Contact Your Relatives
If you've gathered the information suggested in the previous step, you've probably learned about other relatives — distant cousins, a great-aunt you don't remember — who are untapped gold mines of genealogical information. Contact them to share and gather new information about your ancestors, plan a family reunion, or schedule a visit.
As you move back through each generation, you'll uncover more and more relatives who can lead you to new information about your heritage.
Have An Unusual Surname? Using phone books or city directories — found in most libraries — you can create a letter to copy and send out to those with the same surname. Provide information about your ancestors, and ask if they know of a connection. Or look in a large name database on the Web, such as RootsWeb.com. You'll be surprised at what you discover!
Genealogist's Glossary:
Third Cousin Once Removed - If you have trouble with the more convoluted familial relationship terms, you're not alone. Bill Dollarhide's "A Simple Cousin Finder" will help you determine who is "removed" or simply "grand."
|
