Tips

Here are a few tips that I found very useful in finding MY FAMILY ROOTS.

TALK to your oldest living relative. He or she may know some one else in the family who is interested in genealogy. They also may know more than you think about your ancestors. All you have to do is ask.

TALK to a neighbor of your family. I found a neighbor that out lived everybody he knew and was very mentally sharp and full of information.

OBITUARIES - really look at them. They usually list any living relatives at the time, married names, who proceded them in death and the funeral home who assisted the family.

Go to FUNERAL HOMES. If you know what Funeral Home assisted the family, they have records and they keep them forever. You can learn a lot of information off of a funeral record.

Any DIARIES or SCRAP BOOKS any relative may have kept. Old FAMILY BIBLES are also a good source. My Grandmother used to save NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS and I have found some interesting facts about the family and what later became family.

Go to the LIBRARY and look at the old newspapers they have on micro film. Some of the older newspapers contains more family news than you might think. Back then, what you or your neighbor did was considered news therefore, it was printed in the newspaper.

CEMETERIES - if you know where to look. The gravestones may give limited information, but go on Memorial Day Weekend. Especially if it is a smaller cemetery, you would be surprised at who else is there visiting the graves. You may bump into a distant relative or an old friend of your ancestors who can fill your ear with all kinds of information.

THE INTERNET. What a wonderful resource this is! You can search a name, surname, location and maybe come up with something. The bad thing about the internet is you end up with too many pages of nothing to look at. Instead of .com or .org there should be a .gen for genealogy purposes, don't you think!

MAKE PHONE CALLS. WRITE LETTERS. If you get a 'lead' and find a phone number, call. Explain who you are in connection to them and they may be willing to help you. Another option, is, you can send a letter explaining who you are and what you are up to. It also helps if you include how you are related to them and include your contact information. Don't hold your breath on getting a letter back, or a phone call returned, not everybody is as interested in Family History as you are. Don't forget, IT DOES NOT HURT TO TRY!

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