Genealogy, Genealogist and Family History, Part 2

Many families have family bibles and these bibles can contain a ton of information. In the big family bibles there is always a section to record family birth and death information and history. Many families pass down their family bible from generation to generation and detailed information is always being added. These bibles can contain a wealth of information back through the generations. In some causes this may be the only source of information about a long forgotten family member who died young. If your family has a family bible this would be an excellent place to start. Get your Family Group Sheets ready to record what information you can so you can go research it later. Even though this information is written down, you still need to source and document as much as you can. You can never have to many sources.

Vital records - birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce certificates and adoption records - are one of the best resources to help you as a genealogist to build your family tree. Sometimes it can be difficult to obtain a birth certificate because of the new privacy laws and unless the person is deceased you will not be able to obtain an original copy. Many times your parents and grandparents can be quite helpful in this area. Many will be willing to give you copies of their birth and marriage certificates as well as the death certificates of their loved ones. Sometimes they have these original documents back several generations. All you have to do is ask. Information contained in these documents will give you information on your parents, grandparents and great grandparents. Birth and death certificates not only give you dates, but will also give you other important information. Birth certificates can provide you with your female ancestor's maiden names and place of birth as well as the male ancestor's place of birth. They also provide you with middle names which sometimes you cannot find in other records. The death certificates can provide the cause of death and this may be an important find also, where your health is concerned, so you know what diseases run in your family.

Another important tool for the family genealogists doing their families genealogy is the Social Security Death Index, called the SSDI. These records are free to the public and can contain information as to their birthdate, death date and place of last residence. These databases are fully searchable. They don't always have the first middle and Last name of these persons so if you knew them as J. D. Doe then look them up that way if the first way showed no results. Sometimes these names are spelled a little differently so don't forget about that. It is also possible to order a copy of the original application. Here is the link to the SSDI at Rootsweb.com

1st
Enter information in the online form provided at the search site of your choice. Enter a few details initially, such as given name and surname or surname and birth year, to avoid accidentally excluding the name you are seeking. If searching for a woman, try searching under both her married and maiden names.

2nd
Select the "Soundex Search" feature if available. This will search phonetically instead of by exact spelling and is beneficial if either the information was recorded wrong or if you are unsure about the spelling. Click on "Search."

3rd
Examine the results of the search. If the results are too broad, add another detail to the search qualifications and select "Search" again. Continue this process until you have located the name you are seeking. If reported at the person's death, the year of death will be included.