15 Resources For Tracing Your Family Ancestry

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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
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2. 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/).
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3. 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.
Article Source: http://www.articledestination.com
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. Ancestry
Review | Genealogy Detective
Free Ancestor Search
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