Genalogy Online For Dummies

The learning process for genealogists is a continuous challenge. Thus, information have started to explode over the internet. These brought family historians in the world of high technology. Everybody is acquainted with personal computers, websites, and emails. What makes this endeavor rewarding and fascinating is the passion for exploring new things.

The problem is that if you failed to track information then the problem comes. Say for instance, you cannot distinguish which materials are good for your genealogy research. Keep your patience. There is always a solution to it.

One of the most popular sources of information which have started to dominate genealogy research is dummy books. Genealogy Online for Dummies authored by April Leigh Helm and Matthew L. Helm is the latest addition. This book has five parts which is very helpful on guiding you to find your family history.

Beginners as well as those who are starting to research on the internet can find the tips on Part 1 and Part 2 of this book useful for conducting genealogy research. Valuable pointers regarding surnames, ethnic research, government records, and geographical locations are provided.

The most important part of this book is found in Part 4. You can learn about the ten internet genealogical publications, ten guidelines on how to design genealogy webpage, ten genealogy beginner's sites, and ten guidelines for a smooth sailing genealogical research. Yellow pages containing various sites listings and descriptions are also included. This will enable dummies to have a definite guide when searching the internet.

Exploring websites can be more fun using this directory. Every section on the search engines enables you to obtain the most significant information provided by robots known as spiders. One common mistake done by first timer online genealogists is to go directly on a search engine and type the surname which they are looking. Then they are surprised by the results. Following these tips can prevent these conflicts.

One amazing feature of this book is that it is also available on CDs. Various shareware and commercial programs (Mac and Windows versions), utilities, and multimedia tools are found useful by genealogists.

Keep in mind that not everything is provided by websites or computers. You cannot carry your laptop everywhere even though it is already portable. But books are simply amazing.

Beginner genealogists have rated this book as really cool and informational. Successful genealogy research must start with a plan and orientation about the computer equipment to use. Chronological procedures are provided using certain websites.

Another point of interest in this book is the database of land patent from the previous GLO (General Land Office) provided through the BLMESO (Bureau of Land Management's Eastern State Office). People have the chance to download copies of their early ancestor's land patents. Some considered this book a good source for every genealogist. It covers not only what is found on websites but also amazing tips on acquiring important genealogical skills.

As your research progresses, you can also discover ways on preserving photos and notes and organizing records. You will also be acquainted on planning trips for genealogical research as well as useful strategies. Numerous resources developed on websites are offered to help you find your family history including foreign archives and sources.

Beginners are dummies no more. Genealogy Online for Dummies has made a big difference.

Create Your Own Free Genealoby Website

The internet is such a vast resource of important and needed information. It has a lot of uses that many individuals find very useful in their everyday life. Now, even genealogy has a place in this great and infinite resource.

Genealogy research involves extensive research and verifications. For those who are clueless what genealogy is, it is the study of a family tree or family trees. If you're interested in knowing your past and want to know how your life ended that way it is now, then you'd better come up with your own genealogy tree or family tree.

Once you find out several generations included in your family tree, then perhaps you might want to share it to the whole world for free. Yes, that is truly possible. This can happen if you create your very own free genealogy site. But how will you do it?

Even if you haven't completed your family tree, and is still looking for some pieces of the puzzle, having your own genealogy site is such an advantage. This can generate interest that can lead you to discovering new information. The software programs offered for genealogy research are much better now because they provide this special opportunity to the people. By submitting alternately your GEDCOM file to the many genealogy sites, you can have your history and name present on the web for all people to see. There are also other alternatives in store for you like using a hosting service. You can make your very own site at Yahoo GeoCities and other hosting websites. If you're a first time user, you may find it quite difficult to opt for this alternative because they have a lot of restrictions.

So you are left with the only alternative of creating, developing, and publishing your personalized genealogy site. This involves purchasing your domain name, as well as web hosting. You can use HTML editors that offer free service or you can use your own HTML editor like that of Microsoft's FrontPage.

If you opt for the last alternative, then you can make use of these tips:

1. Your web page must contain a title that is catchy and easy to remember. This is a very critical decision that your family should decide together. 2. Your header, or first paragraph, must contain all the surnames of principal families that were researched. Try to incorporate certain words like family tree, ancestors, family history, and genealogy. 3. Search engines and visitors look for content quality especially on your home page. It would be best to compose several paragraphs about your family history, and don't forget to provide links to detailed pages. Try to limit the pictures contained on your home page; instead, provide links to other family photographs. 4. Make sure that your site has a good navigation system, like text links and navigation buttons. 5. Meta tags are very important because it improves your tanking in search engines. 6. To improve traffic in your site, be sure to provide other genealogy sites. Links are very essential. 7. Prominently display your email address so that you can be contacted easily.

Following the tips mentioned above can help you in coming up with a good and free genealogy site that your entire family can be proud of.

Using Free Genealogy Website Effectively

If you are looking for the missing puzzles of your life, it is best to understand your roots. This could be done by studying and researching on your genealogy. And the best way to start your quest to know your ancestry is by collecting reliable sources of information by which you can trace them. One of the cheapest and abundant sources is a free genealogy web site.

The internet had modified the face of ancestry tracking. Sometime ago, genealogy relegated a bushel of challenging tasks to library works and long distance travels. But now, there is already the powerful tool that could be accessed in an instant for free. Genealogy web sites are potent components of research, however, proper care must be considered in order to optimize its advantages. What you need in genealogy are reliable and accurate information. For beginners, a tutorial resource on genealogy will serve as a guide so that your research efforts will not be wasted. The different techniques and types of document sources are the basic things to know in order to start quickly with genealogy.

In using the free genealogy web site, it is important to remember and document the sources properly. The web site address, abbreviations and significant notes should be indicated as foot notes or at an index page. This will be advantageous when verifying or rechecking your data gathered. Documentation often takes the place of a failing memory of the researcher. For another thing, these documents can be the key to resolve the conflicting facts that you may encounter in the process of research.

Your living relatives can help you verify the facts that you have gathered from free genealogy web sites. Interviews with these people bring about good stories about your ancestry. These stories should be recorded together with the names of storytellers. Then you can check the data you have gathered if they fit in to each other.

Other resources that can be found in the internet are census records, death indexes and obituaries. Though not all newspaper publish their obituaries online and not all deaths were submitted to obituaries or death indexes, these sources can lead you to clues and relative information.

After taking into accounts all the possible resources, it's time to organize these data. You need to highlight the documents that value most. Nevertheless, none of the documents that you find insignificant should be disposed. They could still serve as reference in the future.

Assembling the facts is another laborious chore. But when you get to this stage, it just means that you are almost done with that set. You can share with other researchers the facts that you have gathered. Who knows, it takes a few of you to assemble the puzzles of your heritage. There is the saying that two heads are better than one, surely too, more heads are better than two. After all, you are not the sole person in your clan who would like to find out the bloodline of your ancestry.

Find Your Canadian Ancestors - Canadian Genealogy

Today, there are a lot of people who don't know about their family's past for many reasons. Some have been separated, some have personal family issues, and others were affected by historical events that changed their family's lives forever.

Canada is a country rich in culture and history. You have to consider that a lot of people have migrated and lived in Canada and started a family. If you have Canadian ancestry in your blood and you want to find out more about your family and what happened to them, you can hire a genealogist to help you with your quest.

There are Canadian genealogists today who offer their services for a fee. You have to consider that researching for your ancestry alone can be very difficult. With a genealogist, you can be sure that you will be able to trace your genealogy at the fastest time possible and with little effort in your part. A genealogist will know what documents to look for and where to look for it. They will also organize all the documents and provide you with a copy of it or in some cases, some genealogists even provides you with the original copy of the documents.

You can even take it a step further by getting information about what happened to your extended relatives. For many reasons, people try and find out about their family's past. Some say that they do it to find out more about themselves, and there are also others who do this to put up a family tree. There are also people who want to know about their family's medical past to know about a mysterious medical condition that has been plaguing their family for years.

However, you have to admit the fact that finding out about your family's past can be fun and exciting. For instance, you may even find out that you are a relative of someone famous. Or, you may even find out that you have a different race and not entirely of Hispanic blood. For example, in the United States, an African American man began researching his family's history and found out that he was a relative of a wealthy Hispanic plantation owner back in the days where plantations and slavery existed.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of surprises that you can come across with if you research about your Canadian ancestry. However, you have to consider that it will take quite a while to search all the document archives. You have to realize that depending on how long you are willing to look back in your family, you have to expect that it will take a long time to retrace your roots if you are willing to look back on a lot of years.

