Geneaology Searches??

[Skippy123]

So I am planning to go to Switzerland in 3 years but before I go I hope to find family out there. Only 2 people from our family went to Switzerland to see where our great grandfather was from but they didn't search for family. Anyway, I was wondering if those websites like www.ancestry.com are worth it????? library? I have some census stuff when they arrived in the US but I would love to learn more. Thanks!!!

 

[aviastar]

I've had fun and fairly good luck with ancestry- it hasn't taken me overseas yet, but the line I am concentrating on has been here in the states sinces before they were states! So I don't know how useful it will be for records in other countries.

Good Luck!

 

[Skippy123]

I've had fun and fairly good luck with ancestry- it hasn't taken me overseas yet, but the line I am concentrating on has been here in the states sinces before they were states! So I don't know how useful it will be for records in other countries.

Good Luck!

Aviastar, oh wow, that is awesome you found family so far back!!! I hear some people do so well in their searches. Okay maybe I will try it out and see what happens.

 

[JewelFreak]

It's very useful -- I traced my family back to the 1500s in England through Ancestry. It takes time, but for your purposes you might be able to come up with something pretty quickly. Anyway, it's worth the fee, definitely. Genealogy.com is also a handy site. Good luck!

--- Laurie

 

[AprilBaby]

Before you pay for ancestry, go to roots web. It's free and has more information. MSG me if you need more info.

 

[Skippy123]

It's very useful -- I traced my family back to the 1500s in England through Ancestry. It takes time, but for your purposes you might be able to come up with something pretty quickly. Anyway, it's worth the fee, definitely. Genealogy.com is also a handy site. Good luck!

--- Laurie

My hubby should do that; his mom was born in England and they wonder about other family (his mom is no longer alive).

Aprilbaby, thank you!!! I will take you up on that!

 

[rubybeth]

See if your public library or historical society has access to HeritageQuest. It's a database you can usually access for free from home with your library card. I built a powerpoint on this for work (I'm a programming librarian) and have a bunch of other links I could dig out, too.

 

[iLander]

The Mormon church has the largest genealogy database in the world. They take it seriously because they believe that in heaven, they will be reunited with their ancestors, but only if they are "sealed in the temple" with them. So, if an ancestor died, and they weren't baptised, the current Mormon has to find them and . . . well I don't know . . . claim them somehow. So yeah, serious stuff for them.

Here's their database;

https://www.familysearch.org/

Here's more about their records: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Family History Library, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the largest genealogical library in the world and provides access to many collections of records, with more than two billion names of deceased people. It contains records from more than 100 countries, covering everything from 14th century English church records to African oral histories. An average of 2,400 people, including many visitors from Europe and Asia, visit the library each day."

Where I got all this info: http://mormon.org/family-history?gclid=CNH5r_Gyoa4CFY2b7QodikQrTg

The Mormons also have their own insurance companies, stock brokers, bankers, etc. They are a world unto themselves, down to each family having a year's supply of food in the cellar. Fascinating stuff.

 

[Skippy123]

The Mormon church has the largest genealogy database in the world. They take it seriously because they believe that in heaven, they will be reunited with their ancestors, but only if they are "sealed in the temple" with them. So, if an ancestor died, and they weren't baptised, the current Mormon has to find them and . . . well I don't know . . . claim them somehow. So yeah, serious stuff for them.

Here's their database;

https://www.familysearch.org/

Here's more about their records: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Family History Library, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the largest genealogical library in the world and provides access to many collections of records, with more than two billion names of deceased people. It contains records from more than 100 countries, covering everything from 14th century English church records to African oral histories. An average of 2,400 people, including many visitors from Europe and Asia, visit the library each day."

Where I got all this info: http://mormon.org/family-history?gclid=CNH5r_Gyoa4CFY2b7QodikQrTg

The Mormons also have their own insurance companies, stock brokers, bankers, etc. They are a world unto themselves, down to each family having a year's supply of food in the cellar. Fascinating stuff.

Oh MY GOSH!!! Your post makes complete sense! Okay so today I was looking for info and I found a picture of my grandfathers and grandmothers grave and the guy who took the picture had had some stuff documented said he was Mormon so I was stumped why he had the information on the people in this small town along with pictures of the graves. INTERESTING, thanks, that answered that question in my head

 

[Skippy123]

See if your public library or historical society has access to HeritageQuest. It's a database you can usually access for free from home with your library card. I built a powerpoint on this for work (I'm a programming librarian) and have a bunch of other links I could dig out, too.

rubybeth, I am going to try Aprilbaby's suggestion and if I can't find more info then I might page you!!! I will check if our local library has HeritageQuest, thanks!! Wow, you are an awesome source!

 

[cloundysuny]

Good luck.

 

[Skippy123]

thanks cloudysun!


Okay so I found out all those ancestor searches are owned by the same religious group, fascinating!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancestry.com

 

[Amys Bling]

I would love to do a geneology search myself.

 

[Octavia]

It's amazing how much you can find just by googling. Some distant relatives of mine from various branches of the family tree have published their trees online and I was able to use what they had already done rather than having to research it all over again. I just chose an ancestor with a somewhat uncommon name and combined it with another search term (for example, the town they lived in or were born in) and I was surprised at how far back I was able to trace just based on other people's research.

 

[Alyeska]

I enjoy it, but only do the monthly subscription. I find and download the data I need then work on it or leave it for several months. When I need more info I sign up again, it saves all the data so I just pay to download when needed. The rest is free (store your tree, poke around etc.)

 

[Cehrabehra]

Oh sloppy, do it! The first several times I didn't go far. I wasn't positive about my grandfathers spelling and when I found him, his info was blocked but I was able to get his fathers name and do reverse searches to verify it was him. That night I was able to trace one branch back to 1500s holland. A few days Ayer I pursued another branch to sherrifs and knights in England, but that tree was so well documented the next day I went back to the 1000s! I haven't finished it all but I've approached it from different angles and the results the same. Roots web and the others are great, but don't discount good old google! If you find a well documented line it can be really easy. Lots of mistakes in there so verify everything from other directions. Have fun!!

 

[Skippy123]

Oh sloppy, do it! The first several times I didn't go far. I wasn't positive about my grandfathers spelling and when I found him, his info was blocked but I was able to get his fathers name and do reverse searches to verify it was him. That night I was able to trace one branch back to 1500s holland. A few days Ayer I pursued another branch to sherrifs and knights in England, but that tree was so well documented the next day I went back to the 1000s! I haven't finished it all but I've approached it from different angles and the results the same. Roots web and the others are great, but don't discount good old google! If you find a well documented line it can be really easy. Lots of mistakes in there so verify everything from other directions. Have fun!!

lol Cehra on your phone changing my name!!! Well, some cousin filled in the info on the family tree but none of us know more so we can't go back any further. Rubybeth any tips on a stand still?

 

[Cehrabehra]

LOL Sloppy!!! So, have you done any more on this? It's wildly exciting stuff - I hesitate to start in on mine again because there is just so much out there! Addicting!! Right now I'm having a bit of fun househunting