Finding Clues to Your Family History By
R.L. Fielding
Uncovering your own fascinating family history
is a true labour of love. While some family genealogists
are fortunate to have detailed records passed down
through the generations, most genealogists start the
process with a nearly blank slate.
Uncovering your own fascinating family history is a true
labour of love. While some family genealogists are
fortunate to have detailed records passed down through
the generations, most genealogists start the process
with a nearly blank slate. No matter which category you
fall into, research is always a critical part of
genealogy. Accurately documenting the rich history of
your family is more than just connecting the names. It’s
a quest to learn about who these people were and how
they came together to form your family.
So where do you begin? That depends on what you are
trying to find. Some things you will want to figure out
and include in your family tree are: age, birth date and
place, death date and place, divorce, ethnicity,
historical information, maiden name, marriage,
occupation, other family members including parents,
siblings and children. There are various documents that
will help you to discover your family heritage and
answer typical questions.
Listed by category, the reference documents mentioned
below are a great starting point for your research.
Age: census, cemeteries, military records, obituaries,
vital records.
Birth Date and Place: Bible records, birth certificate,
census, church records, military records, newspapers,
obituaries, vital records.
History and County Origins: Gazetteers, history,
historical societies, maps, newspapers, periodicals.
Death Date and Place: Church records, cemeteries,
court records, land and property deeds, military records
newspapers, probate records, death certificate, funeral
home records, funeral program, obituary, tombstone.
Family Members: Immigration/Emigration records, census,
church records, probate records, vital records, wills.
Marriage Date and Place: Bible records, census, church
records, certificate or license, newspapers.
Place of Residence:
Biography, census, directories, land and property,
military, probate records, taxation, vital records.
There are various places you can find these documents.
Libraries are a wealth of information and a fantastic
aid when researching your family heritage. For instance,
the Mormon Church has Family History Centers in every
county of the United States. They have microfilms for
most recorded life events from around the world. These
films can be ordered and viewed at your local Family
History Center.
Historical Societies are great sources to help you
research your family heritage, as well. To find the
historical society that is in the particular area of
interest, do an online search for the county and the
state followed by “historical society” or “genealogical
society”. For example, “mercer county new jersey
historical society”.
The Internet is also a wonderful tool for genealogists.
You can research your family heritage and exchange tips
with other researchers through genealogy forums and
message boards. You can also use these communications
tools to post questions to help find family documents
and information. However, be careful of the information
you find online and always make sure to validate it.
Building a solid family history with credible sources
takes time. It is essential to preserving your family
history and is an immensely rewarding process. With
these trusted resources, you’re certain to uncover
important clues that will help you trace your family
heritage and build a more complete family tree.
R.L. Fielding Bio
R.L. Fielding is a freelance writer who has written on a
wide variety of topics, with special expertise in the
education, pharmaceutical and healthcare, financial
service and manufacturing industries.
This article was provided by myFamily•ology®, a security
conscious, Web-based provider of genealogy tools to help
you build and organize a precise family history and a
reliable family tree that can be shared with family and
friends. For more information, please visit
www.Family-Genealogy.com/