So
YOU want to trace your family tree...
Where do you start?
- You obviously start with YOU!
What do you know about when and where you were born? Your parents and grandparents. - Gather the rest of the data you KNOW!
Write down all those facts you heard from Grandma and Uncle Phil. You know you heard about where and when Nonna and her family came to the US. - Ask questions!
Talk to your OLDEST living relative 1st. But keep in mind, not everyone is going to be either as interested or as excited as you are! - Compile & organize your data.
It doesn't matter whether you are using a computer or not, you still need to put all the data together and into some kind of 'order'. This order will have to be something that works for YOU! (I would suggest you break your data into 'family' groups. There are all sorts of resources available to help you organize your chaos!!! And key among them is a computer! Find yourself a very reliable computer as well as 'decent' software! (Do your research BEFORE you buy and you won't suffer after!)
Favorite genealogy websites:
| Cindy's List (THE largest compilation of genealogy research links in one place!) |
| Cuyahoga County Ohio marriages (A listing created from marriage licenses I have received over the years...) |
| Ellis Island.org (Though not the ONLY place our ancestors could have come to America to, it is one of the most well known.) |
| Family Search (Access LDS Library Resources) |
| The National Archives (A link to what the National Archives is holding) |
| RootsWeb (This used to be an awesome website - you are still able to access both message boards as well as mailing lists for a variety of surnames and locations...) |
| USGenWeb Project (Just about the ONLY resources for free genealogical research. All volunteer so webpages may/may not provide research help.) |