Begin with yourself

According to Paradise Genealogical Society researcher Bill Holgate, who has been a member of the staff for over 10 years, you should start with yourself. Unless you are a parent and you are beginning with your child, you should begin by recording important information about yourself. Then talk to your immediate family and begin recording imformation about your parents, siblings, grandparents and so on.

When you fill out your charts, Bill recommends that you always use a woman's maiden name, and stressed that he likes the surname first. In his opinion, the pedigree charts are your road map, so fill them out carefully and consistently.

Keep in mind when listening to family members, or others, that memories often play tricks on folks, and stories may not always be accurate. Take what they say with a grain of salt, and remember that it may not be right, but there is often at least some grain of truth to it.

This is where the library, genealogical society, family history center and Internet come into play. The first three will often have an experienced researcher available to provide any help or guidance you may need. They can point you in the right direction, to the types of sources you need to check and where information may be found.

Check catalogs and indexes in each place, and search the Internet using search engines and comprehensive sites such as Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet. Cyndi's list is an incredible place to start, with hundreds of specialized websites categorized and listed. Her list can direct you to websites on anything from cemeteries to mailing lists, ship's passenger lists to land records, from Britain to Africa and Australia and more. The possibilities are nearly endless and growing daily, but just like family stories, Internet information may not be accurate and you should always verify it with other sources.

These are the primary sources that are the most reliable. And it's so great to hold an original document or certified copy written in the hand of someone at the time of the event. Certified copies of birth and death certificates, marriage licenses and Social Security applications are often available for a small fee as far back as the mid-1800's and sometimes earlier.