Although it will take quite a long time and you will encounter a lot of dead ends, you have to consider that with patience and determination, you will be able to know about your Canadian ancestry. Always remember that you have to be patient as genealogy is a complex process where there will be lost or misplaced documents among thousands of other documents available.

Is Ancestry.com The Best Place To Find Our About Your Genealogical History?

Many people try and trace their ancestry for a lot of reasons. Some do it for medical reasons to find out about a mysterious disease that their family is suffering from, others do it for honoring their dead relatives, and there are people who find it as an interesting hobby and find it fun to do so. It is a fact that it's always interesting to know about facts about your family's past. You never know, maybe your great-great-great-great-great grandfather was a famous person back in the old days.

These are some of the reasons why you should learn about your genealogy. Maybe if you find out enough about your family, there might be an illegitimate child that gave birth to the great-great-great grandfather of the President of the United States which makes you and the president very distant relatives. It is always fun and also a bit surprising finding out about your past.

However, you have to consider that as time progresses, some pasts are forgotten in the mists of time. It is very important that you should consider that finding out about one's past is very difficult especially if you don't know about your great grandfather for some reasons. You also have to consider past historical events, such as war, the Great Depression and migration. In the United States, you have to consider that this country is composed of different races. There are people living here who have different traces of ancestry. There are Germans, Africans, Russians, Latin, and others. Some people don't even know that they had foreign ancestry and you also have to consider that some last names have been Americanized.

These are some of the reasons why it can be difficult to trace your genealogy or your ancestry. However, technology can make it easier for you to find out about your past. There are available websites today that specializes in genealogy. One of these websites that are considered to be reputable and can definitely help you find long lost relatives is the Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com is a genealogy website that can help you find out about your family's past.

There are professionals here that can help you gather documents, such as birth, immigration, death, marriage documents, medical records, and other vital documents about your family. You need to realize that these documents are very hard to find and will require you to pay a fee for the professionals working with Ancestry.com to find it for you. Today, there are more than four billion names in Ancestry.com database. If you know the complete name of your grandparents or great-great grandparents, you can start your search for your ancestors from here.

Ancestry.com offers the best services at a very reasonable cost. You have to consider that knowing about your family's past is priceless. Who knows, maybe you are the great-great-great-great-great grandchild of a famous Native American or a famous European who migrated in the United States.

So, if you want to know about your genealogy the easy way, you should get the services of Ancestry.com. Here, you can start your very own family tree and show it to the members of your family and friends about your proud past.

Categories of DNA Genealogy

There are many ways to find your family heritage through genealogy. Relative genetics is the most common way. This performs a series of tests on DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in different categories.

1. Paternal Line or Ycs Testing. The Y chromosomal DNA (Ycs) is utilized in establishing the haplotype (genetic profile) of the ancestors who are already dead. The father passed the Ycs through his son largely unchanged. The inheritance pattern of Ycs is similar to passing the surnames common to most cultures. Discovering clues within the paternal lineage becomes quiet easy using the Ycs. This is an incredible tool powerful in helping genealogists to trace the paternal lines.

Relative genetics have reported that between eighteen and forty three years old, different alleles (values) on specific loci (regions) of the Y chromosomal DNA are present. Every locus has undergone validation and standardization in a way that it can provide people with the greatest chances of specifying their paternal lineage. The information becomes very important to genealogist in identifying the closest relatives as well as establishing approximate time or distance to the latest common ancestor.

2. Maternal Line of mtDNA testing. This is used for disproving or supporting a relationship in the same immediate maternal line using mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA). The mother passed this type of DNA to her children but only the female children pass this down continuously from generation to generation.

The mtDNA testing is taking the benefits of a specialized DNA form passed by mothers to her biological children. So, each child virtually carries an exact mtDNA copy of their mother. Therefore, all siblings have identical sequences of mtDNA. Thus, mtDNA became an important investigative tool to research direct maternal lineage ancestry and exploring ethnic origins.

3. Ancestral Origin Testing (mtDNA, Ycs, or autosomal testing). This is useful for people who are adopted and simply curious about their ancestral heritage. It also provides prediction about the anthropological haplogroup which originates from either the maternal or paternal lines. Haplogroups refer to wide ancestral groupings which originated a thousand years ago. They also correspond to an early migration of humans having connections on the different geographic locations all over the world. Therefore, information about haplogroups can reveal a deep ancestral origin.

- Y chromosomal DNA Haplogroups. Once this is identified, you can take a glimpse on the deep paternal line ancestry. Every indigenous race of people in this world is an affiliate of a certain haplogroup.

- The mtDNA Haplogroups are subdivided in different sub-lineages, more often population or regionally specific.

4. Extended Family Testings utilize autosomal DNA. The twenty two pairs of chromosomes considered as non sex located within the cell nucleus is known as autosomal DNA. One half of the autosomal DNA comes from the father; the other one half comes from the mother. The purpose of this test is to authenticate relationships beyond simple maternity or paternity lineage.

Finally, you will never have any difficulty is tracing your family heritage. Choose one among the different genealogy testing categories that suits you best. Enjoy your research.

Free Resources For Genealogical Resarch

Isn't it interesting to know more about your ancestral timeline several generations ago? If you are on the search for reliable sources that will serve as your reference documents, the internet is a good resource material. It has always contained the vast data that can help in your research. The great advantage when using the internet is that the genealogist can save both money and effort.

Aside from the ancestral timeline, some people also would want to know the details about their recent generations. In the quest of finding this out, genealogy becomes a serious study that takes an investment.

There are some helpful pointers that can give ease to your research. Whether you are new or a professional genealogist, you must know that there could be other researchers that work on your genealogy. One way to find out is to check on the published works of the surnames involved in your family tree. Some of these researchers publish their works on their website for other people to visit. Other helpful tools that can also be found in the internet are the searchable indexes that contain references needed in your study.

The genealogical or historical society is an institution that you can ask help from. They are found in the towns where your ancestors once lived. This is an excellent source of information on how life was during the time of your great, great grandparents. The genealogical or historical society keeps the records of local directories, the list of buried people even in inactive burial spots, and newspaper archives. The advantage of seeking help from this institution is that this is run by volunteers who have been oriented with some genealogical facts. This also contains addresses of other societies which have links to their webs.

Way back in 1800's, the US and Europe has the long tradition of funeral cards or mourning cards. These are also great sources for genealogists. There are also web sites that deal on the indexing of these cards. You can visit these sites and search for the surnames that you need.

Newspapers are also good sources of local information. They usually contain valuable information about people who have lived a few years ago. The online newspaper archive is a searchable site that takes the place of microfilm reels. However, it would be advantageous if you have some information about your ancestors such as the event where they have been involved. When you search in online newspaper archives, you type the surname and the keyword, which is resembled by the event. The newspaper online is updated regularly that makes their information reliable.

Another research tool that is helpful in genealogy is the indexed census. Aside from this, there are other transcribed records which are also available online. Such records of birth, marriage and death information are available in some databases.

There are various research tools that help in the search of your ancestry. There are free and accessible sources that only proper organization provide.

DNA Research on The Cutting Edge Of Genealogical Research Technology

There are about 60,000 billion cells found in the human body. It includes muscle cells, cheek cells, and white blood cells. Each cell contains the whole genetic information which is the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). The nucleus inside the cell holds the DNA or chromosomal DNA that consists of Y chromosomal DNA, X chromosomal DNA, and autosomal DNA. The external part of the nucleus holds mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The autosomal DNA comes from both the mother and the father, Y chromosomes is inherited by a son from his father, and mtDNA comes from the mother only.

There are advancements made in testing DNA to meet various areas of interests. For example, the most common uses of DNA are related to finding criminals and proving paternity. But today, genealogy research also uses DNA testing.

For so many years, genealogy has become an important element of the society and a favorite hobby of some enthusiasts. Although this is more rewarding, somehow it brings frustrations even to expert genealogists. It can be very time consuming when doing paper research. More often, it can lead to illegible and damaged documents. But, DNA testing provides quick results without questioning its authenticity or quality. Moreover, the genetic genealogy results can endure the tests of time.

1. Mitochondrial testing is utilized for tracing the maternal heritage of a person. The mtDNA testing is very important since genealogists are mostly females. When they marry, maternal lines are often lost because of changing their surnames. In this manner, they can learn and trace their maternal ancestry.

