The Acorn Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

Last weekend was my family reunion. The weather didn't really cooperate, but it was still enjoyed by all. I come from a pretty big family. My Mom is one of ten kids and I have 35 first cousins. I've lost track of how many first cousins once removed I have! We live all around the country so we don't get to see each other all that often. It's actually kind of hard to catch up with everyone in just one day, but we do the best we can.

One of the things I enjoy the most is looking at the family tree that one of my cousins has made for us. We can trace our roots to Germany and Ireland and many more relatives spread around the United States.

I've always been fascinated with genealogy and will occasionally dabble in it. Mostly I just like looking up some of my ancestors on genealogy databases. Luckily, being a librarian, I have easy access to many genealogy tools including the popular Ancestry.com.  It is only available in the library, but you can search census, birth, marriage, and many other documents for free. It's a great tool!

If you are inspired to research your family tree here are a few resources for you to get started.

From the Catalog:

-- The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy by Kimberly Powell

-- The Family Tree Problem Solver: Tried-And-True Tactics for Tracing Elusive Ancestors by Marsha Hoffman Rising

-- Family Trees: A History of Genealogy in America by Francois Weil

-- Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family's History and Heritage by Barbara Renick

-- Unpuzzling Your Past: The Best-Selling Basic Guide to Genealogy by Emily Anne Croom

From the Web:

-- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Department - This page provides information and access to a variety of databases and websites along with tips and advice. The librarians in the Pennsylvania Department are also available to do searches for you.

-- Ellis Island Records - Provides free searches of passengers who entered the United States through the Port of New York.

-- Jewish Gen - A helpful, free site devoted to help those with Jewish ancestry find family members.

-- FamilySearch - A free service of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch provides access to records that have been gathered for the last 100 years. They also have local centers with one located nearby in Plum.


--Post by Tracy