Teach me?

[Guest Guest]

I have been dabbling around with Genealogy for a few years now, but never seem to get any further than family conversations. in other words, I have no idea how to research. I also need to know how to do as much research as possible spending very little.

I would appreciate any tips.

------------------

~MsAng

"Love's the only house

big enough for all the

pain in the world."

 

[Snowmom]

First, go to the Mormon's website and download their free genealogy program.

www.familysearch.com

When you get to their main page, click on "Product Download", then "Software Downloads-Free", then the first product on the page.

After it downloads, start it up and play with it a bit. Start your database by adding all your known relatives.

Then you might try the free genealogy bulletin boards at www.familyhistory.com. These boards are now owned by Ancestry.com, but are still free. When you get to the website home page, about 1/2 way down on the left side is a "window" where you can type in family surnames.

Here's another little secret about that site.....if you type in a county, instead of a surname you can post messages who are researching folks in the same county as your ancestors. This can be really, really helpful for finding info on folks who "married in" to your main lines, but you don't know anything about them.

Familyhistory.com also has BB's for different ethnic groups, adoptees, Native Americans and just about any other group you can think of.

I'm sure Snow will be along with other great tips!

Happy Hunting!!

------------------

[Guest Guest]

Are there any other download sites for genealogy? I have a Mac and don't believe I have the Window's emulator required for the D/L.

I will check into the Bulletin boards. And I will check to see if Apple makes genealogy software.

Thank you for your help.

------------------

~MsAng

"Love's the only house

big enough for all the

pain in the world."

 

[Snowmom]

.......be sure and check with your local library. Ours had some genealogy software, but I didn't look at it too closely because I already have the stuff I downloaded for free.

I've also put new genealogy software on my Christmas list this year.....I think FamilyTree Maker costs about $30.

You might also try doing it on paper until you can get some software, then you'll have made quite a bit of progress by the time you have a program to add to. I think there's a thread here that Snow posted with printable charts.

To me, the thing that requires the most patience is following the "paper trail".....and learning all the different sources that you might have for tracking down ancestors.

It's a lot like being a detective and a historian all in one. I'm still working on getting birth, death, marriage & divorce records for my grandparents. I have some census information for older generations but that's about the extent of my "hard" data.

------------------

[logcabinmama]

 

Sorry I have been gone, but check the Sun Porch and you will understand.

Now, to get to the questions you have here.

First, I would suggest you get a few charts printed out then, start with you and your own family fill them out. I have listed a site in an earlier post that has charts, and Fran has also listed a site in this post. After you have filled all you know, start with other relatives, parents grandparents, aunts, uncles cousins etc: ask questions and get any and all information you are able to get from them. After you get all information you can from those around you, then you can start with other things.

I would suggest you go to the states you are interested in. I mean on the Internet, they each have a place where you can put in queries, this is where you are able to put names, dates and such for those you are looking for. I like to go to http://www.usgenweb.com then from there you are able to go to the state projects pages and then to the state map or list of states. From there just click on the state and get to where you want to go, then the county you are wanting. If you are not sure of the county, they have a place for that too. Also, at roots web there is an area where you put in the name and you get information on the person if anyone has put information on the net. Go to http://www.rootsweb.com at the top of the page you will find a place where you can fill in the name you are looking for. When the page comes up, click on 'WorldConnects'. This will give a list of the name and you will see just how many others are looking for the same person. Sometimes you are able to download gedcoms from this site, other times they don't have it so you can.

I just did it for Murt Sullivian and this is the page I came up with. There were only 2, but that is a start. http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/i...&given=Murt

Now, at the bottom of that page, there is a place you can change to another name so you can just continue from there.

Please let us know what else we can do to help.

When the 'Mrs. Survival Newsletter' comes out there will be lessons on Genealogy.

Family Tree Maker is a very good program and you can get different versions. We started out with one of the first and now have the #7. They do run different prices and of course where you get them makes a difference on the price too. You can pay up to and maybe above $80.00 for a program. But there are some for free on the net. The one Goosie suggested is probably a good one.

I just did a search and found this one. http://www.family-trees.net/gene-downloads.htm Hope it will do the trick for you.

 

------------------

[logcabinmama]

How is it going, MsAng? Did you check any of these sites out? Do hope some of them have helped.

Let us know what else we can help you with.

Thought I would bring this to the top so MsAng would see it.

------------------

[Guest Guest]

Yes I have. Beileive it or not, I have used those sites pretty regularly, but keep getting stuck and was just *hoping* for more. I tried the D/Ls of geneology and haven't had any luck. However, there was one that I am going to try again and see if i can make it work.

 

Thank you so much for all your help! ALL of you!

You are so wonderful!

------------------

~MsAng

"Love's the only house

big enough for all the

pain in the world."