This
page contains information helpful to
the beginner genealogists, to get you
started in the right direction.
Any of your own experiences you would
like to share in reference to this,
please do so. We can all help
each other.
Joe
L. Miller
[ Getting
Started |
Gathering Your Information |
Interviewing Relatives | Libraries | Birth, Death, Marriages |
Cemetery
Searches | Obituaries |
Probate
Records | Deeds
| Census
Records | Other
Sources ]
Getting Started
Before
you begin your research you need to
know how you are going to organize
your work. You can do this in
many ways. A computer program
for genealogy is the best; there are
several to choose from. I use
Personal Ancestral File from the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. I also use colored
three-ring notebooks with document
protectors to file my work. Each
main line being a different color with
floppy disks to match. You can
use any file system, but please don't
use a box.
Gathering Your
Information
To start
with, gather information on
yourself. It is easier to trace
you back than to find a possible
ancestor and trace down to you.
This will be done by going through
your own family records: birth,
death, marriage, obituaries,
baptismal, military, letters and other
important records you have on hand,
then recording. For this you
will need to use Family Group Sheets
and Pedigree charts. The
genealogy program will do this for
you. Then we go to other family
members for the information that they
have. If at all possible, get
copies of what others have, including
any pictures. Be sure to
reference your documents so you know
where you found them.
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Top
Interviewing
Relatives
When
visiting relatives, it is important to
ask the right questions to find the
information you need. They do
not know what you are looking for and
may not volunteer information.
Many times they will tell stories of
the "olden days" which can provide
valuable clues, especially if you plan
to publish your work. By all
means let them talk, and if they will
allow it, bring along a tape
recorder. If they do not know or
remember all the vital statistics
(dates and locations) some prompting
from you with the right questions
could spark their memory.
If they
do not know birth and death dates and
places, ask where they are
buried. I have found they
usually know this because they
remember their parents visiting the
grave on Memorial Day, and you can
then get the dates from the cemetery
markers. If they do not know
marriage dates, ask where they were
married and look it up in the county
courthouse. Ask for other
births, including stillbirths.
Many times the child was named and
buried. If they do not know a
death date, ask where they were
living, even if the death occurred in
a hospital in a different town, you
can look up the obituary.
Libraries
There
are many genealogy libraries across
the country. One famous one is
the Mormon (LDS) library in Salt Lake
City, UT. You can try your local
phone book to see if there is a branch
near you. Presently they are on
the internet
and you can search for records.
Mid-Continent in Independence, MO, is
a very good one and my personal
favorite. It has census records
for all states and county histories
for many. It too is on the internet.
At your local library ask for the
genealogy and local history
section. It may be a few books,
an entire room or an entire floor in
the facility. Ask if they have
obituaries or newspapers on
microfilm. Some have a card
catalog or information on
computer. If it is a large
facility, ask for a tour. Always
ask for help because in most cases it
will not be offered and you will not
know what is there unless you ask.
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Birth, Death
& Marriages
Many
county courthouses will allow you to
look up records yourself. Be
sure to get copies of
everything. In many states some
Birth and Death records are available
at the State Department of Vital
Records and not from the county.
Many states charge a search fee ($10
in MO) to do a search. Remember
it is the search you are paying
for. The more information you
put on the application increases your
success. In Missouri they began
in 1910. Some prior to that time
are available at the county
courthouse.
Cemetery Searches
This is
a big one. You can save time by
looking at your local library to see
if they have any cemetery books others
have written. But, I highly
encourage visiting the cemetery to see
for yourself. If it is a small
family plot record all the
markers. You can put your
cemetery records in a database file
which will alphabetize them for future
research.
Can't
read that old worn out piece of
rock? A few tricks I have
learned will help you with this.
First, clean the marker off. If
it is a standing upright, try dropping
some talcum powder lightly over the
face, being careful not to get it into
the engraving, and the lettering will
magically appear. If it is on
private property, I always like to let
the tenant know what I am doing there;
many will help you find the
cemetery. I have found some that
even take care of the cemetery.
In Missouri it is illegal to deny
access to a cemetery that is on
private property. I like to take
pictures of stones. If you don't
have time to record a large cemetery,
you might take a camcorder and record
the stones and document them later.
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Top
Obituaries
A
valuable source is the local
newspaper. This includes
obituaries. The
Missouri State Historical Society
is the place to go if you have a lot
of research to do in Missouri.
They have the largest collection of
the newspapers in the country.
When looking up obituaries, look for
the next publication following the
date of death. If nothing is
found, look through the next several
publications. If you do not find
it, try another paper that was nearest
the town where they lived. If
still no success, look before the
death date as the date you have may be
incorrect; I found a notice for a
grandmother being "sick and may not
live long", but no death notice or
obituary. In many papers,
obituaries were in the obituary
section, but not always. It may
be found in the local happenings area
of the paper. So, it is best to
check the entire paper. You may
find information under Sheriff's Sale,
especially if they had no living
kin. If you do, you know a
probate was filed.
Probate Records
Probate
records include Wills, Real Estate
Sales, Guardianships, and much
more. These records are a must
see and are located at the county
courthouse. You are not
guaranteed to find one, but worth a
try.
Deeds
Deed
records for the transfer of land is
also a valuable resource. Where
your ancestor lived may indicate where
they are buried, if they died on the
family farm, or in the home of a
relative. Many times children
are named in these. Once again,
these are at the courthouse.
Grantee is the buyer and Grantor is
the seller.
Census Records
These
records are available at libraries
through inter-library loan, or you can
purchase your own. Remember, not
all information may be correct.
Children living in the household may
be "farm help", or cousins, nephews,
etc. and not all immediate family may
be listed, since they may be hired out
as "farm help" or "domestic
servant." Be sure to reference
the date, location, page number and
line number.
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Top
Other Sources
Social
Security Death Index.
This is a valuable source especially
if you do not know what state the
person died in and the death occurred
recently. This source you can
check yourself right here on the
internet. With that information,
you can order the SS-5 from the
Department of Social Services.
The SS-5 cost $7. This is the
application for a Social Security
card. This should have the birth
date, location, and parents names.
Military
Records. Civil War
Pension records may have a death
certificate. At the least,
spouse and children and maybe even
marriage information should be
included. For these you have to
write to the National Archives,
Washington D.C. and cost $10.
Church,
Parish, School, Civic Groups,
Funeral Home Records.
All can be valuable resources if they
are available. Letters can also
be a valuable piece of history.
I file mine alphabetically in a
cardboard chest of drawers by name and
date. The internet can be a
valuable source. I have some
links you can try, but try the search
engines for your family name.
Homepages.
You can also put up your own homepage
and let others contact you. It
will be easier for others to find you
than trying to find them. You
can get a free one, email
me and I'll tell you more about
it.
