Family Tree Question

mom2my2cuties wrote: How do you research your family tree if there aren't many living relatives and you can't remember any further back than your grandparents?

BAC'sMom replied: Here is a few websites you can try

genealogy.com
rootsweb.com

I like rootsweb best I got alot of info from that one

Happy searching

mom2my2cuties replied: Thanks! I will check out rootsweb. I just need to get this done for the hearing coming up. Strange to me that they are asking for as detailed of a family tree as I can give them

holley79 replied:
That is weird that they are asking that.

Good luck on your family tree. I really need to do one.

grapfruit replied:
I agree w/all above, why are they asking that. That makes me all curious (good thing I'm not a cat!!) Let us know why they asked that if you find out....

And being curious (there I go again!) I think I'm going to try and check out mine too, I've always been curious, my last grandparent (my Nannie ) is getting up there in age, and she lives so far away. I've asked her before, but I've never sat down and made her tell me about her family. I know her dad didn't even speak English!! (Italian right off the boat). I need to go visit her....

mom2my2cuties replied: Yeah I am sitting here just dumbfounded because after typing in my Grandfather's name, I found this whole huge family history. And have learned something interesting...I am southern to the core!

grapfruit replied:
That's cool, how did you find everything so fast??? I guess I'm clueless on how to look. I found my grandpa, but there wasn't a lot of info about him.

Kaitlin'smom replied: my mom has been doing this and there is actually a book out about one side of my family, I am listed in it. I have not had a chance to see much of it but My mom does alot with death and birth records to get more info.

mom2my2cuties replied:
Well I typed in my grandfather's name and it said I had a link to this person who was on another family tree online, and I clicked on it, and it gave my grandpa's information with his parent's and then from there it went on on his mom's side for a while. All along the southern states from Virginia through the Carolina's through GA, MS, etc through Arkansas and into Louisianna where they all currently reside (My dad's side of the family, not my grandpa, he passed away years ago)

grapfruit replied: Hmm, so does that mean that somebody has already done a lot of research??

I've been trying to search both sides (well just today ) but I can't find a lot. I can find SSNs and DOB and DOD. But that's it. I don't know how to link it to other people in my family. My problem is, I don't know names, birthdates, and stuff like that. I think I'd have to pay to do that Bummer.

Man, why couldn't somebody have already done the hard part for me!

mom2my2cuties replied: yeah someone on my great grandmother's side had done a whole lot of the hard work. Jimmy was right, Genealogy.com is really good Even using thier free message board I have found a whole lot about my great grandfather's side of the family.

But I have a question that I don't want to post on here for fear of sounding like a true moron, so if someone has a lot of experience with this can you please shoot me a PM so I can figure something out?

grapfruit replied:
Yeah doesn't look like I'll be that lucky. I'm going to quiz my aunt tonight about family history on that side (my mom's). And then I've decided to take a week in June to visit my Nannie (she's going to have a 50th b-day party for my dad there in NJ, he lives here in OH by me) and ask her and some of my other relatives when I'm there. That's where 100% of my history is, NJ. So maybe that will help. I think I'll visit grave sites too....I think it would make a good scrap book, especially when I have kids, let them know where they came from.

Oh please just ask your question here. I am SO in the dark about this it's not even funny. I think I'm the first to question my heritage (on both sides) so I dont' even know where to start!!!! I need mega help!

BAC'sMom replied: I have traced 3 different lines of my family trees. One line I traced back 9 grandfathers ago to Germany before it was Germany. If there is anything I can help you with let me know.

mom2my2cuties replied: hehehe my question was - is it normal for two seperate sides of your family to collide. and then seperate again. And apparently it is

I found that one of my mom's ancestors maiden name was the same as my dad's surname and then it seperated from there.

grapfruit replied:
Ah it forked so it's all good!

I guess my biggest question (so far ) is: How do you get started???? Do you have to already know a lot of ppl's names/DOB etc??? How do you link those that you do know, or find w/other relatives. I'm not finding any birth/marriage records or anything. It's kind of frustrating actually.

mom2my2cuties replied: This morning when I started I had my name, my husband's name, my parents name, and both sets of grandparents. But when I typed in my paternal grandfather's name, my paternal great grandmother's family had done this already and so I am back to a marriage in 1798 in her family and I think I can go back farther, just not sure.

grapfruit replied: Ok, another question. It seems like all I can find is this SSN Death index. I can find my two grandpas (I think). I know one for sure b/c I know when he died, the other I'm 99% sure, b/c of the year of death and the town it lists. Is that all you can find w/the SSN Death index??? I guess I don't know what it's suppose to be telling me, obviously I know they are dead.

Also, I have a few uncles on my mom's side that have passed and I can't find them at ALL. I THINK that both of them had children, but I have no clue of any names. I only vaguely remember meeting a girl cousin a LONG time ago. I might have been 6??? And I know that none of my family has kept in touch. That's kind of sad isn't it?

Oh, and if I'm asking too many questions just cyber slap me.

grapfruit replied: Oh and this is weird. I just put in my dad's name to see what it pulled up. There was a guy in MD that died in 1986 that had the same name AND birthday (except it was off by 45 years). Bizarre!! And my dad doesn't have a common name at all. (first or last)