Starting Your Family History Search

Marlon J. Broussard

 If you're thinking of embarking on the journey of your family history search, you're not alone. Ancestry.com's UK branch has done a study that suggests that genealogical research is the new hobby of choice worldwide. "People Spend 20% More Time on Family History Websites Than Shopping Online...," they found.

Here are some simple tips that may make your job both easy and fun in the early stages.

Start a Simple Family Tree

Creating a family tree is educational and fun, and a pastime that will allow you to delve into your family's history and connect with the large collection of relatives known as your extended family. Both, easy to read, and easy to create, these charts are a "hands on" way to begin the study of your own family.

Also, by creating a family tree, you can impart your own unique addition to your family’s historical record. This is because the easiest place to start is with the one person you know the best... yourself.

Talk to Living Relatives

I know how excited you are to have a couple of hours alone with Uncle Pete and weird Aunt Martha, but you may be surprised at how much your relatives actually know about your ancestors. They even have pictures!

When you meet with your relatives it will be a good idea to bring an audio or video recorder, this way you can always go back later and transcribe, or post the gathered media to the internet. Recording the history sessions also creates a lasting record of the loved one whom you are recording and has its own sense of value in the capturing of all the animations, emotions, and voice and facial inflections you might otherwise may not be able to adequately communicate to others.

The interviewee also has the opportunity to add their part to a legacy and heritage that might have otherwise have passed with them.

Collecting Docs and Pics

During one of your many visits to your relatives for your investigative work, you will inevitably come accross numerous antique photographs, newspaper clippings, birth certificates and the like. And if your relatives are like mine, they wont be easily convinced to part with them for fear of not getting them back in the same condition, or not getting them back at all.

Your home scanner is a simple remedy for this dilemma. Simply explain what you plan to do to the pictures and give a time frame that you plan to have them back by. If you have a laptop, you can simply hook your scanner up on site.

You may also come across old film reels and VHS home movies. Most of the "big box" stores now offer conversion services and will usually have your video and film converted to DVD within a month.

Oh, and if you're not sure what a VHS or film reel is, I'll cover "ancient and primitive" methods of keeping records in another article.

Using Google

Most people beginning their family history search are unaware of what a wonderful genealogy tool Google can be. And to put icing on the cake... It's completely free!

Although, depending on how common your surname is, it can be both a little overwhelming, and unorganized.

To begin, simply type into the search bar your last name and key phrases like "genealogy", "family history", and/or "family tree". This will produce countless results of everyone with your same last name who's compiled information that just might tie your bloodlines together. You'll come across blogs and websites all over the world.

You always knew that you had a sixth cousin twice removed living in Prague, didn't you?

Convert to Mormonism (For a Day or Two)

Well, not really (no offense to LDS'ers).

But, the point her is that you probably didn't know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) is the larges keeper of public genealogical records in the world, with thousands of genealogical centers across the globe all linking via computer back to the main repository in Utah.

The centers are open to the public and completely free. And, no they wont try to convert you while you're there, the have a compassionate policy about respecting the beliefs of others.

We'll, hopefully this has helped point you in the right direction in your family history search, or further confuse and frustrate you (truly sorry 'bout that mate). Another resource that might be of help is the Family History Search lens on Squidoo.

Article submitted Tuesday, June 24, 2008
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