There are advances made in understanding genetics and using laboratory techniques in helping a person to identify maternal lineage through mtDNA tracing services. The distinct mtDNA of person is analyzed and compared to the databases of other samples of mtDNA worldwide, revealing information about the lost ancestry.

The mtDNA remains nearly unchanged even for so many years. You can share the same type of mtDNA with your mother, maternal grandmother, and maternal great grandmother. The same exact mtDNA code can track your direct maternal lineage way back from the time where mtDNA code's natural mutation occurred.

Women who are living today can trace their origins 150 thousands years ago through natural mutations or mitochondrial eve. In connection with matrilineal descent, eve is the common ancestor. But it doesn't necessarily imply that eve is the only woman who lived in that era. There were also other women alive but only the lineage of eve has survived.

2. Y chromosomal DNA testing is the most common used form of genetic genealogy testing. Some people can even trace if a deceased man is related to them by conducting this test.

Like mtDNA, Y chromosomes can be also traced back from one prehistoric father, Adam. The DNA mutation of the first Y chromosomes naturally occurs over many generations. Determining the present Y chromosomes can trace your paternal lineage through searching the Y database worldwide.

Moreover, genealogists can find out if two people are related because they have similar surnames through Y chromosomes testing. It is not impossible since in most cultures, surnames or family names are inherited by children from their fathers like the Y chromosomal DNA.

A successful genealogy research lies on DNA testing because its usefulness is proven as time has passed by.

Use These 5 Keys To Trace Your Heritage

The study to trace family lineage is termed as genealogy. It entails for you to collect the names of your living and departed relatives. Additionally, you are to establish the relationship among every member on primary, secondary or incidental facts. An individual studying genealogy is referred to as a genealogist.

A genealogist who wishes to seek familial information must have an understanding of genealogical facts. The facts you need to be familiar with and study are the following:

Family Name

The family name (surname or last name) serves as an important tool in genealogic research. For some genealogists, it serves as the stepping stone to start the search.

Commonly, a family name originated from the name of the father itself, the location of your ancestors, the employment of the individual, and/or the nickname of the individual itself is needed.

To locate your ancestors' family name, you may want to look at documents of birth, marriage and death certificates. Census returns and trade directories are also helpful.

Location

Locating the place of your ancestors is an essential part in finding out your lineage. To locate the place names, you need to search into vital, land, court, probate and estate records.

Sometimes the place's name is puzzling due to the order of location being cited. Hence, if you are starting with your own family tree, it is important to follow the standard place name writing protocol. You need to record names of places from the smallest to the largest location. For example, the town should come first before the county. After listing the county, the state will follow and country is the location last entry.

Given Name

Long-ago, the given name is not duly important in genealogy study. However, given names or first names are now considered as an essential tool in a genealogy study and search.

Given names are said to be a representation of deliberate choice of parents. Some of the common naming patterns are:

? First name of a son obtained from the paternal grandfather's name ? First name of a daughter obtained from the maternal grandmother's name

Date

Dates in genealogical search vary. It may pertain to the birth, baptism, marriage or the death date of either your living and deceased relatives.

The above-mentioned dates can be found in the following records: vital, church, bible, military, and census. Newspapers are also a tool for you to be able to find dates. Other helpful tools are Social Security Death and International Genealogical Indexes.

Employment

The type of job your ancestors have is a good tool to help you in your family lineage quest. Aside from knowing what your ancestors did for a living, the kind of occupation of your ancestors will also help you to distinguish between two similar surnames. You can find the type of employment in the birth, marriage or death certificates of your ancestor. Other sources are the city directories, obituary records, and the Social Security Administration.

Family name, location, given name, date and employment are five key factors that will serve as a great help for you as you trace you family lineage. It is important however, that as you find out facts regarding the five factors to take into account its reliability.

Tracing Your Family History

The family has always been considered as the strongest force in the society. Known as the most fundamental civilization in the world, it defines the rise and fall of every community and group. In whatever culture, the family has always played a major role in unifying the people of its race. Even in today's modern era when the limits of socialization are starting to get shattered and the boundaries of communication are slowly disappearing, the family remains basic in every human life. Nobody is so independent and free as to be able to exist without a family.

Today's world is one which is highly characterized by individualism and eccentricity. Many people are concerned with moving on into the future and the majority is actually living for tomorrow. You may think it just usual for today's generation to bother less about their origin, about who they really are, where they come from, and issues concerning the past. Ironically, however, there is a growing interest about the search for people's ancestors. Family history genealogy is gaining more and more attention from those who are after their past life and relatives.

Genealogy can be considered as the science of relationships, simply because this field deals with the tracing of a particular person's family and relatives, both in the past and in the present, alive or dead. People venture out in the search for their families because of various reasons. Some may want to find a kin who has been lost due to circumstances beyond their control. Concrete examples were those involved in the World War who were forced to leave their homes for safety and spent the rest of their life wandering in foreign lands. Others, on the other hand, engage in this endeavor because of the desire for material possessions and power. Believing that they may be perhaps connected to someone of great influence, they risk the chance for the hope of something good in return.

Genealogy and the search for one's history may vary in depth. This can be as simple as tracing the names of people related to you, forming a family tree, and indicating to which specific family in your clan a particular person belongs. Or, this can also be as deep as researching and finding out the personal life of each family member that you are able to find.

Modern technology has made family history genealogy more interesting and has opened a wider door for those people who are serious about their family search. The science of heredity and the study about DNA have made it even more possible for two persons to determine if they belong to the same line of ancestry. Various online sites are also available now to aid people find practically anybody with just the entry of simple facts. There are even computer programs which have been specifically designed for this purpose.

The search for one's family, history, and past can be a whole lot of fun. Starting one is easy, and this can be done using different means. The experience is like a treasure hunt that will lead you to unknown and exciting places, and you will never know what you will discover and what treasures await you at the end of your adventure.

Finding Your African American Roots-Genealogy

It's always fun finding out who you really are and the internet is one of the best tools available to do this. Although you may consider that you already know about yourself, the internet can be a very useful tool to let you find out a little bit of history about your family. You have to consider that it's a great thing to know about your family's past and know about relatives you didn't even know existed.

The internet has numerous genealogy websites that you can use to find out about your family, who you were related with, and what kind of person you are. Some people use these websites for many reasons. Some say to find out about themselves and some even find out about their family just for fun. Whatever your reasons are, you have to consider that finding out about where you came from can be quite a thrilling experience. Just imagine, you may be related to Martin Luther King Jr. and you and your family doesn't even know about it. Or, it can also be quite a surprise if you find out that you are a distant cousin of a famous African American superstar athlete, such as Kobe Bryant or Tiger Woods.

You have to consider that traces of your family ancestry can be lost in time. There are a lot of reasons why a family's history die out. Some were affected by quarrels inside the family circle and others were affected by historical events that separated them from other members of the family. This is why some people retrace their ancestry in order to find out what happened to their long lost relatives.

Although the internet doesn't contain all the necessary information about your family and the essential records, you have to consider that it is a useful tool to use in order to point you to the right direction. This will save you a lot of time finding those different vital records, such as marriage, death, and birth records.

African Americans have played a vital role in the United States of America's history. They suffered from slavery, years of war and some migrated from Africa. If you are an African American and you wish to know more about your family's history, you should try and find it on the internet. It will point you to where you should find the essential documents and guide you in obtaining seemingly unobtainable documents.

Although it is a fact that the path to your family's history may seem like a rough path, you have to consider that knowing about your past will give you that sense of pride on knowing about your proud family history.

As you can see, it is always fun to know about your family's ancestry. It will not only give you detailed reports on what happened to all your lost relatives all these years but it will also tell you who they are and what they achieved in life. Who knows, maybe you are a distant relative of a world famous African American.

Latter Day Saints-International Genealogical Index

The Family History Library of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) holds more than two million rolls of records in microfilms, 300 thousand books, and 400 thousand microfiche. It also contains a complete collection of manuscripts written to help people in their genealogical research, such as family histories, indexes, local histories, and others.

These vast collections of genealogical materials cover most countries all over the world including China, Chile, Hungary, and Netherlands although more emphasis are given to America, Europe, Canada, and Great Britain. Researchers are allowed to search for their ancestor's original records in their archives.

The library holdings for the United States contain records from numerous courthouses all over the country as well as regional and state archives. Moreover, the records of the 1790 to 1920 U.S. census are also included.

