Are you ready to start searching for your family history?
Genealogy is a journey that takes you through your family history. It can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it also takes a lot of time and effort. You'll need to gather information from various sources, and then organize it all in a way that makes sense.
Why take the journey? There are many reasons why people choose to research their family history. For some, it's a way to learn more about your ancestors and where they came from. For others, it's a way of connecting with distant relatives. And for some, it's simply a way to pass the time.
No matter your reason for getting into genealogy, you can be sure that it will be a rewarding experience. It can be fascinating to learn about your ancestors and their lives, and it can be fun to connect with distant relatives. So if you're thinking of embarking on a journey into your family history, be sure to do your research and be prepared for a rewarding experience.
There are a few things you should keep in mind as you embark on your journey:
- Be patient: gathering information can take time, and it's important to be thorough.
- Be organized: create a system for organizing your information so you can easily find what you're looking for.
- Be creative: always be thinking of unique and creative ways to share your information.
Where do I begin?
There are many resources available to help you get started on your journey we suggest reviewing an earlier blog, 'Are You Ready To Start Searching Your Family History'. The following websites are a good place to start:
Talk to your family members
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It can be difficult to know where to start when tracing your family's ancestry. A good place to begin is with your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. If you don't know much about them, start by asking relatives what they remember about them. Unearthing family history is a journey filled with fascinating stories waiting to be discovered. Understanding why it's important to share these family stories can add depth to your research. In a previous blog post, 'Why it is important to share family stories,' we explore the significance of passing down these narratives through generations. Once you have some basic information, you can continue your genealogical journey by researching public records such as birth, death, and marriage certificates.
Gather documents
Birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, naturalization papers, and obituaries can all help to provide information about your ancestors. These documents all provide useful information about your ancestors. It's important to gather as many of these documents as possible, as they can often provide key clues about your family's history.
Use online resources
There are a number of websites that offer helpful resources for genealogical research. One of the most useful is FamilySearch, a free website run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch has a vast collection of documents and records that can be helpful in tracing your family history. If you're looking for a real-life example of how ancestry research can unveil fascinating family secrets, check out our blog post on 'The Unraveling a Family Secret: A Case Study in Ancestry Research.' It provides insights and lessons learned from a captivating journey into the past. Additionally, you can explore FamilySearch's extensive databases to complement your own research.
Visit libraries and archives
Libraries and archives can be a treasure trove of information for genealogical research. They often have a wealth of documents and records that can be helpful in tracing your family history. Many libraries also have staff members who are knowledgeable about genealogy and can offer helpful advice.
Hire a professional researcher
If you're having trouble finding information about your family's ancestry, you may want to consider hiring a professional researcher. Professional researchers can often find information that you may not be able to find on your own. They can also help you to organize and interpret the information you find.
Validity of Resources
When researching your family's history, it's important to use reliable resources. The internet is a great place to start, but not all websites are created equal. Some websites are more reliable than others, and it's important to be able to distinguish between the two.
Here are a few tips for determining the validity of a website:
Check the website's URL
The URL of a website can often give you clues about its reliability. If the website is run by a reputable organization, it will usually have an .org or .gov domain. These websites are generally more reliable than those with .com or .net domains.
Read the about page
Most websites will have an About page that provides information about the website and its creators. This can be a helpful place to start when evaluating a website's reliability.
Look for credentials
If the website is run by an expert in the field, they will usually list their credentials on the website. This can be a helpful indicator of the website's reliability.
Check the date
It's important to make sure that the information on a website is up-to-date. Outdated information can often be inaccurate. You can usually find the date of the last update on the website's homepage.
Consider the purpose of the website
Some websites are created for commercial purposes, while others are created for educational or informational purposes. Websites that are created for commercial purposes are often less reliable than those that are created for educational or informational purposes. To help you on your journey check out a previous blog titled, '15 Fascinating Websites for Exploring Your Heritage and Building A Family Tree'.
Conclusion
There are many different resources available for researching your family tree. However, it's important to be aware that not all resources are created equal. Some resources are more reliable than others. When in doubt, it's always best to consult with a professional genealogist.
If you're interested in tracing your family's ancestry, Creative Roots Genealogy can help. We are a professional genealogy company with over 10 years of experience in the field. We specialize in helping people connect with their past and learn more about their family's history.
We offer a wide range of services, including genealogical research, document procurement and more. We also offer a free consultation to help you get started on your family history journey.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you preserve your family history.
Article by Carol Walsh
Carol Walsh is the CEO of Creative Roots, a professional genealogy company. She has a passion for preserving family history and storytelling. Carol's research methodology centers around fact-finding and publishing in a format that readers can use to preserve the stories. Her ultimate goal is to help families connect with their past and each other.
