Digging Up the Past

Doing ancestry research can be hectic and sometimes a hassle, just as it can be fun and enjoyable. There are a multitude of places to start your research.

For starters if you have a member of your family who was a veteran and you would like to add their military records to your compiled research; a good place to begin would be the Department of Defense, now online at www.defense.gov . On this website you may obtain military records for no cost (unless copies become excessive at which point they will give you a bill) by filing a handwritten form titled 'SF180' (which can also be downloaded in .PDF format from the site) where they ask you implement the persons name, social security number, and dates of service along with your signature and current date, of course. If you are next of kin to a deceased veteran you can access their records on vetrecs.archives.gov.

Another great resource is your state archives; for PA residents is located at 350 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Here you can delve into military, land, and other relevant documents a lot of which are on micro-film. For further insight, check out A Guide to Genealogical Sources at Pennsylvania State Archives by Robert M. Dructor.

If you are like me and cannot travel to far from home, try your local Orphans Court. Where they will hold local marriage, birth, and death certificates.

Other places to dig up these records would be at your local hospital (birth records), family church (marriage, baptism, and confirmation records), and lastly for employee records try pummelling through www.irs.gov.

Hope these suggestions help you in your search to discovering your past!