This page contains information helpful to the beginner genealogists, to get you started in the right direction. Any of your own experiences you would like to share in reference to this, please do so. We can all help each other.
Before you begin your research you need to know how you are going to organize your work. You can do this in many ways. A computer program for genealogy is the best, there are several to choose from. I use Personal Ancestral File from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I also use colored three-ring notebooks with document protectors to file my work. Each main line being a different color with floppy disks to match. You can use any file system, but please don't use a box.
To start with, gather information on yourself. It is easier to trace you back than to find a possible ancestor and trace down to you. This will be done by going through your own birth, death, marriage, obituaries, baptismal, military, letters and other important records you have on hand, then recording. For this you will need to use Family Group Sheets and Pedigree charts. The genealogy program will do this for you. Then we go to other family member's for the information they have. If at all possible get copies of what they have, including any pictures. Be sure to reference your documents so you know where you found them.
When visiting relative's, it is important to ask the right questions to find the information you need. They do not know what you are looking for and may not volunter information. Many times they will tell stories of the "olden days" which can provide valuable clues, especially if you plan to publish your work. By all means let them talk, and If they will allow it, bring along a tape recorder. If they do not know or remember all the vital statistics (dates and locations) some prompting from you with the right questions could spark their memory.
If they do not know birth and death dates and places, ask where they are buried. I have found they usually know this because they remember their parents visiting the grave on Memorial Day, and you can then get the dates from the cemetery markers. If they do not know marriage dates, ask where they were married and look it up in the county courthouse. Ask for other birth's, including stillbirths. Many times the child was named and buried. If they do not know a death date, ask where they were living, even if the death occurred in a hospital in a different town, you can look up the obituary.
There are many genealogy libraries across the country. One famous one is the Mormon (LDS) library in Salt Lake City, UT. You can try your local phone book to see if there is a branch near you. Presently they are on the internet and you can search for records. Mid-Continent in Independence, MO is a very good one and my personal favorite. It has census records for all states and county histories for many. It too is on the internet. At your local library ask for the genealogy and local history section. It may be and few books, an entire room or entire floor in the facility. Ask if they have obituaries or newspapers on microfilm. Some have a card catalog or information on computer. If it is a large facility ask for a tour. Always ask for help because in most cases it will not be offered and you will not know what is there unless you ask.
Many County courthouses will allow you to look up records yourself. Be sure to get copies of everything. In many states some the Birth and Death records are available at the State Department of Vital Records and not from the county. Many states charge a search fee ($10 in MO) to do a search. Remember it is the search you are paying for. The more information you put on the application increases your success. In Missouri they began in 1910. Some prior to that is available at the County courthouse.
This is a big one. You can save time by looking at your local library to see if they have any cemetery books other's have written. But I highly encourage visiting the cemetery to see for yourself. If you are lucky to have a marker placed at the site with dates on it, great! Once you find the relative, look at the surrounding area for other relatives. If it is a small family plot record all the markers. You can put all your cemetery records in a database file which will alphabetize them for future research.
Can't read that old warn out piece of rock? A few tricks I have learned will help in this. First clean the marker off. If it is standing upright try dropping some talcum powder lightly over the face, being careful not to get it into the engraving, and the lettering will magically appear. If it is on private property, I always like let the tenant what I am doing there. many will help you find the cemetery. I even found some that even take care of it. In Missouri it is illegal to deny access to a cemetery that is on private property. I like to take pictures of stones. If you don't have time to record a large cemetery, you might take a camcorder and record the stones and document them later.
A valuable source is the local newspaper. This includes obituaries. The Missouri State Historical Society is the place to go if you have a lot of research to do in Missouri. They have the largest collection of the newspapers in the country. When looking up obituaries, look for the next publication following the date of death. If nothing is found, look through the next several publications. If you do not find it, try another paper that was nearest the town they lived. If still no success, look before the death date as the date you have may be incorrect, I found a notice for a grandmother being "sick and may not live long", but no death notice or obituary. In many papers obituaries were in the obituary section, but not always. It may be found in the local happenings area of the paper. So it is best to check the entire paper. You may find information under Sheriff's Sale, especially if they had no living kin. If you do you know a probate was filed.
Church records, parish, school records, civic groups, funeral homes, can all be valuable resources if they are available.
Letters can be a valuable piece of history. I file mine alphabetically in a cardboard chest or drawers by name and date.
The Internet can be a valuable source. I have some links you can try, but try the search engines for your family name.
You can also put up your own home page and let others contact you. It will be easier for others to find you than trying to find them.