The Family History Library is popular for their excellent assistance and extensive knowledge. The staff of the library helps people by answering their question and guiding them through their library search. Other main sources include the FamilySearch computerized system, likewise the inter-library loan programs maintained by over two thousand branches of the Family History Center all over the world.

The IGI (International Genealogical Index)

This index document births as well as marriages of deceased members of their organization all over the world. It starts with the submission of initial records from both non-members and members of the church. The IGI was launched by the LDS church in 1969. Moreover, the temple records from pre-1970 were extracted. The development of the Extraction Program was made to limit getting records from church archives only. This program has more than 100 volunteers. Some are traveling all over the world to film records. These records are then transcribed by other volunteers on films.

The vital and parish records list published by the Family History Library provide records which are extracted and then listed in the International Genealogical Index from every geographical area as well as the time period, the latest extracted records are also shown. The volunteers copy information of births, christenings, and marriages of deceased individuals recorded in various civil and church vital records, extraction of records does not only focus on the members of LDS church or their ancestral lines.

There are more than 250 million names listed on the IGI. Many names are extracted from records dated from the early 16th centuries to late 19th centuries. The IGI however doesn't include every individual from any listed country and the names of all individuals from index records.

But the names aren't limited to the persons related to the LDS members. The accessibility of the IGI is open from the Family History Library and Family History Center all over the country. It is also available at some main libraries and genealogical societies. It is also accessible on a CD-ROM and microfiche.

Never expect that all extracted records listed on the IGI taken from original ones are always accurate. The reliability may always vary. Moreover, the possibility of finding incomplete records may be at stake. Sometimes you may get records containing the dates and names only. The records that are complete are those recorded prior to 1992. But still, the International Genealogical Index is

Shah Genealogy- World Of The Ancient Nobilities

Genealogy is a science that deals with the outlining of one's blood relationship and kin, and it is continuously gaining wide popularity among different groups of people today. Whether tried for a serious purpose, like a formal search for a missing relative, or undertaken for the sake of fun and discovery, a personal genealogy study has a lot to offer. It is like a journey to the past, and even to the present, that will show you the various facets of your life and history.

When genealogy as a scholarly field was just in its early stage, it was more concerned with the nobilities and the people with ruling blood, those who belong to the upper circle, and those who enjoy fame, authority, and wealth. And although genealogy today has already widened out in scope, it is still interesting to note how it started.

When you look into shah genealogy, you will find it among the more exciting ventures that you can undertake. It will bring you to the intriguing world of the powerful and the rulers. Shah is a general word that is used to refer to people of influential and noble families. It was first coined in Persia to refer to the title or position of the leader of the land. Later on, this name came to spread out to surrounding regions and became widely accepted and applied among different ruling families to indicate power and position.

As they held prestigious seats during their era, the various shahs ever recorded have contributed much to the formation of the history of the place that they have led. Trying a shah genealogy study will not only guide you to the discovery of the life of the various rulers that have once occupied a place in their corresponding countries. Shah genealogy will actually lead you to the tracing of the general history of the states occupied by these princely people.

The world of the nobility and the rich has always been full of glamour, of intrigue, excitement, and drama. You may not have a ruling blood, but you can actually enjoy the thrills offered by this world through shah genealogy. This will reveal to you the various angles of the life of those who have enjoyed affluence and influence during their time.

Now, genealogy offers a lot more other than its initial focus on the upper class society. In fact, the interest on family history is witnessing a revival in today's modern era. Genealogists, people considered as experts in this field, occupy a respectable place in the scholarly world. These specialists are actually historians who trace back people using a variety of means and through different information and data which are disclosed and provided by interested parties. They try to uncover the history of an individual, tracing back his origin and ancestry and preserving the heritage of his past in the process.

Genealogy, although typically connected with the past, is actually designed for the enlightenment of the present. It is only when you truly understand your origin that you will really be able to live today to its fullest. Genealogy will allow you to pick the pieces of your life and help you identify where each piece fits to form the whole you.

Sephardic And Jewish Genealogical Resources

If you are Jewish and you are planning to trace the history of your Sephardic ancestors, you should know the right links to achieve your goal.

To an amateur genealogist, it is vital to know the best sources. Knowing the right sources will directly link to the right answers. It is like a mathematical equation, you need to know the right formula to get the right answer.

Failing to get the right sources might probably lead to frustration. That is pathetic. It is like getting a flunking grade in a final exam.

Anyhow, don't get discourage if you think you don't have a good source to get your goal. Failure and attempts will gradually lead you to the right sources. And instead of being frustrated, you should be the first one to encourage yourself.

The following are the traditional sources of tracing the Jewish and Sephardic ancestry. These sources are frequently applied by the professional genealogists. These are:

Interview. Definitely, this must be started among the eldest family members. Here, you would know the names of your previous ancestors as well as the related generations. You would also know here the places where they used to dwell. Not that alone, you would also get the clues for other possible sources that will strengthen your documentation.

However, the data accumulated through interviewing needs to be verified. You have to be very careful on your documentation.

Marriage registries, old letters, photographs, cemetery records and diaries; these are the classic sources to obtain the information on Jewish genealogy. These sorts of sources are useful for both the Sephardic and Ashkenazim genealogists.

Holocaust records like the records of Arolsen in the International Red Cross including the Pages of Testimony by Yad Vashem are also useful to the Sephardim. This is because many Sephardim suffered on the hands of the Nazis.

Yad Vashem decided recently to produce a list of names of these Holocaust fatalities. And then, he makes it accessible in the so-called electronically accessible database. This was made possible on the first year of the Millennium.

Definitely, this report was very advantageous to genealogists.

Unfortunately, the records of Arolsen in the International Red Cross are deprived to the searching of their families. The records are only made available only if the family can give the precise first name and surname.

Some other sources for a Sephardic researcher are the following:

Ketubbot. This is the marriage contract of the Jewish. Certainly, this is a significant part of Jewish genealogy. The wonderful thing in this source is that it usually presents numerous generations of two sides. Ketubbot is regarded as a bonanza for genealogists.

Archives of Alliance Israelite. This documents found in Paris beholds a marvelous data regarding the Jewish genealogy. This is because during the period of 19th century the Alliance Israelites created an immense effort in building schools and helping the Jews located in North Africa.

Lastly, the Internet, this is the easiest and most accessible form of accumulating data regarding the genealogy of any race.

However, you should also be cautious in getting the data. You can verify it by checking various sources.

Georgia Genealogical Resources

You have to consider that the family is the most important member of society. Besides, without family, there would be no society and there will only be a bunch of people living in a country. The family determines the future of society and they are also the ones responsible in building morality and character to the future leaders of the world, which are the children.

This is why you should know about your family's past and honor your ancestors who have made you what you are today. If you live in Georgia all your life, it is possible that your ancestors have lived in this particular state all their lives. You have to consider that Georgia is one of those states that have a proud and long history. Since the founding of the United States, Georgia has been part of wars and was colonized by the Spanish and the British.

There may be a possibility that your family was part of this history. In fact, your family may have English or even Spanish blood since the settlers here were mostly Spanish and British. Even though you may look American, there is a possibility that you have Spanish or English blood running through your veins. There may also be a possibility that you have a Native American blood since Georgia was primarily occupied by Indians before the Spanish came along.

If you want to find out about your family's genealogy, you can do so by hiring a genealogist that specializes in the history and genealogy of Georgia. They can provide you with different and essential documents, such as birth, death, marriage, and even immigration records. You also have to consider that Georgia is an ally of the Confederacy during the Civil War. This state also became a major theater in the American Civil War where the Confederacy and the Union fought.

As you can see, with all the rich history and mixed culture of Georgia, you definitely may have a different race running through your veins. It can either be African, British, Native American, American, German or even Irish. Through a genealogist, you can be sure that they will be able to retrace your ancestry.

Who knows? Maybe your ancestors have been a major contributor in the American Civil War and one that you can be proud of. You also have to realize the fact that genealogy can take you to relatives that you didn't even know existed. You have to consider that wars have been fought in this state and families were separated. You may have a relative living in a different state or even in different countries. With luck and also with the help of an expert genealogist, you can retrace your ancestry and can make your way up to finding long lost relatives that you didn't even know existed. Besides, maybe you are even related to someone famous living today. The possibilities are endless.

So, if you want to retrace your ancestry, you should consider hiring a genealogist who is an expert in Georgia genealogy and they will be able to find your ancestors as well as find your long lost relatives.

