| Did you ever consider that your | | | | had quite a collection of information about our |
| great-great-grandfather may have fought in the | | | | ancestors. When my sister took over the work |
| civil war? Perhaps your great-great-great | | | | on the family tree that my father had started |
| grandfather made his way here from the "old | | | | one thing she did was to contact the local |
| country" on a great old sailing ship with just a few | | | | historical society in the town where we knew my |
| pence in his pocket. What of your grandmother? | | | | great-grandparents lived. They were able to give |
| Perhaps she was the local librarian in her town. | | | | some family history as my great-grandfather was |
| Once they start a genealogy search most people | | | | a rather prominent citizen. From there she |
| find tracing their family history fascinating. What | | | | contacted the cemetery where family members |
| may start with the simple desire to know a few | | | | were buried and was able to get birth dates and |
| names and dates turns into nothing short of a | | | | dates of death. When she made a visit to another |
| fascinating archaeological "dig" of sorts. | | | | town where some of our ancestors lived she |
| There are many ways to get tidbits on your | | | | took a camera to the cemetery and took |
| family history. Perhaps you're lucky like me and | | | | pictures of the tomb stones. |
| your family never threw any scrap of paper | | | | The internet is a great starting point for your |
| away. You may have a handwritten birth | | | | genealogy search. You can visit a website where |
| certificate, as I do, for my | | | | you can check the passenger arrival records from |
| great-great-grandfather who was born in England | | | | Ellis Island. AOL has a site where you can type in |
| in the 1800's. Birth, death and marriage records | | | | name, birth and death info on your ancestors to |
| are generally easy to find, especially if the family | | | | see if there is any information online. Some sites |
| members you are searching about were born | | | | offer genealogy information by country. There |
| here in this country. Maybe you have letters sent | | | | are some sights that offer the ability to see |
| back and forth that have information about your | | | | information that others have already searched |
| ancestors in them. I have a bible that belonged to | | | | out. Some of these are paid membership sites. |
| my great-great-grandmother that has in the back | | | | You may even find out that you have an |
| pages where she recorded family births, deaths | | | | unknown family member out there doing the |
| and marriages. | | | | same search on your family members. |
| My father was interested in our family history and | | | | |