Tips for Searching Family History

Family ancestry and connections help to preserve traditions and help us learn about our own family. As we research genealogy records we learn how history created choices, situations and solutions for living conditions of many people and cultures of the past. Following are the top 10 ways and places to search for information on your own past.

1. Cyndislist.com. This site provides you with an extensive search list for family genealogy from Jewish searches to local family news. It is a great place to start if you are a beginner.

2. Genealogy.GovGenealogySearch.com. This site is free for anyone in search of family records. It will give information from census counts of the past and how to trace addresses in this country of transient living.

3. Familysearch.org. This site is from the Mormon achieves. They have kept and maintained historical family records and genealogical information for decades. Because of the belief in ancestry redemption the records are very complete and open to the public.

4. Findagrave.com. Yes, you can even search for grave sites of the past. Findagrave.com provides a data base with inscriptions and pictures when available of all listed grave site information. You can find and track ancestry to their own final resting place.

5. The Carlisle Indian School. The Carlisle Indian School provided young Native American children with an education and adjustment training to live among white society. They have an achieve with former students names and many times their new white names. You can find at least a brief history if one of your own was among the many children enrolled.

6. County achieve records. Here you can find local birth, marriage, divorce and death records. You can find when and why names were changed as well as partners. Any live births recorded and dates of final resting.

7. Ancestorhunt.com. This is a great site to trace last names and connections starting with yourself. It will give you a lot of information to sift through, but you are likely to discovery relatives you didn't know existed.

8. Military records. If you are online you just type in military records search and it will give you several sites to choose from. When you decide on a site you will need names, social security number and dates of birth. If possible have all information you can gather about which branch of the service was served and approximate dates of service.

9. Local churches in the area you are searching. For many in the past church was their reason for existing, social outlet and town center. If you contact the churches in the area they will be happy to take any information and go through the archives for you. It helps if you are willing to make a donation towards the time and effort it takes to maintain these great records.

10. Your own family. Don't forget family members still living. They are one of the most wonderful information sources you can go to. They can give you information on family history, where to begin your search, reasons for living where they are now and how much of the past was changed by there own childhood and the relatives they remember. Everything from children not spoken about to fast exits from a town with the law hot on their heels! All information gathered from family is important in the search because you find out many small pieces of information that changed the world you live in today.