When starting your genealogy research, decide which side of your family that you want to start with. The best one will probably be the surname that is closest to you geographically, and the one with which you have most contact. For instance if you live in south Georgia and all of your mom’s family are from the same area, but your dad’s family are from California, start with you Mom’s family first.
From the beginning of your search, be organized. Buy several notebooks, tablets, page dividers, and sheet protectors. Whenever you find records for a surname in your family, place them in a designated notebook. Keeping a journal of your research efforts will be extremely helpful. In your journal keep a list of who you have talked to, places where you have visited, your thoughts on resources, and reminders.
Begin by talking to your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close family friends. Take notes or record your conversation. When you talk to your family, try to get information on your direct ancestors, such as their full name, date of birth (and death), and places where they lived. Find out if the person of interest owned any property, if so, find out where. Do not disregard oral traditions as just old wives tales. They can be a very important source for you. Once you have obtained this information, use library resources and online resources to obtain documentation for what you were told. A genealogist is someone who researches ancestry by verifying and documenting oral information obtained from family.
There are several types of records that genealogists use: vital, probate, census, deed, and genetic. Vital records include birth certificates, death certificates, social security records, immigration/naturalization records, and military records. Birth and death certificates are extremely important, in that you can obtain the names of the parents of the person listed on the record. Examples of probate records are marriage licenses, annual returns, wills, and courts proceeding containing orders for widow and child support. Census records are taken every ten years by the US federal government. It records family information by listing names of everyone in the house, the age and position of each family member (wife, son, daughter, mother, etc).
Lastly, there are companies like Family Tree DNA that can analyze your DNA, from your mother’s or father’s direct lineage, and tell you want genetic grouping to which you belong. This analysis can confirm relationships, and match you with people who are related to you by a common ancestor.
For more inspiration to get you started on your genealogy research, join my social network, Genealogy Rocket.
