
Before you begin your ancestry search, you definitely need a starting point or a starting family member. The best thing
would be to go back as far as you can with a family member, whom you may know a little about, say for instance a
grand mother or great grandfather. The next step you can check out the town or area records where they were born.
During my experience with an ancestry search I discovered that one thing or one person can lead to another
interesting finding. Families are always connected to many other people in a variety of ways. Or just maybe your next
door neighbor with the annoying barking dog is really a long lost twelfth cousin.
Though several companies that specialize in ancestry search charge a fee, many records can be found free. Of
course, these require your time and effort. Yet another interesting source of information at no cost for your ancestry
search is the public files of old newspapers and magazines. One must keep a close watch not only for stories but also
for writers and other staff on these old periodicals. Back then in the past, even before the radio and television came
around, there were literally hundreds of newspaper and magazines around. Several colleges as well as public
libraries, all linked to the Net can be a source of valuable information to help your personal ancestry search.
About The Author:
Tavis J. Cooper provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles, and reviews for
http://www.hobbyguidezone.com, http://www.hobbiesinformationguide.com and other related issues.
Article Source: www.isnare.com

15 Resources For Tracing Your Family Ancestry

By: Debbie Pettitt
If you're like me, when you were young, looking beyond your mother and father to find out where you came from just
wasn't important.
Well, I've found that the older you get, the more important your ancestry becomes. I'm not sure why. Maybe I have a
broader perspective on things now. Maybe I'm just curious as to whether there was nobility in my family. Perhaps I'm
looking for some closet skeletons.
Whatever my reasons, I do find tracing my ancestry fascinating. It is so interesting to learn about other people--how
they lived, what they did, who they knew. But I've also learned along the way that most people haven't a clue what
resources are available to them beyond the usual - interviewing family, checking birth certificates and newspapers,
etc.
So here I've compiled a list of 25 resources you should take advantage of if you're really serious about finding out
"where you came from."
1. The obvious, of course, is interviewing family members; not only mom and dad, but aunts, uncles, distant cousins.
Start by drawing a quick family tree going back just two generations and start making calls or sending mail or emails.
Here are some of the basic things you'll want to know:
Complete names (married and maiden names)
Addresses throughout their live
Birth records
Military service (when and where)
Marriage records (even attendants, if possible)
Property records (state and county)
Burial records (where)
Old pictures, especially if they have names and dates
2. Family bibles. While it doesn't seem to be such a common practice these days, in the past, families kept their bible
forever, often keeping record of family members, births, marriages, and deaths on pages within the bible.
3. Old family letters. Once again, with technology, we've all but lost the art of letter writing (what will our own children
and grand children have to look back on in years to come?). But older generations tended to preserve letters of
importance. These letters can oftentimes be of great value in tracing your ancestry. They may contain important dates,
facts, and places that will be of help. Check return addresses and postmarks for information.
4. Legal documents are a great resource. Such documents include deeds (property addresses), wills (names of kin
you may not have known about), marriage licenses (note the witnesses), birth certificates, voter registration, adoption
records, and even judgements. Your search for these documents should begin with state and county records.
5. What about associations your ancestors may have belonged to? These would include churches, clubs, veterans
groups and lodges, all of which may be able to provide background information for your search.
6. Census data. After 1840 the Census collected age, place of birth, occupation, personal wealth, education, spouse,
children, hired hands, and even immigration information. Copies of the original decennial census forms from 1790
through 1930 are available on microfilm for research at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration in
Washington, DC (http://www.archives.gov/), at Archives regional centers, and at select Federal depository libraries
throughout the United States.
7. Naturalizations records.
For Pre-1906 Naturalizations:
Contact the State Archives for the state where the naturalization occurred to request a search of state, county, and
local courts records.
Contact the NARA regional facility that serves the state where naturalization occurred to request a search of Federal
court records.
For Naturalizations After 1906:
After 1906, the courts forwarded copies of naturalizations to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Naturalizations from Federal Courts are held in the NARA's regional facilities for the Federal courts for their area.
Learn more: http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/naturalization/
8. Grave sites. Headstones will give dates and possible family names.
9. Libraries. Here you'll find newspaper articles (look for obituaries, and birth and marriage announcements) and
books on local history (what was taking place during their life). Many libraries can be accessed online. You will also
find genealogy information in several libraries, the Allen County Public Library in Indiana having the second largest
genealogical collection in the US. Another good source is the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, UT.
10. Genealogy message boards. Google "genealogy message boards" and join in--you'll find a wealth of information
available!
11. Military records. You'll find several sources online, including NARA
(http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/).
12. High school and college yearbooks. These sources can help locate a relative or provide other resources for your
search. Check online.
13. Family pedigrees. These are family groups already linked in a computer system. Accessing an individual's family
group sheet in a linked pedigree will also give you access to all of the records that are linked to that individual. Two
great sources are Kindred Connections (http://www.kindredkonnections.com/index.html) and the Family History Library
(http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHL/frameset_library.asp).
14. U.S. Immigration records. Two great sources are Ellis Island Records (http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/) and
Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/default.aspx?rt=40)
15. Social Security Death Index. This is a database of people whose deaths were reported to the Social Security
Administration (SSA) beginning about 1962. The best source is RootsWeb.com
(http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/?o_xid=0028727949&o_lid=0028727949&o_xt=41534187).
Now that you're all grown up and interested in finding your "roots", these 15 resources should get you well on your
way. It'll be a fun and rewarding adventure.
About The Author:
Copyright 2006 by Debbie Pettitt, webmaster of Ancestry Review, bringing you reviews of Internet resources and
programs designed to help you uncover your family genealogy. http://ancestryreview.com/genealogydetective.html
Article Source: www.isnare.com

