Wife Margaret is the genealogy expert in this family. Not to long ago I got involved as well, now she has turned over my families research to me and she is
going after her family.
One this is apparent, her family is in the upper crust and mine is in the lower crust, anyway that seams to be the way it looks.
How do we approach research. First the Internet provides many ways to research, however the most effective is to join groups like
www.ancestry.com which does cost money. Many Libraries provide access to web sites without charge while in the
Library and from home with a Library card. Places like the LDS in Salt Lake City, Utah
www.familysearch.org
provides free access to lots and lots of research records. The down size in a lot of that information is provided by family members that do not have
traceable evidence that the information is true. Even with that the information available can lead to a conclusion.
Margaret has traced her family to her Great Great Great Grandfather. I have only gotten back to my Great Great Grandfather.
The first place to start is Census Records. There is much to learn about searching census records. I am just learning how looking at the entry names before
and after a family member can produce great finds. Next comes Births, Deaths, Marriages. Many times the only way to find certain names is by searching court
records, land records, tax records, probate records to name just a few.
An important note. When a record is found, record the book it came from, it's name, date and page number the record was on. Then get a copy of the record.
Make lots of notes and then categorize the notes, never throw away a note.
For help in your family research, I suggest you join a genealogy society like Family History Society of Arizona
www.fhsa.org
this society has six chapters that people can join, the yearly cost is minimal for a single or family person. Attending the monthly chapter meeting can
improve ones family research ten fold.