How Did I Get Here???

Not sure if you ask yourself that question a lot or not? I sure do. How did I get to 40 yrs old, or how did I get to Midland, TX? That is just life. What really intrigues me is, how did I get to be HERE. I think it is fascinating that all these people lived before me, in much harsher conditions, and here I am drinking my coffee. I cannot imagine setting sail on a ship for six months, or riding in a wagon across the prairie, to start a new life. Amazing my ancestors survived long enough to produce children, that produced children, and so on... Not everyone cares that much; but if you do and you want to know how to get started, or feel stuck in your research, I might can help.

Making a family tree that starts with yourself is the easiest way to get started. Work your way up with all the information you know, until you hit a stopping point. Using ancestry.com or myheritage.com are two of my favorite sites. You can start your tree without paying too. I try not to add anything to my tree that I am not certain is accurate. That can take you in the wrong direction fast. If you get stuck try looking at a different name, or a sibling. There have been several times I find the piece of the puzzle by looking at someone else. Census records always give a lot of information. Sometimes a brother or mother-in-law is living with a family and that clues me into a maiden name that I could not find. Once you get your tree filled in with several generations a DNA test can help fill in some blanks. I suggest ancestry.com again. They currently have the largest database and I feel like that makes your results more accurate. If you are not ready to go there, you can always research genealogy message boards. Be careful not to turn into a "creepy cousin", like me. These are all things you can do from the comfort of your home. The internet has made genealogy research so much easier than it was 20 years ago. It is also fun, for me and my sister at least, to go on a genealogy road trip! Visiting seven cemeteries in one day, in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, might not be everyone's idea of a vacation.

*Pictured below: Visiting graves of third great grandparents north of Charlotte, NC. My mom cleaning off the headstone of her second great grandmother, Obedience Little. Obedience died at the age of 40 in child-birth.