Family Puzzler

by Anna B O’Brien

Would you like to search your family tree? Find out where your family came from? Would your like to be able to start your search for free. Would you like to know if you have a famous person in your ancestry. Where your great-great grandparents lived? What they did for a living?

And would you like to learn this information and other information about your family history with no out of pocket expense? You can learn many of those questions and sometimes even more, with just a PC, an internet connection and Google.

Google gives you so many ways you can start a genealogy search. First just Google your great grandparents name if you know their name, if not try your grandparents name. Be prepared for thousands of name to appear. Naturally most of the names that do appear will not be relatives.

That is okay. You have the ability with many of the free search tools that Google offers on their sites, to begin to narrow your search. On the internet you have access to so much different data. One type of data is genealogy. Genealogy searches are used to find who you are related to.

When you trying to find out information about your family history many of the genealogy websites can be helpful.

Many genealogy websites will give you some basic information when you type in a name of a relative, and date of birth, and date of death. You may have obtained this information already by doing your Google Advanced Search.

When you enter what information you have garnered free from Google on these various genealogy websites, they will usually have some more documents for you and links to various other sites.

However, you should consider that the information you may obtain from different websites may not be accurate.

If you decide, that you would like to pursue your family history, and try and get accurate information going back as far as possible, then you should consider registering and paying for a genealogy website.

There are a number of genealogy or ancestry websites, and you should make sure you select a website that offers you features that you are paying for.

Genealogy searches can cost quite a bit of money. Before you sign up for a genealogy website, try and make sure they offer you these following features. It is important these websites meet your expectations when searching your family history. One of the first features you should expect is the easy-to-use-interface. If you are using a genealogy website that you find to complicated and difficult to use, it would be a waste of your money.

Many of these family history websites come with some sort of a guarantee that they will be able to at least give you the services you want. Also when possible, try and look for a genealogy website that will provide you with an interactive family tree.

Hopefully when you find a good genealogy website that offers you these basic features with the correct easy-to-use tools, you will be sure go getting the results you paid for.

Starting a family tree is easy and fun. Get charts and templates to help you stay organized. For more help and information on writing your family history
Click Here!

Anna B O’Brien may be contacted at http://www.makefamilytree.info

by Anna B O’Brien

It is a good idea to use templates and charts when starting your research. It is important to keep all your information organized just like a professional genealogist.

Whatever term you use, family tree, family history or genealogy research, they all have one thing in common. That is the enormous amount of paper and notes and post its even napkins that we will write bits and pieces of information.

Starting research into your family history, most genealogists would recommend that you first get the necessary templates, forms and charts that will make you project run much smoother. Here is a list of forms and charts that are used in genealogy research.

Ancestry charts also known as pedigree charts. This type of chart is how you start collecting the most basic information. They give you spaces for names; such as parents, grand parents and of course your name.

You should start with your name, place and date of birth. Then the same information for your parents, grand parents and great grand parents.

Family Tree Templates Where these differ from the pedigree charts, is instead of just direct relatives, the templates give you room to expand your search. Now you will be able to document couples statistics from marriage, their children from that marriage and even additional marriages.

After each couple’s name, there are lines for each child and their birth date place of birth, plus additional spouses and death dates. Many people years ago had multiple marriages.

Because of diseases that took, people at young ages and many women died in childbirth. Therefore, you may need multiple family templates for the marriage and children of each relative.

Also very useful are research logs. They are used to keep track of your information that you have searched. They also make sure you keep the location where you have found out about ancestors.

It saves you from repeating searches you already have done. You may have forgotten where you found a death record and instead of going back your research log will have noted you have already done that.

The internet is a great tool in family history searches.

When searching a surname sometimes literally millions of names will come up. Using the tools provided on the internet you could narrow your search down to just hundreds.

Remember there can be numerous spellings for any given name. You have to be patient but with the internet databases available, you should have no trouble finding the one you want.

To find the different forms that will help you in your genealogy search is quite simple. Most your forms are easy accessible on the web. Many are even free from sources such as libraries, and many PBS TV stations carry blank forms for ancestry research.

