Family Tree

I've always been fascinated with my family's history. Who were they? Where did they live? What did they look like? What was life like for them?

A few weeks ago I talked to two aunts during a family reunion and they shared some family history with me. One mentioned doing research about our family on Ancestry.com and that really peaked my interest!

We already have good family history information thanks to my grandpa that did a lot of inquiries through letters and visits back in the 1970s and 1980s. With the advancement of the internet, I want to "fill in" some of the gaps.

First I searched our local library website for books about geneaology. I found a CD set "Family Tree Maker" and checked it out. I also signed up for a free 14 day trial with Ancestory.com that works along with Family Tree Maker.

This has really be fun! I've been able to verify most of the information from my grandpa. With Ancestry.com I can search birth, marriage, death cerificates, military records, census records and more. It's hard to explain how I feel when I see family members names on these records. Somehow I feel more "connected" with them and sometimes even a little emotional.

I'm still working on my dad's grandmother's family. She had a pretty common name and the research is a little more involved. I've found that getting as much information as possible from family members is very helpful.

The other side of my dad's family is pretty complete. Family Tree Maker has a "book" feature and I'd like to print all the info out in a nice book form for him. He loves this kind of stuff and would be thrilled!

Last night I started on my mom's family. Wow, they have a huge family! Both her parents have atleast 9 or more siblings. But I'm looking forward to the challenge.
I was up until 1 am this morning researching and marveling at the information available.

I think I've just discovered my favorite new hobby!