Genealogy Research?

dizzyde · #1 02-09-2010, 03:40 PM

Has anyone here done much research into their family history? I have just started this past week, and I have been amazed how much I have found out already!

Actually within the the first couple of hours, it is almost frightening how much I was able to find out! Of course I had to spend a little bit to access it all, but I would say that so far it is well worth it!

missourimary · #2 02-09-2010, 03:50 PM

My family tree was already fairly well outlined by the time I became interested in it. But it is very interesting.

dizzyde · #3 02-09-2010, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missourimary

My family tree was already fairly well outlined by the time I became interested in it. But it is very interesting.

I am amazed, I have traced my fathers family back to the 1600's!

EA · #4 02-09-2010, 03:55 PM

Diz, I did this a few years ago, and had a lot of fun.

dizzyde · #5 02-09-2010, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward Anglin

Diz, I did this a few years ago, and had a lot of fun.

It is quite a rush! The things that you can access are really incredible, the census records and immigration records, etc. It literally feels (to me at least) like reaching out and touching the past!

dizzyde · #6 02-09-2010, 04:00 PM

Also, the funniest thing that has happened is that we always assumed that my family name was Irish in origin. I found out very quickly that we were very incorrect, it is actually an adaptation of a French name, it was changed the first generation over here! My dad and brother were sooo depressed! LOL!!

triumphant1 · #7 02-09-2010, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizzyde

Has anyone here done much research into their family history? I have just started this past week, and I have been amazed how much I have found out already!

Actually within the the first couple of hours, it is almost frightening how much I was able to find out! Of course I had to spend a little bit to access it all, but I would say that so far it is well worth it!

I have never done this. Where did you start? Where did you get reliable info?

dizzyde · #8 02-09-2010, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triumphant1

I have never done this. Where did you start? Where did you get reliable info?

I actually started by accident, I was doing some online stuff with Social Security for my grandfather, we are in the process of moving him in with my aunt, and I was making the necessary changes. On a whim, I Googled his name, and it pulled up a home made website with a family genealogy of our last name dating to the mid 1700's.

Our name is fairly unique in its spelling, so I trolled around that site for a while and followed it down to what would have been the generation of my great-great grandfather. I called my grandpa and got a little more info, aunts and uncles names that he could remember. By adding those variables in, I knew I was on the right track, and byt that time I was REALLY intrigued.

So I moved on to Ancestry.com and that is where I have found the bulk of the information, they have compiled all kinds of historical documents and records, dating waaaaaay back. And, in my case, I was lucky that other people, who are connected to me through family lines that are very far apart (in other words, complete strangers) had already done extensive research into my family line. By entering the information that I had compiled, names and (some) birth-dates going back 4 generations from me, I was able to find the connections to this research! I would have NEVER known this stuff otherwise, there has been no family research in my immediate family.