15 Resources For Tracing Your Family Ancestry
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:
(married and maiden names)
live
where)
possible)
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 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/).
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.