Genealogy websites will offer forms and charts to begin your search. For a small amount of money, you will be able to download templates and charts.

For a beginner in family tree searches these various forms are necessary to keep your focus, and know what you need to continue your search. With just the basics, you will be able to accumulate your family history.

Once you organize it and put in on a template, you will have something you can pass down to the next generation.

Doing genealogy research is a great hobby and never boring. Frustrating yes, maddening yes but always exciting. Because you never know what family secret, you will uncover next.

Family tree researches who use forms charts and templates find that it makes the whole process much simpler.

Starting a family tree is easy and fun. Begin your research now, with the help of charts and templates to keep all your information organized. For ideas on how to start your genealogy research and what to do first Read more

Anna B O’Brien may be contacted at http://www.makefamilytree.info

by Anna B O’Brien

Starting your family tree sounds like a very difficult and almost an impossible project. That is far from the truth.

The only difficult thing about it is beginning. You know you want to learn about your ancestors as much as anyone does, you just need a little help to start.

Well look no more. You can learn right now how easy making your family tree is, and the best part of all it will not cost you a dime.

Starting a genealogy search is free. You need a PC and an internet connection, and then your can begin your free family tree search.

The easy part. Begin with what you know.

Write down all the information you already have on your family. Birth dates, marriage dates and death if applies.

To get an idea of what family members you need to know about look at your date book of whom you send birthday cards to, also if applicable Christmas card list are a good place to remember aunts, uncles, and cousins you have.

Start and piece together all the information you have on people, and guess what, you started making a family tree.

You have accomplished quite a bit without even going on the internet yet.

Now you should get a family tree template and pedigree chart to keep your information. These charts will tell you the questions you need answers to.

First when starting with a pedigree chart, it will help you keep records for your intimate ancestors. Parents, grand parents and great grandparents. On this chart, there are no spaces for aunts, uncles and cousins.

Always keep a separate paper to keep notes on other relatives you find information on until you can put them on a template.

Now that you have exhausted your primary information, get in touch with your older relatives. Begin to ask them questions. Always bring with you a journal or some way to document the information.

Ask them about the neighborhood they grew up in, the friends they had. What school and churches they may have attended.

You will surprise of the amount of information you can get, and the added bonus of making an older relative feel needed. They sometimes are amazed at how much they can remember about their own past. It just takes someone showing interest.

When visiting relatives ask to see old photo albums. They are usually full of information. If need borrow pictures so you can keep copies of them in your file.

Very important is to document sources with every piece of information you find. The reason why documenting all your sources now, is in the future when you want a picture or a document you will know where to find them.

Now that you have collected all that, you can from family and relatives you need to take the next step in your journey of making a family tree.

If your family has been living in the area where you are you can check your local library and town or city hall. They have records dating back usually the l800’s and many times even further back.

Also online, you can check the archives of your local newspapers and other free websites that offer help in genealogy research.

One of the hardest things is to keep all your paperwork and notes you have organized. Try to keep folders, for separate information.

The more you research your family history, the more paper, notes, and printouts you will have. Set up a folder for one family surname, or individual. What ever your find works best for you.

It is best to do it why you are just starting out with your research and it will not get overwhelming later on. Easy access to your files will make your genealogy search go much easier.

Remember this suppose to be a fun and exciting project. So take it a step at a time. Start with one name and slowly take that name back as far as it will go. Then start on another name.

It is easy to stray away from your goal, when you learn an interesting fact about someone and you are sidetracked. Keep a note of it for later, and stay focused on the name you are working on now. Otherwise, you will find yourself all over the place.

When that happens, you may find yourself getting frustrated, and want to throw in the towel. That is why it is important to take basic steps and follow through with each one.

Eventually everything starts to open up and you will begin to uncover the mystery we call family, and where it all began.

Good luck, and share your family tree with all your relatives.

Starting a family tree is easy and fun. Begin your research now, with the help of charts and templates to keep all your information organized. For ideas on how to start your genealogy research and what to do first Read more

Anna B O’Brien may be contacted at http://www.makefamilytree.info