On Your Own

If you decide to search on your own, you will find yourself looking through dusty books in libraries and halls of records, staring at a computer screen as you scroll through list after list, wearing your fingers thin copying ship lists, death records, birth records, marriage lists, immigration lists, and myriad other lists that might yield a clue to great Aunt Josephine, of whom, you know only her name. And how about all those other interesting names that you have accumulated. You know they fit in somewhere, but where? If you persevere, a genealogical search can lead you down all kinds of interesting roads and if you are a dedicated genealogist, it is fun. There can be great excitement in finally finding a record that has been illusive or discovering the maiden name of your great grandmother, which brings another line into your tree.. .

Doing your own search can be expensive if you travel, do a lot of phoning and mailing or join the many genealogical web pages that charge. But for the price of a stamp, I have gotten great results. And a trip to Ireland resulted in my finding the final resting place of my father's great-great grandparents. It also allowed me to walk in the same places as those ancestors who had emigrated from the very spot on which I stood. Very little had changed in that particular place and I got a great feel for what it had been like to live and farm in that area. A great grandfather was missing from all records. Then, another cousin went to Ireland and found his grave. Michael had died in Ireland, before the family immigrated. We might never have found him save for a trip to Europe. If you are lucky enough to find a cousin or two who want to join in the search, welcome them warmly. They may have resources that you don't have, be closer to source material than you are and be able to get information that is unavailable to you without great effort.

What equipment do I need?

The least expensive equipment you will need first, are several binders, (at least 4 or 5",) a few reams of paper and a good pen or two. As your information increases or if you are doing more than one family line, you will need to add binders. A box of envelopes and a few books of stamps will come in handy. You will need a good, thick, ruled notebook,(one for each family line) in which to keep notes as you gather them.

I find that the standard letter size (81/2 X 11) paper works best and I purchase the 3- hole punched type so that I don't have to bother punching holes in the paper to fit a binder. .You can get 3 hole punched computer paper, 3 hole ruled notebooks, (serrated for tearing out) and 3-hole plain binder paper at most any stationary or office supply business.