It wasn’t until recently that I became interested in my family history. Pouring over old pictures, I became fascinated with the images. Seeing family resemblances, I found myself wanting to know more about these people looking back at me. I did some research, put the information together with family photos and created a Family Tree Album.
Your computer can be one of the most useful tools to help you search for information to fill your family tree as well as help to record it. Great websites such as www.genealogy.com and www.ancestry.com, are fantastic tools that can help you begin your incredible journey of finding your family history. These sites have free family trees for you to add your information to. Another alternative you will find extremely worthwhile is a computer software program called Family Tree Maker. This program not only offers a family tree, it also offers a place to type in stories, medical records, military records, and even a scrapbook to organize your family photos.
With any of these programs, you begin by filling in the blanks with what information you know, starting with yourself. Once you have exhausted your information, it is time to further your search. Interview family members; ask loved ones for pictures and documents. Sometimes looking through old photos can jar a person’s memory for names, dates and stories. Look to the family Bible for information (it was an old tradition to keep track of ancestry in the family Bible). You can also search for names on the websites mentioned above as well as these sites mentioned here:
www.cyndislist.com (here you will find a long list of genealogy links)
www.familysearch.org
www.ellisisland.org
www.rootsweb.com
www.usgenweb.com
www.worldweb.org
After you find your ancestors’ names and vital statistics, visit the CDC Data and Statistics website for copies of their birth certificates, wedding certificates, death certificates and even military information. You can find this information at http://www.cdc.gov/node.do/id/0900f3ec8000ec28
You can also find information in state archives. Use a search engine to help find the state archives in the particular state your ancestor lived. When you find what county he or she lived in and what year, you can then search the U.S. Census for more information. For instance, you can learn a spouse’s name, children’s names, birth dates of children and an occupation.
The 1860 census in Cleveland, Tennessee led me to my great-great-grandfather, with information about who he married, his children’s names and his in-laws’ names. This information then led me to my great-grandparents, who later settled in Jacksonville, Florida. They had owned a fruit mercantile that burnt to the ground during The Great Fire of Jacksonville which swept the town in 1901, causing them to loose everything. I was able to search for Jacksonville Florida history through a search engine...which led me to photos and more information that has been included in the layout of Edward Rite Norris.
Through asking questions and searching through old papers, I also found that my great-great-grandfather (on my paternal mother’s side) fought and died in the battle of Antietam during the Civil War. Because I knew his name, rank, where he died and that he served in the USA Second Army Corps 7th New York Infantry ...I was able to look up information about his company and include that in the layout. Researching another family branch, I found a different ancestor who fought in the American Revolutionary War. It is pretty neat when you find a connection with yourself and a piece of history!
Through research and the learning of triumphs and hardships our ancestors experienced, brings us a connection of understanding, excitement and compassion.
This goes to show, that you never know what you will find lurking in shoeboxes, drawers and in the memories of family and friends. Put yourself out there, ask questions and record everything you hear. Investigate the family stories that have been passed down through the generations. Then sit down and put all the pieces together - just like a puzzle. With this experience, you'll be amazed that "Finding Your Family History" can be challenging, yet rewarding and definitely interesting! The days we have lived are all a part of history...let us record it for posterity.