Ohio Genealogy Records

From the Iroquoian word, Ohio means Good River. It is the first place in the Northwest Territory which was administered as a state. The state is considered to be abundant in heritage and records. According to surveys, Ohio is a place where agencies and institutions are open with its records for research. With this regard, Ohio is a good place for genealogic researches.

To gather pertinent records in order to give you a framework to work on, you need supporting papers or documents. Ohio provides you with such locations to gather such documents.

Fundamental Records

When your ancestors were born and deceased starting in 1867, then you can find information of them from the Probate Court in Ohio. During the early twentieth century, specifically 1908 until now, all records of births and deaths can be found at any local offices or in the local health department. Death records are also kept in The Ohio Historical Society.

For marriage documents, one can go to the Probate Court or the Department Health of Ohio to find such information.

Land and Tax Records

The County Recorder's Office in Ohio keeps documents pertaining to land issues such as surveys, deeds and mortgages. On the other hand, the County Auditor's Office is the home for tax records. You may also check with the LDS Family History Library for more information on tax documents.

Census and Probate Records

In public indexes, you will find census documentations from 1820 to 1920. Other census matters can be searched at the Common Pleas Court.

During the middle years of the nineteenth century, probate materials were located in the Common Pleas Court in Ohio. These days, you can find such information in the Probate Court.

Other documents which can be found in the Common Pleas Court are papers concerning legal matters such as citizenship, divorce, and manumission. Documents on various law cases are also obtainable in the said agency.

Education-related Records

Your ancestors in Ohio can be traced through their records in the institutions they have attended. If the institution is no longer operating, then such records can be asked from the Board of Education, County Auditor or the County Commissioners.

The records of Ohio's first schools (School for the Deaf and The Ohio State School) can be obtained at the Ohio Historical Society.

Armed Forces' Records

The Ohio Historical Society houses the documents regarding armed forces in Ohio from the 1812 war to the First World War. Alternatively, you can seek information about Ohio's armed forces in the county courthouse.

Aside from the above-mentioned agencies and institutions for you to find more about your family lineage, Ohio still offers more to further complete your genealogy study.

One important institution to conduct a genealogy study in Ohio is the Ohio Network of American History Research Centers or the ONAHRC. The said center is the umbrella organization for other archive sections and libraries.

An organization was also established to help genealogists in their quest; this is the Ohio Genealogical Society. You can find ample and relevant information regarding genealogy in Ohio.

You can visit the above-mentioned places in Ohio to locate records you wish to obtain. Alternatively, the internet is also a relevant tool for you to learn more about the said agencies and institutions.

Mormon Family History Center - Genealogical Research

One of the organizations which have the greatest influence in genealogy growth is the LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.). Their special reasons for doing research are associated with their ancestor's proxy baptisms. In fact, they publicly open their staggeringly huge databases through their FamilySearch website, their Salt Lake City's Central Library, and their Family History Centers.

Anyone can utilize the Family History Centers located in the towns across the country. LDS members contribute a big part on the creation of IGI (International Genealogical Index), which is a main surname index of records in the parish, accessible at the Family History Centers and Mormon website.

The Mormons website is the FamilySearch.com. Although biased on the church members needs, this site provides significant information to trace your ancestors. You may find the website too detailed and big because it serves dedicated researchers, church members, and general public.

FHC (Family History Center) Visits

Every genealogist, if given the chance, would love to visit the well known Family History Library of the Mormons in Salt Lake City. However, this is not always possible. Through the Family History Center (FHC), this conflict was solved.

There are more than 3,400 FHCs opened under the Family History Library. These branches operate in sixty four countries providing over 100 thousand microfilm rolls circulating on the FHCs each month.

These records contain vital, land, census, immigration, church, and probate records. Moreover, other valuable genealogical records are also included. All main cities and numerous smaller communities have FHCs. So, it is very accessible.

Using any FHCs is free. The public is really welcome. Community and church volunteers are ready to answer queries and offer assistance. Generally, the Family History Centers are funded and staffed by local congregations of the church, thus these is typically housed in church buildings. FHCs are satellite libraries containing volumes of resources to aid people in their genealogy research. It includes genealogy records, family histories, genealogy maps and books, and family tree databases.

The majority of FHCs houses large numbers of microfiche, microfilm, and books in its permanent collections, open for viewing anytime. However, most records of interest may not be available sometimes at local FHCs. These records need to be requested on loans by an FHC volunteer to the Family History Library. Borrowing materials entails paying for about 3 to 5 dollars per film.

After the request, these records will normally take 2 to 5 weeks before it arrives at the local FHCs. These records remain at the local FHCs for three weeks for the researcher to view before returning to the Family History Library.

Guidelines on how to request records from the Family History Center

• The researcher can renew their loan if more time is needed.

• Any requested microfiche records can stay at the local FHC through permanent loans.

• Renewal of microfilm rolls twice or paid within three rental periods can remain at the local FHCs as permanent loans.

• Permanent loans are arranged from the start by asking the Family History Center volunteer and paying the whole three rental period.

• Books from the Family History are not allowed to be loaned by the local FHCs. However, these books can be requested to be microfilmed. Ask the help of the local FHC volunteer.

Resources for Ancestral Research in Newfoundland

Vinland to the Norse or commonly known as Newfoundland, is the biggest island in North America. Ancestors of Newfoundland were known as "Beothuk," they are people who appeared to be from Labrador.

According to history, after Beothuk, the next settlers to be considered as ancestors of Newfoundland are Native Americans referred to as Micmac. For more genealogy information in Newfoundland, you can check on the following resources.

There are government agencies which you can visit to learn more about Newfoundland's genealogy such as:

Department of Government Services and Land

The said department issues documents concerning birth, marriage and death records. There are different service centers in Newfoundland where you can learn more about the said documents. Application forms are also available in the said centers.

Provincial Archives

Records of history and other history-related data may be obtained from the Provincial Archives. Church records such as baptismal, marriage and interment certificates are the most common documents that can be gathered in the said agency.

On the other hand, the register of vital statistics such as baptismal and marriage certificates are also available in the said agency.

Public Library

There are three public libraries in Newfoundland which is termed as "St. John's Public Libraries." The libraries which you can visit are:

1. A.C. Hunter Public Library 2. Marjorie Mews Public Library 3. Michael Donovan Public Library

The said libraries are helpful tools in your genealogic study.

Different associations were also established to help individuals with their genealogy study. Some of the following genealogy associations of Newfoundland are:

Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives or ANLA

This is a center located in St. John's Newfoundland. Archive records of the province are well-kept in the said center. Aside from obtaining records, the said center also administers and promotes archives education programs through trainings and workshops. The Newfoundland Historical Society

The said organization is said to be the first heritage association in the province. It aims to uphold the history and heritage of Newfoundland through its programs and activities.

Through the information gathered from the said organization, you will be able to gather data to clear the cobwebs in your genealogy search.

Other helpful associations which you can contact for your genealogy study in Newfoundland are the following:

1. Bay St. George Heritage Association in Stephenville 2. Ferryland Historical Society in Ferryland 3. Alberta Family Histories Society

Other resources which you can check for your Newfoundland genealogy research is Newfoundland's Grand Banks. This is a genealogy website to help genealogists with their research on Newfoundland. Any person who will visit the said site will be able to locate fundamental data of genealogy and history of the said province. Other useful information is the documents from directories, church, and cemeteries. The internet is a good venue to learn more about your family lineage in Newfoundland. All you need to do is enter the keywords in a search engine and all relevant information regarding the entered keywords will be shown. These days, there are free genealogy websites which you can check so you will not have to dole out a dollar to find more genealogy information.

Invisible Irish Ancestors

Invisible relatives may pertain to those people who are difficult to find or are hidden relatives perhaps. A relative can be considered missing if he or she does not appear even in one of the volume of records containing your family's history. Detailed information of your invisible relative can be hard to uncover. You don't probably suspect that he or she exists before you begin your research.

You need to know some of the reasons why such things happen.

- Women are most often categorized as invisible relatives. Keep in mind that women didn't have legal identities of their own in many countries. They are not regularly mentioned in community records. In Ireland, property was rarely registered in the name of a woman from 18th to 19th century. When registration of civil marriages took place in 1865, only the father's name of both couples is listed.

- If family members disapprove a relationship, thinking that it can bring disgrace to their family, they hide it consciously. For example, a widow who wanted to marry again but her children are all grown up.

- It runs in the tradition of the Irish, they always want to portray the best face and feet forward. They omit sad memories from the tales about their family. Thus, infants and young children who are already dead were never mentioned again.

