bethanyramos on Family Tree Circles

Perhaps you have always been curious about your origins, or maybe you just recently got to thinking that you know very little about your family history. In this modern day and age, much less emphasis is placed on genealogy and family trees, yet it is also easier than ever to search for answers because of the convenience of the Internet!

So how do you get started?

Talk to your parents and grandparents. This may seem like an absolute no-brainer, but why not interview the people in your family that are still living? Ask them questions about where they grew up, when their parents were born and died, when they got married, where their parents and grandparents were buried, and even if other family members have started doing their own genealogy research that you could benefit from.

Determine your oldest living relatives. These folks will be your number one resource for information because they have lived it! You can either talk with them via e-mail if they are able, call, or visit them and record the conversation. Ask them for any facts they know about your family, like where people were buried, what dates they were born, married, and deceased, and if there are any living relatives that you don't know about.

Take your search online. Once you uncover some little-known surnames of extended family members, you can begin to research new lines of genealogy online. Many public records can now be accessed online, such as marriage, birth, and death certificates. The US government also has census records dating from 1790 to 1920 in their records center, which may help you locate great-grandparents living at that time.

Visit cemeteries. If many of your deceased relatives are still in the local area, you can visit their grave site to find out even more details from their tombstone. If you are making a genealogy scrapbook, you may want to take pictures or even rub the date from the gravestone onto a piece of paper for your records.

Send the word out. If you happen to be getting stuck in any of your genealogical research, send out mass e-mails or letters to your family members to let them know that you are looking for information. You may be able to get even more people involved in your quest to find out facts that you may not have otherwise uncovered.

Collect family stories. If you have the opportunity to record conversations with many of your older relatives, you can transcribe these stories to keep for your records. All families have a rich and unique history, and you may be surprised to hear stories about how your family immigrated to the US or even survived the Holocaust.

Last of all, remember to be respectful of everyone's privacy in this search. As unfortunate as it may seem, there may be relatives who simply don't want to provide answers to your questions and are not willing to communicate with you. Researching your family tree is a long and rewarding process, so don't give up when something gets in your way!