Just getting started exploring your ancestry? Learn how to find your ancestors and get genealogy research tips to begin your adventure into your family’s past. Discover whom to talk to, what questions to ask, and where to access the key information that will help you find your long-lost ancestors and trace your family tree.

1. How Do I Find My Ancestors?
Embarking on a quest to explore your ancestry? Use the genealogy research tips below to begin your adventure into
your family’s past. Discover whom to talk to, what questions to ask, and where to access the key information that will
help you find your long-lost ancestors and trace your family tree.
Interview Your Relatives
Perhaps the best resource for finding out more about your family is, well, your family. If your great grandparents or
other elderly ancestorsare still around and their memory is still good, asking them questions about the family can help
you cover years of genealogical ground in a few short hours—as well as give them a chance to reminisce. Besides,
getting great grandma to dig out the rickety old film projector or the dusty family photo albums can be great fun, and
give you the chance to capture some priceless memories before they’re gone. Here are a few sample questions you
might ask your great grandparents, grandparents, great aunts, great uncles or other family members to learn more
about your ancestry:
1. What do you know about our family surname?
2. Is there a family cemetery or burial plot(s)?
3. Have you or anyone else in our family compiled a family tree?
4. Do you have some old film reels or family photo albums I can look at?
5. How about old family letters, or journals, or diaries?
6. How did your parents meet? How did you and grandpa (or grandma) meet?
7. Do we have a family Bible or genealogy book?
You can find more genealogy-related interview questions to ask your family members at Geni’s Genealogy Knol.
Also, make sure you take good notes—jotting down dates, names and places as your relatives take you on a stroll
down memory lane. Better yet, record your family interviews so that you can refer back to them later and save them
for future generations. Some recording devices you might consider carrying with you on your interviews with your
relatives include a video camera, a tape recorder or a smartphone with recording ability.
Research Records
A plethora of useful family history information can be found through proper records research. There are a variety of
records to explore,providingpertinent information that can help you trace your family tree. From vital records like birth,
marriage and death records to ships’ passenger lists, you can glean a lot of genealogical info about the names, dates
and places of your ancestors and discover clues to help you map your family lineage. Here’s a brief outline of records
that often contain genealogical information.
State & Federal Census Records
Courthouse Records
o Social Security Records
o Land Records, Property Records & Deeds
o Wills &Probates
o Vital Records
o Immigration & Naturalization Records
o Criminal Records
o Civil Records
Church Records
o Baptism Records
o Marriage Records
o Funeral Records
Ships' Passenger Lists
Military & Pension Records
Cemetery Records

2. You can obtainthese records in several places. Many of these records can be conveniently accessed for free online
via government websites like The National Archives & Records Administration (archives.gov) and The Library of
Congress (loc.gov). Many niche genealogy websites also contain millions of records to help you conduct thorough
family history research.
Government institutions such as courthouses, town halls, and libraries are also excellent places to begin your records
research. In fact, many libraries even have special collections of genealogical material that are often maintained with
the aid of historical or genealogical societies.The Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints and the Daughters of the
American Revolution house some of the largest genealogical library collections in the United States and are free to
the public, making them perfect places to beginyour genealogy research if you happen to live nearby or are willing to
make the trip.
Churches often keep records relevant to your family history such as baptisms and christenings, marriages, and
funerals. If you have a family Bible in your possession, that may help you locate a specific church to begin your
records search. Otherwise, start your records search at churches near where your ancestors lived. Once you locate
the church or churches most likely to have your family’s records,contact the church’s office and ask whether they
have any records about your ancestors and how you might access them.
Investigate Newspapers
One of the best resources for genealogical research is newspapers. Newspapers contain many of the records noted
above, in addition to the news that was happening during the times that your ancestors lived. The historical context
that newspapers provide can help you to recreate the story of your family’s past. Newspaper obituaries and death
notices offer specific genealogical information about the deceased, as well as names and sometimes details about
their immediate and extended families. Newspapers also contain news articles about your ancestors, information
about family reunions, and interesting facts and stories that can help you fill in the details on your family tree.
Many recent newspapers are readily available online, and local newspapers can still be delivered in paper form
directly to your home. You can access old and discontinued newspapers in libraries, at educational institutions and
online. GenealogyBank (genealogybank.com) has one of the largest collections of digitized United States
newspapers available online for family history research.
Hire a Genealogist
If you want to explore your family’s past but find you don’t have time to do the legwork, you can always contact a
qualified genealogist to help you trace your family tree. You can find genealogists for hire through professional
genealogical organizations and societies in your area and beyond. Try starting your search for a genealogist online
at the Board for Certification of Genealogists (bcgcertification.org) and the Association of Professional Genealogists
(apgen.org).
From interviewing surviving relatives to conducting records research, these tips and genealogy resources should get
your ancestry sleuthing started. Remember to carefully document your findings.Have fun discovering your family’s
past—good luck and happy ancestor hunting!