- Some common records used in genealogy research are incomplete. The contents have entirely missed important things about the person. Maybe, they failed to anticipate that the latest generation would likely want to know about their origins. Some census in the U.S has this problem. Former spouses were never mentioned on the record as well as the date of immigration until 1900.

So, some Irish who are just starting to find their genealogy can face a lot of challenges. It is advisable not to rely much on what they find on the written records. However, any piece of information is important to help you in your research. No matter how small the information is, you can unravel many things once you dig deeper.

Never assume that the norms in the 20th and 21st century made sense 50, 100, or 100 years ago. Try to learn and understand that norms vary according to time and place. Considering all the records (both Irish and American) are helpful in solving the jigsaw puzzles of your life, in case your family already migrated in the U.S. This process is also similar in other countries.

There are factors that you should concentrate on when finding an invisible Irish relative. Checking the census can be effective in finding the persons who are related to the one you are looking for. Another is to learn some significant traditions associated with the place. For example, in Ireland, the naming tradition is very popular. Irish men name their oldest son after their grandfather. If the person is already married, then search for the marriage record. Take note, during the 1860, divorce is not favored in Ireland. So, better check for death records also in case the name changed.

Finally, be patient as your research progresses. After all, it is worthwhile to embrace your origin again and find the missing part of your life.

The Language of Italian Genealogy

When people speak of genealogy they refer to the history of their family. Genealogy is basically the search for the forgotten truth about their ancestors.

According to the origin of the word, the term genealogy is derived from the Greek word genea, which refers to generation or descent.

Hence, it is vital for a genealogist to familiarize himself from the genealogical words of a certain language.

The reason here is simple. If you are conducting your search on genealogy and you have to conduct the research into a place which language seems strange to you, you would probably find yourself helpless to do the necessary moves to complete your search.

Your search will be definitely be suspended if you will not be able to comprehend the documents in your hands. And it is certainly a big mistake to waste the documents or worse misinterpret them.

Therefore, it is vital to know the usual genealogy terms of certain language.

The Italian language is one of the romantic languages in Europe that originated from Latin. This language is likewise used in some places of Yugoslavia as well as Switzerland.

If ever you are about to track a genealogy document inscribed in Italian language, the one thing that you need to know are the basics of Italian language. These basics will serve as your keywords.

Believe it or not, though you neither can read nor speak the Italian language, you can possibly understand the Italian documents on genealogy with the use of these keywords.

These keywords are simply the Italian root words. Through this you will not exert too much effort anymore in comprehending and utilizing the genealogical documents written in Italian language.

So what are these genealogy terms? These include the record types, dates, family relationships, and family events.

Meanwhile the following will be the basics of Italian language:

As what have been mentioned, the first thing to know about the language is the root words because these will unveil the denotation of the word.

Take note that the Italian words consist of masculine and feminine categories. This is identified on the ending of the word. The ending of the word may also indicate singular or plural. Likewise, will help you distinguish whether it is in past, present or future tense.

The nouns in Italian have gender, both in persons and things. Usually, nouns that ends with -a refer to female, while the nouns that ends in –o are male. Example of feminine word is chiesa (church), and cimiterio (cemetery) in masculine.

Meanwhile, nouns that end in –e may pertain to both masculine and feminine. Like for instance padre, father, and madre, mother.

On the other hand, in distinguishing the plural from singular you just have to notice the last vowel of the word. Plural nouns are formed by changing the nouns that end with –o or –e to –i. While the nouns that end with –a is altered with an –e to form a plural term.

To look for the list of words concerning the Italian genealogical term, you can just simply browse the Internet.

Search Engines Are Available For Genealogy

There are about an estimated of 6,525,170,264 people living in the planet today. You have to consider that that's a lot of people and imagine if you are related to roughly a million of this people. It's hard to believe but it is a possibility. Even incumbent president George W. Bush traced his relations to his rival John Kerry. In fact, John Kerry is the 16th cousin, three times removed of George W. Bush. This is an amazing fact but still, it is.

Today, because of DNA testing and professional methods used by genealogist, it is now very much possible to trace your long lost relatives that you didn't even know existed. Finding your genealogy is a fun family activity where everyone will be fascinated about who they are related to. Who knows? Maybe when you try searching for your genealogy it will uncover certain facts that you are related to someone famous today, such as Tom Cruise or even famous politicians, such as George W. Bush. It may be amazing, but it is a possibility.

More and more people are now trying to trace their genealogy for fun, or for medical purposes. Some do this just to find out how far they can trace their ancestors and their distant relatives. So, if you are one of these people who are trying to find their genealogy, you can consider hiring a genealogist to do the job for you. However, you may find that hiring genealogists may be costly and finding your genealogy yourself can prove very hard.

However, because of modern technology, there is another way on how you can search for your genealogy. Today, the internet is one of the widely used communication tools available. Besides, it is easier, it is faster and the best thing about the internet is that it's cheap. There are available websites today that are dedicated to genealogy search. There are even genealogy search engines where you can type in your grandparent's full name, and date of birth to reveal their family tree.

You have to consider that birth records, marriage records, death records and even marriage records are now also stored in computers today. Many organizations make this available on the internet. Because of this, genealogists and web developers use this tool in order to make an automated family tree and make it available in an easy to read interface in the internet.

There are free and pay genealogy search engines available. If you are just starting out your search, you can consider using the free genealogy search engine. However, free genealogy search engines have only limited resources and can only take you to your great-great grandparents or less. If you want to broaden your family tree, you have to consider using the pay genealogy search engine website. It can offer more comprehensive results and some can also offer automated family tree that is easy to use and is printable in large formats.

So, if you want to find out about your past, you should consider searching for your relatives through genealogy search engines. You will be surprised on how many people you are related to.

Find Your Inner Irish - Ireland Genealogy

The Irish are known to be hot blooded and pleasant people. They are also known to be hardworking people and have that distinct tight English accent. The Irish has a very rich culture and history where sometimes it was pleasant and some history have been quite bad for the Irish.

Today, the Irish population in America is considered to be the second largest in the United States. Making up 34 million in the year 2000 United States Census, the only larger self-reported ethnic group is German Americans.

Because of the Protestant persecution of Catholics, many Irish Catholics migrated to the United States. Even before the revolution, the American Irish populations were quite large in the United States. Most Irish served as domestic servants and most Irish American males worked in canal building and civil construction jobs in the Northeast of the United States.

In fact, there are so many Irish Americans in the United States that many people in New York who claimed to have Irish heritage have larger population than Dublin, the capital of Ireland. Most Irish Americans settled in the United States largest cities, namely, New York, Boston, as well as Chicago and San Francisco. You will also find small but tight Irish communities all over the United States. So, if you have Irish blood and is interested about your Irish heritage, you should try and hire a genealogist that specializes in family cultural history, specifically the Irish culture to help you on your quest to find who you really are.

Finding your genealogy is a fun activity for your family. Who knows, maybe you are related to some of the famous Irish American in the United States. With the large numbers of famous Irish Americans, there is a large chance that you may find your Irish culture. In some cases and if you are lucky enough, there may be a chance that you may find your distant relatives still living in Ireland today.

The Irish are proud people and Irish Americans today are taking part of politics in the United States. Most Irish Americans also serve in the military, police, and as firefighters. In fact, John F. Kennedy is one of the most famous Irish Americans.

So, if you have that Irish blood in you and you want to rediscover who you are and where you came from, you can consider getting your genealogy traced. Who knows? You may be related to some of the most prominent Irish Americans living today.

By finding out about your family's past, you will be able to know how your family lived and struggled during the hard times in the United States. Knowing about your proud history means that you are proud of being Irish. So, if you want to know more about yourself and about your family, try finding that Irish in you through various Irish American genealogy website or through professional genealogists who specializes in Irish American culture.

You will find many fascinating and sometimes amazing facts about your Irish decent that you can be proud of.

Use The Right Genealogy Tools

Your ancestors play a significant role on why you exist today. There are some individuals who give high regards to their ancestors which led to the birth of genealogy. Aside from paying respects to your ancestors because of who you are today, there are more advantages genealogy can bring into your life.

Interest and fun are the two most important key considerations why people are into genealogy search. With genealogy, you will be able identify which part of the country or even in the world you have relatives with. Moreover, you will also be able to know the specific meaning of the names of your relatives. Most importantly, it is with studying genealogy that will help you be familiar with the possible health conditions that may run in your family which you ancestors had before.

