by Daniel Curtis

Created on: March 05, 2007   Last Updated: July 26, 2010

How Do I Start My Family Research?

Interested in starting your family tree but just unsure where to start? That is a question that many amateur genealogists find themselves asking. There are so many family history web sites and programs out there that it becomes even more overwhelming.

I think the number one mistake that we make is we pick an ancestor a few generations back and start there. We do this because we feel we know the facts back to that point. That is what I did. I started with my great- great grandparents because I heard my great grandmother talk about them often. What I failed to do was to get all my ducks in a row up to that point. If I would have started in my generation and worked back I would have had more information to get back a little easier

The best place to start is with yourself and work back. Draw on your own memories and talk to other relatives. By doing this you can pick up on a lot of clues to guide you in your research. Another relative like an aunt or grandparent will have information that you may lack. By pulling these resources together it can paint a clearer picture of the family that you are researching.

I would suggest making a family letter and mailing it out to all the relatives that you know about. Ask for their cooperation and perhaps insert a questionnaire for them to fill out and return. Ask them to include their email address and keep them posted of current information that you find. Sometimes information that you send along will jog their memories and they can supply you with further leads.

You will find that your elder relatives are for the most part, willing to share family stories. The trick is to weed out unnecessary information and to glean the parts that are pertinent to your research.

Ask to view and if possible make copies of Family Photos. Sometimes a background image will give you a clue to where they were along the way to where they arrived.

Just realize that it can be a long process and expect to hit some brick walls. But for the most part have fun with it and enjoy finding out how you got to where you are.

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