Genealogy is my favorite obsession. It can be as costly or as inexpensive as
you are willing to make it. I´d like to offer a few guidelines to get you started
on your own research, but be warned--it´s addictive.

*Write down every story you can remember, every family name you have ever
heard and how they may be connected, and everything you have ever heard about the
origins of your family. The clues may or may not be good. Many old family stories are
twisted by the time they reach you, but they provide starting points.

*Ask your family. Start with your parents; their full names, the names of their parents,
grandparents, brothers and sisters, any cousins, aunts or uncles. Where did their parents live?
Interview every relative.

*Make a list. By now you will have many questions about your ancestors. Write them
down two to a page and put them in a notebook with lots of blank paper. Go to your local library and
ask for their historical or genealogical section. Even if your family is not local, many library collections
have information from other counties and states.

*Check census records. These are invaluable. Most censuses are indexed in books.
The U.S. censuses from 1840 and earlier list only the name of the head of the household and the
number, approximate ages, and gender of other household members. The 1850 and later censuses
list all household members by name and age. Remember, census takers made mistakes and
sometimes wrote badly or didn´t hear well, but these records are still valuable clues.

*Check tax lists. Sometimes the old tax lists are available in indexed form. Many times
they are only in the courthouse, if they exist at all. Unfortunately, sometimes spiteful people took out
their anger on the court that convicted them by burning it, the record of their conviction, and all other
records held there. If the records survived until 1860, they had to escape the ravages of the Civil War
(or The War of the Northern Aggression, if you will).

*Check marriage records. These sometimes list the bondsman who was usually a relative or
friend, the bride, groom and justice of the peace or minister as well as the date of application. Copy
these into your notebook. You´ll want to check out the original documents at the courthouse or on
microfilm later to ensure accuracy.

*Don´t give up. Sometimes help can come unexpectedly. I was at a dead end on
one of my lines and happened to find mention of my great, great, great grandfather in a list of county tax
records while researching another line. It mentioned his father´s name which gave me two names
I hadn´t had before. Sometimes you just need to work on another line for a while.

*Don´t be surprised. You might find anything. And I mean ANYTHING. Sin is nothing
new, and no family is perfect. In fact, that´s what makes genealogy so much fun, but be prepared.

*Join your local society. Most counties have a genealogical or historical society with
members more than willing to help a rookie. Even if your ancestors are not local, you can benefit
from the combined knowledge and experience of these people.

Before long you´ll find yourself looking for cousins around every corner to share
information with, and you´ll have a shelf full of notebooks and drawers full of papers, but
you´ll never be bored.