| How do you get started when you want to | | | | some point by visiting the cemetery and viewing |
| research family tree information? Today, it is | | | | the marker. |
| easiest to start online. You have a lot of | | | | It's easier today to research family tree |
| information at your fingertips. | | | | information than it was just a few years ago. |
| The information that has been stored in online | | | | Hiring a genealogy service can be expensive. With |
| databases includes:o Census records from the US | | | | the software available today you can do most, if |
| and the UKo Native American tribal listingso Indian | | | | not all of the work yourself. |
| census records from 1790-1930o The origin of | | | | Many trees have been created by other people. |
| family nameso Death recordso Cemetery | | | | You can make use of the information those folks |
| recordso Immigration records | | | | have gathered. You may find that a distant cousin |
| You might also make note of spelling variations | | | | has published their family-history online. Once you |
| for your surname. | | | | make the necessary connections, you may be |
| To research family tree histories, you start with | | | | able to complete your history, just by using theirs. |
| what you know. You might actually know a lot | | | | You might still want to verify the information that |
| more than you think that you do. | | | | you receive from third parties, but traveling |
| If you know who your parents were, you start | | | | around the world to view tombstones or walk in |
| with their names, their places of birth, and their | | | | your ancestor's footsteps is not possible for |
| religions. You write down their birthdays and their | | | | everyone. It can be rewarding to research family |
| dates of death, if they are deceased. It also helps | | | | tree histories in that way, if you can afford it. |
| to have their social security numbers. | | | | Software is much more affordable. Many of the |
| If your parents are still living, you can ask them | | | | available packages include a membership to an |
| what they know about their parents, your | | | | online database where you can conduct more |
| grandparents. If your grandparents are still living, | | | | searches. |
| you can ask them what they know about their | | | | Records from US and UK censuses have been |
| parents. Interviewing all of your relatives will help | | | | digitized to make it easier for people to learn |
| you gather a great deal of information. | | | | more about their history. The SSDI (social |
| Once you've done the interviews, you will need to | | | | security death index) makes it possible to learn |
| verify the information that they have given you if | | | | more about anyone that has or had a social |
| you want to be accurate and find more of your | | | | security number. Many of the available software |
| ancestors. A cemetery is a good place to verify | | | | packages include that information, too. |
| dates of birth and death. Many cemeteries have | | | | To research family tree information is a fun and |
| created searchable online databases, but even the | | | | rewarding hobby. You really never know what |
| accuracy of that information should be verified at | | | | you will find. |