To be successful with your genealogy search, there are helpful tools which can aid you to find your ancestors.

By Word of Mouth

Story-telling from immediate family members and relatives is the most common step one undertakes when doing a genealogy search. Oral history is the appropriate term for this in genealogy studies.

The memories of an individual are evidences you can gather to track your lineage. Face-to-face interaction is not the only means of communication you can assume when doing oral history. You can also opt to send a letter by post indicating your motive. Phone interviews can also be done.

It is best to prepare a set of questions when doing an interview, may it be formal or informal, to avoid repetitions.

Through the Internet

With the advent of technology, you can now enjoy a hassle-free genealogy search through the internet. The internet offers different genealogy search website. You can choose from a paid or free service to help you with your search.

There are several information you can gather through the internet such as your ancestor's surname. Different documents can also be obtained via the internet such as papers concerning your ancestor's birth, marriage, and death. In some sites, the location and type of employment can also be viewed.

Through DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

DNA testing is a medical technology utilized to determine and establish proof of the existing relationship of one person to the other. There are two types of DNA testing which can be done to help you with your genealogy search:

1. Y-line Test – this type of DNA test is extremely helpful to genealogists due to its distinctive features. Y-chromosome is only present with male individuals which are passed on from father to son. Additionally, the said chromosome is the only chromosome that breaks out in the repeated rearrangement of the parental genes. 2. mtDNA Test – mtDNA Test is the short term for mitochondrial DNA test. This type of DNA test is also known as the 'maternal lineage test." The test determines if the individuals has the same maternal lineage.

DNA Testing is the common last resort option of those who study genealogists. You need to exhaust all the possibilities of knowing who's who in your family line through oral history and via the internet.

Unveil Your Past

The term genealogy is rooted from the Greek word "genealogia" which refers to the tracing of family. The term genealogia is likewise rooted from genea, referring to a generation or descent.

Genealogy research basically refers to the identification of the lineage, significant information regarding the history of the family.

What is then the importance of tracing the history of your family? Why is it significant to search for your ancestors who are long dead and buried?

The very reason includes a very basic logic. If your ancestors never existed, you will not exist either. Hence, you and your ancestors are interlinked.

Meaning, you still behold a lot of similarity to your ancestors. Those people who have long been forgotten. Those people who have led a very different life before. Tracing you family's ancestors is a way of giving honor to them. Not that alone, the process of genealogy research is very fascinating too.

Aside from that, you will be able to learn lots of things. For instance, you would realize why you as well as the rest of your relatives dwell in a place when your race in fact belongs to some other country.

There are many circumstances relating to this occasion. An example of this is the early Hessian soldiers. Historically, British used them to battle the American colonization.

After these Hessian soldiers fought the Americans, many of them deserted Britain. Their descendants are believed to have transferred to Ohio later.

Another thing you can learn about the genealogy of your family is the medical conditions. What are these medical conditions that are running in your family's blood? You need to be aware of them for they may be transmitted genetically.

It is important to know whether your ancestor died of diabetes or other diseases. Did they suffer from a heart disease or asthma? This knowledge will give you the idea regarding the habits or types of food you need to avoid.

Now, you might be wondering how to trace the medical conditions of your ancestors when in fact all of them are gone already.

You might learn this from the stories of your parents told by you grandparents, which were shared before by your grand grandparents and so on.

But if ever there is no existing stories about your family's medical conditions. You can easily refer to the old papers of death notices. Most often, the reason of death is detailed here. Upon knowing the reason of the death of our ancestors you will be more careful on your health, and to your family too definitely.

So, how are you going to begin your research on your family's genealogy? Fortunately, there are several ways to do it nowadays.

You can conduct your research on a genealogy library in your community or maybe in others. You may also opt to join a genealogy association. These associations usually have numbers of research tool to help you in your research.

Of course, you can also get your needed information by simply accessing the information through the Internet. Here, you can join genealogy forums, which could help you connect with your distant relatives.

Tips for Hiring a Professional Researcher

Family history is very popular. Some enthusiasts consider genealogy as a hobby or pastime. But for other people, it is important in finding who they really are.

Generally, it is the focus of interests and some controversies. In fact, you can unravel different mysteries in connection with your origin. Old pictures, written documents, and other forms of materials provide significant information utilized to elucidate world and personal history.

One of the most common methods is asking the help of a professional genealogy researcher. But make sure that you choose the right person as well as other important factors associated with doing the research.

• Ensure that the genealogy researcher has the ability to find your family member. Look for someone who will empathize with your reasons why you wanted to search for your mother, father, or siblings. All the information should be taken cared of by a privacy policy law.

• Ask for the procedure of payments. Know if there are additional charges such as photocopy costs, handling, and postage, overseas phone calls, record fees, and microfilms. Some researchers already include these in the package price.

• Weigh your budget. The research costs depend on the things done by the researcher. It can always vary. Say, you wanted the researcher to search for a particular individual, or a whole family, or an ancestral line, or a comprehensive multigenerational research, or make a written history book of the family. The total cost may depend on the total hours spent for the entire research.

• Ensure that the payment is safe when done online. This is appropriate for a genealogy researcher who owns a website. The technology used must protect any information you gave especially when a bank account or credit card number is asked.

• If you could not pay online, ask if there are other payment options. Some genealogy researcher accepts the payments in cash or check basis. In case of checks, the researcher first ensures that the checks are cleared before beginning any research.

• To assess the credibility of the genealogy researcher, ask if what documents he or she has the capability to search. The sources include compiled newspapers and sources ( local histories, family histories, compiled directories and lists, historical and genealogy publications, newspapers notices, compendium genealogies, special collections and manuscripts), vital records (birth, death, marriage), church records (christening and baptismal, marriages, confirmations, deaths), census records, wills, probate records, local and government land records, military records, court records, burial and cemetery records, ship passenger listings, immigration, and naturalization records.

• Ask how the research package is mailed. In some instances, special delivery requests have additional charges.

• The ancestral branches should have a privacy policy. You paid for the works done by the genealogy researcher, so it is your right to protect such documents.

• The duration of the research may also vary depending on what you wanted to be researched. However, many research packages on genealogy can be completed for 8 to 12 weeks. Sometimes civil documents are ordered, so the researcher will wait for its arrival.

Make sure that you understand all the terms and conditions before making a decision or signing an agreement. Your money and knowing your family history is at stake.

Best Site Genealogy

The internet is one of the most useful tools available in modern society today. With this technology, you can communicate with your loved ones for free, do your shopping and groceries, and you can even search for different data available in the internet. One of these data is genealogy data. Genealogy search is where you find who you are related from. If you are trying to find that long lost relative or you are trying to research about your family, you can consider using genealogy websites.

You have to consider that different world events have changed the world the way it is today. For instance, in World War II, there had been a lot of families separated because of migrating to another country. And, up to this day, the surviving families don't even know that they are related to someone in another country.

Genealogy search website can open up a lot of hidden documents, such as birth records of your great-great grandparents, marriage records, death records and even immigration records. You have to consider that there are more than 6 billion people living in the planet today and the mentioned documents will be quite hard to obtain without professional help. However, because of modernization and the availability of the internet, it is now possible to search for these records the easy way on various genealogy websites available.

In genealogy websites, all you need to do is type in the name of your grandparents, their date of birth, their date of death if they passed away, and the date of their migration to the United States if they are from another country. The next thing you need to do is click on the search button and various documents will appear in links. However, you have to consider that not all genealogy websites offer accurate and comprehensive results. You have to consider registering and paying a genealogy website that offers comprehensive results. It is important that you should first look for a genealogy website that offers great quality services that will meet your needs.

You should look for the following features in a genealogy website in order to be sure that you are getting what you pay for. Always consider the fact that genealogy search can cost quite a pretty penny. So, it is just important that you should look for a genealogy website that will offer these following features in order to be sure that it will meet your expectations when it comes to searching for your genealogy.

The first feature that you should look for is the easy-to-use interface. Besides, you have to consider the fact that using a genealogy website that has complicated and hard to use interface will be useless if you don't understand it.

The next feature is that they should guarantee that they will be able to give you the genealogy ser vice that you want.

If it is possible, you should also look for a genealogy website that can provide you with an interactive family tree.

These are some of the things that you should look for in a genealogy website. With the right easy-to-use web tools, you can be sure that you can obtain great results.

