Visit your elderly relations and encourage them to simply talk about their family. Rather than probing questions of dates and names, simply jogging their memory with an open-ended question like, "What were your grandparents like?" can result in a wealth of information. It is wise to take notes or even record the conversation. Make note of mention of names and places. After a dialog has been established and memories have clarified, you now might find some success in asking more direct questions. Names, including alternate spellings; marriages and previous marriages; dates; and locations are all important aspects on which to focus. Consider attending and/or hosting a family reunion. Encourage those attending to bring family artifacts (pictures, memorabilia, etc). The more connections you make with living family members, even distant cousins, will widen your available resources. If you live in the area where your ancestors settled, pay a visit to the local historical society , library, or county courthouse. Often, you may look through their records at no cost to you. Likely you will find that the staff is more than willing to help get you started and show you what family records are available to
Visit your elderly relations and encourage them to simply talk about their family. Rather than probing questions of dates and names, simply jogging their memory with an open-ended question like, "What were your grandparents like?" can result in a wealth of information. It is wise to take notes or even record the conversation. Make note of mention of names and places. After a dialog has been established and memories have clarified, you now might find some success in asking more direct questions. Names, including alternate spellings; marriages and previous marriages; dates; and locations are all important aspects on which to focus. Consider attending and/or hosting a family reunion. Encourage those attending to bring family artifacts (pictures, memorabilia, etc). The more connections you make with living family members, even distant cousins, will widen your available resources. If you live in the area where your ancestors settled, pay a visit to the local historical society , library, or county courthouse. Often, you may look through their records at no cost to you. Likely you will find that the staff is more than willing to help get you started and show you what family records are available to