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Geneology 101
Preparation   Software    Finding Information    Searching The Web   Conclusion    Other Resources
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Preparation
Preparing your genealogy is not just a matter of gathering family history but rather, organizing that information so that it can be presented in a readable and easy to understand format. Although this can be done physically, with materials such as pedigree charts that are available at most office supply outlets, you'll eventually want to move all that you've collected to a computer. So let's begin there.


There are many genealogy programs, reasonably priced, that will help you accomplish all that you can imagine and more. Pedigrees are a data entry operation, charts and reports are generated automatically and there are options to save photos and personal histories. Then all of this can be saved in a standard file format that other applications can read. There is also an option in some programs that will export your information to HTML, maintaining all the links to create a complex web site.


Software
The following is a list of some of the foremost genealogy applications, some have a demo version that can be downloaded from the Web:


Family Gatherings, $39.99,  http://www2.palladiumnet.com

Family Origins, $29.95,  http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/formalsoft

Family Tree Maker 3.4, $29.99,  http://www.familytreemaker.com

Kindred Konnections, $FREE$, http://www.kindredkonnections.com

You'll want to review the program documentation carefully and insert some test information to make certain you understand its operation before beginning your detail data entry.


Finding Historical Information
Finding information on your present family is pretty simple; if you don't already have birthdates in your planner, you call Aunt Bea to get the "skinny" on everyone.


It gets a little more difficult when trying to find the "who, what, when, where, how and why" on the births, baptisms, marriages, children and deaths of your ancestors. A good place to start might be the Family Bible. For generations, this is where families kept all their important information. But before you get too involved, make sure someone in the family hasn't already researched your family history; you may be able to import an already prepared file to your program and just have to update it with current information.

A good resource, if you know "where" to start, is the U.S. Census records which are available on microfiche at libraries, genealogical societies, county courthouses or the U.S. Census Bureau. From 1850, on, the U.S. census listed head of household, spouse, and children with ages for the census area; usually a city or township. There were also censuses taken in 1790, 1800, 1810 and 1820 for some areas, not all were taken and some have been lost. However, these census' listed only the head of household and dependent ages (no names). Another good source would be Parish or Church records, or land deeds and wills from county records at the search location. The USGenWeb Project is a collaborative effort of genealogists across the country to record this information on the Web. There are volunteers from this site available to do "look-ups" of records by county.

Visit your nearest Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormon) Family History Center. These centers are usually located at the Church "Stake" Center which is a regional body responsible for many "wards" or neighborhood churches. You can find them in the phone directory and make an appointment to use their facility. The family History Library catalog, on CD-ROM and microfiche, is your key to accessing millions of original records and published genealogical works kept by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Microfilm can be rented for research in the local Family History Center for a nominal fee. The local centers have two excellent indexes on CD-ROM: the Ancestral File and the International Genealogical Index (IGI). Neither of these is available via the internet.


Searching The Web
Subscribe to "Newsgroups" on the Internet that deal with your research topic. After all, it is the "Information Highway". A Newsgroup lets you post a message and follow the threaded responses from others; allowing you to respond directly via email to individuals that may have information to share. One such Newsgroup is soc.genealogy.


However, in finding a forum or support group to help you with your research, a mail server supporting surname and regional "mail lists" may be your best resource. One such server is at RootsWeb; go to the Surnames link then to the name you're interested in researching for subscription information.

Some Web sites may also include a "message board" that operates much like a Newsgroup, as with the Message Board at the HUNTList website.

Search Engines, like Web Crawler, Yahoo, AltaVista, Excite and Lycos can help direct you to sites that can provide you with general and specific information. If you were to use the parameters, "HUNT and GENEOLOGY" you'd find a link to this site.

Again, the USGenWeb Project  is a good place to start, providing census records, land deeds, wills, cemetery records, biographys, etc. by county. Some of these documents are available online, others through look-ups from volunteer resources.


In Conclusion
This is, by no means, a conclusive instruction on genealogy. It is intended as a basic overview only. There are many resources that deal with the subject extensively and I would encourage you to investigate them. One thing is certain, if you have an interest in finding your roots, half the fun is in getting there!

Other Resources
The following sources of information are not associated with The Homestead. While The Homestead can take no responsibility for the following sources of information, please let doughunt@writeme.com know about inaccuracies in this listing.

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