Genealogy

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, February 2012; written by Tammy Dinsmore

For the past couple of years I have been working on my family tree. I have been struggling with finding information about my mom’s side of the family. There has been very little information passed down from generation to generation, so I have had to do some sleuthing on my own.

In “The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy” by Kimberly Powell I have found some great tips about where to get started. Before even getting online, the author says to start by interviewing yourself. This sounds kind of odd but it really does make sense. I know my name, date and place of birth, my parent’s names and their personal information, and my siblings’ information. I also know a little bit about my grandparents. I am doing as the author also suggests and I am working my way backward.

Starting with the basics, the author asks “what do you want to know first?”, and from there how to go about collecting and then organizing all of the information that you will end up with. Listed in the book are many websites, some with access by subscription, to explore. One thing she is adamant about is “write it down”! Keeping a research log and taking notes is essential and will improve the end result.

Learning how to search online is another chapter with special terms and commands to help narrow your search.

The author also stresses how important your library can be in helping you with your research. Online databases such as “HeritageQuest Online” and the “Alaska/Yukon Pan for Gold Database” [now SLED], to name just a couple, are available for all Alaskans courtesy of the Alaska Library Network and the Alaska State Legislature. In addition to the online databases I have been able to use the Interlibrary Loan service here at the Ketchikan Public Library to request microfilm from other state historical societies and libraries. (The only thing about that is that the microfilm is in-library use only).

Getting the most from the information in the U.S. Federal Census is also covered, with tips ranging from which websites to use, to alternative resources such as searching city directories and the tax rolls.

I am really excited because on April 1, 2012 the Census Bureau will be releasing the 1940 U.S. Federal Census. We have had access to the statistics from that census for a long time, but this will be the first time we will get to look at the personal information such as names and places where they lived.

A lot of us have ancestors that immigrated to the United States, so the author has included a chapter on searching and locating records abroad.

In the last chapter the author tells us how to put all of the information we’ve gathered together. And if you’ve hit a wall, like I did, keep at it she says. Check facts, branch out to other family members, and don’t do all of your research online, trying archives, courthouses, and of course your library.

In addition to this book, we have many more items to help you get started with your genealogy research.