Friday, July 17, 2009

Start Your Family History Search With These Genealogy Tips

By Shakora Malik
Published April 21, 2009
Womens Interest
Rating: Unrated
Shakora Malik
Shakora Malik works for VitalChek Express Certificate Service, a leader in online ordering of Pennsylvania birth certificates, Florida birth certificates and New York City birth certificates.View all articles by Shakora Malik
With hundreds of genealogy charts, websites, computer programs, databases and subscription services, it can be intimidating to know where and how to begin a genealogy search. There are sites online that provide birth, marriage and death records and you can fill in the gaps with census records, military records, county records and cemeteries. But where does one begin?Follow these tips to get a head start on your family’s history search.1. Collect what you Before you leap into the mass of information available, collect and organize the information you have. This includes birth and marriage certificates, wills, maiden names, burial records and baptismal certificates.2. Contact your current relativesOnce you have some information, contact your relatives and ask for any documents or helpful information that they may be able to provide. Do they have copies of birth certificates? Do they have contact information or knowledge of any family legends?To obtain birth certificates, marriage records and death certificates, you need to know the mother’s Maiden name and the county in which the event took place. If you do not have this information, ask your relatives. Below are some documents that may be useful to your research:Documents that your relatives may have:- Birth, death or marriage records- Journals or diaries- Family photo albums or biblesRemember to contact both your close relatives as well as your distant relatives. Another relative may have already started a genealogy search and then given up--you might
find a relative who is eager to help you with your family history search.3. Begin the search!You can find information online through a variety of websites. There are family history websites and genealogical websites dedicated to family history, many of which are subscription-based services. Expect to spend thirty or forty dollars on these services. You may also want to look at websites that offer public record information online for a nominal fee.Records that may be available online:- Census records- Military records- Hospital records- Wills and deeds- Emigration and immigration records- Tip: Many databases online require a payment for their services. Before you pay to use any service, do a quick online research to make sure the company is reputable and safe.University and state libraries are also great resources, as are family history libraries. You may be able to find relevant newspaper articles, history books that trace migrations, microfilms or records at these locations.When conducting a family history search online or in the library, it is useful to know the full name of any deceased relatives, as well as the county and state where they are buried. Of course, this information may not be available at your fingertips. Remember, don’t get discouraged! Conducting a family history search can be time-consuming, but overall it can be a very valuable and rewarding experience. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your local librarian or your relatives. They will likely be more than willing and happy to help. If you stumble on an aspect of your search, you can also turn to the internet--there are many discussion groups online that focus on genealogy.