Genealogy Help and Tools

15 Apr 2020
Ultimate Blog Challenge

By now if you have been following my blog, you have learned that two of my favorite things to do are CRAFTING and GENEALOGY. 

For the April Ultimate Blog Challenge, I chose the theme of  

G E N E A L O G Y

Working on my family tree is very relaxing for me. I enjoy learning the history of my Ancestors as well as meeting new family that I never knew existed. Hearing their family stories about a common ancestor intrigues me. Especially if I hadn't heard of it before. 

I also enjoy seeing the photographs of my ancestors, young and old. In fact, if you have been following my blog - I have discussed photos quite often. I LOVE photos and if you were to look at my family tree, you would see what I mean. Photographs tell the stories that otherwise seem to go untold. But genealogy doesn't start or stop with the photographs. Even though they are amazing 'most' of the time! 

There's so much more to genealogy than just putting a name on a piece of paper or into an application on the internet. C'mon, we all can write our name, add our parents and call it a Family Tree...and trust me, many people out there in the world do JUST that! I find that aggravating, to say the least - but that's my own opinion. Sometimes, that's all a person knows and even at best - they may not even know the mother or the father. Which could be one of the reasons they started their family tree in the first place. Another reason a person starts a family tree is to learn their origins. In other words, where they are from or better yet, their ancestors. 

One of the first things a person does when they start their family tree journey is to fill out a Family Group Sheet (FGS). 

I'll use myself as an example. WIFE - I'd put my name there. Then I'd fill out the rest of the information pertaining to me. One thing for women - - ALWAYS use your "maiden" name!!! Continue filling out the rest of the page with the pertinent information. 

Then, once this is completed - create another FGS one for your mother and your father. If you are married, do one for your spouse or significant other. Before you know it, you have the beginnings to fill your tree in with. 

Whether or not you are building a family tree with an actual paper trail or online, you will want to do your research. I'll help you get started by giving you a few site names that can assist on your ancestral journey. 

According to Genealogy In Time, the Top 20 out of 100 Genealogy Websites in 2016 and the last time I checked, the list hadn't been updated. 

1. Ancestry.com
2. Find A Grave
3. FamilySearch
4. MyHeritage
5. Ancesty.co.uk
6. Geni.com
7. GeneaNet
8. Newspapers.com
9. Ancestry.com.au
10. FindMyPast UK
11. Family Tree DNA
12. Ancestry.ca
13. Archives.com
14. MooseRoots
15. WikiTree
16. Genealogy.com
17. FamilyTreeNow
18. Fold3
19. Genealogy Bank
20. GEDmatch

I use many on the list of 100 and out of the Top 20 - I use more than half of these sites. There are many different avenues a person can take when it comes to genealogy research. Like anything else, the work must be put into it, and everything needs to be vetted to ensure accuracy so your records are as factual as can be. After all, these ARE your roots we are talking about. 

Another great resource for research is National Archives or even your local library. I've also found that even on the City websites, many of them have a historical area. I learned this last year by accident when I was helping a cousin look for information on a Great Grandfather. I believe he was like her 5th or 6h (I don't remember exactly). We were thinking outside of the box and we were spot on. Not only did we find newspaper articles on this individual, but we also found church records that the city had archived on their site. We were elated! 

Here are a few other sites that might be beneficial to your research. 

https://tx.countygovernmentrecords.com/texas/web/ - This site is used to search for documents that have been recorded in the County Clerk's office in various counties. 

www.deathindexes.com  - Find death indexes for different states. (free site but be careful what you click on as some states have links to pay sites). 

www.tshaonlilne.org/handbook/online -  Texas Handbook Online, where you can find some interesting information on different people and places that make up Texas. 

www.genrootsblog.blogspot.com

I would also encourage you to do a DNA test if you are starting a family tree. This can also prove to be very useful in your research. Several times a year, Ancestry puts their DNA kits on sale for a fraction of their normal cost. Mother's Day is rapidly approaching, and this might be the time to order your kit! 

There are other sites as well who offer DNA testing. A few of them are, 23&Me, Myheritage, and FamilyTreeDNA. I know from time to time they too, have sales on their DNA kits. 

I haven't even begun to make a dent on what's available to a person in the way of genealogy with the information I've shared. My hope is this information will be useful to those who are considering genealogy. There is a wealth of information at our fingertips by way of the world wide web and our local libraries. If you have a Genealogy Society in your area - that would be a great place to start your journey. 

If you are a seasoned genealogist, just maybe I have given you some ideas that you hadn't considered before. Whatever the case may be...I hope the walk with your ancestors proves to be rewarding for you as they are for me. 

What are you waiting for? Start your family tree today! I'm off to walk with my ancestors...

Heart to Heart Soul Creations

H2hsc2020

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