Locating Your German Ancestors

The United States of America is a country with diverse races and is considered to be the melting pot of cultures in the world. In this country, you will find different races and mixed culture. The United States is composed of Native Americans, Americans, British, Irish, Asian, and even German races. You have to consider that there are about 300 million people living in the United States today.

Today, the largest self-reported ethnic group living in the United States is German Americans. In fact, there is an estimated 47 million German Americans according to the year 2000 census of the United States. As you can see, there is a great possibility that you have German blood running through your veins. If you do, and if you are interested with your German ancestry, you can consider retracing it by hiring a genealogist.

You have to consider that a series of world events have made it possible for people to migrate to the United States. The first German Americans migrated to the United States during the years 1680s to 1760s. From there on, the Germans was the largest group of immigrants in the United States of America. Because of the worsening opportunities of owning farm lands in Germany, conscription to the military, and persecution of religious groups, Germans made a choice to migrate to the United States.

Because of the opportunity to own farm lands in the United States, the freedom it offers to practice religion, non-existent military conscription, and better economy, Germans have made the United States of America as the prime country to migrate in.

During the World War II where Adolf Hitler came to power and started persecuting and killing German Jews, many of Germans migrated to the United States of America seeking refuge.

As you can see, series of world events made Germans to migrate to the United States. If you have an Aryan surname or if your grandparents or great-grandparents have Aryan surnames, you can be sure that you have German ancestry. You have to consider that finding out your own ancestry can be quite a task to accomplish. This is why you should try and seek the help of a genealogist who specializes in American German ancestry. Who knows? Maybe you can even trace your ancestry and may find that you are related to some of the worlds famous Germans, such as Oskar Schindler who is known to save thousands or even millions of Jews from Adolf Hitler's gas chambers. Or, it is also possible that you may even be related to Albert Einstein or the former American President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

There are hundreds more of prominent German Americans who contributed a lot to society. In fact, even Elvis Presley has German blood.

So, if you have German ancestry and you want to know about your family's history or you want to know your long lost relatives, you can consider hiring a genealogist to trace your German ancestry. With the available technology today, they may even find your distant relatives living in Germany today.

Software For Genealogy

Genealogy has become the hobby and the passion of a lot of people from all over the world. They give importance on finding their self identities and self pride by uncovering the legacy of their family. Genealogy research can be more fun and enjoyable andiIt can bring your entire present family member together to create a project in which everybody can contribute. Regardless of your reasons, genealogy software is still your best tool for researching your past.

Genealogy research can include numerous tools that are easy to utilize. It helps in discovering and organizing your research. One typical example is the organizational tools. It can connect people according to relationships, combine people in the family trees, locate entries in duplicates, and help in recognizing problems. Genealogy software can be used for individual or entire family research.

Genealogy software can give you comprehensive charts and reports for organizing your research as well as for viewing the development of your genealogy research. To find the right genealogy software, you need to read genealogy articles, stories, and complete reviews. You will invest your money, so make sure that it's worth it.

It does not matter if you are a professional genealogy researcher or a weekend genealogist as long as you choose the best genealogy software program. This can make a big difference in the course of your research. You will be more satisfied with the information you are getting. Recording, reviewing, and accessing information is easy and fun. Make sure that you know important criteria that you need to rate.

- Easy to use. Genealogy software must be user friendly to meet the needs of both beginners and expert computer users. The programs are easy to explore and well organized.

- Easy to setup and install. The genealogy software has simple and straightforward instruction for computer installations and setting up. As much as possible there is no confusing steps or errors.

- Featured set. Genealogy software is equipped with all necessary features for organizing and researching the family tree which include charts, reports, web access, searching capabilities, and other useful ways of storing data.

Various charts and reports include:

• Ancestor charts. It contains the direct line of the person's ancestors. In this manner, he or she can see the exact length of the line from way back then.

• Narrative reports of the ancestors. These reports are written in a story form similar with books beginning from a specific individual and then followed by his or her lineage. Sharing this research to your friends and family members can be fun.

• Family charts. This shows the whole families which include the wife, husband, and children.

- Provides help and documentation. The developer of genealogy software must provide help in various forms. It can include FAQs, phone support and email, product tutorial, and online course. This is very useful for helping anyone to learn the programs and use it. They can also access consumer support conveniently.

Using the latest breakthrough in technology is a one great technique to find your family history in a faster and more convenient way. Try it for a new research experience.

The Family Tree

Who's who is the most common query when relatives get together. Each and everyone start to identify the connection of every individual in the so-called family circle. A family tree serves as a guide for an individual to distinguish the family connection between persons.

To show the relationship among relatives, there are important factors that should be incorporated in your family tree:

? Name of the person ? Date of birth ? Other pertinent information such as the physical address and employment

You will have to distinguish the relationship through:

1. Marriage 2. Extra-marital Unions 3. Progeniture

If it involves your own family, a family tree is a trouble-free task. However, if it involves identifying your ancestors, you will need to devote some time in order for you to be familiar with your roots.

An understanding of the family structure is needed so that you will properly determine your roots to come up with a well-developed family tree.

It is with a mated pair where a family has begun. However, according to genealogy studies there are two main bases for the emergence of complication in a family structure.

The first main source of complication in the family structure is whenever a man takes more than one spouse. Such identification of family tree may become arduous with this case since there are many lineages to trace.

An extended family is considered as a source of complexity concerning family structure. On a positive note, it is helpful in genealogy. With a close-knit family, you will have higher chances to easily complete a family tree.

Once you have found out what type of family structure you have, then it is time to undertake your task – begin your quest to come up with a well-researched family tree.

Start with the basic. Start with your own family. It is from older family members that you can obtain relevant information about your roots. They can give you a lead on where to move next.

Every encounter with any relatives should be documented. Journal, tape recorders, cameras or video cams are handy. All relevant information should be entered in your family tree chart or can be filled out in a genealogical form. These days, there is no need for you to sketch your own family tree since there are several family tree charts and forms available in the market.

On your family tree journey, there are a lot of surnames that will come up. With this regard, it is best to choose what surname to find lineage first. By being surname-focused, you are most likely to finish your task faster and easier. After you have exhausted all information with a surname and you think that the lineage is complete, then you can now move on to another surname.

Interviewing family members may sometimes be insufficient. There are other sources which you can track your relatives such as the internet, Family History Center in your locality, documents (which includes birth, marriage and death certificates), and places such as a church, cemetery or even a court house.

Establishing a family tree is an important undertaking for you to be able to know your roots and identify your own identity.

Genealogy Websites Can Help

There is just something about knowing where you came from and knowing who your ancestors are. This is the reason why many people have taken the time to trace their roots and find more information about their lineage. We all have to consider that knowing where you came from can greatly affect your decisions in which road to take to determine where you will be going.

Many people have been greatly influenced with their decisions because of their lineage. Many military men have chosen this path because their ancestors have been great heroes in the battlefield. Many politicians and lawyers have come from a long line of politicians and lawyers as well. This just goes to show that one's genes plays a dominant part in what career and opportunities a person may have.

But even though we don't have a tradition to follow, learning about our roots would certainly provide us a sense of being. There is always satisfaction in clearing out clouds and knowing the truth behind it. Although family trees may seem like a high school project, genealogy goes way beyond that. Genealogy goes way beyond, it covers generations upon generations.

Starting out with a genealogy project can be very difficult, especially if you live decades ago. But with the help of computers and the centralization of many records and information, finding records and data for a genealogy research can be done in less than a quarter of the time before.

Aside from the usual sources like your local library and records center, there are a vast number of places where you can get records. You don't have to spend a lot of money on airfare, accommodations and food traveling from one place to another to do your research. It is simpler now than ever before.

You can get all the information you want with the use of your computer and the internet. With so many websites around that can offer a vast number of information and records, you may never have to leave your chair just to find out about your great grandfather or your third cousin twice removed. You have the power in your hands and all it needs is a little research and some patience.

Accessing records can be done in a matter of seconds or in a few days. This depends on the records that you are looking for. There are numerous genealogy web sites which can aid you in your search. All you need is to have the information which the site can use to conduct the research. This mostly is the name of the person you are looking for.

You may also need to provide the birth date or death date and the birthplace. Through this information provided, they can single out a person from a group of persons that have the same name. It would help if some extra information are provided. This information though is limited. Because the Internet is relatively young, databases can not be expected to be complete and fully comprehensive.

If you have finally completed your search, you can proudly show it off by creating you own genealogy site. Your finished product can be showcased in your site and you can let the whole world lean about your heritage.