My Experiences so Far

To be honest I don't have a lot of experience in doing hard research in the outside world. By that I mean, checking outplacers, like cemeteries, court houses and the like. I am no authority on genealogical research. But I do have some experience on the internet. The internet is a goldmine of information if you know where to look for it. It has taken trial and error to find the good sites, and the sites that do not require fees. If you are on a low budget like I am, you know how hard it can be to come upon a census record you want to check, only to find out that you have to pay to see those records. Later, I will give you a link, with a password and user name to checkout census records for free.

As I had wrote on my home page, the best place to start is the forums, but before you do that. Start interviewing family members. Get names, dates for births and dates of family membership have passed away. The more you can start off with the easier your search will come. Pickup some fact sheets. You can order some for free or for very little money at the Latter Day Saints website. I will include a link to get you there. Write down your references, and try to double check them. That is important. Made a mistake one time and I am still trying to fix it. But that's another story.

Now that you have names and dates and such. Its time to do some research to see if you can get any further in your line. This can be fun or tedious. Depending how much time you spend on it. I have to take breaks every month or so. In fact I am on one now. Last month, I spent reading through census records and printing records I needed. I was spending 12 hour days just reading records. Some of the records were searchable, some weren't. Those are the tough ones. Some of the census takers handwriting is very difficult to read. And this can be rough on the eyes. So take breaks. Especially when you get frustrated and cannot seem to get anywhere. When you get done with your break, be it a few hours to a few weeks, you will have a new determination and may find some great new information.

My favorite places to go, are the forums, yes, I keep bringing that up. But its only because I found quite a few distant relatives, on both my Mother and Father's side of the family. It has been amazing experience so far. We haven't got to meet, butte stay in touch as often as we can. Many have helped me fill income holes on my families, and I was able to share what I have omni end. They do a lot of outside research and I do a lot of online research. So it works out wonderfully. When you go to the forums and start reading the messages, if a name sounds familiar to you, just jump on in and make a reply. You may be talking to a cousin, second cousin, or another relative. Most researchers are willing to help other researchers. But please, give back in return. Do some researching on your own, and share what you have with others. Not only will you be doing them a favor, but they may be able to tell you, if what you found fits in with your research. I will close for now, and hope to write more later. Sincerely, Lorna David

Here are the links and information that I had mention.

Heritage QuestOnline User Name: 03C67RJ3GR Password: WELCOME