With improved information sharing as a result of the Internet, more and more people are looking for their ancestors. Finding out about them can be exciting, and may help contribute to your sense of who you are as you complete your family tree and discover your origins. It may also be a daunting task to try to find out about someone who lived hundreds of years ago, and possibly in another country. It's hard to know where to start your search. There are many good resources available online and elsewhere, and we'll help guide you to the best.
If you live in Utah , you're in luck; the Family History Library in Salt Lake City is one of the most helpful tools to finding your ancestors. Even better, it's free, staffed by volunteers and open to the general public. But if you don't live in the neighborhood of the Family History Library, there are plenty of other great ways. The Library has branches across the country known as Family History Centers that perform much the same services as the Library. These Family History Centers allow people to search for their ancestors at no cost as well. They can also request microfilms from the main Library if you have enough information. The LDS church also has a website that contains some of the databases and records available in the Library, at www.familysearch.org
There are many software programs designed to help you. You can use these to search through thousands of names from the comfort of your own home, and also to organize the information you have found. Most of these software programs even offer free trial periods, so you can experiment and find out which one you like best. ConsumerSearch.com has reviewed genealogy software programs, and found the best three to be; Legacy Family Tree Deluxe 4.0 (costs about $20 to $30), Family Tree Maker 10 Deluxe (costs about $70), and Personal Ancestral File (can download for free!). GenealogyReview.com also ranked Family Tree Maker and Legacy as the top two best software programs.
DNA testing is a more recent aid to finding your ancestors that may prove valuable. It is possible to get your DNA tested to find out what ethnicity they were. If you were adopted, this will help you find out more about your heritage. The test gives you an estimated percentage of ancestry from the four major historical population groups: Native American, Indo-European, East Asian, and African.
Finding them is much easier when you know where to look. Thanks to the growing popularity of searching, and the Family History Library started years ago by the LDS church, there are many resources you can utilize that will help you with your search for your ancestors. We hope this information will help you obtain more information about your ancestors in the exciting process of doing your genealogy!
By: Riannon Cutler