"Dani" <noone@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:51bsd.30560$Uf.25691@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> I am all out of ideas, y'all!
> How did people research their family tree *before* computers?
> I've got birth certificates, death certificates, marriage
certificates,
> baptismal certificates, census information.....
> What else do I need to get? My research takes me back into Mexico, but
> I've no idea how to go about looking up records for there other than
> www.familysearch.org.
> I haven't broken down all my brick walls, either, it's just that I'm
> tired of trying to break them down right now....
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Danielle Brown
> dtxn@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
"*before* computers?" Same as *with* computers - just took a lot more leg
work. "What else do I need to get" depends on what information you're
missing. Start by organizing what you have. Use Family Group Sheets or
one
of the genealogy computer programs to keep track of everything you think
you
know now. Don't just mark down names and dates either, but where you got
the information as well. You're guaranteed to have a lot of conflicting
information as you go on and will have to make choices about what is most
credible. Add family stories, what life is/was like, who was the family
drunk, etc. now while there may still be someone around to provide those
details. There may be no one around to answer these questions when you
finally get interested. Then decide what information is missing and
develop
a plan from there. Once you know what you're missing (My great
grandfather's death certificate says he was born ____in ______. How do I
find a record of his parents?), there's usually someone on one of the
genealogy newsgroups to at least point you in a direction.
Start with asking relatives to fill in the blanks but keep in mind that
their recollections can be in error and, some times, deliberately. Use
their input as a guide on where to look for verification. There are a lot
of libraries around with small to large collections of genealogical
material. Start looking around to see what's close. There are always the
local Family History Libraries of the Mormon church (FamilySearch will
give
you their locations) where you can order microfilms from the main library
in
Salt Lake City for a nominal fee. So far as general references are
concerned, try to find a copy of the "Handy Book for Genealogists" at one
of
your local libraries and look up the area you are researching to get
addresses to write to for information. If you haven't been there yet,
take
a look at http://www.cyndislist.com/
for a pretty overwhelming list of
genealogical sources. Also make use of Google
(http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22mexican+genealogy%22&btnG=Search
, etc.) If you're just starting out, spending the $100 or so for a
subscription to Ancestry.com is probably well worth the investment. When
all else fails, you'll either have to travel to the area you're
researching
or hire someone who can do the research for you.
|
