Perhaps the best and largest free ancestry search tool available today on the Internet is FamilySearch.org. This website is a non-profit service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This Church is also known as LDS and their followers as Mormons. The LDS Church believes strongly in the sacredness of family and preserving heritage. For over 100 years, it has been involved in gathering and preserving all types of genealogical records from around the world. The LDS genealogy service is sponsored through donations and therefore is free to anyone who is pursuing research of their family tree. Read more »

By it’s very nature, the Internet allows people from all over the world to connect with each other. For genealogists, this opens up a wide variety of possibilities. Genealogists love to talk with each other about research and exchange stories about their ancestors. One of the places you can REALLY get down to specifics and find people to help with your research or just exchange ideas or chitchat, is a genealogy forum, also known as a genealogy message board. Basically, this is a website where people can post topics or questions and other people can answer or have a conversation. You can find so many clues or other tidbits that will lead you down the right path in your genealogy research. There are a few large genealogy forums and many, many more smaller ones where you just might find that missing link. Read more »

It’s truly amazing how much information is available online now. I started searching for genealogy online back in 1999 or so and I was stunned back then! Not only can you find transcribed records these days but there is a wealth of other information to help you create a “picture” of your ancestors.

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Your Social Security Number is how you are tracked by the Federal government from the time you are born until the time of your death. This number is used everywhere from your health insurance, employment, and taxes to your utility bills and driver’s license. It is a unique number that will forever and always belong to your identity. Fortunately, this number can also help you locate ancestors who died in the 20th century and beyond, as almost all United States citizens obtained Social Security numbers after the Social Security Act was passed in 1935. Read more »