Step 1: Talk to your family members
Set up a lunch, tea time, or a quick meeting. The older the family member, the better. They have knowledge of family history that will vanish with them when they leave this world. What should you talk about? First, ask them about their childhood. Ask about their parents, grandparents, and others they remember. You will get some really neat stories to share. But the most important information you can gather is names, birth dates, death dates, and locations. With those things, you will have an easier time finding these relatives online and in census records.
Step 2: Pick a family line
"Huh?" Okay. My father's surname is Coburn. I always wanted to know if I was related to James Coburn, the actor, as a cousin or something. But I knew I would have to research the Coburn family line to make the connection. So, the family line I chose was the paternal Coburn line. (Lesson of the day - paternal: fatherly line) I kept looking for the father, his father, and his father, and his father...get it? Once you make your decision, stick with it. It can get confusing if you start swerving in and out of paternal and maternal lines. As I said above, I looked through the Coburn line. Once I reached the end of my search, and I could go no further in the line, I picked one woman with an interesting last name and searched her paternal line. TIP: Paternal lines are easier to research because their surname usually never changes!
Step 3: Look to the internet
Once you have the information from your family member and an idea which line you'd like to research, you can start filling in the blanks online. You shouldn't be discouraged if you don't have someone from whom you can glean the historical family facts. You can probably find the information yourself, but it may take a little longer. I recommend Ancestry.com as a good place to start. TIP: Don't sign up for your free trial membership until you are ready to devote the time to look for your ancestors. Once that time expires, it costs $ to look at most of the records on the site. I made sure when I started my search that I could spend most of those two weeks on the site, gathering as much information as I could FOR FREE. I was able to finish the entire Coburn line in the two week trial.
Step 4: Start with a census
Census records are released to the public 72 years after the census has been taken. April 1, 2012, we saw the release of the 1940 Census. This means, most of our parents or grandparents (depending on your age, of course) would be listed on this census. Unfortunately, it takes time to index the records to make them easily searchable and only 4 states are indexed. But you can start with the 1930 Census and work back from there. The United States took a census every decade. Taking into account that the further back in time you go, the younger these people got (duh!), you will probably run into their parents. Go further, you'll find their parents! Simple, I know. But for those that are not as smart as you, I had to state that. Now, as a warning, a fire destroyed the 1890 Census. This means there is a 20-year gap in finding your ancestors. It did not stop me in my search. I don't even think it affected me at all. But you may have trouble there.
Step 5: Be prepared for good...and bad
Anything can happen in your search for family history. And it is wise to be prepared for whatever you may stumble across. You may come to a dead-end sooner than expected. It's okay! Try to google that person and see if any information pops up. I was looking for a Chester Coburn in the census records and I hit a wall. So, I put his name in an internet search engine just to see what I'd find. I'm glad I did! From Chester, I was able to get the rest of the Coburn line in a book that had been written about the Coburn lineage. If you are African-American, some census records will not state your ancestors names because of slavery and such. And for others, you must prepare yourself for ancestors that may have owned slaves. It breaks my heart when I hear of these occurrences. I have not found any in my line at this time because most of my lineage is in Yankee territory. But hearing of other's findings makes me glad to live in a time where we truly follow "all men are created equal." Some of you may find an ancestor who was famous, or involved in something thrilling. Chester, who I mentioned above, helped found the state of Idaho. I found some of my ancestors on Wikipedia, in books, or their signatures on important documents. Military records can give a glimpse into the patriot you may have in your line (In addition to Ancestry.com, you might try Fold3.com for a large collection of military records and pictures). All of these findings, good or bad, help shape your family tree.
Step 6: Write it all down
After this exciting search, you will want to share your findings with others. Print off everything you can. Write all the stories and facts down in a journal. Or you can do as I am and start a blog! Whatever you decide, get all the information together so you can tell your family's story. Some people honestly don't care, and others will be wagging their tails in excitement over your findings. Just make sure you keep it all in a safe place for future generations to find.
I hope my little guide will help you in some way. There are other places and websites with good information as well. The greatest thing I have gotten from my search is a better understanding and thankfulness of my loving, merciful, over-seeing God. So many times, my family line could have been wiped out because of tragedy. But God knew the future and what would need to happen in my past to make my life come to fruition. One last thing...I want you to watch a "celebrity" find their ancestry. Understand that these people have money to hire genealogists to help them in their search. But what I want you to take from these episodes are the stories and findings that can help you understand where your family comes from in doing an ancestral search. My favorite from season 3 of "Who Do You Think You Are?" was Helen Hunt. A good African-American story is Blair Underwood. But you can find all episodes from this season on Hulu.
May you be blessed on your search through your family tree!
